Happy National Grammar Day!
10 Best Moments in My First 50 Years
I’m thrilled to welcome author Carly Jordynn to the Power of 10 series. Today, Carly shares ten of her best moments and her upcoming release, Shifter.
Here’s Carly!
I’ve chosen to list my ten best moments during my first 50 years of life.
10. Buying my first house was a wonderful experience, nerve-wracking, but great. I will never forget the pride of first time home ownership, decorating, and making it your own. I was a nervous wreck when I applied for the loan, but it all went through without a hitch.
9. My wedding day. Even though the marriage ended in divorce, I will never forget that day, my dress, the guests, and how I felt becoming a Mrs.
8. My Baptism. I was in elementary school when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I followed up with Baptism in the fourth grade. It was a special time. Many of my school teachers attended my Church so they were able to celebrate with me.
7. My senior year in high school was fabulous. There were so many activities, dates, and milestones. I was nominated for Basketball Homecoming Queen, Prom was an interesting evening shared with my date and our friends, I attended my first concert my senior year, Graduation was exciting, but sad in a way . . . everyone going their own way.
6. Graduating from college. It took me a long time to find a major and stick to it. I had a lot of false starts along the way, but finally made it through. I dated a lot during college so this probably didn’t help my GPA or making up my mind as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. I made so many good friends at the Baptist Student Union. Those friendships are still strong today.
5. My home life. I’m an only child and have two really wonderful parents who have loved and supported me over the years. Yes, I was spoiled, but not overly so. I am blessed to have these two for my folks.
4. First kisses. I love the newness of a relationship and those first kisses shared. It’s an exciting time. I still get butterflies when I think of some of the first kisses I have received.
3. Saying goodbye to a special friend. He passed away, but I will always treasure our time together. It makes me smile to think of him. I know that sounds weird, but towards the end we had some really fabulous conversations. There was no need to pretend to be cool, or anything like that. We were bare bones honest with each other. Those talks mean the absolute world to me and I am grateful for that time.
2. Becoming a published author. I couldn’t string a sentence together in high school nor in college. Realizing my dream of becoming an author after that was just amazing. I love every minute of my writing life. I have met some wonderful authors along the way who have been supportive and helpful. I have met industry professionals who have offered wonderful advice. I get giddy when somebody asks me to sign a book for them, asks for an interview, or asks me to talk to them about writing.
1. Becoming a mother when I adopted my daughter from Guatemala. What an adventure that has been. So many things did not turn out right and had the potential for disaster. Every setback resolved itself. God gave me my daughter . . . somebody else just had to give birth for me.
Blurb
Sasha Bishop is the Slayer. With her Halfling and Vampire allies by her side, she had fought and won a vampire war. Now some of her classmates are missing. When they resurface as vampires; they accuse Sasha as being their Sire. The trouble begins when Sasha’s 168-year old, vampire boyfriend, Hutch, sides with the newborns. It takes the war to a whole new level.
Angry and hurt, Sasha finds comfort with handsome vampire, Rhydian McDavid, who has an alarming connection to her Slayer past. Now, she must pair up with some unlikely allies to stop a vampire massacre at the Prom, all while being crowned the Prom Queen.
The battle doesn’t stop there. The Vamps of Craig’s Creek are back with a vengeance and plan on making Graduation a buffet. A storm, tornado, and some surprising revelations, guarantee Sasha’s life will never be the same.
Excerpt
Alarm bells went off in my head. “1848? Where have you been?” I then slapped my hand over my mouth as realization came over me. Rhydian laughed, shaking me up and down where I sat on his stomach.
“It’s all becoming clear isn’t it, Slayer?”
I put my hand on his chest. “You know Hutch, don’t you?”
He laughed again.
“Yes, I knew Andrew when he first came to Villa Mirage.”
“Did you know Joseph and Molly?” I asked. Joseph and Molly were my great-great-grandparents. Joseph had been Hutch’s best friend and Molly had been the Slayer. She was killed two weeks shy of her seventeenth birthday.
