Guest Author Interview - Cathrina Constantine

Two firsts on my blog today - firstly, I'm having a pre-release guest blog post. Cathrina's book comes out on the 24th August from Black Opal Books. In print and digital!! And secondly, she's my first author who writes another genre i.e. not romance.

As a teenager, I was fascinated by fantasy books about the battle between good and evil like Frank Peretti's book, This Present Darkness. There's nothing like that thrill of wondering how the good guys are going to overcome the overwhelming odds.

Cathrina Constantine's book, "Wickedly They Come" is a YA/Adult-paranormal thriller; a gripping, dark fantasy where the battle between heaven and hell is escalating, and earth is their battleground.

Cathrina's book is part 1 of a four book series, so for you series and adrenaline addicts, here is the cover and blurb:

Haunting visions, unusual strength, and special paranormal talents are the norm for Seeley and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Jordan. Their lives become perilous when the leader of The Black Order stalks them, trying to fulfill a prophecy to consecrate Jordan to his lord—Lucifer.

Previously homeschooled and naive, Jordan is inducted into the social culture of teendom at Elma High, where she encounters Mark, a mysterious new classmate who is hell bent on keeping her unscathed from the forces of evil.

I'm fascinated by the character, Jordan, as I homeschool my three kids.

Cathrina has answered a few questions about herself and her writing.

1. What is the best thing for you about being a writer?
I can work at home.

2. What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?
The blocks, and then I over think and over write. I get wordy and dramatic. I need to tone it down and let it flow naturally.

3. What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?
I write YA. My debut novel is a dark, paranormal thriller. It’s geared toward older teenagers to adults. I guess you could call it a YA Crossover.

4. What essential things have you learnt about writing the last year?
It’s time consuming and hard, mental work!

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?
I like the tenacious Jordan. She’s full of spitfire, and not afraid of anything—except the dating game.

6. What type of hero do you like? Super alpha, wounded or somewhere in between? Or even something totally different? You could give an example from a movie or well-known book.
I love Super Alpha with lots of wounds! Does that answer the question?
Of course, love that answer!

7. Tell us about your journey in writing this book.
It was a long journey from start to finish. Three years of writing, revisions, learning and honing my craft, and then composing countless queries. I was ready to give up when I started getting positive feedback. Then in two days time, I received three offers of representation.

8. Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.
I don’t think of myself as quirky, more like plain and ordinary.

9. What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack?
I can’t listen to music. I tried, and found myself dancing and singing in the living room, neglecting my writing. Although, it was a nice break. I like complete quiet. I tend to drink too much coffee.

10. Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.
I think people will be somewhat surprised when they read Wickedly They Come. I wanted to inspire young people and adults by writing a powerful, action packed story with a message.

11. What book would you like to work on next?
I recently began a contemporary YA story with the main character being a boy, which is different for me.

12. Where can we buy your book?
My debut novel, Wickedly They Come will be released in print and digital on August 24, 2013. It will be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more...

So, hold on for a few more days .... it's coming.

Here's a short excerpt from her book just to get that adrenalin pumping:

Evidently, Asa had finally decided the time had come to make their lives a living hell.

“Watch out!” Jordan cried.

The two goons knocked Seeley to the mat. They tied her wrists then hefted her to her feet, facing Jordan. The man with the bloody nose mopped his face and then, without warning, hit Seeley in the chin. Her head snapped back as Jordan screamed. Seeley held onto consciousness, though her head swirled and her throbbing chin began to swell.

“You bitch—” the man shrieked, glaring at Seeley. “I think you broke my nose.”He then walked over to Jordan, grasped her chin with bloody fingers, and drooled. “Young—tender—meat—”

The demon restraining Seeley sounded anxious. “Hank, we’re not allowed to kill her.”
Hank gestured to Seeley. “This lady’s fair game, there’s a high price on her head. We’ll be greatly rewarded.”

The other demons nodded with crooked smirks. “We’re allowed to stay and play as long as we bag souls for his gain. The more souls, the longer we get to stay.”

“Why? Don’t you like your fiery perdition?” Seeley said dryly.

Her remark infuriated them, returning Hank to gloat in front of Seeley. Using the distraction, Jordan subtly tried to weasel her way out of the chokehold.

With his left hand, Hank grabbed Seeley’s ponytail, tugging her face close to his red eyes. They looked like hot coals as he sneered. “We’re not ready to leave, not with all this fun we’re having. Souls are jamming the highway to hell—we just nudge them in the right direction.” A gawky sound rattled in his throat, forcing Seeley to breathe in his foul breath. “Your kind of souls are a pain in the ass.”

Hank dug a switchblade out of his pocket. With a decisive snap, he held the silver blade to Seeley’s throat.

A great, big thank you to Kathleen Bosman for featuring me on her blog today!!
It's a pleasure!

You can find Cathrina Constantine at these sites:
http://www.cathrinaconstantine.com
http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/cathrina.constantine.3
https://twitter.com/cathconstantine
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16051029-cathrina-constantine

Giveaway of Cosmetic Heart

Cosmetics ... make-up ... looking glam. The fairer sex likes to glam herself up by painting her face. I envy those ladies with lovely dark eyebrows and eyelashes and clear complexions who don't have to plaster make-up on their faces just so they don't look ghostly or sickly. I'm one of those palefaces who has very fair skin so that you can see the veins under my eyes giving me dark rings. My eyelashes and eyebrows are invisible because they're almost white so I have to wear mascara and eyebrow pencil. But of course, working from home and yet being so busy means many days I don't bother to put make-up on.

My husband says it makes no difference whether I wear cosmetics or not. That takes the pressure off somewhat but doesn't make me feel comfortable going out. Although I like to wear make-up, I don't spend much money on it and normally look for bargains or mark-downs. The only time I will buy a brand name is when I need lipstick because I only like one colour - heather shimmer (I think it's Yardley.)

Cosmetics include face-creams and treatments. I've never really gone for the whole caboodle i.e. cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and anti-wrinkle cream. I simply wash my face with Dove soap and use a simple moisturizer bought at the grocery store. My skin is fussy and only seems to like this one type. I've even tried the expensive creams but my face either ends up feeling dry and taut like a leather purse, or itchy or greasy. I decided to go all natural this month and bought cocoa butter and coconut oil to make my own face cream. I'm very disappointed to say that it didn't work. Itchy, dry, and greasy - the whole lot in one!  So back to my usual I will go. One day, I will spoil myself with a beautiful facial when I don't have kiddies food, clothing, and school books to buy.

Anyway, that's enough of my very gory personal cosmetics details.

The heroine in my latest release started off being a make-up artist. Her father worked in the Durban Playhouse and she used to sneak out of his office and watch the actors practise their lines or even watch the make-up artists at the theatre do up the actors' faces. She wanted to transform people to feel beautiful so studied beauty technology. She obtained a position at a magazine to put make-up on the models for photo shoots but most of the time, she didn't have much to do. A dream she'd tucked away was to write articles for magazines but she didn't think she'd get promoted because of the chief editor's reputation for not granting internal promotions. Besides feeling frustrated career-wise, she's always felt like the black sheep in the family because her family all have degrees and top jobs.

When Daniel, her boss, asks her to pose as his fiancee who left him so that he may save face with his family, she agrees if he will change his promotions policy. Lisa doesn't realise how much her 'yes' changes her life and leads her on a path to face her fears and find answers to her deepest hidden desires.

You can buy Cosmetic Heart on Amazon or at Astraea Press.

