Chris Redding, Author

Authorsday - Bev Walton-Porter

2009-12-16T23:55:00.000-05:00

Welcome author and writing coach Bev Walton-Porter. She will be under the microscope today to talk about her new release Sun Signs for Writers.

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? From an early age, my dad used to read to me every single night. I couldn’t get enough of the storytelling and would beg for more. I had a small library of books, mostly fairy tales, Aesop’s Fables and Babar’s Adventure books. That enchantment with books led me to a lifelong fascination with writing and instilled me with a desire to weave tales myself. That desire to write was later seeded by a 6th grade teacher.

2. How long have you been writing? Oh boy. Hmmm…the first time I remember writing a complete short story, I was in 6th grade. My teacher at that time told me I wrote well and encouraged me, and that’s what planted the seed. My first real story was about a Mako shark, mainly because I used to be obsessed with sharks. Well, I still am, actually!

3. How did you pick the genre you write in? I actually write in a variety of genres, including nonfiction, romance and dark fiction. If you limit yourself as a writer, then I think it can end up hurting you in the long run. I selected the genres I most enjoyed and chose to pursue them.

4. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? When I write, I have a loose outline of where I’m going and how I’m going to get there, but I’m not an obsessive outliner by any means! In general, when I write fiction, I let the characters dictate how the details of the plot will unfold. I know the basics of how I want the plot to go, but the characters determine the intricate specifics of how the plot gets laid out and presented to readers. When I write nonfiction (which requires just as much planning as fiction), I do the same thing: I have a loose skeleton of the idea, but the meat is added on chapter by chapter on an almost-intuitive basis fueled by the day’s creative surges.

5. What drew you to the subject of Sun Signs for Writers? Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been fascinated by astrology and other forms of divination. I’m also drawn to creativity and writing (obviously), so one day I wondered why nobody had combined the elements of astrology and writing, especially as it pertained to the personality/writing styles of individual writers and developing characters as well. I did some research and found nobody had written a book about that, so the seed was planted and, two years later, my first book was published.

6. How many rejections have you received? People are going to hate me, but it’s probably been less than the average writer. I’ve been lucky. I have received some rejections, but if I had to put a number on it, I’d say 90 percent of what I submit is usually accepted and published. I’m not bragging , though. I’m saying I’ve been lucky, and the rejection fairy has probably been waiting to slam me at a later time, so let’s say I’m grateful for the good fortune I’ve had, and I can only hope it will continue. Either way, I’ll keep writing!

7. Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book? I’d been familiar with Writer’s Digest Magazine and Writer’s Digest Books for decades. In fact, WD played in big role in helping me get published and become a professional writer. So naturally, they’re the first ones I thought of when it came to a potential publisher.

8. Tell me one thing about yourself that very few people know? I write fiction under the pen name, Star Ferris. But Star Ferris is more than a pen name for me. I was adopted and while my legal name is Bev, my birth name was Star. So when I needed a pen name, I decided to use what would’ve been my legal name had I not been adopted.

9. What’s your writing schedule? I’ve tried writing at all times of the day, but I’ve found I’m incredibly nocturnal and that’s when I’m able to do my best work. So during the day I edit, critique, teach courses online, research or market using social networking, and at night I indulge my Muse. Night time is the BEST time for writing, as far as I’m concerned!

10. What do you do when you are not writing? I’m the Founder and co-Team Lead for Colorado Springs Paranormal Association (C.S.P.A.), so I spend my free time studying the paranormal.

Author Bio:Bev Walton-Porter is a professional author, editor and writing coach. Published works include Sun Signs for Writers, Mending Fences, Hidden Fire and The Complete Writer: A Guide To Tapping Your Full Potential. Bev has also published a poetry chapbook entitled Shadows of the Soul. She has been a professional writer since May 1997.Bev's nonfiction is represented by the Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency in NYC. Her fiction is represented by MPL Creative Services in Springfield, MO.

Book Blurb:Sun Signs for Writers is a one-of-a-kind guide that will help you discover your unique writing personality by combining the insights of astrology with practical how-to writing instruction. By exploring the proclivities of your particular sun sign, you'll better understand your creative style and more effectively find your path to success.

ExcerpTuesday - Patti Brooks

2009-12-14T23:26:00.000-05:00

Patti Brooks brings us an excerpt from her latest release Fame & Deceit. Lots could be said about both of those.

Fame & Deceit is all about the power of a dream. Driven by his Olympian goal of achieving world class recognition, Ike Cherny blocks out the world. Except for an occasional pretty woman or two, he tries to turn a blind eye to the evil swirling around him.
Someone is secretly dumping toxic waste. Has Ike’s boss, Agosto Benalli cooked up a scheme to profit by burying toxic waste at Crowne Stable with Ike’s girl friend, Eugenia Jordan, (CT’s Commissioner of the Dept. of Environmental Protection) as Benalli’s cohort?
Someone is secretly killing Connecticut clergymen.
Who is terrorizing Connecticut’s clergymen? Is Eugenia is carrying out a sick vendetta because she believes her sister was raped and murdered at the hands of their minister? Or what about Harriet Stilton with an embedded hatred of clergymen for what one did to her son?
Ike moves from the arms of cuddly Lisa Danzig after she is caught poisoning Ike’s horses, to sexually abused Eugenia Jordan, but backs away from the relationship when she confesses to bribery. Ike discovers Eugenia’s body, two month’s pregnant floating in the river. Did Ike’s boss order her death because of the hazardous waste scheme? Or was Eugenia overly distraught because he dumped her and decided to take her own life? Ike’s attraction to Veronica Rouseau ends when he discovers she brokered the sale of his beloved mare, Aristooke Annie.

FIRST CHAPTER excerpt:
"Benalli chased Lisa off the farm."
Ike startled at the voice coming out of the dark night.
"Help me with this tailgate, Harlan," he said as the farm’s bulldozer operator appeared at his side. Probably a good thing Lisa left, he thought, unlatching the ramp to the horse trailer. He didn’t need another harangue about being away at a horse show for the past week.
"Don’t you want to know about that looney tune woman?" Harlan helped him lower the tailgate to the ground. The horse in the trailer called out shrilly. Horses in the stable immediately answered the worried cry from one of their own. Now it wanted out and pawed and banged inside the trailer.
"First I want to get Annie off the trailer and put up for the night. Easy, girl," he crooned to the mare. "Besides, I think you just told me all I need to know about Lisa."
"What do you mean?"
"She’s gone, right?"
"Right. So, did you win anything good?"
"She’s one fine mare." He threaded a lead shank through the mare’s halter and backed her out of the trailer. "We turned a few heads at that show, I tell you. You’re home, sweet girl." Ike stroked the mare’s neck.
Strident galloping in the distance broke into the conversation. Ike discerned that only one set of hoofs struck the ground heavily, which meant a single, mature horse raced about. How could that be?
When he heard the sharp clang of metal on rock, he knew the horse was shod–and headed directly for him and Annie. The mare snorted and pranced nervously at Ike’s side. He snatched lightly on the chain across her nose reminding her he made the decisions.
"Harlan," he spoke sharply, "listen up." Harlan didn’t know a horse from a cow. How could he get any help from him?

Authorsday - Betty Webb

2009-12-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

Author Betty Webb joins me today. She has written her own post. Let's see what she has to say.

Guest blogger, Betty Webb, author of the Lena Jones mystery novels

“Writing is easy. You just sit down at your computer and open a vein.”

I can’t remember who said that, but it sums up my writing life perfectly. Ever since I began working as an advertising copywriter 30 years ago, writing has always been that “easy” forme, so I’m amused when people look at my 10 novel (so far) turnout and say, “Wow, I wish writing came as easy to me as it must have for you!”

To sum up my career: after working on Madison Avenue for several years, I moved toArizona, where -- in addition to my work in advertising -- I began freelancing articles on the artsfor a daily newspaper. Several years later, that newspaper -- the Pulitzer Prize-winning EastValley Tribune -- offered me a full time (50 hours a week!) job. I left advertising then, and stayed with the Tribune for 15 years, during which I also wrote four mystery novels featuring private investigator Lena Jones: Desert Noir, Desert Wives, Desert Shadows, and Desert Run.

In a fortunate turn of events, Lifetime TV optioned Desert Wives, a mystery set inside one of Arizona’s many polygamy compounds, for a series and made-for-TV movies. Now, in order to write all those books and still work at the paper, I crawled out of bed every day at 4 a.m. and wrote until 8 a.m., when I got ready for work. On Saturdays and Sundays,I wrote all day long. Yep, writing is “easy.”

With the sale of Desert Wives to Lifetime TV, I was finally able to retire from the newspaper. I quickly learned, however, that I was still waking up at 4 a.m., ready (if not exactly thrilled) to write. With all that extra time now on my hands, I began reviewing books for MysteryScene Magazine, and also embarked on a new mystery series -- the humorous Gunn Zoo books, debuting with The Anteater of Death, to be followed in September 2010 with The Koala of Death.

These are humorous mysteries, in which Theodora “Teddy” Bentley, a California zookeeper, solves crimes.There was no way I could abandon my beloved Lena Jones, however, so I also turned out Desert Cut, Desert Lost, and have just begun work on Desert Wind. Publishers Weekly called the Lena Jones books “Mysteries with a social conscience,”because their plots center around situations I have found -- through my background as a journalist-- to be rife with social injustice. The most famous of these (at this time, anyway) was Desert Wives, in which I proved through research and interviews that polygamy is not the freedom o freligion issue its practitioners claim it is, but a cynical Welfare scam. Here’s the way it works.

By the forced breeding of girls as young as 13 -- making them have a baby a year until they hitmenopause -- the polygamy prophets guarantee themselves an ever-growing crop of illegitimate children. Illegitimate children receive Welfare checks, but the mothers of these children never see the money. Instead, the polygamy prophets use the Welfare checks to finance their own jet-owning, Cadillac-driving lifestyle. To my delight, the facts and figures that I included in thebook’s Authors Note helped influence the Arizona Legislature to enact Arizona’s first lawagainst polygamy. No more Welfare checks for the prophets -- such an ever-increasing series of SSI checks, because the polygamy compounds are now so inbred that fully 65% of all babies born on the compounds have serious birth defects.The “easy” part of writing Desert Wives? Three years of research, which includedconstant trips up to the compounds, and interviews with polygamy runaways.And yes, I have received death threats. Desert Lost, released on December 5 of this year, looks at polygamy again -- but this timefrom a different perspective. If one man can have 10 wives, then 9 men will have none. Whathappens to these 9 “surplus men”?The answer is simple. The polygamy “prophets” force them out of the compounds,beginning when those “surplus men” are as young as 13. That way, the prophets and their most trusted insiders can keep adding young girls to their harems.

Private investigator Lena Jones hates the polygamy prophets, especially since murder seems to follow in their wake (as it does in real life). Desert Lost follows Lena as she investigates the beating death of one of the polygamist“sister wives,” as the multiple wives of polygamists are called.

Desert Lost has been greeted by what can only be called rave reviews. Booklist gave it a starred review, saying, “This is a complex, exciting entry in a first-class series, and it makes an excellent read-alike for Sue Grafton fans.” Publishers Weekly followed with “Clear-cut characterizations help a complicated plot flow smoothly. As Webb points out in a note, polygamy still spawns many social ills, despite the recent, well-publicized conviction of Mormon fundamentalist prophet Warren Jeffs.”

Desert Lost was even hailed on the Huffington Post for itscontribution to human rights.Again, Desert Lost was “easy” to write. All it required was two more years of travel and research, plus those 4 a.m. mornings, fingertips bleeding into my computer keys. And I am awaiting renewed death threats from enraged polygamists.Given the chance, would I put myself through all that again? Hell, yes, I would.

