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Monday, December 15, 2014

Holiday Season Chaos

It’s 10 days before Christmas – The world is chaos and crazy.  What is on my mind?

1.  Still Seren, my little broken dancer.  Did my wish from last week come true and she is miraculously all-better?  Ha!  No!  She is worse.  While sitting on the floor stretching out her legs, her foot went to sleep and refused to wake back up.  We spent the afternoon and half the night at Children’s hospital and God knows how much money, for them to tell us…they had no idea what was wrong.  We were referred to a specialist…again.  On Tuesday we saw said specialist who advised us, that somehow, someway, my little dancer has pinched/abused/bruised a nerve in her leg/ankle/foot.  They immobilized her foot in a boot from HELL and told her no dancing for about 2 weeks.  I have had one distraught sad little chicka to content with.  When I again asked what caused this, why did it happen, what do you think they told me?  Ready for it…that she is growing.  What the holy hell?!  I do not want to believe that growing is causing all this to her little body.  I’m so frustrated, partly because my girl is so upset and partly because what their action plan is additional physical therapy, that’s it.  Can you hear me sigh from your end of the computer, because it’s heavy over here.  Yes, I know…deep breath mama.  I’m trying.  I’m trying. 

2.  Christmas – Yes, I finally decorated, both the inside and outside of the house.  The tree is cute.  We have so many personalized ornaments at this point that we don’t have to use really any non-personal ones at all to fill the tree.  I guess 22 years of buying and adding to the collection has paid off.  The outside is a zoo of animals and lights.  If I only had the knack to add music to the lights it would be awesome, and yet, I am not sure I could do that to my neighbors, few that they are. 

3.  Still plugging away at Howl 2.  With all the hip/foot/leg drama of Seren last week, I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it.  However, I did add in another 5,000 words so, I made some headway.  I am almost done.  I really am.  I need a big block of time to sit and finish without any interruptions.  Not thinking I will get that anytime soon though. 

That’s really it for me this week.  Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season.  I’m getting there.  Yay.




Monday, December 8, 2014

End of the Year - What's new?

Since everything is a bit crazy for me this month, I thought I would do a quick update on several things going on.

1.  Howl 2 – Still don’t have a title worked out for this book.  I am open to suggestions, just saying.  I did not quite get the first draft completed last week.  I plan on trying to give it a finish this week if at all possible.  Then the “real” fun begins with editing.  If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that this is not fun for me.  I hate editing and trying to make sure I have all the grammar correct and set up.  If I ever make enough money writing, the first thing I will do, is hire myself a personal editor so that I don’t have to fight with it anymore. 

2.  Author Event - Last weekends author fair at the Orange Library went very well for me.  I met several fun authors, and got a few good books to read over the holidays.  Yes, I also sold quite the handful of books too.  Yay!  It was a good day all in all.  I will have to make sure to look for that one again next year.

3.  Seren’s Hip – She is going to therapy for her hip twice a week and she has been doing special exercises every single day.  So how is her hip?  About the same actually. I am not noticing any real improvement.  Plus I’m aggravated in that I feel like my concerns with the PT people are shoved under the rug a bit and excused off with “these things take time”.  However, it’s been a month and there isn’t any improvement?  Shouldn’t she be seeing something?  She had issues walking distances now, too.  I mean like a trip around the mall.  We have to take breaks and let her sit or stretch before continuing.  She limps a bit more lately, and her legs seem to be more sore and achy on a daily basis.  Questions to the PT people are answered with:  “Well, we are working her muscles so we expect soreness and aches”.  This gets under my skin too, as Seren is not out of shape. She is in awesome and better shape than I ever was, and she works her muscles daily.  Why would she suddenly not be in shape and be sore?  I’m not counting out the PT.  I simply wish they would be more open to discussion.  They have another 2-4 weeks to go.  Let’s hope that like magic her hip and tendons and muscles suddenly and inexplicably just get better. 

4.  Christmas – I’m set with the picking out and the shopping.  I am only waiting on the deliveries at this point.  I am holding two packages that need to go out for a shipment that should have come by now.  I mean seriously?  I ordered on November 19th.  What is taking so long?  Otherwise, aside from finding a day to sit down and wrap, I think I’m pretty well set.  What about the rest of you?  Are you ready?



That all the time I have for now.  I’ll catch you next Monday.  Have a great week everyone.  

Monday, December 1, 2014

End of Nanowritmo - 2014



I am happy to announce that I was able to complete my nano novel in time.  I validated at 50,060 words, around noon on November 30, 2014.  Woo Hoo.  It was a crazy month of finding time to write, but I persevered and was able to write almost every single day, with a few exceptions for the holiday.  Slow and steady is me. 