I'm giving away a PDF copy of my book to a commenter of this blog post. Please put your email address in the comments block like this: joesoap(at)happymail(dot)com

Super Sweet Blog Award

I was nominated by Tista Ray for the Super Sweet Blog Award. Thank you, Tista!

This award is a great way to discover new blogs. So, let’s share it around and have some fun with it.

So, the rules for those nominated are:

1. Thank and link to the Blogger who nominated you.
2. Answer five super sweet questions. See below…
3. Include the super sweet blogging award in your post.
4. Nominate a baker’s dozen (13) other deserving bloggers (if you can.)
5. Notify your super sweet nominees.

Here are my answers to the questions…

1. Cookies or Cake?

I don't eat cookies and cakes anymore as I'm on a gluten free diet. I suppose I still love cake more, especially chocolate and carrot cake but without the dreaded gluten.

2. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Both.

3. Favourite sweet treat?

Lots of different things: ice-cream and chocolate sauce and chocolate mousse, and a firm favourite is sago pudding.

4. When do you crave sweet things the most?

We have a ritual of pudding every Friday night. That's our treat night. I crave sweet things pretty often though.

5. Sweet nickname?

Don't really have a sweet nickname but one that's used by my hubby is "Leen."


These are my nominees:
Rae Rivers
Romy Sommer
Zee Monodee
Nana Prah
Cathrina Constantine
Kiru Taye

No obligation to take part but have fun if you do.

I Have a Confession to Make

I have to say how sorry I am for firstly forgetting to post Nana Prah's blog post on time and then in the rush of getting it up, for forgetting to put her rafflecopter giveaway link on the post. I have been through some health challenges lately but still feel really bad for letting her down.

So, here it is, a link to enter the giveaway for her book, Love Through Time. She is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to three lucky people who enter her giveaways.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview and New Release - Nana Prah

Today on my blog is Nana Prah, a super author friend who has gone out of her way to encourage, help, and befriend me. She also has signed a contract with Decadent Publishing for the Ubuntu Line. I love connecting with other African authors and Nana is truly one of the friendliest of all. Her new release with Black Opal Books is called Love Through Time and looks so unique and compelling. I can't wait to read her sweet romance with a paranormal twist.

Nana Prah was born in Ghana, West Africa, raised in the US, and currently resides in Ghana where she loves her job as a writer and nurse educator. She has been writing since she can remember (in her journal) and has been an avid reader of romance novels since the eighth grade. She has finally been able to utilize the years and years of inadvertent research into writing her own romance novels where love always conquers all.

Welcome Nana.

What is the best thing for you about being a writer?

Giving all of these ideas roaming around in my head a place to settle and allowing other people to experience them.

What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?
Finding enough time in the day to write as much as I want.

What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?
I write romance. My release Love Through Time is a paranormal romance. The past lives aspect, which is integral to the story, categorizes it as paranormal. No one should expect a vampire or a witch to pop up as they read.

What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?
There are so many that I couldn’t list them all. One is that ‘said’ is almost invisible to the reader and so instead of using more flowery words to tell who is speaking, the word ‘said’ will suffice. I learned this from Kristen Lamb’s blog.

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?
I currently have only one book released, so I’m not betraying my unborn (unpublished) heroines by answering this question. Jasmine is my favourite. She is intuitive, beautiful, super-confident, intelligent, and knows what she wants out of life. Plus she can kick ass like no body’s business.

What type of hero do you like? Super alpha, wounded or somewhere in between? Or even something totally different? You could give an example from a movie or well-known book.
I like a hero who knows what he’s doing when it comes to whatever situation is at hand, but he knows how to ask for help when he needs it. A hero who is proud, but won’t let his pride get the better of him.

Tell us about your journey in writing this book.
The idea for the book popped into my head and I started writing. There was nothing dramatic about the journey. Once I was finished I changed it from the first person POV of the heroine to the third person POV of both the hero and the heroine. Those changes were  more work than writing the whole novel.

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.
1. If it’s sweet, I’ll eat it.
2. I don’t leave the house without wearing lipstick or lipgloss
3. My honesty can be a tad bit unsettling to some people (liars in particular)

What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack?
I sit down and start writing. Once I start, things flow. It’s getting my behind to sit in the chair to write that’s the problem, social media likes to call me away like a siren.

Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.
My writing style is direct, kind of like me. I don’t try to express more than what I am saying. There is not a hidden agenda, so I hope people can relate to it. Love Through Time is a multicultural novel, but the emphasis is on the relationships, not race.

What book would you like to work on next?
I am happy to announce that I have a contract with Decadent Publishing’s Ubuntu line, which consists of romances set in Africa (I’m following in your footsteps Kathy).  My editor has encouraged me to write a sequel so I’m working on that.

Love Through Time

Defending her family – no problem. Recalling past lives – maybe just a small problem. Taking a chance on love again – well…

Jasmine Gibson has her world turned upside down when she meets gorgeous Sean Taylor. He’s the first man she’s been attracted to since her fiancé dumped her two years ago. But when the disturbing daydreams start, Jasmine begins to fear that her actions in a past life may have finally caught up with her.

Sean finds it impossible to stay away from Jasmine even though he can’t shake the inexplicable feeling of betrayal, simmering deep inside him every time he sees her.

To complicate things, someone is out to hurt Jasmine and every time she and Sean are together, the police have to be called. Even if Jasmine can make Sean trust her, the two of them may not stay alive long enough to enjoy their love this time around.

You can connect with Nana on her blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Buy Links for Love Through Time: Black Opal Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords.

The Other Side by Zee Monodee

Today, I have Zee Monodee, versatile and prolific writer, wonderful editor, and fellow African writer friend. She lives in the beautiful island of Mauritius which is north east of the eastern South African coastline. A place I would adore to spend a summer holiday at one day. She's also the managing editor of the Ubuntu line series which are African stories published by Decadent Publishing - the series "Dragonfly Moments" was published under.

Her new release "The Other Side" is the Ubuntu Line's third release.

Here's a bit about Zee before we go into some juicy details about her new book:

Zee is an author who grew up on a fence – on one side there was modernity and the global world, on the other there was culture and traditions. Putting up with the culture for half of her life, one day she decided she'd stand tall on her wall and dip toes every now and then into both sides of her non-conventional upbringing.

From this resolution spanned a world of adaptation and learning to live on said wall. The realization also came that many other young women of the world were on their own fence.

This particular position became her favorite when she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of writing – her heroines all sit 'on a fence', whether cultural or societal, in today's world or in times past, and face dilemmas about life and love.

Hailing from the multicultural island of Mauritius, Zee is a degree holder in Communications Science. She is a head-over-heels wife, in-over-her-head mum to a tween son, best-buddy-stepmum to a teenage lad, an incompetent domestic goddess, eternal dreamer, and an absolute, shameless bookholic. When she isn’t penning more stories and/or managing the Ubuntu line at Decadent Publishing, you can bet you’ll find her with her nose in her tablet, ‘drinking in’ a good book.

Here is a blurb of The Other Side. It is Book 1 of The Island Girls Trilogy.

Divorce paints a scarlet letter on her back when she returns to the culture-driven society of Mauritius. This same spotlight shines as a beacon of hope for the man who never stopped loving her. Can the second time around be the right one for these former teenage sweethearts?

