Category Archives: Guest Blogging

Series Writing

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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!

book series

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.

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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

donnawarnerDonna 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

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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!

stellamarieOne 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.

chantelOne 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.

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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.

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Where to find Stella…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Pinterest


Spotlight on Mandi Benet

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to feature Soul Mate author Mandi Benet’s writing journey and her new release, To Rome with Love.

Here’s Mandi!

mandibenetpixI’ve always been in love with words. The power they have when strung together has always shocked and delighted me, particularly considering they are mere static symbols on a page. And they never seem to lose their edge. At least not for me.

I grew up in England, and loved reading from an early age. Not because there wasn’t anything else to do, but because that is practically the only thing I wanted to do. Sure, I also wanted to wear trousers, makeup and stockings, smoke cigarettes while lying flat on my back in a field of buttercups, and kiss a boy—all prohibited at the draconian boarding school I attended. Which is why I did every last one of them. But books were my secret addiction, an addiction for which I’ve found there is zero cure.

Admiring other writers’ words and stories, however, didn’t prompt me to think that I myself could become a writer, or that I would be any good at it if I did. Without really meaning to, I published my first short story in a local magazine when I was twelve, and still I never considered writing as a life’s work. After high school graduation, I went to law school at a university in England. I’d thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but one term of contracts and torts quickly disabused me of that notion. My sister, who had just moved to the States, suggested I try journalism school there. I applied and loved it, and after I got my degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, I moved out to California and started my journalism career, writing for a wide variety of publications including the Los Angeles Times, W magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, Town & Country magazine and Travel & Leisure magazine. I covered everything from the Democratic Convention to the Oscars, and interviewed everyone from Sophia Loren to Hillary Clinton. It was the perfect mixture of learning and doing.

When I left my newspaper job I decided I wanted to start writing fiction—a kind of writing that is as far from journalism as you can imagine. I wrote a couple of literary novels which went nowhere fast and then a women’s fiction novel, The Blasphemy Box, which several big New York agents requested to read. They passed, sending me the requisite number of rejections most writers experience.

Looking for a professional organization to join, I discovered the Romance Writers of America’s San Francisco branch. I had never considered writing romance but the more I learned about that sector of the market the more vibrant a genre I saw it was. A friend looked at me quizzically when I told her what I planned to do. “If you’re going to write romance novels,” she said dryly, “you might want to read one.”

I did, and, frankly, I was surprised. Who thought the cowboy on the cover of that first book I read: a sculpted, shirtless, Stetson-wearing guy with a panty-melting smile, would be so smart and sexy and funny and witty and— hot?

Hmm . . .

So I read more romance novels, many of them erotic romance, which I hadn’t known existed but am so grateful to have found. I discovered that while there was a lot of schlock out there, many romance novels were interesting and intriguing with good plots, fine writing, smart characterization and moving stories. And kept my interest.

I wrote—and rewrote— my first romance novel, and started sending it out. I got a publisher and To Rome With Love, Book 1 of the Love in the City series, debuted on February 10. I hope you enjoy it.

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Blurb

When Gaby Conte’s Italian husband abandons her for a young Peruvian waitress at a restaurant they co-own in San Francisco, Gaby seeks refuge in Rome with her best friend Maria. There, she swears off romance for a long while and Italian men forever.

Then, she meets Silvio, who belongs to an old, aristocratic Roman family and lives in a palace alongside the best private art collection in Rome. Silvio, who is the cousin of Maria’s husband, is going through his own divorce. He’s gorgeous, of course, which Gaby doesn’t tell him. And arrogant and condescending, which she does. The last thing Gaby needs is more Italian trouble, but the attraction is instant and powerful, and against the backdrop of one of the world’s most romantic cities, both try—and fail—to resist the chemistry between them as they figure out, to paraphrase Dorothy Parker, that lips that taste of tears are the best for kissing. Gaby and Silvio, however, have made a rule never to make the mistake of trusting in love again. Will they realize some rules must be broken?

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Where to find Mandi…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon


The Perfect Setting: Sedona

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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Ex-mermaid Barbara Davies accepts an invitation to spend a month in Sedona, hoping to escape from her shattered life in small town Ontario and reinvent herself once more.

