Searching for Diamonds, Finding Love

The Astraea Press authors were given the challenge to write a short story between 3K to 5K words that incorporates love and diamonds. Using their varied talents and creativity, fifteen Astraea Press authors were up for the task. These stories have formed the Valentine's Day Anthology.

The authors of the anthology have organised a blog hop called a scavenger hunt and there are prizes to win. Book bundles to be exact - see the bottom of this blog post for a comprehensive list of the book bundles offered as prizes. There may be additional surprises along the way too.

You have to guess the key word in my blog post and then you must type in that key word on the Facebook page and you could win ebooks galore. The key word is basically what my blog post is about. Here's the link to enter your winning keyword: Put in your answer here

Follow the blog hop to find more opportunities to enter. Click here for a link to the other blogs you can visit in the Scavenger Hunt blog hop. The more entries - the more chance of winning.

It's close to Valentine's Day or you could even be reading the blog on Valentine's Day. All over the world people celebrate those they love on this day. Cards, flowers, gifts, and messages are sent to billions of people. Often people send a favourite song or dedicate it to the one they love.

Music is a powerful force, as powerful, in my opinion, as a story. A story touches our hearts, entertains us or even makes us scared. Music can do the same thing. It can take you into another world - a dream world and an escape from the harsh realities of life. There's nothing like playing your favourite songs when you're feeling tired, down, or even happy - something to sing or dance to.

Some couples have a couples' song. It's the song that represents their relationship. The song I share with my husband and which he often tells me is playing on the radio is the Shania Twain song "You're the One." It speaks so much about our relationship, especially in the beginning, and of how we feel now. There's nothing more romantic than sending your loved one a song that echoes what you feel about them. Another one that my hubby sent to me recently is "All of Me" by John Legend. What an awesome romantic message!  Here are some of the words for you in case you haven't taken note of them:

'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you

I'm also giving away a $5 Amazon card to a lucky commenter on this blog. It's certainly the time for happiness and love!

You can purchase the anthology here: Astraea Press, Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble

Book Bundle lists if you're interested to see:

Anthology Release Day - Love and Diamonds

The Astraea Press Anthology, Love and Diamonds, has come out today and my story, The Engagement Ring, is inside. I'm buzzing with so much excitement. Maybe because my story is next to other stories by awesome, talented authors. My little story!

There are 15 stories altogether and they are varied and seem to have such different yet compelling hooks. I can't wait to get this book onto my Kindle / PC pronto to read the others.

Here are a few clues to what's inside. I can't cover them all but here are a few teasers to get you salivating:

1. There's a story about a poker game. Ooh, I love watching the mounting tension in a poker game. It's even more tense when feelings are simmering beneath the surface between players.

2. There's a story set in Africa. Being an African chick, I love reading books set in my home continent. It's about diamonds. All the stories are about diamonds. And love of course. But I think you may have figured that out already by the title.

3. There's a story about a writer being distracted by a guy who could end up being her story. Sounds fascinating.

4. I love the title of this one: Operation Rhombus. It's about a Math project and love.

5. Another is about an ex coming back, while engaged to someone else! to charm the heroine.

6. There's another one about a flood, another about school coaches finding romance and another about ....

They're all wonderful but I don't want to give it all away before you read it. Hope you do.

The little story I wrote has a special place in my heart. It's about a woman who gave her boyfriend back the ring after he proposed because she wasn't sure. This was inspired by my own story. I, blush, blush, did the same thing! He broke it up with her though. My boyfriend and now husband didn't. I decided to explore what would happen if Kevin hadn't stuck it out with me when I handed him the ring back. That exploration brought about "The Engagement Ring."

Here are links to buy the book: Astraea Press, Amazon

Author Interview and New Release with Joanne Troppello

Joanne is a fellow Astraea Press author and has a new release out called Mr. Shipley's Governess. This book has been published by Mustard Seed Marketing.

Blurb:

Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents' deaths. Unable to live in their home any longer, she takes a job as a live-in tutor to Anastasia Shipley to remove herself from her painful memories and the feeling that God has abandoned her. Anastasia has an illness that has prevented her from ever attending school and makes her father, Sebastian, over protective. When Sophie first meets Sebastian, she cannot deny the intense attraction she feels toward him. When an unexpected romance begins between them, she starts to rebuild her relationship with God, with the help of a certain little girl.

Joanne has answered some of my questions so here's the interview:

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

To see my book published and out there for readers to enjoy. The best thing is when I’ve heard from a reader who truly enjoyed my book and was touched by the story.

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

The hardest thing is letting go of my book once it’s completed and has gone through the editing process. I hope that it’s the best that I can do and am always thinking maybe I could’ve written it even better. Maybe I’m too much of a perfectionist and don’t know when to let go.

What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?

I have three books published. One is a fictional biography, based on events that occurred during my childhood. The second one is a romantic suspense novel and my new release is an inspirational romance novel.

What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?

That even if I’ve stopped writing for a while due to busyness at work or life pressures, once I come back to writing, I feel at home. It’s what I want to do and need to do.

           

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

That would be Gwen from Bella Lucia. She is dealing with infertility issues and learning to trust God through her pain. She fought through with determination and found hope in her future. This was a very personal story for me to write.

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

1) I tend to over-analyze many things.

2) My sister and I used to do puppet shows for the kid’s ministry at our church and many of our “performances” were impromptu. We liked to think of ourselves as the “wing it” girls.

3) I’m very persistent, like a dog with a bone, and have been known to stay up through the night into the early hours of the morning to write and work on edits. One time when I was on a deadline, I worked on edits from Sunday night straight through to Monday morning at 7 am. Then I went to bed and crashed and was confused about what day it was for the rest of the week. 

What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack?

Music inspires me when I’m writing. I like to listen to instrumental music on Pandora from Jim Brickman or Kenny G…anything inspirational like that.

What book would you like to work on next?

I’m working on a romantic suspense novel next but I’ve always wanted to try my hand at writing historical romance and also fantasy. Hopefully one of these days, I’ll take up those challenges.

