Isabel Roman

Monday Musings: Pets and Kids 4

2012-01-30T07:30:00.002-05:00

Last MOnday in January. Every one complete their goals? Buy those books they wanted? How're those TBR piles coming along?

Wednesday Review: Almost President

2012-01-25T07:30:00.015-05:00

Almost President: The Men Who Lost the Race but Changed the Nation by Scott Farriss

Apparently the reason we have had very little trouble with the losing candidates and their supporters rioting in the streets is all about the concession speech. The winner isn't a winner until the loser conceded that the other guy did win. Huh. Interesting.

This book doesn't delve into every losing candidate but does hit on several interesting ones who had important careers both before and after losing the presidency to someone else.

If you have any interest in those other guys, read this book. It's worth it, and a very readable look into a past we soon forget about. And if you want a whole list of also-rans, check out this bank in Kansas!

Monday Musings: Pets and Kids 3

2012-01-23T07:30:00.006-05:00

Another January week to get through, another set of pictures. Now that the Christmas lights are down it's even darker out than before!

Tuesday Comings and Goings

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

I've been absent from the blogging world for a bit while I try to figure out my next step. Right now I'm focusing on editing several mauscripts. I have a harddrive full of unusual historical manuscripts I'd like to publish, but want to make sure they're as good as I'm remembering them! Sometimes distance does make the book better.

What's on your agenda this week?

Monday Musings: Pets and Kids 2

2012-01-16T07:30:00.003-05:00

More cute animals and kids photos. I say animals because that's a pig. Yes. A pig. That kid is going to have issues when a teenager and sees this picture again!

Course I don't think this girl thought about her nose's precarious position when she sat down.

Friday Guest: Susan Macatee

2012-01-13T06:00:00.003-05:00

Today my guest is Susan Macatee with her new book, Cassidy's War. Set post Civil War, it tells the story of young lovers torn apart. It's released today, so I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I've just downloaded it and suggest you do as well! Plus that cover is utterly gorgeous!

1. The craziest thing you've ever done while reinacting the Civil War? And have you used it in a story?

Wow! That's a tough one, since I'm normally so reserved and try my best to behave as a proper Victorian lady in my reenactor persona. I do recall having a truly embarrassing moment. While sitting on one of the flimsy camp stools in my hoopskirt, I leaned back and the chair fell over leaving me on my back with my hoop up over my head. And those drawers I was wearing were split up the center to allow bathroom access. When I tried to get up, I also realized that somehow the tip of my corset had gotten stuck in the chair. lol I was lucky though, that it happened when the men were marching out to battle and no one was really around.

I didn't use that in a story, but in Erin's Rebel, my time travel romance, the heroine did have a lot of wardrobe issues in the beginning as she had to adjust to living in the past.

2. We've all heard the rumors that the Civil War Romance is dead...clearly it's not! Tell us your thoughts on why you love to write it, and why you think the rumors started in the first place.

I was mostly hearing it from acquiring editors with the big publishers who said readers wouldn't purchase a romance set in the period. So, if you wanted to sell a romance, your choices were basically to write Regency, Scottish Highlands or Medieval. While I had read romances set in all those periods, I wanted to write what I knew, the Civil War.

I really don't know why the period didn't sell well. After all, 'Gone With the Wind' is an all-time romance classic. I did hear laments from readers stating that all Civil War romances seemed to be GWTW clones: A bitter Southern woman battling an arrogant Yankee officer. And the few I was able to find to read when researching romances, seemed to bear this out.

But now, we have all types of combinations. The hero and heroine can be on opposite sides, but I've also read stories with them both on the same side. Heroines can be spies, physicians, even soldiers. And the hero can be a Southerner, either an officer or a spy.

When you read historical accounts of the period, set around the conflict of the war, there's no way any author has to stick to a cliché plot or characters. There are so many possibilities to make any story unique.

3. Best vacation ever.

That's easy. Years before I met my husband, I booked a two week tour of the British Isles with one of my girlfriends. We traveled through Ireland, Scotland and England, ending up in London. We were both in our early 20s and had a blast.

It really was the most memorable vacation I ever had.

Here's the blurb from my post Civil War romance release, Cassidy's War. Although the story is set five years after the war ended, both characters were directly affected by the conflict.

The Civil War is over, but Cassidy's War is just beginning.

Cassidy Stuart longs to attend medical school. Training beside her physician father and serving as a nurse during the war have only increased her desire to be a doctor with her own practice. When the man who left her at the altar returns, she’s determined not to let him upset the plans she's set for herself.

Until his mission is accomplished, George Masters must hide his identity as a Pinkerton agent as he investigates a physician living in George's former hometown, a short distance from Cassidy's home. When he finds Cassidy hasn’t married, he hopes he can rekindle their love while trying to protect her and the townsfolk from the evil Dr. Madison.

Can their love be renewed despite the villain's desire for revenge against them both?

Excerpt:

She glanced down at her hands in her lap. “I’ve been leading him on, pretending I want to work as his assistant. Then he seemed interested in courting me. I thought, if I played into his hands, he’d relax and say or do something that would help you, help us.”

George grimaced. “What did he do in the alley before I showed up?”

“He kissed me.” She glared at him. “That’s all, nothing else.”

He blew out a sigh of relief, but his blood heated at the thought of Madison touching her in such an intimate way. He stepped over to the window to cool his face. “I’m afraid if you allow him to get closer; he’ll try something else...”

She shook her head. “If he’s courting me, he wouldn’t do anything improper. He wouldn’t want to scare me off.” She looked off into space.

He scowled. “You can’t be sure.”

“He only asked to court me, not to marry him.” She gazed up at him candidly. “I need to draw him out. Gain his confidence.”

He glanced out the window at the people strolling along the street, his emotions warring. “There has to be another way, Cassie. This is my investigation, not yours.” George moved across the room to kneel by her side. “If Madison hurts you...”

She rubbed her arm. “I promise I’ll stay in the public view. To be truthful, I’m afraid to be alone with him again.”

“Cassie, I fear for your safety.”

She reached up to stroke his cheek. His face heated at her touch.

His teeth clenched at the thought of Madison manhandling her. Once the man’s indiscretions were out in the open, he wouldn’t wait for Wellingham to mete out justice; he’d kill the scum himself. He brushed his thumb over Cassidy’s dewy cheek.

“Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“No, George.” She shook her head. “I want to stay here...with you.”

He swallowed hard. “Do you know what you’re saying? If you stay here much longer, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”

She smiled. “I know. I feel the same way.” She rose and led him to stand by the bed. “So many years have passed since the war ended. I dreamed of marrying you, being with you as your wife. In all the years that passed, I never stopped loving you. It’s the reason I couldn’t even feign interest in the other men who courted me afterward. They weren’t you.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this. I’ve loved you all these years, too, but hoped you’d found happiness with another man...a better man than me.”

“George...” She took his hands and gazed up at him. “You’re the best man I’ve ever met in my life. You’re the one I want to spend my future with.”

He reached behind her head and pulled the pins from her hair, allowing the dark, silken strands to flow in waves over her shoulders. “Cassie, you’re even more beautiful than my memory of you. I’ve never stopped dreaming of being with you all these years.”

“Then why didn’t you stay?” Her breath hot against his face, she nuzzled him and kissed her way along his cheek, her lush lips sliding to his mouth. He instantly grew hard.

“I wanted you to be happy,” he breathed as his lips slid over hers. “I thought you’d find a good man to marry and have a life with.”

“Oh, George...” She wrapped her arms around his neck and slid her tongue against his mouth. He opened, sliding his tongue out to meet hers.

The room grew hot. He reached for the buttons of his coat. She grasped his hands, soft, warm fingers gliding over his and helped him unbutton. Together, they slid the coat from his shoulders to the floor. Next she undid his vest. The garment joined the coat at his feet.

When she reached for his shirt buttons, he covered her hands with his. Although she knew about his chest wound from Gettysburg, she hadn’t seen him shirtless since she’d treated him before he left to rejoin his regiment. He feared the scar would repulse her. “Cassie, if we go much further, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.”

“You won’t have to,” she breathed into his ear. “I want to be with you, George, in every way.” Her heated gaze convinced him to allow her to open his shirt and pull the fabric over his head.

Leave a comment or question on this post and I'll choose a winner at random to receive an e-book download of Cassidy's War.

Cassidy’s War is available today at The Wild Rose Press.

Visit my website for more info on Cassidy’s War and my other books and novellas.

Guest Diana Alberts

2012-01-10T03:00:00.000-05:00

New Year’s Resolutions

Do you make them? Do you stick to them? Or do you do it just for fun? I have never made one. I feel I’d never stick to it, in all reality. But, this year, I am going to do it. Wanna know what it is? I want to hit the best-seller’s list. There. I said it. A tall order? Yup!

Will it happen? Hm. Probably not.

But, you can know I will write my very best, and do my very best to entertain you, the reader, as I strive toward my goal. So, even if I fail, you still win! Because I promise to write you awesome books that will sweep you off your feet and let you forget your worries. Even if only for a night or two.

Who’s with me?

Blurb

After moving to England, Sabrina tumbles into an unknown world when she meets the man of her dreams, literally. As a writer, her overactive imagination makes her believe the impossible, but recovering from shock, she wonders how Isaac could appear in her nightmares—when she’s never met him in real life. Until now.

The staggering events catapult her into a world where ruthless creatures roam freely along unsuspecting humans, and battle lines are clearly drawn.

While embarking on a dangerous and passionate affair, a bitter enemy appears from Isaac's past that will stop at nothing to remove Sabrina from his arms. Permanently. In order to establish a foreseeable and solid future, she must first deal with tumultuous occurrences. Navigating a shadowy world she never knew existed, Sabrina fights for her newfound love...and her life.

Excerpt

A strange stillness sat in the air outside Sabrina’s house. No trees swayed in the breeze, no animals scampered in the forest, as if the world itself had come to a halt.

Uneasiness rolled over her, and she studied Isaac out of the corner of her eye. Surprisingly, he seemed to be as tense as her. He gripped her arm tighter than necessary, and his lips were pressed together as well. She could feel the tension pulsating off his body, and she got taken back into her dreams. For the first time in real life, he made her shiver in apprehension. As if sensing her fear, he shot her a quick grin.

“Well, I had a lovely evening.” He spoke over his shoulder as he practically dragged her to the door. She stumbled in an attempt to keep up with his pace. At the door he pointedly stared at her, causing her to realize he waited for her to open it. She fumbled through the mess she called a purse to find the key. She turned to him and smiled as she studied him through the cover of her eyelashes.

“Would you like to come in for a nightcap? I have wine…or coffee…or tea, or....” She stuttered to a stop, unsure of what to say.

God, she sounded like such an idiot.

Nightcap?

Who the heck said nightcap anymore?

“While I’d love to take you up on that offer, I have something I have to take care of tonight. Could I get a rain check? For say, tomorrow night? We could do a movie and wine? Or is tomorrow too soon in the dating world?”

“No, not too soon at all. I’d love to see you tomorrow. ”She tried to hide her disappointment behind a bright smile. “You can call me, and we’ll firm up a time. Good night.”

She turned to go inside and got caught off-guard when he grabbed her elbow and spun her to face him. It happened so quickly she leaned back against the door in confusion; one hand on the doorknob and the other braced against the cool steel of the door. He moved his body closer to hers and placed his hand at her head. His other hand cupped her cheek while his thumb stroked her jaw line. All thought fled as his body pressed against hers, and a small swoosh of air escaped her lips at his touch.

“I didn’t think it even possible for you to grow more beautiful, but you have proven me wrong.” When his lips met hers, she lost all thought, all ability to move. She’d somehow been tied to this spot—this man.

Buy links:
Until January 16, Reclaimed is only $.99 on Amazon!
Decadant Publishing
Amazon UK
Amazon
Smashwords
Author Bio:

Diane Alberts lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband, four kids, and a bird. She lives in the mountains-but wishes it were the beach. She has been writing since she was in elementary school, but only recently fulfilled her dreams of being published in 2011. Enjoys dyeing yarn and knitting in her “spare” time.

Diane Alberts is a published romance writer. Kill Me Tomorrow, Diane’s addition to the popular 1NS series from Decadent Publishing, will be out on October 28, 2011. Look for Reclaimed, available soon from Decadent Publishing. Also, Escape To Me, Diane’s second contribution to the 1NS series, just recently got contracted. Absolution, the first of a new series with Decadent called Honor Guard, is in the pre-editing process. Broken, another 1NightStand book, was also recently contracted with Decadent Publishing.

In addition to being a writer, Diane also reads slush for Entangled Publishing as an intern.

She loves interacting with readers, so feel free to email her or follow her on her various social networks.

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook

Monday Musings: Pets and Kids

2012-01-09T07:30:00.005-05:00

Got this in a forward and need to share. It's been a while since I've shared cute pictures so on this 2nd week of the month, we'll start it out right!

2012 new goals

2012-01-05T07:30:00.011-05:00

Everyone make a goal for the new year? How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions: 10 Great Tips for Keeping Your Resolutions This Year

I resolve to work hard on all my writing. Polishing, sending things out, editing, all of it.
I resolve to help my fellow writers by hosting them here, tweeting about them, or talking about their books wherever I am. Interested? Email me!

What about you? What's your 2012 plan?

New year, new purpose

2011-12-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Taking it slow this year. I'm going to be working on several new stories as well as a new venture or two. To that end, I'd like to invite authors onto my blog!

Have a book you want to promote? A story you'd like to share? A tale you'd like to tell? Come on by. The door is always open.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T07:34:00.001-05:00

I want to take a moment and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Peace, love, and joy to all.

Who do you want beneath the Christmas tree?

2011-11-27T06:00:00.006-05:00

Thor. Yum. 'Nuff Said.

