tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29825397935603267432024-03-13T22:51:06.148-07:00Jenny Gilliam: Romance Author ~ Spicy Romance with a Dash of HumorThe life and times of a mildly deranged mom and author.Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-71994301741794198362009-07-22T12:59:00.000-07:002009-07-22T13:44:53.243-07:00Summertime Trivia!<div align="justify">If I hear one more time, "Hot enough for ya?" I might scream. Yes, it's hot--it's summertime and it's July!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fyMcVVETJUE/Smdxsg8dB9I/AAAAAAAAAQM/hMQ9OoSG6jU/s1600-h/fpfreefoto-1176_small.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 75px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361378890979542994" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fyMcVVETJUE/Smdxsg8dB9I/AAAAAAAAAQM/hMQ9OoSG6jU/s400/fpfreefoto-1176_small.jpg" /></a> I know parts of our nation and world experience milder, wetter summers, but here in Texas--it's always hot and usually dry. This doesn't bother me as much as it might some others--I just stay in the air conditioning and chill out--literally. It's just that I don't wish to talk about it all the time, nor do I want to answer inane questions. So, what do you do when it's too hot for comfort? I spent one entire afternoon Googling "summertime." I'd like to share some of my treasure finds. </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify">THE SONG: SUMMERTIME. The only version I knew of was from Porgy and Bess: Summertime…and the livin’ is easy, Fish are jumpin’…And the cotton is high;<br />Oh, your daddy’s rich…and your mama’s good-lookin’, So hush little<br />baby…don’t you cry.<br />From Porgy and Bess, a 1935 opera by George Gershwin. Complete cast consisted of African-American singers; a daring visionary artistic choice at the time.<br /><br />However, when I Googled “Summertime”, the song,”I found other artists had written and sung a song by the same title, but each was completely different from the original. Summertime-- other versions by Kenny Chesney, Mungo Jerry, Will Smith, New Kids on the Block, Beyonce, and Janis Joplin. You can imagine how each of these differ. Ella Fitzgerald recorded her version of the original Summertime. The song is a haunting, lovely, sad, and wonderful tune. It can bring tears to your eyes.<br /><br />MOVIES about summertime: (Not summertime movies.)<br /><br />THE LONG HOT SUMMER-1958. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. A classic. A drifter works for a plantation owner. The owner asks the drifter to marry his up-tight schoolteacher daughter so she wouldn’t marry the worthless, lazy, rich man who was her fiancé. The owner thought the drifter would work harder.<br />The love scenes sizzled because Paul Newman and Joanne Woodard were having a real-life romance, and their passion really shone through.<br /><br />CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF: 1958. Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. Another classic, again, set in the Deep South. Based on a play by Tennessee Williams. This manuscript has been performed countless times on the stage. Sex, lies, suicide, illness, and a failing marriage keep this movie moving. But Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor never clicked.<br /><br />PICNIC: Kim Novak and William Holden. 1955. Plot covers a 24-hour period, Labor Day picnic, Kansas. A richly detailed snapshot of life in the American Midwest during the 1950’s. ***** My all-time favorite summertime movie. I don’t know how many times I’ve watched it, and if it came on one of the classic channels, I’d watch it again. It’s filled with angst, heartbreak, and yearnings—culminated with an ending you might only suppose will be happy. These two major stars are superb.<br /><br /><br />SUMMERTIME RECIPES:<br />Check out these websites for summertime recipes. You can find dozens on Google. I thought you might enjoy these.<br /><a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/specialoccasions/ss/summertime.htm">http://southernfood.about.com/od/specialoccasions/ss/summertime.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=31935">http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=31935</a><br /><br /><a href="http://recipes.kaboose.com/seasonal/summer-recipes/summer-recipes.html">http://recipes.kaboose.com/seasonal/summer-recipes/summer-recipes.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://summerrecipes.net/">http://summerrecipes.net/</a><br /><br /><br />Celia Yeary<br /><a href="http://www.celiayeary.com/">http://www.celiayeary.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/">http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa" target="_blank">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa</a><br /><a href="http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/</a><br />ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Cactus Rose—<br />eBook and print available at: <a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/">http://www.thewildrosepress.com/</a><br />Print also available from Amazon or B&N </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-32568916229688845342009-06-19T12:40:00.000-07:002009-06-20T08:56:45.492-07:00Rhonda Parrish Blogs On Her Many "Hats"<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/SjvvCyVx-fI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BBNnfsfFJOM/s1600-h/Rhonda+Parrish.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349131813584501234" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/SjvvCyVx-fI/AAAAAAAAAZI/BBNnfsfFJOM/s320/Rhonda+Parrish.jpg" /></a> I don't like hats. I've never found one that looks good on me, never, and believe me, I've looked. So yeah, not a fan. That means when someone says to me 'You wear a lot of hats' part of me cringes. What they are saying is true, I am a very busy person who fills a lot of roles…I just don't like the hats thing.<br /><br />My daughter did a report earlier this fall that said I was a good example of someone who was balanced because I had a lot of 'life items'. I was flattered, and I hope she's right, but ya know, the term 'life items' isn't very pithy and just sort of reeks of high school health class to me. (Anyone remember CALM class? *grins and then gets back on topic*).<br /><br />So, hats and life items aside, the point I should be making here is one I already mentioned – I'm very busy and in many different roles. I'm a mother, wife, student, editor, writer, volunteer, writing group moderator, etc. etc. plus I have a part-time 'day job'. Each of those things comes with a subset of occupations too. Let's take being a writer for example. As a writer I need to find time to write (duh?), revise, revise some more, submit my work, promote published work and revise some more. Even those tasks have sub categories. For example promoting my work involves guest blogging, social networking (Twitter, Facebook, Blogs), emailing, soliciting reviews, doing interviews, etc. etc.<br /><br />I'm not alone.<br /><br />I know many people in this business who have even more 'hats' or 'life items' than I do.<br /><br />So how do you balance everything? Or, more to the point, how do I?<br /><br />Everyone seems to have a different system. Mine keeps evolving, which I think is good. Change is necessary to avoid stagnation and as my life situation changes necessity says so must my organizational system.<br /><br />For me the most important things are my calendar and my to-do list. The calendar makes sure I don't over-schedule myself and the to-do list helps keep me focused on the jobs at hand. That is vital because without the red items on my To-Do list staring up at me from my ipod I could easily become distracted and wander off to surf my friends-of-friends Facebook pictures.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/SjvvLp7OchI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/PKwpWu--hdM/s1600-h/SisterMargaret_200x300dpi72.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349131965944459794" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/SjvvLp7OchI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/PKwpWu--hdM/s320/SisterMargaret_200x300dpi72.jpg" /></a><br /><br />When I wrote Sister Margaret my system was a calendar and a very strict routine. Client work in the morning until 11, a work out before lunch, then writing for an hour followed by revising for an hour…you get the idea. Every minute was scripted from the time I took my daughter to school until I picked her up again afterward.<br /><br />Things change. I could no longer function under so strict a system, but it served its purpose once upon a time.<br /><br />What's your system?<br /><br />I'm always looking for ways to improve mine and I'm sure lots of other people are, after all, people are busier than ever these days and anything that helps us work smarter or save time has got to be counted as a good thing.<br /><br />Incidentally, if you happen to find yourself with fifteen empty minutes and you'd like to fill them, I can recommend a great little story. It's called Sister Margaret and it's about a vampire hunter and a half-incubus swordsman who are hired to take care of an undead pimp… ;)<br /><br />Sister Margaret<br />Published by Eternal Press<br />Available at Fictionwise<br /><a href="http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook86416.htm">http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook86416.htm</a><br />Rhonda Parrish<br /><a href="http://www.rhondaparrish.com/">http://www.rhondaparrish.com/</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-87056303924323377142009-06-08T08:46:00.000-07:002009-06-08T08:56:20.321-07:00Please Welcome Fellow Author KIMBERLY ALAN!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Si00edMb_HI/AAAAAAAAARk/7qkF7uCFsCM/s1600-h/kimberlyallen.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 100px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Si00edMb_HI/AAAAAAAAARk/7qkF7uCFsCM/s320/kimberlyallen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344986030596160626" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Si00V7u6FjI/AAAAAAAAARc/4FEUZkpSvcQ/s1600-h/TruthsUnveiled_w2399_680.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Si00V7u6FjI/AAAAAAAAARc/4FEUZkpSvcQ/s320/TruthsUnveiled_w2399_680.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344985884174980658" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJENAND%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal">Hello Everyone, </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">My name is Kimberly Peterson and I write inspirational romances as Kimberly Alan. Don’t be surprised if you don’t recognize my name. I’m a newbie, who’s been around forever. More about that a bit later. First and foremost I want to sincerely thank Jennie for giving me this first opportunity to introduce myself to you, her readers. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Why am I a newbie? Because my first inspirational romantic mystery, TRUTHS UNVEILED, was released on May 15, 2009 by White Rose Publishing. (Yeah!) Then why do I say I’ve been around forever? Because I started this story back in 1989!! In other words, I guess you can say I’m the poster person for the phrase: Never Give Up! </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Furthermore, ladies, time flies. Very fast. In the midst of raising a family, working as a divorce lawyer and a writer, and simply attending to life and all of its curve balls, the seconds, minutes, days, weeks and years speed by, often without us realizing it. I always thought I knew this and yet it never really hit home until about two years ago. I had entered TRUTHS UNVEILED in a writing contest and though I didn’t win, what stood out most was a comment by one of the judges. She circled a sentence in the entry where my heroine was driving a Chevy Blazer. She then very kindly reminded me that few if any Chevy Blazers are still on the road. And she was certain they were not being used as rental cars. Good grief. How right she was. Then I looked at my eight and nine year old daughters and realized that the story was nearly double their ages! That, as they say, was that. This book was getting finished. No matter what. Six month later, White Rose offered me a contract. So, if there is anything that you’ve ever wanted to do ladies, do it. It’s never too late. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Now, finally, I find myself at the next chapter of this writing journey: Promotion and Reviews. Yikes!<span style=""> </span>As my dear friend, Lori Avocato, reminded me, no matter how good a story might be, it won’t get read if readers didn’t know about it! Of course I knew that. It’s basic common sense. Plus I had attended my share of writing conferences over the years and eagerly assisted fellow writers in promoting their work. And yet, I can still recall the exact moment my overworked brain comprehended the reality of that fact. My jaw dropped. My eyes widened. And my palms started to sweat. Oh no! People are going to read this? I thought back to how I painstakingly selected and re-selected, edited and re-edited every word of this story for nearly two decades. To say that I was invested in the work is an understatement, to be sure. Over and over, my inner voice cried out in panic: What if they don’t like it?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Okay. I knew I needed to breathe and take a step back to look at the situation objectively.<span style=""> </span>So I did. Like many avid readers and writers, I discovered the joy of storytelling very early on. And writing felt very therapeutic as well. But back then, I wrote for myself only, in diaries that were hidden in various locations of my bedroom. It wasn’t until law school, and then as a clerk for the Connecticut Appellate Court, that I realized my writing might be appreciated by a larger audience. I thought back to my teenage memories and my high school crush. He was older than me and very tied to the small community I’d moved to in ninth grade. Then I recalled the tragic car accident that killed two students. The young driver was injured but survived. And then there were rumors of a marriage that was hastily arranged because of an unexpected pregnancy. From those memories I realized that we all have situations in our lives that play a large part in determining our futures. I also know that many times, situations are not as they first seem. With this in mind, and a lot of “what if” scenarios, TRUTHS UNVEILED, became a story I believe we can all relate to. Briefly, here it is:<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Heroine, Pam Harrington, is in her thirties now, and an emergency department physician in a large city. She met hero, Tom Jarrod, years earlier when she was a newcomer to a small, rural high school. A once in a lifetime romance started to blossom toward the end of her senior year but ended abruptly when Pam was severally injured in a car accident after learning that Tom’s former girlfriend was pregnant with his child. Fast forward to the present. Both Pam and Tom are single now and she receives a fantastic offer to return to that small town to work at a new, state of the art, medical center. Painful memories, guilt and unanswered questions about the accident still hover in Pam’s heart, causing her to decline the offer. Meanwhile, Tom, though struggling in his relationship with his ex-wife and children, is determined to make a fresh start with Pam, if she will let him. Then they realize that someone is even more determined to make Pam stay away. In fact, they will do everything necessary, including murder, to see that she does. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">To my great relief, I received a wonderful review of TRUTHS UNVIELED from You Gotta Read Reviews. To quote: “This book is a thrilling roller coaster from the first chapter…. Pam and Tom are fantastic characters and you are rooting for their relationship from the very beginning, yet there are many obstacles along the way… This is definitely a fabulous story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and finishes with an explosive unexpected ending.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Thank you Vivienne. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I hope you will all agree and enjoy reading about Pam and Tom’s adventure as they maneuver through the curveballs of life. And remember:<span style=""> </span>It’s never too late to be who we want to be, and do what we want to do. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Blessings to you all!!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">TRUTHS UNVEILED is available in print or as a download at <a href="http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/">www.Whiterosepublishing.com</a>, or through Amazon, Borders and Barnes and Noble.<span style="">
