November 26, 2016 · 8:34 am

#DNA, #Neanderthals and #HumanGenome, oh, my! by Author Anita Philmar

Please help me welcome Anita Philmar with her new release, The Warrior in Me, and a fascinating article!

 

#DNA, #Neanderthals and #HumanGenome, oh, my!

Do you remember those scientist classes where they talked about the Neanderthals and other Homo Sapiens?

No?

Funny, but I do. I watch a number of special programs where scientists argued as to whether or not humans and Neanderthals existed at the same time. Each side argued for and against the possibility. Then I found research proving Neanderthals and humans did have fun together because Neanderthal genome is in human DNA.

The book “Neanderthal Man – In Search of Lost Genomes” by Svante Paabo is about what the scientists had to go through in their search to find answers as to whether or not Neanderthal genome was in human DNA. The book is not an easy read, but I couldn’t let that stop me. So I skipped over those long technical words and tried to get to the meat of what the author/scientist was trying to tell me.

It was a fascinating adventure, which spanned the globe. Dr. Paabo is from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. It is truly an amazing story and if you are interested in how scientist discovered Neanderthal DNA in the human genome, I recommend spending time with this book.

Now, after reading about Neanderthals, I had to work them into a book. I loved the idea that we as humans may have inherited some special skill from our Neanderthal ancestors. This is how I created my new series, the Ancient Warrior Prophecy. 

The series is built on the idea that people with Neanderthal DNA have special skills such as psychic abilities, and they are using those abilities to save the world. Add in a murder and a hot romance, the first book is all about the story behind the story of the announcement that Neanderthal DNA is in the human genomes.

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The Warrior in Me – Erotic Murder Mystery/ Romantic suspense

Blurb:

Special Security Agent Sebastian Berlin is eager to track down his partner’s killer. Instead, he’s assigned the job of baby-sitting a scientist. His boss thinks she’s the key to an Ancient Warrior Prophecy. Science never interested Sebastian, but the know-it-all female standing at the end of his Alaskan dock could persuade him to do a little experimenting. That is, if he can keep his Neanderthal Warrior genes from taking control.

DNA specialist Lily Sinclair is in need of a vacation, or so her over-protective ex-husband tells her. Arriving in chilly Alaska instead of sunny Cancun, she’s tired and cranky and so not in the mood for her bodyguard’s he-man tactics. Still, there’s something about the sexy eye-candy that makes her want to lick him all over even as she’s demanding to go home.

Then Lily’s ex is poisoned, and Sebastian is certain the two murders are connected and she could be next. She knows he’s hiding something, but with the worldwide release of Neanderthal DNA project only days away, she has no choice but to trust him to protect her. But can she trust him with her heart?

Excerpt :

“Have you met Cain Platero?” He folded his hands together and placed them on the desk. His broad shoulders and thick biceps encased in a red flannel shirt, he appeared in line with a farmer. Yet, his stern attitude reminded Lily more of a powerful businessman.

Trying her best to ignore his intense scrutiny, she narrowed her focus to the few people she’d met recently. Working and conversing with the same group of people day in and day out, she had a tendency to dismiss strangers as not worth her time. After all, if they weren’t involved in her research what importance could they have to her.

The name sounded familiar.

Oh, yes, the handsome man Mark had introduced her to when he told her he’d assigned Bruce the task of driving her back and forth to work each day.

“He works with Bruce. The two of them installed the lab’s new security system.” Lily straightened her arms, leaned against the back of her chair, and folded her hands in her lap. Happy this man couldn’t accuse her of being totally oblivious to the people around her, she smiled.

“That’s right. He was shot last night in the parking lot of your lab.” His words with their precise even tone took a moment for her to process.

She blinked.

He had to be joking.

Lifting her hand to her chest, she sputtered, “Excuse me, what did you say?”

“Cain was murdered outside your lab.” He rephrased the sentence, but her brain registered only one word—murdered.

She jumped to her feet and planted her hands on his desk. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this before now?” She glanced around for her purse. “I need to call Mark. We have to call the police and find out what the hell happened. Did they break into the lab?”

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and headed back down the hallway to where he’d left her suitcase. She didn’t see her handbag anywhere near it. Did she leave it in the small, tin-bucket-sized plane? Or had Bruce left it on the dock?

Desperate for answers to a whole host of questions, she rushed outside. “Damn it, Bruce, how do you expect me to stay in touch with home if you fly off with my purse?”

She dashed across the front porch, making it almost to the steps before a large hand on her shoulder stopped her progress. She spun around and slapped the man’s chest. “Did you pick up my purse?”

Available at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9C5QLQ

http://wildcatalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-erotic/4749-the-warrior-in-me.html

or

Pick up my free read at https://www.instafreebie.com/free/3JMW4

anitaphilmarpp

 

Bio

Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way.

Influenced by old movies, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where special moments come to life in a great read.

Naughty or Nice?

Read her books and decide.

Website:  http://www.anitaphilmar.com/

Email: anitaphilmar@yahoo.com

Blog: http://www.anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/

FB: www.facebook.com/anita.philmar

GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1329767.Anita_Philmar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anitaphilmar

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Anita-Philmar/e/B002BMBE8C

 

 

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November 22, 2016 · 9:36 am

Tuesday Two-Minute Writing Tip – Stop Showing, Start Telling?

Got two minutes? Then check out this week’s quick tip ~ Lee Child’s advice: Tell, don’t Show

Hello and welcome…I am a freelance editor and an editor for The Wild Rose Press, as well as an author. I often struggle with my own writing, and I have found that sometimes, a little reminder of ways to improve the process can be helpful, so, I like to share these moments of brilliance with others :). But, in this busy world of ours, who has time for pages and pages of writing tips? That’s why I’ve condensed mine down to quick flashes you can read in (approximately) two minutes. Enjoy…

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Disclaimer: All of my tips are suggestions, and are only my opinion. And, for the most part, there are exceptions when going against my advice will make your story read better. Take what works, leave the rest.