To read more about Betty’s mystery novels, check her website at http://www.bettywebb/-mystery.com and her blog at http://bloggingwebb.blogspot.com/

Gotta say the whole idea of polygamy chills me. Thanks Betty for bringing it to the forefront.

cmr

Thanks for joining me today Betty!

ExcerpTuesday - Paige Ryter

2009-12-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

Today Paige Ryter shares an excerpt. What an ingenious pen name!

Anyway the book is called Three Minutes Before Christmas.

I'm usually asleep then, but that's cool.

The excerpt:

The electricity pulsing through her fingertip was incredible, making her heart race and her breath quicken. "I'm seeing how crazy you are," she whispered, moving her finger along his jaw line.

"No, you're playing chicken to see which one of us gives in first. I think it's going to be you."

"Really?" she whispered in a low tone. She inched closer so she could feel his hot breath on her face, melting her from the inside, then shifted in her seat to get as close to him as she could.

"How long can you hold out?"

"I'm not sure. It's tough, because you're beautiful and such a fun person. You have no idea what you do to me, which I find very interesting."

Her voice was just a whisper. "Just don't lick my nose, or I'm outta here." She threw her left foot over the gearshift and onto his right leg, stroking his thigh with the inside of her knee.

He grinned and began massaging the inside of her upper leg, inching higher and higher. "Your nose was the last thing I was thinking about."

She slightly licked her lips and narrowed her eyes in a seductive move. "You're still adorable, with your sexy eyes and strong cheekbones."

He wrapped his arms around her and moved his face to within inches of her lips. She touched his chin with a grin, then caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers, keeping her eyes on his. "You look like a model—"He brushed his lips against hers then backed away.

"You just lost," she whispered.

"No, this is losing." He moved forward and captured her lips with a huge kiss. Their tongues entwined, the warmth filling her entire body. Her breathing grew shallow and she was sure he was enjoying it as much as she was just from his actions. She lost all sense of where she was, concentrating just on what was happening between them. Her stomach fell and she felt tingly all over, making her more than lightheaded. Thoughts of him in bed filled her mind, even though she knew it could never happen.

While he nibbled on her neck and ear, she threw back her head in enjoyment. "I think you're right. You lost. Feel free to lose any time."

Blurb:

When Sydney White is hit by a huge roll of Christmas wrapping paper at her mall wrapping job, sexy pediatrician Colin Taylor rushes to her rescue. Since she can't find her purse or keys and can't even recall the phone number for her brother's new home, Colin offers his home as a place of refuge after a hospital stay. While there is a physical attraction, Sydney knows their worlds are far apart and it'll only be a matter of time before he finds someone else in his own social class, since his female coworkers seem to throw themselves at his feet.From Colin's perspective, Sydney is exactly what he's been looking for to fill a hole in his heart, created by his dead fiancée from years before. She's brought laughter into his home and warmth to his heart. But can he let go of the past to try to love again?Can a Christmas miracle save their love? Check the clock because they've only got Three Minutes Before Christmas until the magic is lost.

Website: http://www.paigeryter.com/
Buy link: http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/index.php?manufacturers_id=249

Thanks for helping me out of a crunch Paige. I wish you the best of success.

cmr

Authorsday - Double Feature!

2009-12-02T23:14:00.000-05:00

Robert W. Walker and wife Miranda Phillips Walker are here today to answer some burning questions, such as how they’ve managed to kill off only fictional characters with two crime novelists under one roof. Rob’s latest is DEAD ON, Five Star Books and his self-published Children of Salem, an historical thriller, and Miranda/s latest and first is The Well Meaning Killer from Krill Press, sequel in the works.

1. In various interviews on the web, both of you have recommended that writers do not quit the day job. Is there a story behind this recommendation?

M’s A: As an ER nurse, I get a lot of my most exciting and frightful scenes on the job!
Still, if I had my druthers, I’d happily be writing full-time and retire from that arena as it is extremely taxing, despite the reewards as in saving lives and not just on paper! But to be frank only a handful of authors in the US and the world make a living soley via their writings.

R’s A: As a professor of English one barely gets by in this economy but at least it is a known, a given to see the paycheck at the end of the month, whereas writing has enormous ups and downs monetarily as well as emotionally. One year I saw four titles come out in a single calendar year, but some years none! The extreme few who can live on author earnings have had major backing from Oprah and Eastwood calling to having a celebrity hold up their books to the camera. Such luck is rare. Now if President Obama were to tell folks he is reading my Shadows in the White City then yeah, I’ve won the lottery.2. You are very active in promoting your books. What are some of the toughest lessons you’ve learned about the “art” of self-promotion.

M’s A: You have to throw all caution and shyness out the window; perhaps ladylike-ness, too. You want to be yourself but you also have to find a comfortable sales person lurking within. Sitting behind a desk and failing to make eye contact won’t cut it at a signing, and figuratively doing the same online won’t either, but I am trying at the same time not to sound arrogant or self-important as I am anything but.

R’s A: Oh I have to stop “tossing” books into people’s baskets, especially those in wheelchairs, but darn I just know they will love the book and not regret “discovering” it for themselves. I kid with people online and in person, and the lesson I have learned in this business is that you don’t sell the book, you sell yourself. If folks like you, they will open your book and read it, hopefully after purchasing it. Marketing one’s work also takes time. Smart ideas can be found in Jeffrey Marks’ Intent to Sell.
3. What is your favorite writing-related subject to give advice on?

M’s A: That if I can do it, anyone can. It’s a struggle, not easy, and made harder often by circumstances--I have four children, and I also have to contend with Rob! But I did it--I got my novel written, educated myself on the markets, shopped it around and found a publisher and now I hold my book in my hand with the hope others will be entertained by it. Other health professionals love it from the informal reviews they’re giving me as feedback. But it all requires a great deal of research and education about the business.

R’s A: Craft matters, working on elements of style and finding one’s voice that perfectly fit’s the story at hand. I also push the fact every young writer ought to write a mystery as it is the fastest, surest way to learn plotting for any type of novel. Finally, how to write one’s own pitch and or back-flap copy or the shortest most important story you will ever write, the story about your story. It must be effectively done. This becomes a useful tool in all marketing endeavor for the book from query letter to News Release.4. List three of your favorite writing self-help books.

M‘s A: Rob‘s recently published DEAD ON WRITING, a wordclay paper book and a kindle book I read in rough draft. David Morrell‘s excellent book on the subject. Tom Sawyer‘s great book on writing.

R‘s A: — Chris Roerden’s book,Don’t Murder Your Mystery and her Don’t Sabotage Your Submission/ J.A. Konrath’s free ebook, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, Robin Carr’s Tips for Writing Popular Fiction, Dean R. Koontz’ Writing Popular Fiction, and Jerome Stern’s Making Shapely Fiction. Oops! I went over three.5. Both of you have written about the importance of learning how to write romance and incorporate it in your stories. Why do you feel it is important to include romance? How did you learn how to write romance? And is there a book or course you would recommend to other authors to help them learn how to incorporate quality romance writing into their stories?

M’s A: Romance is at the heart of every good story in my estimation. Characters like people want to find romance in their lives, don’t they? Not sure of any books on the subject or courses on how to write romance except to say Rob writes great love scenes, and I aspire to do the same or at least create an intriguing triangle.

R’s A: I learned what NOT to do by reading a book called The Romance Writers Handbook. Actually it was a complete listing of descriptive phrases for every body part from the nose to the toes--what’s been said and done and done, so I tried to avoid these “clichés” in romance writing or put a new spin on them, use the old wine but put it into a new bottle. I love to pair a hero and heroine and let them go at it as in the TV program Moonlighting….I think that ought to be an author’s verb--Moonlight your characters as you would Gaslight another character. The darkness of a dark mystery or even a horror novel can be balanced by an intriguing romantic development between two characters as in Dead On, and in Miranda’s Well Meaning Killer. I do the same in near about all my books.
6. You have recently been reformatting some of your storiesfor use with Amazon’s Kindle. Is there anything you have learnedthe hard way in this process that you can share to help the restof us as we move into this new format?

M’s A: In my case, my publisher took The Well Meaning Killer to a Kindle version, and as it is my only book thus far, I am taking a wait and see attitude. I have learned from Rob, who has had far more experience with it that the cost of a kindle book needs be far less than a hardcopy book or else no sale!

R’s A: The kindle titles I have up are three that HapreCollins put up, and 13 ebooks at Fictionwise.com have been formatted for kindle sales, or kindalized, but more recently, I have placed ten titles on kindle all on my own, and I have found it to be an easy process with some glitches in step three, converting your file to html format. Directions I followed are found at www.dtpamazon.com What is great about it is that you are your own publisher, art director, PR person, and you sink or swim based on your choices and not those of some person in a conglomerate who thinks your title needs be changed to sound more like a Stephen King title or decides it ought to be 90,000 words when it is in fact a 140.000 word book, and so it is in the end liberating freedom from constraints I have faced for thirty odd years.12. What are you currently working on? Will this book also be available on Kindle eventually?

M’s A: I am working on a sequel to The Well Meaning Killer set in Kill Devil Hills/Cape Hatteras area. Having fun with it and I am confident my publisher is anxious to see it, and it will go kindle if it goes Krill!

R’s A: I am revamping some out of prints for the Kindle as my next project. I placed up at the Kindle Store three original novels: Cuba Blue, Deja Blue, Children of Salem, and a number of recycled out of prints horror novels, a how to on writing, a collection of short stories with commentary, and DEAD ON. At the moment kindalizing is my top priority along with working with my clients on their books as I edit and ghost write as well.13. You are very giving of your time, rarely asking for anythingin return. Why do you enjoy teaching and helping other authors?

M’s A: Pay it forward is just how I operate, and I’ve seen such generosity in other mystery authors, and have been the recipient of it. How can I be otherwise?

R’s A: Ahhh…the teachable moment, and I am a born teacher. What can I say? My and Mianda’s blogs and sites are all about sharing the knowledge and know how, skills and tools to become successful. The only time I charge for it is when a client seriously wishes for me to copy edit and make developmental changes or suggestions, or to ghost write and this is done at way under market costs.Brief bios:Robert W. Walker grew up Chicago, IL but was born in Corinth, MS, and as a graduate of Northwestern University, and the NU's Graduate Masters in English Education program, he has been a lifelong learner and writer, penning over forty novels. Three years ago he met Miranda and he has resided here in Charleston, WV ever since. He teaches at WVSU in Institute and continues to write, speak, edit, and ghost write. In the mid-eighties Rob began writing his eleven -book Instinct Series with Dr. Jessica Coran, ME as his lead, and his four-book Edge Series with Det. Lucas Stonecoat, Texas Cherokee investigator. Rob most recent original work appears at the Kindle Store on Amazon.com, Children of Salem, and now on traditional publishing shelves, Dead On is available. Rob can be found online at http://www.robertwalkerbooks.com/ and in all the usual places where one finds writers online.

Miranda Phillips Walker a WV born author who lived in Baltimore for some 30 years is uniquely qualified to pen The Well Meaning Killer, a suspenseful mystery and an expose of the corruption and graft in the underbelly of our Nation’s foster care programs and systems. Walker, a Registered Nurse, also holds a Psychology degree with a minor in Sociology and has been a Registered Nurse for over seventeen years. Her life in medicine has been far more exciting and colorful than any program on TV such as ER or Grey’s Anatomy. Miranda says of The Well Meaning Killer, “I understand the demons that drive Crusher, the killer, and I have insights into the Child Protective Services that few possess. Going into the writing of this novel, I was armed with the right tools and weapons to make it work. I trust that the reader will agree. Miranda has enjoyed writing from an early age, using writing and the love of music to comfort her from her turbulent upbringing. When asked about her childhood, Miranda laughs and says “I’d;ve been better raised bya pack of wolves.” But being a positive person, she has used her life experiences to help her patients, and now to hopefully bring entertainment to her readers. She can be found everywhere on the web and at her site website at: http://www.mirandaphillipswalkerbooks.com/

ExcerpTuesday - Barbara Colley

2009-11-30T23:44:00.000-05:00

Today I welcome mystery author Barbara Colley with an exeprt from her latest Dusted to Death. I think I've been close to that.

