Category Archives: Guest Blogging

Seeking Purpose

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Canadian author Carol Balawyder musing about the two acts of her writing journey.

Here’s Carol!

carolbalawyderI am so grateful to be featured among so many (over 90!) wonderful writers in Joanne Guidoccio’s Second Acts series.

In life one has many second acts but the one which I wish to focus on here is my writing journey.

ACT ONE

Five years ago I retired from a successful teaching career with the luck of a pension that allowed me the freedom to write without the financial burden of having a day job. My initial intention was to put my heart and soul into writing crime novels. After all, wasn’t that the purpose for my going back to school to study criminology and later teach Police Tech and Corrections so that I would have credibility as a crime writer?

mourninghasbrokenBut then people around me started dying: Father. Mother. Sister. I was stricken with a deep grief that I only knew how to express through writing. They say that one must go through a year of mourning and so when my dear sister, Diana, died I wrote for a year about my pain and sorrow which became my requiem: Mourning Has Broken.

Parallel to this my heart broke in a different way: Man leaves wife for younger woman. Here I was seeking out another partner to fill a hole that partly got filled by writing Getting To Mr. Right in which I created four female characters and their relationships with their fathers.

With the novel self published, I found I still wasn’t finished with these characters and followed up with novella length epilogues for each of them. So far I’ve written Missi and Suzy’s stories.

balawydergettingtomrrightbalawydermissisdatingadventuresbalawydercafeparadise















I will soon publish Felicity’s story (Not By Design).

That still leaves me Campbell which will likely be the end of this series.

But in this first act there were my crime novels lurking at the back of my mind. I have three manuscripts at different stages of the writing process, one which I hope to publish soon.

ACT TWO

Pieces of magic.

I am a woman seeking purpose. At this stage of my writing career I feel the need to use my writing to help bring awareness to causes that are dear to me. I have begun to do this with Not By Design where the main character, Felicity Starr, develops Multiple Sclerosis.

Logically, I should be more interested in cures for cancer, particularly blood cancer such as lymphoma, leukemia and thrombocythemia – all cancers that run like river water in my maternal side of the family’s blood stream.

Before I wrote Not By Design I knew nothing about MS. I knew no one who suffered from the disease. But then again as Felicity discovers:
“The thing about having MS is that no one can tell that I am sick. A bizarre illness where you look fine but you’re not fine.”

In the early stages of writing this novel –still at the stage of trying to discover what my book was about I happened to meet (The Universe works its magic) Irene Grazzini, a young physician from Italy who was doing research at Montreal’s Neurological Institute. Because of her own writing we developed a friendship where during her stay in Montreal we met weekly for walks and talked about writing. On one such walk I said that I wanted my character, Felicity, to be struck with an illness. Because Felicity is an artist I wanted her to have a disease which would force her to give up her art (at least as she knows it) and told Irene that she could develop Parkinson’s.

Irene: How old is she?

Me: Mid-thirties.

Irene: Why don’t you give her MS? It’s more common for her age group. It’s a disease that affects coordination.

magicwandMore magic.

The other day I was at the library thinking about my second act.

As usual, whenever I go to the library, I check out the new books. And there it is. Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling (in case the name is unfamiliar, think Harry Potter).

Very Good Lives is Rowling’s commencement address delivered to the class of 2008 at Harvard University. Its subject is on the fringe benefits of failure and the importance of imagination.

I imagine Rowling’s words transitioning me from my Act One to my Act Two as a commencement speech is meant to do. I am especially struck by these lines:

“If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself into the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud families who celebrate your existence but thousands and millions of people whose reality you have helped change. We do not need magic to transform our world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.”

So this is how I imagine my second act.

My warmest thanks to you, Joanne, for inviting me to be a guest on your inspiring blog.

Where to find Carol…

Amazon | Goodreads | Smashwords | Blog

Joanne here!

Carol, Thanks for sharing your back story and hopes/plans for the future. I also enjoyed reading Very Good Lives and like the quote you shared. Best of luck with all your literary endeavors.


Spotlight on Shifting

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Book 2 Shifting_805x1275 (3)

Blurb

Dr. Keely Bennett, a healer at Paranym University, can’t shift.

