All She Wants For Christmas...

Happy Tuesday All,

Wow, it really has been a long time since I updated. I was working on fixing up my new novel to send out, and had a bunch of other obligations so my life has been packed lately. I still have a lot on my plate, but I wanted to take the time to give a heads up on a few things. (By the way, new novel has been sent out, yay!)

I'll be guest appearing on another blog (scheduled for Dec. 3rd), I'll do my best to update the blog so you can get to the post. It'll have a bunch of my favorite Christmassy traditions in it, so stay tuned. If you're following me on Facebook or Twitter, I'll definitely have the links on there. I need to update my website--the last time I tried there was some sort of problem and it didn't go through. 

In the meantime, the ever-talented Christie Craig has a new Romance out just in time for the holidays, and today I'm going to give you my official blog review of it:

Savanna has had a run of bad luck lately. When her mom was dying, her husband decided to sleep with one of his employees, in their house. She came back from spending time with her mother, only to find the two together. Now divorced, and having had to give up the house, she finds out that the fact she didn't put her car's title in her name is coming back to bite her in the rear...in the form of a Santa-suit wearing repo man all because her ex-husband screwed her over by taking out a loan on the car's title and not paying it back.

She runs to her neighbor's house--hunky cop, Mark Donaldson, to ask him for help. Unfortunately, his hands are tied and he can't do a thing.

And although Mark is unable to assist her, he can't help but notice how attractive Savanna is. She, on the other hand, has deemed him a jerk. (Albeit, a hunky jerk).

Unable to get help anywhere, she drowns her troubles in the form of lunch with her best-girlfriends and confesses all she wants for Christmas is her ex-husband dead with a bow tied around his.... (you fill in the blank). 

What Savanna didn't bargain for was her words spoken in anger to be taken seriously. She comes home only to find her ex laying on the floor dead. This time, however, when she runs for Mark's help, the cop is determined to prove her innocence. Not only that, serve and protect take on a whole new meaning when Savanna's involved. 

You see, for the first time in Mark's life, he may have just found the woman right for him.

But is it meant to be or will doubts and murder get in the way of could-be?

Find out in The Cop Who Stole Christmas. For a Limited Time you can get this fun novel for only $1.99 on Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.

Have A Totally Terrific Tuesday!

Updates, Edits, & More...

Happy Tuesday all,

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. Like always, I mostly concentrate on Facebook and Twitter. However, I do try to get on here at least once in a while. I used to be so much better about this. I'm sorry!

My revisions for Immortal Dreams Book 1:  Dream Weaver are coming along. I'll be sending them to my proof reader very soon, then I'll go through it again and get it out. I'm ready for this novel to be going out into the world. It's not a Third Realm novel, but I think it's a lot of fun. I'm classifying it as a New Adult Paranormal Romance. It does have magic in it, which lends a little bit of the fantasy to it.

New Adult is a fairly new designation. I was reading in article in a magazine about how it's not quite adult and not quite YA. In general, the characters tend to be between 18 and 25. It's based on getting into new adult situations--college, marriage, adulthood. (Most of what I'm saying is based on the article I read and what I've read around the internet about the genre). I plan for this to be a 3-book series. I have started writing the 2nd book, and the 3rd book is in the planning stages.

What about my Third Realm novels? All's Fair In Love & Lion is the first out of the Third Realm books and currently the only book that's published. As to more Third Realm stories? I still have to finish Loralyn Xavier's novel. The working title is Out Of The Flames.  Loralyn is on the Third Realm Council, and you meet her through Monroe--although he doesn't know much about her.  Her mystery and past lend for some interesting story ideas--which, I won't go into (it's a surprise).  I do have hopes to write another Third Realm novel. This one would focus on Quin Erone, the Nightshade who is also on the Council. He's an interesting creature in and of himself--but his story isn't quite developed completely in my mind, yet.  His story's working title is In The Shadows. 

I also have another project--a New Adult Paranormal one--that's lurking in the background. I won't reveal much about that. It's an idea I worked on years ago, but could never get it to come together. I'm hoping this time it will, but I'm not positive, yet.