All wrapped up in nothing but a big red bow lounging beneath my Christmas tree? Oh yeah. It's the hair, the scruff, the muscles, and oh yeah the attitude. The cocky swagger, the deep laugh.

Sigh...

You? What fictional character, book or movie, do you want lounging beneath your Christmas tree in nothing but a big red bow?

Today's giveaway: (1) Dark Desires of the Druids: Murder & Magick (2) $10 B&N gift certificate--leave a comment to enter to win!

Susan Macatee
Caroline Clemmons
Nicole McCaffrey

Favorite Christmas Song

2011-11-26T06:00:00.029-05:00

You have to have one, so what is it? Are you the classic type? Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby

The new renditions? Amy Grant, Jessica Simpson

The quirky ones? I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Dominick the Donkey, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron

Religious ones? Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night

My choices are 1, 3, 4...I do not like Amy Grant, she ruins every song she redoes with her sleepy voice and even tempo. As for other remakes, there's something about the classic version you grew up with that makes it the best.

What about you? What are your favorites?

Today's giveaway: Shadow State--leave a comment to enter to win!

Susan Macatee
Caroline Clemmons
Nicole McCaffrey

Holiday Stories: Blog Hop Weekend

2011-11-25T06:00:00.023-05:00

Let's face it, holiday stories are awesome. Well, I like them at least. As early as July there are Christmas stories. But every year a new crop springs up--series, individual stories, one-offs--you name it and there's a Christmas theme.

Why?

Are they as popular as they seem to be? There are a number of types of Christmas stories; sweet, sexy, humorous. What binds them? The tradition of Christmas and the holiday spirit. A lonely girl any time during the year is bad enough in a romance, but during Christmas? Horrors. But by finding her hero during the holiday season makes the romance all the sweeter.

Today's giveaway: a Victorian fan and a copy of Dark Desires of the Druids: Murder and Magick (e-book or print your choice)--2 winners, so leave a comment to enter to win!

Susan Macatee
Caroline Clemmons
Nicole McCaffrey

Things I'm grateful for

2011-11-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

I recently heard that of the top 3 things people are grateful for, technology is #3. I'm very grateful for technology, don't get me wrong--it allows me to keep in touch with family and friends distance and the general business of life have made it difficult to keep in touch with.

But in my top 3? Hmm, interesting. I'll leave it off the list for now. I'm grateful for:
Health
Family
Work--both the job and friends I've made in my time here
Writing career
Online writing friends--I may never have met you in person but don't think I don't appreciate you!

What are you grateful for?

Guest: Rebecca Royce

2011-11-15T04:00:00.002-05:00

I have actually had my ideal dinner. It happened five years ago. My oldest son, now six, was just under one year old when my husband and I decided to take a trip to Europe. (Yes, I am insane. I did spend a ton of time on the trip longing for my baby who was back in the States with my parents.) But I digress…

We went to Paris and London. Paris first with a stop over afterwards in London before we went home. One of our first nights in Paris we ate at a restaurant called Guy Savoy. To this day, it is probably the best meal I have ever had. But, even beyond that, the whole evening was like a magical dream.

We were in Paris, eating the best food I’d ever put in my mouth, and feeling like we were in a dream. This was, ironically, not my only trip to Paris. I had been before and hopefully will get to go again. But nothing will ever replace how extraordinary that night was and that incredible dinner.

For me, it was a life experience I’ll never forget. As a friend of mine once said “a life memory.”

A life memory, I like it! It doesn't matter how many times you've been to a place, it's the memories that count. Thanks for sharing, Rebecca!

Blurb:

Eighteen years earlier, Charma lost her destined soul mate. Convinced he must be dead, she kept her fears to herself so as not to destroy the morale of the Outsiders who already live with a shaky prophecy as their only guide.

Dr. Jason Randall is a man used to getting what he wants. There has never been a problem he couldn't out think or a situation he wasn't capable of handling.

Now they are both hunted by not one but two demons as they lead the slowly forming group of Outsiders out of the darkness and back into the light. The two strong souls will have to decide if prophecy alone is enough reason to stay together through insane odds...or if love is their true fate.

Excerpt:

Jason shook his head. This wasn't going to be easy. Maybe her arrival was a good thing. Maybe she was another piece of the puzzle he needed to solve his dilemma. "Self-loathing, the woman I've invented to come here and cause me tremendous pain as a way to punish myself for killing a man who assaulted me in the parking lot." Jason gestured around the hillside. "This whole thing is one giant guilt trip."

Standing up, her eyebrows pressed inward, and she held a confused look in her eyes. They seemed to be searching for something but he wasn't clear on what.

Finally, she spoke. "Listen to me very carefully. So much of what you just said makes no sense to me and we have zero time to sort it out. I'm not sure how to convince you that what I'm about to tell you is the absolute truth but it is. This is not some grand illusion. Not really."

"That's just what a falsehood that didn't want to be proven wrong would say."

About Rebecca:

As a teenager, Rebecca Royce would hide in her room to read her favorite romance novels when she was supposed to be doing her homework. She hopes, these days, that her parents think it was well worth it.

Rebecca is the mother of three adorable boys and is fortunate to be married to her best friend. They live in northern New Jersey and try not to freeze too badly during the winter months.

She's in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and tries to use all of these elements in her writing. She's been told she's a little bloodthirsty so she hopes that when you read her work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. Rebecca loves to write series because she loves to see characters develop over time and it always makes her happy to see her favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In Rebecca Royce's world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.

http://www.rebeccaroyce.com/

http://www.rebeccaroyce.blogspot.com/

Monday Monday

2011-11-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

First, I'm over at Unusual Historicals talking about pets in the Victorian Era. Well, dogs mostly.

Second, The Scandalous Victorians are doing a Black Friday Blog Hop Extravaganza! Interested? If so, answer the following questions:

Do you write in the years between 1837-1901 on any continent on Planet Earth?
Do you have something to give away? Book (e- or otherwise), gift card, swag?
Do you have the time to post not only a short blog about the era, Black Friday, Thanksgiving traditions, or Holiday shopping? AND put up the rest of the stops on this weekend long hop?

If you answered YES to the previous three questions, then welcome! Drop me an email so you can be added to the list.

Friday Guest: Liia Ann White

2011-11-11T04:00:00.020-05:00

First off, big thanks to Isabel for having me today! My pleasure, Liia Ann. And I have to say, I love your 10 things! Not a fan of chick lit movies, either. Classic romances, yes. Action with a believable romance, yes. Today's nerve-grating, embarrassing chick-lit? Nope. Alas, I think we're in the minority given the popularity of both the books and movies.

When I was asked to do this post about 10 things people don’t know about me I was a bit stumped and wondered if I could come up with 10 things – I’m a very honest person – if you ask something, I’ll give you an honest answer. In cases like this my honesty backfires.

1. I had my first short story published when I was 15.

2. I have a handbag obsession. It’s the most girlie thing I indulge in – if I see a gorgeous handbag, I just can’t pass up buying it.

3. I’ve never eaten pork. And now that I’m Vegan, I never will.

4. I LOVE sharks, especially Great Whites. I’ve been swimming with sharks before (sometimes not on purpose) and one day will go on a cage dive with Great Whites.

5. I have vitiligo – the disease that causes depigmentation of the skin. Luckily I’m so pale that it’s not particularly noticeable from a distance. But up close (and to me) they’re clearly visible.

6. Of the 26 years I’ve been alive, I’ve slept in the same bedroom for 23.

7. I saw a UFO when I was 10.

8. I saw a ghost/demon thing when I was 16.

9. I didn’t have my first haircut until I was 5. I was almost bald until then.

10. I LOVE horror movies and HATE chick flicks. A bit odd for a romance writer right? But if you put a chick flick on, I’ll leave the room. I do not enjoy romance films at all.

Blurb:

Elora’s parents mysteriously disappeared when she was fifteen. She vowed to find answers – discover what really happened to them. But after twenty-five years of travelling the world she has come up empty handed. Feeling tired and lonely, she settles down in the city her best friend, Caleb, calls home. To lead a regular human existence for a while; like he does.

One problem; they’re not human. They’re Different – a rare supernatural race known for their beauty, strength and supernatural abilities.

Elora is lead to a man by a series of visions. Cue Kadin; powerful, sexy and also Different. He is her match – her soul-mate. Her life has never felt so complete.

But it’s not all good news. Elora must now deal with a rogue demon Elder hell-bent on taking over Lucifer’s reign over Hell. To succeed she needs to steal Elora’s power. When she’s facing the fight of her life, can Elora really trust Kadin?

Excerpt:

After a morning of wandering around the house, getting used to the surroundings again, I needed air. Walking through the woods that surround the house, I inhaled deeply. The fresh scent of pine, moist dirt, and running water filled my nose. Being surrounded by nature was relaxing. Birds chirped in the distance and animals scurried away as they heard me coming.

Only a few steps in, I found the large eucalypt I'd been looking for. My parents planted it here for me, so I would always have a piece of Australia with me at this house. In Perth, eucalypts grow everywhere. The expansive bushland behind our home was a virtual eucalypt forest. With a push of energy to my legs, I jumped and flew to the top branches of the sixty-metre high tree. Nestling against the trunk, I closed my eyes, listening to the leaves rustling in the light breeze.

In complete peace, I watched the sun set on the horizon. Beautiful shades of orange, pink, and yellow danced through the wispy clouds surrounding the city. Though nothing compared to the beauty of home, this came pretty close.

The air temperature cooled quickly once the sun disappeared. Around me, owls hooted, other birds fluttered, and rodents ran from tree to tree. Leaning forward, I looked at the ground, preparing to return to the house when my phone rang in my pocket. It was Caleb.

I flipped it open, and Caleb's voice came loud. "Where are you?"

"Where am I, exactly? Sitting on top of a tree in my back yard."

Author Bio:

I’m an Aussie writer, born and bred in Perth, WA.

I love all things paranormal. I spend my childhood daydreaming about far off lands and living in my own little fantasy world. I watched shows like ’Unsolved Mysteries’ and read books on witchcraft, fairies, demons, ghosts and all other sorts of supernatural creatures, including mutants (I love X-Men).

I’m a complete geek and collect Disney and Star Wars memorabilia.

When not writing, I can be found reading, playing video games or spending times with my adorable doggies.

I’m a big animal lover and vegan. I live in Perth with my family, which includes two adorable dogs, two birds and a handful of feisty fish.

I’m always interested in meeting new people, so drop me a line!

Links:

Guest: Elise Hepner

2011-11-06T07:21:00.001-05:00

Fairytale Retellings

For as long as I can remember I’ve been devouring fairy tales both old and new re-tellings. When I first got big into reading a book a day in middle school it was my go-to genre making my shelves lined with fairy tale goodness. It’s only natural that this fun and addicting habit would translate to my own work at some point. Now I can’t seem to beat the fairytale writing bunnies off with a stick—maybe not even a flame throwing. So for now, I’m going for it. I’ve released two fairytale re-tellings of my own with Ellora’s Cave and I have at least two more planned for this year.

In honor of my obsession I’ve decided to share some of my favorite fairytale retellings from middle school until now. Much of my middle school reading was more mature than it should have been anyway—I was determined and naughty. Not much has changed. Here we go:

Tanith Lee’s White as Snow

Francesca Lia Block’s The Rose and The Beast

Anything by Donna Jo Napoli

Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty Series

Alison Tyler’s Alison’s Wonderland

Emma Donoghue’s Kissing The Witch: Old Tales in New Skins

Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror

All of these books represent a special time in my life and I read a good deal of them over and over every year. Much of the content in these books changes meaning as I grow older, gains depth and emotion. It’s fun watching the same words evolve in my brain every year. Neat that books can change a person’s emotions while the words themselves don’t move or adjust. When I was a teenager, The Rose and The Beast was very angsty, dark, and full of twists. Now, I can see past it into the light spots, points where the every story evolves into a point of peace.

Even with the Sleeping Beauty Series, it’s not so much about titillation and eroticism as it is a journey for a woman who’s forced to find herself despite everything going on in her insane world. What are some fairytales that you’ve enjoyed with multiple meanings throughout your life?

Blurb:

White runs from her prison of a past and enters into a sexual deal with seven men that alters the course of her life for eternity. Caught between her need to take control and making up for her serious lack of good sex, she enters a wonderland of kinky possibilities with men who show her that Prince Charmings come in all shapes and sizes. For White and her men—once upon a time doesn’t cut it—three or four times sound just about right.

With each partner—not always one at a time—White beats back her trust issues. But the shadow of her past comes back to haunt them all. Now she must introduce them to her personal battle, hoping they’ll fight beside her as their sinful nights turn into hellish days. Happily ever after isn’t by the books anymore.

Interview with Mark Harmon

2011-11-05T19:29:00.002-04:00

Sunday, November 6 at 9pm on USA network airs “Certain Prey” staring NCIS lead Mark Harmon. I was given a unique opportunity to participate in a telephone conference interview with the handsome Mr. Harmon and bring to you all today a rundown of what transpired:

John Sanford’s Prey novels feature a male cop protagonist that has been a successful businessman, dresses sharp and chases the ladies without remorse but what Lucas Davenport likes best is being a cop and hunting down the criminal. Mr. Harmon is very respectful of the original material and hopes he has brought to life as accurate a representation of Lucas Davenport as possible.

Mr. Harmon considers the characters of Lucas Davenport and his character on NCIS of Leroy Jethro Gibbs as different as can be both personally and professionally. Davenport has a darker side than Gibbs and while they might get along during the course of a case it is unlikely they’d associate outside of the law enforcement world.

One of the highlights for Mr. Harmon was playing against two very strong – if ‘bad’ females in Certain Prey. These are two ladies people will enjoy with their sharp tongues, quick wit and clever tricks.

As to NCIS: he feels that the work has never become routine and with the camaraderie with the other actors it continues to be a pleasure to work on NCIS. No one on the NCIS set phones in their acting – everyone is present and generous with the work.