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<br /><span style=""></span></p>Kimberly Alan, also known as Kimberly Peterson, grew up in Bordentown and then <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Lambertville</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">New Jersey</st1:state></st1:place>. Like many avid readers and writers, she discovered their joys early on. After high school, she moved to <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:state> to attend college. To her surprise, law school followed. She and her family now live in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Connecticut</st1:place></st1:state> where she has been a divorce lawyer for several years. In addition to writing romance, she has published two legal textbooks published for paralegals and new lawyers. Currently, she is developing a blog about the ups, downs, ins and outs of relationships, gleaned from all her years as a divorce attorney, romance writer and from performing weddings as a Justice of the Peace. Readers can reach her at Kimberlyalan.author@gmail.comJenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-52456271600136401932009-05-31T19:39:00.000-07:002009-05-31T19:43:14.208-07:00Please Welcome the Authors From The First Turning Point!<p align="center"><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/"><img src="http://anncharles.com/1stturningpoint/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/1sttpbanner.gif" alt="1st Turning Point -- All About Promotion" border="0" /></a></p><br />I'm <a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com">Jacquie Rogers</a>, a Co-captain of <a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/" title="1st Turning Point">1st Turning Point</a>, and author of two books and a few short stories. I'd like to start off by thanking <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">Jenny Gilliam </span>for having me here today. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks, Jenny!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/" title="1st Turning Point">1st Turning Point</a> was born when three writing buddies decided to share what they'd learned about promotion as they sailed the treacherous waters to publication.<br /><br />I'll quote the explanation from the <a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?page_id=2">About Us</a> page:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Thanks for stopping by <a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/" title="1st Turning Point">1st Turning Point</a>, a fun place for writers to teach, share, and learn about that first turning point in your career—self-promotion and marketing. The story of your career opens with the decision to write a book, the inciting incident is learning the craft and writing that first piece. But what comes next is just as important if you plan to become a career novelist. It’s your first turning point.<br /><br />These days, we need to begin building an ‘author presence’ before signing that first contract if we want to sell enough books to win another contract. No longer can we wait to start selling ourselves until we have a book coming out. We have to start while we have the time to prepare physically and financially for the promotional marathon to come. 1st Turning Point is a home for all writers, but especially those who are unpublished, newly published, self-published, e-published, orphaned, small-press published, etc. Whether you write novels, short stories, lyrics, or poetry, we’re here for you. Come inside and take a look around, read some of the helpful articles, see what online and live classes/workshops are coming your way soon, check out the beneficial list of resources, and share some of your own experiences and wisdom with others.</blockquote></div><br /><br />We had some fabulous prizes during our debut month of May, and we'll continue our month-long tradition but offering more prizes in June. To enter to win June's Grand Prize, all you have to do is <a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?page_id=353">subscribe</a>.<br /><br />More importantly than prizes, we have an awesome Crew and a terrific lineup of articles. Some of May's articles include:<br /><ul><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=302">Let’s Talk About Platforms</a></b> by <a href="http://www.anncharles.com/">Ann Charles</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=458">Promote that Book!</a></b> by <a href="http://www.lilliancauldwell.com/">Lillian Cauldwell</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=694">Marketing: The Basic Concept (WIIFM)</a></b> by <a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com/">Jacquie Rogers</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=537">Be Shameless</a></b> by <a href="http://www.johnklawitter.com/" title="John Klawitter: Author, Director, Producer">John Klawitter</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=647">Foolproof Secret #33</a></b> by <a href="http://www.johnklawitter.com/" title="John Klawitter: Author, Director, Producer">John Klawitter</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=580">Francesca Prescott: How She Scored Two Magazine Interviews</a></b></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=453">Life. Change. Adventure</a></b> by <a href="http://www.leanneshawler.com/">Leanne Shawler</a></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=615">What Do You Mean I Need a Platform?</a></b> by Wendy Delaney</li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=691">Independent Reviewers Do It by the Book: Crystal Adkins</a></b></li><li><b><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/?p=523">Seize the Book by Amber: Hooked</a></b> by Amber Scott</li></ul><br />We're excited about June's articles, too. Here's what we slotted:<br /><ul><li>June 1: <a href="http://www.leanneshawler.com/">Leanne Shawler</a>--Why an Unpublished Author Should Go to Conferences</li><li>June 3: <a href="http://www.rowenacherry.com/">Rowena Cherry</a>--LinkedIn</li><li>June 5: <a href="http://www.anncharles.com/">Ann Charles</a>--Promotion for the Unpublished: Are You Really Ready to Begin?</li><li>June 8: <a href="http://www.robertwwalkerbooks.com/">Robert W. Walker</a>--Going for the Blogosphere!—Online Opp in Marketing and Promo</li><li>June 10: <b>Amber Scott</b> Reviews</li><li>June 12: <a href="http://www.eilisflynn.com/">Eilis Flynn</a>--TBA </li><li>June 15: Interview with Twitter King Solomon Sonaria </li><li>June 17: <a href="http://www.judithlaik.com/">Judith Laik</a>--Entering the World of Promotion, Part 1 </li><li>June 18: <a href="http://www.robertwwalkerbooks.com/">Judith Laik</a>--Entering the World of Promotion, Part 2 </li><li>June 19: <a href="http://www.lilliancauldwell.com/">Lillian Cauldwell</a>--Advertising Basics </li><li>June 22: <a href="http://www.gerrirussell.net/">Gerri Russell</a>--TBA</li><li>June 26: <a href="http://www.debschneider.com/">Deborah Schneider</a>--Librarian of the Year</li><li>June 29: <a href="http://www.shellistevens.com/">Shelli Stevens</a>--Share the Love</li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">We're considering a weekly contest for commenters, but you'll have to come to the site to see if that happens.<br /><br />I hope you'll join us. We've had great turnout and are growing faster than expected, so you won't want to miss anything!<br /></div><br /><a href="http://1stturningpoint.com/">1st Turning Point</a><br />Contact: <a href="mailto:crowsnest@1stturningpoint.com?subject=ABOUT:">1st Turning Point</a><br /><br />Speaking of contests, to enter to win a <a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com/muleblues.html">Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues</a> baseball cap, all you do is make a comment. Easy Peasy! Winner will be selected one week from today.<br /><br />Jacquie Rogers<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com/muleblues.html">Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues</a> (See the <a href="http://www.blazingtrailers.com/show.php?title=49">Book Video</a> featuring <a href="http://www.justinsaragueta.com/">Justin Saragueta</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com/">Jacquie Rogers</a> *** <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jacquierogers">Myspace</a> *** <a href="http://www.twitter.com/jacquierogers">Twitter</a> *** <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jacquie-Rogers/18676302690">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974624993/qid=1150506059/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/103-1365626-6847848?n=283155/">Faery Special Romances</a> * <a href="http://www.veoh.com/videos/v524952yQd4rgHH/">Book Video</a> * Royalties go to <a href="http://www.ctf.org/">Children's Tumor Foundation</a>, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jacquierogers.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m23/jadirogers/BlogGraphics/Banner_DHELMB_FSR_SGCJ_WMRI_100x400.jpg" alt="Read a book by Jacquie Rogers" border="0" /></a>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-39636801973645074022009-05-27T09:12:00.000-07:002009-05-27T09:19:42.680-07:00AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: E. JAMIE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Sh1oDIYaueI/AAAAAAAAAQY/fERFdEDFjsw/s1600-h/APshortsshifter-ofthegods.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Sh1oDIYaueI/AAAAAAAAAQY/fERFdEDFjsw/s320/APshortsshifter-ofthegods.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340539136130071010" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(205, 46, 132);font-family:verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Please welcome fellow RWR member E. Jamie for our very first Romance Writer's in the Rough Author Spotlight!<br /><br /></span><div> </div><span style="color: rgb(205, 46, 132);font-family:verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><div style="font-style: italic;">1.) Hi, Nancy. Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a little about you.</div> <div><br /><span> Thanks for having me today! I write erotic romance as E. Jamie (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ejamie.net/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_0">www.ejamie.net</span></a>) for <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_1">Amira Press</span> (<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amirapress.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_2">www.amirapress.com</span></a>) and I'm also a full time freelance writer, working from home which I love because I'm able to have time to work on my fiction as well as my freelance assignments! </span><br /></div> <div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2.) Where do you live? Do you like it?</span><br /><br /> I live in Toronto, Canada and I really do love it. I'm very much a city girl and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_3">Toronto</span> is sort of the Candian NYC. I'd love to have a summer cottage or little vacation house in the country to get away from it all every once in a while but I definitely need to live in the city. I need the noise and vibrancy of it.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">3.) What's currently on your iPod/mp3 player/cd player?</span><br /><br /> Right now I'm listening to the new version of <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_4">Hallelujah</span> by Alexandre Burke. I love that song in all its version but that one is my new favorite. It's just so big and powerful! I have a mix of songs as my tastes really run the gamut from Classical to Country. I can't write in silence so it's either the TV or music I'm listening to. Maybe this is a sign I'm getting older but lately I find it easier to write to classical or instrumental music. Anything without lyrics. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_5">Movie soundtracks</span> are fantastic to write to! Used to be lyrics didn't bother me but now they can sometimes distract me. (sighs) Yep, I'm getting on up there, I think.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">4.) Describe a typical (or </span><em style="font-style: italic;">non-</em><span style="font-style: italic;">typical) writing day?</span><br /><br />I had my first non-writing day in months this past Sunday as I had finished edits on my upcoming release <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_6">Till Death Do Us Part</span> so I decided that day that I was going to do nothing! Just fiddle around on line and do some reading. Then of course Monday came and I got sick. I am not a fan of irony. I used to have an outside day job so I had trained myself to write in the late afternoon/early evening. Now, I still find that easiest for me. I am sooo not a morning person so I spent the first half of the day doing e-mail stuff, catching up on blogs and promo stuff and then around 2 or so, I pull up the current WIP and get to it.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">5.) Do you go by goals? Weekly? Daily? Monthly?</span><br /><br /> With my latest WIP, <span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_7">We'll Meet Again</span> I worked for 5 pages a day and managed to finish it in about 3 months. I wasn't sure if that was fast or slow but with 350+ pages at the end of I was told that's pretty good. That's usually the page count I try and hit on a WIP, 5 pages a day, sometimes it works, sometimes I don't. Life happens. I don't really set goals beyond the day to day writing wise. I just take it one day at a time. But I'll do that with the works themselves. For example, my last release Redemption hit #3 on my publisher's bestseller list, so my goal with my current release Play ground Of The Gods is to have it hit number one. Next year a goal will be to have one of my books on bookstore shelves.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">6.) What's your favorite setting from one of your novels and why?</span><br /><br /> Oh that has to be Texas in my novella Redemption. One word: cowboys!<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">7.) What advice would you give any new writers just starting out?</span><br /><br /> There's the famous BIC (Butt In Chair) but I also say MYA (Move Your Ass) Get our there and submit! Keep submitting because there will always be a place for your work. Rejection is just a part of the game and I truly believe the only unsuccessful writers are the ones who quit and stopped submitting.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">8.) What are you working on at the moment?</span><br /><br /> Right now I am taking a break between WIP's as I've just finished a WW2 romance called We'll Meet Again. It involves an American nurse and an English soldier and I'm hoping to get that published by either Harlequin Spice or Harlequin Historicals. Keeping my fingers crossed.<br /></div> <div> </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">9.) Are you a panster? A planner? A planster? Which method works best for you? Why?</div> <div><br /> I'm very much a planner. (Plantser?)(laughs) I can't imagine not knowing exactly what was going to happen when I sit down to write. Though of course, surprises happen that take me in new direction but the basic storyline stays the same. Does that make me a plantser then?<br /><br /></div> <div><span style="font-style: italic;">10.) Any new releases coming up?</span><br /><br /> Well my current release with Amira Press is a sci-fi/futuristic paranormal called Playground Of The Gods and I have Till Death Do Us Part coming out tentatively <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor: pointer; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_8">on June 5th</span> with Amira in ebook and it will also come out soon after in print! It'll be my first print release and I am very excited about that! </div></span><div> </div><p><span style="color: rgb(96, 0, 191);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:garamond,new york,times,serif;">Visit E. Jamie's Websites at:</span></span></p><span> </span><br /><div><span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ejamie.net/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_9">http://ejamie.net</span></a></span></div><p><br /></p><div><a href="http://www.freelancewritingservices.net/"><span></span></a><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1243440676_10">http://freelancewritingservices.net</span></a></div></span>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-68115619045772197252009-04-17T09:19:00.000-07:002009-04-17T09:27:16.633-07:00Guest Blogger: Author Jannine Corti Petska<div>Story ideas: Where do they come from?<br /><br />My inspiration for my stories comes from many different sources. I'm a people watcher. The little nuances and mannerisms of the human being are fascinating. In any given situation, three people will react differently. Depending on the personality of my characters, molding them after a real person gives them life and makes them believable.<br /><br />Newspapers are a fountain of information. Whether a tidbit or a full-blown story, I'll clip it and store it away. How often have you seen tv dramas announce "ripped from the headlines?" Quite often, fact is more unbelievable than fiction. It can give your story an edge, lifting it above a traditional plot line.<br /><br />For me, many story ideas and character studies come from life's experiences. The plot for a book I co-wrote in the 80s was molded after an incident that happened to me when I was eighteen. Many writers draw from their past, present or what they see in their future. A fertile mind is a blessing. Coupled with the ability to observe the world around you, it's one of the best sources of inspiration for any work of fiction.<br /><br />While inspiration comes in many forms and from many places, there is one that I cherish the most: my husband. His encouragement has allowed me to create. He and my children have motivated me to do what is in my heart. From the first story I wrote over twenty years ago to my present release, they have believed in me. Through my struggle to become published, they never told me to quite. And the times I was discouraged, they were there to lift my spirits, enabling me to write.<br /><br />My present release, CARINA AND THE NOBLEMAN, is the first book of the Sisters of Destiny trilogy about three psychic sisters separated at birth. It takes place in Northern Italy in 1425. Book two, CHARLOTTE AND THE GYPSY, which I am presently writing, takes place in a Gypsy camp in Andalusia, Spain. Book three, CALLIE AND THE KNIGHT, takes place near London.