Lee Child is one of my favorite authors. I LOVE the Jack Reacher books. He, like a lot of my favorite suspense/thriller authors, does not write with a lot of emotion. It’s a style that is part of that genre, and it works well for me. I don’t need a ton of emotion, especially when I’m engrossed in an intense thriller. I hadn’t really thought about his voice/style, but after reading his advice on ‘showing,’ I wondered if he did a lot of telling, which is supposedly a no-no, and I just hadn’t noticed. Here is what he had to say about it:

Picture this: In a novel, a character wakes up and looks at himself in the mirror, noting his scars and other physical traits for the reader.

“It is completely and utterly divorced from real life,” Child said.

So why do writers do this? Child said it’s because they’ve been beaten down by the rule of Show, Don’t Tell. “They manufacture this entirely artificial thing.”

“We’re not story showers,” Child said. “We’re story tellers.”

Child said there’s nothing wrong with simply saying the character was 6 feet tall, with scars.

After all, he added—do your kids ever ask you to show them a story? They ask you to tell them a story. Do you show a joke? No, you tell it.

“There is nothing wrong with just telling the story,” Child said. “So liberate yourself from that rule.”

Child believes the average reader doesn’t care at all about telling, showing, etc. He or she just wants something to latch onto, something to carry them through the book. By following too many “rules,” you can lose your readers.

I think he has some good points. We don’t want to get so bogged down in rules that we lose our story.  Also, you can overdo it with the showing. However, I think Mr. Child does more ‘showing’ than he would lead us to believe.

Excerpt from “Worth Dying For” by Lee Child:

Reacher checked the window. There were four tires in total, big knobbly off-road things, all of them on a Ford pick-up truck. The truck had a jacked suspension and lights on a roof bar and a snorkel air intake and a winch on the front. There were two large shapes in the gloom inside. The shapes had thick necks and huge shoulders. The truck nosed slowly down the row of cabins and stopped twenty feet behind the parked Subaru. The headlights stayed on. The engine idled. The doors opened. Two guys climbed out.

They both looked like Brett, only bigger. Late twenties, easily six-six or six-seven, probably close to three hundred pounds each, big waists made tiny by huge chests and arms and shoulders. They had cropped hair and small eyes and fleshy faces. They were the kind of guys who ate two dinners and were still hungry afterward. They were wearing red Cornhuskers football jackets made gray by the blue light from the cabin’s eaves.

The doctor’s wife joined Reacher at the window.

“Sweet Jesus,” she said.

Reacher said nothing.

The two guys closed the truck’s doors and stepped back in unison to the load bed and unlatched a tool locker bolted across its width behind the cab. They lifted the lid and one took out an engineer’s ball-peen hammer and the other took out a two-headed wrench at least a foot and a half long. They left the lid open and walked forward into the truck’s headlight wash and their shadows jumped ahead of them. They were light on their feet and nimble for their size, like football players usually were. They paused for a moment and looked at the cabin’s door, and then they turned away.

Toward the Subaru.

They attacked it in a violent frenzy, an absolute blitzkrieg, two or three minutes of uncontrolled smashing and pounding. The noise was deafening. They smashed every shard of glass out of the windshield, they smashed the side windows, the back window, the headlights, the tail lights. They hammered jagged dents into the hood, into the doors, into the roof, into the fenders, into the tailgate. They put their arms through the absent glass and smashed up the dials and the switches and the radio.

Shit, Reacher thought. There goes my ride.

“My husband’s punishment,” the doctor’s wife whispered. “Worse this time.”

The two guys stopped as suddenly as they had started. They stood there, one each side of the wrecked wagon, and they breathed hard and rolled their shoulders and let their weapons hang down by their sides. Pebbles of broken automotive glass glittered in the neon and the boom and clang of battered sheet metal echoed away to absolute silence.

Reacher took off his coat and dumped it on the bed.

The two guys formed up shoulder to shoulder and headed for the cabin’s door. Reacher opened it up and stepped out to meet them head on. Win or lose, fighting inside would bust up the room, and Vincent the motel owner had enough problems already.

The two guys stopped ten feet away and stood there, side by side, symmetrical, their weapons in their outside hands, four cubic yards of bone and muscle, six hundred pounds of beef, all flushed and sweating in the chill.

Reacher said, “Pop quiz, guys. You spent four years in college learning how to play a game. I spent thirteen years in the army learning how to kill people. So how scared am I?”

Sigh….when you’re Lee Child, and your character is Jack Reacher, who needs showing? However, lines like this: ‘Pebbles of broken automotive glass glittered in the neon and the boom and clang of battered sheet metal echoed away to absolute silence.’ In my opinion, are showing. As far as emotion, you don’t need melodrama. I felt the emotion in that scene, easily. Even though Reacher is not given to hysterics, and even though it was brief, the doctor’s wife’s emotions were clear. And, Reacher’s intent to do bodily harm was clear. I was completely in the scene. I could see it, feel it, hear it. I will say that, writing in first person helps. You naturally ‘show’ more when in first person. 

Bottom line, I think it’s about a few things…

  1. Don’t worry about showing in the first draft. Write it as quickly as you can, just get the story out. Perhaps even write in first person (you can switch to third in the second round) so you’ll be inclined to ‘show.’
  2. When you are revising, look for places where you can make the scene a little more vivid by using senses and unique descriptions and avoiding ‘filter’ words such as ‘saw’ ‘heard’ ‘realized’ ‘noticed’ ‘felt’ etc.
  3. Find a balance between showing and telling. Like in the excerpt above, a few well-chosen words can put us immediately in the scene, right with the action.

Until next time…Happy Writing!

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ONLY 99 cents!! 