I went on to ask a hypothetical question and asked what Gibbs would think if McGee and Abby and Tony and Ziva broke his rule 12 (never date a co-worker). He took a moment to consider the questions and said that these things happen in the work place and as long as they all continued to be as professional at their jobs as they have always been he doesn’t believe it would be a surprise to Gibbs.

Perhaps a glimmer of hope for the ‘shipper’ fans there!

Interview with Mark Harmon

2011-11-04T07:30:00.007-04:00

Yes. That Mark Harmon. Currently known as Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NICS and Lucas Davenport of USA's upcoming TV movie based on the book by John Sandford, Certain Prey.

I've read maybe 16 of the current 21 Prey stories and have enjoyed each one. I'll catch up on the newest 5 soon. Honest!

So this interview, which lasted 32 minutes (and I recorded it all!) involved others asking questions, I just filled in for a NCIS buddy who couldn't make it. She was the journalist invitee, but to take her place? I was all over that!

Some of the questions asked were about Certain Prey and some about NCIS, since it is the #1 scripted TV show out there. I'll post some of the answers tomorrow, but don't forget, Certain Prey debutes this Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 9pm on USA.

Guest: Dana Littlejohn

2011-11-03T04:00:00.003-04:00

No country girl here!

Hello everyone,

I am Dana Littlejohn, multi-published author of erotic romance. I was asked if I could travel anywhere in the world where would I go, outdoor or city inspired. I consider myself an avid traveler. I go on a trip outside my state at least three times a year. So as I thought on the question a list of places I would to go sprang up rather quickly. I also noticed as I mentally went over the list, although they were mostly outdoor oriented places none of them were very forest-like.

None of my ‘yes, I’d go there’ spots were nature inspired at all. Now I don’t have an issue with nature. I think it is beautiful. I appreciate the beauty in all kinds of trees, flowers, the greenery of a meadow and even how pleasant a really kept golf course looks. I just don’t want to partake in it hands on.

I’m so not into bugs flying around me, leaves, webs, branches touching me and especially coming across some weird exotic plant or bush that make me sneeze, choke or scratch. I feel like if I don’t go into its environment than I don’t have that issue. I can see pictures, paintings, sculptures or any other renditions of nature people want to throw at me and I will “oooh and ahh” the same way they do when they see it in real life. I’m perfectly cool with that. I do believe that some things in life one must experience for themselves in order to really appreciate it, but I’m not interested in appreciating nature in an up close and personal fashion.

My mental list consisted of places like Paris to view the villas, architecture and sample the food. I also have Italy, Ireland, most of the Caribbean and several states I have plans to check out in the same manner, but there are no hiking trips, camp outs or ‘roughing it’ activities to be found at all. My idea of roughing it is grilling in my back yard using paper plates! (which, by the way, my husband doesn’t allow me to do. After an incident a number of years ago, he no longer allows me to touch his grill. I can only come close to it to bring him necessities.) I have no to desire to catch, conquer or kill my food before eating it. In fact the thought makes me consider being a vegetarian so that won’t be an issue. I’m just not that person. I mean, I love the look, the whole jeans tucked in the rugged leather boots with the fur. The flannel shirt hanging open with a tank top and a really cute belt, maybe something shiny to give it a little bling…very chic and fall-like. I could probably work that, too, just not in its native environment.

I’m a confessed girly-girl. It drove my sons crazy and puts a damper on my husband’s need to visit the outdoors every fall. The thought of sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground when I know there’s a perfectly good bed somewhere waiting for me makes my face twist in some crazy formation that is not cute. I am so over fishing it’s not even funny. I used to fish when I was a kid and found then that although I like to eat fish, I never want to catch and handle it again. I would starve if that was my way of life. I am a fan of the boots. Dark brown leather, laces up the front, warm fur peeking out the top, very fashionable with the right ensemble, but I’m so much into the ones that zips up the sides that make your legs look sexy more. J Oh! And I can’t even express how mad I would be if I broke a nail trying to put something together, start a fire, gather wood or anything outdoorsy like that.

When I go to the Caribbean I plan to sightsee and sip Mai Tai’s by the beach while eating food indigenous to that island. No hiking through their marshes will be involved. When I get to Paris, Ireland and Italy I have every intention on renting some type of native transportation device.

Wherever I end up around the world provisions will be in place to keep my ‘girlyness’ in tact and I won’t be visiting anywhere they have more than three trees gathered in one place, a span of grass that exceeds a half an acre or that shows possibility of me not sleeping in a queen size bed. J

Thanks for having me!

Dana Littlejohn

www.danalittlejohn.net

BLURB:

Jerri Ivory was over divorce cases, but when your boss asks you to do him a favor...

During the important case, her boss is killed and she becomes a suspect all while she is trying to get to know Felix, a man her friend Linda hooked her up with. With all the mayhem going on in her life can Felix slow her down long enough to show her they were meant to be?

EXCERPT:

Linda nodded. “Yes, ma’am, Pumpkin. Her mother was a flower child back in the sixties so she ended up with a name no one can say without practice. Pumpkin is just simpler,” she explained.

Bob and Helen looked at each other, then nodded a greeting to her.

Pumpkin waved at them. “Hi.”

Felix chuckled. “Then Pumpkin it is. Hi,” he said, offering his hand.

Frieda barely nodded at the older couple then pushed Pumpkin out the way to shake Felix’s hand.

“How are you, Felix?”

“I’m fine, Frieda. How are you?”

“I’m doing much better now,” she said, flashing him a smile.

Linda bumped her out of the way, breaking their handshake. She pulled Jerri in front of her. “And this is my friend Jerri.”

“Jerri? I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman name Jerri. Is it short for something?” Felix asked.

“No. My mother had a major crush on Jerry Lewis when she was young. When she found out she was pregnant she announced to my father that whatever the baby was she was naming it Jerri.” She shook his extended hand and shrugged. “Needless to say my father was not happy about it, but here I am anyway, Jerri Ann Ivory.”

Felix laughed. “Does he call you Jerri?”

“Oh, no. He gave me my middle name and always called me Annie.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Jerri.”

Author bio:

Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but has called Indianapolis, IN her home for over 10 years. Her love for writing started as a young girl in junior high school where she discovered her first romance novel. Falling in love with love she started writing her own ongoing story in weekly installments to entertain her friends as they passed it around the lunch room.

When she became an adult she put her love for writing on hold to do the start a family, but in 2003 with encouragement from her husband she picked up her pen again. This time she has no intention on putting it down. To date she has written 3 full length novels, 11 novellas, 36 short stories and has had her stories in 3 anthologies under her own name and a pseudo for another genre. Her do-do list grows daily and the ideas flow freely. Keep an eye out for what she has coming next.

http://www.danalittlejohn.net

http://wwwauthordanalittlejohn.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dana-Littlejohn/130991880327370

Twitter: @authordanalittlejohn

Guest: Leslie Soule

2011-10-28T04:00:00.002-04:00

Today's guest is Leslie Soule and her first fatasy novel, Fallenwood. Please join me in welcoming her!

Favorite TV or movie hunk:

My favorite movie hunk is definitely Orlando Bloom as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He’s hunky, but the difficult part comes from trying to define what exactly makes him that way. After all, personality-wise, the elves of Middle Earth tend to come off as a bit cold and stoic, mysterious and…different – it creates a kind of allure. Also, there’s just something about pointy ears.

I remember reading something in a magazine about Orlando Bloom commenting on the elves, saying that there’s nothing sexually threatening about an elf, and this is part of their charm as well, I think – that they don’t seem like domineering creatures, berserkers or barbarians, and yet they are not entirely passive either. Rather, the elves seem like a race whose interests are elsewhere than sex. Ironically, this is what makes them sexy.

Also, there’s something very attractive about the idea of the “good guys” rushing in and attempting to defeat a seemingly unconquerable evil, and battling the forces of darkness even if hope is forlorn. You see, “sexy” exists in the mind, a collection of perceived truths about the world. A person’s recognition of something sexy, signals that an idea has occurred to them that is presenting itself to the person’s mind as a fulfillment to a lack (i.e. Legolas’s battle prowess against the orcs is alluring because my own battles against the darkness don’t seem to go as well as his, sometimes). But that’s getting in really deep, philosophically.

Suffice to say, I think Orlando Bloom makes a very hunky Legolas. J

Back off Orlando...he's mine! At least you have great taste in men. I found his humor and honor and the fact that he WAS so different from the other elves attractive. And then I saw him in Pirates and yum. Just yum.

Blurb:

Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy. When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

Excerpt:

The dragon’s eyes glowed, for a flickering moment, with white light.

“Ash,” the dragon continued, “Welcome to Terra Illumina…or as it is more commonly known, Fallenwood.” Then a fierce roaring laugh erupted from the stone, as though the dragon thought the new name a joke. “A dark, difficult, dangerous path lies before you, Ash Kensington.”

Ash’s heart grew heavy. In truth, she knew that she was destined to some terrible, dark fate. For so long, her life was filled with sadness and doubt, and one horrible thing after another. What else can I hope for?

“But Ash, you must not lose hope. Our world needs you..."

About the author:

Leslie Soule lives in Sacramento, California. Fallenwood is her first fantasy novel. She has received her B.A. in English from Sacramento State University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in English at National University.

Website: http://www.lesliesoule.com/

Wednesday Review: Geek Wisdom

2011-10-26T07:30:00.009-04:00

From the publisher who brought us Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and all those many spinoffs now comes Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture by Stephen H. Segal

I read this straight through, meaning I didn't skip around but treated it like a normal book. Mistake. I think the reason it took me so long was that this isn't a book in chronological order where by starting o page 1 you end up on the last page with a complete history of the subject.

No chronology expected here!

Which is part of its charm. I enjoyed the book and spent an inordinate amount of time trying to guess the quote before looking at the speaker of said quote. I think I averaged 85% (there was something about flying dragons I didn't get).

If you're a geek with an affinity for science fiction, fantasy, 80s cartoons, cheesy movies, intellectual video games, and can pick out at least 5 pictures from the cover, this book is for you. If you know a geek who can do all of the above, Christmas is right around the corner!

Tuesday Comings and Goings

2011-10-25T07:30:00.000-04:00

Spent the weekend at the New Jersey Romance Writers conference. Other than signing books at the author book signing and giving a workshop on Writing with Someone Else (Not Already Talking in Your Head) I enjoyed meeting up with writing friends and attending workshops.

Victorian Alexander is one funny lady! I've heard her speak before and it's well worth it. If you ever get the chance to hear her, do it.

Over all, if you're a writer (or want to be or even just want to understand the behind-the-scenes-of-writing) attending writing conference. Local ones are better or at least less crowded and gives you a chance to meet more authors, listen to more of them answer your questions, and really get to know some of the other writers (and readers!) attending.

Monday Excerpt: Shadow State

2011-10-24T07:30:00.018-04:00

Shadow StateOriginally from The Wild Rose Press anthology Taming of the Wolf, Shadow State is now available for 99¢ from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance eBooks. A free sample is available for download from Smashwords.

Fighting to prevent the Nazi’s from gaining a wehrwölfe army, Christoph and Elsa tread a serpentine path between an ambitious party man and their primal need for each other.

Hidden for centuries in the German countryside, the Arminius Clan has amassed power, wealth, and respect. All that changes when the Nazis come to power. Christoph von Berangar, Alpha, makes his way to Berlin to claim his mate. But then one of his wölfes is captured, and experimented on by the Nazis.

Elsa von Skyler, leader of one of the Arminius Packs, is forced to experiment on the captured wölfe. Along with her father, an esteemed doctor at the Charité Hospital, they do this only to facilitate the wölfe’s escape. Together, she and Christoph form a plan to rescue their fellow wölfe, but when things go awry, will Elsa survive? Or will Christoph’s fervor to protect his mate compromise them all?

Excerpt:

Dinner was barely a half hour off, and Christoph hadn’t seen Elsa since she’d told him of Erik. After putting the fate of their captured member into his hands, she’d waited for his response.

He had no answer for her, not until he learned from Gerard what Strasser believed. Though he wanted to speak with her of personal matters, he’d needed to get the business of the Clan out of the way first. She’d left him to see to the other guests, without his answer.

Now, he set out to find Elsa in the large townhouse. It was an eclectic mix of old and new, but the art deco suited her well. The unique style matched her personality. Efficient, sleek, sensual.

Following her scent into the library, he stumbled upon a far corner she’d clearly marked as hers. Lancet Medical Journal lay open on the window seat, with several more journals in various languages stacked in a corner. He sat by the window, letting the late afternoon sun warm him.

A fresh whiff of her reached him a heartbeat before the clatter of her rushed footsteps. Standing, he moved into one of the shadowed archways. Elsa scanned the shelves nearest her window, oblivious to his presence. Christoph took the opportunity to study her.

The sunlight glinted off her golden hair, neatly coiffed despite her rush. Her hands were delicate as they skimmed over the spines of her books, taking one from the shelves and stepping to the side, she skimmed it. He knew from her letters, and the diplomas lining the walls, that she was adept in her field of biochemistry. Her skirt accented her curved figure, and he wondered how she’d look with the material bunch around her hips as he took her.

Stealing out of the shadows, he stepped behind her with a growl. She startled, dropped the book and tried to turn, but he held her arms at her sides, trapping her between him and the diploma-lined wall. His lips tasted the side of her neck, the smooth, fragrant skin there. The feel of her body against his told him everything he needed to know.

My woman.

“We are creatures of instinct, are we not?” he asked in a low rumble. “Mine are very clear.”

Her heart pounded, he could feel it jump where his fingers brushed the sensitive underside of her wrists. Her scent intensified, an added undercurrent of muskiness, and he knew she was as aroused as he.

Her head turned, but she didn’t struggle. She leaned further into him, pressing her arse against his throbbing erection.