Excerpt from DUSTED TO DEATH

Keeping a wary eye on the rearview mirror, Charlotte breathed a tentative sigh of relief when a few moments later there was still no sign of the SUV. As she approached the intersection of Magazine and General Taylor, she began to breathe even easier. Then, as she approached Marengo Street she glanced into the rearview mirror yet another time, and instant fear shot through her. The SUV again, and only two cars separated it from her van.
Along with fear, panic welled in her throat. Her street, Milan Street, was just half a block away. What to do? What to do?
You need to buy time to think.
Charlotte gripped the steering wheel tighter, and eased her foot off the accelerator to slow the van down. Now what?
Think, Charlotte, think.
There was a good chance that the driver didn’t know her address, else why would he be following her in broad daylight, especially since she was listed in the phone book, for Pete’s sake, and anyone could find her? Had to be a spur-of-the-moment decision to go after her, she finally decided. Even so, there was no way she was going to lead him right up to her doorstep.
Charlotte continued driving slowly and passed up the turnoff to Milan Street. So what now? Should she just keep driving or . . .
Suddenly, out of the blue, she knew exactly what she should do, and she grinned. “I’ll fix his wagon,” she whispered.

Blurb for DUSTED TO DEATH

As the owner of Maid for a Day, Charlotte LaRue has learned that behind closed doors, everyone’s dirty laundry holds a few dark secrets—and in the end, they all come out in the wash…

The city of New Orleans has long been a favorite backdrop for movie producers, and now one of Charlotte’s best clients, Bitsy Duhe, is getting in on the action. A big Hollywood studio wants to use Bitsy’s gorgeous Victorian house for a movie shoot and they are willing to pay her handsomely for the honor. Bitsy consents, but only after Charlotte agrees to take care of her beloved home during the shoot and keep the place spotless as only Charlotte can.
For Charlotte, the assignment is an exciting change of pace. On the first day, she meets the whole cast and crew, including one of Hollywood’s hottest ingénues, Angel Martinique. But Charlotte quickly discovers that Angel’s G-rated reputation is nothing like her off-camera, diva-like behavior. Angel, it turns out, is no angel at all…

Once the shoot begins, Charlotte has a front row seat to all the back stage drama: the director who wants to control his favorite starlet’s every move… the make-up artist whose talents with cosmetics can’t hide the mysterious bruises on her face… the bodyguard who is clashing with everyone on the set…. and Angel’s seemingly mild-mannered friend, Nick, whose shy demeanor hides a far more menacing side…

Despite all the tension, the movie seems to be going well—until Nick is found dead in Angel’s dressing room, a bloody letter opener lying just a few feet away. To Charlotte, it seems there is no shortage of suspects. But when the police investigation quickly zeros in on Angel, Charlotte senses there’s much more to her story than meets the eye. As Charlotte does a little digging into Angel’s past, she comes up with a bit more dirt than she bargained for—enough to put her in the crosshairs of danger if she doesn’t watch her step…

Thanks for joining me today Barbara.

Authorsday - Vicki Lane

2009-11-25T23:28:00.000-05:00

Critically acclaimed author Vicki Lane visits my blog today to talk about her Elizabeth Goodweather mysteries.

1. How did you pick the genre you write in?
In 2000, on a whim, I signed up for a writing class called “Writing Fiction That Sells.” The teacher encouraged us to begin a novel in the class (which met 6 times) and suggested we pick a genre we were familiar with. I’d always been a reader of mysteries and I figured that with a mystery, at least you had a pattern to follow – X is dead and A, B, C, or D might have done it. It was in this class that Elizabeth Goodweather was born.

2. What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it?
I wrote Whose Revenge? – in which Elizabeth Goodweather is on vacation at the NC coast. She finds a body on the beach at Cape Lookout and gets involved with a handsome direct descendent of Blackbeard the pirate. This book landed me my agent but she couldn’t sell it – all the NY editors said ‘Great protag, good writing, but you can’t start a series with the protag on vacation. Series readers want to fall in love with a place as well as a character.’ So I wrote Signs in the Blood – with Elizabeth back in the mountains where she belongs and my agent sold that to Kate Miciak at Bantam Dell.
3. Describe your series.
Elizabeth is a widow in her fifties, an outsider in the rural mountain county where she and her late husband established the farm she now operates. In spite of the herbs and gardening, the dogs and quilts and cooking that pop up now and again – these books aren’t cozies. They are psychological suspense – with a touch of middle-aged romance and a bit of woo-woo here and there. The series is set in the present day but each book has a secondary story set in the past and tied to the present.

4. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
I think I do characters and setting very well.
5. What do you consider your weaknesses?
I kind of hate working out plots. Makes my brain hurt.

6. What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
I’d like to experience the time between WWI and WWII – in England, as a member of the upper middle class. Oh, heck, I’ll admit it – I really want to be Harriet Vane and go to Oxford and be pursued by Lord Peter Wimsey.
7. What’s your favorite thing about your book?
My favorite thing about In a Dark Season is the historical story set in 1859. It’s like one of the old love ballads they still sing around here. I’m pretty fond of the touches of magic in the present day too – like Chapter 18 . . . and 52 . . .
8. What do you do when you are not writing?
In the summer I’m tending the garden, putting up food, bathing dogs, vacuuming up dog hair. And I always have a book going to read at lunch or before falling asleep. Sometimes I teach writing classes; I walk in the woods and I’m always taking pictures that will show up on my (pretty much) Daily Blog.
9. What would you like to learn to do that you haven’t?
Really learn to use my new Nikon D90 digital SLR camera – a step up from my little digital point and shoot number. And also learn to speak French. I wish I could learn to play a musical instrument but after trying violin, piano, dulcimer, guitar, and mandolin, I have to admit that I haven’t the ear for it.
10. What’s your favorite quote?
I have to tell the story it came from to help make some sense of it.
A city fella is walking along a country road and he passes an orchard. The apple trees are heavy with ripe fruit and a farmer is standing under one, holding up a pig so that it can eat all the apples it wants.
“Hey, there,” says the city fella to the farmer, “that must take a lot of time, feeding your pig that way.”
The farmer just smiles. “What’s time to a pig?” says he.
Something about the silliness of this has always enchanted me and whenever I find myself having to do something I don’t want to, I repeat to myself: “What’s time to a pig?”

Author Bio: Vicki Lane is the author of the critically acclaimed Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries from Bantam Dell -- Signs in the Blood, Art's Blood, Old Wounds, In a Dark Season (Anthony Nominee), as well as The Day of Small Things, a standalone coming in 2010. Vicki draws her inspiration from the past and present of rural North Carolina where she and her family have tended a mountainside farm since 1975 Book Blurb: (no more than 100 words): In a Dark Season Anthony Nominee Best PBO, Romantic Times Nominee Best Contemporary Suspense. Margaret Maron calls it "a suspenseful tale of love and lust." The old house on the Drovers’ Road is haunted by evil – a suspicious death, a brutal rape, a suicide attempt, and the legend of a handsome youth, hanged for murder. “A haunting, lyrical tale of the Appalachians, as heartbreaking as it is magical,” says Julia Spencer-Fleming.

ExcerpTuesday - Eryn Grace

2009-11-23T23:23:00.000-05:00

Eryn Grace shares an excerpt of her new release Hearts of Compassion. It comes out December 3 from Red Rose Publishing.

Blurb:
Rylee Fitz, lonely daughter of a millionaire, is forced to work at a homeless shelter in up-state New York as a team building exercise for her job. Since her goal is to get her immediate boss' job, she jumps at the chance. Ben Colson, the homeless shelter's lawyer who was fired when he was been working for Rylee's father, is bitter from having to start over again. He also wants to move on with his life, but no woman ever fits the bill.To her horror, Ben makes Rylee do manual labor and teaches her that brooms don't need to be plugged in to work. When he takes the time to actually treat her like a human being, Rylee finds herself falling for him. She just hopes he finds it in his heart to deal with her problems, and can forgive her family for treating him badly.

Excerpt:

She turned and faced a man in a sweatshirt and jeans, certain he was homeless, too. His chin was covered in stubble and he looked exhausted. He was muscular and sexy, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and strong facial features. But he was lower class, in her mind, because she was sure he was homeless.

Rylee raised her nose slightly, in her mother's upper class snottiness. "I'm fine. I think you belong over there…with your kind."

"My kind?" He raised one eyebrow, almost chuckling while he crossed his arms. "What kind would that be?"

"The homeless." She pointed ahead of her. "Over there."

He raked his eyes down over her, almost in cruel judgment. "No one wears dresses here…or heels. Are you lost?"

"No, we've been assigned here from the city. I'm with Grahame Designs, but you probably don't know anything about that." She waved him off, ignoring him.

"Is that right?" He chuckled, his arms still crossed. "I organized your trip here, and I'm going to be your boss for the next week."

"You? Who are you?"

He reached out to shake her hand. "Ben Colson. I'm the lawyer for the Guardian Home for the Needy."

She shook his hand, feeling confused. "I don't know your name. I thought you were a homeless"

He leaned closer, and she realized he didn't smell like the rest of the room. He'd showered recently, the scent of the soap filling her nose. "We call them clients. They're people, too."

Thanks to Eryn Grace for stopping by today.

Authorsday - Sandra Sookoo

2009-11-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

A big hello to Sandra Sookoo who has agreed to answer my questions today.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I knew when I kept running out of library books at an early age then it was driven home to me later in life when I’d wait anxiously for another book to be released from a favorite author, but mostly the first time I put a pen to paper and created my own worlds and characters.
Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I’ve done the “just site down and write” thing and sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn’t. Lately, I write out a loose outline of the book then outlines of scenes that give me problems and go from there. It gives me something to look back on and keeps me from getting lost—however it doesn’t always prevent me from wandering around lost in the manuscript.

What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it?
That’s funny! I couldn’t even begin to try and remember what the title was! I wrote it in the sixth grade about some neighbor kids in a fantasy world. And heck no, I didn’t try to publish it! In fact, several years after that, it was literally burned in the backyard as a symbolic gesture of “Moving On”. Besides, it was total garbage.
What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?
This business is hard and it’s cruel. Just because you “wrote a book” doesn’t mean you wrote a book. If you want to be a published author bad enough, you’re gonna have to work for it—hard. Oh, and that you won’t be instantly rich LOL In fact, starving artist takes on a whole new meaning once you become “published.” LOL

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
Never give up and be true to yourself while you write. Some said write what you’re comfortable with and go from there. Don’t follow the trends and write the story of your heart. So far, it’s worked.
What was the worst? Did you know it at the time?
Ah, the worst piece of advice. A published author, after I asked her for advice on how to get started in the biz, once told me that I’d destroy my career before it ever took off if I published with e-presses. I spent many sleepless nights and restless days pondering over this and then ultimately decided to start making a name for myself in the e-publishing world. What I’d say to her if I had the chance? “How’d you like me now?” J
What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
I think I’m pretty good at descriptive writing and writing sexual tension—most of the time. Secondary characters seem to be a strength as well.
What do you consider your weaknesses?
Writing an ending. I always end up rewriting them twice—and that’s before edits. Another weakness? Love scenes, although I’m considerably less uncomfortable about writing them than I once was.
What’s your favorite quote?
I have two: “Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money.” – Jules Renard
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney
What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
The early 1900s—1920s America. This was just an awesome time in history and the nation was in flux. Women were just coming into an awareness of the power they could weild and inventions abounded. And the music. Oh Lord the music and women’s fashions. Sigh. I guess that’s why, if I write a historical novel, it’s centered in this time period.