<br /><br />CARINA is available in ebook and print. </div><div><br /><a href="http://www.eternalpress.ca/carinaandthenobleman.html"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325696383990203858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/SeispP1RhdI/AAAAAAAAAWE/miGNjRylHQ0/s200/carinaandthenobleman200x300dpi72.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Reviewers Pick!</strong></div><div> </div><div>Carina and the Nobleman by Jannine Corti Petska</div><div>Genre: Medieval Romance</div><div>Pages:227</div><div>Price: $6.95</div><div>Rating:<a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/PenMuse/?action=view&current=star4a.gif" target="_blank"></a><a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/PenMuse/?action=view&current=star4a.gif" target="_blank"></a><a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/PenMuse/?action=view&current=star4a.gif" target="_blank"></a><a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/PenMuse/?action=view&current=star4a.gif" target="_blank"></a><a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/pp60/PenMuse/?action=view&current=star4a.gif" target="_blank"></a> This story touched me. I absolutely loved it. I loved Carina's strength, endurance, and faith to continue with her mission to find her family. She was a very funny character as well as she dealt with her duties to Count Luciano about adding to her time that she would have to serve him. From start to finish it was a story that I did not want to end. Now I am wondering if there is more to come from this story. I would love to read more if there is! Those who love fairy tale romances must read Carina and the Nobleman!</div><div> </div><div>Blurb:</div><div>Forced to the streets after her mother dies, Carina Gallo is desperate to survive and find her long lost sisters. Consumed with locating his missing brother, Count Luciano has forsaken his needs. When he catches beautiful and vulnerable Carina stealing from him, he takes pity and cares for her until she's strong enough to work off her crime. Carina is forever grateful to Luciano, yet fears he will learn of her wicked secret and condemn her to burn. Will Luciano and Carina find a way to feed the mutual passions they share, or will heresy and obsession with lost family destroy them both?Excerpt:<br /><br />After Carina steals food from his tavern, Luciano rescues her from starvation and takes her to his home to get healthy and to work off her crime. This is the first meeting where he tries to learn who she is. His manservant has fallen ill, and his upstairs maid is also showing signs of becoming sick.<br /><br />“Did you come here to ply your trade?”<br />“And what trade might that be, my lord?”<br />He forced himself to remain rooted to the floor else he’d throttle the<br />outspoken wench. “Are you a strumpet?”<br />His directness caused her to blush. She wasn’t unshakable after all.<br />“I fear you have misjudged me, Count Ruggero.”<br />“Then from where did you come? And I’ll have a straightforward<br />answer.”<br />She dropped her hands to the folds of the silk gown. To hide her<br />nervousness over speaking of her past? Luciano wondered.<br />“I worked for the Baldovini,” she replied.<br />His eyes bore into her. Carina read his suspicion.<br />"If you do not believe me, send someone to the Baldovini to inquire<br />about me,” she openly challenged. “I spent the whole of my life on their<br />lands, working the fields these four years past.”<br />He set his goblet down gently and moved closer. “You were a<br />laborer?”<br />She nodded but couldn’t speak with the count standing but a long<br />stride away. His imposing presence commanded attention. Were she not<br />a pauper and he a count, she’d assuredly lure him into a kiss, as<br />improper as it might be. It wouldn’t be an unpleasant experience, she’d<br />wager. The only kiss she’d ever received from a man had been from the<br />lecherous, slobbering Signor Baldovini. He had cornered her and tried to<br />snatch more than just a kiss. Miseria! She still cringed from the horrible<br />memory.<br />“The Baldovini employ only men and boys to work their fields,” the<br />count pointed out.<br />“Signora Baldovini did not allow me to work in her private<br />residence.”<br />He stepped closer. So close, Carina smelled the clean scent from his<br />morning bath and the faint fragrance of wine on his breath. Her heart’s<br />pace quickened.<br />“Why would the signora forbid you from her home?”<br />“Truth be told, Signor Baldovini had an eye for me. The signora told<br />my mother I tempted her husband. Mamma knew better, for Signor<br />Baldovini has an eye for all women and has many bastard children.”<br />The count’s cheeks lined with shallow dimples when he suppressed a<br />smile at her directness. Carmine Baldovini’s illegitimate children were a<br />well-known fact, one his wife continually denied.<br />“Did you tempt him?”<br />Carina cocked her head and tightened her mouth.<br />“I will take your silence as an affirmation.”<br />“No!” she exploded, unduly put out by his judgment of her character.<br />“I did not tempt him, and I am not a strumpet. I am still a vir—” Her lips<br />slammed together.<br />Pleased to hear her virtue remained intact, Luciano took another step<br />forward. His pulse hastened and suddenly he desired to touch Carina’s<br />cheek, to know if it was as preciously smooth as it looked. “Why are you<br />no longer working for the Baldovini?”<br />He was not prepared for the sadness flooding her features. He<br />gentled his demeanor.<br />“My mother died four months past. Signora Baldovini demanded I<br />leave at once. I had no where to go but the streets.”<br />The directness of her gaze captured his. Not weak in courage by any<br />means, she hadn’t looked away when she replied. Gesu, how could he<br />allow her to pluck his heartstrings as she did? He felt her sorrow and<br />wished he could comfort her. Sorrow he knew all about. But where did<br />the need to hold her come from?<br />“And still a virgin. You are fortunate.”<br />“Mayhap.” She shifted her stance. “I am certain you did not bid me<br />here to discuss my virtue.”<br />His gut constricted again. “Maiden, you’d do well to mind your place<br />in my presence. And that includes your impulsive tongue.”<br />“Sì, my lord.” Contrite, but nonetheless acceptable.<br />“I shall leave you in Sandra’s care. Once you have attained a more<br />substantial…a healthier look about you,” he said carefully when her<br />head tilted, “you’ll tend to my chamber.” So much for keeping her at a<br />distance. “That means seeing to my laundry and cleaning my chamber<br />and reading room, the same in which you sleep. You will also mend my<br />garments. Marcello carries my meals up when I am in no mood to dine<br />downstairs. So too, he lays out the clothes I wish to wear and sees to my<br />grooming.”<br />“Your pardon, count. Am I to clean your chamber pot as well?”<br />His tone clipped, he replied, “I use the garderobe.”<br />“And your bath?”<br />She wouldn’t ask if she knew the road his mind drifted down. The<br />scrawny wench teased his lust into awakening yet again, and the day<br />was still new. “That, angel, I shall take care of myself, with help from my<br />manservant.”<br />Was that relief he saw flitter across her face?<br />“Then I agree to the duties you have stated.”<br />“Agree?” He couldn’t hide his disbelief. “Agree?” he repeated,<br />closing the gap between them. Looming above her, forcing her to tilt her<br />head to see his face, he wondered if she was a fool or just naïve. She<br />didn’t even attempt to move away. Any other woman would have<br />cowered back.<br />“Sì, agree.”<br />“There is naught for you to agree to. You are working off a debt. Your<br />service to me is your punishment for stealing.”<br />“It is, my lord.”<br />She relented. Luciano became suspicious.<br />“How long must I work to pay my debt, for I barely ate enough to<br />warrant a lengthy punishment. And I did lose it all, do you not recall?”<br />Her reasoning askew, he realized he could reprimand her until the<br />morrow and she’d not tone down her carelessly spoken words. Had she<br />lost sight of the fact she had committed a crime? It mattered not how<br />much she stole. Or that she’d lost it shortly after eating.<br />A firm knock interrupted their meeting. Agitated, Luciano barked,<br />“Enter.”<br />Sandra rushed in, her cheeks flushed, her face wrought with worry.<br />“Beg your pardon, Count Ruggero. Please forgive me for not<br />accompanying Signorina Gallo.”<br />He nodded, though he was concerned. Except for the warm color on<br />her cheeks, she appeared as if standing was a chore. Her rapid breathing<br />confused him, and he would have addressed her health if he knew she<br />was prone to illness. But Sandra and Marcello hadn’t been sick a day<br />since they came to work at the manor.<br />“Our meeting is over,” he said and slid his gaze to the wench. “Get to<br />the kitchen for food. The first order will be to fatten you up. For that I<br />shall add a new debt for you to work off.”<br />He glared at her to keep her from speaking another cursed retort.<br />“I do not run a room and board here.”<br />“Count Ruggero—”<br />“Not another word.”<br />“But I must—”<br />He clamped his hand over her mouth but her lips continued to move,<br />tickling his palm. “Be damned, woman. Must I tie a cloth around your<br />mouth to silence you?”<br />“If you must…” She swept past him, her head held erect, and glided<br />toward the open door. Her gracefulness contributed to the appearance of<br />her floating on air. No commoner had he ever seen walk as regally as she<br />did.<br />His fingers twitched, his entire body tensed. As he watched her walk<br />away, a strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. About to turn his<br />back to her, he paused when she called his name and faced him with a<br />tantalizing grin, which renewed the tingling in his groin.<br />“You cannot fatten me up, count. I am thin by nature.”<br />Blasted wench! He slammed the door then miserably adjusted the<br />swell in his hose.<br /><br />Please visit my website to read the first chapter of CARINA AND THE NOBLEMAN <a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://www.jcortipetska.com/">www.jcortipetska.com</a>.<br />ebook available at <a href="http://www.eternalpress.ca/carinaandthenobleman.html">http://www.eternalpress.ca/carinaandthenobleman.html</a></div><div>print available at Amazon.com<a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_2_6?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carina+and+the+nobleman&sprefix=Carina&sprefix=Carina&sprefix=Carina">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_2_6?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=carina+and+the+nobleman&sprefix=Carina&sprefix=Carina&sprefix=Carina</a><br />Book trailer at <a href="mhtml:%7BBF844CDB-F89E-44C7-83C2-212E352F219E%7Dmid://00000146/!x-usc:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rERylu_39XA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rERylu_39XA</a><br /><br />Thank you Jenny for having me as your guest blogger today. </div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-31477594134644810232009-04-17T02:00:00.000-07:002009-04-17T02:00:01.036-07:00Western Romance author-Celia Yeary<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fyMcVVETJUE/SeeVWCBr0QI/AAAAAAAAAH4/ZfaLuiomifU/s1600-h/AllMyHopesAndDreams_680%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325389290122498306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fyMcVVETJUE/SeeVWCBr0QI/AAAAAAAAAH4/ZfaLuiomifU/s320/AllMyHopesAndDreams_680%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"> ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW<br />I refer to a small book written in 1986—most of you out there were babies—by Robert Fulghum. His offering hit the big time, #1 Best Seller in that decade, and it is the simplest book you’ve ever seen. The full title is All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Hoping that Mr. Fulghman—in case he reads Jenny’s blog every day—will allow me to quote him, here is his list of important things to learn.<br />1. Share everything<br />2. Play fair<br />3. Don’t hit people<br />4. Put things back where you found them<br />5. Clean up your own mess<br />6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours<br />7. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody<br />8. Wash your hands before you eat<br />9. Flush<br />10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you<br />11. Live a balanced life—learn, think, draw, paint, sing, dance, play, and work<br />12. Take a nap every afternoon<br />13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, stick together<br />14. Wonder<br />15. Everything dies. So do we.<br />16. Remember the biggest word from the Dick-and-Jane books-LOOK<br /><br />Of all these suggestions, which one hits closest to home?<br /><br />Me? I can get through #6-easy-peasy. But there’s #7. This is a stickler. I don’t go around hurting people intentionally, and I do believe I’m kind enough that I rarely do. But if I inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings, would I know it? And what would I do about it? On to #8-#16. Those aren’t too difficult. Especially “take a nap every afternoon.” That one’s a snap.<br /><br />Back to #7.<br />As I pondered this, I concluded that we always hurt the one we love, the one who is closest to our heart—our spouse or SO, our best friend, someone who thought she was your friend but you didn’t treat her that way, your child, your sister, your next door neighbor.<br />Why do I mention this? Romance stories. Now, you knew I’d get around to romance novels, eventually, didn’t you? Isn’t this our common tie on this blog? What is the formula for a good love story? The H/H meet; they fall in love; they hurt one another in some way (you cannot guarantee smooth sailing in a romance), the H/H reconcile and apologize. And they lived HEA.Ta-da!<br /><br />My computer is jam-packed with manuscripts. Fortunately, three have found success. As I sit here and think of all this writing I’ve done, in every case and every plot, someone gets hurt. My job as the author is to reconcile the pair. Now. The next time you’re stuck with writer’s block, remember #7. While you’re at it, remember #10, 11, 12, and 14. Those should help you along your journey. You are, after all, a writer.<br />***********<br />All My Hopes and Dreams-a Western Historical Romance set in 1880 Texas. By Celia Yeary<br />Excerpt: hurt feelings<br /><br /><em>“Consuelo, where is my Mrs. Romero? I told her to clean up, but I can’t find her.”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>“Why, she is over to her little house, sir. You know, where her belongings are. She said she would go draw water from the well and bathe. Her clothes are there.”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>The situation finally dawned on him. “Damn!” he said, and stalked out the door and across the open expanse to the third little house from the end.<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>When he walked in, she was nowhere to be found. He looked in the lean-to on the back. The round galvanized tub there had about two inches of water in it. He saw her approaching the back door, carrying a bucket of well water with both hands. She was struggling.<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>“Hell, Cynthia. What do you think you’re doing?”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>She stared at him for only a moment; then she tossed the bucket as far as she could, which was only a very short distance, and water splashed out and onto her boots. She glared at him. Her blood obviously boiling as she yelled. “What do you think? I’m drawing water for my bath. And it’s…da…darn hard! And look at what you made me do. You made me drop my bucket. You…you sorry excuse for a husband.”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>Before his very eyes, she dropped to the ground and bent double with her head in the dirt. She began to sob uncontrollably and pounded the ground with one fist. “I hate you!”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>“Whoa, whoa,” he said very gently, as he hunkered down in front of her. He reached for her and pulled her up as he stood. “Up you go, now.” His arms encircled her and he pushed her head to his shoulder. “Shhh, now sweetheart. I’m sorry, so sorry. Shhh, don’t cry now. I’ll make it all better. Now come with me.”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>She looked so tired, so spent. How could he have allowed so much to go wrong in such a little time? She was right. He wasn’t doing his part.<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>“I’m sorry, too, Ricardo,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know where I belong anymore.”<br /></em></div><div align="justify"><em>“I’ll show you. First, you’re coming home, to the house, your real home. Not this little cabin. You won’t live here anymore. Come on now.”</em></div><div align="justify">************************************************************************************ </div><div align="justify"><strong><em>Thank you, friends, for stopping by Jenny's blog today. Please leave a reply.