(Click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon Buy Page)

2 minute writing tip final

 

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*** If you would like to send me a few sample pages (around 7500 words or so, even though I will not edit that many on the blog. It just gives me more to choose from) for me to edit and share on an upcoming blog post, please do so in the body of an email to AliciaMDean@aol.com. Please use the subject line: “Blog Submission” This is for published or unpublished authors. In the email, please include whether you would like me to use your name or keep it anonymous, and whether or not you would like me to include any contact info or buy info for your books. Also, you can let me know if you would like for me to run my edits by you before posting on the blog. Please keep in mind, this is for samples to use for blog posts. I will not edit or use samples from all the submissions I receive, but I will use as many as possible. 

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16

How to write a novel? That is the question. There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people who ask it.

Wanting to write and actually doing it are two very different things. I am well acquainted with the sometimes grueling process of churning out a story. Over the years, I have tried many methods for creating and completing manuscripts, and have tweaked and honed it down to a workable (for me) process.

Using specific examples from one of my own novels, Without Mercy, I share my method in this mini how to book. The first eight steps actually deal with plotting while the last two are designed to help expand your outline into a well-developed draft. There is no one, perfect way to create a story, but there will be a method, or methods that work for you. I’m not sure if this is the one, but it works for me. Only you can decide if it also works for you. Fingers crossed that it does!

*** Warning – Please do not purchase without reading a sample. (This is solid advice for any book, fiction or non. If you are not intrigued in the sample, you will likely not enjoy the book)

Amazon: Click Here

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November 20, 2016 · 10:29 am

A Plethora of 99 Cent Ebooks!!!

99 Cent Ebooks galore

Check out our monthly list of 99 cent reads. All different genres, all great bargains!

***Just click on the cover to be taken to the purchase page.

PLEASE CONFIRM BEFORE ORDERING!!! – We are not responsible if prices are no longer 99 cents

Hope you discover some enticing reads!

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For a limited time, the authors of Chick Swagger are offering their Hard Men of the Rockies as a complete collection. Five stories, five men who will spice up your library and leave you looking for Mistletoe and Lace.

Find the authors of Chick Swagger at ChickSwagger.com.

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Knight Geoffrey de Montfort vanishes for seven years after his wedding night—then returns without revealing to his wife where he has been. Will Geoffrey’s silence create a rift too large to heal—or can he and Merryn recapture the love they once shared?

Find Alexa Aston here: https://alexaaston.wordpress.com/

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Sophie Davenport returns home from London without a marriage proposal, determined to remain single and do charitable work–until Jeremy Wyatt shows up at her doorstep.

Find Becky Lower here: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com

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Lt. Col. Dale Mitchlen doesn’t believe year-old Katie Ann is his—until he sees her picture. With the child’s mother KIA, he informs Alyson Sander, Katie’s aunt, that he’s seeking custody, pending a DNA test. Despite instant attraction, Katie’s future hangs in the balance and neither wants to make a mistake by following their heart.

Find Sandra McGregor at www.SandraMcGregor.com

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A naughty novella. Erotic strangers-to-lovers costume party adventure.

Find Kris Pearson here – http://www.krispearson.com

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Sharon Parker’s daughter convinced the family to go to Blythe Cove Manor for Mother’s Day. Little did she know that the simple act of love would unveil a long held secret that could bring the family together or tear them apart.

Find Shirley Hailstock here: http://www.shirleyhailstock.net

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How can he stay with the woman he married once he learns she may have hired someone to kill him? And what if she isn’t really his wife?

Find Debby Conrad here:  www.DebbyConrad.com

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Miss Laura Stokes is a man with a mission. The Duke of Rothmore must convince the girl-in-disguise to give up her vendetta–but can he also win her heart?
Find Deb Marlowe here:   www.DebMarlowe.com
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lico
Traveling during the holiday season doesn’t sound romantic, but a star in the East, an abandoned child and a quest for holiday cheer might just convince these two that love is the best gift of the Season. 
 
Find Deb Marlowe here:  www.DebMarlowe.com

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Kathleen James looked forward to an intimate dinner and an engagement ring. Dominic Lawrence planned this marriage proposal for six months. Nothing can go wrong—until his Nonna calls.
Can Antonia’s romantic WWII tale of her American GI and a very special collie bring these two hearts together?
 
Find Aubrey Wynne here: 

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Uncovering a lie drives a new marquess back from a self-imposed exile at Christmas to find the only woman he’s ever loved. Finding her turns out to be easy, uncovering her stunning secrets, a bit harder. But winning her back will be the greatest challenge of all.

Find Alina K. Field at http://alinakfield.com

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Are you on the Naughty List? A boxed set guaranteed to warm up your winter! Thirteen Naughty Holiday stories by bestselling authors writing as The Naughty Literati. Last chance at 99¢!

Check out The Naughty Literati Bookshelf for more sexy boxed sets!

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Naughty Flames: Eleven Fiery Romances includes Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, Menage, New Adult, Paranormal, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Suspense, Rubenesque, Shapeshifter, and Stepbrother romance from bestselling authors writing as The Naughty Literati!

Preorder at 99¢! Release date December 1st!

Check out The Naughty Literati Bookshelf for more sexy boxed sets!
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She’s a Time Lord, he’s a Trekker. When fandoms collide, the fun begins.
 
Come see what else is going on in Kathryn Lively’s strange mind: http://www.facebook.com/authorkathrynlively
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 Former navy SEAL John Huntington is the Midnight Man. He’s willing to put his heart and his life on the line for interior designer, Suzanne Barron. When unknown enemies come after Suzanne, The Midnight Man will do anything to protect her…and failure is definitely is not an option. 

Find Lisa Marie Rice here: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Author Page.

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A vampire won’t rest until they’re all dead… Until she meets him, and everything changes.

