Act Two, Scene One

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome back award-winning author Kathy Bryson. Today, Kathy shares her evolving second act and Feeling Lucky, Book One of the Fayetteville Fairies Series.

Here’s Kathy!

Act Two, Scene One of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream was the catalyst for my book Feeling Lucky. And Act Two, Scene One is probably a good way to describe where I was in my life and career when I wrote Feeling Lucky. I’d left corporate America and moved to teaching which left me time to write. But six years later, that second act had moved on to a new scene.

I wasn’t particularly planning to move on, but the thing about new acts is that while they usher in change, they don’t stay put. They keep changing. By the time my publishing contract ended, my second act had moved on to a new job, a cross country move, and the loss of two close family members. I gave myself permission to slow down, but that writing break was stretching into its second-year.

So why take on relaunching a book in the middle of that much change? Well, re-reading the book was wonderfully refreshing. I really enjoyed revisiting a story that I had enjoyed writing even though, yes, I still found typos and other errors! And after six years, you can see awkward spots and undeveloped places that you missed the first time around. Time is wonderful for editing, and it was just too tempting to do a little polishing now that I had more writing experience.

The part that was the most fun was creating new covers. After six years of pitching Feeling Lucky, I’d gotten a really clear picture of where the premise needed clarifying to readers. So, I had the great good fortune of finding and working with Dina Arakcheeva through Upwork.com to draw that exact picture. And they came out gorgeous!

The other factor that played into this decision was how much the industry has changed in six years. Amazon is still a big player, but there’s also iBook, Nook, Kobo and many other e-book distributors including Overdrive and Scribd for libraries. There are also many overseas distributors and easy ways to access them through services like Smashwords and Draft2Digital. Going wide is a personal decision and a fair amount of work, but if you’ve built up a selection of books, it can bring attention to your whole collection. You can also experiment with placing your book in new categories or trying out new keywords and phrases. And with new channels, you might reach new readers, bloggers, and reviewers!

Ultimately revisiting my book was very regenerating. It got polished, and going through the steps of re-editing and re-releasing helped me get back in the swing of writing regularly. Your second act is usually a little easier than your first because you’ve got some experience, but you still have to cope with change. If you can embrace and use it to create new stories while sharing old favorites, all the better!

About Feeling Lucky

A madcap fantasy of money and magic and making the most of your dreams!

Megan O’Malley was mortified when she got drunk and pinched the bandleader’s ass at a cousin’s wedding. But she was astonished when he turned out to be a leprechaun! Seems they’re not the little, green men of fairytales after all. They just say that because they like a good joke and what better way to hide the gold? Oh, that bit’s true – as is the part about not sharing.

Fergus O’Reilly cannot figure out what he did to upset the Queen of the Fairies. He was playing a wedding when a drunken lady pinched his ass and the Queen declared him caught. Now he’s broke, homeless, and hustling to stop the lovely lady with the wandering fingers from spending his money!

Available at your favorite online retailer – https://books2read.com/u/3kvq9W

In Feeling Lucky, we meet a different kind of leprechaun–a sexy one! And in an inebriated state, Megan O’Malley cannot resist pinching his attractive buttock. Having inadvertently caught the leprechaun, Megan must now deal with the unexpected consequences: an inheritance of five million dollars and an angry, money-obsessed Fergus O’Reilly camped on her sofa. What follows is a contemporary fantasy, reminiscent of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Kathy Bryson has written a delightful tale filled with witty dialogue, romantic tension and enough plot twists to keep you reading well into the night.

Enjoy!

About the Author

Kathy Bryson is the award-winning author of tongue-in-cheek fantasy that ranges from leprechauns who play the stock market to zombies who hang out with and harangue med students. She’d like to say she’s climbed tall mountains, rappelled off cliffs, and saved small children, but actually she tends to curl up and read, is a life-long advocate of Ben & Jerry’s, and caters to 2 spoiled cats. She works regularly with student writing, so she can claim to have saved a few term papers.
Follow her at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

10 Leprechaun Tricks Revealed

Posted on December 18, 2015 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!

kathybryson Fighting 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!

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

Protagonist Interview

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

In Between Land and Sea (released in September 2013), I introduced Barbara Davies aka Isabella of the Mediterranean Kingdom. She returns in The Coming of Arabella.

Before writing my novels, I like to interview the characters. Here’s what Barbara had to say at the beginning of The Coming of Arabella.

Continue reading on Kathy Bryson’s blog.

On tour + #Giveaway

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Joanne Guidoccio

Today, I’m visiting with two “Katherines”…

At Kathy Bryson’s blog, I’m sharing a character interview with protagonist Gilda Greco.

And Kate Sparkes is spotlighting A Season for Killing Blondes on her blog.

Drop by and visit for a while. Remember to scroll down and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card.

Trailer Tuesday: Kathy Bryson

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to the Trailer Tuesday series!

Today, I am pleased to feature two trailers from Soul Mate author Kathy Bryson.

Welcome to the present day shenanigans of the Fayetteville Fairies. You know those stories of the ‘wee folk’? Turns out they’re real and not so wee and headed your way in 2 paranormal romances in 2014!