</em></strong></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Celia Yeary<br /><a href="http://www.celiayeary.com/" target="_blank">www.celiayeary.com</a><br /> <a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/" target="_blank">www.thewildrosepress.com</a><br /> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa" target="_blank">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa</a><br /> <a href="http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com</a><br /> ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Texas Historical<br /> Available in eBook: The Wild Rose Press<br /> Available in print: Amazon.com, B&N <br /> <br /> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-44749201202921984952009-04-09T18:02:00.000-07:002009-04-09T18:19:57.506-07:00Holy whopping reviews, Batman! Manic Readers Reviews Gave UNDER MY SKIN 4.5 out 5 STARS!!!!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Sd6eWkIHpiI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/eY7Nxo8OF8Y/s1600-h/UMS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322865920090547746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/Sd6eWkIHpiI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/eY7Nxo8OF8Y/s320/UMS.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>"Rachel owns a hip coffee shop in Seattle called Crowe’s Nest. She lives in an apartment a few blocks away where the walls are paper-thin. One fateful night her nice average life takes a strange turn when she hears her next door neighbor murdered. Into her life walks Detective Alex Williams, only this isn’t the first time she has met this hunk. Only yesterday, she threw him out of her coffee shop for being rude, obnoxious, and just socially unacceptable. Thus begins their adventure of solving who murdered her neighbor. I have found a new favorite author! In Under My Skin, Jenny Gilliam has delivered a fantastic book filled with murder, mystery, romance and a few laughs thrown in for good measure. Once Rachel gets over being annoyed at Alex, she discovers that there is more to him than just being a cop with a hot bod. Alex has been patronizing Rachel’s coffee shop for months. He’s had his eye on her, but never drummed up the courage to ask her out. Circumstances throw them together and one thing leads to another. Will Alex be able to protect Rachel when they realize that she is the murder’s next target? Who is the murder? Will they catch him in time? Will Rachel and Alex overcome the obstacles from their pasts so they can express the love they feel for each other? You have to read the book to find out the answers and trust me; it is definitely worth your time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. There was no way I was going to put it down! I was captivated from the first page until the last. Rachel’s character is witty and a bit sarcastic, but because of circumstances from her past she is also skittish and timid when it comes to relationships with men. Alex’s character is serious and broody, he’s lost the passion in his life and the empathy he needs for his job. He’s the perfect counter balance to Rachel. Together they will find the balance they need in their lives. If you are looking to settle in with a good book full of mystery, suspense, romance, and some hot, steamy sex then you can’t go wrong with Under My Skin!" - MANIC REVIEWS</div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-54758027209499145982009-03-20T08:52:00.000-07:002009-03-20T08:59:09.064-07:00Guest author, Sasha Bailey<a href="http://www.eternalpress.ca/torts.htm"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315298652133497794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ID9BlfmPLU0/ScO79mOHm8I/AAAAAAAAAV8/o1qLzY0M4GY/s200/Torts200x300dpi72.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#3333ff;">Brooke Molineux's deepest desires remained secret. Her colleagues respected her, her students feared her, and her husband treated her gently. But one night, when she was alone in her office, one of her students decided to risk his career to give some of her treatment back to her. Brooke seized the opportunity to admit how much pleasure she took in the pain he administered. His punishments opened her ability to love him and fulfilled her deepest needs, until she went too far, and he punished too hard—and opened up another level of her desire and fantasy.</span><br /><br />That's the blurb for Torts, and it took me two weeks to write it. Whenever I read it, I hope it's short enough. My first book, Torts, is short. My attention span is short. I have trouble writing the parts of books I don't read. So I look for a few words that characterize a setting or a person. When I read my drafts, my mind wanders. I rewrite any passage that loses my attention. If it continues to lose my attention because I skim in order to get to the action, I know the plot is strong and I cross out that passage.<br /><br />What about you? When are you reading so intently that you don't even know you are reading intently? When do you skim in order to find out what happens faster? When do you tune out? If you are a reader and not yet a writer, the answers to these questions might tell you what you write well and who will like your books.<br /><br />You have heard this: write what you know. Yes and no. Maybe you have some werewolves or danger in another dimension. But the desires that drive your characters are akin to deep human ones and trigger ours. You have heard this: write what you like to read. Yes and no. I like to read cookbooks and the sports section. Both, however, are vivid and easy to read and tell stories. That is also true of Torts.<br /><br />I have learned this: write what you can read. You will read your work a thousand times. You will read it when you admire it. You will read it when it embarrasses you. You will read it and feel like singing with joy. You will read it and think it is contrived. But if you read it and your mind wanders, cross it out. If you read it and it leaves you wanting more detail or another scene, fill it in. Make it into what you can read. Make it what you can read easily because your nervous system absorbs and moves with the rhythm of your writing. Make it a book that reads itself to you while you receive it. Make it effortless for you to read.<br /><br />This is your style. No one else has it. But your readers are waiting for it. They are waiting for your book to flow into them the way it flowed into you when it was effortless for you to read. To those readers who are not yet writers: sit down at your typewriters and pour.<br /><br />*****<br />Sasha Bailey is a crotchety old bag whose favorite book is the Iliad. Her Zen moments of complete peace take place while she does the crossword puzzle in the New York Times.<br />When she has no work and no ideas, or too much work and no ideas, she hikes or goes to the movies.<br /> </div><div>Torts by Sasha Bailey<br /><a href="http://www.eternalpress.ca/torts.htm">http://www.eternalpress.ca/torts.htm</a><br />Erotic / BDSM without graphic sex scenes, 15,758 words<br />$3.95 US .pdf<br />ebook: 978-1-926647-52-4<br />print: 978-1-926647-60-9<br /><br /><br />Summary:<br /><br />Brooke Molineux's deepest desires remained a secret. Her colleagues respected her, her students feared her, and her husband treated her gently. But one night, when she was alone in her office, one of her students decided to risk his career to give some of her treatment back to her. Brooke seized the opportunity to admit how much pleasure she took in the pain he administered. His punishments opened her ability to love him and fulfilled her deepest needs, until she went too far, and he punished too hard? and opened up another level of her desire and fantasy.<br /> </div><div> </div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-74579539104435453032009-03-14T09:51:00.000-07:002009-03-14T09:54:29.699-07:00Please Welcome Guest Blogger and Fellow Author, LAINEY BAINCROFT!!!!Hey, All! Thanks to Jenny for hosting me on her terrific blog. She and I share two of the same publishers (Amira Press and The Wild Rose Press) so I think it’s pretty cool we can share some promo ops as well. Promoting is tough, and I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get sick of regurgitating the same blurbs and excerpts every time I hit the web. For the record, I grow weary of reading them, too. Often I visit blogs and forums not only to learn of new releases but also to learn a little about the author behind the book and their process. So that’s what I plan to blah…’er, blog about today.<br /><br />My name is Lainey Bancroft and I have a fiction addiction.<br /><br />Oops, sorry. Wrong meeting.<br /><br />I <em>am</em> Lainey Bancroft, and after a dozen book sales of various lengths over the last two years, I think I am finally branding myself as the author of humorous contemporary romance, but I am forever on the lookout to further entrench that brand.<br /><br />In my research travels (which is a fancy description for surfing the web as a form of procrastination) I tripped across the survey site Measure Up Place <a href="http://www.measureupplace.com/">http://www.measureupplace.com/</a> where I found some interesting stats. The one that caught my eye today is WHAT WOMEN WANT IN A MAN.<br /><br />No, I’m not man shopping. I’ve been with the same man two decades now, and it took me so long to housebreak him I’m not sure I’d have the patience or energy to train a new one. But, hey, as a romance author—particularly one who pens contemporary romance—I figure it’s pretty important to understand just what contemporary women are looking for in a mate.<br /><br />According to the survey, these are the top five traits:<br />1. Good Judgments.<br />2. Intelligence.<br />3. Faithful.<br />4. Affectionate.<br />5. Financially Responsible.<br /><br />Hmm. Great list. If you happened to be in the market for a mate and found a guy with all those qualities, you’d slap the Husband Material label on his butt in no time flat.<br />So this is the perfect contemporary romance hero, right?<br /><br />Wrong! Take away # 5 and you’ve got the description for a freaking golden retriever! Don’t get me wrong. Who doesn’t love a golden retriever? Hell, I even sleep with mine. (In a completely normal, he keeps my feet warm kind of way, of course.)<br /><br />But write a romance with a Golden Man-triever as the hero? Snore. Ho-hum. I don’t think so.<br />For one thing, if you’ve got a smart, sensible, loyal, gentle, dude who pays all his bills on time, where do you go for conflict?<br /><br />For another, I’m not at all convinced romance readers want to read about the sort of guy they want to marry. Over the years, I have fallen hard for some badass boys who did devious and deceitful things between the covers—of a book. If my man were ever as manipulative and Machiavellian as some of these fictional heroes, he’d be best to hide the sharp objects and Crazy Glue. (Hey, he knows what I mean and that’s what matters <wink>)<br /><br />The trick for an author is to create a hero who is flawed enough to make a reader’s heart flutter, but also redeemable enough that he deserves to win the girl in the end.<br /><br />When you part the pages of a new story, are you looking for a lifetime of love, or to enjoy a three hundred-page affair with a man you probably wouldn’t go near in real life?<br /><br />For me, it depends on my mood. And for the record, if I’d answered the survey, I wouldn’t have gone along with #5. Financially responsible is all good but a little boring. Ultimately, my fantasy man is so filthy-freaking-rich he doesn’t have to be responsible. Just like the hero in my new release from Absolute XPress!<br /><br />Cole has pots of money. But not for any of the reasons my heroine Maggie suspects!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.absolute-x-press.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=50&osCsid=9504e7fb05b8af6d9d6d5b772d46aa8a">http://www.absolute-x-press.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=50&osCsid=9504e7fb05b8af6d9d6d5b772d46aa8a</a>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-59226068746507916632009-03-11T23:57:00.000-07:002009-03-11T23:58:26.799-07:00Jenny Gilliam Becomes Piper FoxxI’m currently in the process of reinventing myself. All four of the novels I released last year were written under my maiden name, Jenny Gilliam. My father, who passed when I was sixteen, was a writer, so I wanted it to be a tribute of sorts to him. But my reasons for using my real name weren’t entirely altruistic.<br /><br />When I was in high school, I wasn’t what you might call a “model student.” I grew up in the heyday of the grunge era. Let’s say I was a little (okay, a lot) weird to begin with. Then, suddenly it was “cool” to be different, strange. I shopped only at thrift stores, wore funky clothes, went to raves, skipped classes, and indulged in an embarrassing amount of drugs.<br /><br />Suffice it to say, my grades suffered. J<br /><br />I always imagined that, had I purchased one, inside my senior yearbook, next to my picture would read: “Most likely to end up in rehab.” And while that happened, so did something extraordinary.<br /><br />I changed my life.<br /><br />After I graduated (which I didn’t technically do, but I walked with the class anyway), I kicked the drug habit, got a full-time job, and met my husband (not necessarily in that order). I realized that I wanted to live a healthy life. I wanted to keep seeing my husband, but he’s not a big believer in self-medicating (Hmm. Weird.)<br /><br />It was an extremely rough year, but I managed to keep my man and my job—in fact, I still work there after twelve years—and realized that life was much better lived without the pot, the meth, the ecstasy.<br /><br />Hold on, there is a method to my madness; I’m just one of those gals who takes the long way ‘round. So, three years ago, when I decided to pursue publication, I thought, I’ll write under my maiden name. Not just for Daddy, but for me. To show all those people from high school that I made it. That I didn’t turn out to be a loser.<br /><br />Yet, when my first novel was published in March of 2008, I felt no vindication, no “Ha! Take that!” moment. Then I began to wonder about my future. I’m certain I’ll make a name for myself in romance publishing. Jenny Gilliam already has. But what if I want privacy? Because I’m an intensely private person.<br /><br />And thus, Piper Foxx was born. How did I come up with the name? Nothing terribly fascinating, I’m afraid. I simply wrote down some of my favorite given and surnames, then matched them up until I came up with Piper Foxx. So everything I write from now on will be under that name. It’s a scary leap, but I’m early enough in my career that I don’t think it will create that much of an impact.<br /><br />Let’s hope so anyway.Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-83084716765055759712009-03-07T17:33:00.000-08:002009-03-07T17:38:00.787-08:00WHAT'S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE? PLEASE WELCOME GUEST BLOGGER, CINDY K. GREEN!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SbMhTUP6DlI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qoj1z_8trTg/s1600-h/heartnever%2Blies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310625001336606290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SbMhTUP6DlI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qoj1z_8trTg/s320/heartnever%2Blies.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">Inspiration & Guilty Pleasures<br /><br />Guilty Pleasures—what a great title for a romance novel. Doesn’t it just evoke all kinds of images in your head? Well, come on, we all have them. What’s yours? Is it chocolate? Okay, if you are female and breathing that one is a given. Shoes or shopping in general?? What is it?<br /><br />My guilty pleasure is watching period drama films. I love them! In fact, my sister comes over every Tuesday for a weekly dose of handsome, dashing men in cravats. I often wonder why I love the Period Drama so much. I’m sure it stems from my love for classic literature, history and romance. And darn it those lovely British men in cravats are just too beguiling. I did mention the cravats, didn’t I??<br /><br />It seems that the Period Drama started a trend of reading classic literature again. When all the Jane Austen films erupted in the 1990’s, her books grew in popularity once more. And even now we have North and South (2004) by Elizabeth Gaskell. The miniseries starred Richard Armitage and was highly successful. How many of us who viewed the show had to read that novel after seeing the series, I wonder? We just had to know if John Thornton was as irresistible in real life as he was portrayed by RA.<br /><br />I truly believe that this surge in the period drama has not only increased the reading of classic literature but of the historical romance novel as well. I know that after watching Rupert Penry-Jones play my favorite Captain Wentworth in Persuasion or James McAvoy as Tom Lefroy in Becoming Jane that I am primed and ready to begin writing my historical stories or novels.<br /><br />How great it is to gain inspiration in your writing from a Guilty Pleasure?? We want to indulge in those pleasures anyway. Why not make it a practical part of your writing process. For me the Period Drama has jump-started my inspiration, fueled my creativity and assisted me in finishing a historical piece. In fact, just this year I had two historicals release. A historical western—The Heart Never Lies. And a post-Civil War historical—Dilemma of the Heart. Guilty Pleasures and Inspiration. Yeah, I like the sound of that. How about you? What are your guilty pleasures??<br /><br />**********<br />Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Previously a middle school English & History teacher, she now homeschools her own children and writes in several genres: Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Fantasy and Historical romance. But whatever she writes she always throws in a bit of humor and fun. Find out more about Cindy and her books at www.cindykgreen.com and http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/. To join her newsletter email her at newsletters@cindykgreen.com, and she will send you out all three parts of her FREE READ serial, “Valentine’s Challenge.” </div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-45764969471981702722009-01-29T18:17:00.000-08:002009-01-29T18:25:09.588-08:00Welcome Denyse Bridger!!!!