Her mate, Hugh Blackwolfe doesn’t mind—but his pack sure does. Hugh is the strongest alpha on the east coast and the pack’s single females challenge Keely, forcing her to find a shifter willing to meet and win this challenge for her, so that she and Hugh can mate.

Keely’s dragon best friend, Lindy, with her controller and mate, Alex, also struggle with shifting. They must learn the nuances of how Lindy shifts, and soon.

After several random attacks, and with an unknown enemy gunning for all of them, time may be running out. As if Keely doesn’t already feel unworthy, the dragon appears to be calling everyone but her to her team of allies.

Excerpt

“We, the females of the Tri-City Pack issue a challenge to Keely Bennett, the supposed mate of our alpha male, Hugh Blackwolfe.”

Murmuring broke out around the room.

Keely raised a hand and it ceased. “According to shifter law, a mate who cannot shift is permitted to choose a willing shifter to accept an alpha challenge on her behalf.” She spouted the information as though it was common knowledge.

While he had been vaguely aware of the law, it was hazy at best. Keely didn’t stumble.

Heather and the females around her all blinked and a few took another step back, into the women behind them.

Uncharacteristically, Heather hesitated. “What does that mean?”

“It means I accept your challenge, and will formally announce your challenger at a later date. The rules state I must choose the person, who must be the same gender as me, and she must be a shifter.”

“So if this other shifter stands in for you, does it mean she is our new alpha female?” Cynthia, the mated female spoke, and she sounded distrustful.

“No. She shifts and fights in my stead. I will remain the alpha female. As I am a paranormal being, a healer, I am within my rights to claim my chosen mate. However due to circumstances beyond my control, and despite my own lineage, I do not shift. Therefore it is my right to name your challenger.” Keely’s voice pulsed with power.

Pride surged through him at her strength, but contemplating the defiant faces of the women facing off with Keely, his jaw tightened. He fought off the urge to unleash all of his power because Keely needed him to stand with her. Berating the doubtful in his pack would not help her. Right now she needed his silent support.

If there had been any doubt as to his rightful mate, she successfully chased them away with her knowledge and courage. No other woman would ever do for him.

This one.

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Bio

drgradyD.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and adores writing stories that resonate with others.

Website | Twitter | Amazon | Facebook | Google+


10 Observations and Things We Need

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Ryan Jo Summers to the Power of 10 series. Today, Ryan shares ten observations and her latest release, Chasing the Painted Skies.

Here’s Ryan!

ryanjosummers1. The river always flows down, never back up. Leaves fall down, never back up. Perhaps we should flow and fall downward, never back from whence we came.

2. Time moves forward, never back. Seconds hours, months and years never go in reverse. Perhaps we ought to live forward, never looking back but follow our path, the schedule, the cycle.

3. We need time to step out and fall, stand tall, get it all right and get it all wrong. Move out, move up and move along.

4. We need time to change our preference and change our priorities. Try and fail, try again and succeed. Know when to fight and when to concede. Make mistakes and learn from them.

5. We need time to learn when hang on and when to let go. To discover moments to savor and develop memories to treasure.

6. We need time to walk in the dark, find the light, both grow dim and shine bright. To experiment, create, dream big, Experience, grow, hope and wish. Taste disappointment and grow from it. Weep, cry, laugh, choose, love and lose.

7. We need time to learn humility, stand proud, show others and see for ourselves. Be a victim of circumstance and change those circumstances. Time to mature, grow, feel. Discover, hurt and heal.

8. We need time to find the heart hidden within, decide when to follow that heart. Hear that still small voice inside and learn to trust that voice.

9. We need time to change our goals, clothes and choices. Desires, directions and dreams. Tastes, attitudes and opinions. Styles, plans and habits.

10. We need time to reach a point where we care less about what the world thinks and says and more about what we need for ourselves.

chasingthepaintedsky

Chasing the Painted Skies: Inspired by a lakeside photo, shrouded in swirling mist, it comes. Part mystery, part treasure hunt, part alternative paranormal, a dash of ghost story and all romance.

Blurb

Raven Koynes is a woman in hiding. Years ago she escaped to remote Gull Island Light Station, nestled far away in Lake Superior. She has carved out a life of peace and solitude for herself. Until famed nature photographer Sebastian Knight arrives—in the height of a nor’easter storm—to document the beauty of Gull Island. Unsavory treasure hunters also blow in with the storm, determined to find missing cargo from a sunken ship. And they think Raven knows where it’s stashed. A power outage is a final threat, pushing Raven to the limit.