However, the book is not done.  I still have about 10,000 – 15,000 more words to write before I get to the end of the first draft.  It got exciting and action packed and took a few weird turns. Even after all that, at this moment I feel like I am writing a pretty good story.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, it is a very rough draft, but it definitely has great potential.  I will be working on it daily even though Nano is over for the year.  I’m excited about it, ad want to finish it.  I can’t wait for my readers to get it. 

I would love to put out an excerpt, but I don’t know where the book will end and I don’t want to give anything away.  What I can tell you is that it is a sequel to my previously published book, A Howl in the Night.  I still don’t have a title for it.  I am thinking along the lines of Dawn Breaks or The Morning Comes.  I don’t know.  It’s a work in progress.  I’m sure I will figure something out.

Just a quick plug – I will be at the Orange Library in Lewis Center, this Sunday, December 7, 2014 from 2:00 – 5:00 to meet the people and talk about writing.  I will also have books should you need one and I am always happy to autograph. 



Have a great week.  

Monday, November 24, 2014

Guest Blog - Rebecca Besser

This week, I am happy to have fellow author, Rebecca Besser, as a guest blogger on my site.  This is great for several reason:  1)  I am a bit buried under with Nano (and about 2,000 words behind as of this moment. It was a long weekend and I didn't have a second to spare);  2)  It's a chance to share some of Rebecca's awesome horror/zombie books and stories with you all.  Even if you are not a horror connoisseur, you should give her try.    

Enough of me, have a great week everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.  I'll catch up next week.  

~*~



Out of the Box Zombies
By Rebecca Besser

Zombie culture has taken the world by storm. We have everything from cell phone commercials to The Walking Dead (the main cultural phenomenon that has everyone at the edge of their seats asking for more – if they’re a fan, that is).

But, with this surge of interest in zombies comes a problem. What is it? Well, I’m going to tell you.
The problem is that the reader/watcher gets the same scenario over and over again in almost every zombie story.

The people in zombie stories seem to always be trying to fight the horde of the undead while they are scraping by day to day just to survive. The survival is what keeps people captivated (and the gore!). If you’re anything like me, you put yourself in the character’s shoes and see if you could do better. You’re in awe of some of the character’s survival knowledge, which actually comes from the author; these are the things that make each author and story just a little bit different. It’s all in the perspective.

The problem with the plot repetition though, as far as commonality, is that it’s easy to get bored with the same regurgitate plot over and over again. Especially when there’s no new survival info introduced. This gives zombie writers, like myself, a real challenge. Those of us who have been writing about zombies and want to hold our own in the genre need to think outside the normal zombie box, so to speak, and come up with something new to “Wow!” our audience. We need to give the readers new angles…new stories.
And that’s what I strive to do in my books.

In my book, Undead Drive-Thru, there is one zombie. Yes, you heard me, one zombie. The story is about a man who comes home to his wife as a zombie, and she loves him too much to kill him, or let anyone else kill him. What does she do? She keeps him like a pet until things get out of hand and others get involved. The book is more about the story of a human heart dealing with the change of a loved one and the dangers that could bring, than the classic “survival” zombie tale.

Another of my books, Cursed Bounty (a novella available for Kindle), is about one zombie as well… Or it is to start out. There are more by the end. But, in this case, I give you a voodoo zombie who is being used by a politician for personal gain, set in the Old Wild West.

So…if you’re interested in some zombie tales that are out of the box, you should check out my books.
Now, when it comes to short stories… I stay old school and go with the hordes of zombies and people trying to survive. There’s still fun to be had there, it’s just harder to be original. In my story, To Walk the Halls (now available to read on my blog), in the Code Z anthology, I take the hospital outbreak scenario on a whole new journey of horrific and wrong. It’s sure to…er…turn your stomach (pun from the story).

But, even if the stories are something from outside the zombie box, or old school survival, keep reading zombie fiction! Zombies are always fun, right?