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The second daughter of a baron has somehow caught the eye of a duke… only he’s an imposter! Can the real duke save the day? Or will Christmas be ruined for both of them?
 
Find Nicole Zoltack here: http://www.subscribepage.com/m0k3l8

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SALE ENDS SOON!

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She spent her entire life fighting death. Now she’s falling in love with him…

When her loved ones are threatened, nurse Audra Grayson will risk her life…even her soul to save them. But can she risk her heart to a Grim Reaper?

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Charged with teaching the spoiled lad a lesson, Michelle has strict instructions not fall for his charm. Romance in the countryside. Riches or ruin?

 
Find Wendy Lou Jones here:  bit.ly/2fhhmrq

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When a rough-cut Texan learns he has a daughter and her mother, the woman he still loves, is ready to marry another man, he’s not about to walk away. Not without a fight.
 
Find ANN MAJOR here:  www.annmajor.com

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Can Leigh and Cy find love or will their attempt to find lasting happiness meet with disaster?  Join the Chance City adventure as its citizens battle opposing forces in their searches for love.

Find Robin Deeter here:  http://robindeeter.com/

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Will Brock come down from the fence he sits on to find a life time of happiness with Daphne or will he let indecision cost him the love of his life?

Find Robin Deeter here:  http://robindeeter.com/

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Caroline Duval wants to see the world, but as an innkeeper’s daughter, her opportunities are few. When a bloody traveler enters the inn, she recognizes him immediately. Could this man from her past be the key to her future?
 
Find Patricia Kiyono here: http://patriciakiyono.com/

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After eighteen years away, she’s home to learn the truth…If she murdered her own father.
Find Kathy L Wheeler at http://kathylwheeler.com

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When Tessa agreed to do a favor for her boss, she never thought she’d end up being a mistaken target for a hired killer or falling for the sexy cop who is determined to keep her safe.

Find Edie Hart at https://www.facebook.com/RomanceAuthorEdieHart/.

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Bonding to a female shifter is not part of King Noeh’s plan, not until his goddess insists he take a queen by the next full moon or lose his crown. When he rescues a beautiful female from the enemy’s grasp a forbidden attraction blooms, and he must decide between his kingdom and his heart.

Find Rosalie Redd here:  http://www.rosalieredd.com

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Hearts Across Time ~ medieval knights and time travel… What’s not to love? Sometimes all you need is to just believe…
 
Find Sherry Ewing on her website at www.SherryEwing.com

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$0.99 SALE ENDS TODAY 11/20!

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How much longer would she be hunted? Two years had passed since Amber broke up with her obsessed boyfriend, but he continued to stalk her. The worst part was imagining him wearing every hoodie, hiding in every shadow, or following in every vehicle.

Find Marissa Garner here:  www.marissagarner.com

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Hot shot Boston lawyer Ian Pierce has everything but peace of mind. Then
he meets a raggedy girl who may well be a Christmas angel in disguise.

Find Lisabet Sarai here: http://www.lisabetsarai.com

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When her dominant husband Greg proposes that they attend a company
Halloween gala, Isabella is too excited to be suspicious.

Find Lisabet Sarai here: http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com

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“There is a way from heart to heart” is an old Afghan proverb . Can Paul find the way to Kate’s heart, or is it closed forever?
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From the heat of the Mediterranean to the heart of Scotland…A year of mystery and romance
Find Helena here:  www.helenafairfax.com

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When Carter Phillips goes home after multiple deployments, all he wants is time alone to get his head screwed on straight. What he gets is Amy Williams, a woman who sets his blood on fire and has secrets even darker than his own.

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A werewolf under cover on a slave ship of dark secrets.

Find Rebecca York here: www.rebeccayork.com

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She has a target on her back…only he can save her. With killers on their heels, can they resist simmering desire and uncover truth? Secrets, murder, treason, and fiery passion—who can you trust?

Find Virginia Kelly here: https://www.amazon.com/Virginia-Kelly/e/B001KDD8FK

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20-denisedevine

 Merry Connor and Anthony Lewis search for treasure and find true love.
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A desperate bachelor enlists his neighbor to pose as his wife to appease his dying mother and unexpectedly finds love under the mistletoe.
 

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Happy Reading!!!!

 

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November 19, 2016 · 8:35 am

New Release by Linda Carroll-Bradd: Silent Signals, A Cowboy Christmas series

Check out Linda Carroll-Bradd’s latest release. I’ve started reading it, and I’m hooked! Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

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Publisher:  Prism Book Group

Will the valley’s feud between cattlemen and shepherds keep them apart?

Blurb:

After losing half his herd in the Great Blizzard of 1886, rancher Konrad Werner needs to safeguard his cattle. Tomboy Anora Huxley trains the Australian Shepherds and Kelpies that run the family’s sheep herd. Although cattlemen and shepherds are at odds, the pair discovers common interests. A threat is overheard, and Konrad rides out to Anora’s ranch to protect her. The tense situation reveals their true feelings. Will Anora be swayed by family loyalty, or will she listen to her heart that responds to Konrad’s silent signals?

Purchase Here: Amazon

Excerpt: 

Mikel returned, dropping two rolls of wire onto the counter. “I have a new shipment of barbed wire too. Perhaps that works better for your needs?”

Konrad turned and laid a hand on the smooth wire. “The fence to pen in my cattle has several components, so this is what I need. But thanks, Toussaint.”

The shopkeeper shrugged. “Some ranchers prefer the barbed.”

“I do too, and I may have to resort to that when the winter weather sets in. But I’ll wait on that purchase.” He leaned his other hand on the counter. “This year, I’m building a brush fence. I’ll use what I can from downed branches and rocks cleared from the field that will be planted in the spring.” He shrugged and straightened.

“Makes sense.” Mikel nodded as he pulled the pencil from his ear. “I remember those types of fences in old country. Uncle had them around his vineyard.”