You can buy Mr. Shipley's Governess here: Amazon

You can find Joanne here:  Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads

Here's an excerpt from the book:

Sebastian’s head bobbed forward as he started nodding off to sleep in the corner of the drawing room. A noise in the hall startled him. Squinting and rubbing his eyes, he heard Sophie enter the room and slide open the drapes on the French doors. She kept the lights off and as he became more alert, he understood why. The glow of the moonlight shone into the room. It was a breathtaking site, even for him. Remaining hidden, he wanted to determine what restlessness brought her downstairs at midnight. She shut the door to the room and then sat at the piano. Her fingers moved skillfully over the keys. Her melancholy song filled the room and it seemed to match the mood of the pale moonlight and surreal feel of the room. Sebastian felt guilty for intruding on Sophie’s intense performance, yet her private agony intrigued him.

His heart constricted for a moment with memories of his wife, Katherine, and the sweet melodies she used to play. She had hardly ever played any melancholy songs. Sebastian listened to Sophie and the sad strains of music engulfed the room. He sensed her pain, as if she put her whole broken heart into the song. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body. As Sophie continued playing he started to drift off to sleep again. His arm slid down the side of the divan, knocking a book off the table to the right. The noise brought him out of his light sleep and obviously startled Sophie. She stopped playing.

“Who’s there?”

He stood up. “Don’t worry. It’s me, Sebastian.”

“Mr. Shipley?”

Sebastian heard the mixture of anxiety and surprise in her voice. He figured she feared his reaction to her intrusion on Katherine’s piano. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“How long were you in here?”

“Since before you came in.”

“Why didn’t you make yourself known?”

Sebastian hesitated answering. She made a good point. It was rude of him not to make his presence known to her. For selfish reasons, he’d remained quiet. “I don’t know. I guess I wanted to stay and hear you play.”

“I know we’ve already talked about this, but are you sure you’re not angry with me for playing the piano?”

“No. I’ve missed hearing the music.” He made his way across the room toward the piano. “Though, if I can be honest, your songs are very melancholic. Do you ever play happy songs?”

She tilted her head back. “I do. I’ve been teaching Anastasia happier songs. I…”

Sebastian touched her arm and grinned. “Lighten up, Sophie. I’m teasing.”

“Understood.” She quickly moved her arm away. He wished she wasn’t so skittish around him. “Maybe we should go to bed now.” As soon as the words escaped, Sophie’s eyes opened wide and her hand covered her mouth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean, you know, I meant separately. Okay, insert foot in mouth.” Obviously embarrassed, she started walking away.

“Actually sounds like a good idea.” Trying to keep a straight face, he watched her spin around with a stunned expression. He held her gaze a moment longer than necessary than burst into laughter. “I’m kidding and only trying to make you feel better.”

“Oh. I honestly didn’t mean anything by that comment.”

“It’s fine.”

She bid him good night and hurried out of the room. Sebastian watched her flee in a flurry of silken robe and nightgown and couldn’t keep himself from smiling. His mind flitted back to Sophie’s reaction to his touch. The split second contact even affected him. With a sigh, he turned back to the piano and ran his hands gently over the keys, glad to see the beautiful instrument in use again. Standing there for a few moments, he finally decided he should make his way upstairs to his room for some much needed sleep—although, after their midnight encounter, he didn’t think he’d fall asleep anytime soon.

A Short Comparison

Just a fun blog post about print books vs ebooks from my point of view:

Which is better? Um, do I have to choose?

Lets first look at why I love ebooks so much:

1. If it weren't for the invention of ebooks I'm not sure I would be published yet. Traditional publishers were much more selective and picky in their choices.
2. Ebooks are way cheaper so you can buy more and read a more varied selection of books.
3. Ebooks take up less space. All you need is a Kindle. We are having a problem with space at home. We have over three bookshelves at home and we've had to remove so many books to sell second hand this year.
4. A Kindle is easier to hold - you don't have to hold it open.
5. So many interesting writers and genres have resurfaced since the advent of ebooks.
6. Oftentimes when you can't source a book, you can find it cheaper on Kindle.
7. Kindle always keeps your place so you don't keep on losing your bookmark down the side of the couch.


Why I love print books so much:
1. The smell. I know that sounds crazy but I love sticking my nose into a new book and taking a good whiff of the scent of fresh paper, ink and binding. Aah, that smell brings back lovely memories of happy moments reading.
2. You can look at the cover and blurb at the back whenever you want. It's much harder in an ebook.
3. The book feels like a whole package - the feel of the book is in the way it's printed, bound and designed. There always seems to be more info about the book and author in a print book or maybe because it's easier to navigate.
4. You can easily lend the ones you're crazy about to a friend.
5. You can resell them afterwards and make up for a bit of your expense.
6. You can get an autograph inside from your favourite author.
7. It's easier to go back to check on a certain part in the book.

I think it's round about a tie. What do you say? I still feel that ebooks win in my opinion but I wouldn't like print books to disappear altogether. There's something so special about getting a print version of your favourite book.

Author and Book Spotlight - Karen King

Today I have fellow Astraea Press author, Karen King talking about her YA novel, Perfect Summer. What excites me is that she writes children's books. I don't know why but that thrills me to bits. Probably because I've spent a large portion of the last fifteen years reading them to my kids and also because I originally wanted to write for children but ended up writing adult romance. I may still write a children's book one day. Now, I'm talking too much about myself and not enough about Karen. Her book looks amazing!

Here's the cover and blurb:

Perfect Summer

Growing up in a society so obsessed with perfection that the government gives people grants for plastic surgery, 15-year-old Morgan can't help being a bit envious of her best friend Summer. Summer is beautiful and rich, her father is a top plastic surgeon and her mother is a beauty consultant with a celebrity client list. Her life seems so effortlessly perfect. Whereas Morgan isn't so rich or beautiful and her little brother, Josh, has Down's syndrome - which, according to the Ministry and society in general, is a crime. Then Josh is kidnapped and the authorities aren't interested so Morgan and Summer decide to investigate. They, along with another teenager, Jamie, whose sister, Holly, has also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger. Can they find Josh and Holly before it's too late?