Anything and everything is possible in this desert paradise.

Today, I’m sharing ten interesting (and not so well-known) facts about Sedona.

Continue reading on Anastasia Pollock’s blog.


Spotlight on Deanna Adams

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to feature Deanna Adams and her writing journey.

Here’s Deanna!

Deanna Adams Author Pic (2)First of all, thank you for having me on your blog, Joanne!

I’ve been wanting to be a writer since I could read. I wrote a play in fifth grade (well, sort of!), teen-angst poetry in my adolescence, and a few attempted short stories in my twenties. I always wanted to be a novelist, but it took many years to see that happen. I started my career as a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines, which ultimately led to the writing of my first book, Rock ’n’ Roll and the Cleveland Connection, published through Kent State University Press. I then went into my creative nonfiction period, writing Confessions of a Not-So-Good Catholic Girl, a collection of memoirs. I began writing a novel, but that was put on hold when I was commissioned to do another rock book for Arcadia Press, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Roots (an illustrative history).

Yet I still wanted to write fiction. And that’s hard when you are known as a nonfiction writer. But finally in 2011, with my daughters raised and freelancing for only a few publications, I carved in time to write that novel. Because I love to research and write about pop history, I wanted to do what I call the “Forrest Gump” thing—take fictional characters and weave them through history, namely baby boomer history. I already had a “brand,” being known as a pop culture/rock writer, and knew that I should probably stick to that.

I feel whatever we write, it should mean something. There should be a reason why we are writing about a certain topic. So I wrote about a teenage girl in 1957 who becomes pregnant by her first love, who is on his way to rock and roll stardom. Back then, there were dire consequences if a young girl became pregnant and I knew I could do a lot with that topic. I wanted this book to be women’s fiction, as opposed to straight out romance, the difference being that women’s fiction focuses more on women’s issues. I was thrilled when Debby accepted Peggy Sue Got Pregnant for Soul Mate Publishing.

When that book was complete, I realized I could still do a lot with those characters, and so Scoundrels & Dreamers, about Peggy Sue’s daughter, was released the following year.

Recently, I’ve finished a book for writers who also want to write a book, A Writer’s GPS: A Guide to Writing & Selling Your Book. I’ve been teaching a course on that for more than a decade so decided it was time to share the knowledge, covering all that goes into the writing of a book, as well as the marketing (the hardest part, I think!).

So now, it’s back to fiction and I’m excited. I’ve just begun the first chapter of what is the third of my Peggy Sue series, and still working on a detailed outline, which is what I do, even when I know it can, and often does, change. And that’s part of the fun. Writing is hard work, but I always tell writers, make sure you are still having some fun with it!

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Blurb

Rock singer, Charlee Campbell, aka Echo, cannot wait to start her new life—as Dusty’s wife and mother to their newborn son. Then the unthinkable happens. Baby Dylan is taken from the hospital in the middle of the night by a woman posing as a nurse. The kidnapping soon threatens the couple’s once-solid marriage, as well as Charlee’s musical career. As the years pass, Charlee begins to doubt that she will ever see her child again. Little does she know, her son, now named Ben, is as close, and elusive, as her next hit record.

From the dawn of MTV and shoulder pads, through leg warmers and grunge, Scoundrels & Dreamers picks up where Peggy Sue Got Pregnant left off. Charlee’s story brings back beloved characters while introducing new ones, whose affairs of the heart create the inspiration from which cherished songs are made.

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Bio

DEANNA R. ADAMS is a writer, speaker, instructor, award-winning essayist and author of both fiction and nonfiction books. Her debut novel, Peggy Sue Got Pregnant: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Love Story, was released in June 2013, followed by its sequel, Scoundrels & Dreamers, in Oct. 2014.

Deanna is also an instructor and event coordinator at Lakeland Community College, and instructor for the Cuyahoga County Libraries Lit program, where she speaks and teaches on a number of writing topics. She is coordinator of the Western Reserve Writers’ Conference and founder of the Women Writers’ Winter Retreat, Write-on-the-Lake Retreat, and Write-in-the-Country Retreat.