Indian-origin Lara Reddy left London after her husband dumps her for a more accommodating uterus—at least, that’s what his desertion feels like. Bumping into him and his pregnant new missus doesn’t help matters any, and she thus jumps on a prestigious job offer. The kicker? The job is in Mauritius, the homeland of her parents, and a society she ran away from over a decade earlier.

But once there, Lara has no escape. Not from the gossip, the contempt, the harassing matchmaking...and certainly not from the man she hoped never to meet again. The boy she’d loved and lost—white Mauritian native, Eric Marivaux.

Back when they were teens, Eric left her, and Lara vowed she’d never let herself be hurt again. Today, they are both adults, and facing the same crossroads they’d stood at so many years earlier.

Lara now stands on the other side of Mauritian society. Will this be the impetus she needs to take a chance on Eric and love again?

Some interesting facts about the book:

1. Mauritius, where this trilogy takes place, is a small tropical island in the southern Indian Ocean. There are no natives, and the land has been entirely populated by immigrants. Under Dutch rule in the 17th century; French rule until 1810; then a British colony from 1810 to 1968 when it reached independence, the island is a mix of races and religions. Despite all races, cultures, and religions living together in harmony in what is termed ‘the rainbow nation,’an unspoken segregation still exists where descendants of colonizers (mainly the French who remained despite British rule) and descendants of African slaves, Indian indentured labourers, or Chinese traders. This is the backdrop Lara, of Indian descent, must face with Eric, whose ancestors were wealthy French plantation owners.
2. Back in the year 2000 (when this story takes place), divorce was an almost-alien, shunned & vilified concept. People were still supposed to marry ‘for life’ and a wife left her husband’s home only in her coffin. Those who dared brave this silent edict did it at the risk of becoming marginalized and cast away. Like Lara, the author, Zee, divorced her British husband and returned to the island to face such drama. Much of the divorce angle in the book comes from her own experience.
3. The theme of Second Chances is very prominent in Zee’s stories, because she herself, as a divorcee, found a second chance with a wonderful man she has now called her husband for over a decade.
4. Zee started penning this story after reading the epic novel ‘A Suitable Boy’ by Vikram Seth. She wanted to write a magnum opus; something to showcase ‘her’ world in Mauritius the same way Mr. Seth chronicled ‘his’ India. Alas, she found she was totally fluffy and did not do well at all with a literary bent. The result was The Other Side, a popular romantic comedy that had notes of Zee TV/Bollywood dramas with an island vibe.
5. The Other Side is Zee’s first-ever penned novel, written in the year 2005, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and thus decided to live her dream of writing a book. She drafted this book mostly during sleepless nights between chemotherapy sessions, the outpouring of this tale becoming her therapy to cope with her treatments.
6. The book trailer features images of locations mentioned in the story. The second image, at 0.08, is of the Grand Baie beach, where Lara lives. At 0.58 is the Swami Vivekananda International Conventions Centre located inland in Pailles, that Zee used as the inspiration for the centre Lara manages in Grand Baie. 2.09 features the Coin de Mire Island, a visual that can be admired from the terrace of Eric’s residence in Cap Malheureux. You can watch the trailer at this link: The Other Side Book Trailer

Here is an excerpt:

Lost in her thoughts, she rounded a dead corner of the hall, slamming into someone’s side. Disoriented and dizzy with confusion at the jolting oomph of impact against a solid form, she stumbled, losing control over her legs. She saw the walls moving up rapidly, but a strong pair of hands grabbed her under the arms before the back of her head hit the floor.

“Bon sang, mademoiselle! Où courez-vous comme ça?” a rich, deep masculine voice asked on the sharp yet lilting accent of white Mauritian natives.

Where are you running to, miss? he’d asked, from what her rusty French could figure out.

Away from you. Something inside her acknowledged the danger before she could process his words. She knew that voice. Her head spun again, yet her mind was very alert.

Could it be…? No, it couldn’t. Her brain had to be playing tricks on her. The sound with its particular accent belonged to the very distant past. How was she hearing it at this moment? Had she fainted? That’s it. She wasn’t conscious, and since she’d probably worked herself to exhaustion, the condition had triggered all sorts of switches in her muddled consciousness.

The image of the man from the airport burned itself into her mind, and she gasped. No!

“Is everything okay?” The chuckle had gone from the tone, replaced by worry.

Solid strength still held her ribcage, the back of the hands warm and smooth where they touched her arms. The heat from them went to her head, churning all coherent thought into a jumble.

Her mind had to be playing a trick on her. He couldn’t be who she was imagining. When, after a few seconds, it didn’t appear like she’d come around, doubt invaded her heart.

Your eyes won’t betray you, they’ll see the truth.

She risked a glance up beneath her lashes. She had to be certain if this was real or not. To know this was all a trick of her imagination….

Lara encountered a tall form with broad shoulders outlined in a short-sleeved shirt. The lapels of the opened collar framed a strong jaw and a wide, full, and sensual mouth was set in a worried line above a square chin. A fine, straight nose sent faint shadows over his lips.

She had to gulp back the ominous lump wedged in her throat. Her heart beat a hammering throb in her chest, and her mouth went dry. Her suspicions looked dangerously close to being confirmed, and the nagging notion played havoc with her thoughts. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she found herself staring into a pair of blue irises. A blinding flash went through her head, plunging her heart to her knees. She’d recognize those irises anywhere. Deep-set, bright, and laughing eyes the colour of the deepest ocean. The heavy, golden locks brushing his forehead accentuated the frown knitting his eyebrows.

Locks that had somehow broken free from the thick, smoothed-back hair. She itched to sweep them back, to run the tips of her fingers along his smooth skin, like she used to in the past, onto the soft buzz of hair he used to keep so short….

Her mind went into a crazy spin, and all her senses reeled as everything became a vivid kaleidoscope of colours. Her stomach heaved, and her knees went weak as her body became limp. But the man’s strong grip was still on her, and he kept her steady on her feet.

“Are you okay? I think you better sit down here,” he said.

The voice made its way into her perception, and she couldn’t suppress the relief that flooded her. His voice had always had such power over her.

He still hasn’t recognised me.

She’d changed a lot in the past decade, and with her head still bent forward, her hair shielded her face. She wanted to escape. She wanted to close her eyes, and then open them to find it had all been a dream. Or a nightmare.

But this was real, and how long could she remain incognito? Lara swallowed painfully. Of all the people from her past, fate had had to choose that precise person to shove along her path.

All of this battled inside her mind as she allowed him to lead her to a sofa. After having lowered her into her seat with extreme care and gentleness, her saviour sat down next to her, turning to face her profile. The movement triggered the air to move around him, and the smell of his aftershave—fresh, spicy, and very elusive—filled her nostrils and made its way into her foggy mind.

He still smells the same. Like a cool sea breeze wafting through the unique musk of a man’s warm skin.

Lara took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She would have to face him sooner or later. A part of her had always known she ran the risk of coming across him on the island. She’d preferred to hide from the probability, but she couldn’t run anymore.

So she lifted her head. A frown marred the wide forehead on the face she encountered. As devastatingly handsome as ever. Or maybe, even more than ever. His features were arresting, masculine, adult. No longer those of a teenager.

Her mouth went dry again, and her heart beat faster when the straight line of his lips broke into a large smile a few seconds later. His eyes lit up as well, and widened.

“I’ll be damned! Lara? Is it really you?” he asked, switching effortlessly to English.

She forced a smile and took a deep breath. “Hello, Eric. How are you?”