A Bit About Karen King

Karen King has had over one hundred children’s books published. She’s written for many children's magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. Perfect Summer is her first YA. It was runner up in the Red Telephone books YA Novel 2011 competition.

Wow, that's awesome. And she even wrote some children's BBC shows and writes romance under a pseudonym.

She's kindly answered some questions to let us know a bit more about her writing process:

How did you get started writing?

I've always written. I had my first poem published when I was 11. I started my writing career with Jackie magazine, writing articles and photo stories.

Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?

It depends whether I'm writing to a commission or not. If I'm commissioned I have to plot as I have to send a synopsis and the first couple of chapters to my editor. If I'm not writing to a commission I plot at first so that I know the basic outline of my story but once I get going I write 'by the seat of my pants.'

Are you most productive in the morning or evening?

Morning. Often I get out of bed and start writing right away. I'm full of ideas in the morning.

What’s the most frequent question people ask you.

When I visit schools, kids always ask me if I'm rich. I usually say "No, I'm really poor so please go and buy some of my books!"

Excerpt from Perfect Summer - it's actually the Prologue

They were on their fourth game of poker. The air was tense; they played in silence, speaking only when they had to.

The burly man glanced at the five cards in his hand, his expression unreadable. “I’ll see you.” He took a drag of his cigarette and waited.

The woman sitting next to him studied her hand of cards and sighed. “I’m folding.” She placed the cards face down on the table, crossed her arms and sat back in her chair.

They both watched the bald man on the other side of the table. He looked at his cards and frowned. The burly man took another drag of his cigarette and sent a spiral of thick smoke into the air. Then a shrill ring broke through the silence, making them all jump. The burly man grabbed his nanophone and the others waited as he flicked it open. The air was electric with suspense.

“Yes,” he said brusquely. He was silent as he listened, then replied, “We will leave immediately.” He switched the phone off, threw his cards down and stood up. “It’s on,” he said, scooping up the handful of coins in the middle of the table and putting them, and the phone, in his pocket.“Let’s get going.”

The woman left her cards and followed him. They both hurried outside to a dark blue van. The man climbed into the driving seat, the woman sat beside him. She took a slip of paper out of her pocket and keyed an address into the E-Nav. “We’ll be there in a couple of hours,” she said.

“How old’s this one?” the man asked.

 “Three,” the woman replied.

“Shouldn’t be too difficult then.” The man started up the van and they set off.

You can buy Perfect Summer here: Amazon

You can find Karen King on her website, Facebook fan page, Twitter and Goodreads.

Excerpt from my WIP

Today, I'm going to do something totally out of the ordinary for me. I'm going to post an excerpt from the book I'm currently writing. It's unedited and totally raw but I'm going to put the first kiss in. I love the first kiss in a romance novel. There's something so sacred and so pivotal about it. It shows so much about the relationship and the chemistry between the characters.

Let me first tell you a bit about this story. In my debut novel, Wedding Gown Girl, Kienna, who works at a bridal boutique is shocked when one of her brides confesses that she's marrying a man she doesn't love. Rachelle says she's marrying Blake for stability only. Kienna has to warn Blake and thus the romance between Blake and Kienna develops. Rachelle was through and through the villain in this story. I never ever considered writing her story.

Then a book reviewer reviewed Wedding Gown Girl and said they would love to read Rachelle's story. I mulled on that idea as crazy as it was to me and I began to forgive and sympathise with Rachelle. Lol, I had to forgive her first. Rachelle has totally redeemed herself in my WIP. In fact, I love her to bits. So, here's the excerpt with a bit of setting the scene before the kiss:

The evening passed by with little conversation, a delicious supper, tame music and a couple more drinks. They had only an hour to get back to ship and he didn’t want the night to end. Rachelle was like a male friend, a companion without demanding anything.

She leant back against the chair, puffing out her chest in a forest-green sleek blouse, her hands behind her now dry, but rather frizzy hair. The generous curve of her cleavage reminded him that she wasn’t a male companion at all. Romantic she wasn’t but undiluted female she was.

“Is it still raining outside?” She asked as she rose to peer out the tiny, dusty window of the pub.

“Afraid of getting wet again?”

“Not too keen on braving the cold air.”

“You could borrow my jacket.”

“I think not. After tonight, we part ways. You’re still … um … booked.”

“Booked?” He winked at her. “Sorry to talk about it, but I would have thought she’d contact me by now. She’s been back in PE for hours now.” He looked at his watch just to confirm the time. Eleven at night. “I’d like to know how her father is doing.”

“Father?” He could see she was curious. Feeling more relaxed, he decided to let it all out. Besides, they wouldn’t see each other again.

“Her father had a massive heart attack. That’s why she left.”

“So, she didn’t end it?”

“She ended the engagement because she didn’t want to think of that and her father at the same time. What I don’t get is why she didn’t want me to go back home with her. She wants to deal with her family crisis alone. She said I would just get in the way.”

Rachelle made an ‘o’ with her mouth again but didn’t say anything.

“I’m thinking of ending the whole relationship.”

The woman walked to the fire and placed her hands near its warmth. “The air by that window is cold.”

“The weirdest thing is that I’m actually enjoying being away from her.”

“Would you like another drink?”

It was actually humorous how she avoided the conversation.

He shook his head. “I’d like to get to my ship cabin safely without toppling overboard.”

“Whatever.”

“Are you feeling relaxed?”

She shrugged.

He couldn’t bear it any longer. He rose and moved to her in a moment, placing his hands on her sagging shoulders. “What did you run away from?”

“I’m sorry?” She turned to him, her eyes haunted, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment or was it the heat of the fire?

“I can see it in your eyes – the hurt, the confusion.”