~*~


Excerpt from Undead Drive-Thru:

PROLOGUE - TWO YEARS AGO . . .
Betty Jones was setting the table for supper when her husband, Sam, stumbled through their apartment’s door. His clothes were torn and duct tape was hanging from his wrists, knees, and ankles. After only five steps through the doorway, he fell hard onto the floor with a grunt.
Sam!” Betty screamed and ran down the hall, dropping to her knees beside him. She lifted his head and cradled it in her left arm, stroking his cheek tenderly with her right hand. “What happened?”
His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at his wife with pain etched across his face. “Betty . . .” he breathed and then passed out, his head lulling to the side.
Betty shook him and yelled, “Sam! Wake up!”
He didn’t respond. As she moved to lay his head gently on the floor so she could call 9-1-1, she noticed two things: 1) The tape that had apparently been used to bind him, had been cut and not ripped; and 2) There was a small red circle on the side of his neck. On closer inspection, she noted that there was a tiny hole in the center, reminding her of an injection site.
Without thinking on these discoveries for any longer than a split second, she pulled herself to her feet with the help of a small table set in the hallway and rushed to the phone to call for emergency assistance. She’d just gotten through to an operator when Sam suddenly woke up with a loud, startling moan.
Betty dropped the phone into its cradle and darted back into the hall to help Sam to his feet, because his movements were slow and awkward.
She gasped when he was finally standing and she could look up into his face. His eyes were glazed and cloudy – almost completely white – and slobber was running down his chin, dripping onto his shirt.
Sam, what happened to you?” she asked on a gasping sob. “Please, tell me!”
He leaned closer to her and sniffed loudly before a crooked grin spread across his face, the drool increasing in volume. Without warning he lunged forward and tried to pin her to the wall as his jaws snapped open and shut, seeking flesh.
She spun slightly when he tried to attack her and broke free of his strong grasp, falling to the floor between the hall and the bathroom. The strength of his forward advance flung him headfirst into the bathroom, leaving him sprawled on the tile floor. Quickly, Betty rose up on her knees and gripped the doorknob, yanking the door shut as the phone began to ring, trapping him.
She was sobbing uncontrollably and leaned back against the door for support; she was shaking too badly to hold herself up on her own. She screamed every time he slammed against the solid wood with the entire weight of his body, hissing and moaning.
Slowly, she crawled over to the phone and answered it; the emergency dispatcher was on the line. Betty fought for composer and forced her mind to work. She knew if she told them about Sam, they would come and take him away. After all, she’d seen enough zombie movies to know what he’d become. They would either use him as an experiment – which she thought someone already had because of the tape and the wound on his neck – or they would simply kill him.
In the most controlled, assured voice she could manage, she told the operator that she’d accidentally dialed the wrong number and apologized.
After hanging up the phone, Betty let the sobs she was holding back break forth again.
Once she again regained some composure, she stood and walked shakily back to the bathroom door where the banging continued. She placed her palms flat on the smooth, white, painted surface of the wood and rested her forehead between them.
Sam,” she called out, “I don’t know what has happened to you, but I’ll be here for you forever. I love you . . .” She paused as her voice caught on a sob. “. . . so much. I’ll take care of you as long as I live, and won’t let anything or anyone hurt you. I promise!”
On the other side of the door, the hungry zombie who’d once been her husband continued to try to get the food he knew was just out of reach; pounding, moaning, clawing, hissing, wanting . . .

Find out how to use your purchase of the ebook to be entered to win two signed paperbacks of Undead Drive-Thru:  http://rebeccabesser.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/udt-rerelease-giveaway/
Rebecca Besser resides in Ohio with her wonderful husband and amazing son. They've come to accept her quirks as normal while she writes anything and everything that makes her inner demons squeal with delight. She's best known for her work in adult horror, but has been published in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for a variety of age groups and genres. She's entirely too cute to be scary in person, so she turns to the page to instill fear into the hearts of the masses.

Find out more about her:



© Rebecca Besser, 2014.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Introverts and Social Gatherings

Over the weekend I had to attend an event with my Seren, which basically means, she gets to do all kinds of fun kid things and work hard dancing with exciting people.  While I get to sit on the concrete floor for eight plus hours surrounded by strangers, people I may know but aren’t friends, almost friends, and then thankfully a few friends (one).  For me, a getting worse by the day introvert, this day was absolute torture for me. 

Why?  How hard can it be?  Sitting around talking all day with a bunch of people that have so much in common with me, in that our lives revolve around our dancers.  Well, because, I spend all day second-guessing myself about everything I said and did.  Then I get home and spend all night second-guessing myself.  For instance, I made a simple comment about there being a good reason why my two children are so far apart in years, in that our first child was very hard. 