Buy links for The Other Side:

Decadent Publishing

Amazon

Release Day for Cosmetic Heart

I've been checking my emails almost every hour the last few days in anticipation of the release of my novel, Cosmetic Heart. My son woke me up at three this morning with a complaint about a tick from his cat so I grabbed for my phone quickly to check if it had come out. Sure enough, there was an email waiting there for me from the publisher. I struggled to go back to sleep after that.

Cosmetic Heart had a tumultuous journey in coming to being. Last year, for Nanowrimo, I buckled down and focused on getting a whole book done in the month of November. It was hard, especially seeing I actually didn't have the whole month but had to finish early to start writing exams for my kids. And in between that, I was sick with a spider bite (although I'm still not sure what bit me.) Somehow, the words kept on flowing and I even made my poor heroine, Lisa, also get bitten by a spider and get cellulitis like me. The good thing was, Dan fussed over her and looked after her while she was sick which brought them even closer. Although it also made all of Lisa's fears about a long-term relationship come to the surface.

The editing for my novel was quite a challenge. As seems the case with most of my books, (wink, wink,) they often need a strong content edit. Somehow, my characters do the strangest things sometimes. But after several run throughs, I finally felt confident that my book was neat and clean.

I really feel grateful to Katherine Tate, Supervising Editor, who was patient with all my changes right near the end.

The most fun parts of writing this novel were the research bits about cosmetics that you will find at the start of several chapters, some of the secondary characters and I loved the hero, Dan. Lisa really gave him a run around. A bit like me with my hubby who had to ask me to marry him three times and even then I said, "Wait, I'm not ready yet."

So, here it is. The cover for my new novel and the blurb.

Lisa works for a top South African magazine as the make-up artist, but writes articles on the quiet. When the chief editor, Daniel, asks for her help in posing as his ex-fiancée to save face with his family, Lisa agrees, hoping to obtain a promotion in return. She doesn’t expect to fall for the handsome editor nor to fit in with his family who love her unconditionally. But Lisa has more secrets, and she doesn’t believe in love and family. After Daniel finds out her secrets, will his forgiveness and determination be enough to cut through all the layers Lisa has put over her heart?

Buy links:

Astraea Press
Amazon

Movie Review and a taste of Book 2 of The Creators

One of my favourite movies of all time is "Love Comes Softly." It's a Hallmark made for TV movie so is probably an unknown to many people but I love it so much. I have to confess I'm such a softy that I cry so easily in movies. My family teases me constantly but I just can't help it. This is a movie where I cry almost throughout the whole thing.

What I love about this movie is that you're taken right into the very soul and emotions of the main character, Marty, and then close second into Missy's heart, the young mother-less girl. Marty has traveled west with her new husband, Aaron, to find a new home in early American history. They are just about to obtain land to settle after the long wagon journey, and Aaron, one morning, goes out to find his missing horse. On the way, he falls off the horse and hits his head on a rock. Marty loses her new husband that day and has to face a new life in the wild west all alone while dealing with her devastating grief.

Clark Davis' daughter, Missy, needs a female figure to look up to after her mother passed away. Clark gives Marty the absolutely least-romantic wedding proposal I've ever seen on TV. In the rain, by her late husband's grave, he asks her to marry him so she can look after his daughter and offers to give her money for her passage back east come spring. In a financially desperate situation, Marty agrees.

Missy is very resistant to Marty at first. I don't want to share the rest with you, but the story is a beautiful romance between Clark and Marty as well as a wonderful story of a girl finding the love of a mother again in Marty (after much quarrelling and resistance.) Maybe the reason I can identify so much with Missy is because I lost my mother at a young age, too.

"Love Comes Softly" reminds me a little of Book Two of "The Creators" series that I'm working on at the moment - a follow-on of "Dragonfly Moments." Rowena is a ballet teacher and Jamey is her most difficult student. On the week of her mother's passing, she takes her frustration out on Jamey. Jamey's father comes in a few days later to speak to Rowena. When he asks for her to give Jamey extra lessons, Rowena at first is reluctant until Cameron tells her how his daughter is missing her late mother. Rowena's grief of losing her mother fresh in her heart, suddenly identifies with her worst pupil just like Marty identified with Missy missing her mother. She agrees.

Much more patient with her pupil, they develop an immediate report. Jamey, who has her Dad wrapped around her little finger, keeps on pursuading him to invite Rowena over. Little does she know how much her Dad is fighting his strong attraction to Rowena while struggling to get over the memories of his late wife.

I won't let you know any more of my story as it's not even complete yet. I can't wait to get stuck into completing this gentle story of love and family.

If you're keen on watching the movie which is also part of a series, here is the link: Love Comes Softly
Here is the link to the book series which are inspirational: Book Series by Janette Oke

Guest Post - Clare Dargin

Today, I'm hosting Clare Dargin, a fellow Decadent Publishing author. She writes science fiction with a romantic twist. Today, she is talking about her book "Ice and Peace" which came out in April 2013 and is book two of her "Cold Warriors" series. She also wrote "Kybernatia," "Fugue," "Speculative Sky," and "Zenward's Magic."

So, welcome, Clare.

A Love So Close You Can Feel It

There's something about a hot guy in uniform who's touchable but at the same time out of reach. That kind of man was on my mind when I wrote Colonel Medoro Keegan in Cold Warriors. A man who has chosen to be an island onto himself, he is in a sea of humanity, yet is alone.

Unlike some heroes of this sort, they have no friends and live on the fringes of society. Keegan is anything but that. He has two very good friends whom he trusts, he is respected by his colleagues and is considered to be on the career fast track but on the inside, he feels like a hamster on a wheel. He's going through the motions but he ain't going anywhere.

All that changes when Caitlin Driskoll enters his life. In the beginning just a 'passenger' in a cargo manifest, she is but one of many who are to be sent out as cannon fodder for a military with dwindling numbers. In a frozen stasis for nearly a hundred years, because of a long gone medical fad, she awakens to find she has been recruited to fight in a war she knows nothing about.

From day one, her strength and her annoyance has been the light that shone in an otherwise darkened existence. Attracted to her, he fights between the rules of his job and society which says they can't speak, much less touch. They both struggle to not only survive but to explore the attraction they feel for each other.

In the second book, Ice and Peace:

A New Threat? After a long and vicious war, peace is on the horizon for Earth and its allies. However, a series of mysterious attacks on several secret military installations causes hostilities to rise once again.

Redemption. Having left under a cloud of disgrace, retired Marine Colonel Medoro Keegan is called back to duty.

Bound. His wife Caitlin, the only surviving member of her team, chooses to embrace life, albeit grudgingly, as a cryo soldier. Seen as sub-human, she is forced to serve a planet that denies her rights as a person.

Driven. Guided by their sense of duty and belief that some things are bigger than them, they are determined to risk it all.

Hope. The cost of war is high. Can their love and marriage survive? Or will it be killed off by the very same mission that brought them together?

Excerpt for Ice and Peace

“Sir,” a soft voice, feminine and sweet, beckoned his attention. He knew the voice, like he knew himself. His heart skipped a beat.

Rising slowly from his chair, Keegan cleared his throat and straightened his uniform. Suddenly, the room seemed unbearably long as he walked the three feet or so to be near her.

As he took in every detail of her, he was stunned silent. She wore a Marine Corps uniform with Navy insignia, with her hair neatly pinned off her neck and shoulders. Her clothes were pressed with a crease that could cut a major artery and her demeanor was impeccable. Something was not right.