She pulled away and attempted to walk back to the window but he grabbed her hand, desperate for her to open up and release the pent-up energy, albeit negative energy. The force of their opposite movements made her spin around to face him, her soft cheeks inches from his gaze. Her lips were pursed and pale pink. No lipstick, no cracks, just smooth and plump. A warm vanilla scent wafted from her hair, mingling with the lazy smell of liqueur and wood smoke. In a moment, she was tucked up against him and he’d moved his lips onto hers. The pressure he gave her surprised him, as also the need to remain there, locked in a kiss in a smoky bar in Spain when his future wife stood vigil in a hospital back home.

He expected her to pull away and break the contact. He waited for her scathing comment to add fuel to his guilt. Instead, her whole body softened in his grasp, making him unable to pull away. He explored her mouth with simple movement which she mirrored. They were instinctively in tune and the arousal he experienced sent shock waves through him. It was so intense that he was now convinced that Desia wasn’t the only woman who stirred him to such passion. In fact, this was way deeper and more intense than …

“I have to go.” She pulled away and turned from him, grabbing her jacket in haste.

“I don’t know the way back.”

“You’ll have to follow me then.” A deep sigh followed her statement but she refused to look at him.

A Smooth Move

Scene transitions.

They're such a vital part of the flow of a novel. I know because I used to be terrible at them. I don't know if I've got it mastered yet but I'm certainly working on it. Hence, this blog post.

There are two extremes when it comes to ending a scene and starting up a new one. The one is an info dump with long descriptions of the scenery, every smell and nuance, and a detailed inner monologue of the character's thoughts and feelings with plenty of past hurts, backstory, etc. The other one is like this: One minute your character experiences a heart-wrenching or stirring moment, the next they are in a totally different spot and you have no clue what they are doing, how many days later it is and what the emotions are. You go straight into a long dialogue scene and the reader is grasping for straws to know what's going on. A whole chunk of the character's life has totally blanked out like they've woken up from a coma. Now, the second one used to be my weakness. I still have to work on scene transitions purposefully because of it. Zee Monodee, my editor from Decadent Publishing, showed me this weakness. She used to say I must set the scene. I mean, don't you want your readers to enter into your character's world? How can they when you blank out huge chunks of their life? Yes, the readers are not interested in what they ate for breakfast or how long they took to brush their teeth, but we don't want to feel like something's missing, that we've lost touch with their story.

This becomes particularly difficult when you need to move the story forward several months. Eish!

Some books I read are choppy. You feel the scene breaks like the jerks on those swing rides at the amusement park. Others, you don't really notice the scene breaks as the story seems to morph from one scene to the next. Imagine you've just bought a new Mercedes Benz and have cruise control on a smooth, open road.

The transition should create a tiny pause to allow the reader to take in what's happened and think about the character's feelings. Almost like the Mercedes reaching a stop street but because of its smooth brakes and gear change, you hardly feel any jerk. You merely have a moment to take in your surroundings.

My goal is to be the Mercedes Benz, not the swing thing.

But how?

1. Skip the mundane things unless they add to the story. But don't eliminate the ones that are there to bring clarity and show who your character is as a person. Here is an example of unnecessary info:

Jane arrived home, dumped her bag by the front door and slammed the door shut. She picked up her mail on the telephone table. She opened each envelope and looked inside. Her electricity account needed to be paid and also her telephone account. She had a letter from her parents that should be replied to and some irritating advertising brochures. Besides that was a political leaflet of a candidate for the next local election. She read through them all, planning in her mind how she was going to spend her evening dealing with each one.

Okay, maybe the above example tells us a little about how Jane thinks but is it all necessary? I think this way would be better but I stand to be corrected.

Jane arrived home, dumped her bag by the front door and slammed the door shut. Mail was strewn on her telephone table. She glanced through the pile of envelopes, opening some. Argh! Mail just meant paying accounts and answering letters. Not something she had any energy for after the day she'd had.

Because I didn't go into too much detail, I could spend more time talking about how the events of her life affected her emotions and pulled the story forward. We're not really interested in what mail she received unless it's pivotal to her story. We're more interested in how the mail made her feel.

2. End a scene leaving the reader wanting more - either in the middle of difficult conflict, with a driving unknown, strong emotions (positive or negative,) or a cliffhanger. This is something that takes a lot of thought and planning. I'm working on it!

3. A good idea is to end with an action to create impact like: He brushed past her and slammed the door behind him. But if you're going to end the scene so abruptly, I would suggest creating a good setting for the next scene.

4. Choose the right spot to enter a scene. Don't come in right at the beginning if the beginning is boring. Start in the middle of a scene and cut to the chase.

5. You could create suspense between scenes by showing something that affects a character in one scene, have a totally different scene next and then the third scene, show their reaction.

6. When you start a new scene, make sure the reader knows whose point of view it's from (i.e. who is actually experiencing the moment,) where it's happening and how soon after the previous scene. You don't have to necessarily list this in a long sequence but offer clarity in the thoughts, description and dialogue. I always use a line break with asterisks to show a new scene and especially when you change the POV. There's nothing worse than being unsure of who's thoughts we're reading the book from.

7. If you do need to transition your character a large chunk of time forward, do it in a simple sentence like: Jenny stuck it out with her new job for several months and started to feel comfortable with her colleagues. When a new handsome manager come into work in early May, her comfort flew away like a butterfly out of its cocoon. We don't need to know what happened in those boring months when she was adapting to her new job. We only need to know her reaction when the new manager arrives. But you can't say that she obtained her job and then the new manager just arrives and she'd been working there a while already and knows everyone but he doesn't. The reader will wonder how she moved from newcomer to old hat in one moment.

8. You can use carefully chosen words to transition the scene well for example, Tammy handed him her letter of resignation, saying she was flying back home the next day. In the next scene, you could say, The flight back home was busy and tiring. Tammy moved her legs constantly to stop a cramp and tried to focus on a magazine the whole way but all she could think about was Myron's face when she handed him the letter of resignation.

Well, I certainly hope writing this post has helped me and you to make better scene transitions. Here's to a 2014 full of brilliant, top-class writing.

Thinking over 2013

2013 was a year of good and bad. I'm grateful to have come through some health challenges and scares mostly unscathed. I've had wonderful support from my family, especially my hubby whom I have fallen more deeply in love with than ever. He's so caring, giving and hardworking. I love him to bits!