Konrad was sure his wasn’t the only sad story the store owner had heard over the last year. “Gotta come up with the cheapest solution for protecting my cattle.” He shook his head. “The ranch can’t withstand any more losses like last year.”

“Excuse me, sir.” A female voice floated in the air.

The tone was pitched low, almost intimate. Konrad shifted and raised an eyebrow at the tall woman dressed in an ill-fitting coat and a split skirt that showed several inches of boot-encased legs. “Are you speaking to me?”

“Have you considered using herding dogs to contain your cattle?” The blonde woman took one step closer, her gaze intent.

“No.” This stranger had an opinion about how he ran his ranch? His body stiffened.

“I train the dogs that work the sheep at Green Meadows Ranch, and I don’t see why the dogs couldn’t be used with cattle.” She glanced over her shoulder and then back to connect with his gaze. “The principles are the same, as long as the person uses the right cues.”

He squinted at the green-eyed woman who stood only a few inches shorter than his six-foot height. Wisps of blonde hair had escaped the edges of her plain black bonnet and straggled along her cheeks. Her face was pleasant enough—probably would be more so without the frown creasing her forehead. “Have we met?”

“I apologize, Mr. Werner. I’m Anora Huxley.” A blush reddened her cheeks. “I am acquainted with Gaelle.”

His younger sister by five years. Which explained why he didn’t know this woman from his schooling years. Huxley did sound familiar, though. But he didn’t have time to contemplate why because the woman now stood by his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a thick-set scowling man hovering two feet away who looked madder than a newly branded steer. The second member of the arguing duo.

“My dogs are exceedingly smart. A special breed with strong herding instincts. They respond to hand signs and whistles, and from a distance of more than ten rods.”

He held up a hand lest he be stuck here listening to her run down every detail. “I do not wish to be lectured on how to run my ranch. My brush fence will suffice.” Regretting the stiffness of his tone, he lifted a finger to tap the brim of his hat. “Good day, Mrs. Huxley.” He spotted the brief widening of her gaze before scooping up the roll of wire and headed toward the storeroom. Irritation at the outspoken women and her high-handed advice put an extra punch into each footfall.

 

lindac-bcasual

Bio:

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication–a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Linda’s Links:

Website           Blog    Facebook         Twitter                        Goodreads

** Please vote for Linda **

Cover Contest Finalist

Also, voting is open until November 20th for the winter cover contest sponsored by Still Moment Magazine. I’m proud that Silent Signals is one of ten finalists. To vote, leave the title or the #9 in a comment on the magazine’s Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Still-Moments-Magazine/111477208866396?ref=nf

 

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November 15, 2016 · 10:53 am

Tuesday Two-Minute Writing Tip – The Lost Art of the Beautifully Turned Phrase

Got two minutes? Then check out this week’s quick tip ~ Evoking imagery with lovely literary lines

Hello and welcome…I am a freelance editor and an editor for The Wild Rose Press, as well as an author. I often struggle with my own writing, and I have found that sometimes, a little reminder of ways to improve the process can be helpful, so, I like to share these moments of brilliance with others :). But, in this busy world of ours, who has time for pages and pages of writing tips? That’s why I’ve condensed mine down to quick flashes you can read in (approximately) two minutes. Enjoy…

TWoMinuteTip

Disclaimer: All of my tips are suggestions, and are only my opinion. And, for the most part, there are exceptions when going against my advice will make your story read better. Take what works, leave the rest. 

Although beautiful, unique, metaphoric phrases and similes are normally associated with literary works, there is no reason that non-literary authors cannot use them as well. It’s not something I do well, or that I have even attempted in my writing, but when I run across it in other books, I get the warm fuzzies, and just a tough of envy. A book I’m currently reading, THE KIND WORTH KILLING, has some great lines. I’ve shared a few below.  

  • It had been raining in Boston, but in Maine, the rain had become biblical, my wipers on full speed barely able to clear the windshield. 
  • I had watched Lily, in the course of her short speech, become briefly passionate, her face pushing toward me like a sun worshiper tilting toward the sun to get most of its rays. 
  • Deep shadows accentuated her curves, and her face, cast in the TV’s light, seemed a black-and-white version of herself.
  • I’d been waiting for two things since killing him. Waiting to get caught and waiting to feel bad. Neither had happened yet, and I knew that neither would. 
  • The following morning the rain was done, the clouds all swept out to sea, and it was one of those October days that sell calendars.

A few of these are more vivid description rather than great lines, but they still evoke an image of the setting, the character, etc. But, I still thought they were memorable, melodious. Although I know part of this is ‘voice,’ and comes naturally, I also know that, if we work at it, we can come up with cleverly turned phrases of our own. Or, at least, I’m going to try. 

What are some lines you’ve read in contemporary fiction that stick with you? Or, perhaps some lines you’ve actually written? Please feel free to share in the comments. 

Until next time…Happy Writing!

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ONLY 99 cents!! 

(Click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon Buy Page)

2 minute writing tip final

 

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*** If you would like to send me a few sample pages (around 7500 words or so, even though I will not edit that many on the blog. It just gives me more to choose from) for me to edit and share on an upcoming blog post, please do so in the body of an email to AliciaMDean@aol.com. Please use the subject line: “Blog Submission” This is for published or unpublished authors. In the email, please include whether you would like me to use your name or keep it anonymous, and whether or not you would like me to include any contact info or buy info for your books. Also, you can let me know if you would like for me to run my edits by you before posting on the blog. Please keep in mind, this is for samples to use for blog posts. I will not edit or use samples from all the submissions I receive, but I will use as many as possible. 

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16

How to write a novel? That is the question. There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people who ask it.