Still, Caitlin was a sight for sore eyes. She was beautiful. Her petite frame was perfectly accented by the curves of her figure. And her brown eyes and coffee-brown skin was smooth, creamy.

Standing at attention, she did not meet his gaze. Though it was customary not to do as a sign of military courtesy, he could tell she was not doing it for that reason. Her gaze was different. Circling her, he tried to see if he could catch her watching him out of the corner of her eye. In fact, she appeared to be staring blankly ahead.

Peering directly at her, he spoke in a soft tone. “At ease.”

She relaxed.

“Cate. Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” she responded mechanically.

Pain pierced his insides. She was definitely not there. Keegan placed his hands on his hips and hung his head in defeat. The one thing that was supposed to go right did not. For whatever reason, they had placed her in a deeper state of mental control than she’d ever been in. He controlled the hostile emotions brewing with him. Touching her face gently, he felt her icy skin.

This is unacceptable! Not here. I will not let this happen here. Not under my command.

“Chief, listen up,” he said in an authoritative tone. He knew in this state, it was the only way he could speak to her and still have her respond.

“Yes, sir.” Her gaze became even more distant.

Her response fueled his anger. “You are going to hightail it down to the doc and receive a full examination. Tell him it is based on my orders. He will know what to do. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Knowing that she was under the influence of cryo neurotransmitters, Keegan figured the only way to combat it was to get someone to reverse it. They usually wore off once she was away from the stimulus triggers for a long period of time. But considering her stimulus triggers were high-ranking officers in uniform and combat situations, being around here meant she was going to be in a drone zone for a very long time. The last thing he needed was a zombie on board, especially one in charge of the lives others.

Only the jerks in psyche warfare thought doing this to someone would be a good idea. As long as he was running the ship, none of that would be allowed. There weren’t going to be any super zombies soldiers on board his ship. And he’d rollover in his grave before he let them do it to his wife.

“After you come back from the doc, you will report to me, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are there any questions?”

“No, sir.”

“Dismissed.”

She did an about face before leaving the room. Keegan clasped his hands behind his back. In the blink of an eye, his joy had turned to sorrow. Now faced with the responsibility of looking after his wife, he wondered how could he handle the burden of command and still protect the woman he loved.

You can purchase Ice and Peace at Decadent Publishing and Amazon.
For the sci-fi lover in you, connect with Clare at:
The Embraced Blog
Clare's Blog
Yahoo Group

Author Interview - Zrinka Jelic

Today, I'm excited to have an author interview on my blog with Zrinka Jelic, a writer of a variety of romance genres from historical to time travel. She's answered some of my questions about writing and her latest book, Love Remains.

1. What is the best thing for you about being a writer?
To write, to let my fingers fly over the keyboard and let the story come out on the page. I do like to edit as well. It gives me the chance to go over that first draft and flesh out the scenes, the characters. Each time I edit, the story and its characters come more alive and jump off the page.

2. What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?
It’s hard to keep the story interesting and with each chapter, to keep it turning up instead of down. That is why it’s important to map the story out before starting. Not necessarily plot it out in every detail, but just to get the main points down. If stuck, I take a break from it. I know that the direction of where to take it next will spring before me and when it does, then I move on. There’s nothing worse than trying to force the story out. I need to wait until the ideas pop in my head. So far it hasn’t disappointed.

3. What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?
I write romances and within that, there are many subgenres. My debut novel, Bonded by Crimson, is a paranormal romance. My second novel, Treasured Chest, is a historical romance, and my newest release, Love Remains, is a time travel romance, but with a different twist. In time travels, the hero/heroine usually travel back in time, but in Love Remains my heroine goes forward where she is shown the way her life would be if she gave the love a fair chance. Would she learn her lesson and sacrifice her promising career for family when she is returned to her time?

4. What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?
Writing requires lots of research and it could be distracting once you set on the journey to research one topic only to end up someplace you never intended to go. But that’s the internet, I suppose.

5. Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?
It would be hard to single out one of them and not mention the others. I like Kate in Bonded by Crimson for her determination. Sirena (Carmen) in Treasured Chest is a bad ass pirate, got to love her. And Olivia in Love Remains is a hard cookie, corporate ladder climber, but with her back firmly pressed against the wall, she can adapt to any situation, even changing diapers.

6. What type of hero do you like? Super alpha, wounded or somewhere in between? Or even something totally different? You could give an example from a movie or well-known book.
I’d say a combination of both, but I do try to make them to be totally different. I mean, super alpha is nice and wounded soul is all right, but there are so many books out there with characters like these. I want to give it a fresh voice. Matthias in Bonded by Crimson is not entirely immortal and not a vampire, but after he struggled to figure out what he is and where he fits, he just learned to accept it and move on. Captain Marko in Treasured Chest is legendary for his seduction skills, but he dreams of a woman who’d put his skills to the test and he finds her — in a pirate. Tom in Love Remains is just a typical fatherly man, he cooks and cleans, and is amazing in bed.

7. Tell us about your journey in writing your book.

The inspiration came after I’d been laid off jobs solely due to the fact that I had to stay home with my sick children, and I was not offered the position, nor the extension of the contract after I informed my employer that I was having a baby. I understand the struggle between having to stay at home with young children and going to work to earn that pay check. Often there’s no choice and the stress of leaving your child with a stranger(s) is stomach wrenching. But the employers make things even more difficult by scrutinizing you for taking a day off here and there to deal with a sick child.

Love Remains
Olivia Owen, a busy, single, high-functioning, corporate executive officer, is not afraid to die a spinster for the sake of her career. But in an alternate reality world, bridged by the angel of her sister with Down syndrome, she meets Tom Medar, a dedicated, Croatian defense attorney who dreams of the right woman, but never has time to find her. Together, they foil an adulterous murder plot while discovering there’s room for love and family in their busy lives - but not before they are separated again.

When they awaken from their alternate world, will they be able to cross countries to find each other again?

You can buy Love Remains at Amazon, Amazon UK and Crimson Romance from the 15th July.

The Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop

I'm joining in a fun blog tour of sharing summer recipes and a little bit about ourselves as authors. Thank you to Rae Rivers, author of "The Keepers: Archer" published by Harper Collins Impulse. She tagged me in her Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop.

I'm in the middle of winter here in the southern hemisphere but what's the harm in sharing some refreshing recipes? We've had a very mild winter this year with only one week of frost and ice in our taps. I keep on waiting for the cold to arrive. It will probably smack us in the face with a snowfall in spring like it did about ten years ago in the town where I live. It doesn't snow often here so it's quite an occasion.

The recipe we share should coincide with our book release coming up. Interestingly enough, my book starts off right in the middle of African summer which can be scorching hot. Lisa agrees to pose as her boss's fiancee for his family New Year celebrations and while suffering heat exhaustion, she also falls for her handsome, playboy boss against her life plans. But Lisa's heart is much harder to win than Dan could ever realise as he begins to discover just how right she is for him, more than any other woman.

I don't have an exact release date but my book is due out near the end of this month. I can't wait.

Anyway, I'm going off topic. I think a refreshing homemade lemonade would have cooled Lisa down after she suffered heat exhaustion. Maybe she would have finished the whole jug seeing everyone else could swim in the pool while she had to sit under the awning. But Carine, Dan's mom, would have gladly made her another. See a recipe below. Now, I'm going to answer a few questions.

1)When writing, are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?
I generally don't snack much when I write. If I do, it's mostly sweet things like dark chocolate, chewing gum, or maybe dried apricots.