I spent half the night thinking and being upset that I had insulted my first-born.  That wasn’t what I meant, and of course anyone that knows me and my first born would know that was not what I meant, but as I said, most of these people aren’t my friends, so no, they wouldn’t know that.  My Sidney is so sweet and loving and giving, even now as an adult and a mother herself she never changed.  She was hard because she was fearless.  She didn’t have a bit of care about getting hurt, trying something new, jumping off a couch if she decided she could fly.  She was hard because she never stopped moving, and she had to know and learn things on her own.  Every thing on her own.  People that haven’t lived through that type of child, think that’s a great thing. I should be proud.  I should be grateful for her inquisitive nature and natural curiosity.  Those people are idiots.  I say it now, and I mean it.  Ironing a pair of pants, and telling her, “Don’t touch honey, that is hot and will burn you.  It will hurt.”  Thinking she understands, and the next moment, she reaches out and touches it anyway just to see for herself.  It was the same thing with the curling iron and the stove and the hot water heater.  It didn’t matter what you did or said, she had to find it out on her own.  You could tell her if you do ______ you will die a horrible death full of writhing pain and she wouldn’t care.  She would have to find out herself.  Every.  Single.  Time.  Every. Single. Thing.

The Peter Pan stage was one of the worst I lived though.  She knew, just knew she could fly.  It didn’t matter what I said or did, she wouldn’t hear it.  She could fly and that was that.  Short of tying her up to my leg, she was diving off of everything that was off the ground.  The coffee table.  The couch.  Chairs.  The entertainment stand.  I spent more time diving to catch her than you would imagine.  I remember sitting in my pediatrician’s office sobbing to the poor man, that I didn’t know what to do with her.  I remember clear as day almost two decades later, him laughing at me.  Laughing and telling me to stop trying to protect her.  Let her fall down.  Let her get hurt.  Now think of putting that into action.  Allowing your children to be hurt…even when you know you could stop it most of the time.  Yeah, I couldn’t do it. 

That fearless nature didn’t make her a bad kid.  She is still full of life and willing to try anything.  It scares me.  But even all that, she is wonderful and always has been.  So, as you can see, even a full day later, it’s still on my mind.  That is only one instance that I worried about all afternoon and night.  I won’t even begin to go through all my moments and mistakes, during one short day.  It’s why social things are so hard for me.  I’m worn out today. 


Thankfully, that is the last social gathering I have to get through until December 7th, when I have an author’s event at Orange Library in Lewis Center.  If you would like to see me in full color and action, come on out from 2-5.  I’ll have books and who knows what else.  Now to get back to worrying about what I said and did yesterday.  

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Interior Snapping Hip Syndrome - What the heck is that?

What is on my mind this week?  A lot.  Especially:

Internal Snapping Hip Syndrome

(aka Dancer’s Hip)

So what is this? 

The big worded answer is that it is a condition where you feel ’snapping’ or a grinding sensation in the hip while doing certain activities such as swinging the leg around.  You can actually hear it from the outside as it pops and snaps around in there.  It can be painful and cause discomfort and soreness.  The pain should decrease with rest.  However, the sound is gross, fyi.  

Internal snapping hip is caused by the Lliopsoas Muscle as it snaps around the front part of the pelvis (Iliopectineal eminence). This type of snapping is more likely to produce pain. Nice eh?


What is Cause snapping hip syndrome


There are several things that can cause this Internal snapping.
·                     The most common is the iliopsoas tendon sliding over the iliopectineal eminence, while the hip suddenly moves into extension from a flexed and externally rotated position. 

·                     The tendon may also snap with sudden movements over the anterior inferior iliac spine or the bony ridge on the lesser trochanter.

·                     Less common causes include movement of the iliofemoral ligaments over the femoral head or anterior capsule of the hip.

·                     Or in people terms, if a dancer turns out her leg and lifts it up past 90 decrees, it grinds and snaps and makes me queasy.  Or while doing Fuentes, and many other types of words that I can’t spell for movements that I can’t do. 

Who is most likely at risk of

developing snapping hip syndrome

 

·                     Ballet dancers DING DING DING…yep.
·                     Gymnasts
·                     Horse riders
·                     Track and field athletes
·                     Soccer players
·                     Excessive weightlifting or running

Snapping hip is mostly seen in the age group of 15 to 40 years.  That’s a big range of ages eh? 

~*~

Now that you have the lesson on what it is and who is at risk, why is this on my mind? Because my Seren has it and it is causing her issues lately.

Why did she get it?  The short answer is that she grew too fast for her muscle to keep up.  It’s not due to injury or doing something.  She’s growing.  I can’t stop that.  We just have to learn to correct it.

What can we do? Since there is no way the girl is going to sit on her butt and rest it, she gets to spend hours and money and time doing physical therapy to get that muscle/tendon stretched out enough that it flows correctly in there.

Does anyone else know more about this issue?  Share, advise, tell me!  I have been on google for days now weeding through the big words and dumbing them down for myself.  I’ve seen more photos of pelvis and hips and tendons that I think I may be becoming an expert. 