“I wondered what your instincts would tell you,” she whispered. “You were inscrutable this afternoon.”

“That was not the moment for us.”

“Have you decided this is our moment?” she asked.

He pulled away just enough to see the eyebrow raised in amused question. But he could also see how her blue eyes darkened, could feel her breath coming in gasps. Could smell the change in her scent.

Trailing his lips along the back of her neck, he breathed her in. Another growl escaped him, louder and stronger, establishing his dominance over her. When Elsa growled back, his cock hardened further.

Yes, mine.

Friday Guest: RJ Silver

2011-10-21T04:00:00.017-04:00

Today my guest is RJ Silver, author of My Thrid World Girlfriend and The Princess and the Penis. Yes. You read that right. I read chapter 1 and it's pretty darn funny! If you want to read My Thrid World Girlfriend, for the next 48 hours (or 2 days) you can download a free copy of it from Smashwords using this code: TW68L

Hung Like A Bull

When Jan (my Thai girlfriend) was in her early teens, she used to ride a male buffalo. While I was drifting aimlessly through my mid-twenties, she was literally taking the bull by the horns.

At first, I was jealous of her. Then she said, “He very strong. One-thousand kilos of muscle beneath me, thunder across field, bounce me up and down, up and down, make me scream whole time.”

That made me jealous of the bull. No guy likes to hear his woman describe how another male “made her scream the whole time”, so I swept her up in my arms and ran all around the apartment with her, prompting a couple of small cries of surprise. “Like that?” I said, setting her down.

Having recovered from her initial shock, she shook her head and said, “No, not same. When you sit on bull and feel his broad back beneath you, you know you cannot control what he do. All you can do is hang on while he bounce you up and down, up and down – boom boom boom.”

I spun around, crouched down, and hoisted her onto my back, then again ran around the apartment as fast as I could. She didn’t scream much, but she did clamp her arms around my neck to hang on, so I figured that had to be worth something. “Like that?” I said.

“No, no,” she replied. “He two-meter tall at shoulder. He very fast, and his feet thump the ground heavy when he run, go—”

“Yeah, yeah – I know. Boom, boom, boom.”

I sat down on the couch, a little winded by my exertions. I knew I was being ridiculous. So she rode a bull in her teens. So I wasn’t the biggest, strongest beast she’d ever mounted, or the greatest thrill she’d ever experienced bouncing up and down. Get over it, I told myself. Don’t be so immature.

The problem, I soon realized, was that the apartment was too small. She wasn’t getting as much of a thrill riding me because I didn’t have enough space to reach my top speed. “Let’s go outside,” I said, “where I can carry you across an open field, just like he did.”

So we went to the park. I picked a downward slope to help me go faster, full of mounds and potholes to make the ride rough. Up she went, piggyback style once more, and down the hill I went, accelerating with each step, bouncing her all over the place. I even tried to sound like a bull, though, in retrospect, I probably mooed like a cow.

Halfway down the slope, I caught my foot on a rock and began to stumble. Sensing I was about to fall, she gingerly dismounted and landed on her feet. I, meanwhile, fell sideways and tumbled down the rest of the slope into a small pond at the bottom. My head had just popped out of the water when I saw her crouching at the edge of the pond. “Boom, boom, boom?” I said hopefully.

“No,” she answered. “But he go in water, just like you. He was water buffalo.”

That still wasn’t good enough for me. So I took her home and made mad, passionate love to her. “Boom, boom, boom?” I asked when it was over.

“Hmmm,” she said, scratching her cheek and looking sheepishly at the ceiling.

“Damn!” I said, frustrated.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she replied. “At least you not hung like bull.”

“Pardon?”

“One year, we hungry, have to kill him for food, hang him upside down to cure the meat.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes.”

Relief swept over me. My rival had been reduced to mere mincemeat. Despite his massive size, bulk, and power, in the end the only thing he could carry was the top of a hamburger bun.

My Third-World Girlfriend

Then I remembered that Jan had once ridden that bull for the sheer fun of it. She talked about him like he was a pet, yet, when pressed, she still killed him for food.

That made my situation crystal clear. If I don’t want to end up hung like a bull myself, I’d better keep her well fed!

And Remember: If you want to read My Thrid World Girlfriend, you can download it for free for the next 48 hours (or 2 days) from Smashwords using this code: TW68L

Hurry! The code expires Sunday October 23, 2011!

Thursday Progress

2011-10-20T07:30:00.004-04:00

I have no progress to report. Except I've finished 3 books within the last 2 days and am now scouring my Goodreads list for what I'm in the mood for.

Recommendations?

Wednesday Review: Ides of March

2011-10-19T07:30:00.007-04:00

March 15 isn't as popular a voodoo day as Friday the 13th but it should be. If your name is Cesar and you're a tyrant that is. This movie had its moments, but overall I found the ending a little flat. I suspect it's because 1) it's based on a play (the real kind not a Broadway musical but a real play) and 2) I'm cynical enough to believe everyone loses their idealistic nature about something sooner rather than later.

Granted, I also think it's probably one of the more honest political films in years. And given the recent protests (OccupyWallStreet or OWS, OccupyPhilly, OccupyBoston) rather apropos.

It'll probably be an Oscar contender but won't get my vote. Because while I think it's timely and decent, it never really moves into "Stays with me afterwards" or "grips my attention" or even "I'm not looking at my watch or checking my email".

An idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon.

Monday Musing

2011-10-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Monday morning, Monday morning couldn't guarantee
That Monday evening you would still be here with me.

Thursday Progress

2011-10-13T07:30:00.014-04:00

I haven't posted much because I'm deep in editing mode. Trying to get a couple books ready for public consumption. Between that and life, it's difficult to keep up with all the social networking I'm a part of. I am reading several books now--well listening to 1, reading 2 (one on my nightstand, one on the table for lunch breaks)

Canticle for Leibowitz on the dining room table
Geek Wisdom on my nightstand
Thereby Hangs a Tail on audio

National Writing Month

2011-10-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

Which is technically November but I saw this on today's BBC America and needed to share. If you ever wanted to write a book, November is the time to start. 50,000 words in 30 days is rough. Traditionally, November is a busy month for me, but probably not for others.

NaNoWriMo challenges authors to write novel in month

Guest Gordon A. Kessler

2011-10-06T04:00:00.014-04:00

Thanks for hosting me on your blog Sexy Adventures, Passionate Tales, Isabel!

So, I’m to blog about anything I want? Oh, my! So much to say and so little mind to say it with!

*grin* Thanks for joining the party, Gordon! Glad you could make it.

Well, I hope it’s obvious that I love to write. I wrote Jezebel for therapy while going through a divorce—thus the violence and sex seemed appropriate at the time. I’m not really a horror writer. I like writing thrillers, and this one just ended up leaning toward horror.

In all my novels I enjoy using specific types of characters/tools: a romantic connection, a tension-heightening storm, at least one dog or horse, a Native American, a deadline that shortens, and a strong, smart woman. I feel that this combination of ingredients provide for an exciting and surprise-filled, dynamic story.

Jezebel was a blast to write. I love dogs, and this is about a very large dog that gets caught up in a conspiracy and used in a hideous manner. After she kills her master, she’s on the loose, and terrorizing the city. But is she the one who’s really doing all the killing? Meanwhile dogs all over the city are attacking their masters and the person who seems to be at the center of these crazy and heinous attacks is the animal control director, Tony Parker. Tony’s going through a mid-life crisis and has his own problems. His lovely wife feels the tension and see her husband’s attraction to his beautiful, young and seductive assistant.

My dog would rather lick you to death than attack. Unless you're holding out on a treat & teasing her of course...

I love the tension that builds in this story, and planting little clues that makes the reader say, “Oh, yeah! I should have seen that coming” when the plot twists and things get out of hand. I’ve had several readers tell me that they’ve read Jezebel several times, just so they could find those clues and see the story from an enlightened angle each time. This is a novel that scatters clues throughout, and I challenge anyone to predict the outcome. Jezebel isn’t a who-done-it—that’s obvious within the first few chapters; it’s a what’s-going-to-happen-next thriller. The suspense is intense throughout—I think it’s a perfect Halloween season read.

After Jezebel, I wrote Dead Reckoning—a real fish out of water, or should I say “in hot water” mystery thriller. A female NCIS agent goes undercover aboard a ship of horrors to find out why crewmembers are disappearing one-by-one. There’s romance, mystery, and murder—what a wonderful combination. And I challenge anyone to guess who-done-it in this one.

NCIS? I'm so there!

My latest novel is Brainstorm. Once again, there is romance, mystery, big thrills, and high technology. This one gets into remote viewing, and man was it fun to write. I loved writing the mind trips, and paranormal scenes. Still, I tried to ground the story in realism to make it believable in the real world so that I didn’t have to create a whole new one. I know you’ll enjoy this one.

No cheating—don’t read the end of any of my novels first, it will absolutely ruin the story for you. And don’t ever put any of my books away without reading the epilogue. There is always a surprise or two just to top it off. The very best surprise right now is that all three of my thrillers and a couple of short stories are currently on sale as eBooks for only $.99 just to get those numbers up and to reward my readers for their loyalty. You can find them on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, Sony—all the major online bookstores, as well as http://www.readersmatrix.com/. Of course you can also get them in hardcover and paperback.

So now I’m working on sequels for all three thrillers. You can find out a little more on my blog and my website. Please check them out. And, you can always email me. Drop me a line!

Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to give my spiel on your blog! Happy reading.

BLURB:

Sleep lightly tonight…

A madman has come to town seeking a diabolical revenge and large dogs begin attacking their masters for no apparent reason and with heinous results.

Animal Control Director Tony Parker must find out why and stop the murderous attacks. Meanwhile, Jezebel, a huge black Great Dane has killed her master and is loose, terrorizing the city and stalking Parker and his family. Parker and Sarah Hill, his beautiful and seductive young assistant, attempt to unravel the mystery and stop the terrible carnage while dealing with their own demons and lusty desires.

The attacks must be stopped. Jezebel must be found-and soon, you see--there is one other complication. Parker seems to have come down with an annoying little virus. No, it's not one of those irritating summer colds. It's certain death.

She's a murderess, huge and black as a hell-bound night.

Beware. Jezebel is on the loose!

EXCERPT:

In the grayish soup, a dark vision appeared. Floating down the middle of the street, it slowly formed into a recognizable shape.

An animal. A large black animal. A huge Great Dane. It walked with confidence. Long, thin legs. Mouth closed, head and eyes fixed straight ahead. Occasionally, its feet splashed one of the pools. Light from the streetlights caused a sparkle from underneath its neck with every step of its left forefoot. A large diamond, set on a gold tag, captured the light and shot it out like a laser. The dog maintained its pace for what seemed like minutes.

Finally, it stopped. With its body still pointing down the street, it slowly turned its head to the right and looked up a sidewalk leading to the front door of a house. It stared, still emotionless, at the door. At Tony Parker’s door.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author bio: Gordon A Kessler is a former US Marine parachutist, recon scout, and Super Squad team leader, with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. He is a Master Instructor for Johnson County Community College, National Academy of Railroad Sciences, and the BNSF Railway. He has taught novel writing for Butler County Community College, English Composition for Hutchinson Junior College and has previously indie-published the thriller novels Brainstorm and Dead Reckoning, and a book about the novel-writing craft, Novel Writing Made Simple.

He is a founder and current president of the Kansas Writers Association and tries to stay connected to writers and the writing industry by doing speaking engagements at writers conferences and for writers organizations, and does his own "The Storyteller" seminar in Wichita, Lincoln (Nebraska), Kansas City, and other Midwestern cities based on his Novel Writing Made Simple book.

His websites, http://www.writersmatrix.com/ and http://www.indiewritersalliance/ are landing pages for writers to help them in their writing endeavors. His author website is http://www.gordonkessler.com/ .

Other links:

http://http://www.readersmatrix.com/

http://www.Twitter.com/GordonKessler

http://www.Facebook.com/GordonKessler1

http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/GordonKessler.

Studying

2011-10-05T07:30:00.000-04:00

In a couple weeks I'll be at NJRW doing a workshop on writing with a partner. Okay the technical term is that we will be there but since it's easier to use I than WE, there is it.

The outline is made, the handouts are in the rough draft stage, and the content is simple--for us at least! If you're going, this workshop is designed to help you understand the needs of yourself and your potential writing partner and help you work together.

See you there!

Upcoming guests

2011-09-29T07:30:00.001-04:00

I have several authors who will be guesting on my blog in October. Because October is a time for reading! (When isn't?)

I'm not a fan of James Patterson. I did read several early Alex Cross books and enjoy them but once he started writing with others, the quality didn't just decline, it plummeted. But I like this article from CNN on How to get your kid to be a fanatic reader

I wonder what we can do to get everyone to be a fanatic reader? Hmm, the possibilities. Because let's face it, reading is fun and frankly the book is always better than the movie!

I share because I care

2011-09-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

A forward from a friend, I thought this would brighten anyone's day!

This is how I heard YOUR WEEK was going....

First you had trouble getting out of bed

You had a stiff neck

Your new diet really doesn't seem to be working out

You pulled a muscle when you tried to exercise

Your new hat looked better on you at the store

You keep losing things
You got caught in the rain at lunchtime

Then the lunch you had didn't seem to agree with you

You feel trapped

Uninvited guests showed up at dinnertime

On top of that you think you're coming down with the flu

And finally, you're alone in the house at night when you think you hear a noise in the basement

MAYBE TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER!!

Thought for the Day
Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can't eat it or play with it,
Just pee on it and walk away.

*******************************************************************************
RELAX!!!

TO All MY 'NUTTY' FRIENDs
Have a fabulous STRESS FREE Day!

Slacker

2011-09-23T09:21:00.000-04:00

Yup.

But I'll get back to blogging soon.