Author Bio Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romances and she’ll sometimes blend genres.

After catching the writing bug at the young age of ten, she’s gone on to grow her unique writing style. She’s a regular contributor for the Paranormal Romantic’s blog and has just agreed to blog bi-monthly with a great group of women at the Embrace the Shadows blog.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true, and that suits her just fine.

Writing is her ultimate dream job.

Book Blurbs:

BLURB FOR EXILES FROM CHRISTMAS

Santa’s nephews have come to Crystal Falls to run a cookie business. If they fail, they’ll have to go back to the North Pole and fill their uncle’s black boots when he retires. But sick of toys, elves, and the North Pole’s influence, that’s the last thing Landon and Aaron want. They’re looking for love.
Jayne isn’t much for sentimental family holidays and she certainly doesn’t believe in magic. Working in the Crystal Falls post office, she is mystified when she handles mail bearing a North Pole postal mark.
When Landon and Jayne meet, their attraction for each other is undeniable, but will the truth about Landon’s life make Jayne a believer, or will it be his love that finally melts her heart?
BLURB FOR NOT JUST MAKE BELIEVE

Andrea Peterchef never thought her job would include a nine-year-old Piper and vomit. Then she meets Max, a workaholic stockbroker with a voice like melted chocolate and she vows to help her charge and him reconnect as a family.

Maxwell Gildenthall is haunted by the 9/11 deaths of his girlfriend and his cousin—Piper’s dad. Deadlines and data define his life—not baby dolls and dress-up. When Andrea cajoles him into playing the part of dad, the benefits of spending time with the plus-size au pair are a bonus, but he can’t ditch the guilt.

It’ll take more than a spoonful of sugar and a dose of Christmas magic to mend the broken family. It’ll take the power of love.

Thanks for answering my questions Sandra!

ExcerpTuesday - Rachel Brady

2009-11-16T23:23:00.000-05:00

Rachel Brady shares an excerpt today from her novel Final Approach.

Jeannie found me in the ladies room, standing in mountain pose, trying to breathe like my yoga teacher.
“Jesus, Emily. Look at you.” She smelled floral and cheerful but sounded grim.
I didn’t have to look in the mirror to know why. My mascara had been wiped away and I knew my eyes would still be pink and glassy. I closed them and took another three-part breath.
“Richard’s in the lobby,” I said. “Don’t make me talk about it.”
“He can’t see you like this.”
Inhale. “Then fix me, please.”
Exhale. “And bring me some of that perfume.”
I opened my eyes in time to see her give what was meant to be a reassuring smile and pull open the door.
“Be right back,” she said.
As her Guccis tapped down the hallway, I realized what her smile actually said: “Sucks to be you”.

Bio: A graduate of Wright State University and The Ohio State University, Rachel enjoys a career in biomedical engineering in addition to the time she spends writing mystery and suspense fiction. Her interests include health and fitness, acoustic guitar, and books of all kinds. She lives outside of Houston, Texas, with her husband and their three children. Final Approach is her debut novel. Visit Rachel on-line at www.rachelbrady.net.

Thank you for stopping by Rachel.

Wendy Ely visits

2009-11-16T08:11:00.002-05:00

Wendy Ely is my guest blogger today. She's going to share an excerpt from her book Confessions. Please give a warm blog welcome to Wendy.

I always feel weird when writing a post for another person’s blog. I’m grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to blog but don’t know what the readers expect. I worry that I won’t get any comments since a lot of people don’t like change and here comes another author posting something totally random. But often I get to meet a variety of new people. Being a guest blogger opens up the opportunity for new connections I didn’t already have. This is one of the many joys of being an author. I get to meet so many different types of people. Who would’ve thought ann eighteen year old guy would read Jesse’s Brother (my first novel) and send me fan mail? I certainly didn’t but loved getting to know him.

So setting up a blog tour was the first thing I did in my preparations of my new release. So, dear readers, take a peek at the Confessions excerpt and let’s chat on here for a bit. Or you can send me an email (wendy_ely@wendyely.info).

Excerpt from Confessions:

Jordan sat down on the couch and patted the floor in front of him. “Sit down. Let me get those knots out.”
She took a few steps in his direction, stopping out of his reach, afraid to let him touch her. If he touched her, then she’d fall madly in love with him all over again. That couldn’t happen.
She watched as he leaned forward far enough to grab her by the hand. He pulled her to him.
“Are you sure you want to?”
“Yes,” he said. He guided her down to the floor between his legs. Before leaning back, she slipped her t-shirt off, revealing the navy tank top. His strong hands slid over her skin and she sunk back against him. She’d forgotten how strong he was, how needy she felt when he touched her. As if by magic, her body slowly began to relax underneath his touch. He kneaded her skin with the palms of his hands. The more he touched her, the more she felt at ease. She leaned forward a bit, making his legs embrace the rest of her body. His hands trailed down the length of her back toward the top of her jeans. A small moan escaped her lips. If only he would go lower.
“Feel good?” The words floated through the air like music from a past dream.
“Mm hm.”
He rubbed the small of her back, his hands working every muscle imaginable. “Remember when I would rub your feet each night after work?”
“The best part of the whole day.” His hands. His voice. He had cast a spell over her.
“I loved those times with you, Chels.”
Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, breaking up her intoxicated sensation. Chels? He used to call her that when they were teenagers. He was the only person who’d ever had a pet name for her.
“Me, too,” she mumbled.
“That’s what has gotten me through until now. Those memories of us from before you disappeared.” His hands stilled, but she could feel their heat against her.
Damn it! Tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t see them, she wouldn’t allow him to. She scooted away him his touch, far enough away so she could stand up on her own without using his assistance.
“I’m sorry, Jordan. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“What are you talking about, Chelsea?” He tried to grab her by the hand again but this time she walked away from him. She went over to the windows, dried her eyes and then turned around.
“I told you everything, so now I should go.” She walked past him toward the stairs.
“No, you won’t.” The words were ice cold. It seemed like his massage had been some sort of dream.
She froze. “What do you mean, I won’t?”
“Let’s get something clear. Okay?”
She slowly turned around. She had never heard this tone from Jordan in the whole time she had known him. It scared her.
“What?”
He stood up from the couch and walked over to her. His hands jammed into his jean pockets. “There’s a choice to be made here,” he said. “You either stay here to help me locate my daughter or I contact the authorities.”

***

If you’d like to read more, you can find Confessions at www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely

Thanks for stopping by Wendy.

Authorsday - Sally Odgers

2009-11-11T23:43:00.000-05:00

Tasmanian-born author Sally Odgers joins me today. She graciously answers my questions. I think you'll find her very interesting.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing seriously when I was eleven, which is forty years ago.

How did you pick the genre you write in?
I write in lots of genres… in fact, I’ve probably written almost everything except literary fiction. I seldom write sports stories or political thrillers… but I have done now and again. My favourite genres are fantasy, science fiction and historical, all because I can craft my own version of reality.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I plot things in quite a lot of detail, although sometimes I depart from the plan and have to return to the drawing board.

What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?
I know I should NOT have spent hours typing things that were inherently unpublishable. I have been typing for forty years, and have had tendonitis in both hands for the last ten. If I hadn’t written all those unpublished mss my hands mightn’t hurt now. On the plus side, I have self-published some of those ms!

How many rejections have you received?
Their name is Legion. I’ve had about 280 books published, and at least as many rejections. I suspect I’m Tasmania’s most published living author… by book count, at least.

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
None, really. In fact, a lot of advice I’ve been given has been counter-productive or just plain incorrect. See below!

What was the worst? Did you know it at the time?
One of the most misleading is, “Write from the heart”. It sounds lovely, but it leads to more rejections than usual. Another misleading piece is, “Write what you know”. What I knew was all about Tasmanian rural life. That’s precisely what no one wanted to read about! I use very much modified versions of these two precepts. One is, “Write FROM the HEART if you want to, but don’t expect to get it published. To get published, write FOR the MARKET.” The other is, “Know what you Write”. In other words, get your research done! And no, I didn’t know how misleading these were. I found out by experience. I wish they were true.

Tell me one thing about yourself that very few people know?
I was diagnosed as an insomniac as a child, and prescribed with sleeping tablets. It wasn’t until I grew up I discovered I had never had insomnia at all. It was just that my body clock is askew. My natural go-to-sleep time is about 2 a.m., and I wake (naturally) at about 10 a.m. No wonder I used to lie awake for hours when I was sent to bed at what was, to my clock, the middle of the afternoon! Being self-employed has saved me from hours of nocturnal and morning misery.

What do you consider your weaknesses?
A deep desire to write what I want rather than what the market wants.

What do you do when you are not writing?
I run a small manuscript assessment business. I also do a lot of walking with my husband and/or our dogs. I read, either in the usual way or via audio-books. I listen to music, play Scrabble and mess about with my websites. I like gardening. I used to enjoy free form embroidery until the tendonitis put a stop to the small fine movements. I spend a fair bit of time with various family members, either actually (parents, sister, daughter, husband) or virtually (son and daughter-in-law).

Author Bio:
Sally Odgers was born in Latrobe, Tasmania, in the 1950s. She went to school there in the 1960s, married there in the 1970s, had children there in the 1980s, began her manuscript assessment business there in the 1990s and continues to live there in the 2000s. Along the way she has written books. Sample titles include, Her Kingdom for a Pony (first book-length publication, 1970s) Dreadful David (first picture book publication, 1980s) Translations in Celadon, Shadowdancers and Trinity Street, (long fantasies, 1990s), Candle Iron (long fantasy, 2000), Replay (2007) the Jack Russell; Dog Detective series (co-written with Darrel Odgers) 2005-9.

Book Blurb:

REPLAY
A love song, a mystery, a waltz through history. Aelfthryth and Harry were born in 11th Century Kent, so what are they doing in Sydney a thousand years later? Two girls in a locked room. One schnauzer dog desperate to find them. They all have secrets...

ExcerpTuesday - Vicki Delany

2009-11-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

Here's an excerpt from Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delaney.

Set-up. Molly Smith is a young, enthusiastic Constable with the Trafalgar City Police. She reported that she had seen a fireplace at a scene in question. Unfortunately she didn't notice that it was a gas fireplace, and her Sergeant, John Winters, arrived with a full forensic team and backup all ready to search through the ashes. They have driven back to the police station in silence. Winters prepares to get out of the car.

“I need to go back to the B&B and ask very politely if I can check Williams’ room. That will now be somewhat awkward. Ron Gavin came out on his day off because he’s a good officer. Also because he owes me one. We’ll both consider that debt to have been paid. The Horseman who followed Ray will make sure everyone back at the station gets a good laugh hearing about how I screwed up.” Horseman, Smith knew, meant a Mountie. Winters opened the car door. Unfortunately he wasn’t finished. “And this will be my screw up, Constable Smith. Eventually to become a story spread far and wide for the amusement of police officers everywhere. I’ll wear it, because I will not embarrass myself, or the Trafalgar City Police, by trying to set the story straight.”

She ground her teeth and fought back tears. Shut the door. Just shut up and shut the door.

“I will, however, be required to give a full, and honest, report to the Chief Constable.”
The door slammed shut.

Vicki Delany’s newest novel, Winter of Secrets, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which said, “she uses…artistry as sturdy and restrained as a Shaker chair.” Vicki writes everything from standalone novels of suspense (Burden of Memory) to the Constable Molly Smith series, a traditional village/police procedural series set in the B.C. Interior (In the Shadow of the Glacier, Winter of Secrets), to a light-hearted historical series (Gold Digger) set in the raucous heyday of the Klondike Gold Rush. Vicki lives in rural Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she rarely wears a watch. Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com. She blogs with five other mystery writers at http://typem4murder.blogspot.com and about the writing life, as she lives it, at http://klondikeandtrafalgar.blogspot.com

Virtual Tour - Tracey Cramer Kelly

2009-11-09T06:15:00.004-05:00

Tracey Cramer Kelly makes a stop her today on her virtual book tour. Welcome Tracey. She graciously offered to answer a few questions.