He sat up so I was now on his lap. We were nose to nose again. My lips parted of their own accord. His head came closer to mine and then he laughed. “I won’t be your rebound Vamp, Sasha.”
I felt heat rise into my cheeks. What was I doing? I loved Hutch.
Rhydian’s words were like a splash of cold water to my senses. Anger coursed over me. I stood and yanked him up with me. I reached for my stake in my boot and came up empty handed.
Rhydian held my stake up and grinned. “I’m disappointed. I thought the Slayer would have known I was stealing her weapons.”
I grabbed for the stake. He held it over his head, just out of my reach. I jumped for it and grabbed the stake triumphantly. That is when he grabbed me. He drew me close against his body. My heart thumped into overdrive. He grabbed the back of my head and crushed his lips into mine. It wasn’t a gentle kiss. This was a full out assault. He pulled me tighter against him, almost like pulling me into himself. My hands wrapped around his neck of their own accord. My stake dropped harmlessly to the ground. When he finally lowered me, I was unsteady, my lips throbbing. I looked into his eyes, almost afraid of what I would see there. His eyes were troubled, like he didn’t expect to feel anything from what we just did. What started out as a joke on his part to make me angry had backfired.
I bent to retrieve my stake and came up empty handed again. I knew I had dropped it somewhere. I felt Rhydian stiffen next to me. I turned slowly, knowing who I would see.
“Looking for this?” Hutch held my stake out to me.
I stared at him wordlessly. No noise would come out. What had I done?
Hutch glanced at Rhydian. “What are you doing back in Villa Mirage?”
Rhydian slipped his arm around me. I flinched from his touch. “Oh come on, Sasha. Don’t be that way. You know you liked that kiss.”
Anger, shame, horror, and dread washed over me. “Did you know? Did you know Hutch was out there?”
He laughed. “Of course, and if you had been paying attention, you would have known too.”
I turned to Hutch.
“I’m sorry.”
“Save it, Sasha,” he barked. “I have eyes. I don’t need a play-by-play of the details.”
Bio
Carly Jordynn is a writer from Northern Kentucky who loves to weave tales of fantasy, paranormal, and romance. When she isn’t writing a book, she writes lyrics for the Christian band, Phil Parks and One Step Closer.
Carly loves to travel. You can find her at various conferences and other author events throughout the year. Her hobbies include: travel, photography, reading, party-planning, dinner with friends, and hanging out with her family.
Carly is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Where to find Carly…
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Pinterest | Blog
Pearls of Second Act Wisdom
In July 2013, I started the Second Acts series on my blog. My original intention was to feature the reinvention stories of twelve women as part of the launch to my debut novel, Between Land and Sea, Book 1 of the Mediterranean Trilogy.
I was pleased with the response and decided to extend the timeline. Almost three years have passed, and the Second Acts keep on coming.
Continue reading on the Soul Mate Authors blog.
Interview with S.D. Skye
I’m visiting S.D. Skye’s blog and chatting about my writing journey and A Season for Killing Blondes.
If you have a few minutes, drop by Starla’s blog.
Fun Friday
10 Lovely Rose Colors and Their Meanings
I’m happy to welcome author Erin Bevan to the Power of 10 series. Today, Erin shares the meaning behind rose colors and her latest release, Text Me.
Here’s Erin!
Valentine’s Day is over and done with now, and I’m sure your local florist is reaping the benefits of the lovely holiday. Were their red roses sitting on your counter top from the holiday? Or what about pink or white? Have you ever stopped to think about what the color of the roses represent?
Well, think no more. I am going to tell you. Here are ten lovely rose colors and their meanings.
Red– Romance. (I’m sure we all knew that one!)
White– Purity, Innocence, Secrecy. (I feel a story coming on with white roses! Some deep dark secrets involved. Taps tips of fingers together and laughs-Mwa Ha Ha Ha!)
Dark Pink– Appreciation or Gratitude.
Light Pink– Admiration or Sympathy.
Yellow– Joy, Delight, Friendship. (Maybe this is why everyone considers yellow a “happy” color?)
Orange– Fascination or Desire.
Peach– Appreciation or Sincerity.