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SYJk3Kb8oXI/AAAAAAAAAP0/nD6X7NkaZXo/s1600-h/bridgerad-half.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 142px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SYJk3Kb8oXI/AAAAAAAAAP0/nD6X7NkaZXo/s320/bridgerad-half.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296907010598281586" /></a><br />Reader vs. Writer<br /><br />Hello everyone, and many thanks to Jenny for having me as her guest today. I was really stumped for a topic when a discussion on my newsgroup provided some inspiration. (Ok, so I asked and they pointed me to the discussion… J) <br /><br />A fellow author had asked for a critique of something she was writing, and she got back two very different responses from the two readers to whom she had sent the work. This obviously led to some mixed responses and some questions, namely when do you listen to the reader, who is after all the audience you are working for, and when do you trust your instinct as the creator of the work, when the two come into conflict? Do you, as readers, ever stay with a book if you feel it’s flawed or not written in a way that you generally find enjoyable, or are you willing to stay with it to the end to see if there’s a change in the author’s style or your response to it?<br /><br />What makes a book good, in your opinion? Story, of course, but are there certain styles that you enjoy more than others? I’d like to know what appeals to the audience as a whole, so please tell me if you were to have the chance to shape the book, what would you recommend?<br /><br />All creative or artistic work is subjective, and no two people will ever really see it the same way, despite reading the same words. So, as an author, I tend to write what I enjoy. If it “feels” right, then I trust that it is right. However, I now wear another job title, that of Acquisitions Manager for a new publishing imprint, so I also need to know how to pick the books that will appeal most to readers. Now’s your chance to tell me what you really do prefer, and help me do my job better in that regard. What do you think??? You willing to step up and tell me your thoughts? We’ll have a random drawing of names from the comments, and reward your efforts with a surprise gift!<br /><br />Shameless promo time now, you’ve been warned! J<br /><br />Absolute XPress is the company I work with/for now. We are running some very cool promotions to launch our press and get to know you all better. If you register at our website, you will automatically receive a 5% off discount coupon for an purchase you make. We have a FREE newsletter you can sign up for, so you are in the know about all titles we offer and what our authors are getting up to! Also, the company blog is up and running, as well as our CONTEST blog – we’ll be running a new one every month, and often with a theme. The current contest is “New Year, New Publisher” and runs through January 31st, so drop over and enter to win this month’s prize!!<br /><br />Also, don’t miss my fabulous feature in the debut issue of Sable Grey Magazine, coming February 3rd. The magazine will be offered as a free PDF download, and it will feature an interview, a short story, (see the banner), and lots of other great stuff! Well worth checking out, Sable’s site is amazing.<br /><br />Looking forward to hearing from you!! Thanks again, Jenny, for the opportunity to chat with your readers and fans. I’ll pop back throughout the day.<br /><br />Denysé<br /><br />Denysé Bridger<br />Website: http://www.denysebridger.com<br />Blog: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com<br />Amore Senza Confini: http://amoresenzaconfini.blogspot.com<br /><br />Acquisitions Manager/Editor-in-Chief<br />Absolute XPress, Romance Division<br />E-mail: romance@absolute-x-press.com<br />Website: http://absolute-x-press.com<br />Blog: http://absolute-x-press.blogspot.com<br />Contest Blog: http://axpcontest.blogspot.comJenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-40543100164889152692009-01-22T09:19:00.000-08:002009-01-22T09:30:02.949-08:00Please welcome author Lisa Pietsch!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SXisMj3ZV1I/AAAAAAAAAPk/GdoMD5ebm1U/s1600-h/cover.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SXisMj3ZV1I/AAAAAAAAAPk/GdoMD5ebm1U/s320/cover.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294170693760014162" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CJENAND%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Bookman Old Style"; 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mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >“There was no time for flight.<span style=""> </span>The only option was to fight.<span style=""> </span>Something ugly was about to go down.<span style=""> </span>Sarah braced herself for a fight.<span style=""> </span>Adrenaline kicked in hard and time was marked by the heartbeats that reverberated inside her ears.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Sarah scanned the area quickly for anything she could use as a weapon.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Nothing.<span style=""> </span>Not even a rock!<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Sarah eyed the biggest guy there.<span style=""> </span>“You might take me down, but I guarantee I’ll take at least two of you down with me.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >It all happened in the blink of an eye, but it seemed like slow motion for Sarah.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >She was surrounded.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Someone grabbed her around the waist from behind.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >She jammed her heel as hard as she could into the arch of his foot.<span style=""> </span>Her attacker screamed and let go.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Another man lunged at her from the side and grabbed her arm.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >She reacted automatically and threw him to the ground.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >He landed flat on his back and groaned as the breath was knocked out of him.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Another one jumped behind her and grabbed her around the waist while the fourth came at her from the front.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >The flash of a blade registered in Sarah’s mind.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Knife.<span style=""> </span>Kill or be killed.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Muscle memory and instinct took over and Sarah high-kicked the one with the blade, catching the knife as it was thrown from his hand.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >The man behind her let go.<span style=""> </span>Sarah took advantage of the moment and turned on him with the knife in hand, ready to pounce.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >He threw up his arms and shrieked like a little girl.<span style=""> </span>“This isn’t worth a hundred bucks!”<span style=""> </span>He ran into the alley and disappeared, leaving the car behind with the engine still running.”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >My name is Lisa Pietsch and I’m a writer.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >I haven’t found a ten step program for getting that monkey off my back so I’m hoping people will just keep reading my books.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >I write what I like.<span style=""> </span>I like action, adventure, travel to exotic locations and romance.<span style=""> </span>I like strong, take-charge women who know what they want and go get it with no apologies.<span style=""> </span>I like guys who are strong, competent and make things happen.<span style=""> </span>I like cute guys who don’t always know they’re cute but always make me laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >As proof of that, I’ve written The Path to Freedom.<span style=""> </span>The first in a series of books I plan to write centered around Task Force 125, a special task force created for clandestine counter-terrorism operations.<span style=""> </span>This task force is made up of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, FBI and CIA personnel so there are a great deal of interesting specialists from diverse backgrounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >In The Path to Freedom, Sarah Stevens is a washed-up military cop whose life is a shambles until she is offered a position on an inter-agency anti-terrorism task force by the CIA. The thirty-year-old, overweight, down-on-her-luck Stevens goes to a secret training camp where she is transformed into a sexy and deadly agent whose mission is to find and stop, by any means possible, the financiers of terrorism against the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> and its allies. Although she goes into it thinking that it is just a job, Sarah soon discovers that this is a new life loaded with adventure, including the handsome Vince Hennessee, her team leader, and unimaginable danger in the form of Hassan, the man she has to destroy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><a name="_Toc111283536"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >“Sarah turned to smile at the men, knowing full well her mission wasn’t to win a popularity contest with the hens.<span style=""> </span>Charming these guys would inevitably add to her value as a showpiece.<span style=""> </span>As she turned back to Tony, the tall man turned around and, to her amazement, he was</span></i></a><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > <a name="_Toc111283537">magnificent!<span style=""> </span>She smiled broadly.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></a></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Oh, baby!<span style=""> </span>Those photos didn’t do you justice.<span style=""> </span>This job is going to be significantly less unpleasant than I expected.<span style=""> </span>We’re going to hit the sheets and you’re going to spill some secrets, honey!<span style=""> </span></span></i></span><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><a name="_Toc111283538"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >“Tony.<span style=""> </span>It is so good to see you.<span style=""> </span>Salaam Alaikum,” he said loudly as he walked toward Sarah, eyes locked onto hers.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Oh, you have got to be one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen!<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >He stood at least six-foot-three, had a well groomed, short haircut that could have passed for a military cut but looked stunning on him.<span style=""> </span>His chiseled facial features were the kind that would make a <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> modeling agent cry.<span style=""> </span>He had high cheekbones and a strong rocklike jaw.<span style=""> </span>The man could have been sculpture come to life.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >His eyes were a dark brown and so alert and focused they brought to mind those of a</span></i></span><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" > <a name="_Toc111283539">predatory bird.<span style=""> </span>His jet-black hair, eyebrows and trimmed three-day beard and moustache only accentuated the power of his gaze.<span style=""> </span>The only thing that served to soften his face was the sensuous curve of his lips.<span style=""> </span>But once he smiled, his perfect teeth proved danger lay there as well.<o:p></o:p></a></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >Sarah couldn’t help but be entranced with his beauty.<span style=""> </span>Were it not for the touch of gray at each temple, he would be a dead ringer for a Chippendale’s dancer.<span style=""> </span>His shoulders were broad and the chest under his black silk shirt and jacket, though not overly thick, was clearly well muscled.<span style=""> </span>His suit jacket was unbuttoned, showing off his trim waistline.<span style=""> </span>His smile captivated her like watching a cobra as it prepared to strike.<span style=""> </span>So beautiful Sarah simply couldn’t take her eyes away from him.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >If Satan were to take a human form to sell condos in Hell, this one would do the job nicely.</span></i></span><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" >”<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><i style=""><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in; text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 150%;"><span style=";font-family:";" >The Path to Freedom is available in ebook format through Sapphire Blue Publishing (<a href="http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com/">http://www.sapphirebluepublishing.com</a>).<span style=""> </span>For more information about Lisa Pietsch’s books, visit <a href="http://www.lisapietsch.com/">www.LisaPietsch.com</a>.<span style=""> </span>To get to know more about Lisa Pietsch, visit her MySpace page at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lisampietsch">http://www.myspace.com/lisampietsch</a>.<span style=""> </span><i style=""><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-40319383761165664972008-12-14T18:27:00.000-08:002008-12-14T18:32:58.982-08:00J.K. COI - LIVING WITH IMMORTALS<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SUXBz1fGJ7I/AAAAAAAAAPM/fh2A2TCfPnY/s1600-h/IK%2BCover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279839234436769714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SUXBz1fGJ7I/AAAAAAAAAPM/fh2A2TCfPnY/s320/IK%2BCover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>J.K. COI—LIVING WITH IMMORTALS<br /><br />Yep, I live with Immortals. Huge, stubborn warriors who barely know the meaning of compromise and never give up until they get exactly what they want. Difficult to reason with and impossible to out-muscle...but at least they don’t scare my neighbours and eat me out of house and home. They don’t leave the toilet seat up or throw their torn, bloodstained laundry on the floor. I don’t have to wrestle any one of them for the television remote, and they don’t destroy my living room with their swords when they’re training.<br /><br />They just do all of that in my head.<br /><br />Yes, I’m probably a little bit crazy (really, what writer isn’t?) but I’ve read the self-help books, taken the 12-step program, and I’m finally willing to admit it to the world: My characters are real to me.<br /><br />Then again, that’s not so strange. I hope that they will become real to you as well after you read my books. Because, you see, that is the goal of every writer. To create such compelling heroes and heroines, to paint such vivid pictures with words, that the story runs through your head like a blockbuster movie and stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. You should breathe in the scents and textures of that world, cry when the characters hurt, frown and throw things when they are insufferable, and laugh at their lame jokes just as you would for your sweet husband (*kidding, he’s hilarious*).<br /><br />This is why I am proud to say that I live with Immortals. Like all of us real people do, these strong, alpha warriors have a past, and they have baggage that affects how they deal with others. They have experienced frustration, desire, happiness. My characters have suffered with me, grown and matured with me as we have hashed out their stories together. And I am happy, in turn, to be able to share that with all of you.<br /><br />So I invite you into my world. Come and meet my immortals...<br /><br />Immortal Kiss (Book 2, Immortal Series)<br /><br />Evil lurks in the darkest of shadows, but a band of warriors stands ready to defend humanity against hell’s own monsters—Immortal men hand-picked by destiny and taken out of time hold the fate of the world in their hands.<br /><br />It has been two years since Baron’s initiation into the world of the Immortals, and during that time, he’s been training with them, setting aside his past to embrace the challenges of his new future…a future without Maxine Deveraux.<br /><br />Maxine is strong, determined, and loyal to a fault. The last person she wants to have to face is Baron Silver, the man who broke her heart, leaving her without an explanation or even a goodbye. But Maxine gave her word to Baron’s brother Jackson that she’d track him down and bring him home…and Max always keeps her promises.<br /><br />When Baron encounters a vicious vampire who vows to destroy everything he loves, it doesn’t faze him in the least. He gave up everything he loved along with his humanity. But then the demon attacks Maxine leaving her broken and battered on Baron’s doorstep and he realizes there are still things he can lose…and they are things he can’t live without.<br /><br />© Immortal Kiss (Book 2, Immortal Series) by J.K. Coi<br /><br />She put a hand to Baron’s chest in a lame effort to push him back and put distance between them, which he wholly ignored, stepping even closer into her personal space. Baron had always been a very physical person. He had played sports constantly, his body always in motion—almost as if he’d been given an extra dose of energy to make up for what his brother lacked.