Where to find Deanna…

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Writers on Facebook | Twitter


How Many Acts Can One Person Have?

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Sister of Suspense author Marsha West sharing her multi-act life and her latest release, Act of Trust.

Here’s Marsha!

marshawest1Apparently quite a few. Since I write about Second Chances, I especially appreciate being here at Joanne’s blog about Second Acts. Inspiring stories are told here!

If college was Act 1 where I studied theatre, speech, and English preparing to be an English teacher, then Act 2 was the three years I taught before getting married.

Following marriage, Mommyhood began Act 3. When you’re a mom, whether you work outside the home or not, life is structured by where your kids are in school and their activities. These were the years of serving on PTA boards, attending gymnastics meets, dance recitals, football games, traveling to cheerleading competitions, and musical performances. They continued into the girls’ college years.

Act 3, Scene 1 is when I ran and got defeated, ran again and was elected for two 4-year terms to the Fort Worth ISD Board of Education. That was 12 years of my life from when I was 40 to 52. Including the four years before I first ran when I’d observed school board meetings as a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), I attended school board meetings twice a month for 16 years.

Ultimately, that Act closed. I reluctantly did not to run for reelection after the second term for financial reasons. Our kids were approaching college age and instead of spending my hours volunteering, (School Board members in Texas aren’t paid) I needed to go back to teaching. (I have people tell me they wish I still sat on the board—nice for my ego—but then I’d have missed so many other experiences.)

Act 4. I was fortunate to get a job teaching theatre in a neighboring school district, setting up a drama program where there had only been a music program. For the next 4 years I immersed myself in that life, teaching & producing one-act plays, musicals, and the UIL One-Act competition. It was wonderful to see the growth of my students from their freshman year through their senior year. Several went on to work in theatre and teaching.

My Acts get a bit blurry now. I was still on the school board and teaching theatre when I began to work on a mid-management degree leading toward becoming a school administrator. I’d seen a poster in the lounge about the program and thought, “hmmm.”

Act 5 began when I got a job with the FWISD as an elementary assistant principal. I spent three wonderful years working with an awesome principal. We were in a good school of about 500 students (mixed ethnically and economically) with an active PTA—even an active Dad’s Club. I learned a ton. I made mistakes, but that’s how we learn.

Act 6 began when I was “promoted” and became principal of Riverside Applied Learning Center, a great little special interest elementary school. I won’t take time to explain what an awesome opportunity it is for kids to be in this kind of school. Here’s a link to school’s website for a brief explanation of what Applied Learning is. http://www.fwisd.org/pages/FWISD/Departments_Programs/Departments__A-K_/Choices/Elementary_School_Programs___S/Riverside_Applied_Learning_Cen

Act 6 Scene 2 After five years at Riverside, I was assigned to a much larger school, almost 800 students. A school that ran through principals about every 2 years. It was a school in transition from being an almost all white middle class to being predominantly African American with a smattering of Hispanics with a high percentage of low-income kids and families. What had been working wasn’t working any longer. It was stressful for everyone. The pressure to perform well on all the tests was enormous.

I worked longer and longer hours, and it became clear to me that my health was suffering. No one should work 14-hour days plus 8 and 6 hour days every Saturday and Sunday, and that’s what I was doing my last year in that school. After two years there, I retired the end of June in 2007.

Act 7 I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’d already begun this act—The Writer.

My mother had some health problems and to deal with the stress I went back to reading romance novels. Something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. My goodness those books had changed! Sex was no longer behind the closed door. The suspense was off the charts, too.

I had an idea for a book, which at 145 K words, was a tad long. LOL Besides which I knew nothing about the craft of writing genre fiction. I just told the story. When contest judges said I had a good story, but needed to take classes on POV and GMC, I didn’t know what they meant. 🙂 But I took their suggestions to heart and took classes, attended conferences, wrote, submitted, got rejected, wrote, sent to contests, got dreadful scores, took more classes, wrote, submitted, finalled in some contests, but got rejected. Continued to write. By the time I’d written my fourth book I was looking for small e-presses, and had decided if none of them wanted it, I’d self-publish.