Wanting to write and actually doing it are two very different things. I am well acquainted with the sometimes grueling process of churning out a story. Over the years, I have tried many methods for creating and completing manuscripts, and have tweaked and honed it down to a workable (for me) process.

Using specific examples from one of my own novels, Without Mercy, I share my method in this mini how to book. The first eight steps actually deal with plotting while the last two are designed to help expand your outline into a well-developed draft. There is no one, perfect way to create a story, but there will be a method, or methods that work for you. I’m not sure if this is the one, but it works for me. Only you can decide if it also works for you. Fingers crossed that it does!

*** Warning – Please do not purchase without reading a sample. (This is solid advice for any book, fiction or non. If you are not intrigued in the sample, you will likely not enjoy the book)

Amazon: Click Here

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November 10, 2016 · 10:27 am

Author Interview with Cindy Procter-King PLUS New Release: Picture Imperfect

 

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Cindy Procter-King. So happy to have you today, Cindy. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. 

  1. Where did you get the idea for Picture Imperfect?

The idea for PICTURE IMPERFECT kind of sprang itself on me and then took a long time to develop. The heroine, Ursula Scott, and her basic situation (she was photographing a series of men in her underwear and wasn’t happy about it) along with the opening line (If Ursula Scott had to look at one more naked man, she’d scream) popped into my mind while I was considering what sort of book I might write about a woman disgruntled with her boss? This was long ago, before ChickLit fell “out of favor,” because at first I thought Ursula’s story was a ChickLit one. But I was contracted to write something else at the time, so I put the idea germ away and would bring it out from time to time and work on it some more. Eventually, I realized it wasn’t a ChickLit story at all, but a romantic comedy/mystery with suspense elements. The title went through a few incarnations as I grew to know the characters, beginning as UNDRESSING URSULA, then moving to SEX, PIs & PACKING TAPE, and finally PICTURE IMPERFECT, which makes total sense considering Ursula is a photographer and that at the beginning of the story something indefinable in her life just isn’t right. 🙂

I call the story a “Sassy Suspense,” because the suspense and mystery elements are fully braided with the characterization, romance, the family and friends dynamics, and the secondary characters arcs, and the story includes some pretty gritty incidents in both back story and current story time but with a humorous tone. I realized that the original title, UNDRESSING URSULA, which was meant to convey the character’s self-realization as she moved through the story, getting to know what she really wanted in a sort of peeling away or “undressing,” actually applied to the unfolding mystery and suspense elements as well as to Ursula’s rapidly developing relationship with her hero, Gabe McKenzie. So the title evolved along with the story.

  1. Sounds intriguing. My stories often undergo title changes as well. Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

I am pretty much a linear writer. I am mainly a pantser, but I plot as I go. I can only “see” a little of the plot at a time, so I try to think of how I work my way through my books as carving a tunnel out of a mountain. I need to “see” around one curve before I realize where the next curve is. For me, each scene or chapter grows organically from the previous one, so I do tend to fast-draft one scene and then revise and edit it before moving on to the next. However, with PICTURE IMPERFECT I decided to try something else, so committed myself to writing whatever scenes I could “see,” no matter where they fell in the book, during NaNoWriMo one year. It was a lot of fun, but in the end I had a beginning, what I thought might be my ending, but not a whole lot in the middle. And it took me a looong time to develop the middle. A lot of revisions and one monstrous rewrite.

Part of this was because I don’t usually write scenes out of order, and my muse seemed to stage a revolt against the idea. It was very aggravating, LOL. Because I wrote out of order, I pretty much knew the ending and thought I knew the villain. But my muse wasn’t happy with knowing the ending already, I guess, because as I rewrote the book she kept trying to change the villain. And I went along with her, but in the end the villain was the person I had envisioned in the beginning.

That sounds more like a struggle than a trick or habit. 😉 But every book I write feels like a struggle when I’m getting down the “first write,” which some authors might call a first draft, but because I revise as I go I call it a “first write.” I have had to really teach myself to accept my process, to literally tell myself to “have faith” and trust my muse. It’s like the story is buried in my head, and I can at times “feel” that my mind is working on it—but I don’t know the resulting scene yet. Sometimes I tell myself to “just sit down and see what I can do,” trying to alleviate the pressure of producing (because of course it seems like every other writer “knows” their scenes before they write them!). I tend more to hear and feel my characters than see them, so writing for me is a little like acting. I try to “channel” the characters until I can hear what they’re saying and feel their emotions. Then I “become” them. This is how I can write a complete asshat of a character and enjoy myself immensely. He thinks he’s the hero of the story, so why wouldn’t he be fun to write?

  1. Yes, we all have different processes that work for us. We just have to do what we do and trust the process. 🙂 What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?

Lemons. When I was in Girl Guides in grade 5, I lost a game and had to suck a lemon. I was terrified because I had heard all my life how everyone hates lemons, the phrase “sour like a lemon,” etc. But, you know, it wasn’t bad! I have loved lemons ever since. I don’t eat them like fruit (except when I was pregnant with my second son, when I craved them), but I drench fish with lemon and then eat the rest (except for the skin).

  1. I love lemon too, especially in water. It just makes a huge difference. And Martini Drops are my current favorite Martinis. 🙂 What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

Well, right now I can’t afford it, but if I could…to hire a housecleaner and a meal planner. Someone who would not only plan all the meals but also shop for and prepare them to the point where I could just add a dab here and then and it would taste super fresh. I don’t mind housework; it’s just a matter of lack of time. But I strongly dislike cooking. I would rather someone else cook and I clean up. Sadly, neither my husband and I are cooks. I’m not a bad cook. I’m actually a pretty decent cook. I just don’t enjoy it. And I forget when I’m cooking to check on stuff. So now when I have something on my stove and get bored, I bring my iPad into the kitchen with me and sit down right in front of the stove so I won’t forget I’m cooking. Otherwise, I burn stuff. We had a cartoon on the fridge for years that said, “If there’s smoke, dinner’s ready.”