Ever just feel like if you spent another second online you'll scream?

Yup.

Next week. Promise.

With fun new posts, new guests, and a new energy that I somehow lack this week.

I need your help

2011-09-14T07:30:00.001-04:00

Actually, I don't but my new charity cause does. This isn't a plea for money or time, rather for items. I recently read about Operation Baghdad Pups and for the month of September, I've decided to collect items for donation.

As part of the International SPCA, Operation Baghdad Pups helps bring dogs (and cats!) back from Iraq and Afghanstan to stay with their new American families after those soldiers who have befriended them return.

U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan befriend local animals as a way to help cope with the emotional hardships they endure every day while deployed in a war zone. The Operation Baghdad Pups program provides veterinary care and coordinates complicated logistics and transportation requirements in order to reunite these beloved pets with their service men and women back in the U.S. These important animals not only help our heroes in the war zone, but they also help them readjust to life back home after combat.

Interested? Great! Email me to send the items.

From their site on items they need to help make these transfers happen: We really need the slip leads, red or blue medium to large dog collars, puppy housebreaking pads and airline crates.

Friday Guest: Jane Wenham-Jones

2011-09-09T04:00:00.007-04:00

Today I'd like to welcome Jane Wenham-Jones, author of the book I'm still reading and haven't yet reviewed, Wanna be a Writer We've Heard of? Um...yeah! Of course! What's the point in being a writer no one's heard of? Her site is witty and engaging, and while I won't say how I'm enjoying the book thus far, I will say I'll post my review in the near future.

Jane Wenham-Jones is a novelist, journalist and presenter and the author of the Wannabe Books - two how-to manuals on getting published and becoming well-known. Below is an extract from Wannabe a Writer We've Heard Of?, available on Amazon or through all good bookshops. For more on Jane see http://www.janewenham-jones.com/.

Everything I have to say about the minefield that is the author photo can be summed up in four short words: Thank God for Photoshop.

These days, this magical piece of software would have zapped my spot with one decisive mouse click, but back then it took four inches of slap and some clever lighting to just about bleach it out. It was generally agreed the end result was quite fetching. Or as one of my friends put it:, “What a lovely photograph – it doesn’t look a bit like you!”

A state of affairs I could have done with at the ensuing launch party where pictures in the local paper showed me signing books with an arm like a sumo wrestler’s thigh and the wider consensus of opinion was that I looked six months pregnant.

PhotoShop could have dealt with the extra stomach too so if you’re not familiar with this life-saving software, that can blur wrinkles, erase chins and smooth out blotches, it’s time to make its acquaintance.

However, unless you are a whiz with intricate software and have many hours to devote to mastering its complexities, don’t rush out and buy it yet. The full version of Adobe PhotoShop is expensive (although there is a much cheaper basic version called PhotoShop Elements) and you could lose your life getting to grips with how it works.

Much better to cultivate a nerdy friend who has already mastered its finer points. Personally I wouldn’t know how to do any of the filtering and cloning necessary to attend to my crows’ feet but luckily I know a man who does. And I keep him on speed-dial.

If you have enough dosh of course, you can hire a professional to take your pictures and this is a sound investment. Although, personally, I would advise against one of those make-over/glamour photo companies that promise to totally transform you.

I am used to writers looking nothing like their mug shots and have learnt to keep my face impassive when introduced to yet another Grande Dame, long familiar as a soft-focussed beauty from the inside of a book jacket, who turns out to be an old crone with no lips; but others may gasp.

You don’t want to see shocked expressions when eager fans/potential promoters meet you in the flesh, so it’s prudent to use a photograph that is reasonably up to date and try for one that is still recognisable as you – but a you at your best.

Unless you have lots of money and fancy it anyway, you don’t, at this stage, need a flash portfolio of yourself draped over the furniture in a dozen different poses. For now, a single fabulous picture should suffice.

It’s true that you usually have to take about a hundred shots to get that one good one, and, if you can afford it, a professional photographer, who understands about lighting and angles will probably get there quicker.

But if a friend with a good digital camera can be persuaded to take a few dozen snaps of you dolled up to the nines, you’re still bound to end up with a couple of decent ones in there somewhere. You can even utilise the self-timer function and have a go yourself and probably get a perfectly good picture.

Particularly if you bear in mind that it’s the lighting that makes all the difference.

If you decide to have some shots taken outside, choose an overcast day or pose in the shade. This is a must for me anyway as my eyes are so sensitive to sunlight that I end up squinting terribly if I don’t wear dark glasses. And while I would be thrilled if I were always photographed in a huge pair of shades – they immediately add glamour and can hide a multitude of sins – they tend to be a big no-no to picture editors, who take the view that they’re OK on celebrities but make us ordinary mortals look dodgy.

So for a picture you can send out anywhere, sunglasses are best avoided. (Or any glasses, come to that, as they cause all sorts of problems with reflection). A softer light also works wonders on skin tone and will be much more flattering than direct sun.

Indoors, try to use natural light from a window. If you have to use flash, don’t stand against a wall because you’ll get harsh shadows. (My photographer chum tells me the more advanced camera user can get round this to a certain extent by bouncing the flash off the ceiling.)

A small lamp at your feet or a sheet of white card on your lap can roll back the years as the light/reflection will bleach out wrinkles and imperfections. (And conversely a harsh top light will enhance every crack and crevice till you look like your grandmother.) NB it’s really worth keeping a note of what worked well and what didn’t – where you were/what time of day it was/ whether the curtains were drawn right back, etc. – because it saves an awful lot of time when you come to do it all again.

Wherever you are, go for the plainest background you can find, check for anything distracting – trees that appear to be growing out of your head for example – or anything you wouldn’t want visible, like your underwear drying on the radiator.

Do think about what clothes you want to wear (the experts advise against wearing totally black or white clothes because it can play havoc with the exposure) have your hair done, spend time on your make-up and experiment to find out which is your best side.

How to get a great pic

1. Take your time. Try to relax. If you’re under pressure, and watching the clock you’ll look stressed and harassed. If you’re uptight because you don’t like having your photo taken, have a massage or a glass of wine first.

2. Prepare yourself. Depending on gender or preference: spend time on your make-up, wield the hair gel, put on great jewellery, have a shave – or not.

3. Wear the right clothes. Choose a simple shirt or plain top and avoid stripes, spots, loud patterns and huge bows that will distract from your face. (Unless you have a boil on your chin.)

4. Experiment. Try different expressions and poses (but look into the lens). Keep checking at the back of the camera to see what works.

5. Remember lighting is all – a professional will know how to light you to advantage but if you’re doing it yourself, try brighter and darker spots till you get it right. Get it wrong and you’ll look haggard and a hundred, while the perfect light can knock off years. (If you get desperate, so can a facelift.)

6. If you’re a woman think posture. Stand up straight, do not hold your arms against your sides and if you have a chest, use it. As a friend of mine whose boyfriend is a photographer for the tabloids, was once advised after a particularly gruesome photo of her appeared in print: “Stomach in and tits out, darling – not the other way round!”

Wannabe a Writer Site:

http://www.wannabeawriter.co.uk/

Buy links:

Amazon UK (paperback)

Amazon UK (Kindle)

Amazon US (paperback)

Amazon US (Kindle)

The Book Depository

The author photo

Grooving again

2011-09-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

There's just something about a 3-day weekend that makes getting back into the swing of things difficult. Very very difficult. This whole week I've felt as if I should have had more time off! Anyone else feel the same?

New Blogger Interface

2011-09-02T07:30:00.002-04:00

Despite my refusal to look before they made it mandatory, I did. it's not bad, all Google Analytics and all. But seriously, no reading list? They could do all that but not bother to import my rather extensive list of blogs I follow?

New does not equal better. New usually equals "We were bored with the old look and wanted something cooler" which now equals "We've pissed off our customers".

Yeah. Mark me in that last category.

When updating anything, including your website, make it more user friendly, not less. Make it more readable, not less. Make it something your readers will want to return to time and again. This goes for writer websites as well as Google's massive #fail with this new Blogger interface. New and shiny doesn't mean it's readable, likable, or usable.

Plus I find it hugely ironic that Blogger's spell checker doesn't recognize it's parent company, Google.

Thursday Progress

2011-09-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

Been so busy, phew!
Updating Goodreads profile
Blogging
Gathering guest bloggers (interested? Send me an email)
Twitter...find I'm recently addicted to Twitter, granted that ebbs and flows but recently...addiction
Writing...posted Shadow State for $0.99 on Amazon and B&N:

Fighting to prevent the Nazi’s from gaining a wehrwölfe army, Christoph and Elsa tread a serpentine path between an ambitious party man and their primal need for each other.

Hidden for centuries in the German countryside, the Arminius Clan has amassed power, wealth, and respect. All that changes when the Nazis come to power. Christoph von Berangar, Alpha, makes his way to Berlin to claim his mate. But then one of his wölfes is captured, and experimented on by the Nazis.

Elsa von Skyler, leader of one of the Arminius Packs, is forced to experiment on the captured wölfe. Along with her father, an esteemed doctor at the Charité Hospital, they do this only to facilitate the wölfe’s escape. Together, she and Christoph form a plan to rescue their fellow wölfe, but when things go awry, will Elsa survive? Or will Christoph’s fervor to protect his mate compromise them all?

Wednesday Review: The Help

2011-08-31T07:30:00.000-04:00

To be fair, I didn't read the book. The library has 8 regular copies, 2 large print copies, and 1 audio. All of them have multiple, multiple holds and I'm currently 6 of 9 on the waiting list. So this is my review of the movie with as few spoilers as possible.

Exceptional casting all round. Definitely Oscar-worthy.
Well done with both sides of the story-meaning I didn't think all whites were cast as racist bitches (though there were plenty! And I hope they all got their just rewards afterwards) and all African-Americans as sympathetic characters. There was (what I hope was) a truthful mix of good and bad, just as there is in real life.
The main characters were definitely sympathetic and I loved their stories very much. So much so that I wanted more! Almost like a based on a true story film where they tell you what happened afterwards. Truly, I wanted to know if Aibileen reached her dream. Or how Minny fared after she found a family she could love and who loved and respected her in return. And Skeeter, I hope she realized the full extent of her dream.
I admit it, I cried. Was the movie sappy? I didn't think so, emotional yes, but sappy usually has me rolling my eyes and I was riveted throughout.
I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the dark parts of the American Civil Rights past with the feel good light of hope at the end.

More from the Grammar Divas

2011-08-29T07:30:00.022-04:00

Have you subscribed to their newsletter yet? You really should. I'm only posting my favorite of the 5 they lisited on the 5 More Kudzu Words That Creep Into Your Writing

Kudzu Word #4: Strange

The word strange is not instantly wrong. But all too often, people abuse the word in order to hedge or avoid coming to the point. You already know that’s not good!

Kudzu: Looking into Josh’s baby blues gave her a strange, but pleasant, feeling. (Oh, come on. This is silly purple prose. Unless his eyes are emanating radiation in concentric circles at her, she’s not feeling strange.)

Much Better: Looking into Josh’s baby blues warmed her inside and out. Her soldier was home. Emily tossed him the smile she saved only for him. She laughed when Josh lifted her off her feet in the embrace she’d had to imagine for a year.

Kudzu: What’s that strange smell? (Really? You’re a writer and can’t come closer to describing the smell than that?)

Better: Do you smell that metallic, earthy odor?

Purple Prose: Love it or Hate it?

2011-08-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

At Dictionary.com Purple Prose is defined as:purple prosenoun writing that calls attention to itself because of its obvious use of certain effects, as exaggerated sentiment or pathos, especially in an attempt to enlist or manipulate the reader's sympathies.

My reaction to that dictionary entry is: Aww shut up.

Particularly in romance writing are purple prose effective but the writer has to know how to use it sparingly but effectively. I once wrote this line:

She loved him with every beat of her heart. (As purple as purple gets)

If I started a story that way I’d be shot at by frequent readers or they’d hurl stones. Either way it would not be pleasant. But if I stuck that line in after the black moment and when it looked like all was lost for the hero and heroine I’d get a pass because at that point the reader would know that the heroine wasn’t exaggerating but that she indeed felt that way.

Yes, the writer is playing with the reader’s emotions and sympathies but that is the whole point. Writers want to take you on a journey with the characters and sometimes the correct use of purple prose only adds to the experience.

Song writers do it all the time but most people miss it in the catchy music. For instance:

“When you kissed me heaven sighed.” A line from Edith Pilaf’s La Vie en Rose.

“The scars of your love remind you of us.” Adele’s Rolling in the Deep

I could go on…

So what do you all think of the use of purple prose?

Reviews and thoughts

2011-08-25T07:30:00.003-04:00

Last week I read a NYT article on review factories: In a Race to Out-Rave, 5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5. (It might not open, sometimes the NYT makes you subscribe to their site.)

But the theory is still there and is sound: “For $5, I will submit two great reviews for your business,” offered one entrepreneur on the help-for-hire site Fiverr, one of a multitude of similar pitches. On another forum, Digital Point, a poster wrote, “I will pay for positive feedback on TripAdvisor.” A Craigslist post proposed this: “If you have an active Yelp account and would like to make very easy money please respond.”

The big question is--how much attention do you pay to reviews? Personally, if a book has 5 bad reviews and no good ones, I'll probably skip it. But if you've looked on Amazon and one of two things
1. All or most of the 1 and 2 star reviews are either as a shipment, price, or Amazon problem (The Fifth Witness), or even after reading the blurb the reader thought the book was about something else entirely (Please Look After Mom).
2. The polarizing effect--100 5 star and 100 1 star with very little in the middle (Heaven is for Real before the explosion of 5 star reviews), you have to make your own choice.

Which is what it all boils down to for me. Making my own choice based on good & bad reviews and what they actually say. One liners mean nothing to me, and I ignore them.