Help arrives in the form of a stray German Shepherd Dog, who takes an immediate protective interest in Raven. He becomes her constant shadow and listening ear as she sorts out her growing—and conflicting—feelings for Sebastian.

Meanwhile, Sebastian came to the island looking for treasure as well, in the form of photographs, While he isn’t so sure about a sunken boat and missing cargo, he only needs one look at Raven Koynes to know he’s found his own valuable treasure. One he hopes he can hang on to once she learns about his mysterious secret.

Now that Madeline the resident ghost has found out, it’s probably just a matter of time until Raven does too. And with the storm and power outage, no one is going anywhere any time soon.

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Bio

Ryan Jo Summers is a North Carolina writer who shares her mountain cottage with several rescue pets. She has been infatuated with the written word since early childhood, writing her first book at age ten. She comes from a long line of wordsmiths, in the form of poets and songwriters. She has had numerous articles and essays and one poem published over the years, many of them dealing with animals and nature. Her debut romance novel was published in 2012, followed by two more in 2014 and those will be followed by two more in late 2015/ early 2016. Her hobbies include painting, doodling cartoons, taking her new dog exploring in the regional national forests, visiting with friends, reading, working wiggly wordfind puzzles and playing Mah Jongg.

Where to find Ryan…

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter


Spotlight on Cotillion Ball Saga

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

cotillion

All the drama and challenged loyalties of the pre-Civil War era come to life as the warmhearted Fitzpatrick daughters carve out their own lives and find true love. Settle in to enjoy these three tales of independent, passionate, and strong American heroines!

The Tempestuous Debutante: The smart choice says Jasmine Fitzpatrick should choose to charm the Viscount of Foxborough at this season’s Cotillion, but it’s the noble’s stable boy, Parr O’Shaughnessy, who may hold the key to her heart.

Blinded by Grace: Grace Wagner has been in love with Halwyn Fitzpatrick since they were teens, but now she needs a husband to inherit the trust her father has left for her. Will Halwyn’s new glasses help him see her in a new light, or will she take control and propose herself?

The Duplicitous Debutante: Writing the popular Harry Hawk dime novels as F.P. Elliott, Rosemary Fitzpatrick is too busy hiding her female identity from her new publisher, Henry Cooper. But Henry is not the typical Boston Brahmin nor the typical publisher. When her deception begins to unravel at the Cotillion Ball, will Henry be able to forgive her, or has deceit cost her the man she loves?

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Bio

beckylowerAmazon best-selling author Becky Lower has traveled the country looking for great settings for her novels. She loves to write about two people finding each other and falling in love, amid the backdrop of a great setting, be it on a covered wagon headed west or in present day small town America. Historical and contemporary romances are her specialty. Becky is a PAN member of RWA and is a member of the Historic and Contemporary RWA chapters. She has a degree in English and Journalism from Bowling Green State University, and lives in an eclectic college town in Ohio with her puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary. She loves to hear from her readers at beckylowerauthor@gmail.com. Visit her website at http://www.beckylowerauthor.com


Dreams Can Come True

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have The Wild Rose Press author Debra St. John sharing a lifelong passion for writing and her latest release, Christmas at the Corral.

Here’s Debra!

debrastjohnAct One

I’ve been an avid reader since I was a little girl. My favorite days were trips to the library. Each and every time I headed right toward those wonderful yellow books in the mystery section to get my Nancy Drew fix. I wanted to be Nancy. Or at least hang out with Nancy. Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and Laura Ingalls Wilder were also early favorites. And although I devoured the printed word, I wasn’t one of those kids who scribbled stories. I was content to read them.

Then in high school I discovered romance. I purchased a subscription to Harlequin American. Oh the joy when those four silver books arrived each month. It took less than a week to read through them, and then the waiting began for another month. Such a lesson in patience. It was then the niggle to do some writing started to nudge me. I even tried my hand at writing some romance during my high school days. However, having no actual experience with romance, the attempts were pretty lame. And quite amusing to look back on now. But the desire to write a romance ‘someday’ always lingered in my mind.