<br />Now all of that physical presence was concentrated on her, transformed into blistering, crackling, hot sexual energy. Her fingers curled around the soft cotton of his shirt. “Baron—”<br />“Max—” he mimicked, his voice deep and husky and so damn sexy.<br />He was close. So close.She was going to push him away now. Wasn’t she?<br />Apparently not soon enough to avoid being kissed. Her body tensed with the initial contact of his mouth against hers. It was a sizzling, wet kiss that ignited a fever in her blood, but he was gentle, almost careful with her as if he half expected to get kneed in the groin.<br />Which was exactly what she should do.<br />When it came to this man, though, Max had never operated on “should”. Baron had always been her one and worst weakness, the addiction she may never kick no matter how long and hard she tried.<br />Her lips were opening of their own accord under his gentle but insistent pressure. Damn, this was dangerous.<br /><br /><br />Thanks so much to Jenny for letting me visit today!<br />Please visit me at my website for more information about upcoming books, chats, interviews, reviews, and all things Immortal: <a href="http://www.jkcoi.com/">http://www.jkcoi.com/</a>. I’m also on MySpace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jkcoi">http://www.myspace.com/jkcoi</a> and I blog at <a href="http://www.jkcoi.blogspot.com/">http://www.jkcoi.blogspot.com/</a>.<br /><br />J.K. CoiImmortals to Die For<a href="http://www.jkcoi.com/">http://www.jkcoi.com/</a> </div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-6897660465888736072008-12-06T13:15:00.000-08:002008-12-06T13:17:32.008-08:00A.R. Moler Stops by for a Guest Blog! Please Give Her a Great Big Welcome!<div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008">Hello to all,<br /><br /></span></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008">I'm A.R. Moler, a chemistry professor, homeschooling mommy of two and a writer. The order of priority depends on what time you ask me. When I tell people I wrote a book, and am nearly finished another, the immediate assumption seems to be that it must be a chemistry text, which usually makes me laugh. Much as I adore chemistry, writing a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228598104_0">text book</span> would bore me out of my skull. Instead, there's demons and vampires and gunfire and some really graphic hot sex.</span></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008">The novel I'm nearly done with is called <strong>And Hell Itself Breathes Out</strong>. Nothing like stealing from the bard (grin) It's the first book in a series -The SIS Case Files. I already wrote and released the second book - <strong>Now I Could Drink Hot Blood</strong>. I know, I know, that's backwards and weird. Deal with it. If <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228598104_1">George Lucas</span> can start in the middle.......SIS is a tiny fictional federal agency, Special Investigative Services, run by my hero, Director John Benchley. His 5 member staff investigates and deals with things that other agencies can't even comprehend. </span></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008">I'm up to 69K words on Hell Itself and have one more scene to deal with, followed by going back to fix the gaping plot hole round about chapter 6 or so. Some writers do stuff sequentially, obvious I'm not really one of them. I skip stuff when I'm stuck and leave myself notes. ( insert more sex here) No, really. The first time my editor read that she said she about fell out of her chair laughing.</span></span></div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008"></span></span> </div> <div style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="929443112-29102008">Here's a little exerpt from <strong>Now I Could Drink Hot Blood -</strong></span></span></div> <span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span class="929443112-29102008"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">John found himself searching the faces of the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228598104_2">FBI</span> personnel for Brie. Eventually he saw her, digging gloves and some sampling equipment out of the back of the truck. She wore a standard issue FBI wind breaker and a pair of dark slacks. He dodged past a couple of agents on security detail to get to her. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Hey Gabrielle!” he called.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">She was wearing her dark sunglasses despite the heavy overcast of the day. He stopped beside her and laid a hand on her arm. She looked up at him.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“I recognize those glasses. Migraine ?” he asked.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Yeah … ” she answered slowly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Give me 5 minutes.” He pulled her against his body and threaded his fingers through her hair, rubbing the back of her neck and the knotted muscles at the base of her skull. He felt her mind brush across his. Just a hint of pure pleasure at his touch as her forehead rested on his collarbone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Interrogation today?” he asked.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Yes, better than ninety minutes,” she whispered. His cheek rested against the top of her head, and he noticed that they were receiving a couple of pointed stares. He was amused. He spent a couple more minutes holding her, trying to ease her headache.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Better?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Some. Enough that maybe my eyeballs won’t fall out.” She pulled away and started putting on her gloves. He grabbed her field kit box and followed her toward the body. Cecelia and Evan were measuring and photographing.<span style=""> </span>Several FBI people were doing similar things. This was definitely going to lead to arguments over who got what samples.<span style=""> </span>Brie walked the perimeter, looking. John set the box down and watched her. He slowly realized that she was looking for something. Something specific. She knelt down and used a swab to sample something, placing it in a tube. And then she stroked her fingers across it, feeling the texture of whatever it is through her gloves. The sun chose that moment to break through the clouds. She let out a little squeal and dropped the tube, which was luckily acrylic. She was franticly yanking the glove off her hand. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Fuckfuckfuck!” she yelled.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">John lunged forward, dropping to his knees and grabbed her wrist and peeling most of the glove the rest of the way off. There was gummy melted residue on her palm and fingers, and she was grimacing in pain. John looked at her with a worried expression.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Hey Cecelia! Get over here!” he shouted. “What happened?” he demanded of Gabrielle.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Major exothermic reaction.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Say what?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“It didn’t quite burst into flames,” said Brie. Cecelia dropped down beside them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size:100%;">“Take a look at her hand. Whatever it was, melted the glove,” ordered John.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Cecelia took hold of the other woman’s hand and starts flexing her fingers and trying to assess the damage.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="929443112-29102008"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now I Could Drink Hot Blood is available in both paperback and e-book</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="929443112-29102008"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.outskirtspress.com/armoler"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1228598104_3">http://www.outskirtspress.com/armoler</span></a></span></span></p></span></span>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-85583544452930387562008-12-01T16:39:00.000-08:002008-12-01T18:50:10.200-08:00Please welcome author and friend, Renee Knowles!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/STSiUqg51kI/AAAAAAAAALE/ELI2k7TKG50/s1600-h/courtingtroublebanner.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 41px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/STSiUqg51kI/AAAAAAAAALE/ELI2k7TKG50/s320/courtingtroublebanner.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275019539451074114" border="0" /></a><br />A Little Dose of Good, Old-fashioned Romance<br /><br />Surely, romance is not dead. The romance genre as a whole continues to thrive despite desperate and very difficult financial times. Us readers, fans, and authors still flock to the stores (or online bookstores) and buy our favorite authors, lapping up every line of sexual tension, chemistry, and obstacles we read.<br /><br />But there has been a turn lately toward romance that pushes the boundaries, with sexuality, paranormal elements, and unusual situations. I love them. I adore a book that can make you believe anything. I adore an author who can transport me to the depths of sexuality and to other worlds.<br /><br />Yet…sometimes, in my heart, I long for a good old-fashioned romance. Something where heroes abound, sexual tension rules the day and love is something to work for. I’m not saying these romances don’t exist. I’ve read some incredibly fabulous romances lately full of passion and the feel of yesterday’s favorites.<br /><br />But the days of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday—a classic, fun romance if I ever saw one—seem to be shifting. All things change. And overall change is good. Only in these days of new everything, there is still something to be said for getting back to basics.<br /><br />I’d like to think that at its core, my historical romance, Courting Trouble, is an old-fashioned story of deep love and desire (despite it being rather spicy!). In fact, as I was writing the story, part of what drove my passion for the manuscript each day was the central story of the romance. The hero and heroine start out as childhood friends, each having a small tether hold on the other’s heart from the beginning.<br /><br />Am I too romantic? I don’t think so (says the woman who scoffed at her hubby for buying her jump drives as a stocking stuffer instead of something more personal!). But I think romance itself is a part of our lives. When someone says Rhett and Scarlett or Darcy and Elizabeth, we know who they mean.<br /><br />I think it’s because we all want to feel someone’s arms wrapped around us. We all want to know we have captured the interest of the person who is right for us. And we all want to dream about that happily ever after.<br /><br />You will find this all in a romance novel, where good, old-fashioned romance can still be found. Where love can conquer all. And the hero can still ride off into the sunset with the heroine.<br /><br />Hugs to all,<br /><br />Renee<br /><br />Renee Knowles<br />Sensual, Sassy and Slightly Sinful<br />For a chance to <a href="http://thewildrosepress.com/publisher/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1588&Itemid=135" target="_blank">win a Sony E-Reader</a> check out <a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=896" target="_blank">COURTING TROUBLE</a><br />from The Wild Rose Press --5 Angels--"...simmers with emotion."--Fallen Angel<br /><br />SAVVY BUSINESS SKILLS FOR WRITERS--coming from Wild Child Publishing<br /><a href="http://www.reneeknowles.com/" target="_blank">www.reneeknowles.com</a>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-72008611913274011482008-11-29T12:41:00.000-08:002008-11-29T12:42:16.306-08:00Let's Give a Great Big Shout Out to my Guest Blogger, Lena Coburn!“You Don’t Know Me”<br />By Lena Writes a Romance<br /><a href="http://lenacoburn.blogspot.com/">http://lenacoburn.blogspot.com </a><br />lena.coburn@gmail.com<br /><br />I deeply appreciate the happy, spicy wonderfulness I feel whenever I read anything written by Jenny Gilliam. I don’t think there is anything better than happy, spicy wonderfulness. Do you? I didn’t think so. Therefore, I am honored to introduce myself to the many fans who celebrate those very qualities in Jenny’s blog land. Thank you for this opportunity, Jenny. You rock.<br />You don’t know me so let me introduce myself. My name is Lena and I'm pretending to write a romance novel. I mean, I'm not really pretending, but it really feels like I am pretending. Sometimes I even feel like I'm pretending to pretend to write a romance novel. Good grief, it may be that I’m not actually doing anything. Is it all pretend? <br /><br />As you might suspect, this pretending thing concerns me. It concerns me because I quit my day job last December with the adamant intention of finishing a full length novel by early spring 2009. So far I've written about half of a novel that - I swear to you - quite suddenly stopped making sense. And, to my horror, it seemed to take a rather dark and gloomy turn. Considering that I am known, almost universally, as the most horribly cheerful and fun-loving person you could ever meet I began to worry. This was when I started to realize that - gasp - I don't know me either! Or, at least, I don’t know all of me. Who am I and what am I doing?<br /><br />This question is alarming, depressing, agitating, exciting and significantly uncomfortable. It is also my loyal companion on this labyrinth-like journey of writing a book. It’s not as scary as it initially seemed however because, as it turns out, it is also the fodder of my trade. Not knowing me – or what I’m doing - sparks my imagination. If I can’t achieve the answers through the use of reason and logic (and trust me, I can’t), than I simply must shift out of my head and into my heart. And then it comes. The story, the plot points, the characters….they simply come right out of my heart. And through these things I catch a glimpse of who I am and what I’m doing.<br /><br />Maybe someday I won’t have to torture myself with this dark and gloomy process of fear-doubt-surrender before I arrive at the answers. But, then again, maybe I won’t. And maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I don’t want to end my daily journey of casting off the smallness of my mind in order to delve into the deep well of universal experience that is the birthplace of all Story? The place where I know me and you know me and we recognize one another because we understand things in this place. In that place we are all embracing love and joy and celebrating - without shame – the beauty of our bodies, our feelings, our very natures. There we are free. Whoa. I am getting all this from the process of writing a romance novel. Awesome.<br /><br />So, I suppose, whether or not I ever find my book on the shelf at a bookstore or the NYT Best Sellers List I can feel confident that I am not pretending to write a romance and that I am, in fact, learning who I am and what I’m doing at every cross in the road. And I can rest assured that you do recognize me even though you’ve never seen my face or read my book. You understand me because you’ve been to that very same cross in the road yourself. It’s even possible that you are there with me right now.<br /><br />See you around, <br />Lena Writes a RomanceJenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-5619003859942802192008-11-26T17:57:00.000-08:002008-11-26T18:10:07.155-08:00Ava James Stops by for a Visit! Come have a look-see!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SS4ASrCDdJI/AAAAAAAAAKg/avM2erwrDAE/s1600-h/Eagle-AvaJames.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SS4ASrCDdJI/AAAAAAAAAKg/avM2erwrDAE/s320/Eagle-AvaJames.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273152534486414482" border="0" /></a><br /><div id="yiv734756220"> <div id="yiv1539991052"> <div><div><br />Coming Dec 2nd to Freya's Bower!<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=144" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.freyasbower.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=144</a><br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;"><span style="color:#ad3dd0;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Eagle At Midnight</span><br />by Ava James</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;"><span style="color:#ad3dd0;"><br /></span></span></div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;"><span style="color:#ad3dd0;">For Deryn Philips life has hit a record low. After losing her parents in a car crash, she follows their last request and takes a trip to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1225989071_0" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204);"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227751364_13">Wales</span></span>. But this is no ordinary trip, and there is more to her new mysterious male friend than she can believe. Th</span></span><span style="font-family:bookman old style, new york, times, serif;"><span style="color:#ad3dd0;">en again, if you are in a <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1225989071_1">medieval castle</span> in a foreign country, what's wrong with meeting a knight in shinning Armani?</span><br /></span></div> <div><br />Excerpt:<br /></div> <p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">The tour group milled around on the lower floors and the castle grounds out of consideration to the group members of an advanced age. Craving solitude, Deryn decided to see the view from one of the towers. The gaggle of widows departed, and she turned back to the gravel paths in the inner bailey. Each path led to a different tower.