What about you?

Wednesday Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2011-08-24T07:30:00.001-04:00

Shockingly, I enjoyed this flick. I was a teenager when I saw the original Planet of the Apes movies with my uncle who loved them and a bit of his geeky, sci-fi loving ways rubbed off on me. When Tim Burton did that remake like ten years ago I was excited to see it and horrified when I left the theatre. It was so bad I wanted to find an experimental mind erasing machine and wipe it from all memory! Not to mention the time waste!

But this new movie is not a remake or awful at all. It is actually a prequel to the Heston version. And it has a lot of references to the 1968 version that fans of the original will enjoy. However, the plot implies something different happened to cause the rise of the intelligent ape population on Earth than the original implied but it was still plausible.

More of today's fears, our fears, than the fears of the 1960s. Therefore, I’d give this move 4 out of 5 stars. The action was a lot of fun and the acting was definitely not Saturday sci-fi B movie but much better!

Tuesday Comings and Goings

2011-08-23T07:30:00.003-04:00

Today I'm over at Unusual Historicals talking about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's sdaughter, Frances Scott during the month of Children Of...

There's also a survey to complete about the future of the site, including what you'd like to see more of. It takes about 4 minutes to complete, so please do so!
http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.com/2011/08/what-type-of-future-content-would-you.html

Monday Musings

2011-08-22T07:30:00.001-04:00

Mondays are the bane of the week.

British Humor

2011-08-18T07:30:00.002-04:00

Because apparently it's a bit different.

These are classified ads, which were actually placed in U.K. newspapers:

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8 years old.
Hateful little bastard.
Bites!

FREE PUPPIES.
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbour's dog.

FREE PUPPIES.
Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd.
Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound.

COWS, CALVES: NEVER BRED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer ï¿½100.

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE .
Worn once by mistake.
Call Stephanie.

**** And the WINNER is... ****

FOR SALE BY OWNER.
Complete set of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 45 volumes.
Excellent condition, ï¿½200 or best offer.

No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything.

Statement of the Century
Thought from the Greatest Living Scottish Thinker--Billy Connolly.
"If women are so bloody perfect at multitasking, how come they can't

have a headache and sex at the same time?"

Wednesday Review: Nothing Daunted

2011-08-17T07:30:00.001-04:00

Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West. I'm not big on biographies, I don't really care about the intimate details of other people's lives. But this is more of a history I guess. About real people. From the perspective of Dorothy's descendants.

Which probably makes it a biography.

In the summer of 1916, Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood, close friends from childhood and graduates of Smith College, left home in Auburn, New York, for the wilds of northwestern Colorado. Bored by their society luncheons, charity work, and the effete young men who courted them, they learned that two teaching jobs were available in a remote mountaintop schoolhouse and applied—shocking their families and friends. “No young lady in our town,” Dorothy later commented, “had ever been hired by anybody.”

I wanted to read this book because of the romantic heroine nature of the story. Just goes to show we writers don't make this stuff up! There really were women like this, and only through stories such as this one can we know not everyone followed the rules.

Granted I admit to skimming some of it, but over all it was engaging enough to finish and recommend for historical (and western) lovers who enjoy a well-written narrative non-fiction read.

Humor

2011-08-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

Or at least words to make you smile. This is from a forward from my mom. I'm only posting the good ones, there were quite a few. I'll start with my 2 favorites...the rest are in no particular order.

TOMORROWOne of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

YAWNAn honest opinion openly expressed.

COMMITTEEA body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
INFLATION Cutting money in half without damaging the paper. MOSQUITOAn insect that makes you like flies better.
RAISINA grape with a sunburn. SECRET

Something you tell to one person at a time.

Excerpt Monday: Shadow State

2011-08-15T07:30:00.003-04:00

Excerpt from Chapter 2:

Shadow State, now available from All Romance eBooks and Smashwords for only 99¢. Should be up on Amazon and B&N this week. And with a nifty new cover, too. How do you like it?

“Christoph is due this afternoon,” Gerard said while they walked along the corridor towards the hospital’s main exit. “If you wish to still consult him.”

“If an opportunity arises,” she whispered back, “you need to take it. I’d prefer to discuss this directly with him, as well, but we may not have such luxury.”

Since Scientific Inquiries brought Erik in, she’d considered various avenues of escape for the wounded wölfe. After two days of torture at the hands of so-called scientists interested merely in discovering his secrets, she understood how much of a blessing it might be to end his life.

Images that would never leave her mind now overwhelmed it. Electricity, starvation, beatings with rods and fists, they tried it all. They took so much blood it was a miracle he remained conscious. They bound him to a metal chair and didn’t let him sleep. Bright lights blazed day and night, and the same song played incessantly, meant to drive him insane.

Elsa smashed all her Chopin recordings.

No longer recognizable as a human, the poor man hadn’t allowed the change to his wölfe, either.

She was partly the reason for that, she and Gerard. Erik wasn’t stupid; even through his delirium he knew what his change would cost the Clan. Seeing them with the other scientists confirmed his worse fears.

The Nazis knew of their species.

This morning, when she took another vial of blood, he’d begged her to kill him. With four other scientists and two SS interrogators watching, all she could do was murmur that they would get him out.

Erik had laughed, a harsh, broken sound that made her skin crawl and the hair on the back of her neck stand straight.

“I’ve lost my mate,” he’d said low enough for only her, with her enhanced wölfe senses, to hear. “I’ve endangered us all by changing before witnesses. I’m bound like a rabid beast. Tested like the anomaly they think I am. Kill me.”

Now, Karl Strasser, Head of the Department of Scientific Inquiries—Special Interests Division, wanted the results of Erik’s blood work. Gerard was on his way to meet with Strasser. Initially, Elsa wanted to see Erik again, but didn’t wish to draw the suspicion of her colleagues. Instead, she decided to go home to await Christoph’s arrival. She didn’t envy her father.

Christoph.

Their relationship confused her. Well, no, she knew what she felt for him. A new tone snaked through his letters, one she knew wasn’t present when her father handled the Pack’s correspondence.

Elsa stopped midstride and shuddered at the very thought.

Finally meeting Christoph had her stomach aflutter, and she wiped damp hands on her skirt. No, she knew how she felt for the Alpha. Whether the feelings in his letters would transfer when they met face-to-face, she didn’t know. Instinct permeated her being, a powerful thing.

But is it enough?

“Insufferable man,” Gerard continued. “Pompous ass who thinks he’s a scientist. At least he’s more interested in Erik than those children you helped.”

“Greta told me this morning he’s brought in more SS,” Elsa whispered. “Now that they’re the de facto army, you must be careful.”

“I won’t tell him what I really think,” her father promised. “But I reserve the right to do so.”

Elsa chuckled, and squeezed his hand. “Don’t be long.”

He looked down at her for several moments, eyes glinting. “I shall be the very soul of scientific savvy.”

“It’s not your scientific savvy I’m worried about,” she kissed his cheek in farewell. “It’s your temper.”

With another light chuckle, she proceeded down the hallway, tracking Gerard’s scent until he moved deep into the office wing.

Friday Guest: Caroline Clemmons

2011-08-12T07:30:00.005-04:00

Today I'm guest blogging on Caroline Clemmons' blog A Writer's Life while she's over here on mine. Be sure to check out my post on why I love historical research and leave a comment for a free download of my novella, Shadow State.

Do you remember your first trip to the library? After years of living in tiny towns where the bi-monthly bookmobile was a big deal, my family moved to Lubbock, Texas just before I was eleven. My first visit to the public library is burned into my memory.

Do you remember the smell of old public buildings, old books? You might think it unpleasant, but in my imagination that scent conjured up freedom. If I close my eyes, I can recall the library’s aroma, sense the dark interior. I see the librarians, who seemed so ancient to me, and the kind manner in which they helped me learn new authors. What a wonderful place for a girl starved for books! Those novels fueled my imagination and joy in reading. Is it any wonder that now I love writing books?

See how cleverly I segued into telling you about one of my current releases, SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME? This novella is a historical romance set in a central Texas town, the fictional Winton’s Crossing. Here’s the blurb:

After fleeing an abusive husband six years ago, Beth Jeffers wants nothing more than to protect her son Davey and to help her mother operate a boarding house. The women in her family have had no luck with men, and she has no intention of letting any man influence her son. Not even Matt Petrov, no matter how much her lonely heart urges otherwise.

Federal Marshall Matt Petrov, also known as Lone Wolf Peters, fell in love with Beth the first time he saw her. Then she was another man’s wife, so he kept his longing a secret. He’s saved his love for her for six horrific years. Now, the lovely widow and he have crossed paths again. This time, he intends to risk all for a chance at happiness. First he must rescue his distant kinsman from an assassin’s clutches. Will Matt succeed before his kin is killed? And will his secrets shatter the love he and Beth share?

Yeah, yeah, it’s a romance and you can guess the answers, right? But you have to read the book to see how Matt and Beth arrive at the answers.

Another tidbit is that the heroine’s mom is named after my mom. I wanted to name the heroine after Mom, but I just couldn’t write a love scene for someone with my mom’s name. Euuw! The heroine is named after my Aunt Elizabeth, but called Beth. No one ever called my aunt anything but her full name, so that didn’t evoke weird images.

I often name secondary characters after family members. Makes things less weird! Plus they love it and always get a kick out of knowing they're in a story even if it's just a name.

Here’s an excerpt to intrigue you (I hope!).

The set up: Our hero Matt has been wounded arresting criminals. After being treated by the doctor, he’s back at the boarding house where Beth is tending his wounds. Well, a little more than tending them. He’s talked her in to stretching out beside him.

Sweet heaven, he’d never known a more satisfying kiss. He tugged her until she stretched along his body.

When she broke the kiss, she moved her legs back to the mattress but laid her head on his chest. “Why’d you do that?”

“Needed to. For six years. Can’t say I’m proud of wanting you when you belonged to another man, but I won’t deny I thought about you.”

He felt her shudder with sobs, her tears ran wet on his chest. Caressing her back, he cursed himself for as big a fool as Jeffers. “Beth? Aw, honey, I didn’t aim to make you cry. Forgive me. I’d never willingly do anything to hurt you.”

“You didn’t. Matt, I’m ashamed. I hated the person I was when I knew you before. You saw me weak and abused. Heard Lionel yell awful things at me. When you came here, I was mean to you because you’d known me then. I didn’t want to be reminded of those times.”

She sobbed again. “As if I could ever forget them. Then, when you told me about him being dead, I—I felt relief. I’m sorry, but only what you’d be if you read there’d been a train wreck and people you never knew died. I must be a terrible person not to mourn him.”

“No, you’re a wonderful person and it’s not like you lived with him long or had seen him recently.” What a hell of a position to be in. How could he tell her how Jeffers died? He stroked her silky hair. “I’m sorry you’re upset, but I’m glad I found you. You’re a different person in a way but you were a sweet woman then and you are now. And a good mother and daughter.”

He thanked God he’d given Jeffers the money for her ticket home, but he’d never let her know about that. She’d hate him for sure if she learned her no-good former husband had borrowed the money from Matt to send her away in disgrace. It’d done her a world of good, though, and had probably saved her life.

She sniffed and rubbed her sleeve at her face. “I’m glad you came, too. I-I’d wondered what happened to you and where you were and if-if you’d met someone.”

He couldn’t tell her where he’d been, at least, not right now. “I didn’t meet anyone.”

“I’m glad. I, um, I mean, I’m sorry you’ve been alone all this time, but I’m glad you don’t have a woman waiting for you to come home.”

“Don’t have a home.” He didn’t add that he didn’t deserve one, that he’d had one once and lost it.

“Where will you go when you leave here?” She trailed her hand across his skin to rest it at the base of his ribs. He wondered if she knew how that touch affected him and if his erection showed in the moonlight. He bent a knee to conceal it.

“Don’t know yet. Guess it depends on how this thing with Ivan plays out.” He hoped Ivan was alive and pain free. Dang, maybe it was the sweetened tea, or maybe it was her being next to him. His own pain receded a little and life surged in him.

“I hope he’s all right. He’s a nice man.”

“Beth, I’m not a nice man.” No point in her thinking different or him trying to pretend. “I might have been once, long ago, but no longer.”

“You’re kind to Davey, and Mama, and all the other people here. You’re trying to help Ivan. Sounds pretty nice to me.” She sniffled again, and he wanted to comfort her, but she had to understand.

He pulled her up, so he could see her face in the light from the window. “No. I’m here because I have a job to do, not because of any higher intentions. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

“A job? You mean helping Ivan is like a job?”

She didn’t get it. “No. Beth, listen to me. I’ve been assigned to help Ivan. Paid. It’s not something I chose to do because I have a kind or generous nature.”

“Assigned?” She pulled away and sat up. “You mean it really is your job? Who are you working for?”

“Never mind. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Instead of any reaction he could have imagined, she laughed. “Whatever it is, at least you have a job.” She settled back beside him, her body touching his from her head at his shoulder to her toes at his ankle. “I thought you were up to no good.”

Dang, she made him feel like a man-and-a-half. He laughed in spite of himself. “Guess I am up to no good, but I’m being paid for it. Not much, but enough to get by.” He turned to face her. “You know that kiss?”

“What about it?”

He raised himself on his right elbow and leaned over her. “Let’s try that again.”

SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME is from The Wild Rose Press. It’s also available from Amazon and other online booksellers.

Thursday Progress

2011-08-11T07:30:00.003-04:00

This month I've devoted to reading over 2 stories I have completed but not published. Everyone knows the game: Write the book, send it out...and wait. Then revise and do it all again.

I'm in the revision stage. Not because I think plot elements need fixing, but because, as with all my stories, I think the opening can be tighter. I also wrote one of them with very stick guidelines and want to relax those to see if I can find a wider audience.

And the beat goes on...

What's your latest project? Writing, gardening, home repairs, or otherwise!