Well, I got two offers and went with a small Canadian e-press. They published my first two books VERMONT ESCAPE and TRUTH BE TOLD. I learned about the publication business from them and now have self-published two books part of The Second Chances Series: SECOND ACT and ACT OF TRUST with plans for two more in the series.

Vermont Escape 200x300 (2)Truth Be Told 200x300(2)Second Act 200x300(2)

(Not a separate act, but an extension of Act 3 is grandparenthood, a lovely time for sure.)

FullSizeRender(2)Act 7, Scene 1 My husband and I are in the process of downsizing from our large house to a smaller one, but this cottage is on a lake 15 minutes from our daughters and grandkids. The views are inspiring and blood pressure lowering. We never anticipated this, but are incredibly grateful. (Lake Picture)

I’m not sure I planned a second or third act, much less a third or fourth. I just followed my husband’s advice: “Go through the open door.” When an opportunity presents itself, take it. When I decided to run for school board that first time, it was because the incumbent had decided not to run. I’d been talking about it for a couple of years, and it was put up or shut up time. I saw the sign on the teacher’s lounge bulletin board about the mid-management program and that propelled me in a new direction and through another door. I didn’t set out to have a career as an author. I just wrote that first book.

My personal motto is: “Keep on Keeping on.” If you want something, don’t give up, no matter how hard it is. There were so many times I nearly gave up on my writing, but I hung in there, and now I’m the proud author of 4 published books. I’m grateful to all the authors who helped me on this journey.

I discovered this next quote at the time I was leaving the school board. “In life, what sometimes appears to be an ending is really a new beginning.” After all these year, I still keep a copy of this one on my desk. The way I see it as long as you’re alive, you have new Acts ahead of you. Be a life-long learner and go through that open door.

Blurb for ACT OF TRUST, Book 2 The Second Chances Series

Act of Trust 200x300 (2)A widow since 9/11 and a mother of grown daughter, Kate Thompson wants to keep her and her daughter safe, but the inheritance of land in Maine pushes her out of her comfort zone in Texas and into the arms of a Maine lawyer.

Maine lawyer and environmentalist, Jim Donovan wants to protect Aunt Liddy’s land and keep it from falling into the hands of the developers, but first he has to convince Kate Thompson she should hold on to the family land when she doesn’t even want to go look at it. However, he’s unprepared for the attraction each feels for the other, but denies exists.

Will they be able to settle the land deal before anyone else is killed or they break each other’s hearts?

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | KOBO | Apple iTunes

Where to find Marsha…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Newsletter Sign-up

Joanne here!

Marsha, I’m in awe of your accomplishments and wish you well with all your literary endeavors.


Inspiration Between the Lines

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Linda Bradley to my blog. Today, Linda shares her favorite quotations and her debut novel, Maggie’s Way.

Here’s Linda!

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It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Henry David Thoreau

This world is but a canvas to our imagination.
Henry David Thoreau

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.
Vincent Van Gogh
Me: I dream of words and I write them.

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.
Stephen King

Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.
Stephen King

Some days you get the bear, other days the bear gets you
Proverb
Me: Dear Bear, Pride is righteous. Let’s not let it destroy the journey.

Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.
Omar Bradley

The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.
Jane Austen

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.
Jane Austen

Harry: I have never lied to you, I have always told you some version of the truth.
Erica Barry: The truth doesn’t have versions, okay?
Something’s Gotta Give (Jack Nicholson/Dianne Keaton)
Me: I’m with Erica on this.

Put blinders on to those things that conspire to hold you back, especially the ones in your own head.
Meryl Streep

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Blurb

Middle-aged, Maggie Abernathy just wants to recuperate from cancer during the solitude of summer vacation after a tiresome year of teaching second grade. Maggie’s plans are foiled when precocious seven-year-old, Chloe McIntyre moves in next door with her dad, John. Maggie’s life changes in a way she could never imagine when the pesky new neighbors steal her heart. With Maggie’s grown son away, her ex-husband in the shadows, her meddling mother’s unannounced visits, and Chloe McIntyre on her heels, somehow Maggie’s empty house becomes home again.

Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Bio

Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters. Maggie’s Way is her debut novel, in her Montana Bound Series. She is currently working on Maggie’s Fork in the Road and Maggie’s Montana.

Linda has an Associates Degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts with undergraduate work in Elementary Education and Fine Arts. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book titled, The Hunter for her Master’s Degree. Linda is a member of RWA, as well as the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA.

Linda has two grown sons, lives with her husband, and rescue dog in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Where to find Linda…

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Interview with Romance Debuts

Leave a comment – you could win an e-book of Maggie’s Way.


Spotlight on Scarred Protector

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

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Blurb

Angels and demons are not what you think. They are aliens, and the Midworlders are their representatives on Earth. An Angelic Midworlder called Heath goes to the aid of Evie who is about to be attacked by Demonics. He soon discovers she can see the angels and demons around her and is in grave danger. He is captivated by Evie who has physical and mental scars like him. They are tortured souls who are deeply connected by his past. There is an evil lurking inside Evie that could kill them both.

Excerpt

Heath’s wings erupted instantly from his back as he swooped down from the car park roof and caught Evie in his arms before she hit the ground. A fall from that height would have killed her and he refused to lose another person. It had been hundreds of years since he had lost someone before and it wasn’t happening now. Not on his watch and in his area.

Lightening cracked through the sky and his whole body tingled as if he was absorbing the energy as he grabbed her. For a moment he wasn’t sure if the energy was coming from her and not from around them as they hovered unmoving. It didn’t matter for now. Charles would be out of action and paralyzed from the waist down, but it wouldn’t last for long. He needed to get Evie over to Pergor and get her a guardian before any more demonic Midworlders showed up. Fighting one he could cope with, but fighting a group of them would incapacitate him for too long.

Something else was up as well as his messages were not getting through to his enclave. Help wouldn’t be coming anytime soon. The last thing he said to his people was he had received a message from an Angelic about to pass over, and that she had found a human in distress. If he had known the distress was that the human didn’t have a guardian he would have brought a whole crew with him to protect her.

There were a lot of questions he needed to ask this female. That wasn’t going to happen in hurry as she had passed out. He wasn’t sure if it was from the fact she had been caught by a man with wings or the burst of energy. As he peered at her he could swear he could see little sparks of energy all around her. It made her glow like a light bulb. His own body still tingled from the burst. He could recover from being hit by lightning but he wasn’t sure how a human would cope.

Of course she might have passed out because most humans don’t have this sort of thing happening to them. He had picked up from her mind she had just lost her father. To be coping with such grief and the attack from Charles made him admire this woman’s tenacity. She had brought a smile to his face when he had seen her boot connect with Charles’s groin.

He stopped ascending into the sky and hovered and allowed himself a moment of reflection as he gazed down at her face. What was going on here? She cradled against his chest and he had to admit he liked the sensation. He didn’t touch people unless he had to and had forgotten what it felt like to have a human pressed against you. It brought out protectiveness in him.

Her reached up and touched her cheek with his fingertips. The glow was gone from around her body, but the tingle still remained. She felt warm, too warm, as if she was running a fever. He moved his hand away surprised at himself. He never let his emotions show and yet he felt drawn to this strange woman with the wet and bedraggled fuzzy hair. It must have been the jolt of lightening affecting him. She looked so vulnerable and yet he had seen her be tough against Charles. She hadn’t known what she was taking on but she had fought well. He didn’t know her but he liked her feistiness. It was irrelevant. He needed to stop these pointless contemplations and concentrate on saving her.

The other people in Pergor who he would ask questions of were never keen to give answers, but answers were what he needed. He had seen what the people from his Homeworld were like this past year. His friend, Ridge, in America had found his life partner, but had struggled to get any information from Pergor, their outpost between Earth and home used to be a place of solace but these days distrust was the word he would use to describe it. When Ridge had gone to Pergor with Nicole, no responses had been forthcoming and they had even attacked her or had been willing for her to die. In that instance her Angelic guardian had been removed by Sayell, a demonic Midworlder. How the hell did Evie end up without a guardian at all? It didn’t make sense. How long had she been like it? He had to assume Charles had been as surprised as him or he would have brought his own back up as well. More questions.