I would honestly say it's been a fantastic year with my writing for the following reasons:

1. I had four books come out.
2. I signed two more contracts.
3. I wrote three books which isn't as much as the previous year but with new books out, I had to spend more time on promo.
4. Nano was wonderful. I love the book that I wrote for Nano.
5. My first book came out in print and now Three Tiers for Win is also out in print.
6. Astraea Press let me buy some of my print books at cost price.
7. I learned so much more from working with editors, especially Zee Monodee who is super-detailed and thorough and amazing.
8. I've learned so much about promo and come to a decision on how much time I want to dedicate to it in future.
9. I've started writing a different genre under a pseudonym.

For the New Year, I'm giving away a copy of Cosmetic Heart to a commenter on this blog post - answer the question below. The story begins in sunny South Africa just before Christmas, and the first time when Dan and Lisa start to feel for one another happens during New Year. My book has had some reviews which have given me reason to pause and even regret writing this book. But every time I feel so strongly that what I wrote was true. Maybe I didn't get the character across right though. When my husband asked to marry him, I made him wait six months. We had a stormy courtship and engagement because of my indecision and fear. Lisa is a lot like me. She has many barriers in her heart. I hope that whoever else reads my book sees that Dan's love is what wiped them away. Dan brought out the best in her as true love does. None of our characters are flawless. Some of them have to be lumped with some serious faults. Lisa is one of those characters.

Now for the question I'm burning to hear your answer for:

How flawed do you think a character should be to make them believable and likeable? Can a main character be too flawed as to be un-likeable?

A Reader's Review of "Rescued by the New Guy in Town"

I won a copy of this ebook from a blog competition. I must admit, I was very excited to try the romance as it was written by a man. He is Jeff Salter, fellow Astraea Press author. This is another awesome Astraea Press book that I want to shout to the world - read it! It rocks! So, I decided to do a blog review of this book.

Most romance books are written by women. I very seldom find any written by men and when I do, I'm very curious to see how they handle the genre. No, Nicholas Sparks doesn't write romance. Well, very seldom does he. The author, Jeff Salter, worked as a librarian for many years. His colleagues were women. Rubbing shoulders with these females showed him many things about the gender. He bravely wrote this whole book from the heroine's point of view.

This novel was a breath of fresh air. It was absolutely fun to read. I would actually classify it more as a chic-lit romance. There was so much humour and craziness. I laughed out loud many times. My family kept on asking me what I was laughing at. The spider scene brought the tears to my eyes, I was laughing so bad.

Not only that, the story kept me going. The heroine seemed to find herself going from one mishap to the next. The sexual tension was good and the hero was yummy. The romance came full circle in a wonderful way.

Okay, it was written by a man who'd worked with women for many years but that didn't take away the definite male outlook to the romance. I saw it peeping through which made it a fascinating read. But, he managed to give insight into the female psyche that was superb and touched a chord with myself.

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an entertaining and touching romance with depth inside.

Buy here: Amazon
Astraea Press
Also available in paperback.

Book Blitzen Giveaway

It's nearly Christmas and there are many lovely Christmas books out. I love Christmas books, especially the covers. Yet, I've never ever written one. I think maybe I should.

E. A. West is organising a Book Blitz(en) giveaway of holiday books. At least Cosmetic Heart can be classified as a holiday book. Well, I think so. Dan wants his employee, Lisa, to pose as his ex-fiancee to save face with his family for a New Year's get together. In South Africa, New Year's Day means braai (barbecue,) lots of sunshine, and swimming. So, that's what Lisa takes part in. While she gets to know Dan away from work and spends time with his family, she begins to fall in love. Dan sees a side of Lisa that he wants, too. But there are way too many barriers to Lisa's whole heart. It's a long time before his love wipes them away.

If you enter the Book Blitzen Giveaway on E. A. West's blog, you can win a copy of my book or one of the many other gorgeous-looking holiday books. Here's the link: Book Blitzen Giveaway or just click the green block on the right of my blog with the happy moose. This giveaway starts today and ends on the 15 December. My book is up for grabs today, hence the blog post even though it's Nelson Mandela's Memorial.

I'm also going to have a giveaway of my book closer to New Year. Wait for it. And I'll run a giveaway of ALL of my books on my Facebook author page on the days leading up to Christmas.

New Release and Author Interview - Rebecca Crowley

Fellow ROSA member and writer, Rebecca Crowley, has just had her holiday romance released. She actually hails from the US but now lives in sunny, although lately very rainy, South Africa. This book looks so readable. Her debut novel, The Striker's Chance, was excellently written and I would recommend it so I'm sure her novella is wonderful, too, seeing she says it was truly written from her heart. She has also answered my interview questions, so let's start with that and then go onto all the juicy bits about her new book.

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

Definitely my characters – I love getting into their heads, working up their back stories, and getting to know them as they grow through the story.

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

This may sound funny considering I’ve had a very successful debut year, but I still struggle hugely with self-belief. Whenever I hit “send” on a submission I feel sick to my stomach, and I spend the period of waiting for a response constantly re-reading the manuscript, rethinking the conflict and prose, and generally convincing myself it’s the most terrible thing ever written. I think the ability to be self-critical is essential to producing publishable work, but equally I need to learn to give myself a little more credit!

What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?

I primarily write contemporary romance, but my first romantic suspense will release in March.

What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?

Considering it’s been almost exactly a year since my debut novel was acquired, I feel like I’ve learned everything! One of the most important lessons has been that you can’t please everyone – what one reader loves, another will hate, and there’s nothing you can do except write the story you want to read.

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

I love all of my heroines and feel slightly traitorous picking one over the other, but my favourite is Regan Hunter, the professional tennis star who appears in Love in Straight Sets, my second sports romance releasing from Carina Press in April. Regan is so fiery and so flawed, and I love her dearly!