Wednesday Review: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011-08-10T07:30:00.004-04:00

I read this book because it's going to be a movie. Or is a movie. Is it out yet? Anyway, I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan not entirely because of that. I also read it because I'm fascinated with Chinese history. The culture, the power struggles, the intricate imperial court goings on. Fascinating!

What I liked most about this story is the very real emotion of a changing friendship. Lily's self-absorption isn't necessarily evil or mean spirited, but human. It's what happens to all of us over time when we're not reminded, or don't remind ourselves, that there are people in our lives not in our immediate circle of friends and family.

We can say it's easier to keep in touch now, Facebook updates, email, phone calls, but it still requires time and effort and without that, there is no more.

The secret woman's language is something I'd recently read about but the intricacies are incredible. Not worthy to learn 'proper' Chinese, this language is over 1,000 years old and told from mother to daughter. Another piece of female bonding that is both secret and slightly rebellious.

Overall, I think the best thing about this book was that it didn't take place in the Forbidden City as several others I've read have. (And enjoyed don't get me wrong!) It was a rural town populated by the proverbial big fish in a small pond type of people trying to get by.

Did you read Sonya Clark's post from yesterday about her release, Mojo Queen? Did you enter to win a prize pack?

Guest Author: Sonya Clark and giveaway!

2011-08-09T04:00:00.006-04:00

The Deeper Vision of Roxanne Mathis

The main character of Mojo Queen is Roxanne Mathis, a paranormal investigator who can see auras and spectral energy. She uses that ability along with hoodoo folk magic to help people with supernatural problems. I don’t remember where I first read about auras but I’ve always found the idea intriguing. Simply put, an aura is an invisible layer of energy that surrounds all living things. The color of a person’s aura reflects the tone of their emotions, the state of their health, and other things. Different people will see and interpret auras in different ways and I found a ton of various color correspondences in my research. I wanted to settle on one system for Roxie so I went with the chakra colors.

Chakras are believed to be centers of energy within our bodies, the main ones being seven centers from the top of the head to the base of the spine. Each chakra corresponds to a different part of the body and purpose of energy. For instance the brow chakra is located on the forehead between the eyes (hence it’s other name, the third eye chakra) and its associated with intuition and psychic abilities. The color correspondence for the third eye chakra is indigo. When Roxie looks in a mirror and sees her own aura it will always have at least some indigo present, because of her paranormal abilities. Any time she sees the aura of anyone with paranormal abilities, their aura will have indigo in it. I used the rest of the chakra color correspondences as a baseline for how Roxie interprets auras and it seems to work pretty well.

Roxie can also see spectral energy, which means a spirit doesn’t need a very strong energy signature for her to see it. This comes in handy when she’s hired to evict bothersome ghosts from a home or help reverse a case of demonic possession.

I didn’t want Roxie to have to constantly be surrounded by all this nebulous energy that no one else could see, so I knew I had to figure out a way for her to “turn it off’ so to speak. To do that, I gave her glasses. Roxie is near-sighted. She doesn’t have to take off her glasses in order to see with her “auric vision” but she has learned to use them as a sort of shield. It helps to keep her from being overwhelmed.

Roxie is used to certain colors and imagery and hasn’t seen anything she couldn’t interpret in years. That changes when she first sees the aura of a sexy, dangerous sorcerer named Blake Harvill. She actually sees his aura before she sees him. It’s unlike anything she’s ever seen before, a black starfield full of rippling color. My inspiration for this was the amazing imagery from deep space brought to us by the Hubble telescope. His aura is the first thing that attracts Roxie to Blake and it had to be special. I wanted something that represented beauty and mystery, danger and limitless possibility, and when I happened across a Hubble image of a far flung nebula I knew I’d found something that fit the bill.

To Roxie the shade of a person’s aura represents the color of their soul. It gives her a level of insight normal people don’t get. That’s one reason she needs a shield – to give people privacy. It’s also why when she decides a bad man like Blake is worth saving her instinct should be trusted. Roxie’s auric vision lets her see what people are made of – good, bad, and all shades in between.

Blurb:

Hoodoo and high magic are on a collision course.

Roxanne Mathis isn't like everyone else. Not only can she see auras and spectral entities, she can mix herbs and roots for spells to do good or ill. She can even light a candle without the benefit of a match. But when she’s hired to exorcise a demon from a young girl, she discovers the limits of her powers.

With her vampire cousin at her side and a sexy sorcerer chasing her on the rebound, Roxie sets out to send that evil entity back to where she came from.

Nothing is as it seems and Roxie’s in over her head. It’s not going to be enough for her to just be a paranormal investigator and old school root worker – to defeat this demon, she’s going to have to be the Mojo Queen.

Excerpt:

I sat in the chair opposite the loveseat, placing the candles on the coffee table. Glanced at him to make sure I still had his attention, which of course I did. One side of his mouth still curled up in a smirk, eyebrow quirked. I sat back, let myself sink into the comfy chair and relax as much as possible. First the candle on the left. Focusing on the wick, I visualized a tiny flame erupting from it--concentrating my will, pouring energy into my intention. I could feel myself sliding further into exhaustion as energy curled inside me, but after a long, agonizing moment the candle came to life. I let out a breath before I could stop myself, avoiding his gaze. I didn’t want him to know how much this was taking out of me, but I had a bad feeling it was obvious. I turned my attention to the other candle and though it took even longer this time, it too lit. I felt almost as bad as I had this afternoon.

Blake reached for a backpack on the floor I had not seen in the darkness. He opened it, fished something out, and tossed it to me. I didn’t so much catch it as let it fall in my lap. A chocolate candy bar.

It was my turn to quirk an eyebrow. Waving the bar at him I said, “What, is this to ward off dementors?”

The smirk became a genuine smile again briefly. “Something like that. You need to eat.”

I gave him a skeptical look.

“You know you’re using energy with that.” He gestured at the candles. “The energy needs to be replenished.”

I rolled my eyes but tore open the wrapper. The chocolate tasted, well, damn, like mainlining something illegal. Maybe he had a point. I was halfway through the bar when he spoke again, as if there had been no pause.

“Especially since you don’t really know what you’re doing yet.” Even in the low candlelight I had no trouble seeing the wicked amusement in his dark eyes.

I managed to finish chewing without choking, tossed the remainder of the candy bar on the coffee table and sat up straighter. “Why don’t you tell me why you’re here? Or better yet, tell me where I can find your demon lover? So I can send her back to Hell.”

“Well, actually, that’s exactly why I’m here, Roxanne.” Like we were discussing insurance or something. “I want you to find my demon lover.”

Gob-smacked, all I could manage was, “Huh?”

“And I want you to send her back to Hell.”

Author Bio:

Sonya Clark grew up an Army brat, living all across the United States as well as Japan and Germany by the time she graduated high school. Books were one of the few constants in her life. An eclectic reader, she always had a special love for the paranormal and is a lifelong fangirl of all things that go bump in the night.

A deep love of music is another constant thread in all of her fiction. She writes at a desk equipped with High John the Conqueror root and a mojo hand. She has worshipped at the mother church of country music, traveled the back roads of the blues highway, been to the crossroads at midnight, and though she’s never cooked up a mess of polk salad, she has been to Graceland four times.

She lives with her husband and Yorkie in Tennessee.

Sonya's:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Buy Links:

Direct from Lyrical Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise.

And an awesome prize pack! See cool photo to the left. And since I'm not 100% sure the embeded form will work, here's the link to enter!

Giveaway Details:

Winners will be chosen from all of those who enter via the form, leave comments at tour stops for bonus entries you can also enter at each tour stop.

10 winners will receive signed book plates

2 winners will receive free ebook copies of Mojo Queen

1 grand prize winner will receive the Mojo Prize Pack, which includes:

· Signed book plate

· Mojo Queen playlist CD

· A voodoo doll

· A protective mojo hand

· Spirit of Good Luck incense

· A seven day spell candle

· A bag of graveyard dirt

The winners will be announced on Sonya's blog on Friday, August 19. Physical prizes open to US Shipping Only Please. Ebooks international.

Vacations are important

2011-08-08T07:30:00.013-04:00

What are some of your favorite vacation spots? Are you a beach fan? Mountain lover? Historical site traveller? Or a hottest spots in the city kind of person?

Me, I love the beach. And the mountains...and historical sites & national parks. I like anyplace where I can be away from work, stress, and the every day minutia and feel like I'm really living. Maybe I should've been a national parks travel guide.

What about you? What's your favorite?

And don't forget tomorrow Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen. Have you seen the cover? HOT!

TGIF

2011-08-05T07:30:00.005-04:00

Ever have one of those loooonnngggg weeks where you need the weekend? Ever think why our days off are a measly 2 days when we work for 5 of 7 days? Who came up with that ratio!

I don't mind work. I prefer writing, but I don't mind work. I love keeping busy, I like to be productive, I adore that sense of accomplishment when I did a kick-ass job on a project or came up with an idea that'll really work and make a splash.

It's the amount of time I spend there that I don't like. Takes away from my writing, my time with family and friends, my time relaxing in the back yard or on the couch with the dog. I'd say it takes away from my TV time, too but that's minimal as it is.

Ever wonder why the faster we become the more time we spend doing things?

Ever wonder why some people over-intellectualize things?

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen.

Indie book stores

2011-08-04T07:30:00.032-04:00

Last week I read that Jay Z and Kanye West's new album release will be exclusively on iTunes & Best Buy for 2 weeks prior to being released in other stores. The article explained how such deals hurt indie record stores.

Whatever mega-money they're getting with such a deal I hope they realize just how deeply it'll hurt small business owners.

I prefer indie stores to big names. Given the chance, I'll happily pay slighty more to support a local business rather than a multi-billion dollar retailer who can't even find me on the map. I don't shop at Best Buy any more despite their so-called greatest selection. (I'm sure the kids working there think they know it all, but the lack of training is abismal and downright embarassing. Spend a day and a little money and actually train them. Everyone will be happier for it!)

All that said, and despite my like of the Sears Appliance Center and Macy's, I don't have indie music or book stores near me! I have a B&N about 20 minutes away, so their online site is a permanent bookmark on my favorites toolbar. Gets me my music & DVDs, too.

Which brings me around to self-publishing & the indie book store. How can I help them when most of my stuff is e-book only? They don't have websites where I can download books from, nor do they have a shipping option.

I'm open to options, I'm open to any dialog on this. What are your thoughts? And indie bookstore owners, how can we help?

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen. Maybe you can find it at your local indie bookstore.

Shadow State and self-publishing

2011-08-03T07:30:00.007-04:00

I've blogged about this before, the rights reversed stories I have. In the one, I want to add at least 5,000 more words to flesh out the main characters. The plot stands solid, and the romantic arc is just fine. It's the characters. Took me 3/4 of the story to realize why I didn't like it as much as I remember liking it 3 years ago when I first wrote it. Not much character development. Going to work on that!

But Sunday I received the converted version to Shadow State. I sent it out to a company that does this because after spending less than 30 seconds just reading the formatting requirements I realized the inherent value of paying for this service. They were wonderful, very communicative and easy to work with.

What's that saying about paying a professional? Yeah, this was just such a case.

So now it's published on Smashwords and within the next 2 weeks will be on Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Sony, All Romance eBooks, Diesel and Scrollmotion, the last two I've never heard of but seem to be rather popular.

All in all, it's really exciting to see my book up for sale like this.

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen.

When to pull back

2011-08-02T07:30:00.001-04:00

Lately I've come to realize (see yesterday's post) that time is slipping by. Between work, dog, family, writing, and everything else I cram into my days, blogging takes a distinctive back seat. I blog on 2 other sites, Slip into Something Victorian and Unusual Historicals and barely remember when I have a post due or what it's supposed to be on.

I've been thinking of pulling out of at least one of them because I believe in honoring my commitments and by not blogging when I say I am, that makes everyone else's lives just that much harder.

The question is, would you try to keep up? Keep blogging, keep your name out there...or would you pull back?

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen.

Monday Musings

2011-08-01T07:30:00.010-04:00

I refuse to contemplate the fact that it's August 1. I refuse to believe that it's already August. I'm in deep denial and plan to go to the beach.

I refuse to acknowledge the older I get the faster time flies and the more I want to do. I refuse to believe I won't have time to do it all.

And I absolutely and utterly refuse to believe that age is important! It's just a number. So there survey takers who insist I reveal my age for their little pencil-pushing number crunchers.

And don't forget Tuesday August 8, Sonya Clark is joining me here to talk about her release, Mojo Queen.

Why networking is important

2011-07-29T07:30:00.002-04:00

I read alot of other author's blogs. I don't often comment--sometimes because I have nothing to say but "Great post!" and others because there's no reason to comment. Such as a review. (Unless it's mine in which case I'll thank the reviewer.) But with reviews on other's works, I've read the blogger's words and either liked them (and the book) enough to put it on a To Buy list or didn't and will skip it.

But there's so much else out there! News on the publishing world, on what other authors are doing, on who signed with whom or who didn't sign with anyone to self-publish a novel.

That is the main reason I follow so many blogs and spend so much time reading posts on Twitter. Becasue it's important to keep up with the industry I work for. You might say writers work for themselves, but if the publishing industry isn't an industry, then what is it? A mish-mash of hapless people struggling to make a buck? Hardly.

It's a career just as any other. As a librarian I keep up with the latest books, movies, magazines, as well as budget news, state-wide happenings, and county-wide information. If I was a doctor I'd keep up with the latest research in my chosen field. So why not as a writer?

And that's why it's important to network. Even if all you do is 'Like' someone's Facebook post or retweet someone's Twitter posting. Gets your name out, their name out, and maybe it helps another author learn the latest bit of news.

(Picture taken on a Google Image search, from the site Rahmatan lil 'Alamin (Blessing for All Creation) Global Counter-Extremism Network because I liked it best.)