Monday, November 3, 2014

What's Up - Week 2

Randomness to get me through Nanowrimo:  

1.  “Don’t worry”, ranks up there right next to “calm down”.  Some people…  Oh and no worries, I am not worried or need to calm down, just something heard on my commute to work today.  I felt like sharing an eye roll with the woman being given such great advice, but I try not to make eye contact with strangers. 

2.  I want to read all the time.  Even this month where most of my spare time (ha, spare time, as if) goes to writing for nano, I want to read.  I make deals with myself that if I only get my word count in for the day in the morning, I could have some time to read at night.  Or, the one that kinda messes me up and gets me in trouble:  If I read for an hour now, I have to spend at least an hour writing later.  Oh that one is too funny, as I will crack open the book and any time I had is spent lost in the fiction of that story.  I’ve just wasted the day for writing.  It’s a problem.

3.  Reviews.  I need reviews for my books.  I assume other authors do as well, yet, I’m really lazy and will only do the star part of the review.  I hardly ever write an actual review.  I’m a hypocrite.  I admit it.     

4.  I am currently on word count at 4200 words.  Granted that is only for the first two days of nano, but I have set aside one hour tonight at 9:30 p.m. to get my 2000 words in today and hopefully all week long.  We will see how well I do.  I get cranky and tired by the time Thursday and Friday hit.  Maybe I should start drinking soda again, just for nano.  It’s a thought…







Monday, October 27, 2014

What's up? - Week 1

It’s that time of year where I have so much going on but nothing to really say.  So instead of a regular blog this week, I’m letting you know what’s up in the life of a writer, aka me.

1.  NANO – As you should know, I am set to begin.  Just waiting, and waiting for the November 1st start date.  If anyone else is doing nano and wants to add me to their buddy list, you can find me under:  Ctnyrene. 

2.  It’s Halloween Week. Yes, most people celebrate the DAY or the Beggar’s night, but I celebrate the week.  I love this week.  Horror movies galore on tv.  Gearing up for beggar’s night.  Getting pumpkins ready and costumes complete.  This is the best week, EVER!  No really, it is.

3.  Pregnant women.  Is it just me, or are they everywhere lately?  I don’t mean the one cute, about ready to pop woman you see at the mall.  I mean they are everywhere right now.  I was at a birthday party over the weekend and there were 4 of them.  4!  At the same party! I happened to be forced to the mall last weekend and everywhere I turned was one.  It’s not that I mind, I happen to enjoy the big bellies and the memories they induce, but really.  Everywhere.  I did a quick google search, and apparently, as the last winter was long and cold, we are expecting a record number of babies this fall.  Hahaha.  Apparently it’s not me.  They really are everywhere.  Good luck, mama’s.  Wishing you all well in the coming months.

4.  Leaves.  They look so pretty falling to the ground.  They sway and twirl and lift and drop, as they make their lazy way on the wind.  Then they land with all their bazillion friends and wait for me or my husband to come along and pick them up by the wheel barrel full.  I hate them.  I know it’s not nice to hate, but seriously, I hate them.  When and if we move, I will be making sure the next house does not have 8 mature (read huge) trees in just our front yard, and especially not Silver Maples.  I wont even mention the back yard. 


What’s up people?  Anything exciting going on with you?  Expect more of these types of blogs in the coming weeks.  NANO…remember?  

Monday, October 13, 2014

Author Spotlight - Maggie Mundy

Today I am happy to introduce to my readers, fellow Author, Maggie Mundy:


Quick Bio:

Maggie Mundy lives in Adelaide, Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the local chapter SARA (South Australian Romance Authors). She recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and English at Flinders University. She had a short story published in the RWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea and Vines. She has two books out with Rogue Phoenix Press. An erotic novella called Blood Scent and a paranormal romance called World Change. She also has two books out with Soul Mate Publishing called Hidden Mortality and Unknown Protector.

She has also performed for many years in corporate entertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, which probably explains why her head is so full of characters. She loves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary, especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.


~*~
Maggie was nice enough to stop over and answer a few questions and give us a chance to get to know her a little better.

Interview:

  1. What kind of music do you like? I like all sorts. When I grew up I would say I was a Deep Purple girl. Still love Smoke on Water. It is a classic. I also loved the Doors. Jim Morrison’s voice was so sexy. I also saw Queen in concert when I was young. Freddy Mercury was brilliant. These days I go with what takes my fancy from Adele to Vance Joy or Linkin Park. I try not to be locked in and say I only like one thing.

  1. Describe your dream home… Next to the ocean. I would love a house near the beach where I could walk my dogs. It would be nice to have a writing room that looked out over the ocean. A nice veranda to sip a glass of wine while you listen to the waves crashing on the shore would be good too.