2) Are you an outliner or someone who flies by the seat of their pants? Are they real pants or jammies?
I'm a pants person - hate planning too much. Or could you say jeans or skirts? I don't like staying in my jammies all day. They're sacred to me. And besides, I'm not too keen on greeting an unexpected visitor in my pyjamas.

3)When cooking or baking, do you follow the recipe exactly or wing it?
The more I've baked, the more brave I've become to experiment. Oftentimes, I don't have the ingredients on hand or can't even get hold of them so have to improvise. So yes, I have learned to change things. If the mixture looks too dry, I add more liquid, or if it's too wet, I add more dry ingredients. One thing I don't change is the baking powder. Most recipes ask for far too much sugar or cinnamon so I lower that or even cut out the cinnamon altogether. I have even posted my own paleo recipes on Fast Paleo but they're not great. I don't think I would have the patience to actually keep a food blog but have considered it.

4) What is next for you after this book?
I'm working on two books at the moment. I have another book coming out in September - it's a follow-on from Wedding Gown Girl - Elaine, the bridesmaid's story. That truly was an absolute blast to write!

5) Last Question...on a level of one being slightly naughty to ten being whoo whoo steamy, where does your book land?
Probably in the tame old one. But there's plenty of steam in the hearts.

Recipe warning!

My kids love this lemonade and it's so easy to make. Not exactly healthy with all the sugar but the Vitamin C loaded inside would come in handy.

Lemonade

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice (the freshly squeezed type is even better)
3 cups water, extra

Method

Combine sugar and water in a small pan, stir over low heat without boiling until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for two minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and stand for 30 minutes. Strain the lemon mixture into a large jug and add extra water. Refridgerate until required. It makes four cups.

I'm only tagging Zee Monodee (although she's already been tagged) for this one and tagging back to Rae Rivers.

Character Arc

I've recently completed an intense content edit for my novel coming out in July called "Cosmetic Heart." I signed the contract for this novel about six months ago. I'd lost the feel of the book after all that time and was pleased to have a thorough go-through with an editor. I have to admit that, at first, I struggled with her edits because they were so different from my previous editor's style and outlook. Once I got into them, I saw where she was coming from and now feel that my book is so much better. I'm so thankful for editors. What would I do without them?

Now back to character arc. The characters in this novel don't start off perfect. They start off with serious character flaws which pitch them against their happily-ever-afters. During the story, they change and become the people they were meant to become. The romance leads them forward and develops their characters. I think a romance isn't complete without a character arc. Not only do the hero and heroine find love, they find a way to view the world differently. They change and become better people. Love and the need for love changes them or so it should.

How do you create a believable character arc that makes the reader sympathise with your characters? That's a hard one. In the beginning, your character must believe a lie. In Wedding Gown Girl, Kienna believed that true love didn't exist, especially for her. She was afraid to give her heart to Blake because her ex-husband had lied to her about his true feelings for her. In the movie Nottinghill, the heroine Anna (Julia Roberts) believed that it was too risky to love with the world looking on. She'd messed up before and didn't think she could sustain love again with an audience. In most romance novels, there is some pain in the hero or heroine's past that is making them believe a lie. In Sleepless in Seattle, the hero is afraid to love again because he lost the love of his life before. What if he loses his love again? Yes, he may but he will miss out on happiness in the here and now if he doesn't jump in and take the risk. Finally, his son helps him discover this.

The character can't discover the truth too soon. They can begin to get inklings of it along the way but firstly, the lie must get stronger and bigger, like the cookie monster. It must consume them so that they give up or almost give up on the one they love. So, the process of a romance novel isn't just the falling in love, but also the falling out of pain or lies.

There must be a black moment. I struggle with always finding the exact blackest moment as in some novels, I have several black moments. Those are the moments when the lie is exposed. Straight after the black moment is the crucial moment when your character has to choose to face their pain and fear and rise above it or to take the safer route and deny their heart and love. Once they choose the courageous path, their character has changed and they've made the character arc.

One of my favourite authors, Katie Fford, does lovely character arcs. They're subtle, but her characters don't only find love but learn something vital along the way about life and themselves.

Ways in which characters can learn the truth about the lies they believe:

1. True love shows them something different about life or themselves.
2. Secondary characters, like family members who know so much about them, show them things about themselves.
3. Circumstances and conflict can bring that lie out to the surface like heating silver.
4. When they are faced with losing the love of their life, the lie loses its power.

In Cosmetic Heart, my heroine, Lisa, believes a big fat lie. She believes that being strong and independent is safer and better for her than opening up her heart to love. She's put layers over her heart like make-up over skin. She starts off in the story as a make-up artist. You will have to read my book to find out how she discovers it's a lie.

Book Review - Melancholic Delight

Today, I am reviewing Melancholic Delight by Tista Ray. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for writing a review. The writer of this book is only eighteen years old!

Melancholic Delight is a refreshing, unique novel about a young Indian woman's coming of age story. Sri falls in love with Jishu hard. Could that love she buries in her heart for him become any stronger? As you read, you wonder if it's possible, but it is. This is a story of a high school student's final years as she struggles to find a way to express her love for a boy in her class.

I was unsure of the book when I first starting reading. The language is different and the way of narration isn't your standard romance novel of third person point of view. It's very intimate and I soon became swept into the depths of Sri's feelings for Jishu, her frustration because of her shyness to show him, and her struggles with rejection and fickle behaviour from her love and the persecution of her insensitive classmates. Then I realised the wisdom and maturity of the writer's insight. She captures young, teenage first love like a master - the confusion, insecurity, intense emotion often changing from day to day, and the dynamics of teenage relationships and friendships.

The beauty in the story is not in the Happy-Ever-After. It's not that type of story, but in the growth of Sri as she becomes the adult she was meant to become. Although Jishu's final rejection is painful, Sri has changed as a person. The most touching line in the book is her mother's words to her: "I can see he had taught you a lot. Not just to talk freely and think gently but also to love sincerely." You're left with the almost certain feeling that Sri will find true love one day with a man who understands her shyness to express her feelings, a man who makes her feel comfortable enough to show them to him. She reminds me a lot of what I was like as a teenager and young adult.

The writer of this book is a teenager herself. The depth of point of view and analysis of teenage love goes beyond her years. She has a deep, literary almost poetic style. I love the way she gives a feel of her culture without going into any long descriptions but by merely taking the reader right into the mind of the person. Excellent deep point of view writing skills which many more mature writers struggle to grasp.

The reason I didn't give this book five stars is because I believe it should have been edited more thoroughly. There were grammatical problems and word choice errors that could cause confusion to the reader. At times I didn't understand what was being expressed.

Tista Ray is kindly donating 50% of the proceeds of her book to an orphanage. You can purchase a copy at the following link: Melancholic Delight. You can find her on the world wide web at: Tista Ray

Dragonflies

I'm fascinated with dragonflies. They're whimsical little creatures that make a body of water sparkle and look beautiful. In Dragonfly Moments, the dragonfly features a few times and holds a special symbolism for my heroine, Tessa. Now, of course I can't tell you what. You need to read the book to find out.

Dragonflies come from the order Odonata which is a Greek word for "tooth." It was thought they had teeth but instead they have super-strong mandibles to crush their prey. The creature has 5,000 species (including the damselfly.) They are brilliant flyers and engineers have studied their flight pattern to design a flying robot. If they couldn't fly, they wouldn't eat because they eat in flight. Mozzies are their favourite meal. I think I'd like to hire a bunch of them for summer nights. They are also master migrators and one species can migrate about 11,000 miles across the Indian Ocean. And contrary to popular opinion, they live for more than one day. They can possibly live to a whole year, but normally a few weeks.