</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“So which tower is it going to be? Black, Chamberlain, Eagle, or Queen?”</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“I suggest Eagle’s Tower,” a male’s voice recommended from behind her. </span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">The smooth timbre and Welsh accent generated tingles down her spine. </span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Turning around, Deryn met stunning cerulean eyes set in chiseled features, paired with heart-stopping good looks. Hot didn’t even begin to cover the essence of this man. Her jaw slackened at the sight. Raw desire shot down her body. Her eyes wide, she drank him in inch by tailored inch. He wore his light grey suit with confidence, and his honey locks, pulled back from his face into a short ponytail, brushed the collar of his black shirt. A seductive grin crept across his sensual lips, and a sigh almost escaped Deryn’s lips.</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Holy David Beckham! This man could be his long lost, even hotter brother. His tawny skin, muscular frame, and blond locks were a triple threat. It was too much…. <i>He </i>was too much.</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“I….” <i>I want you…. No, too forward. Damn, what was I saying? </i></span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Her mind turned to mush with one grin from him. She didn’t recognize this man from their tour group. There was no way he’d been in the group—she would have seen him.</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“There’s a breathtaking view from the Eagle Tower . You can see clear across the sea.” The handsome stranger’s voice enchanted her. She stood stunned. “Oh, sorry. Llaw Gyffes.” He extended his hand. She didn’t immediately take it, so he reached down and took her hand into his gentle grip. </span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Every nerve in her body pulsed with excitement. When his hand made contact with hers, Deryn swore the air sizzled with heat. She watched in utter fascination as he brought her hand up to his mouth, his lips inches from her skin. The whole world stopped in that moment. She held her breat</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">h while he turned her hand. His satin lips made contact with the sensitive flesh of her wrist, and her knees nearly gave way. His eyes met hers, and she couldn’t restrain the sigh that rolled off her tongue.</span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“And you are?” His eyes sparkled with mischievous curiosity. </span></span> </p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! He’s talking to you…answer him!</span></span></i></p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="Style4" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 14.2pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /></span></span></i> </p></div></div></div> <div> </div> <div><a rel="nofollow"><img style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 10px;" src="http://avajames.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/2/8/1228660/9186301.jpg" tagged="true" /></a></div> <div> </div> <div>Coming to Freya's Bower Dec. 9th!</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227751364_14">Waking Up</span></span></span></p></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">by Ava James</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">In <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1227751364_15">Iraq</span> , Jaysen has treated many wounded men, but none touch her heart like Sergeant Tiberius. Will she touch his heart too?</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></i> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Georgia;" ></span></i> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" align="center"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Excerpt:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" align="center"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"> <span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">He listened while the petite nurse placed some items beside him. He heard the tug and scrape of metal rings on a rail from above. The air about him stirred, and he realized that pretending to be asleep was about to get much, much harder. </span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And hard was exactly what he didn’t want to be. Just thoughts about what was going to happen began to bring his formerly limp member to attention.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>Giant, hairy, brown moles. Cellulite, chucky cottage cheese thighs. Winter in the Ukraine !</em> He tried frantically to distract himself. </span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Fingers brushed across his chest and rounded the edge of his sheet to fold it down his torso.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:100%;">Maggot eaten sheep’s intestines!</span></em></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Her gentle hands grasped his arm, lifted it, and placed it back onto what he assumed was a towel. She walked around the bed and did the same to his other side. The next thing he heard was the splish-splash of water. She must have wrung out a sponge.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>Breathe,</em> he reminded himself as he waited for the wet sponge to make contact with his skin. His pulse surged out of control in anticipation. <em>Where would she start?</em> He wanted to open his eyes so badly. The apprehension and anxiety knotted his gut. <span> </span></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">She began to hum. A warm, wet object that he identified as a sponge, slid smoothly across his collarbone. Left to right, lower and lower, a few inches lower with each pass until she pulled it away. The languid heat of the sponge fired his skin. With his eyes held firmly shut, all of his other senses heightened. He heard her every breath. The sterile smell of the hospital ward was methodically replaced with a lemon soap aroma that mingled with her minty breath. He felt each intake and release of air from her. </span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Returning the sponge to his skin, she started in tight circular strokes on his chest and upper abdomen. Warm tingles broke out over his body. Every nerve stood alert to her merciless ministrations. Her cool breath blew across his wet skin, and he nearly lost it. A shiver shot straight down his spine to curl his toes.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><em><span style="font-size:100%;">Rotten eggs! Uri’s stinking boots!</span></em></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">He bit down on his tongue to try to lessen the impact of her attentions. The nurse thankfully removed her instrument of torture. She dipped the sponge into the water basin; the familiar splash-splosh noises filled the air. Demetri tried to calm his blood and breathing. He fought for four years in this bloody war to keep peace, so he could do this.</span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><span><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>You can do this. </em>He chanted in his mind while waiting for her next tactical maneuver.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></p></span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SS4A3LB_AII/AAAAAAAAAKo/EYieNxmqI84/s1600-h/Eve+Summers.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SS4A3LB_AII/AAAAAAAAAKo/EYieNxmqI84/s320/Eve+Summers.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273153161551347842" border="0" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.25in; text-align: center;" align="center">Visit Eve Summers at <a href="www.evesummers.weebly.com">www.evesummers.weebly.com</a><br /><br /></p>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-65266947696175424982008-11-21T10:44:00.000-08:002008-11-21T11:04:21.683-08:00Guess the Release! "The Seventh Taboo" by Yvonne Eve Wallus<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SScFpwiPxnI/AAAAAAAAAKY/ncSzzehsrY8/s1600-h/TheSeventhTaboo_w3242_300.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271188103821772402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SScFpwiPxnI/AAAAAAAAAKY/ncSzzehsrY8/s320/TheSeventhTaboo_w3242_300.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The Seventh Taboo - Guess the release date!<br /><br />The Kudos:<br /><br />"A brilliant story! I want more!" - <a href="http://www.nalinisingh.com/">Nalini Singh</a>, New York Times Bestselling Author of Hostage to Pleasure<br /><br /><br />The Seventh Taboo by Yvonne Walus hooked me from the first paragraph, drawing me into a world of virtual reality and beyond, where the reader begins to wonder if this too could be our future. ~ <a href="http://www.janebeckenham.com/">Jane Beckenham</a>, author of Love in Waiting,<br /><br /><br />"In a world where connection is forbidden, human interaction is predominantly virtual, and clones are formatted for their future, the only unplanned, unprogrammed, and unexpected outcome…is true love." ~ N. D. Hansen-Hill, author of Gilded Folly.<br /><br /><br />The Blurb:<br /><br />You know he is out there - somewhere. Your soul mate. Your other self. All you need to do is find him and you'll feel complete the way you've never felt complete before.<br /><br /> Except that finding him is strictly forbidden.<br /> Finding him would break the Seventh Taboo.<br /><br />And then, one night, you meet him. Every hormone and every cell in your body shouts that he's the lost half of yourself you've been searching for. Your logic disagrees. Which are you going to believe? The primeval instinct or your training? Your heart or your mind?<br /><br />To what lengths will you go, what risks will you take, to prove to yourself that he is the one?<br /><br />Enter the world of cloning, scientific experiments and toying with people's lives. Enter the world in which your every movement, online as well as offline, is scrutinised by your live-in Monitor. Enter the future which could well be ours one day.<br /><br /><br /><br />The contest:<br /><br />“The Seventh Taboo” by Yvonne Eve Walus is going to be published by <a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/">The Wild Rose Press</a>. When? I don’t know yet. I do know it’s “in the bag”, with final edits and the cover all done, but other than that, your guess is as good as mine.<br /><br />So here is a contest for you. Email me on yve at xtra dot co dot nz with your pot shot at the release date (the time zone is that of the <a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/">Wild Rose Press</a> website). The person who comes up with the closest guess will receive the book free. In case of a tie, I’ll spin a coin. J</div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-51121281882396777102008-11-17T19:35:00.000-08:002008-11-18T10:51:43.431-08:00Author Lisa Hendrix talks about Chapters, the Internet, and her new release, Immortal Warrior<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSMNUTma4GI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/F7gd6De3Nkc/s1600-h/Lisa+med.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270070631463575650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSMNUTma4GI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/F7gd6De3Nkc/s320/Lisa+med.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSMMa142qvI/AAAAAAAAAKI/NQYlMYsp28Q/s1600-h/ImmWarMed.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270069644235287282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSMMa142qvI/AAAAAAAAAKI/NQYlMYsp28Q/s320/ImmWarMed.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div>Okay, after reading that last post with Debby Allen, I think I'm here because Jenny wants to prove she's not prejudiced against writers published in New York. //tongue firmly in cheek//<br /><br />Actually, Jenny and I are RWA chapter mates, though I live so far from the chapter I never attend meetings. However, thanks to electrons and internets and emails and such, we've actually managed to get acquainted. Besides sheer distance, the even more remarkable part of this acquaintance is the age difference (I'm *old* and I don't have any tats or piercings beyond one boring one in each ear). That's the fun of the net and RWA, though -- we all do get to know each other, trade visits, support each other's efforts, and generally expand our horizons. Definitely a good thing. I've gotten to watch Jenny's excitement over her release this month, share in her pleasure over THE TRUTH ABOUT ROXY being the #1 Bestseller at Wild Rose Press, and see how she handles 2 releases in one month (quite well, thank you).<br /><br />At the same time, I've been finishing the second book in a series while trying to promo the first, and of course that's why I'm here.<br />IMMORTAL WARRIOR is the first in my new series about a crew of Viking raiders cursed to live for eternity as weres of their fylgjur, their spirit companions. (Some beasts aren't meant to be tamed...) And here's the blurb to pique your interest:<br /><br /><br />IMMORTAL WARRIOR<br /><br />He came to England in search of treasure. Two hundred years later, he’s found her…<br />Ivar Graycloak is a brave warrior, a man known for his strength and integrity. He is also a man with a terrible secret. Long ago he was part of a Viking crew cursed by an evil sorceress to live for eternity as were-creatures. An eagle by day and a man by night, Ivar has lived a solitary existence for over two centuries. Then the king orders him to marry.<br />Lady Alaida is everything a man could want in a bride—intelligent, spirited, and beautiful—and their wedding night is a balm to Ivar’s lonely spirit. Then a seer brings him word of a dark vision, one that makes Ivar vow to stay away from his lovely wife forever. But now that Ivar has sampled Alaida’s passion, her humor and warmth, he is enthralled. His traitorous body-his very heart-longs for that which he
can never possess.<br />Lady Alaida may surprise him yet, though, for she has a power of her own-a power that will either destroy everything they hold dear or ultimately set them free…<br />______<br />Buy from Amazon.com now:<br />http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425224546?ie=UTF8&tag=lisahendrix&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0425224546<br /><br /><br /><br />________<br /><br />Lisa Hendrix is the author of IMMORTAL WARRIOR, the first book in an all-new paranormal historical romance series, The Immortal Brotherhood. Please visit her website, http://lisahendrix.com for excerpts, contests, and more information about Lisa and her books. Lisa can also be found on MySpace ( myspace.com/lisa_hendrix ), Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Hendrix/18625590885 ) and Goodreads ( http://www.goodreads.com/profile/LisaHendrix )</div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-37023050034750144982008-11-16T19:50:00.000-08:002008-11-17T11:03:14.037-08:00Please welcome, author, promoter, and all around awesome person, Debby Allen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG-dUkWgzI/AAAAAAAAAKA/RSuWYDnekWg/s1600-h/M%26OK+Cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 255px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG-dUkWgzI/AAAAAAAAAKA/RSuWYDnekWg/s320/M%26OK+Cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269702449946854194" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG-BYjYqJI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/dGQzKtvnGo0/s1600-h/hibiscus+bay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 255px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG-BYjYqJI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/dGQzKtvnGo0/s320/hibiscus+bay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269701969980205202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG9YMkpw5I/AAAAAAAAAJo/J8560toUCI0/s1600-h/debb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 127px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SSG9YMkpw5I/AAAAAAAAAJo/J8560toUCI0/s320/debb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269701262389658514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Foreword:</div><div align="left">One of the greatest gifts I've discovered in this electronic writing world is the wonderful friendships that come about. This proves that you don't have to be published with the large houses in New York (and no offense to those who are) to make good friends. With that in mind, please welcome a dear friend of mine, Debby Allen. She's a romance novelist, runs the Romance E-Books sites, and is responsible for MUCH of my promotion (tee-hee). So, without further ado....</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><strong>Debby Allen – Author of Romance</strong><br /><br /><br />I’d like to say I’m just an author of romance for The Wild Rose Press, but I’m not. I’m also a promoter - of other authors and publishers. To say I don’t feel any satisfaction when I receive an email thanking me for an interview or an author/publisher spotlight would be bending the truth a little. I love it!<br />I first began promoting when I set up The Romance eBooks Myspace profile in February 2008. I had my 1st ebook release from The Wild Rose Press the following month and discovered just how difficult promoting could be. So I thought, why not get together with some other authors and we’ll promote each other. However, I never expected the profile to be so popular! Word got around pretty quick and before I knew it I had befriended a few hundred authors, readers and publishers – just over seven hundred up to now!