  1. Favorite literary hero & heroine? Elizabeth Bennett. I am a Jane Austen tragic and glad to admit it. I love the fact that Elizabeth was not afraid to speak her mind in a time when women with no money had little status. Pride and Prejudice is such a beautiful love story and who could resist Darcy.

  1. What are you reading now? I am reading the BlackDagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward. Lots of super sexy alpha vampires and strong woman.


  1. What comes first, plot or characters? A character for me. I get an idea about a person and then wonder how they would deal with a situation. In World Change I wondered how a person would cope be transported to a world that should not exist. Then I had to decide the setting and liked the idea of something similar to Renaissance Italy

  1. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? I am a plotter so my block comes in the planning stage rather than later. I tend to write out chapter guidelines so I have usually worked out the block already. When I can’t sort something out I go off and walk or garden and let my mind sort it out.

  1. Do you ever want to be someone else? Who? No. I am happy to be me. That isn’t to say that life has always been easy but I still like me.


  1. What’s naext? I am working on a few projects. The second book in my Earthbound series is almost complete. I have also started on the second Midworlder book as well. I am trying my hand at women’s fiction with a work in progress called Healing Boots. (Yes I am addicted to boots)I am also co-writing a romantic comedy with a fellow author of mine. I keep busy.

Maggie is a very busy writer. The following are a few of her current books, just in case you are looking for a good read. I have read some of Maggie's work and genuinely enjoyed them. Otherwise, I would not host her on my blog. Just saying.




Blood Oath is a sequel to Blood Scent.  Book 2 in The Seeker Chronicles. 
We discover more about the Rogue, Seeker world in Australia. This is the story of Cassie and Matt based in Tasmania. Matt kills a rogue vampire who wanted Cassie. This sets up a course of events where the rogue’s twin has sworn in a blood oath to avenge his brother’s death. Throw in a bunch of vampire hunters as well and you have trouble. Things become even more complicated when Cassie’s sister is kidnapped as bait. The only option may be that Cassie will have to give up her own life to save them all?



Unknown Protector:
Two things have helped Nicole cope since the murder of her husband. One is running her detective agency, and the other is her guardian angel Mira. When Mira is killed by a demon, Nicole accepts the help of a Ridge, a long haired, cigar smoking diamond in the rough with wings. Things go from bad to worse when a replacement guardian cannot be found. She has to trust Ridge, which is tricky when she realizes there are no demons or angels, just parasitic aliens that humans have built the myths of these celestial beings around. Ridge isn’t an angel or a devil, but an alien half breed known as a Midworlder. He is also way too sexy for his own good, or is it her own good.

World Change
Clare gets transported from present day Florence to an alternate world, one that looks like fourteenth century Italy. The only way back is through a portal half a world away, plus the local High priestess wants her dead, and the only one she can trust is a vampire called Trevi. He is the only one who exits in this world, and she knows more about what he is than he does. He is hard to resist, especially when he saves her life. Trevi can take her home but he is keeping one big secret. She will have to be like him to survive the journey through the portal back to her world making a myth a reality.


~*~


Feel free to comment. I'm sure Maggie will be stopping over and will answer any questions you may have. Have a great week everyone! 

Monday, October 6, 2014

Oh October, how I love and hate thee...

October for me is both a good month and a bad month.  Good in that my favorite time of year, is Halloween.  The horror movies that play all month long, actually make me want to watch TV.  The fun times at the pumpkin patch, picking the very best pumpkin, and then the carving of it.  It’s all a game and yes time consuming, but it is so much fun.  Then there are the costumes.  No, I’m too old to dress up, but I love seeing the children.  And the best part ever, all the CANDY!  Sugar-aholic that I am. 

Then you have the bad, which is the death like sleep the world goes into.  The leaves turning brown, and falling to the ground giving me more work to do, as if I didn’t have enough.  The flowers losing their color and dying right before my eyes is just depressing.  And the worst of the worst, the cold, dreary days that go on and on and on for months.  Oh how I hate the cold and winter.  I know it’s not winter yet, but once fall hits, and that means, October I know it’s right around the corner and it really bums me out. 

Those are the best and the worst of the month of October, but what’s in between?  For me that would be the pre-prep for November, which for writers like me is also known as NANO Month!  I’ve talked about Nano in the past so I will skip the advertisement and just say that you have 30 days to write at least 50,000 words or a novel in a month’s time.  I have been working on an outline (gasp!  Yes, I know…) for a sequel to A Howl in the Night.  I have pulled out my storyboards from the original book and I have pulled out my character studies.  So, do you know what that mean?  Book two is in the works!  Finally.  I plan to have that puppy drafted out in November and finished before the end of January.  Will that happen?  I don’t really know, but I will at least have it drafted by the end of Nano.  Right?