There are plans for a spin-off series of the Immortal Dreams books.

I plan at least 2-books for the spin-off, with a possibility of other spin-offs later.  Right now, however, I'm focused on getting the 3 books of the Immortal Dreams series put together.

For those of you who have read All's Fair In Love & Lion is there a character you're longing to hear about? If so, leave a message in the comments and I'll answer it as best I can.

Have A Thrillingly Terrific Tuesday!

I Dare You To Blurb...

Happy Monday/Tuesday All,

It's been long while since I've blogged. A big chunk of the reason is that I've been knee-deep in revisions for Immortal Dreams Book 1:  Dream Weaver--mine and Critique Partners' revisions--so I can send it out. It's not done, yet, but recent events in my life have inspired me to write this blog post.

Besides synopses  I'm of the opinion that blurbs are hard to write. After all, you have to sum up your story in a few short paragraphs (or one paragraph) without giving away everything, but still giving the reader an idea of what your story is about--including, in some way, genre. 

Some blurbs are taken directly from query letters. Think about it. When you query an agent or editor you have to encourage them to want to read the entire thing. So the blurb you include has to include enough information where they have an idea of what you're writing, but without giving away every single last detail of the story. 

A question I used to help with
the early writing of ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE & LION's
blurb

Blurbs tell the reader WHO (main character/s) WHAT (what do they want?) and WHY (why do they want it?) The "meaty" stuff and the HOW are in your novel. But you need to tell the reader enough for them to want to see the journey. 

Todd Stone talked about this in the 2009 Lone Star Conference I attended.  This post I wrote about the Conference gives the hints and tools Mr. Stone gave to writing a pitch/blurb. (For the record, the story Conjure A Man, that I was working on at the time of the writing of that particular post is currently on hold, and the name Delaney Ryan has been changed to Rita Blake).

Some people have an easier time writing blurbs than others. But whether or not you have an easy time or a hard time writing a blurb, they are necessary. One example is Christie Craig's blurb for her story, Only In Texas. 

My blurb for All's Fair In Love & Lion gives the WHO, WHAT, & WHY for the story, without giving away all the details. 

We writers worry about giving everything away. To do this, you need a blurb that organizes the WHO, WHAT, & WHY into a format that makes your readers and potential readers go

"Wow! I must read this book!" 

No, it's not always easy. I didn't claim it was. However, it is possible. Also, make sure you send your blurb to a critique partner or freelance editor. Have them chime in. My critique partner looked at all the versions of my blurb before I ever submitted them to my publisher.

To summarize:

*Blurbs tell the basic WHO, WHAT & WHY of the story leaving the "meat" (and HOW) for the book itself. 

*Blurbs give CLUES as to what the story is about to readers, agents, and editors.

*Always get critique partners or a freelance editor to look over your blurbs before sending them to your publisher or agent (or, if you self-publish, posting them).

*Study other authors' blurbs to get ideas on how to write yours.

Hope this helps!

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday & Have A Tip-Top Tuesday!

Learning Unforgettable Writing Techniques...

Happy Tuesday All,

I promise, I didn't do it on purpose. Really.

The NWHRWA Lone Star Conference came around and I...

Forgot my camera!

However, I did, in fact, go, and there are a ton of witnesses who will attest to the fact I was there. For all I know, RM Brand might have gotten a photo of me during the time I was down in the

Conference room helping them set up before it started. 


Donald Maass was unable at the last minute to come. His family had an emergency, so he had to back out. However, he was nice enough to do his best to help us get someone. In the end, James Scott Bell, who came last year, rescued us and returned with a brand-new topic. (I give Raven Raye, our 1st V.P. a lot of credit for dealing with this unforeseen situation, she worked so hard and deserves a standing ovation).

Friday night, I attended (by invitation) the Meet & Greet. I got to sit down and chat with agent Kevan Lyon, who is authors Jennifer L. Armentrout and Katie McGarry's agent. We had a delightful conversation, and I learned some awesome things about Armentrout's New Adult books. Ms. Lyon also spoke very excitedly about a McGarry novel (not yet available--and a title she didn't divulge), so that was fun.