<br />The promotion process is very simple - I promote your book on the profile and a direct link to your purchasing details are literally at the end of the potential buyer’s fingertips! Once your book is on the profile, all you have to do is sit back and reap the rewards.<br />On November 1st, I released the 1st Romance eBooks Newsletter. Just like the myspace profile, the promotion is just the same, but on a more personal level with interviews and spotlights. I call it The Pink Link – you’ll see why if you check it out. It was fun to create and the response for contributions was fantastic! If I’m honest, it’s more like a mini eMag than a newsletter. I’m very proud of it and very grateful to its contributors. At the moment, I promote free of charge, even though I have been offered payment. But my response to that offer is, just please promote me in return. That’s all I ask.<br /><br />If you would like to check out The Romance eBooks Myspace Profile, here is the link:<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/romance_ebooks">http://www.myspace.com/romance_ebooks</a><br /><br />If you would like to check out The Romance eBooks Newsletter Blog, here is the link:<br /><a href="http://romanceebooksnewsletter.blogspot.com/">http://romanceebooksnewsletter.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br />I hope you’ll check out both. And if you would like to appear in the New Year Newsletter or any other after that, then contact me at <a href="mailto:romanceebooks@yahoo.co.uk">romanceebooks@yahoo.co.uk</a><br /><br /><br />Writing Romance:<br /><br />When I first began writing novels and novellas, it was mainly to practice my writing skills, but I also wanted to create stories that I would really enjoy reading myself. In those early days, I never expected to be published (but I do hope those books will be published one day when I have polished them off).<br />I love reading Harlequin Mills & Boon and desperately wanted to create such a romantic fantasy of my own. So after years of educating myself at home and reading lots of romantic novels, I submitted a short story to The Wild Rose Press, a publisher who publishes books in electronic and print format. And that’s where my dream began.<br />In March 2008, ‘Hibiscus Bay’ was released in electronic format and I received some fabulous reviews. Here’s a quick preview:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cPKuEPXpgO4/SQikYOaMF9I/AAAAAAAAAWk/PEh8DOddql4/s1600-h/hibiscus+bay.jpg"></a><br /><br />‘Hibiscus bay’ available from The Wild Rose Press NOW!<br /><a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87_118&products_id=743">http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87_118&products_id=743</a><br />‘If blue skies, hunky foreign guys and glistening seas float your boat, then you’ll love this romp on the beach romance that will leave you searching for your Passport to Paradise!’<br /><br />BLURB:<br /><br />Exhilarating sex with an Arabian millionaire is the last thing Ashleigh Brennan expects after an illicit affair with her boss leaves her unemployed and without dignity. She vows never to be misled by first impressions again—until she meets wealthy, handsome Remmao Kamal. He’s full of passion and eastern promise—but for how long?<br />It’s hard to believe that this wealthy bachelor isn’t married, but his playboy lifestyle aboard his yacht has had its repercussions. After a succession of harbor pickups, his misjudgement of a lover’s intention put his life at risk. Since then, he has been determined to put his womanising days behind him—until Ashleigh walks into his life. Their sexual attraction is immediate and the temptation for Remmao to break his vow of harbor celibacy is as strong as Ashleigh’s desire to protect her heart. But will a one-night stand with no commitments be enough for them?'<br /><br />REVIEWS<br /><br />Simply Romance Reviews GRADE: A 'I can honestly say, while reading Hibiscus Bay, I was touched by the beautiful twist of fate for Ashleigh and Remmao. This is the kind of romance we all dream of. Debby Allen captured so many heart-warming emotions of both her characters... wonderful job Debby!!'Cocktail Reviews: 'Like a short version of a M&B/Harlequin title, Hibiscus Bay delivers on all fronts with an exotic locale, wealthy foreign hunk, a good dose of angst, enjoyable love scenes and a HEA. I’d recommend this to any fan of the genre.'<br /><br />The Long And Short Of It Reviews: “Hibiscus Bay,” set in a lush harbor town, is an emotional roller coaster of a romance between Remmao and Ashleigh… The setting of gorgeous Hibiscus Bay is a perfect place for Remmao and Ashleigh to explore their feelings further, and those descriptive details are nicely presented. (On a side note, this novella’s cover is beautifully designed and paints an idyllic picture of the paradise where these characters fall in love.)<br /><br />New Releases:<br />My next release is a Christmas story, titled ‘Mistletoe and Ouzo Kisses’ due for release on 17th December 2008 from The Wild Rose Press. The storyline is set in Athens, Greece. Here’s a quick preview:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cPKuEPXpgO4/SNGNA085_vI/AAAAAAAAASk/7JLCxWAlrWk/s1600-h/M%26OK+Cover.jpg"></a><br /><br />‘Mistletoe and Ouzo Kisses’ Release date - 17th December 2008 from The Wild Rose Press.<br />‘If a Greek Adonis found his way into your Christmas stocking, wouldn’t you want to unwrap him?’<br /><br />BLURB:<br /><br />A man is for life and not just for Christmas – or so the saying goes. When Leah Stamford accepts the offer to spend the festive season in Greece with her co-worker, Marcus Savakis, the last thing she expects to be unwrapping, is him. But after one ouzo too many, and with a voluptuous ex-girlfriend tempting Marcus back into her ample bosom, Leah will stop at nothing to win her colleague’s affections — though seduction isn't one of her talents. Leah's frigidness was the reason she lost her last boyfriend. Now it’s time to prove to herself that she can be daring and sexy. But has she got what it takes to seduce Marcus away from the desires of his ex-girlfriend? And can her timidness compete with this erotic Greek goddess?<br /><br />For those of you who haven’t noticed, Chris Winters, who was crowned Mr. Romance 2008 at the Romantic Times Convention, is my cover model - and at special request! I feel very honoured and very privileged!<br /><br />Unfortunately, there are no reviews for ‘Mistletoe and Ouzo Kisses’ to date.<br /><br />Due for release in 2009 ‘An Outlaw’s Honor’ by Debby Allen.<br /><br />Look out for ‘The New Year Romance eBooks Newsletter’! If you have a new release, new review or a competition that you would like to contribute to the newsletter, then contact me, Debby, at <a href="mailto:romanceebooks@yahoo.co.uk">romanceebooks@yahoo.co.uk</a><br /><br />I hope to hear from you soon.<br /><br /></div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-16093116408968931642008-11-14T11:15:00.000-08:002008-11-14T11:29:57.525-08:00Please Welcome Laurean Brooks!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SR3QMcQrQDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/qIjGgaQIS5Q/s1600-h/Laurie+Bethel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SR3QMcQrQDI/AAAAAAAAAJg/qIjGgaQIS5Q/s320/Laurie+Bethel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268596051256492082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SR3P8EoFd2I/AAAAAAAAAJY/por1saiaDzI/s1600-h/JourneyToForgiveness_w1713_300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vNzWQn_Jeac/SR3P8EoFd2I/AAAAAAAAAJY/por1saiaDzI/s320/JourneyToForgiveness_w1713_300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268595770034321250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />And her fantastic-looking novel, <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Journey To Forgiveness, </span></span>available TODAY at The Wild Rose Press. I'm pleased to have such a fine author as a guest! Read on for more....<br /><br /><div> </div> <div style="font-style: italic;">May 1938</div> <div> </div> <div>When Southern-born Jenny Hinson's abusive father deserts his family, the brunt of running a fifty-acre farm falls to Jenny and her mother. Twelve acres of cotton are the family's mainstay. When the crop is infested with boll weevils, Jenny has no option but to accept an invitation from an aunt in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226690684_3">Chicago</span>, to move north to seek employment. Her mother and younger siblings are depending on her.</div> <div> </div> <div>Her first unfamiliar jolt of electricity pales in comparison to the jolt that shakes Jenny when she encounters the charming, but dubious, Austin Grant at a train depot in Kankakee. When Jenny spies Austin running away with her vanity case, she yells for the guard to apprehend him. Why did he want a young woman's luggage?</div> <div> </div> <div>Imagine Jenny's shock when Austin appears behind the podium at her aunt's church, begging for money for a tornado-stricken town. Jenny determines not to give one cent to this shyster! And furthermore she will join the mission trip to the rural town, to keep an eye on Austin. She will expose him whateve it takes. </div> <div> </div> <div>But Jenny has other issues. Recurring nightmares from the beatings she endured at her father's hand. Beatings that have left her with anger toward men. Especially men like Austin Grant. </div> <div> </div> <div>So why can't Jenny report Austin when she spies him removing a roll of money from the mission strongbox? Has she fallen for this thief?</div> <div> </div> <div>Is it possible for a victim to forgive her abuser? Will Jenny hold onto hurt and forfeit her chance for a future with the man she loves? Or will she face her abuser and let go of her bitterness?</div> <div><br />*********************************************************************</div> <div> </div> <div>Excerpt:</div> <div> </div> <div> "Well, this is a pleasant surprise." Jenny looked up to lock eyes with the thief she had encountered in Kankakee. His blue eyes danced with mischief. "I never did get your name."</div> <div> </div> <div> To avoid drawing attention, Jenny hissed just above a whisper, "Get away from me!"</div> <div> </div> <div> "Sorry, we got off to a bad start. Do you think we could begin again?" He chuckled.</div> <div> </div> <div> "Over my dead body!" Jenny spat, and glanced toward the ladies' room. Where was her aunt when she needed her?</div> <div> </div> <div> "I would want that. You are much too cute. You don't really believe I wanted that vanity case?" His brows rose when she didn't respond. "How long will you be in Chicago?"</div> <div> </div> <div> A "drop dead" glare, but still no response.</div> <div> </div> <div> "Are you ready?" A stout middle-aged man nodded at the man hovering near her table.</div> <div> </div> <div> "Be right with you," Jenny's unwelcome guest replied before turning back to her. "Who knows, we could meet again," he crooned. "I've heard that good things come in threes." He winked, then swaggered out the door.</div> <div> </div> <div>Available in e-book at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226690684_4">www.thewildrosepress.com</span></a> on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226690684_5">November 14</span>, 2008 and in print on <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226690684_6">February 20</span>, 2009.<br /><br />For more on this author go to Laurean's Lore at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://laureanslore.blogspot.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226690684_7">http://laureanslore.blogspot.com</span></a> </div><br /><br /><br />BIO:<br /><br /><div><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226689627_0">Ever since</span> Laurean Brooks' fifth grade teacher announced, "Some day Laurie will become an author," Laurean has loved to read and write. But as sometimes happens, life got in the way. Several decades passed. Then 2002 Laurean submitted a story to a local magazine, it was published, and the writing bug bit. Since that day, Laurean has written a collection of stories from childhood to pass on to her grandchildren (if she ever has any. Hint-hint.) </div> <div> </div> <div>She believes that so much is lost down through the generations. And personality can leap off a page. Forty years from now when her great-grandchildren ask their grandfather to, "Tell me about Grandmother Laurie," her son can dust off a green, nylon-covered binder, pull the little ones onto his lap, and read the hilarious, though sometimes serious accounts of a spirited woman who laughed, cried, and loved life--once upon a time.</div> <div> </div> <div>Today, she is the author of JOURNEY TO FORGIVENESS, a novel that deals with the struggle to overcome the after-effects of abuse. Check it out on The Wild Rose press site at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.thewildrosepres.com/"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1226689627_1">www.thewildrosepress.com</span></a>. </div>Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-30103310683793610182008-11-14T10:51:00.000-08:002008-11-14T10:52:25.048-08:00Please Welcome Laurean Brooks!Jenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982539793560326743.post-73361661778394515622008-11-09T16:51:00.000-08:002008-11-09T16:58:58.243-08:00Name That Block: Dissolving Procrastination Through Writing by Beth Morrow, AuthorFor as simplistic as a book, article, or piece of writing appears to the person who reading it, writing is a ridiculously difficult activity. I don't mean difficult, as in "I can't lift this pen." I mean difficult, as in "Oh, I really should wash the drapes, walk the dog, call my mom, and polish Aunt Sally's silver before I start writing." Mental blocks sometimes serve a purpose when we're waiting for the words to come or the next plot event to fall into place, but what about when we just use good, old-fashioned procrastination itself as an excuse not to write?<br /><br />I start each and every day with writing. Up at 4:30 for a walk with the dog, then I settle into my routine of morning pages for a few minutes before moving on to whatever story or article I'm working on. I work until 6:30, when it's time to hop in the shower and leave for another day of teaching middle school ESL. My corner of the world is not as happy as it can be if I don't get my time alone with words each morning, but on occasion, I run head-on into a wall of procrastination and find stringing words together a more difficult task than teaching 7th graders how to conjugate verbs.<br /><br />When I feel words clogging up inside and unable to come out, one trick I've learned is to put the pen to the paper and write out the problem itself. I know it sounds too easy, too simple, too good to be true---and I felt that way when I first heard the idea. But time and again, writing out the problem gets things moving in a way that continual procrastination (and subsequent waiting for enlightenment/inspiration/the muse) cannot.<br /><br />I was on deadline for a magazine article and knew my subject matter well—everything except the introduction. I put off writing the article until a week before it was due (which is my personal due date). I was so frustrated that when I sat to work on the article, I just poured my agitation onto the page. The more I wrote about how I didn't have the perfect introduction, the more my brain responded by giving me possible phrases and sentences to start my piece. I scratched these down furiously in the margin. By the time I finished venting, I had enough bits and pieces of possible beginnings to choose from that one of them just "clicked". (You writers know what I mean!).<br /><br />This works with fiction, too. I just finished a short story and couldn't figure out the hero's line of work. I saw him crystal-clear in my mind, knew his job was a key to his interaction with the heroine...even if I didn't know what his job was. I journaled that his job was so important to the story I needed to know before I went on and found all kinds of questions brewing in my mind. After a few minutes, I discovered he was a small business owner with lots of connections, which was crucial to my heroine's conflict.<br /><br />I don't know what makes writing down the block itself such a powerful trigger in unleashing the words, but I do know that I'm not questioning it. Maybe it's the physical act of writing or how naming a problem can help generate a solution that gets things moving. Of course, it doesn't work all the time—sometimes there are blocks and issues that go way deeper in the writer's psyche that affect the ability to write. But the next time you're creatively stuck, why not try taking the power away from the block by naming it? It sure beats finding yourself sitting at the dining room table polishing a pile of Aunt Sally's heirloom forks when you really wish you were writing....<br /><br />I'm so thrilled you stopped by Jenny's blog to read my post. To get you started in writing about your blocks, I'll be giving away a writer's journal this week to one lucky blog reader who posts a comment here. I really appreciate you reading...there are so many blogs to visit and so little time! Thanks for reading :)<br /><br />Happy Writing!<br /><br />Beth<br /><br />Blog: <a href="http://www.writer-in-progress.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.writer-in-progress.blogspot.com</a><br />Website: <a href="http://www.bethmorrow.com/" target="_blank">www.bethmorrow.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=702&zenid=10b4f6d8ddeb13054093efd51bf036a6" target="_blank">Mandi's Lucky Day </a>from The Wild Rose PressJenny Gilliamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02901251434603216724noreply@blogger.com9