From the Grammar Divas

2011-07-28T07:30:00.001-04:00

I subscribe to their email newsletter and in this is their latest. Thought I'd spread the good-will grammar. And I highly recommend subscribing to their newsletter.

Misplaced Modifiers: How Not To Lose Your Reader

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is not placed close enough to the word it describes to be clear.

Confusing: The waitress served ice cream to everyone in bowls.

Wow! Everyone had to get in bowls in order to get their ice cream?

To fix, place the modifier as close to the words it modifies as possible.

Better: The waitress served ice cream in bowls to everyone.

Sentences like this are common in conversation. But they are imprecise. So they have no place in your fiction.

Note: misplaced modifiers can be hard to find in revision. Why? Because you, the writer, already know what you’re trying to say. Your mind “sees” what you intend to say. The reader, however, does not want to do your job.

What was then

2011-07-27T07:30:00.001-04:00

I can't believe how much I've learned writing-wise in 3 years. (In other things, too, but let's stick with writing.)

Just recently I read over In the Shadows, my Civil War novella. Coming in at 10,838 words it's one of the shorter stories I've done. It's also one of the weakest. I know what happened, it fell into the category of the write until the end and be done with it.

Since then, I've learned 2 very valuable things: Plot out your stories to the finest scene. (If that isn't your way #2 is even more important). Know your characters.

The end of In the Shadows is much stronger than the beginning. Why? I know who Jack & Marion were by the end. In the beginning, not so much and it reflects my lack of knowledge.

I'll be spending the next 2 weeks adding to this story, both in content and character development. When it's finished, I know it'll read so much better!

Things I learn from Twitter

2011-07-26T07:30:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty up on the news from world headlines to local nonesense. But I rely on twitter for book-world stuff. Like the person using a real agent's name to contract books (so not cool) or even literary deaths.

But here's acouple things from yesterday afternoon:

douglassonders Douglas Sonders: Calling All Beards! Casting For New Facial Hair Personal Portrait Series http://t.co/GeYEHMX

VAStateParks Virginia State Parks: On 08/04/2011 At Hungry Mother - Snake Rattle and Whoa! http://dlvr.it/cXXmy

Dhympna Dhympna du Maurier: I tested my vocab and know 39,400 words -- how about you? #testyourvocab http://t.co/ZKpmyBJ

Georg_Grey Georg Grey: A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.

CarinaPress Carina Press:Did you add your opinion? You tell us: what should a digital book be priced? http://bit.ly/oScuzU

For that last one you really should!!

On taking things in stride

2011-07-21T07:30:00.014-04:00

I am not a laid back person by any means. I enjoy relaxing and there are days when it's better to flop on the couch than to anything. But when it comes to my writing, I'm very much the push-push-push type of gal.

Writing is not an industry where push actually works. It takes a long time for things to manifest. You write the book. Finished! But THE END is only the beginning in this long trip.

By taking things in stride, by not trying to change the unchangeable, it makes for a healthier, happier, and more productive work strategy. And life. Because let's face it, somethings (and people) can't be changed.

So as you're working on your next book while you wait for word on that one you just finished, remember: Sure, it's better to have another offering to agents/publishers/readers but it's better to step back, take a deep breath, and remember you're only in control of so much.

Guest: David Brown

2011-07-20T04:00:00.002-04:00

Today my guest is David Brown with his first novel, Fezariu's Epiphany, thoughts on writing full-time, and 6 cats. Well, maybe not the cats. They could be keeping watch from the windowsill or standing guard around his computer. They might chime in, but that's for David and his feline friends to decide. I'm open to the possibility.

Writing full-time is my ultimate dream and with the release of my debut novel, Fezariu’s Epiphany, in May I am hoping I’ll be making the first steps towards fulfilling that dream. I’m not a greedy person, you
understand. In fact I’d gladly earn just enough to cover the bills through writing and that would be perfect for me.

In those moments when I get ahead of myself with daydreams I imagine being a full-time writer and having a small house in the country but one with plenty of land. My wife, Donna, and I have six cats and only one likes to go out at the moment but it would be nice to leave the door open for all of them and not have to worry about busy main roads.

I think my daily routine would comprise of waking up mid-morning and after a hearty breakfast taking a walk in the local area, maybe to some nearby woodland, to clear my head and exercise the dogs which I hope we would have at that point. After a long walk it would be back to the house for lunch and then the afternoon would be devoted to writing, whether it was short stories, the latest novel or a handful of blogs.

In the evening I’d take things a little easier. A glass of whisky and coke would suffice, the television would be on (probably repeats of Only Fools and Horses which always amuse) and I’d be on the laptop
doing a spot of Internet browsing for the latest news, using Twitter and Facebook and if it’s a Saturday cursing because Barnsley FC have just lost again.

That’s my dream at present and as things stand it’s a long way away at the moment. That won’t stop me from continuing to pursue my writing dream and whether I make it to that country house or not we’ll have to see. I’d gladly sacrifice that rural retreat for the guarantee of being able to write full-time. There’s nothing I’d rather do than write for a living and, believe me, I’ve tried many other jobs to convince me of that!

Book Blurb:

"The White Oak, Clarendon’s oldest brothel, lured and destroyed men by the thousands. Fezariu was different. He had never been drawn by the White Oak’s vices but the brothel had still ruined him when he was just a boy.

Salvation came in the form of the Merelax Mercenaries – Elenchera’s most prestigious hired hands. They gave Fezariu the chance to escape from his past. Immersed in the world of dangerous assignments in the colonies Fezariu longed to forget everything about his childhood but only in facing the past would he ever be free of it."

Book trailer

Podcasts Purchase links: Kindle...Paperback...Kindle

Author bio:

David Brown was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and first conceived the idea of the Elencheran Chronicles at college in 1999. He spent ten years compiling the history of Elenchera, resulting in 47,000+ years of events, 500+ maps, 2000+ pages, several short stories and many much-needed acquaintances with Jack Daniels.

David also has a blog, The World According to Dave, which features reviews, stories and dramatic tales of the horrors of owning cats.

David now lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with his wife, Donna, and their six cats.

Fezariu's Epiphany is his first novel.

David's Twitter profile
GoodreadsBook trailerWebsite

4 Things Never to Think About Your Book

2011-07-19T07:30:00.010-04:00

This was originally going to be FIVE things, but then I realized I could combine so it ended up being FOUR. Less of a round number but alas.

Over the last few weeks, I've re-read 2 of my short stories. Shorter stories I guess you'd call them. Shadow State and In the Shadows, the stories I recently received the rights back to. I've learned several things in those read-thrus

1. Editing is super important. That 3rd reading you really don't want to do? Do it. I can't believe I missed a couple mistakes! Misspelled words, missing quotations, weird spacing.

2. Give yourself time between readings. I once finished a story and started the read thru that evening. Wow, what a mistake! Not only was my brain fried, but it was stuck on the ending when I needed to read the beginning.

3. No word you've written is that great. No matter how cool it is, how literary, how well it fits with the theme or style of the book, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If people are stumbling over just to pronounce it, if you can't spell it on your own, it does not belong!

4. Going off, no word you've written is that great, edit yourself. Just because you wrote it doesn't mean it's the best thing since Shakespeare. I'm all for choosing every word that fits, carefully crafting the sentence/paragraph/scene/chapter...but if it needs cutting do it.

Guest Author: Lorelie Brown

2011-07-18T04:00:00.017-04:00

My guest today is Lorelie Brown talking about her new release, Catch Me. I haven’t read this story yet, I read tons of westerns over the years then just stopped. However, I’ve recently got back into them and find this premise great.

Before getting to Lorelie’s post, I want to share a quote I found from Louis L’Amour, king of westerns:

''If you write a book about a bygone period that lies east of the Mississippi River, then it's a historical novel,'' he said in 1975. ''If it's west of the Mississippi, it's a western, a different category. There's no sense to it.''

Welcome Lorelie!

Hi everyone! Thanks for having me here and being willing to listen to my chatter. I promise I won’t take too long. And if you stick around through the end, there might just be something in it for you.

I like to pretend sometimes that I’m an intellectual. I write historicals because I like the juxtaposition of reality versus what can be imagined. The fine line between being true to life and yet maintaining the fantasy of the romance industry. It’s harder than it seems, as I’m sure we all know.

But then I keep talking. And eventually I show my hand.

I’m a shallow, shallow girl.

I like the clothes. More specifically? I like the mystique of a hard-edged, mean and rough man dressed up in layers and layers of “proper” dress.

Let me show you some examples:

He’s not wearing much, is he?

Wait, did someone just accuse me of pandering with hot pictures? Why yes, I am. (I want people to pay attention to me and buy my book. Why wouldn’t I pander? Bring on the hotness!)

So anyway, he’s not wearing much, right? Doesn’t in any way inhibit his hotness. That stomach alone...Wow. Bad (good?) things could happen to that flat tummy. But there’s not much mystery to this guy, now is there? He’s hot and a little broody.

Wait. More pandering. Those are accessories, Lorelie. Not clothes. Moving on.

This guy’s been up to something. He’s a little muddy and hopefully a little worn out. We’re starting to get some story to work with. He’s been working. Working hard even, it looks like. But he’s still not wearing much. Nothing’s really hidden. That tasty tank-top with the (artful) smears of mud don’t conceal those arms. In a way, that’s good. But it also is a bit of a metaphor. There’s not much to peel back on him, is there?

Doc Holiday, as portrayed by the once-hot Val Kilmer. Now there is an outfit we can work with. The vest and the long coat and the suspenders underneath. The white button-up shirt. Something intriguing about a man you have to undress, right?

My hero in CATCH ME wears a very similar outfit. Dean’s a bounty hunter and he’s tasked with bringing Maggie back to the tiny town she’s lived in all her life--and where she robbed a bank. Running around shirtless isn’t really a possibility (except that one time where Maggie watches Dean chop down a tree.) but that’s a good thing. Because Maggie is a girl who loves a puzzle. And she’ll figure Dean out if it’s the last thing she does.

Now, you could go buy a copy of CATCH ME. In all reality, I hope you do. Please, support my hot cowboy habit! But because I am such an awesome, nice, wonderful author (LOL. If you read that with a straight face, you’re more credible than I am) I’m going to give away one e-pub version copy today. In the comments, just tell me who would be your favorite man to undress. One lucky, random winner will win! (Because winners win. That’s what they do.)

Guest Author:Stacey Thompson-Geer and Stevi Trinity

2011-07-16T04:00:00.002-04:00

How To make Co writing work!

So there seems to be a lot of amazement over the fact that Stacey and I wrote a book together and are still friends.

So, we thought maybe we would talk about it so that if there is interest out there for other people that they can work around it.

Stacey and I talked about this book for a while before it came into fruition. We talked so much about it, that I could actually see it play in my mind! :)

In March of 2010 Stacey called me and asked me if I really wanted to start this project. I told her that I did. That is when we started to fill in the details, We decided how many original characters there were and the general out line of their personalities

Then we got online and started to find names that we wanted for our world and people.

We also talked in great detail about how these gates were going to come to the earth realm, and who the bad guy would be, so we decided on the details, and then I told Stacey that she had to start it. I hadn't written in years and to be honest the idea really kind of freaked me out.

So she had the first section to me in less then a day! LOL It is one of the things that I have learned to love about Stacey, when she gets excited, I better be prepared to work! ;)

So it took about a week to get the first section back to her, but I finally did.

That was when we set a goal of about a year, and we passed it back and forth.

Sometimes it was hard and frustrating. I won't lie about that, learning how to be honest completely, was a challenge that truly turned into a blessing! There were a couple of times when we both had to pass it back, and say I can't work with this can you find another avenue to take the story.

Every time we passed the story back and forth, it was a surprise, because of the way we decided to write the story, neither of us knew what the other was going to write. Lol, the truth is half the time I didn't know what I was going to write! HAHAHAHA

Sometimes we would be on a brake of writing, if we something going on in our life, and we would talk about the things we would like to bring into the story, like Stacey wanted to have an interaction with Acacia and Lynn, and so we talked about how that would go. I took her character of Raiden, who appeared by surprise later in the book, and made a whole new situation with him, that shocked Stacey, but she liked it, so I got to keep it! HeeHee ( I actually told her I would not delete it, to save my life.)

So that is how we did our book! :) We had Honesty and trust, and if we took offense, then we had to get over it. I think helps that I am so laid back! LOL

Book Description:

The world has changed, we have changed. The world we once knew has fallen away and left us in a wasteland of Magick. Powerful witches and underworld gods control our lives. The past comes back in ways we are not prepared for. The Gatekeepers are our only hope. The question is if we can get to them first.

http://thegatekeeperseries.info

http://wickednightspublishing.info/?p=158

Trailer for the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR3FpEoDFHM

Author Bios:

Stevie Trinity

Stevie lives in Wyoming with her family. She loves the wide open space There is nothing better than sitting out on the prairie looking out at the stars, or driving less than an hour to the Mountains and climbing trees, and yes she still climbs trees! :)

Stevie started to write short stories when she was 12. She loves poetry and started to write poems when she was 13. She then stopped writing in her early 20s, due to raising a family and focusing her attention elsewhere. When she was 30 she started to write again.

A couple of years later the Gatekeeper series emerged. She and her co author spent many hours talking about and discussing the world they created. Stacey really encouraged Stevie to write again.

Currently Stevie is working on a historical romance about the old west in a time of amazing change! She is also working on the second book to the Gatekeeper Series.

Stacey Thompson-Geer

Stacey is a wife and mother of three. She started writing in High School with horror short stories. One of her first is now published through the kindle - Silver Bullet. When she's not dreaming up her next story or novel, she can be found hanging out with her kids or reading one of her favorite authors. She is also an avid Facebooker and Twitter user. Stop by her website to see what she's working on and any of her backlist work.