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’m not a great fan of the alpha hero, actually. I do like my heroes to be strong, but I also love to see their vulnerability and gentleness. Chris Tate, the hero of my holiday novella Hero’s Homecoming, is a perfect example. Blinded in combat, he’s gone from a confident, charming Army officer to needing so much help simply to get through each day that he questions the worth of his survival. Chris goes on a tremendous emotional journey that I’m so proud of having written.

Tell us about your journey in writing this book.

I was 15,000 words into 2012’s NaNoWriMo project and seriously flagging on my story idea. I spotted Carina Press’s call for holiday anthology submissions, one of which was a military homecoming theme. I started writing with very little idea and virtually no plan, and 35,000 words later I had a novella I’m so, so proud of and which marks a turning point in my maturity as a writer.

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

Although I ultimately turned it down, at one point I was offered a place to do a PhD on romance novels.

When I was 24 I moved to London with the intention of living there for a year – I stayed for six!

After so many years taking public transportation in NYC and London, the biggest adjustment in moving to Johannesburg has definitely been the traffic!

What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack?

I prefer to write either with total quiet or white noise. Sometimes I write in front of the TV but it’s a terrible habit – I don’t get as many words down and I don’t absorb what I’m watching either! And I can’t write sex scenes without lots and lots of wine.

Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.

I’d like to think that my heroines are unique in that they’re fierce, flawed, and don’t always understand themselves or their own actions. They’re not perfect-perfect, and they know it.

What book would you like to work on next?

At the moment I’m working to finish my 2013 NaNoWriMo project, which is currently at about 53,000 words but probably has at least another 10,000 to go. It’s very quirky, with a hot Mormon hero – and no, it’s not inspirational!

Thank you so much, Rebecca. Your answers had me smiling and laughing!

Hero's Homecoming

HERO'S HOMECOMING is available on its own: Carina Press * Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble * ARe * Audible

Or as part of the GIFTS OF HONOR duology: Carina Press * Amazon * Amazon UK * Barnes & Noble * ARe

Author Bio:

Rebecca Crowley inherited her love of romance from her mom, who taught her to at least partially judge a book by the steaminess of its cover. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense with smart heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, and never tires of the happily-ever-after. Having pulled up her Kansas roots to live in New York City and London, Rebecca recently relocated to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Find her on the web at rebeccacrowley.net or on Twitter at @rachelmaybe.

Why Facebook is Painful for Introverts

I know this is not really a writing-related post, but I'm in the mood for a rant.

I'm "traumatised" by Facebook. Let's say bored and frustrated are better words.

I'm an introvert. Yeah, sure, I'm quite verbal with my close friends and family and lay it out there, but Facebook is increasingly becoming a scary place to navigate as a writer and person.

I have a theory which may not even be true, but I think most writers are introverts. Writers are often sensitive, analytical, and detailed people. Those personality traits usually apply to introverts.

The best way to work out if you're an extrovert or introvert is this: when you're tired, do you prefer to be alone or with people?

I love this post about introverts. Although it's related to the paleo diet which I follow, any introverts would be able to relate to what she says: PaleoNonPaleo

Okay, I do have a few extrovert tendencies. I tend to spout personal stuff but then I regret it afterwards. But when I'm tired, I like to be alone, or with close family. Definitely not with a crowd of people.

The reason I'm almost sure most writers are introverts is that we love being alone with our writing. We thrive on it. Most extroverts would hate spending hours behind a screen with their characters being their only companions.

Facebook is a crowd. My friends list doesn't stop growing. I don't want to turn anyone away and hurt them so I keep on welcoming people into my circle. I work at home so I get lonely sometimes. So, I lay my personal stuff out there but then I wait in fear for criticism, lack of interest, and all those things that sting. Sigh! I sometimes feel like this huge crowd is staring at me, waiting for me to mess up. A totally misguided concept but the blindness of Facebook does that.

You can't see the expressions of people, you can't hear their tone of voice. They aren't flesh and blood people but just words on a page. As much as I like stories and words, to build a living relationship, I prefer to have someone sitting in front of me. You at least know what they're thinking. The silence of Facebook rings very loud sometimes. So Facebook doesn't do well for introverts who prefer a handful of loyal friends and not a whole crowd partaking of their personal lives. Yet, in this busy and lonely career, we want to connect somehow.

As a writer, we need to connect with our readers and put personal things up. I sometimes find it easier with people who are complete strangers but at times it's hard.

I suppose the introverts amongst us must just continue to be strong and lay our personal selves out on the altar of promo sacrifice. It's all part of the business and making the connection. And we do actually enjoy it when we're not overcome by the feeling of being lost in a crowd.

The other rant I have about Facebook is that it has become so cluttered and commercialised. I remember the excitement when I first joined - how I could connect with people I hadn't seen in years. Now, I hardly ever speak to those people but I'm grateful to have the access to connect with them if I need to. What annoys me are all the adverts (sponsored, they say) which pop up on my news feed without my permission, and the groups I follow can get a bit overwhelming. I belong to close to twelve different groups. I keep on embarrassing myself by posting a personal status in a group. I think I've done it about five times and have had to delete it. You must make sure you're on your home page before you post your personal statuses.

So, how do we as introverts navigate the very scary world of social networking?

Be careful what you post. Don't aim for controversial or sensational. I'm speaking to myself here as I love controversial especially when it comes to religion as I question the status quo quite a bit. You will get a response and it may upset you. Unless you're looking for a response. Go ahead then.

Try to spend more time responding to your friends than going on about your own life.

Don't complain about other people at all. You'll regret it.

Don't grumble a lot. Save that for your poor partner to bear the brunt of.

Don't share too many blog posts and You Tube videos. I'm very guilty of sharing stuff that I've enjoyed but I bore my friends way too much. Sharing jokes always seems to build a report with friends.

Spend less time on Facebook and more time connecting with real people or reading a good book.

I keep a separate Facebook account now for my writing friends and groups. It helps me to not miss out on important writing news and it eliminates the crowd factor a little bit.

Any ideas for an introvert to navigate the scary world of Facebook?