Saturday dawned bright and early (especially since at first I woke up at 4 a.m. and went back to sleep, then woke at 6:15 a.m. when my alarm went off). I got ready, and headed downstairs. Since I was so early, the conference room wasn't completely set up, so I helped the 1st Vice President of my chapter set up.

The coffee service finally arrived, and we all made a beeline for that (some chose tea). People began trickling in, registering, and getting their name tags. 

NWHRWA current President, Susan Muller (author of The Secrets of Forest Bend, and The Witch On Twisted Oak), welcomed everybody, and then 1st Vice President, Raven Raye (author of Broken Prophecy) introduced keynote speaker James Scott Bell who started us off by announcing that he thought he'd figured out the greatest secret to writing unforgettable fiction. However, we had to wait until the end of the conference to find out what that was.


Meanwhile, I headed out about an hour later to where I was going to go help time pitch sessions for Harlequin Editor, Rachel Burkot. Ms. Burkot was extremely gracious, and I enjoyed talking to her about the industry, and her role at Harlequin. 

During lunch, 2nd Vice President, Jaye Garland (author of The 25th Hour) announced the final placement of the Lone Star Contest winners. Excerpts of the 1st place winners were read (so many good ones, by the way). She gave a great presentation. A couple of the winners were there, so it was nice to get to say hello to them, and also congratulate them.

After lunch, I went ahead and sat in to hear the rest of the Conference. Mr. Bell was going through the movie, The Fugitive to describe different ways of drawing out tension, and livening up your novels (whether your write Romance, Thrillers, or other genre).  It was very interesting, and a great way to illustrate his points.

At the end of the Conference Mr. Bell gave us the secret to the greatest secret of writing unforgettable fiction. Which, I can't share. You'll just have to attend James Scott Bell's Don't Let 'Em Put The Book Down workshop for yourself to find out. 

I'm sad Conference time is over, but feeling blessed I got to go. If you're a writer, please do consider coming down next year. Our Lone Star Conference is generally held in October.

Have A Terrifically Thrilling Tuesday!

Fairy-Tale Teachers...

Happy Thursday & Friday All (Since I'm going to leave this post up for both days),

Saturday is the NWHRWA Lone Star Writer's Conference. I've been really looking forward to it. Donald Maass is the keynote speaker and I believe it's going to be another great conference. This is my 5th year going. I can hardly believe it's been that long already, but I'm excited. This Fall marks 6 years as a member of the NWHRWA. The group is just awesome. So many talented authors. Many of them have become friends of mine, and I'm very grateful to them and the entire group, for their support and encouragement over the years. I'm telling you, they are really warm and caring. If you're a writer and ever get a chance to come down for one of our conferences and/or meetings, please do.

Today I'm thinking about the lessons we can learn from fairy-tales. I know, usually they're kind of "fluffy" or "cheesy", but I've been thinking about even though oftentimes the heroine is a "damsel-in-distress" rather than a "tough cookie", she sometimes shows her own strength.

Take Cinderella. For years she endures the abuse of her step-mother and step-sisters, who are jealous of her beauty and kindness. She could always haul off and slap them, but instead, quietly does her work, and dreams of when things can be better. When the opportunity arises, she seizes it in both hands and makes the most of it--winning the heart of the prince. Her journey isn't easy, and she often looks weak, but in the end, her tenacity and belief in things getting better--and then taking the chance when given--she gets her happily-ever-after. (The Grimm Brothers version is bloodier than most, having the step-sisters cutting off parts of their foot to fit in the slipper, but the general story is the same).


What about Beauty (or "Belle", if you prefer)? She takes care of her family and loves her father deeply. When the Beast threatens her father because he took a rose without permission, even though she's scared and doesn't know what will happen, she courageously takes her father's place. Eventually she and the Beast fall in love, he changes back into a prince, and she's rewarded for her unselfishness. (The original French version--at least the ones I've read/seen--have Beauty/Belle dreaming of the prince).