I am struggling with a title for book two.  I am thinking I may hold a contest for ideas.  I wanted the title to be “A Howl in the Night – Dawn Breaks” but I have a feeing that is too close to the Twilight novels.  Since that is what is stuck in my brain, I am having trouble thinking up other titles.  Regardless, the outline is done.  The novel is simply waiting to be written.  I’m excited.  Come on November!  I’m ready for you.


Monday, September 29, 2014

Author Spotlight - Allyn Stotz

Today I would like to welcome, Children's Author, Allyn Stotz to my blog for the week.  



BIO:  

Allyn came from a family of writers. Her father wrote and owned the town newspaper in Edgerton, Ohio and her mother wrote a weekly column. One of her sisters is a freelance editor/writer in the commercial industry. Watching Allyn’s journey to publication convinced her sister and her 85 year old mother to team up and write a novel of their own. They were published in 2012.

Kailee Finds Magic IN Words is Allyn’s second children’s picture book and is the sequel to her first book titled The Pea In Peanut Butter. Both were published by FutureWord Publishing.  Allyn has also been published in various children’s magazines. Look for her  next book, Hippo Bottomless scheduled to be published by FutureWord in 2015.

She is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Allyn has also recently been added to Futureword Publishings permanent staff where she helps out with administrative duties.


Allyn lives in Baton Rouge, La with her husband, two crazy dogs and one fat cat. 



AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 

I had Allyn answer a few questions so that you could get to know her a little bit. She is quite the character, so sit back, and enjoy.     

1.         Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Well I hate to bore your readers right off the bat but if you insist! I was raised with my two older sisters and younger brother in the small town of Edgerton, Ohio. One day when I was 15 and desperate for a boyfriend, my sister’s boyfriend paid a boy named Brad one dollar (best dollar he ever spent!) to walk me home from school. I later married that boy (going on 34 yrs now) and we now live in Baton Rouge, LA. I didn’t begin my writing career until about five years ago. Sometimes it takes me awhile to wake up! But I finally did and have discovered that my passion is in writing children’s picture books.

2.         What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on my first attempt at self-publishing a picture book titled The Color of Love. I’ve chosen a local illustrator in my writing group so we are having lots of fun going over the illustrations. She is doing a great job and I can’t wait to see this book in print. Courtney knows how long I’ve been working on this one!

I’m also in the process of getting another picture book, Hippo Bottomless published through Futureword Publishing. I’ve seen the first draft of illustrations and hopefully it will be out the end of this year or early 2015.

And I’m always working on a new picture book so that never stops!

3.         How did you decide what genre and age group you wanted to write for?
I researched and researched about the different genre’s and age groups until I finally decided it was the little ones I wanted to write for. I’m in love with good picture books and little kids so it seemed like a magical fit.

4.         If you could meet any author in the world, who would it be? Why?
Oh I don’t know, there are so many great authors out there! I guess I’d really like to have a sit down chat with JK Rowling. The first question I would ask her is, “What’s it like to get a big royalty check?”

5.         What advice would you give someone just starting out?
Do your research. Find out what type of book it is that you want to write and for what age group. Without knowing that, you’ll probably just go round and round and chances are you’ll have a tough time finishing a story. Once you discover that, find out all the rules and guidelines for writing in that genre and do it right. Polish up your story to the best of your ability, get others to critique it, and spend the money to get it edited properly. Then begin submitting! You can’t fulfill your dream of being published if you don’t submit first!

6.         What would you say is the most difficult challenge you’ve encountered with your writing?
Definitely marketing the book once it’s published. I am having serious problems with this as I have always stunk at selling anything. I cringe at the thought of being pushy or asking anyone for money. But I’m getting better and someday I’m hoping it will pay off. I just want to get my books in mother’s or father’s hands and in their children’s imaginations!

7.         If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
Oh my gosh, you’re going to laugh but I think it would be Carrie Underwoods song Before He Cheats. I want my husband to hear those words over and over in his brain and know that I will key his beloved 1939 Ford if he ever tries that on me! Plus, it’s just a fun song to sing.


CURRENT RELEASE:



THE GIST:

Kailee doesn’t like to read. But, when her mother forces her to practice reading, she discovers that words can take you on all kinds of magical adventures!”