I've been considering getting a tattoo. I'm actually a very conservative person and for many years used to dress like an Amish, covering my skin ridiculously. I loosened up over the years, thankfully. But a tattoo? Since I've hit forty, I wanted to do something daring and outrageous. Unfortunately, I haven't taken the plunge, purely because I'm petrified that years later I won't like the picture I chose. I wonder if I'll ever do it. There was a point when I searched for pictures for a tattoo to put on my ankle. The dragonfly appealed to me. Partly because of my book and also because it looks cute. When I searched for pics of dragonflies, I stumbled upon some fascinating symbolism of the little creature. The symbolism is almost endless, but here are few lovely thoughts:

1. In Japan, the dragonfly symbolises power and victory. The Samurai warriors use the symbol to represent strength. The strength of its wings to keep it in the air is powerful for such a small creature.
2. In Native America, it symbolises freedom, happiness and purity because it dwells happily on land and water. Freedom because it breaks free from its larva stage after most of its life and then is able to fly all over.
3. The Chinese see the dragonfly as a symbol of prosperity, good luck and harmony.
4. In modern times, its seen as a symbol of living life to the full as the dragonfly only has a small portion of its life after it breaks free to fly and catch prey. It also speaks of the subconscious, like the reflection on water, the depth of the water speaking of going deeper and using your subconscious to learn more. (Wow, quite deep and mysterious.)

According to some legends, dragonflies were believed to possess supernatural power and be spiritual messengers. They were bearers of light, and in Ireland, they were considered the horses that fairies rode. Mmmh, now that sounds like an interesting thought for a fantasy story. The Lakota tribe in Japan used to invoke them to help defeat their enemies as they represented the spirit of illusion.

I think this all comes from the fact that the insect's wings refract light and many colours can be seen in them.

What feeling does the dragonfly invoke in you? Sometimes I think its sinister, other times beautiful and graceful but always mysterious.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

I've been unofficially tagged by Romy Sommer, author of Waking Up in Vegas for the next big thing blog hop.

1) What is the working title of your book?

Cosmetic Heart

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?Now that’s a hard one. The novel was my Nano novel from last year so the ideas were thought of quickly based on the trope of “fake engagement.”

3) What genre does your book come under?

It’s a sweet contemporary romance, although not as sweet as my others.

4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Whew, this was a challenge. It’s so hard to find a face that fits the character you have in your head, but Heath Ledger does it the best in this pic:

Katie Holmes would make a cute Lisa with her hair lightened a bit:

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When Lisa’s boss asked her to pose as his fiancée, she doesn’t bank on falling for him and his family, but can Dan’s love reach past the layers and secrets she’s put over her heart?

6) Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

This book will come out with Astraea Press in July.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

A month! It was my Nanowrimo novel. Of course, it needed lots of editing after that and is in the editing phase at the moment with the publishers.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?I don’t know of a book but a fairly similar movie is “While you were Sleeping” where “Sandra Bullock” poses as a man’s fiancée who’s just come out of a coma and has amnesia. A cute movie although the ending is radically different to mine.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?I’ve always been interested in journalism, hence my main characters are a magazine writer and editor. I liked the fake engagement premise especially because of the movie, “While you were Sleeping,” with Sandra Bullock. Part of the book was inspired by an experience I had while writing it – the spider bite part.

10) What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

There are plenty of lies, secrets, and betrayal. The setting of the first part of the book is unusual – in a rustic town in the Northern Cape called De Aar. There are also snippets of Lisa’s magazine articles interspersed throughout the book.

I'm not going to officially tag anyone, but put your blog link in the comments block if you have a book soon to be released and want to let the blogosphere know.

Like Scrambled Eggs

For the last fourteen months or so, we've been eating primal/paleo which means eggs for breakfast every morning. I've learned to cook a large variety of egg meals. One of the easiest and most versatile is scrambled eggs. I've also learned the trick of not making rubbery scrambled eggs. The trick is: low and slow. As soon as you up the temperature, it turns into hard, rubbery balls. But it takes time and patience. I have to start at least twenty minutes before my husband comes through for his breakfast else it won't be ready.

I'm learning that sometimes writing is like scrambled eggs. I'm an impatient person. I like things done and achieved here and now. It's been a whirlwind year for me. In the space of about nine months, I signed five publishing contracts. I'm used to fast and furious. But it's not working with my writing at the moment. I need to ease my breath, sit down and ponder. Ponder, stew and stir. Talk about stew: the low and slow ones always taste better. I'm making stew for supper tonight. I have a recipe that takes about four hours to make, but oh, what a difference to the meat. It drops off the bone into soft, juicy pieces instead of being so hard you break your ten-year old fillings on it. (The red wine in the recipe helps too.)

A writing mentor said something valuable a short while back when I was struggling with sticking to books that I'd started. I'd trashed a 17,000 word book because the heroine wasn't interesting enough. I'd already started and stopped three ideas before that. How frustrating to have spent all that time writing and have nothing solid to show for it. There's this pressure to keep books coming. But there's also the pressure to produce quality. She said that when a book idea comes to you, leave it for a while. Stew on it. If the idea won't let you go, then it's the one. Wedding Gown Girl's idea was one of those that wouldn't let go. So was Dragonfly Moment's. I think she gave a very valid point.

I'd started another book just before the 17,000 word one but put it aside to concentrate on The Creators Series. You see, Dragonfly Moments is book one of the The Creators. The creators are characters who create. Tessa is an artist. So, each of my books will have a hero or heroine or both who create things. Anyway, I wanted to work on Tim's story. But the heroine in his story didn't work. She was too wimpy. I'd started another book set in Zambia where I lived for seven years. I kept on wanting to go back to that book but knew I needed to work on the book two. I did go back because the characters were calling. Then I had an absolutely wonderful revelation. My heroine is a creator. She's a ballet teacher and choreographs dances. This book can be my number two.

It doesn't stop there though. This book is taking some time to write. One reason, is busyness in my life at the moment. I don't have huge chunks of writing time anymore. I have to make time. Also, I'm taking it slow. I'm researching, working on setting and pondering everything. I think the more I learn about the craft, the longer I take to write a book.

There are times that call for fast and furious. Nanowrimo is one of those times. And it does produce results. My Nano novel from last year is coming out with Astraea Press in early July. It's going through a fast and furious edit to get it out in time. Kind of like cooking a soup or stew as opposed to fried steak. Hope that the quality doesn't suffer with speed.

Just a snippit of info you may enjoy: Decadent Publishing is having a fantastic giveaway. Check it out: Decadent Publishing Giveaway

Image courtesy of www.morguefile.com

Fingers are Itching

My fingers are itching with excitement as my book, Dragonfly Moments, has a release date. And that release date is next week Wednesday, the 22nd of May. I don't know why I'm so excited about this book. Maybe it's because the editors at Decadent Publishing took it to a whole new level. The usual angst before release day isn't there. I feel almost confident.

I can't stress enough how writing is a team effort. I admire those authors that have the courage and skill to successfully self-publish without hiring an editor. (I've done it myself when I wasn't ready.) I admire their ability to trust their own work. There's something liberating about having professionals work with your book who have so much more experience in the publishing world and who are often seasoned writers themselves. Also, to have an editor check out all the grammar nitty gritty. There's something about grammar. The more I seem to learn, the more confused I get. I'm hoping when I get a new grammar programme for my kids at school and as I teach them, I will become better at constructing perfect sentences.