New Release by Zee Monodee

Fellow Decadent Publishing author and my awesome editor from Decadent Publishing, Zee Monodee, has just released Book #1 of The Daimsbury Chronicles with Decadent. This books looks like fluffy, girly fun to read and I adore the cover. This is Book 1 in a brand new series with a category vibe. Set in the fictional Surrey village of Daimsbury in England, this is one place that will know a lot of upheavals of love and friendship *cue in soap opera plots!*

And it all starts with Honor Whelan's story, Bad Luck With Besties!

Blurb:

Honor Whelan always trips into bad luck with male best friends. Abandoned by her bestie of eleven years who got her pregnant during a one-night-stand, she finds herself destitute and alone, with no other choice but to head home to the Surrey village of Daimsbury.

Fifteen years earlier, Honor left Daimsbury because her then best friend and the boy she loved, Liam Morelli, got another friend pregnant.

Honor had run...but today, she can no longer hide. Especially not when fate knocks her straight into Liam's path, and he starts to show signs of wanting a second chance.

Will her luck finally change or will she continue to fight bad luck with besties?

Excerpt:

She let her gaze travel to the dining table, bare except for the two white documents in stark contrast against the mahogany wood. Which one should she contemplate first? Not that she hadn’t spent the past three months pouring over them. Glancing at the papers shocked her with solid punch to the gut. Every single time.

What had she expected, really? Jonathan might have gotten her up the duff during one drunken night, yet he still remained totally gay. The flat and all its contents belonged to him. He wouldn’t get his hands on her book collection, that was for sure. Everything else, he’d ditched, like a person picked up a rotten sock with the barest pinch of fingers and tossed the smelly rag in the rubbish bin.

A flutter, akin to something pulling inside, started in her belly. She placed a hand on the spot where a baby grew in her. She could almost feel the kid calming from the touch. Doctors could say whatever they wanted; she knew her body. Her baby was alive and proud to exist. Why couldn’t Jonathan see that?

She sighed. Her gaze landed on the eviction papers. Her three months’ notice would run up tomorrow, and she no longer held hope that Jonathan would come round and tell her everything had been a mistake, that he hadn’t meant to eject her, and his child, out of his life and throw her out on her arse, to boot.

She’d been an idiot. The minute she’d confessed about her pregnancy, all shades of her best friend for the past eleven years had vanished. The cold, hard man she’d faced had turned tail and run to his former lover, the same one who had dumped him like a rotten sock, too. The most misogynistic bastard Honor had ever encountered. No wonder Jonathan, under his influence, sent her not only an eviction notice, but also the papers wherein he renounced all rights to the baby and requested she never bother him with anything pertaining to the child.

How could she have been so wrong about him? A tear rolled down her cheek. She should know, shouldn’t she, having an awful track record with male best friends. Hadn’t Liam Morelli gotten Rose Payne, the other member of their trinity, pregnant when they’d been seventeen?

And speaking of Liam. No, she couldn’t think of him. He’d returned to Daimsbury where she was headed, but no other choice lay before her. She had to go back, because the family house in that Surrey village was her only remaining possession.

Her book can be bought here: Decadent Publishing, Amazon

Guest Author Interview and Book Spotlight - Amy Mullen

Today, I have fellow Astraea Press author, Amy Mullen, for an interview and spotlight on her Medieval romance, A Stormy Knight.

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

For me, it is doing something I have always loved to do. In the same way that I can shut out the world when reading a good book, I can escape somewhere else when writing – but I can pick where I go or what the characters will do.

2. What is the hardest thing for you about being a writer?

I think it is just doing it. I love to do to it but it can be painful. I know that does not make any sense, but it’s true. I read once that someone said they loved ‘having written’ and I can certainly understand what they meant.

3. What genre/s do you write and what genre is your latest release?

A Stormy Knight is a medieval romance, and another in the final stages of editing called Redefining Rayne is the same. I love the time period. However, I have what I hope is a great idea for a contemporary. I may tackle that next. I also am working on a sequel to my first. I change my mind every day on which I want to go for next.

4. What essential things have you learned about writing in the last year?

Oh, just about everything. I have learned that commas are hard and no two people agree on where they do and do not go, and also that characters should pull a plot rather than the other way around. I have also learned how much language has evolved. A lot of the words we use today were not used in the medieval time period, which means I have to be very careful about phrases and modern words.

5. Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

I only have two thus far and I love them both. I might have to lean towards Rayne in my upcoming release. This poor girl has been put through the grinder and still finds a reason to get up in the morning. I think we all have days or even months like that. She hangs in there when I’m not even sure I would have.

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 think I like the wounded-alpha. Is there such a thing? I like a strong, sure hero but at the same time, he’s got to have some flaws.

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

For A Stormy Knight I just set out to write a good book. It was a test to see if I could. It took me a long time to write it and I realized how hard and rewarding writing a novel can be.

8. Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

I love the Wiggles, I have the worst singing voice in the world but I sing to my kids sometimes instead of raising my voice, and I cry over a commercial, video, or random event at least once a day.

9. What rituals do you use to help you focus or get the words down on the page e.g. music or a snack.

Sometimes I watch a TV series, but I rarely listen to music. I just make sure I have a drink (preferably Coke Zero or decaf coffee) next to me. I will get up and pace back and forth when I’m thinking hard or stuck. Chocolate helps a LOT during edits!

10. Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.

I don’t know if it would be unique, but I often find, once completed, a story has helped me work out an issue in my own life. I do not do it on purpose and my characters are not modelled on people I know. I always find something of myself or my life nestled in there. I think it can be healing to work things out that way when there are no real life answers or resolutions.

11. What book would you like to work on next?

Well, I’m a football fan. I get a little nutty when I’m watching football (Go Bills!). I recently went to my first live NFL game and was inspired. I think a football themed contemporary may be in my near future. I also plan to write a sequel to A Stormy Knight soon.

Give us a blurb of your book and if you want, a short excerpt.

A Stormy Knight

In twelfth century England, Gemma de Vere and Nicholas de Reymes find love at a young age. Too naïve to truly understand what is happening, their fledgling relationship is torn apart by political games and scheming minds. Nicholas and his family disappear into the night and Gemma is left with a shattered heart.

Seven years later, Gemma still harbors a broken heart, and retreats into a life in which she will not be foolish enough to fall in love again. Mysterious deaths and accidents begin to plague those living within the walls of Blackstone Castle, and her father falls ill. She has no choice but to seek the assistance of King Henry.

Help arrives in the form of her childhood love, the handsome and imposing Nicholas, who is now a fierce and loyal knight bent on revenge. The pain and anguish he feels over the fate of his family casts Gemma as his enemy. To him, she represents all the misfortune in his life as he tries to keep her at arm’s length and far away from his heart.

Their journey towards truth is riddled with treachery and danger from an unlikely source. Will they find their way back to each other, or will his need for revenge outweigh the love he feels in her arms?

Excerpt:

"You defy me," he said as he spun around to face her, "and you do it at every opportunity. You have caused me great pain, and I will have no more of it. You lead my men astray and cause them to be weak. I cannot be lord with you undermining my authority within these walls!"

Gemma steadied her voice, her only option clear, "I shall leave then. I will go to my uncle in Wales. We shall remain married. There is nothing that can change that, so your hold on this land is secure. 'Tis all you care for. I once loved it here, but living with a man who does not know how to trust me is too much to bear."

"You are my wife, like it or hate it, and you will do as you are told! You will stay out of my way, and you will not step foot outside of the keep until I say so." His entire body was tense, his voice harsh.

"Nay," she said while lifting her chin, "I shall leave. What you do not know, Nicholas de Reymes, is that I love you."

He froze as she spoke but did not say anything.

"And because of that love" she continued, tears falling in earnest, "I can no longer abide this life. For the second time, loving you has been a mistake. My feelings betray me, and they anger you. I will be gone before I cause you more pain. I will take Isabel with me, and my father can come when he is up to travel. All I ask is you treat him well in my absence."

You can buy "A Stormy Knight" at: Astraea Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo

Amy Mullen can be found here: Website, Blog, Facebook

Thank you so much, Amy. Your book sounds fascinating. I love that era, too. Adored your answers. Quite a few of my books have helped me through something, too. And I also cry at the drop of a hat. Any movie or story that touches me makes me cry. And wink, wink, decaf coffee is still the best! Go for it with your sports romance. They are great fun to write. Wishing you all the best.

Gritty News and Blueberry Pie

Today, is the 1 November. I've never planned and thrashed out a book so much in my head as the one I'm doing for Nano. I haven't started yet but am itching to get started. It's been such a battle as to when in the story to start. Do I start with a bit of background or straight into when the couple meet and put in some very relevant background in later on? I'm leaning towards the latter.

I'm not a great magazine reader. I prefer books but occasionally I enjoy the Woman's Health magazine especially when it comes with a free exercise DVD. There was an article in the magazine that spoke to me. The gist of the article was that talent, intelligence, and education aren't the only ingredients for success. Grit is a large part of it. Many entrepeneurs and top CEO's went to public schools and didn't get a tertiary education. But they had grit, determination, and endurance. And even though you may not be born with grit, it can be cultivated.

Every now and then I question myself. I don't have a communications or English degree, I didn't start off with great writing talent - I had to learn many skills the hard way through rejection letters, criticisms and bad reviews; I don't have a particularly high IQ or wasn't a great boffin at school. I'm just average, but I can't seem to give up on my writing dream. I think I may have the grit ingredient. Or at least the desire to cultivate it.

The article spoke mostly about being able to stick to sport through pain - like doing triathlons. Now, I know I don't have grit in that regard. I've run a few 10 km races and managed to finish those but I don't know if I could ever do a marathon. I actually don't even have the desire to and definitely don't want to the do the Comrades Marathon like my sister-in-law who has done it several times and seems pretty hooked on it.

But I want to write a best seller one day.

It's been a rocky road so far. Lately, I've been discouraged by so many things. Last night, I started watching a movie called "Blueberry Nights." I love the line in the movie he gives the girl who's feeling terribly rejected after her boyfriend had an affair with someone else.

Elizabeth: Why do you keep them? You should just throw them out.

Jeremy: No. No, I couldn't do that.

Elizabeth: Why not?

Jeremy: If I threw these keys away then those doors would be closed forever and that shouldn't be up to me to decide, should it?

Elizabeth: I guess I'm just looking for a reason.

Jeremy: From my observations, sometimes it's better off not knowing, and other times there's no reason to be found.

Elizabeth: Everything has a reason.

Jeremy: Hmm. It's like these pies and cakes. At the end of every night, the cheesecake and the apple pie are always completely gone. The peach cobbler and the chocolate mousse cake are nearly finished... but there's always a whole blueberry pie left untouched.

Elizabeth: So what's wrong with the blueberry pie?

Jeremy: There's nothing wrong with the blueberry pie. Just... people make other choices. You can't blame the blueberry pie, just... no one wants it.

I've started to wonder if there's something wrong with my writing. Why do other people get rave reviews, many sales and lots of people crazy about their books? My books have been a bit like the blueberry pie at the bakery where Jeremy works. It's delicious but it doesn't sell because people just choose something else. I love blueberries and I love tender, sweet romances. Not everyone has the same taste as me. So, naturally my books won't always sell as quickly as the sassy, dramatic, suspenseful novels. But, hey, it will come. Eventually, the people who like sweet and tender romances will find my books and read them and read more of them. And tell others about them. Yes, there may always be less people who like my type of book, but that doesn't mean there's something seriously flawed with my writing. Sure, I could definitely improve and my aim is to be as good as New York Times Bestselling Writer, Debbie Macomber, one day.

The key is to not take things personally. For a sensitive soul, that's very hard but I'm learning. I hope that someone else will learn from my lessons too.

I'm going to keep on writing now. So, bye for now as Nano begins. Yippee!

PS: I couldn't believe they got James Patterson to do the Nano pep talk for today. Just that extra boost to get me into this really gritty novel!!