As an added, FYI, this is book two of Kailee's world.  If you haven't checked out book 1, THE PEA IN PEANUT BUTTER, you should.  It's fantastic.  You can find that:  Here

LINKS:

For those interested, here are some links for you to find her latest release:








Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Blog By-Week Thanks to a Germ

Sorry blog readers, no real blog this week.  I have been sick as heck since the 12th.  I’m starting to finally feel better, but my brain is a big ball of cotton and I am unable to function properly at the moment.  Stay tuned for next week, as I will have Allyn Stotz Children’s Writer on my blog to entertain you. 

Until then, enjoy this cute picture of a bunneh…





Monday, September 15, 2014

Angelia Almos - Interview

 Author Showcase and Interview - Angelia Almos


I am happy to announce that I have on my blog this week, fellow writer, and friend, Angelia Almos.  She is a very proliferic writer, and one that I enjoy on a reading level.  She writers fantasy, she writes paranormal, and she writers thrillers.  I can say that I have read a lot of her books and enjoyed them all for very difference reasons. 

Today I am showcasing, her book, Encounter at Shalana. 




What is the book about?

Space pirate Captain Kristy Ryan grew up the only daughter of a notorious privateer in the Border Planet Region. She learned her trade the hard way - there were no free rides on her father’s ship. Now, she has her own ship, the Unicorn, and successfully works in the shadows, the fringes of legitimate trade. Her life is just how she wants it even on those days when her pilot and lover, Andrew Bennet, drives her crazy. But an unexpected visit from the Military Space Alliance changes everything. Her father disappeared while working a dangerous mission for the MSA. Now, she’s being blackmailed into finishing his mission.


Author Interview:

I was lucky enough to get the scoup on Ms. Almos and asked her a few questions that I am always interested in from writers. 

     1.  What are you currently working on?
I’ve got a cyberpunk novella tentatively titled Cybe-Human that I’m trying to finish up. Hopefully be all done with it by the end of the month.

2.  If you could meet any author in the world, who would it be? Why?

Actually, I think I met the authors I would want to meet at a romance writer’s conference a few years ago. J I tend to get sooo tongue tied when around anyone I admire so I actually tend to avoid talking to people I admire. But who I would love to meet even through the “have nothing clever to say” is Carrie Fischer. She is such a clever writer and I admire her ability to make scripts and dialogue funnier. 

3.  When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was a teenager. But it took a while for me to gain the skills needed to be able to actually finish a story past the initial “this is so fun” phase of a book.

4.  Which one of your books was the most difficult to write?
Whichever book I’m currently working on is always the most difficult. I’ve been working on some sequels off and on and I’m finding them to be particularly challenging. I’d have to say the sequel to Horse Charmer has been the hardest because I have no idea where the story concludes. I’ve scrapped several first couple of chapter drafts.

5.  What would you say is the most difficult challenge you’ve encountered with your writing?
Actually sitting down and writing the stories. Even when I have a clear vision of the overall story it can be hard for me to do the actual typing on keyboard to get it down.

6.  In your book, Encounter at Shalana, who was your favorite character and why?
Kristy. She has so much baggage, but is a good person underneath it all, and it was always interesting to watch her scramble away from anything having to do with feelings. Andrew was more fun to write because he’s a smart aleck and so incredibly loyal.


7.  How do you come up with the names?  Of both people and planets?
I knew I wanted to do “normal” names for the characters to ground the story. But I had more fun naming the places as I wanted to go a little more out there. Tropis was easy as I visualized the spot they went to as tropical so I called it Tropic in early drafts and then just changed the C to an S. The ship names were also fun as I wanted the ship names to tie into the characters.




A quick BIO of Angelia:

Angelia Almos’ developed a fascination for sci-fi at a young age. Growing up with a steady diet of Star Trek, Star Wars, and anything else with a space ship, it’s no wonder so much of her imagination focuses on starships and far off places.

Angelia writes space opera, young adult fantasy, and horsey nonfiction. She lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two dogs, and two pony.

Connect with Angelia:


Where can you find Encounter at Shalana?

Encounter at Shalana is currently on sale for $2.99


Monday, September 8, 2014

Shadow Fire - Official Release

It’s September 8th, so what does that mean?  It is the official RELEASE DAY of Shadow Fire.   



Where can you find it?


AND it is also winner reveal day of the free e-book of said Shadow Fire!

How do I figure out my winner?  Just to keep it fair, I have every comment with a corresponding number in the order it was given.  Then I go to Number Generator and it picks the winner for me.  That way there is no question.  

Okay, onward.  The winner of a free e-book of Shadow Fire is:    Denise    

You should be receiving an email from Amazon with you book today.  If you do not, please let me know asap.  Congrats!  Hope you enjoy the read, and remember, the best way to support authors you love, is to leave a review. 

Don’t worry all you sad losers out there; I will be having another give away soon.