It would also be nice to be able to afford an assistant to handle promotional and bookkeeping chores. But that’s on the “someday maybe” list. I do like having a finger in every pie, keeping on top of things myself. But it cuts into my writing time, and I hate bookkeeping with a passion. It’s a constant struggle between being a control freak/what I can’t afford to farm out/the damn cooking!

  1. Oh gosh, wouldn’t that be fantastic! Some day… What do you want readers to come away with after they read PICTURE IMPERFECT?

First and foremost, I want to entertain my readers. I want them to smile and perhaps chuckle as they read my stories, because I smile and chuckle as I write them. But I also want my readers to feel what my characters are going through, to feel the love story developing, to know that these two people, my characters, are meant to be together. I want readers to think about the characters after they finish the story, to wish there was a sequel, to want to know more about the world or the relationships. I want them satisfied with the story, but wanting more from me as an author, whether I’m writing sassy suspense, romantic comedy, or my heartwarming hometown romances.

  1. What genre have you never written that you’d like to write?

So many genres, so little time! So far, under two names, I have written contemporary romance, romantic comedy and now sassy suspense as Cindy and then erotic romance and romantic erotica under a pen name. As Cindy, now that I actually know I can write mystery/suspense (which I discovered while writing PICTURE IMPERFECT), I would like to write more in that arena. The big challenge is that I’m a slow writer and if I keep writing long books (PI is over 130,000 words) I could maybe write one book a year. I don’t know if that slow pace can work in Indie publishing. For now I’m waiting it out and working on multiple series that I’ve already started.

I have a bad habit (which I am currently attempting to address) of writing one or two books in a series and then moving on even though I know the current publishing climate favors series. So I would LIKE to and I AM now working on established series until I have at least three books or stories in a series before I allow myself to get pulled somewhere else. Like…I have an idea for a cozy mystery series with a quirky heroine and her sidekick, but it would be really, really bad of me to start that cozy mystery series without continuing on with my “established” series first. Very bad.

So very bad.

(Help.)

  1. Ha, I do the same thing. I have three or more books that desperately need sequels! Your most prized material possession? Why?

My oak roll-top desk. My husband gave it to me for our first anniversary. Instead of buying me something “paper,” he got me something to “put paper on.” I love my roll-top desk! We’ve been married 31 years, so the desk is now 30 years old—and so is the chair. The chair has barely worked for years, but I won’t give it up. It wobbles as I sit on it. I have two desks in my office, a computer desk with my desktop computer and then the roll-top desk. I draft and do business stuff at the computer. The roll-top desk is for revising on paper (I can’t really get to know my characters on the computer; the magic happens on paper with a pen or pencil in hand), planning my days, and organizing my life (I am the family financier/household manager). I love all the little compartments. It’s like a reflection of my brain, both cluttered and organized at once. It reflects my writing process—messy yet organized. And it reflects my husband’s love for me and continued support of my writing endeavors, which I cherish.

OH wow, what a perfect answer to the final question. LOVE this! And, speaking of perfect, er, well, imperfect, tell us about your latest release…

cindyprocter-king_pictureimperfect_800px

Blurb:

Just when she thought she had her life on autofocus…

Photographer Ursula Scott is six short months from buying her boss’s studio and helping her family knock down a massive debt. She can put up with his hairball antics for that long, right?

Right?

 But, oh, he makes life difficult. She can barely restrain herself when he hogs credit for her assignments, and now half-naked weirdos are responding to his ad for her first magazine photo spread. On top of that, someone is sabotaging the studio. Worse, she discovers her sexy apprentice is a former cop practicing his newbie PI skills on the case—and she’s a suspect!

Suddenly, Ursula’s dreams and hard work seem about to go up in smoke. In more ways than one.

Well, not on her watch.

When Gabe McKenzie moves home following the shooting that kyboshed his career, he doesn’t expect to get sucked into finding the culprit wreaking havoc at his uncle’s photography studio. He certainly doesn’t expect to fall for Ursula Scott, a long-legged brunette with a definite motive and a desire to play Nancy Drew. Even as he clears her, the sabotage escalates into a bizarre stalking, placing Ursula…and Gabe’s hopes for their future…in danger.

If only he can convince her to stop snooping around and let him do his job as a PI, before an unknown menace threatens not only her dreams—but her life.

 

Excerpt: 

Ursula placed an order with the food vendor. As the man set down two steaming cups of apple cider with cinnamon sticks for stirring, she caught sight of Gabe wandering toward the cart, tucking his phone into his coat.

He picked up the cups. “Smells good. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you like hot cider. It’s locally made.”

“Any warm beverage on a fall day is ideal.”

Nodding, Ursula gazed at the gray clouds obliterating the earlier patches of blue sky. “Looks like rain’s coming.”

Gabe pointed to the hood hanging down the back of his jacket. “I have an instant umbrella this time.”

“I noticed. See, you can learn.”

“You’re a good role model.”

Another compliment. A girl could grow accustomed to his gallantry.

She collected the bag of warm, soft pretzels and, side by side, they strolled in companionable silence to the slatted bench. Gabe’s limp had improved since he’d walloped Lance, thank goodness.

They sat, Gabe on her right, his hurt leg extended in front of him, heel balanced on the grass. Preschoolers played on a jungle gym while moms and nannies chatted and supervised. A couple of seagulls squawked at the base of a trashcan.

“Here you go.” Gabe passed her a hot cup of cider.

She set down the drink with a quick thanks before opening the vendor bag. She’d ordered two varieties of homemade pretzels, and the contrasting scents of cinnamon-sugared dough and spicy mustard glaze drifted from the sack. Her mouth watered.

“What did your physical therapist say?” she asked Gabe.