Let's see what Tracey has to say.

Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants?
For me, it starts with one scene—often from a dream. It grows from there until I have the makings of a story or novel in my head. I’ve tried making an outline but find that my characters sometimes take me in a different direction. I’ve learned not to fight that, but it means I usually write more than I need and end up cutting (on the up side, I have several additional stories I could work on!).
What drew you to the subject of Last Chance Rescue?
My writing is heavily influenced by the time I spent in the military and by the medical training I received there. When I became a helicopter pilot, it opened new relationships with some amazing people—and Last Chance really came together after I did some ride-alongs with medevac and search-and-rescue.
Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?
I self-published Last Chance Rescue for several reasons. First, I’m not very patient, and second, I’m a bit of a control freak. :-) I had heard the writer had to do her own marketing even if/when she did find a publisher, and I had heard all the horror stories about editors’ changes, so I wasn’t exactly driven to go that route. But perhaps more important, when I wrote Last Chance Rescue, I had no writing ‘credentials’ to speak of. I didn’t feel that an agent would take my query seriously without some sort of writing experience or background. (Next time around I may do it differently, especially since Last Chance Rescue was nominated a Finalist in the Indie Awards.)
If you have a day job, what is it?
My husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business (http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/), and it’s my job to run it. Our products are high-end, chrome mounting kits for electronics (GPS, iPod/MP3, phone, camera, satellite radio, etc) and drink holders. We also manufacture rain guards (“Desert Dawgs”) that slip onto the engine guard bar and keep legs and feet warm and dry.

Describe your book.
Last Chance Rescue is about two people who must fight their own defenses to finally let down the walls that will allow them to rescue each other. It is a story about breath-taking search-and-rescue action and adventurous lives—and the heart that is behind it all.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Great imaginations are apt to work from hints and suggestions, and a single moment of emotion is sometimes sufficient to create a masterpiece.” – Margaret Sackville
What is your favorite word?
Actually, I have two favorite words: ‘discombobulated’ and ‘caddywampus’ (and you would have laughed to hear them as some of my childrens’ first words!).
What place haven’t you visited that you would like to go?
Alaska. Baja, Mexico. Sea kayak the Santa Barbara Islands. Heli-ski the Canadian mountains. Raft the Grand Canyon. There’s a lot of river I’d like to raft someday…
What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
I would like to have been alive (preferably male) during the gold rush period in the American ‘wild west.’ I have a fascination with old mining towns.
What’s your favorite thing about your book?
The girl gets to be the hero! :-)
What do you do when you are not writing?
I am wife and mother to two young children (2 and 6) and they keep me busy (!). I own and operate a motorcycle accessories business, http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/ (and I ride my Kawasaki Vulcan as often as I can). I just started taking lessons for my fixed-wing pilot license (an ‘add-on’ to my helicopter license). I play the taiko drums every Saturday morning and sing with my friend’s band when I can. When I can get away, I enjoy skiing (all kinds) and white-water rafting/kayaking.

Author Bio
Tracey’s first novel, Last Chance Rescue, was a finalist in the 2009 Indie Awards. Her writing draws extensively from her experience as an Army Reserve paramedic and helicopter pilot. When not managing the family business, Leader Motorcycle Accessories, she enjoys taiko drumming, motorcycling and outdoor activities with her husband and two young children. Her writing and blog can be found at http://www.lastchancerescuebook.com/.
Book Blurb
When Brad runs into Jessie at his high school reunion, little does he know how much it will change his life. When his high powered advertising career fizzles, he falls into a most unlikely career opportunity—becoming a search-and-rescue team member.
Through dangerous rescues and personal trials, Brad and Jessie become friends. When one of their rescue victims turns out to be a fellow soldier from Jessie’s Iraq War days, Brad almost loses her to old demons. But then Brad nearly dies in a training accident, and Jessie nurses him back to health. And when she goes missing one night, Brad realizes just how important she has become to him.
Brad and Jessie must fight their own defenses to finally let down the walls that will allow them to rescue each other. This is a story about breath-taking action and adventurous lives—and the heart that is behind it all.

Authorsday - Tina Gallagher

2009-11-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

Tina graciously saved me when I had no Authorsday. Thank you Tina.

Here is her inteview.

How did you pick the genre you write in? My best friend and I used to write happily-ever-afters for our favorite soap opera couple. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on romance because there’s always a happy ending. Maybe it’s sappy, but I like to know that no matter what happens on the pages, at the end of the book, everything will work out.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? I write by the seat of my pants. I pretty much get an idea and go with it. All the twists and turns usually come to me as I write.
What drew you to the subject of Romance by the Book? Well, how many times do you read a book and fall head over heels in love with the hero? So I asked myself, “What would happen if that hero you’ve fallen in love with walked through your door one day?” a new book was born.
How many rejections have you received? I can’t count that high. J Seriously, I could wallpaper my entire house with my rejections and still have some papers left over.

What was the best writing advice someone gave you? To never give up. Every time I receive a rejection, I remind myself that I’ll only fail if I stop trying.
If you have a day job, what is it? Right now, I work as an administrative assistant at an HVAC company.

What’s your writing schedule? I usually write from 10:00pm until midnight or so during the week and squeeze as much time in during the weekend as I can.

What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go? Ireland

What do you do when you are not writing? When I’m not writing, I’m usually sitting in the stands cheering my kids on in one sport or another. And of course, I’m an avid reader.
What would you like to learn to do that you haven’t? I’d love to learn how to play the piano. Maybe someday…

Author Bio:
Tina was raised in Northeast Pennsylvania and in-between softball, basketball, and music lessons, she and her best friend would create their own "happily ever afters" for their favorite soap opera couples. After a while, the soap operas lost their appeal, but the writing never did. She continues to use her imagination to weave stories about heroes and heroines who share deep, lasting relationships.
Tina is an active member of the Pocono/Lehigh Romance Writers, a chapter of the Romance Writers of America. She and her husband live in Northeast Pennsylvania with their two beautiful children.

Book Blurb:
After a disastrous marriage, real estate agent, Maureen O’Connell, is content reading about life, love and the perfect man in her favorite romance novel. Finn Ryan walks into her life and has to convince her that he’s better than a character in a book.

ExcerpTuesday - Ric Wasley

2009-11-02T23:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome paranormal author Ric Wasley. He's sharing an excerpt of his book The Scrimshaw.

Here's what it is about:

Spring 1858, Nantucket Island. Just outside of the harbor, a ship is approaching. She is the Elizabeth James, a trading vessel, home to Jeptha Dawes after two years in the South Sea Islands. But the Elizabeth James will not be enjoying the welcoming lights of Nantucket Town this night, because the cargo carried by the Yankee clipper ship is not just silks and spices. It's something that the ship's dying captain has sworn must never be allowed to set foot in the town of his birth. It is a cargo of pure evil.... Summer 1968, Cape Cod. Mick and Bridget ride on a 650 cc BSA motorcycle as it roars them over the Bourne Bridge spanning the Cape Cod Canal. They don't care about everyday life. They're on vacation, heading for a well-deserved rest, far away from city cares and hassles. They've picked out a quiet little town halfway up the Cape Cod peninsula. There, they plan to relax in a quaint white clapboard inn, surrounded by beach plums and primroses, encircled by nothing but sand, sea, and each other. Peace, quiet, and safety. Or so they think. What they don't know is that they're riding smack dab into the middle of trouble.... And something that's been waiting...for 110 years.

The excerpt:

The Skaket Creek Inn August 18th, 19687:52 a.m.
Bridget picked up the oddly shaped pieces one by one and turned them over in her hands. She held one up to the filtered morning light streaming in through the small semicircular window set high up in the basement wall. She shook her head and blew a stray wisp of jet-black hair from her eyes. Finally she turned back to Kathy Dawes standing in the doorway, leaning against the heavy oak door. An old fashioned brass key dangling from a faded, red velvet ribbon hung from her right hand.
"All right." Bridget sighed. "I give up. What are they?"
Before Kathy could answer, Mick asked quietly, "Do you remember what you asked me the first time we walked into the pub upstairs?"
Bridget glanced up at the heavy beams overhead that supported the pub's wooden floor. Yes, she remembered, the night before last. Had it really been so short a time? Time enough for their lives to be horribly changed. She gave a tiny, involuntary shudder and said, "Yes, I think so."
She frowned and tried to recall the exact words. "We'd just come in, and I was looking over at the bar, and there was a sign above it and...yes--the sign. I asked you what that word meant. Scrimshaw."

Bio:

Ric Wasley thrived on music in the sixties and performed as a folksinger and in several rock bands all over New England and later while attending the University of Kentucky. While at UK his band performed as an opening act for the Kingsmen and while touring as a folk singing act he met the likes of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

Ric graduated with a BA in History from UK in 1968 and has been writing for over 30 years. He has been published in several literary magazines in L.A. and San Francisco while living in California. He currently lives outside of Boston with his wife and three children, works for a major media company and retains his love of music and writing.
His other works include:
The Scrimshaw – 2008 - Novel
Shadow of Innocence – 2007 - Novel
Acid Test — 2004 - Novel
At my Window with a Broken Wing – Novella - 2009

Authorsday- CJ Lyons

2009-10-29T06:13:00.004-04:00

Welcome medical thriller writers CJ Lyons to my blog today.

Title: The face of evil.

Thanks, Chris for having me here today!

Have you ever come face to face with evil? I have.

I'm CJ Lyons and I practiced pediatric emergency medicine and community pediatrics for seventeen years. During that time, I faced rapists, child abusers, gang-bangers who would kill over a pair of shoes, sociopaths, psychotics, narcissists, and even one killer our prosecutor classified as a serial killer.

You know the scary thing about evil? It looks just like you and me.

When I left medicine to fulfill my life-long dream of becoming an author, I knew that I wanted to explore the various faces of evil. Because I've faced it in real-life, I knew how different it was from most of the "bad-guys" portrayed in fiction.

Evil doesn't spend its days plotting dastardly deeds of cunning or intricate, diabolical plots involving red herrings and webs of intrigue.

Rather, the evil I've seen is driven by one simple desire: they know what they want, they want it now, and they don't care what they have to do to get it.

The boy-friend baby-sitting while mom's at work who brutally beat and raped a three year old because she wouldn't go to bed when he told her the first time. He's currently on death row.

The woman who shook her baby so hard the baby hemorrhaged into his brain….because the baby wouldn't stop crying during her favorite TV show.

The gangbanger who shot a kid because he said "hi" to the wrong girl on the wrong street corner while wearing the wrong color of hat.

These are just a few of the faces of evil I've seen.

Is it any wonder that in my medical suspense novels I focus on what makes evil so compelling to so many readers: the fact that it hides among us, so very hard to see, hiding in plain sight.

We all have something in common with evil. No matter who we are, we are all driven by the same universal needs and wants: love, security, recognition.

In real life, there was frustratingly little I could do when faced with evil. I could care for the victims, help the police and prosecutors to the best of my ability, but it always felt as if there should be a way to stop the senseless deaths and violence.

As rewarding as my medical career has been, I'm finding that my new career as an author has its own rewards. Especially when it gives me the chance to not only put a face to evil but to give its victims the justice they deserve.

That's why writing my latest in the Angels of Mercy series, URGENT CARE, has been so fulfilling. Not only does Nora, the ER charge nurse, come face to face with her greatest fear—a fear every woman can understand and share—but she finds the courage to defeat both her fear and the man behind it.

How? By making a stand and refusing to allow it to control her life.

I think this is the best way to fight evil--bring it into the light where everyone can see it for what it truly is.

So you tell me—have you ever come face to face with evil? I'll bet you have.