Those are just two examples (from my two favorite fairy-tales). What are some other examples from fairy-tales where there's a lesson about being a good person?

Have A Totally Terrific Thursday and a Fantastically Fascinating Friday!

Who's The Gilty One?

Happy Tuesday Everybody,

As promised, today is a special treat...an official blog book review and it's a brand-new release:

Laura Childs strikes again with her newest Scrapbooking Mystery, Gilt Trip.

When Carmela Bertrand and her best pal, Ava Gruiex attend a high society shindig celebrating the release of Jerry Earl Leland from jail (only because Carmela designed the invitations and Margo—Jerry Earl’s wife—decided Carmela must be at the party), the last thing on their minds is murder.

However, when searching for something to dab a stain on Ava’s blouse, Carmela runs across a murder victim stuffed in the dryer. And not just any victim. Jerry Earl himself. 

With her boyfriend/detective, Edgar Babock, out of town, his no-nonsense assistant Bobby Gallant is on the case. And he has no interest in Carmela sticking her nose in the investigation. In fact, Carmela has no interest in doing that either—even going so far as to promise Babock she won’t.

However, when the distraught widow begs (okay, let's be honest, leaves no room to say no) Carmela finds herself in the middle of a messy situation filled with business enemies, and prison gangs (one that references “the end of the world”) and a host of other things she hadn't planned on being a part of.

The whole thing gets worse when Jerry Earl’s assistant is next on the murderer’s hit list.

Can Carmela figure it all out so the right person goes to jail—or will she be too late?

You can purchase your copy of Gilt Trip today,  October 1, 2013, from the following...

Barnes & Noble and Amazon 

Hope everyone has a Tip-Top Tuesday!

Burning Questions -- The Answers...

Happy Monday All,

Here's hoping everyone had a great weekend! Mine was busy. Saturday we had offspring soccer game. Sunday we went to church and then we had family time. In the evening, offspring and Daddy went off to have time together (ran errands and hung out) while I watched the Season 3 Premier of Once Upon A Time (which was really good, by the way! Totally not the Peter Pan we're used to from the animated movie). I think it'll be a good season.

Last week I asked everyone to post or email their "burning questions" about my writing. A couple of you left me some really good questions, so today I'm taking the time to answer them:

Susan M. asked:  I notice that you write in first person, present tense Is there a reason you chose this? Is it difficult and will your future books be written in this tense?

My answer:  My Third Realm Romances (what All’s Fair In Love & Lion is, and the subsequent companion novels that are in the same world) are all first person /present tense. I’m not sure why that happened. I just know when I wrote AFIL&L, I tried to write it the more “conventional” way (3^rd person, past tense), and it just didn't have the right “feel”.  So I had it as 1^st person present tense and it just flowed for me.  My future books—the Immortal Dream Series—will be in the more “conventional” way (3^rd person, past tense). I did that with Immortal Dreams as a challenge to myself, and it actually worked well for that series, but it doesn't work for the Third Realm Romances. I’m not positive to why this is, I guess it’s mostly because every story has its own quirks.  Just about everyone I've talked to about writing present

tense 1^st person has asked me if it’s difficult. I guess it just depends on the day and my mood. Most of the time, when I’m writing a novel whatever makes that novel flow works for me. This isn't to say I never run into roadblocks—far from—but, I guess if I’m immersed in a story the style comes to me reasonably easily. The hardest part is switching from Immortal Dreams to the Third Realm and switching styles. However, when I’m immersed the style and the writing is flowing, it’s not real hard.

Tonette asked:  Are you going to stay with novels or are you branching back out?(I know you are a poet and songwriter, as well).

My answer:  My primary focus will remain being a novelist. However, I haven't ruled out writing more poetry and lyrics (in fact, I've written some poems and at least one set of lyrics in the last 6-7 months). I'm pretty open to wherever I'm inspired. But yes, I plan to focus mostly on my novels.

Stay tuned for tomorrow, folks! I've got a special treat--an official blog book review. 

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!