Coral– Desire (Mmm… I think I gave my kid’s teacher coral roses once. Oops!)
Lavender– Love at First Sight or Enchantment.
Yellow with Red Tips– Falling in Love (Aww!!)
Which color would you prefer to get? I think dark pink would be nice. Everyone likes to feel appreciated every once in a while, right? Next year, when you send out your flowers, use this little cheat sheet as a guide. Don’t be like me and send roses of desire to your kids’ teachers! Unless, you do desire them, then I say go for it!
Blurb
When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.
Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.
Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.
Excerpt
Valentine’s Day.
She sank deeper into the couch. What was she going to do? She couldn’t show up alone to the company dance. Not with the chance of Grayson being there. No way.
“Maybe go to another speed dating session?” She grabbed a tissue off the coffee table and wiped the excess slime from her fingers.
“My hairdresser’s single. You want me to ask him?”
“Your hairdresser’s gay. I don’t think he’d be interested in me.”
“Really?” Megan gave her a funny stare.
“Really.” Erika snorted. “Have you not seen the picture of him and his ex-partner at his station?”
“That was his partner?” Her friend’s mouth gapped open. “I thought it was his brother.”
She shook her head. Her friend was one of the smartest people she knew, but common sense eluded the girl.
Megan popped more hearts in her mouth. “That explains so much now,” she mumbled around the candy. “No wonder my hair always looks good.”
“Yes, it does.” Erika sipped her wine.
Her friend swallowed. “Well, I’m sorry, honey. I don’t know any single guys. If I did, I’d try to date them myself.”
“That’s okay.” She sighed and slumped back onto the sofa.
“Is Grayson single?”
“I don’t know. Why are you asking?” She narrowed her gaze. “You want to date him?”
“No.” Her friend said “no” as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
“I’m thinking about you. You wouldn’t go back out with Grayson again, would you? Please say no.” Megan’s shoulders sagged.
Go back out with Grayson. She never thought she’d be given another chance. Would she go back out with him after the way he treated her? Of course not. She deserved better, despite how wonderful he had been.
“I don’t think so. He really hurt me. I can’t give him that privilege again.”
“Good for you.” Her roommate perked up and patted her on the back. “Stay strong. You’ll find someone.”
“You’re right. I’m going to have a date for that corporate Valentine’s dance, even if I have to search the classifieds.”
“Surely, it won’t come to that.” Megan held up her glass for a toast.
Erika clinked hers with her friend’s. “Yeah, surely.”
Her roommate sat her glass down on the table and reached for more hearts.
“Here, give me one of those.”
“I love reading the little sayings.” Megan passed her a heart and tossed her dark hair behind her shoulder. “What’s yours say?”
She flipped over the candy to see the phrase. Bright pink letters stared back at her. Oh, you can’t be serious. “‘Text me’. Seriously?”
Megan burst out laughing.
“You would find that funny.” Erika popped the heart in her mouth and obliterated the little saying she had grown to hate so much.
Bio
Erin Bevan is a wife and mother of three. An avid reader, one day she decided to try her luck in writing stories of her own, and the idea paid off. She spends her days deep in the heart of Texas, fighting mosquitoes, cleaning dirty faces, and writing when the kids nap. If it’s a really good day, she even finds time to brush her hair.
Where to find Erin…
Happy National Banana Bread Day!
Banana bread is one of my favorite comfort foods. It is so versatile and can be eaten at almost anytime of day. When I’m running late, I have yogurt and a slice of banana bread for lunch. It’s also a good snack idea when those hunger pangs hit in mid afternoon.
Try this quick, easy-to-prepare recipe:
Ingredients
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2¼ tsp double acting baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup sugar
¾ tsp grated lemon rind
2 eggs, beaten
1¼ cups ripe banana pulp
Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Resift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• In a separate bowl, blend the margarine, sugar and lemon rind until creamy. Beat in the eggs and banana pulp.
• Add the sifted ingredients in 3 parts to the sugar mixture.
• Beat the batter until smooth.
• Place the batter in a greased bread pan.
• Bake the bread for about one hour or until done.
• Cool before slicing.