The boyfriend who came close to stalking you, the sociopath next door who lies about everything—for no reason than the sheer joy of getting away with it, the school kid setting fires and torturing animals…..they're all out there, closer than you think.

Thanks for reading!
CJ

About CJ:
As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge suspense novels. Her debut, LIFELINES (Berkley, March 2008), became a National Bestseller and Publishers Weekly proclaimed it a "breathtakingly fast-paced medical thriller." The second in the series, WARNING SIGNS, was released January, 2009 and the third, URGENT CARE, is due out October 27, 2009. Contact her at http://www.cjlyons.net

Thanks for stopping by today.

ExcerpTuesday - Pat Brown

2009-10-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

Pat Brown is sharing a part of her latest release Lynx Woods. Please read below and I'm sure you'll have found a new author to read.

Blurb:Lynx Woods is the story of Tyler McKay, a Canadian ecological engineer, who is hired to restore a ravaged piece of land back to its natural state. During the commission of his project he meets Charlie Reid, famous wildlife artist who has been hired to produce 4 paintings commemorating that transformation. McKay is instantly drawn to the dark, enigmatic Charlie, who is half-Cherokee. But Charlie is in deep denial about his sexuality. Tyler wants to break through the barriers that Charlie has thrown up, but what cost is there when you fall in love with a man who hates himself?Excerpt:Only then did I notice the other man in the room.He stood with his back to the desk, looking out at the view through the polarized glass. His hands were held behind his back, and I noted their size and obvious roughness. This guy was no desk jockey, not with calluses like that. I couldn't see his face, only the pitch black hair that had been drawn into a ponytail and hung past his shoulder blades. He had broad shoulders and a tight ass not quite covered by a black leather bomber jacket."Ah, yes," Thurlow said. "I'm actually glad you did come up, Tyler. I'd like you meet someone. He's going to be working on the site, too, but in a different capacity."The figure by the window turned, and I found myself holding my breath. Would this stranger measure up to what I had already seen of his impressive back?I wouldn't have described the man as drop-dead gorgeous. His face was too unusual for that. It was obvious he had First Nation's blood running through his veins. His high cheekbones looked sculptured in his tight, dark face, and his eyes were two black orbs staring into mine as Thurlow introduced us."Tyler, I'd like you to meet Charlie Reid. Charlie, this is Tyler McKay, our ecological engineer."

Thank you for stopping by Pat Brown

Authorsday - Anna Kathryn Lanier

2009-10-21T23:06:00.000-04:00

Historical author Anna Kathyn Lanier visits my blog today. Please give her a warm welcome.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I started writing in high school. Then in my twenties I wrote my first category romances, but the only one I sent in (not knowing anything of a query letter or synopsis) was rejected, what a surprise there! LOL By then I was married and a mother, so I put my writing on hold for fifteen or so years.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I'm much more of a panster than a plotter. Honestly, I can't understand how someone can plot a book for six months before writing it. That would drive me crazy. Though, I am learning I do need some plotting before I start. You do need to know the story line a bit and who the characters are. I think it out in my head, but I hardly every write it down.

What drew you to the subject of SALVATION BRIDE?
SALVATION BRIDE is set in 1873 Texas. The heroine is a mail-order bride, the hero a Civil War vet. I think the idea of a mail-order bride story came up in a brainstorming session with some critique partners. The idea of traveling across the country to marry someone you didn't know is intriguing. I also put a twist in the story by making the heroine a trained doctor. A lot of people don't know that there were female doctors in the 1800's, especially the latter half of the century.

Did you encounter any obstacles in researching it?
Not really. The internet is a wonderful research tool. One thing I wanted to know about was Texas land grants, and very helpful curator at The San Jacinto Battleground Museum helped me a great deal, via e-mails. I also needed to research medicine and female doctors in the 1800's. I found a great book for both of those “Bleed, Blister and Purge” by Dr. Volney Steele I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to know about medicine in the Old West.

How many rejections have you received?
Well, I'm really bad about sending stuff in to be considered. Really, I'm very lazy. There was my first one back in the mid-80's, though it wasn't a true rejection. It was a 'we don't consider unsolicited manuscripts' letter. When I got back into writing in 2001 and finally submitted works.....well, I probably only submitted ten times to agents and editors before I was published. So, I guess, I've been rejected nine times.....

Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?
I submitted to my current publisher because a friend, Skhye Moncrief, had submitted to them and was on their loops. There was an announcement that they needed more Western Christmas stories. So, Skhye told me about it. We did a little brainstorming for a historical story I had on the back burner. Then I went to the site and saw that the line looking for Christmas stories was their Contemporary Western line. Well, I had to start brainstorming again. I actually hatched the story over a weekend and wrote it in four days. Basically, the first draft was submitted to the publisher. Within a week, I was offered a contract. I should add that this is a short story, not a novel-length book. I now have three stories published with The Wild Rose Press, including the historical SALVATION BRIDE, though it is not the one Skhye and I brainstormed.

Describe your book.
Here's the blurb.
The hot dusty town of Salvation, Texas has more than its share of secrets in 1873 when Laura Ashton's stage rolls into town. Sheriff David Slade has no idea what baggage his mail-order bride is bringing into his life. Throw in the nightmares from his Civil War days and he's got more than courting to contend with. Laura's a woman ahead of her time, a woman trained in medicine. And she's got a will that could move mountains. Unfortunately, the only mountains in Salvation are in Sheriff Slade's memory. Can the determined doctor heal his pain, or will the dark secret in her past turn up to steal his Salvation Bride?

What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
Hmm, well, for me that's a hard question to answer. But I do think I write very emotional people, with deep seeded problems. They all want to do what is right, but they don't want to expose their own vulnerability. There's a lot of tension in my stories, sexual and emotional.

What do you consider your weaknesses?
I have not been good about writing for the last year. Something I need to buckle down and do. However, my life has gotten in the way of my writing. My characters are emotional, but then so is my life...lol, which you would think would make the writing easier, but it doesn't. So, I'd say not making myself sit and write is a weakness.

What’s your favorite quote?
I have two:
When you speak your words echo only across the room or down the hall.
But, when you write, your words echo down the ages. --Bud Gardner

And:
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. --William Wordsworth

Author Bio:

Anna Kathryn lives in Texas with her husband and three cats. She wrote her first stories in high school, and a few romances in her early twenties, but then put the writing bug to bed while as she raised her two daughters. In 2001 she got bit by the bug again and started writing once more. She now has seven short stories and one novella published.
Learn more about Anna Kathryn at her website, http://www.aklanier.com/. She also hosts other authors, posts recipes and gives a history lesson each week on her blog http://www.annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/,.

Thanks for stopping by Anna.

Overcomer's Tour

2009-10-20T23:47:00.000-04:00

Today The Overcomers stop by my blog on their virtual tour.

Mission Statement Overcomers, Inc: True stories of hope, courage, and inspiration will give readers the knowledge and emotional resilience to face the most difficult times of life by sharing inspiring stories of triumph and fortitude

I've picked one of the authors to be interviewed.

Rev. Rita MeKila Herring is an ordained minister and clinical hypnotherapist. She has been leading meditation groups for over twenty years and has helped countless individuals in remembering the power they have within. Visit www.MeKila.com if you would like more information or need help remembering your power.

1. How did you get started writing?
I’ve always dabbled in writing as I find it an excellent means of expressing myself. I enjoy the ability to choose the exact words to portray what I’m intending to communicate. I remember when my parents came home from Parent Teacher Conferences when I was in the 8th grade, they told me that my Science teacher, Mrs. Howie, had leaned in real close to them after they’d introduced themselves whispering, "Your daughter is a letter writer." As I recall, I wanted to share with her my feelings about something she was going to cut from the curriculum. At the time, aside from Band, Science was my favorite subject. Guess she enjoyed my letter as the topic of discussion remained in the lineup.
2. What do you do when you are not writing?
I’m living ... I’d say, very close to my dream life. I’m incredibly appreciative of my day-to-day journey. I embrace the stretching of my comfort zone that propels me into ever growing understandings of the nature of walking the face of the earth at this precise time in our evolution of consciousness. I’m learning the sheer power of choosing to be joyful, happy, at peace ... no matter the seemingly outside circumstances. That whatever presents itself is only a snapshot of something I’ve previously created - and if I don’t like the way it feels in any way, I need only create what I want and move toward it. Eventually, and quite often quickly I’m in the newly created space and I’ve enjoyed the path to get there. It is a definite learning experience as there was a time when historically I’d been immensely tyrannical with myself. I wasn’t even aware of this behavior of self depravation, I only knew I never allowed myself to truly look at my creations with appreciation and marvel in their blessings ... I’d see something that wasn’t quite right and harangue myself and unknowingly set myself up for drawing more experiences of the same. It’s been a glorious jaunt from the day I actually realized that I was listening to the whole self-imposed utterly-ridiculous impossibly-perfectionistic demands I placed on myself ... to being a person that’s now more and more gentle with myself (infinitely gentle with myself is my intention ... I’m not there yet). I’ve also created a magical and delightful life so I’m very much experiencing what I consciously intended for myself, both in the distant and more recent past. With a sizable majority of my time spent in smiles.
3. What would readers like to know about you?
That I’m a consummate student. I love learning. I love finding the answers to my questions and quite frankly, I don’t stop till I find those answers. I believe that if there’s a question - there’s an answer ... and once we’ve posed the question, the answer isn’t far behind ... we just have to keep ourselves open to receive it. I believe we’re all out there, sometimes stumbling around, trying to do the best we can. I like to find ways of living more of what I want and less of what I don’t want. Mostly I love it when I can help someone become reacquainted with the power and peace of their own inner guidance.
4. What inspired you to be a contributing author in Overcomers, Inc.,
To be honest, I was drawn to the energy of the project. I knew next to nothing about it but a powerful feeling compelled me to looking into it further and upon doing so, the energy intensified. I’ve done well in the past when I’ve heeded my inner feelings. I jumped in and thought I’d go with the flow and see where it took me. There have been wonderful

indications of compatible energies each time I encounter the remarkable group that assembled.
5. Why is the topic of Overcoming important to you?
I think the topic of Overcoming is important to us all. We’ve been bombarded by media that is obsessed with dark and negative stories. We’ve all been conditioned and desensitized from being conscious of the atrocities that are put into the focus of our choices each day. How often do you indulge yourself in reading a horrible news story or watching it on t.v.? If we hadn’t been desensitized, would we really choose to watch and place our precious creative energy paying attention to and sending out the request for more of THAT? I sincerely don’t think so. Is it any wonder there is still the concept of war on this planet? With so many people literally sitting in a meditative state staring at the t.v. and contributing their precious creative energy toward the manifestation of such things, how could there not be?
Overcoming is an aspect of self discovery that we all need to participate in if we truly want to live in a different world than we do today. We have to overcome the habits or beliefs that we’ve taken on somewhere along our journey that simply do not match our picture of what we want. We have to wake up and put both hands on the helm with the confidence of the ship’s captain as we traverse the waters of life. No longer willing to absorb what’s thrown our way and deciding once and for all that we are in charge of us - that we will knowingly place our creative energy in expenditures that will bring about what we truly want. We each have varying amounts of overcoming involved in getting from where we are now to where we want to be. I like finding the shortest most enjoyable (and lately gentle) path to do that.
6. Why are you specially qualified to write about this topic?
Well, for one thing, I am a tropical being that was born into the not so tropical state of Michigan and I now live on my beloved and magnificent Kauai in the middle of the Pacific. There’s a certain degree of overcoming involved in that 5,000 mile trek.
It’s also kind of been my life’s work when you get right down to it. Since 1986, I’ve been an ordained minister and since 1992, a certified clinical hypnotherapist. Each of those activities has placed me countless times in the position of successfully assisting others in overcoming some aspect of their experience that they found less than enjoyable.
7. How many books have you written?
In my head? Or in actuality? In my head, I’ve written 15 that I can think of right this second. In the material sense of actuality, this is my first in tangible form. I thought it would be fun to get my feet wet with a bunch of others. See what that’s like first. So far it’s been an incredible ride.
8. What are the titles of your books and what genres are they?
The titles of the books I’ve written in my head continuously morph as I continue to advance in my direct experiences of the topics covered. The genre is always the same - A stronger connection with The Source of All That Is - God - or any other name attributed to our Creator. Coupled with the soul level recognition of our own individual Divine Sovereignty.
9. How do you manage to keep yourself focused and on track when you’re writing a book?
Well, that is yet to be seen. My intent is that once I’ve determined that a book is to be written, it will be created with the joy and happiness that will reflect what it feels like to have the understandings being shared.