Act Two: Scene One

Fast forward quite a few years. That dream to write was still there, but that’s all it was. Just a dream. I never did anything about it. Never really knew how to do anything about it. Then one New Year’s Eve out at our favorite bar, a friend was snapping pictures. She commented she was going to use one on her ‘inspiration’ board. I asked her what she meant, and she said she was a writer. As the conversation progressed I learned she belonged to a writers’ group. I perked up. She took me to my first meeting of the Chicago-North RWA chapter, and I was hooked. I joined the chapter and soaked in as much knowledge as I could. Took advantage of my first critique session with a fast beating heart and sweaty palms. Submitted to some contests. Won a few. Over the years held the positions of secretary, manuscript chair and president for the chapter.

But still, I wasn’t really doing anything to actually get myself published. I had one manuscript finished, but other than a pitch (and eventual rejection) to an editor at a local conference, my dream was still that.

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Act Two: Scene Two

Finally, it just hit me one day. I decided I either needed to get serious about the whole getting published thing, or just forget about it. I asked a published friend about her small press publisher. She wasn’t too keen on them as she hadn’t had a great experience, but said she’d heard good things about a new small press: The Wild Rose Press. I checked out their web-site, liked what I saw, and submitted what they asked for. Within three months my dream came true! I was offered a contract for my first book: This Time for Always. That was in 2008. Since then I’ve written ten other books for them and have one pending contract right now. Over these last seven or so years I toyed with the idea of writing for a ‘bigger’ name publisher, even getting a request for a full from Harlequin. I never heard back, but to be honest, I didn’t try too hard to follow up.

For me, writing is still a hobby. Yes, it’s a thrill to see my name in print on the cover of a book, and I would be lying if I said it wouldn’t be a bigger thrill to have my name on a Harlequin book (because that’s how my dream started), but I’m content and more than happy with the status of my writing career. I love writing for The Wild Rose Press whose owners, editors, cover artists, and marketing staff are a joy to work with. A small press fits my needs. I have a full-time career that I love, which means writing at this point in my life takes a back seat. I have other priorities and responsibilities that come first. And I’m okay with that. I enjoy writing. I do it when I can. There’s no expectation to write so many books in a year: I contract one book at a time.

Will I ever be a New York Times Bestselling Author? Probably not. But you never know…maybe there’s an Act Two: Scene Three still to come. As long as I never stop dreaming, anything is possible.

So, dream big. And don’t be afraid to work hard and reach for those dreams.

Favorite Quotation

“When you put your mind to a certain thing, it can happen. The biggest thing is nothing is impossible. All it takes is imagination.” – Michael Phelps

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Blurb

Maggie Pearson has no time in her busy life for love, but an immediate attraction draws her to a mysterious stranger at The Corral, a local bar. However, any romantic feelings are ruthlessly squashed when he accuses her of having an affair with his brother.

As a divorce lawyer, Van Rawlings has seen the ugly side of marriage too many times to believe in love. But having gotten off on the wrong foot with Maggie, and genuinely contrite over his faux pas, he offers to help her with an upcoming Christmas charity dinner. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes he’s never met anyone like Maggie, who gives so generously of her time.

Can Maggie and the magic of the season help Van believe again? In Christmas and in love.

Buy Links

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Bio

Debra St. John has been reading and writing romance since high school. She always dreamed about publishing a romance novel some day. Her dream came true when she started writing sultry contemporary romance with sexy heroes and spunky heroines for The Wild Rose Press. Although she’s a country gal at heart, she lives in a suburb of Chicago with her husband, who is her real life hero.

She is the author of The Corral Series, which includes her debut release, This Time for Always, a Champagne Rose and Rosebud bestseller at The Wild Rose Press. This Can’t Be Love and This Feels Like Home complete the series. Christmas at The Corral is the first book in the Holidays at The Corral spin-off series. Valentine’s Day at The Corral and Fourth of July at The Corral are coming soon.

Her holiday stories are A Christmas to Remember, An Unexpected Blessing (Thanksgiving), and The Vampire and the Vixen for Halloween.

One Great Night, Family Secrets, and Wild Wedding Weekend round out her bookshelf.

Where to find Debra…

Facebook | Website | Heroines with Hearts

Joanne here!

Debra, thanks for sharing your writing journey. I’m impressed by the number of books you’ve written in seven years. Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2016.


In 25 Words or Less…

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

13857160_sAfter completing my novel, I attended a number of workshops where the facilitators stressed the importance of a hook or logline.