Series Writing
I’m thrilled to welcome Guelph author and editor Donna Warner. Today, Donna shares tips on series writing and her debut novella, Targeted.
Here’s Donna!
Creating a book series can be both rewarding and taxing for an author. Some considerations before taking the plunge into these murky waters are summarized below:
• Your personal time line. Series books are usually released by publishers a year apart. Are you prepared to immerse yourself into the fictional world of your protagonist for many years?
• An intriguing concept should be at the core of every conflict. Will your series be open ended or have a predetermined shelf life? Will the series be a collection of stand-alone books or will each be a continuation of the previous story?
• Which Point of View (POV) will you utilize for each book?
• Character, plot driven, or both? There should be a perfect marriage between plot and characters to sustain the strength of a series.
• Character Roster. Will all characters move through all the books or only the main characters? Do you plan to add new characters as the series progresses?
• Main characters must be memorable and have activities thrust them into situations to test their courage or resolve. Through the course of their adventures, personalities should evolve. Make every crisis relate to their inner development.
• Setting is a time period and space. This is the world you give your characters to dwell in or visit. Decide whether the setting is an integral part of the story or just a backdrop. Once you determine this, you can create a setting that is interesting and believable in the mind of the reader.
• Plot the timelines when you write the first book in the series. Will story timelines be concurrent, consecutive, or will there be overlap?
• Be consistent with the genre of each novel or readers’ expectations won’t be met. Maintain a similar tone or style throughout the series.
• Be thorough with fact-checking. If you have a lot of research material, excess can go into subsequent books.
• Keep readers guessing – avoid getting stuck in a formulaic pattern. Plant clues and connections for future stories within each book. Make notes about how characters, events, and location may intersect and influence each other. Plot high points and incorporate other tension points such as internal conflicts between main characters, secondary characters getting into hot water, or past traumas popping up to haunt the protagonist(s).
• Introduce new questions to deepen mysteries across stories but ensure each book has its own story question, conflict, and resolution. Don’t solve the big questions or resolve all the conflicts in the first book.
• Order of stories. Will it matter if they are read out of order? This will happen so ensure each book is both dependent on and independent of the other books.
• Will the climax of each story leave readers with a different feeling? What about the ultimate climax for the series?
• Each previous book is backstory. Excess backstory can stall the current story’s momentum. Pretend each sequel is the first in the series to avoid the dreaded info dump and avoid repetition when relating snippets of backstory.
• Hook readers’ interest within the first paragraph of each novel. Some authors repeat one book’s closing line as the opening in the next book or provide a sneak peek of the sequel.
• Keep track of essential details. Develop a “bible” of vital statistics or a style sheet of your main character(s), world settings, timelines, etc. Create a draft synopsis for each novel, as you write.
• Become a sketch artist when creating fictional or real settings. Mapping out rooms or crime scenes where your action takes place can help you keep details straight. Tools like Google Earth are helpful to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, etc.
• Be creative with each book and the series’ title. The title will be what represents your work to the rest of the world, now and forever. Aim for interesting, easy to remember titles, appropriate for the genre. A number of famous writers create titles that follow a pattern unique to their series of stories.
Books have personalities. Enjoy the time you spend creating memorable characters and weaving interesting threads to connect your novels. With advance planning, an eye for detail, and a little luck, readers will relish spending time with your series’ character(s) the same way you enjoy immersing yourself in a T.V. series.
Blurb
What could be better than a week of sipping rum cocktails, basking in the sun, and listening to waves lap against a Caribbean beach? Nothing, according to Jordan Blair and her friend, Ellie. Until their vacation takes a sinister turn.
The former occupant of their hotel room has vanished and the charming resort manager is unconcerned. He suggests the woman has taken off for a romantic interlude with a sailboat skipper. Given the visible police presence, Jordan doesn’t buy it.
An enigmatic guest, Darcy Piermont, attaches himself to Jordan and Ellie, but his covert activities arouse Jordan’s suspicions. Could he have been involved with the woman’s disappearance?
Plagued by unanswered questions, Jordan trusts the wrong man. Now, she and Ellie are running for their lives. Will her survival skills save them, or will their return flight home be in body bags?