10. Do you write to make money, for the love of writing or both?
Haven’t yet experienced the money making part, although I’m certainly open to it. I do love writing. Writing gives you the potential of reaching anyone, anywhere, anytime. It takes one-on-one to an exciting new level of possibility. It creates a marvelous tool that can travel countless diverse paths to unite writer with reader - it’s not limited to face-to-face exchanges. That in and of itself is attractive to me since I live at least 2400 miles from most people making face-to-face highly unlikely.
11. What makes you proud about your involvement with Overcomers, Inc.?
I’m proud to be affiliated with such a dynamic and remarkable group of people. All sharing with you their unique forms of courage. It’s been an honor to be amongst them.
12. Will you write more books?
Given the verboseness of my answers, what do you think? Kidding aside, I most definitely will. I have a yearning inside to live in a more pleasant world and I know I must do my part. Although I believe a large portion of doing my part is through the manner in which I live my life (which I believe is true for each of us), I also believe that sharing what has worked for me has the potential to help others ease their journeys. If that is at all possible, then I want to do everything I can to participate. Books, I believe, will hold keys for others who have locked themselves out of their own power. I envision a world radiating with the glow of everyone living their dreams and realizing who they really are.
13. What do you have in the works now?
I am working on so many wonderful projects that I can hardly contain my exuberance. I am doing all the things I love and am experiencing joyous synchronicity upon joyous synchronicity. It’s such fun!
Let’s see, I’ve compiled a decent sized collection of the photos that I’ve taken since moving to this beautiful island. If you’ve ever been here, I’m sure you will find a shot or two that will instantly take you back on a virtual mini-vacation. I try to capture Kauai’s beauty in all her splendor. I’ve been told Kauai’s nurturing essence radiates from my photos. That makes me happy because I want to do her (Kauai) justice. You can see how this project is coming along by visiting KauaiThroughMyEyes.com - if you visit, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Another project that is ongoing is my study of color and the gifts and blessings from God that come along with them. Each color or Ray has its own specialty, its own essence, its own frequency. I’m speaking specifically of the 7 Earthly Rays - what we know as the spectrum, or rainbow, ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet) - as well as the 6 Divine Rays. Having studied color my whole life, I became interested in the nature of the human aura in the late 70s. Since that time I have conducted innumerable experiments to test my color theories both with individuals and with groups. My findings have been empowering, energizing and enlightening. Utilizing color is one of my favorite means of manifesting the energies that I intend. I will be sharing information about this and other projects on MeKila.com as they approach completion.
I’ve also recently become quite fascinated by twitter and enjoy the array of people that I’m meeting there from all walks of life. It has been a delightful experience and I’ve met some amazing people that I might never have met otherwise. My twitter name is RevMeKila.

14. What does the future hold for you and your books?
Boy, if it’s anything like my dreams - hold onto your hats! Individually we are amazingly powerful creatures. Collectively we are unbeatable. I thoroughly endorse the nature of synergy and look forward to the marvels that we can create together.
15. What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
The Overcomers book is a book that other people MUST read because we can all learn from each other. Each of us is unique for a reason. In sharing that uniqueness we are able to grow in ways we couldn’t possibly by ourselves.
Also, this book will show other people that they are not alone. That there are others that have tough things to deal with too. In this book the authors share a portion of their walk on this precious planet. In each of their stories there is something you can take to encourage you on your own path. An idea or approach to a challenge that you might not have thought of. Or one that you already thought of but dismissed because you decided it couldn’t possibly work. You can gain courage in facing the things you need to face through the stories of others having activated their courage.
16. What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Anyone who is currently in a situation where they feel hopeless or helpless. Anyone who has a curiosity about the diverse ways we as humans pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and continue on. Anyone who enjoys happy endings. Those are the people who will enjoy and be inspired by the stories in this book.
17. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
What sparks my creativity? Waking up in the morning. We are all creators whether intentional or not. It’s in our DNA. We can’t get away from it. By the very nature of where we spend the blessing of energy that we’re given each day, we determine where our creations stem from. I’m fortunate enough to have known or learned that early on and have been able to do some amazing things as a result. I’m inspired by every little thing. I find wonder in each unique expression of our Creators "creativity."
As far as tips to help others spark their own creativity? Follow what you love. Feed your soul with things that nurture you. Think about what you enjoyed as a child and bring more of those things into your life. Children when left to their own devices (not stimulated by artificial means like incessant t.v. watching or video games) are fabulously creative. Be more like you were when you were a child - you were most expressing your true self then. Tap back into the dreams you had as a child and consider living them out. Or look at your surroundings and your life as if you are a child again and explore the wonders you find.
18. What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
I’m not sure what motivates other people to become authors. What motivated me to once again dabble in this form of self expression is my desire to help people smile more. I’m hoping that by sharing my thoughts and experiences others will be easier on themselves and will regain the joyousness of life they thought they’d lost.

19. If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
Well, this might not be a popular answer but I wouldn’t say anything. I believe in the Law of Attraction as well as a sort of Divine Choreography. I truly believe with all of my heart that people will be drawn to the book by the essence of the book itself. If someone thinks the book wouldn’t interest them, who am I to try to convince them otherwise? If anyone started reading this interview with the feeling that they weren’t interested in this book, hopefully they have been inspired to take action and to eagerly look forward to discovering all of the beautiful stories contained within.
20. What is your final message to our readers?
My final message to your readers is this: Learn to be the most gentle, nurturing and supportive person to yourself that you have ever experienced. Stop being hard on yourself. Stop being mean to yourself. Stop saying horrible things about yourself or things that you really really don’t want to experience. When you lighten up on the self talk it’s as if you’ve been plucked out of quicksand and plopped down on smooth and solid ground. A delicious side effect is that as you learn to be kinder to yourself, you will begin to magnetize into your experience people that are also kinder to you. If we all took a little time to really master this, there’d be no more need for the mirroring of unkind, harsh, critical people in our experiences. If we all learned to stop attacking ourselves, we’d experience a world with no need to attack others. We could all experience this planet as a safe and loving playground. To get your own copy of Overcomers, Inc.,True Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiring AND enjoy dozens of wonderful gifts with your purchase go to http://overcomersinc.com/booklaunch

Authorsday - Mary Ann Miller

2009-10-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

Mary Ann Miller lets me grill her for Authorsday today. A writer of fiction and non-fiction I think you'll find this interview compelling

How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing all my life, but didn’t get published until I was in my 30s and had a family. I wrote a weekly humor column for a suburban newspaper and was known as the Erma Bombeck of Plano. It was a lot of fun and led to other freelance jobs that evolved over time to a career writing for regional and national publications. But my first love has always been fiction, so I continued to write short stories and then moved on to novels and screenplays.

How did you pick the genre you write in? I don’t write in one genre or medium. My novels range from young adult to romance to mystery and suspense. When it comes to the stories, it’s not a matter of choice for me. Often the story picks me, if that makes any sense. Then after I get going with the writing I can figure out in which genre it belongs.

What drew you to the subject of One Small Victory? I started writing One Small Victory after I read an item in a Dallas newspaper about a woman in Michigan who worked undercover on a drug task force and helped bring down a main illegal drug distributor in her rural town. She had no background in law enforcement. She was just a mom and did this while grieving the loss of her son who was killed in a car accident. I found this woman and her story amazing, and even though there were few details in the short news story, the character was very real to me and ideas started coming to me like gangbusters.

What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it? The first novel I wrote was a young adult novel, Friends Forever. I wrote it when my oldest daughter was experiencing the awkwardness of social changes in middle school when suddenly it matters who you are friends with and who you shouldn’t be friends with -- that typical nonsense that is still so prevalent in school. As with many other first novels this one was better off in a drawer until I got better at the craft. Then I dusted it off and rewrote it and it was published as an e-book by New Concepts Publishing. Some years later, I got the rights back to it and recently put it up on Kindle.

What’s your favorite quote? One of my favorite writing quotes is from Cicero “A room without a book is like a body without a soul.” I think I would shrivel up and die if I did not have a book to read.

What is your favorite word? Lately, my favorite word has been tenacity. In some recent radio interviews I was asked what advice I would give to beginning writers and I realized that tenacity is as important to succeeding as talent when it comes to writing. I know so many good writers who simply stopped because of the challenges to getting published. In many cases those who succeed are those who didn’t give up.

What other time period besides your own would you like to experience? I would love to live in the mid-1800s in the west. I have always been a frustrated rancher and I used to fantasize about being one of those tough women in the west who ran their own place and worked circles around the men. When I was young and used to go horseback riding a lot, I would do a lot of pretending while racing across a field.

What’s your favorite thing about your book? My favorite thing about One Small Victory has been the response from so many readers who, like me, have really related to the central character, Jenny. Not that we have done what she did, but something about her resonates with us. Maybe it’s the “mom” thing. Jenny gets proactive about the drug issue as a way to find vindication for the loss of her son, but it is also an effort to protect her children. I think that instinct to protect our children is what we can relate to. Plus, Jenny is not a superhero. She is a woman with flaws and challenges, doubts and fears like all the rest of us. We just don’t like to admit it.

What do you do when you are not writing? When I am not writing, I work outside on my little acreage where I have a horse and some goats. It’s as close to my fantasy as I can get. J I also enjoy acting and directing and am active in a local art center. For quieter fun, I do all kinds of puzzles and some knitting and quilting. I’ve just recently started trying to be creative with a camera, and I do some sketching and painting when I get a chance. All of these creative things feed each other and I think I am a better writer because of them.

Who is your biggest cheerleader? My husband has always been my biggest cheerleader. He is the one who encouraged me to keep at it in those early years before I was finally published, and even today he will bolster my spirits when I get discouraged. He is also quick to help me celebrate the good things that come my way, like the recent sale of One Small Victory to Books in Motion, who will bring it out in audio formats.

Author Bio: A diverse writer of columns, feature stores, short fiction, novels, screenplays and stage plays, Maryann Miller’s work has appeared in many regional and national publications. The Rosen Publishing Group published her non-fiction books for teens, including the award-winning Coping with Weapons and Violence In School and On Your Streets. One Small Victory was released by Five Star Cengage/Gale. Play It Again, Sam was released by Uncial Press as an e-book. She is Managing Editor of WinnsboroToday.com, an online community magazine. She has been writing all her life and plans to die at her computer. Web site: http://www.maryannwrites.com/

Book Blurb: Life can change in just an instant. That's the harsh reality that Jenny Jasik faces when her son is killed in an automobile accident, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever expect to be working undercover as a member of a drug task force. She is, after all, just a mom. But don’t discount what a mom can do when the safety of her children is at stake.

ExcerpTuesday - Elizabeth Zelvin

2009-10-12T23:25:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth Zelvin shares an excerpt from her latest, Death Will Help You Leave Him.