What is a hook/logline?

Very simply, it is a concise sentence that answers the question: What is your novel about? An effective logline provides enough interest to prolong the conversation with a prospective agent or publisher, encourages readers to pick up the book, and creates tweetable buzz.

At first, I found it a daunting task. How could I possibly condense 69,000 words into 25 words or less?

Continue reading on Marilyn Meredith’s blog.

10 Leprechaun Tricks Revealed

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Kathy Bryson to the Power of 10 series. Today, Kathy reveals several leprechaun tricks and chats about her latest release, Fighting Mad.

Here’s Kathy!

kathybrysonFighting Mad came out this week – the 3rd in my series of leprechaun love stories.

It’s been an interesting experience trying to let the world know about leprechauns. They didn’t worry too much about me revealing their secrets because they knew that no one would take me seriously. In fact, they snickered – a lot!

Here’s what people don’t understand about leprechauns:

1. Leprechauns are not little, green men. The name comes from luch-chromain, meaning ‘son of Lugh.’ Since Lugh was the Celtic god of war, leprechaun are actually soldiers, fully grown warriors.

2. Leprechauns are not homicidal though. As any soldier will tell you, the job’s really more so you don’t have to fight. As Murphy explains the boxing matches in his pub to Carla, “How would we get corporate sponsorship if we were just a bunch of thugs?”

3. Leprechauns are not solitary creatures. They like a good party as much as the next person. From spontaneous dance-offs to friends gathering, their world is full of “sean nós singing and dancing. Something to do around the pub of an evening.”

4. They are handsome devils. Carla may want to be a responsible parent, but around Murphy, she’s “every bit of the giggly teenager my own child wasn’t, a tongue-tied, stammering mess. It was ridiculous, but seriously, you’d have to be dead not to notice Murphy. He was a damn fine man.”

5. But leprechauns don’t always have the ‘gift ‘o gab.’ Murphy might admire Carla, but when it comes to expressing his feelings, she “can’t have it both ways. Either I’m Irish and can talk, or I’m a man and I can’t.”

6. They get a bit miffy about their reputation even while closely guarding it. They’ll be the first to tell you “we’re not shamrocks and wee men. You should know the difference.”

7. But they keep the myth going for the sake of the gold. “What better way to hide it than to become a joke, a story nobody takes seriously?”

8. Leprechauns take their responsibilities seriously. Carla may waver over her attraction to Murphy, but for her, “he got me a car, he fixed my booth at the Farmers’ Market, he made my kids breakfast, he was even nice to Jinx!”

9. And they’re fiercely loyal. In fact, Carla has to protest, “You keep trying to protect me. You keep telling me what to do, what’s right, what’s wrong. You have got to stop that!”

10. But leprechauns are open to new ideas. When called to war, they fall back on their number one strength and “renegotiate the terms of our alliance.”

No, no matter how much I rant and rave about this secret order that controls most of the world’s money, it’s an uphill battle against popular preconception. It’s the leprechauns’ greatest trick. If they can’t fool you into forgetting the gold, they’ll charm you into giving it back!

Fighting Mad #2b Final (small) copy (2)

Blurb

Laid off from her job at the bank, Carla turns to her friends for support only to find they’re more concerned about their jobs. The one person she can count on is local bartender Murphy, but what kind of example is that to set for her daughters? Having learned the hard way, Carla’s not depending on any man, even if he is cute, charming, very kind, and some kind of leprechaun?

Murphy is used to sneers. Clurichauns are the redheaded stepchildren of the leprechaun world and then there are the late-night throw-downs at his bar. What he wants, however, is to protect the dainty little mom who ogles him when she thinks no one’s looking. He knows she’s fighting overwhelming odds, but she’ll need more than bravery when the conflict between the King and Queen of the Fairies becomes outright civil war!

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Bio

Kathy Bryson knew she wanted to be a writer when she finished reading through her school and local children’s libraries. She honed her writing skills on marketing brochures, websites, and several unfinished manuscripts before going into teaching and finishing award-winning books with all the stuff she enjoys most – from coffee to love to Shakespeare! Kathy lives in Florida where she caters to the whims of spoiled cats and wonders what possessed her to put in 75 feet of flower beds.

Where to find Kathy…

Blog | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter