Love and Diamonds

Image thanks to Boykung of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Diamonds are supposed to be a girl's best friend. I still haven't fathomed where that statement comes from but I suppose my ring has been a trusty companion the last 18 years of my life.

When I think of diamonds, I often think of the concept of "getting there." In my story for the anthology, Rosalee felt she was like a rough diamond straight out of the mine. She wasn't sparkling and perfectly geometrical with neat edges. She had a serious flaw - she chose the ring with her boyfriend but then changed her mind after he proposed to her. A diamond straight out of the ground is very different to one that has been cut and polished. I couldn't find a free image on the net to show you but it basically looks like a milky stone with bumpy and rough edges. Some even look yellow or black. A diamond has to go through a process to get to it's perfect form. Rosalee lost Sam, the man she loved because she rejected his proposal. She learned about being more careful about her actions. She discovered things about herself and also discovered that she still loved him.

I've had a bit of a "rocky" relationship with my engagement / wedding ring the last year. It's been giving me a rash. I even soaked it in hydrogen peroxide and vinegar and scrubbed it with a toothbrush to get rid of any germs, lastly boiling it in water for twenty minutes but I still can't wear it. I think it may be too tight for me. Sigh ... That means I've put on weight. I don't want to resize it though because in winter, everything becomes loose again. This ring has a special place in my heart. It's the ring I found and Kevin bought for me, the ring I gave back to him, and then the ring I gladly accepted in the end. It's been on a journey to Zambia and back. It's been with me through having three babies, being hi-jacked at gunpoint, crashing our car into a cow in the middle of the Botswana wilderness roads and coming back to South Africa where I've had other experiences. I can't wait to wear it again when the cooler weather comes.

Love and Diamonds Anthology is a book of stories. What's so great about it, is that you enter into the minds and souls of fifteen different writers whose lives are unique and colourful. Yet these writers have something in common - they want to write about love and life.

You can buy the Anthology here: Amazon

I'm having a giveaway for the next two days on this blog. The prize will be a Kindle copy of the anthology. All you have to do is leave a comment below. I'd love it if you shared and tweeted about the giveaway to all your friends, too.

Ashley Stambaugh with Debut Novel, Collide

Today, I have Ashley Stambaugh who is spotlighting her debut urban fantasy novel, Collide. The book sounds fascinating!

Blurb:

Melina Rowe never thought her quiet, simple life could change to one full of fear and confusion just by accidentally bumping into someone. But after she collides with an elderly man named Walter, she starts to hear people’s thoughts and have unsettling visions.

Walter reveals himself as a guiding angel and explains to Melina that she’s a rare type of human who can absorb angel powers. But her special ability is more of a problem for her than a gift.

The powers are too strong for humans and will eventually kill Melina unless she can successfully use them to help a select individual who’s in need of guidance. Her chances are slim, though, seeing that the handful of other humans this has happened to before didn't survive.

Scared for her life, Melina desperately tries to help a young man named Lee, but his continual resistance and her struggle with the powers make it almost impossible. Her situation only grows worse when a trio of soul-snatching demons is sent by an unknown entity to take her soul and kill her.
As a determined Walter sets out to discover who sent the demons and why, Melina must defend herself from their relentless attacks all while trying to use powers she doesn’t fully understand to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. If she can’t figure out how to break through to Lee, the powers will ultimately destroy her. But if the powers don’t kill her first, the demons will.

Excerpt:

Melina Rowe peered out of her bedroom window and wrinkled her nose. It was late October, so she knew it was cold outside, but it also appeared to be windy. These weather conditions weren’t her favorite, but she was determined to continue with her morning runs until snow prevented her from doing otherwise. She pulled her long brown hair up into a ponytail, slid a fleece headband on over her ears, and zipped up her coat before heading out her apartment door and down the stairwell to her bookstore below. The store didn’t open for another hour, so she had plenty of time. She took a quick look around and then turned to exit through the back.

Starting off in a slight jog, she followed her normal path toward the park, taking in the city in its early morning state as she went. Traffic was light, and there was only a handful of people out and about. The sky was a dull gray, and brown, dried up leaves swirled and danced around her, giving the city an even gloomier feeling. She hoped the blustery wind didn’t mean rain was on its way.

After only a few short blocks, the wrought iron gates that surrounded the park appeared alongside her. She picked up her pace and rounded a corner to her right, making her way toward the entrance, when she came upon an elderly man walking from the opposite direction. They met each other so suddenly that neither of them had a chance to move out of the way. Melina collided with the man, and it was in that moment that it happened.

As soon as their bodies made contact, she felt a powerful surge of energy pass through her and then a bright white light exploded between them, knocking them both away from each other. Melina, who had been knocked to the ground, pushed herself up to her feet, wondering what had just happened. The sensation that went through her body was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was very sharp and intense, like an electric shock, but at the same time it was soothing and warm. The feeling still lingered in her body as she finally looked over at the man.

After catching his balance, he looked over at her, and she noticed his expression of confusion and shock. His mouth opened as if to say something, but nothing came out. He stared at her for a moment and then finally he spoke to her.

“You,” he muttered.

“Excuse me?” she asked, returning his confused look.

“You’re one of them.”

Interview:

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

 Being able to bring life to the many different characters that develop in my head, and then to see others enjoy them just as much as I do.

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

Rejection.  Even after you make it out of the querying phase and into the publication stage, you still have to worry about your book being rejected by readers.  We authors work so hard on our books, so it can be painful when others don’t feel the same about it.

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

This is my first book, and while it does have some romance, the main story line makes it more of an Urban Fantasy.  Paranormal Romance is in my future, though.

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

I’ve learned that I can’t force myself to write.  There have been times when I’ve sat down with my laptop and said to myself, “Okay, you need to get some writing done today,” and then nothing comes out.  If I just let the ideas happen and come to me naturally, then I’m much more productive.

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

Since this is my first book, I’d have to say Melina.  But even when I start to publish more books, I think she’ll always hold a special place in my heart since she was my first heroine.

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 humble hero.  One who knows that he’s the one to save the day, but does it because he knows he can and he should, not because he wants fame or glory.

Tell us about your journey in writing this book.

I completed the first version of this book back in the summer of 2009.  I started to send out query letters to various literary agents and publishers, but after receiving nothing but rejections, I knew I needed to rewrite it.  So I did.  And then I sent out more query letters, only to receive more rejections.  So I rewrote it a third time, and I guess the third time really is a charm.  A little over four years from when I sent out my first query letter, I finally received an offer of publication in the fall of 2013.  And as the saying goes, the rest is history!

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

My birthday is the day after Christmas.

I play online computer games with my husband.

My favorite color is brown.

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

I have to have some type of background noise.  Music is preferable, but sometimes I turn the TV on really low.  It may sound strange, but my mind tends to wonder from one thing to the other if the room is completely silent.  Oh, and having some type of chocolate to snack on helps, too.

Mention something unique about your books and your writing style.

Something unique about Collide is that it’s a new spin on the normal angel and demon storyline.  The main character, Melina, isn’t an angel or a demon, nor is she a human who falls in love with an angel or a demon.  Melina is a unique human who can absorb angel powers.

What book would you like to work on next?

Collide is the first book in a planned trilogy, so I’m currently working on its sequel.

Thank you Ashley. I normally read romance but I'm really keen to get stuck into your novel. Of course, brown is a lovely colour - it's the colour of chocolate.

You can buy her book here: Astraea Press and Amazon

Writing Process Blog Hop

Thank you to Elsa Winckler for tagging me to take part in a writing process blog hop - a chance for authors to spread their wings far and wide for more people to discover them. You can find Elsa's writing process blog post here: Elsa's Website. She's a prolific Afrikaans romance writer who has recently had an English romance published by Escape Publishing called "Love, in Writing." It's a beautiful story and can be purchased here: Amazon. I'm amazed how someone can write novels in more than one language. I certainly couldn't do that.

So, today, I'm going to give some details of my writing process. I'm answering four simple questions:

1. What am I working on?
At the moment, I'm actually writing a book for my alter-ego. I write books under a pseudonym and I'm working on a new line that Decadent Publishing has brought out called Beyond Fairytales. You get assigned a Grimm's fairytale and must write a romance based on it. I was given The Frog King which is similar to the children's cartoon movie, The Princess and The Frog. I'm writing a contemporary fantasy romance which has now become one of my favourite genres to work on. The book is about a single aspiring writer who buys a bureau from an antique shop which magically brings one of her characters, a hot Theo, to life, as her husband. For someone who's enjoying her freedom as a single, a new husband dumped on her, no matter how cute, is a total nightmare. Joanie is set out on getting rid of kind, gentle Theo, but the magic and Theo have other plans.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It took me a while to work out my own style or voice as they call it. From reviews and comments on my books, I've realised that my stories and characters are mostly sweet, gentle and tender. I think it just comes out naturally and I don't intend to write like that but that is my natural voice. Even my books under my pseudonym, although spicier, are essentially sweet romances. As much as I would want to write about very strong-minded, tough and spunky characters, they usually don't end up like that.

3. Why do I write what I do?
My main aim is to make characters who are real to life. I generally don't like those that are super-rich, super-put-together or perfect. I like characters with flaws that my readers can relate to. Maybe because I'm just an ordinary, everyday person, I want my characters to be the same. I also tend to prefer to read books about everyday people, not about billionaires or rakes. I write romance because I'm a lover of romance. Since I fell in love with my husband, my heart has become like putty. I never used to cry in movies, now I cry so easily. And also because I gave my husband such a hard time before I accepted his proposal, I tend to enjoy making my characters find it very difficult to say yes.

4. How does your writing process work?
My first job is to come up with a book idea. I come up with the gist of the story in my head. I don't write it down in detail. Maybe I'm superstitious but as soon as I write an idea down in too much detail, it loses it's power for me. I never plot the whole book beforehand but just start writing with a general idea where the story is headed. I write a bit and then brainstorm the next step as I do other tasks like housework. When I sit down again to write, I have an idea what direction I'm going. Sometimes I stick to it, other times I don't. Basically, I'm a hybrid pantster but lean more towards pantster than plotter.

I've tagged two other authors who will blog about their writing process a week from now - the 17 March. Zee Monodee, author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and urban fantasy novels and Leigh Hann, contemporary romance writer.

Excerpt Day

I'm going to start a new thing - once a month, I will post an excerpt from one of my books. Today, I'm going to post from Dragonfly Moments, my Ubuntu Line book.

Ryan was standing a foot from her again. His woodsy, manly scent drifted into her senses.
“Do you always listen in on other people’s conversations?”
“Don’t settle for less.”
Her vision blurred for a moment. What did he mean by that? Was he referring to Mark? How dare he? It was her decision. How dare he come back out of the past and start assuming things about her.
“I don’t know what you mean, and you’re starting to upset me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. Look, I think you’d better go.”
“Kicking a customer out.” He winked. He never used to wink like that—that much she remembered.
“Are you really intending to buy anything?”
“Paint me something from your heart. Truly from your heart, and I will buy it.”
What? Goosebumps ran up her arms. Paint something specially for Ryan? It was as if he’d touched a chord inside her that was only hers. She knew what painting from the heart implied. The proof was at home in her cupboards. But Ryan mustn’t know that.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said again.
“Yes, you do. Let me know when you’ve done it.”
“I don’t even have your number.”
“Here’s my business card.”
He handed it to her, and she dropped it on her desk like a hot coal. So she wasn’t going to get rid of Ryan and all the memories so easily. Business was business. Having someone commission a painting was a first for her.
“Thanks.” She let out a shaky breath and looked down at the papers on her desk, desperate to find something to busy herself with. Too much intense emotion for one day. At least her evening with Mark would be calm and ordinary.
Ryan left, and she walked to the door, intending to lock it, but no, it was still working hours. The relief of him leaving was short-lived. Now she had to face up to the empty gallery and her crazy thoughts about Mark leaving. But, everything would happen for the future good. She had to look to the future, not be swayed by silly current emotions.
She padded to the painting with the red roof and studied it. It would have looked wrong with a brown roof. His attention to detail was commendable yet not good enough to have noticed how much she loved him all those years he visited them. And he hadn’t been clever enough to dump Annie and date her. All his fault.
A muffled groan escaped her lips. Just when she’d moved on with her life and forgotten about Ryan, there he was, back in it.
Too bad. He could stay in but at a distance—a comfortable distance. Given how she’d made it through art college working part time until late most nights, she could stop him from swaying her. He wasn’t going to get in the way of what she wanted and needed. He couldn’t offer her the guarantee of forever or have her need for a family met.
Running to her desk, she pulled out the baby magazine from inside a drawer and let her fingers slide over the glossy pictures of the soft little bundles of humanity displayed on the pages. She would make a good mother, that was one thing she knew. Anyone who wanted a child as much as she did would be the most devoted mother in the world.

Buy here: Decadent Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Book Review - Only for You by Tista Ray

Today, I'm posting a review of Tista Ray's second novel called Only for You. Tista is an award-winning young adult romance novelist.

A copy of this book was given to me for a review.

Here are my thoughts on the book:

This book is a young adult romance written from the male point of view which was refreshing and very personal. It’s a story of young and troubled love – real, vulnerable and very beautiful.

I’m amazed at Tista’s ability to get the reader inside the character’s head and heart to the point where you feel so deeply for someone who is flawed, confused and broken. Many romances seem to come from the perspective of the writer, no matter how much they make us feel. In this book, you really become the character. You become confused, naïve, desperate, passionate. She allows her characters to falter and fall even to the point of total destruction. Then suddenly they rise above, strong and new. You think they’ve messed up for good and that there is no hope yet you cannot help but continue to read.

I loved the way she steeped the book in their weaknesses – like you knew Edward was too possessive at one stage, yet you understood why he was like that and then he changes. I love the way he changes and grows throughout the story. Each character has a transformation, subtle yet real.

Tista has a unique writing style that feels just like the characters she writes about.

The only part I struggled with was the song at the end. Personally, I think the book would have been complete without it. I understand why it was written, and there was some beauty in it, but at times, it was hard to read.

This is a story with a difference – with a brutal honesty and tender love that reaches the depths of your soul.

All in all, an excellent young adult romance.

You can purchase the Kindle version of  "Only for You" here: Amazon and the paperback version here: Amazon.

Guest Author Interview Tara Andrews

Today, I have fellow Decadent Publishing author, Tara Andrews, talking about her debut novel, Long Overdue. Her book is a 1Night Stand story. They are fascinating love stories unique to Decadent Publishing.

In addition to her obsessive need to write, Tara Andrews spends her day managing the business office for a community hospital. She lives in upstate New York with her wonderful, supportive husband and two children – who make everything worthwhile. If all that doesn’t keep her busy enough, she’s also a part time student. Tara’s a procrastinator (advanced-level) who likes to spend every spare moment reading – even those moments that shouldn’t be spared.

Tara, reading is so hard to break away from. I understand. You sound like an extremely busy person who needs that breakaway time.

What a stunning cover!

Long Overdue

Blurb

Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date.

Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he’s tempted by 1Night Stand’s reputation of arranging exactly what a person needs. And he needs more. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night and hopes to discover his perfect match. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with the woman he never forgot.

Fearing another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached, but Blake goes all in to convince her that he wants their long-overdue love to be more than a one-night stand…

Excerpt

“I think there’s been some sort of mistake,” she managed.

“But, we’re here. And I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

Of course, he’d be polite, while wondering what happened to the size zero, with extra-large breasts, he ordered. “I don’t know.” She shook her head and swore disappointment flashed across his face. “I’ll be honest; I am not comfortable.”

“And let me be honest. I’m looking forward to an evening with you.” Ooooh, smooth. Then again, she didn’t expect less, given his tabloid reputation. Still, her legs felt a little less stable.

She faced him. What really went on in his head? “You don’t find it strange that you know me?”

His killer smile set off butterflies in her belly and a warning bell in her mind. “No. In fact, it makes sense.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I used to wonder about you. A lot.”

Jill forgot to breathe. Forgot almost everything. Did he say…?

“Didn’t you ever wonder about me?”

Jill exhaled. “I’m taking the Fifth.” His smile grew. She shook her head, recognizing dangerous territory. “I’m still not sure.” Not sure she’d measured up. Not sure she’d survive with her heart intact.

“Stay for a drink.”

She wavered at his low-voiced offer. Dammit, he’d become even more handsome than she remembered.

You can buy her book here: Decadent Publishing and Amazon

Author Interview

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

Long before I attempted writing anything, I was a perpetual daydreamer.  I’d think up these wild stories – you know, everything from saving the world to meeting my favorite celebrities.  So, in a way, I’ve always been a storyteller in one way or another.  Being a writer is a dream-come-true for me because I found a way to put life into my stories.

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

For me, the hardest thing about being a writer is – believe it or not – being a writer.  LOL.  I’m only half-kidding.  For starters, I find I’m always trying to stay focused on finishing one story, while another’s left to simmer.  And unfortunately I also have a full time job that keeps me from writing to my heart’s content.  So I find it hard when I have to stop writing when I’m on a roll.

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

My debut that was just released, Long Overdue, is a contemporary short story.  But I also enjoy writing paranormal as well.

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

The editing process of Long Overdue was a real eye-opener.  All writers have heard the terms “passive phrasing” and “show, don’t tell”, but this experience really pushed me to do better and I learned a tremendous amount in the process.  And, truthfully, I had an awesome editor that I owe that to.

Who is your favourite heroine from your books and why?

Well, since I only have one published book so far, I will have to say Jill Malone!  What I like about Jill is that she’s down to earth, someone I can picture having a drink with after work.  She doesn’t let her fears stop her either.  From meeting her friend in the city at the beginning, to following through on her date, she keeps moving forward.

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.

Oh, man, a tough one!  I can say, I do like heroes who are self-assured.  Does that make them an alpha… maybe.  Right now, a bunch of Regency Lords are popping into my mind, and Iron Man.  J

Tell us about your journey in writing this book.

When I started writing Long Overdue I was also taking classes online to pursue a degree.  So it was slow going!!  I thought I’d never finish.  When I finally did I sent it off to be read by an author friend, who was kind enough to send me feedback – that I didn’t open for weeks because I was too nervous to read her comments.  But as always, the anticipation is worse than the reality. 

When I finally sent it in to Decadent Publishing, I felt like that was an achievement regardless if it got accepted or not.  Though, I’m so glad they did accept it!  And ever since, each step of the way so far, I’ve learned something new, the journey is still in progress.

Tell us three quirky or interesting things about yourself.

I like to say I was born in California, raised in Virginia, and grew up in New York.  My Dad was in the Navy and we travelled around quite a bit.

While living in Virginia, between my parents’ New York accent and, well, everyone else, I’ve heard every pronunciation of my name; Ta-ra (the way I say it now), Tah-ra, or Tee-ra, and occasionally something that sounded like Terror.  Seriously, there was a time I hated to even say my own name.

I like a wide range of music.  My husband laughs because Metallica will be on one second, and then the next shuffled song is Let It Go from Frozen. Country, classical, Motown, 80s Pop – I have a little bit of everything. LOL.

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

I actually use an egg timer to help me get focused.  I tend to procrastinate – I’ve practically made it an art form.  To get myself started, I set the timer to twenty minutes and write.  When it goes off I take a five minute break and then set it for another twenty.  By this time, I don’t really need to set it for a third time because I’m back on track.

What book would you like to work on next?

I’m working on another 1Night Stand right now and so far it’s a lot of fun to write!

Thank you, Tara.

You can find Tara here: Website, Facebook, Twitter.

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.