Purchase Links
Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (US) | Black Opal Books | KOBO | Barnes and Noble
Bio
Donna Warner’s debut novella, Targeted was released Nov. 2015 by Black Opal Books. This mystery thriller, set in the exotic Caribbean setting of Roatán Island, Honduras, is co-authored by award winning mystery author, Gloria Ferris.
Donna’s prior careers were in education, communications, and management. She taught adult education courses; owned a private vocational school; was communication manager for the Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres; and provided freelance editing consultation.
When not attempting to outsmart fish at her cottage, home is a country property near Guelph, Ontario, Canada. She enjoys tutoring English as a Second Language students and trading writing, editing, and publishing war stories with members of local writing groups. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers and Crime Writers of Canada.
Where to find Donna…
Author Website | D. J. Warner Consulting Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
Co-Authoring with Chantel Seabrook
I’m happy to welcome Stella Marie Alden to my blog. Today, Stella shares her co-authoring experience and her upcoming novel, Dark Vortex.
Here’s Stella!
One might ask, how in the world, after publishing just two books, did you find a co-author?
I met Chantel Seabrook, on Goodreads. She was asking for people to review her book. As I always do, I checked out the first pages posted on Amazon. I was astonished. I really love her book, Cara’s Twelve.
My first book, How to Train Your Knight, came out about the same time and we started to compare marketing notes. Did you try this? What about that?
Soon, we started a Goodreads romance group together, and then we co-hosted a Facebook Group. We shared our tools, gave encouragement, and read each other’s next beta copies.
One day, she said, “We should write a book together.”
I had a paranormal novel in my computer that I’d written three years ago. The plot was good and the characters good, but it needed some serious help. The sex scenes were blah, the antagonist was a caricature, and my writing had not yet matured.
I knew, working full time, and with one more Medieval in my series to write, I might not get back to the paranormal for years.
I asked if she would like to co-author it.
At this point, I had to bury my ego and trust Chantel to be kind. It’s hard to show someone work that is not your best. I told her it was like having someone stop by, while in my PJ’s, no makeup, and not showered.
She laughed and read while I held my breath.
“I LOVE IT.” She pinged. “I can edit this for you.”
“No,” I chatted back. “Definitely not. Don’t edit. This is fifty-fifty. Make it yours as much as it is mine. Do whatever you want with it.”
We signed a contract, so as to remain friends, and she had it on pre-order in less than three weeks.
DARK VORTEX will be available on March 9th. We’re already talking about the next novel in the series.
I’m discovering what is needed for self-publishing, and about writing more concisely.
She’s had fun, with all my descriptions. She says it’s easier to remove some, than make it up.
The synergy is amazing. Funny? We both have husband-editors.
Also, we bring two fan bases to our book and have already hit the top 100 in our Amazon romance categories!
We encourage each other when the rankings are low.
We continue to tweet, post, raffle copter, and Facebook party.
We lol as we bounce ideas off from one other. We answer each other’s texts like an old married couple. Often, when we touch base, we’re researching the very same thing.
Most of all, we share our passion of writing together.
I have a new virtual best friend.
It’s awesome.
Blurb
Shameless Cravings. Wicked Pleasures. Can she survive a bond more powerful than love?
For the survival of his clan, Jack Fialko needs to mate with a witch of equal power before the end of the solstice. He finds the perfect woman, except for one serious flaw. She has no idea how to engage in the dangerous magical foreplay–the duel for sexual equality. The task of training her in two days seems insurmountable, especially while other warriors are trying to kidnap her.
Zoe is a warrior-healer hybrid. The trouble is, she has no idea what that means. It’s all a harmless game until one night a dominant, brooding, sexy-as-sin warrior touches her and ignites a shameless craving to mate. Zoe must decide if the scorching chemistry between them is worth fighting for.
Can love and lust exist together in an exhilarating magical combination? Or will their bond combust?
WARNING: Book contains mature themes, steamy, sexual scenes and graphic language.
Where to find Stella…
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Pinterest
Joanne Guidoccio 