Thunder roared around him as he opened his mind to form the conduit to Pergor. The lightning and thunder became faint as the sky grew dark and starless around them. He would not let anyone hurt her. He would die protecting her if he had to. After all dying would be a relief from this existence of coping with the failure of the past.

“What the fuck is happening?” Evie yelled.

Heath peered down and even in the darkness he could see she was wide eyed as she struggled to get away and pushed against his chest. There was no tranquil female in his arms now. Where she thought she was going was beyond him as they were high above the ground. To be honest he couldn’t blame her for freaking out. He had to consider what to say next. At this close range he could try and convince her to hand over her thoughts to him, but he already had a feeling she would not be willing to do that after everything she had seen so far.

“We’re leaving Earth, to go somewhere to get you a guardian angel,” he said, as he flapped his wings as the stars started to disappear around them. He hovered in the space between worlds not yet able to make the contact with Pergor. He could feel the pain start to build in his temple knowing the connection was trying to form.

She thumped his chest as she wriggled and yelled. “If a guardian angel is what I’ve seen on people for years, I don’t want one. Half of them are dark creatures waiting to kill whatever they see and the other half look like self-serving pixies after what they can get, so get stuffed and take me home. I just want to be left alone.”

What she said just added more questions to the list. “Evie. There’s nowhere for you to go. You can’t stay here between the worlds, and I won’t let you go back or you will be found again by Charles and his associates. I offer the only alternative.” She huffed but stopped wriggling. He changed his mind and considered she was more annoyed than scared. “I want to reassure you I’m not associated with those dark guardians.”

“You sure? You look pretty dark to me. If I have to choose I’ll go with a pixie angel like dad had. Will it keep that creep Charles away from me?”

“I will certainly try to get you an Angelic guardian, and no, Charles won’t be able to touch you then. You have to trust me while I take you to a place not of this world. I know it is a lot to ask after what has happened, but you should give your mind over to me.”

“You can take me wherever you want as I don’t seem to have much choice. Go for it, but I’m not giving my mind over to anyone. Trust me you wouldn’t want to be in there anyway. You lot think you’re dark and yet you don’t know anything.” Evie mumbled, as she shook her head as if to rid herself of a buzzing bee. “If you knew my life you wouldn’t even be suggesting going anywhere near my mind.”

She grabbed on tight around his neck and his whole body tingled in the same way it had when they had been in the middle of the lightening. He needed to concentrate on making the connection with Pergor, but instead he found he was thinking more about how Evie smelt as she held her face close to his. She had the aroma of lemon and vanilla and he closed his eyes as he drew her cent in as she pressed close to his chest. It had been a long time since he had felt anything more than the general need to protect. He wanted to make things right for this human as he sent his thoughts out to the post on Pergor. He could feel himself harden which often happened when their wings came out; the difference was he felt it was the closeness of this woman affecting him. He never let such basic instincts take over and yet again wondered what was happening with this female.

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Bio

maggiemundyMaggie 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, English and Creative Writing at Flinders University. She had a short story published in the RWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea and Vines. She has four books out with Rogue Phoenix Press. Two erotic novellas called Blood Scent and Blood Oath and paranormal romances called World Change and World Apart. She also has a supernatural thriller with Soul Mate Publishing called Hidden Mortality and paranormal romances called Unknown Protector and Scarred 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 speculative fiction and romance but thinks falling in love can be scary, especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.

Where to find Maggie

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Soul Mate Publishing


That Hippy Bag

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

breast cancerI hadn’t planned on spending Day 1 of Life after Breast Cancer Diagnosis in a mall, but my friend Karen insisted. “Once those chemo appointments start, you’ll have no time to shop. Get everything now, and you won’t be scrambling later.”

As we walked through the mall, I mentally planned my shopping list: nightgowns, pajamas, a new robe, comfy day clothes. I was surprised when Karen pointed to my black, leather purse. “You’ll need a larger bag for when you start your treatments. Something more durable that’ll hold its shape.”

I started to argue and then stopped. After all, she was the seasoned warrior who had already traveled this path.

Continue reading on Vicki Batman’s blog.