When Megan accidentally captures a leprechaun in Feeling Lucky, she has no idea she’s walked into the middle of a long-standing feud between two powerful fairies! She’s just trying to become the business mogul of her dreams with a cute, but angry leprechaun camped out on her sofa! e-book available now – print version coming in March!

How do you bounce back after you accidentally set fire to the richest woman in town’s house? In Restless Spirits, Marilee Harper agrees to renovate a bed & breakfast where faucets and lights turn themselves off and on, and old baseballs fly without help. She’s also falling hard for her boss who’s then kidnapped by fairies! e-book coming in June!

Enjoy!

Website | Facebook | Twitter| Goodreads | Google Plus

Introducing Fantasy Hen Lit!

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’ve come across a lot of discussion lately about genre definitions. The debate has grown from writing in multiple genres to writing across genres. A fellow Soulie, Sandra Harris, got me to thinking about this with her post Cross Genre – Why Has It Taken So Long? and S.C. Mitchell wrote here about adding superheros to romances.

Today, we talk with Joanne Guidoccio, author of Between Land and Sea, for her take on the pros and cons of blending fantasy and romance:

“You’ll have to explain what that means.”

“I don’t think the hens will like it.”

“Huh?”

From the start, I knew there would be problems when I combined genres. Unlike other fantasy and science fiction writers, I did not want to focus exclusively on the out-of-world elements. Instead, I wanted to write the kind of fantasy I could actually sit down and read. I am one of the few people on this planet who could not read past Chapter 1 of the first Harry Potter novel, and I avoid books that feature werewolves, vampires, witches, and other dark creatures.

Continue reading on Kathy Bryson’s blog.

Redefining Success

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Joanne Guidoccio

Welcome to my Second Acts Series!

Today, we have Kathy Bryson talking about letting go of expectations and heading off the beaten path.

Here’s Kathy!

When Joanne asked me to write about my second act, I was intrigued. I’m currently reading Between Land and Sea and laughing in recognition. I think that’s the first thing you learn if you make a change at mid-life. A lot of us realize somewhere in our forties or fifties that we really want to be doing something else and, whether through circumstances or conscious decision, head off the beaten path. You’ll be in good company.

When I left corporate America for teaching, I met bicyclists who were training for races on weekends, artists who worked craft fairs around temp jobs, and poets who taught night school. There was an amazing wealth of people and interests that had nothing to do with ad copy! My particular skill set was welcomed, however. I got to know people by working on their web promotions and learned I as I transitioned into part-time jobs and, ultimately, writing my own stories.

My background is 20+ years of advertising and marketing. I worked for Fortune 1000 companies and managed major campaigns. And like many, I bottle-necked somewhere in middle management, where positions start to disappear and everyone fights for the same budget and recognition. In my last job, my boss literally could not shut up from sheer stress. She talked non-stop from the moment she walked in the door until we finally escaped at the end of the day. It was infuriating, it was funny, and it was sad. I finally walked when she put me on notice, saying I couldn’t write headlines.

I had been working towards a change anyway. I’d gone back to school to get the credits I needed to teach and was moonlighting at my local community college. The timing wasn’t perfect. Since then, I’ve struggled with having hours cut and some of the weirdest state legislation regarding standardized testing you ever saw. And I don’t regret any of it. Instead of sitting in a cubicle waiting for retirement to enjoy my life, I’m sitting on a futon, drinking a second cup of coffee, and wondering how a toad managed to get in my front door peephole and how he’s going to get out. He’s a fat little guy.

The part that was hard was letting go of my expectations. I grew up in California during the first computer boom when everybody was going to be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. I have no problem being an ‘entrepreneur,’ but it’s taken me awhile not to beat myself up because I wasn’t wildly successful. I don’t make big money, I don’t have guaranteed employment, I have a small house, and my car is fifteen years old. It took me a long time to realize that I was the only one making the comparison and to silly expectations. No one has a guaranteed income, there’s never enough money, and the house is just fine. I will probably replace the car since the door handles are falling off; my brother’s hunting a used one for me.

Ultimately, that was the best lesson learned out of this whole transition and my one suggestion. There’s no point in living a supposedly successful life if your reality is just miserable. Ultimately I can live without success because I am living. As my leprechaun pointed out, “It’s never just about the money!”

Blurb

Megan O’Malley pinched a cute guy and accidentally captured a leprechaun. Who’d have thought a perfectly normal guy – okay a bit short – would have such a bad attitude about giving away his money?! Megan may be millions richer, but she’s also got an angry leprechaun camped out on her sofa, trying to keep her from becoming the business mogul of her dreams!

Where to find Kathy…

Website: kathybryson.wordpress.com
Twitter: twitter.com/kathybryson2
Facebook: facebook.com/kathybryson22
Google+: plus.google.com/118438646025517720984

Joanne here!

Thanks for sharing your inspiring journey, Kathy. Feeling Lucky sounds simply delightful. I’ve just picked up the e-book and look forward to reading it.