The other benefit of working with a great team, is that you learn so much from them along the way. Your writing can progress and reach higher heights for the next work.

What I love about Decadent Publishing, too, is their assistance with promo and the way they communicate and keep you abreast through the whole process.

Dragonfly Moments is one of my more serious books. Wedding Gown Girl and Reminding Me of You were more flirty and fun. Although the writing of Dragonfly Moments was just as fun. Here is the blurb to give you a taste of what will be entering the cyber romance world soon:

A young woman’s first love walks back into her life at the worst time possible—she is about to start a family with another man. But when her dreams begin to crumble, which one will be there to help her pick up the pieces?

Seven years earlier, Tessa Calitz wrote a letter to Ryan le Roux promising her undying love. As time passed, she forgot about that letter...but not Ryan, who clung to the hope that she would wait for him.

Such is not the case when he walks back into her life. Tessa is in a serious relationship, and is busy setting up her art gallery in Johannesburg. She has plans to start a family, and the arrival of Ryan into her life throws her for a spin.

He is the worst thing that could happen to her dream of stability and starting a family...or is he?

Because when her relationship and everything she clung to starts to crumble, Ryan is right beside her to inspire her to greater things.

But her obsession for having her own child pushes Ryan away when she falls in love with an orphaned HIV-positive baby.

Will Tessa push him away forever or open her heart to what she has longed for all along?

The other exciting thing is that Dragonfly Moments is part one of a series called "The Creators." I'm working on part two right now (in between lots of promo work.)

The Awesome Eiffel Tower

In "Reminding Me of You," Mia and Bryn kiss for the first time up the Eiffel Tower. Mia is petrified of heights and Bryn comforts her. That's the start of a Paris affair that leads to much confusion in Mia who thinks she loves someone else.

I adore Paris. Mostly because it contains the Louvre and I'm crazy about the famous artists' works, especially Renoir and Monet's Impressionist paintings. But I also love the French architecture and their quaint restaurants. The whole Mediterranean area appeals to me and I would love to visit there one day. That's why I set my book partly in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower is one of Paris's attractions. When I did research on it, I discovered how huge it actually is.

According to Wikipedia, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and is the most visited paid monument in the world. The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.

Even though it no longer holds the title of the highest building in the world, it certainly holds merit in terms of height. It's 320 metres or 1050 feet high. The highest accessible platform available to view from is about 279 metres or 916 feet high and is only reached via a lift. Mia and Bryn only went up to the first platform which meant they climbed 300 steps.

The Eiffel Tower was built in the World Exhibition of 1889 in celebration of the French Revolution a hundred years earlier. At the time, many people feared it wouldn't fit into French architecture and that it would be copied and architecture would lose it's individuality. This didn't happen as predicted. The tower was designed by Gustav Eiffel who used to build bridges and he incorporated his bridge building techniques into the design of the structure which took more than two years to complete. It was constructed out of 12,000 prefabricated pieces of wrought iron fastened with about seven million nails.

What is the magic of the majestic structure?

I think the magic is in its individuality. It creates the characteristic skyline of Paris and is an icon of France. Close up, the structure is enormous, towering above you like a giant mesh of iron, light filtering through the weave in beautiful patches. At night, it is lit with a myriad of lights, sparkly and energetic. Not only looking at the structure is magical, but viewing Paris from the structure is even more so. Now I speak as if I've been there. This link makes me feel like I'm really there: Panorama. Paris is truly the most beautiful city in the world! You just have to watch the whole panorama on this link.

I'm hosting a giveaway of "Reminding Me of You," to a lucky commentor on this blog post. Taste a bit of Paris in my romantic novella.

Images courtesy of www.morguefile.com (danielito and sioda)

Grit, Guts and Gumption

I've read several posts on this topic, and it may be quite familiar to many writers, but this time, it comes from my heart and I had to share my experience with it.

As much as I love being a writer, it's hard, very hard. When I first started writing as an adult about ten years ago, the thrill was intense. I had lofty dreams of publishing contracts, best-selling novels, and many adoring fans. Actually, not so sure about the adoring fans part. With it came lots of angst, insecurity, and disillusionment. But I loved every minute of the story. The words flowed endlessly. I had no idea what it was like to experience writer's block.

Jump forward ten years. I've self-published several books and have signed a few publishing contracts with two of my books out already. The angst hasn't gone away - it's magnified. But, sadly, the thrill has died somewhat. I won't say completely, but I would say it's tempered. I have these moments when the muse takes over and the words flow freely, but it rarely lasts through a whole book. Nanowrimo helps immensely but I can't just write one book a year. In fact, I love writing so much that I'm miserable if I don't have a project to work on. Crazy contradictions.

One thing I know is that writing takes much courage, determination, self-discipline, and stickability. You have to write through the dry patches.

For me the hardest part of a book is sometimes the middle, but most of the time, the beginning. I absolutely despise coming up with a new book idea. Ideas pop into my head, but I'm so unsure of them. Will they work? Will I keep inspired with the idea? Will it sell?

When I finished "Three Tiers for Win," I couldn't come up with a new idea. I started a chapter in two book ideas but they didn't work. The frustration was immense. What if I never came up with a decent idea ever again? What if I'd lost my ability to write? Oh dear, crazy but familiar feelings.

Finally I came up with an idea but have left it to work on a sequel to "Dragonfly Moments" instead. The thing that inspired me was my editor suggesting I write Tim's story. Her suggestion gave me the motivation to stick to this book. The first 10 000 words have been like wading through syrup. It hasn't been easy. Yesterday, I felt like giving up on the story - not the characters. But I keep on writing, despite the pain, despite the doubts, and because it's my work.

Not every day is the same. Some days are easy, some days are hard, others are inbetween. Some days you think you wrote junk but when you read it the next day, you love it. Other days you think you've written your best but when you read it the next day, it stinks. The fickle moods of a writer. Sigh ....

So, like any other job or career, we have to stick to it through the hard times and the easy ones.

Today I had a breakthrough with my book. Now I can see a way forward with my characters.

I'm a pantster. That's another difficult thing. I start a book with a very general idea of where it's going, but don't plan the details. Every time I've planned a book in detail beforehand, all the inspiration for it has fled. It's like the thrill of the unknown has been taken away. I love not knowing how it's going to pan out. Of course, I always aim for a HEA, but I never know exactly how it's going to happen. As much as this is my only way to write, it causes problems. I reached a spot in my WIP where I could see no way forward. The story seemed too simple with too little conflict and sparks. Now if I'd planned it, that wouldn't have happened. Tell my right brain that. Yesterday, I stared at the screen but couldn't write. So, I switched off my computer and went to bed. Today, I forced myself to write something, anything. After a while, the ideas started to flow. I had to leave my work to prepare supper but as I worked in the kitchen, more ideas came. I've climbed over the hill into a valley of ease. I think the muse is going to be good to me for a while. The grit and gumption paid off at last.

As the very well-used and familiar phrase goes - apply butt to chair. That's the best way to become and to stay a writer. And never give up.

To top it, I found the most delightful review of "Wedding Gown Girl" on Amazon today. These words touched me:

This is definitely one story that this author uses her magic in a wonderfully written story. The characters were all colorful and this story only produces a "gentle and tender romance that touches the heart with its' honesty." Be ready for a good read. Would I recommend this read? Yes!