I scootched into the back of my best friend Jimmy’s Toyota. His girlfriend Barbara’s dripping umbrella almost impaled me as I fell onto the seat. I shook myself like a dog.
“Who’s the corpse?”
“Her pigeon’s boyfriend,” Jimmy said. The car skidded on the slick wet surface of Third Avenue.
“Watch the road, Jimmy,” Barbara ordered. “And Bruce, don’t say ‘corpse.’
“Pigeons have boyfriends?”
“My Al-Anon sponsee,” she elaborated. “She found her boyfriend dead on the floor when she came home. The cops are there.”
I had a guy of my own that I called when I thought I might not make it through the night without a drink.
“So when do Al-Anons call their sponsors?” I asked.
“When somebody else’s life starts flashing before their eyes,” Jimmy said. “When they can’t stop saying, ‘I’m sorry.’”
“If the cops think it’s murder,” I said, “‘I’m sorry’ would be the wrong thing to say.”

Authorsday - Caridad Pineiro

2009-10-07T23:47:00.000-04:00

Today is special because I get to give my blog over to an old friend. We've worked together on many projects and I find Caridad to one of the hardest working writers I know. And she's a fantastic writer.

So here's Caridad, under the microscope.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? In the fifth grade, my English teacher assigned a project – to write a book to be placed in a class lending library. I went home and started writing and haven’t stopped.

How did you pick the genre you write in? I started off writing contemporary romances, but even then I was always trying to work in something dark or suspenseful. When the line for which I was writing folded, I decided to explore those darker elements and found that the book just flew off my fingers and into the computer. I knew then that I had to start working in genres like paranormals and suspense to allow me to explore the deeper aspects of my characters.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? I was a pantser, but now that I’m published, I always have to have the synopsis ready first for my proposals. I’ve found that having that basic outline really helps to keep the story from straying into unknown areas.

What drew you to the subject of SINS OF THE FLESH? I was always a science geek and for many years have been following what’s happening with genetic engineering. As I noticed the possibilities that were being created with new gene therapies, it made me wonder what would happen if scientists forgot their duty to society and decided to experiment with genetic engineering for their own personal gain. That’s how SINS OF THE FLESH was born.

Did you encounter any obstacles in researching it? The main obstacle was blending real science into the fiction. The funny thing is that most people will assume that certain things portrayed as fact – like Caterina’s glowing skin – are fiction when in reality, scientists use fluorescent protein tags all the time to track gene expression, thereby creating organisms that glow.

What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it? The name of my first novel was LONG WAY HOME and no, I never did publish it although I am thinking about pulling it out from under the bed and rewriting it. The original story is about a Cuban rebel who falls in love with a Main Line physician who is visiting Cuba during the Castro rebellion.

What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew? I wish I knew how much more work was involved in the post-publication process so that I could better plan my time for things like promotion, revisions, galley proofs, etc. There’s a lot of work after your book is sold, possibly more work than that involved with writing the novel.

How many rejections have you received? At least 30 to 40. I think that for every 3 proposals that I write, I’m lucky to have one that sells.

If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be? What makes a book a keeper for you?

Describe your book. SINS OF THE FLESH is the story of a woman – Caterina Shaw -- who has been genetically engineered against her will. When one of the scientists conducting the experimentation has a change of conscience and decides to blow the whistle on the illegal experiments, he is murdered by his partners. Caterina escapes during the murder and the partners decide to frame her to protect themselves. They also hire a mercenary – Mick Carrera -- to track down Caterina and return her to the lab. Their hope is that Mick will kill Caterina, but when Mick finds his prey, he discovers all that he has been told is suspect. Soon, Mick and Caterina will find themselves trapped in the scientist’s game and trying to survive both their attraction to one another and a madman sent to kill them.

What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing? I think my greatest strength is writing emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after the book is done.
What do you consider your weaknesses? Description. I really struggle with not having just a bunch of talking heads.

What’s your writing schedule? I write every day on the train to and from work and then put in several hours on the weekend.

Who is your greatest cheerleader? My family and my friends at the Liberty States Fiction Writers. (http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/)

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestseller Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. For more information on Caridad, please visit http://www.caridad.com/ or http://www.thecallingvampirenovels.com/.
For more information on Caridad, please visit http://www.caridad.com/ or http://www.thecallingvampirenovels.com/.

Book Blurb:

Caterina Shaw’s days are numbered. Her only chance for survival is a highly experimental gene treatment – a risk she willingly takes. But now Caterina barely recognizes herself. She has new, terrifying powers, an exotic, arresting body — and she’s been accused of a savage murder, sending her on the run.
Mick Carrera is a mercenary and an expert at capturing elusive, clever prey. Yet the woman he’s hunting down is far from the vicious killer he’s been told to expect: Caterina is wounded, vulnerable, and a startling mystery of medical science. Even more, she’s a beautiful woman whose innocent sensuality tempts Mick to show her exactly how thrilling pleasure can be. The heat that builds between them is irresistible, but surrendering to it could kill them both . . . for a dangerous group is plotting its next move using Caterina as its deadly pawn.

Thank you Caridad for stoppin by today.

ExcerpTuesday - Krista Davis

2009-10-05T23:46:00.001-04:00

Agatha-nominated author Krista Davis shares a slice of her latest mystery novel, The Diva Takes the Cake. Welcome Krista.

EXCERPT from The Diva Takes the Cake
. . . one of us knew exactly where the scream originated. Daisy galloped to the kitchen door. Trusting her instincts, I raced behind her. Inside, she bounded up the stairs, didn’t pause at the landing, and ran up to the third floor. She lost me at the second floor but I heard her growling. Forcing my leaden legs and gasping for breath, I clambered up the last flight.
Phoebe stood at the top of the stairs, her hands shaking. “He . . . he’s in the closet.”
Warily, I peeked into the bedroom. Daisy snarled at the closet door, her upper lip lifted into scary wrinkles, baring her teeth.
I could hear people churning up the stairs. Moving slowly, I entered the little bedroom, afraid I might find blood. She’d said he. Craig’s father? Uncle Stan? Kevin?
Phoebe had jammed a chair under the doorknob of the closet. Good thinking for a panicked person. Dreading what I would find, I slid the chair away.
Mars, Joel, and Dad pressed into the bedroom with me. I reached for the doorknob but before I touched it, it turned by itself.

BLURB of The Diva Takes the Cake
Sophie Winston’s sister, Hannah, is getting married -- again! And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince. But is he a killer? That’s the question on everyone’s mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola. This is one event Sophie and her sister hadn’t planned on.
As hidden family secrets begin to come to light, Sophie finds the list of suspects is almost as long as the list of wedding guests. Will the real killer be seated on the groom’s side or the bride’s? Or will he be standing at the altar? Either way, Sophie must solve the murder in time to stop her sister from making the biggest -- and possibly last -- mistake of her life.

You can learn more about Krista Davis at:

http://divamysteries.com/

http://mysteryloverskitchen.com/

Thanks Krista for stopping by.

Authorsday - J. Hali Steele

2009-09-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

J. Hali Steele has graciously stopped by to put under a microscope today and to talk about her latest release Flight of the Panther. Welcome!

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

First, Chris, let me say how wonderful it is to be here. And to answer your question, probably the minute I finished reading Atlas Shrugged. I fell in love with John Galt and wanted to write a book with a hero just like him. Strong, silent, and enigmatic. I didn’t know at the time I wasn’t even reading a romance! Or that it was considered Science Fiction by some. The book is still my all-time favorite, and Ayn Rand I guess would be my favorite author. Because I went out and found Fountainhead – Howard Roark was pretty darn exciting to me as a teenager. I wonder how she’d feel if she knew her philosophical work birthed a romance author? Have I captured that essence in any of my heroes? I hope. If one fan says they love a hero I created – I did my job.

2. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

Oh I’m a seat-of-the pants writer. I’ll usually get an idea in the middle of the night, out shopping, somewhere strange. I used to write notes down but technology has come a long way to help me. I push the icon on my phone now and do a brief recording of what’s going through my mind. The minute I’m near a computer, I start typing out ideas and do a synopsis which will have the beginning, middle and end of what I want to write. I do follow that pretty much, but in between – the characters write their own story. We argue over it sometimes in my head, and occasionally the character let’s me win.

3. What drew you to the subject of A Panther’s Flight?

My love of felines and a quirky TV series, Beauty and the Beast. Then a friend of mine sent me a video link to a saber tooth tiger after one of my cats bit me. It was meant as a joke, but little did she realize she’d given me an idea for my book. I’d already been working on something about cat shifters when the teeth of the prehistoric beast gave me another idea: vampyre cats.

4. How many rejections have you received? I passed needing more than two hands to count them a while back and that’s when I stopped counting them. Some of them gave me advice that was good, most were form letters and those I delete immediately now. The ones I keep, I look at after I’m over the disappointment and see what information they had to help me improve my work. I don’t think of them as bad if they give me something, a reason, a suggestion for improvement. But I don’t have to take it for gospel either.

5. What was the best writing advice someone gave you?

To join a critique group. I needed some guidance and someone to look at my work with an objective eye. They helped me find places for writing tips, and they even read my stories and work with me to polish them.

6. What’s your favorite quote?

It’s mine: Growl and roar-it’s okay to let the beast out. When I thought of it, I was thinking just that – sometimes you have to let go, enjoy life – it’s the only one we have. It’s become my ‘branding’ and I try my hardest to live up to it each day.

7. What three things would you want with you on a desert island?

My cats, they’re great little hunters and they count as one because they’re inseparable. LOL My laptop and a windmill with instructions included in the box, that’s only one, right? Somehow I’d figure how to get it hooked up for power. I could craft weapons for hunting, and once my laptop was up and running, I’d be able to find information on the web for what vegetation was edible and what I could use in place of coffee for my caffeine fix. Imagine the work I could get done without the world interrupting me?

8. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?

I plan to go on a safari. I want to see the wild animals in their habitats before there are none left. Do I sound like an animal activist or something? Guess I am. But the wide open savannas with lions, elephants – all of it – I want to spend at least a month in Africa. Oh, and Venezuela…ooh, and Australia. Heck, one place is hard to commit to because there are so many. I guess I got carried away with places. LOL

9. What’s your favorite thing about your book?

In all my books it’s the men, the way they bond and talk to each other. They can be friendly one minute and the next they’re at one another’s throats over something that usually ends up being trivial. But when it comes down to it, they’re there for each other.

In A Panther’s Flight we don’t get too much of that. The hero finds himself without his best friend. I can’t tell you too much without giving away the story. But he does well relating to, and winning over the heroine. *grins*

10. What would you like to learn to do that you haven’t?

Tango. I’d like to learn to dance the tango. Then I want to learn to fly a plane. I love flying and the freedom it brings. Being up in the clouds and whizzing along is so peaceful to me. To be able to own and pilot the plane, go where I wanted, would be fantastic.

Chris, thanks so much for having me in for an interview. It’s been great talking to you and letting the readers learn a little more about who J. Hali Steele is.

You are welcome to make up your own questions if you like also. Anything you think will illuminate what you want your readers to know.

Author Bio:

J. Hali Steele lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania, she shares space with four furfriends (cats) and enjoys spending time with family and friends. Her passion is reading romance novels, especially those with vampyres and happy endings.

A multi-published author, she’s a member of the RWA, its Passionate Ink and ESPAN chapters, as well as the Liberty States Fiction Writers. When not writing, she’s snuggled in front of the TV with a good book, a cat in her lap and a cup of coffee.

Growl and roar – it’s okay to let the beast out. – J. Hali Steele – www.jhalisteele.com

Book Blurb:

Fane Baron is a Reign warrior—a sanctioned killer charged with hunting the rogue vampyre cats of the Sovereign Kind. Haunted by memories of stalking his best friend, afraid the same addiction will consume him, Fane stops taking blood. Then he meets her.

Edy Adair’s in a predicament of her uncle's making. Only days from her first change to a panther and dealing with the emotional turmoil of being in heat, she’s headed on a flight to Arizona with the vampyre cat of her dreams. He isn’t the mate chosen by her parents and he killed her cousin!