“Like I figured, I’m to ice the muscle tonight and take ibuprofen. I just saw her yesterday. Because I was so touched by your concern, she’s also fitting me in late this afternoon.”

He was only teasing, but butterflies scattered inside her tummy. “That’s a relief. I’m glad you checked.”

His shoulder bumped hers. “Anything for you, boss.”

Tingles shot everywhere. He was so sexy. So incredibly tempting.

 

Buy Links:

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Picture-Imperfect-Suspense-Cindy-Procter-King-ebook/dp/B01LWS7E0S/

iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/picture-imperfect/id1161811331?at=11l9SH

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/picture-imperfect-7

NOOK – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/picture-imperfect-cindy-procter-king/1124924747?ean=2940153530611

cindypk_300px

Bio:

Cindy Procter-King writes sassy suspense, rollicking romantic comedy, and heart-tugging small-town romance. To sum it up, feel-good fiction! A Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart finalist, Cindy’s mission in life is to see her surname spelled properly—with an E. That’s P-r-o-c-t-E-r. Never, under any circumstances, should you spell it with two O’s (shudder).

Cindy’s novels and short fiction are available as eBooks from retailers all over the world, as well as in trade paperback, library hardcover and large print, some foreign editions, and audiobooks.

Cindy lives in beautiful British Columbia with her family, a cat obsessed with dripping tap water, and Allie McBeagle.

Contact Links:

 

Website: http://www.cindyprocter-king.com

Newsletter signup/email: http://www.cindyprocter-king.com/contact.html

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cindyprocterkingauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cindypk

 

 

 

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November 8, 2016 · 10:33 am

Tuesday Two-Minute Writing Tip – Loving What You Write

Got two minutes? Then check out this week’s quick tip ~ Writing what you love and loving what you write

Hello and welcome…I am a freelance editor and an editor for The Wild Rose Press, as well as an author. I often struggle with my own writing, and I have found that sometimes, a little reminder of ways to improve the process can be helpful, so, I like to share these moments of brilliance with others :). But, in this busy world of ours, who has time for pages and pages of writing tips? That’s why I’ve condensed mine down to quick flashes you can read in (approximately) two minutes. Enjoy…

TWoMinuteTip

Disclaimer: All of my tips are suggestions, and are only my opinion. And, for the most part, there are exceptions when going against my advice will make your story read better. Take what works, leave the rest.

This is more a reminder than a tip. It’s important to love what you’re writing, for a few reasons. One, if you love your WIP, you’ll look forward to writing and, therefore, accomplish more. Also, if you love it, your joy will show through and readers will be more likely to love it as well. I know that’s not always easy to do, and sometimes writing can be a grind and sometimes a story frustrates and confounds us, but overall, we need to love our work. We don’t always have to love our characters, as a matter of fact, creating characters that are not all that lovable can make a story more interesting. All you have to do is know your characters, although, hopefully, your protagonist is lovable, or at least sympathetic.

Ask yourself these questions about your current WIP:

  1. Is this a story I’d want to read? Why? (if you can’t give a good, solid answer to this one, you might need to rethink at least certain elements of your story)
  2. Do I look forward to picking up where I left off? (If not, readers might not look forward to picking your book back up to read it. Try this trick, at the end of a writing session, jot down a few sentences of something HUGE and shocking that could happen. Even if it’s something that you have no intention of leaving in the book. It can help to invigorate you and make you anxious to get back to your manuscript. And, your mind might, even subconsciously, work on the outrageous idea and turn it into something that actually DOES fit your story but makes it more exciting)
  3. What do I love about this story? Take it a step further and ask yourself what you love about each scene. If you can find something in each one, your readers most likely will too.

That’s it. Just a few things to make you think about your story and whether it’s something that is bringing you entertainment and pleasure, and therefore, can bring the same to readers.

In the comments, tell me one thing you love about a story you are currently writing. For me, it is my Martinic Club 4 1940’s story, and I love that it intertwines with the other three MC4 stories written by my friends, Krysta Scott, Kathy L Wheeler, and Amanda McCabe. Of course, I need to find more than that. And, I will, promise!

 

Until next time…Happy Writing!

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ONLY 99 cents!! 

(Click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon Buy Page)

2 minute writing tip final

 

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*** If you would like to send me a few sample pages (around 7500 words or so, even though I will not edit that many on the blog. It just gives me more to choose from) for me to edit and share on an upcoming blog post, please do so in the body of an email to AliciaMDean@aol.com. Please use the subject line: “Blog Submission” This is for published or unpublished authors. In the email, please include whether you would like me to use your name or keep it anonymous, and whether or not you would like me to include any contact info or buy info for your books. Also, you can let me know if you would like for me to run my edits by you before posting on the blog. Please keep in mind, this is for samples to use for blog posts. I will not edit or use samples from all the submissions I receive, but I will use as many as possible. 

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16

How to write a novel? That is the question. There are probably as many answers to that question as there are people who ask it.

Wanting to write and actually doing it are two very different things. I am well acquainted with the sometimes grueling process of churning out a story. Over the years, I have tried many methods for creating and completing manuscripts, and have tweaked and honed it down to a workable (for me) process.

Using specific examples from one of my own novels, Without Mercy, I share my method in this mini how to book. The first eight steps actually deal with plotting while the last two are designed to help expand your outline into a well-developed draft. There is no one, perfect way to create a story, but there will be a method, or methods that work for you. I’m not sure if this is the one, but it works for me. Only you can decide if it also works for you. Fingers crossed that it does!

*** Warning – Please do not purchase without reading a sample. (This is solid advice for any book, fiction or non. If you are not intrigued in the sample, you will likely not enjoy the book)

Amazon: Click Here

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November 7, 2016 · 10:10 am

“10 Moments That Changed My Life” by Trevann Rogers PLUS Her Latest Release: House of the Rising Sun

Please help me welcome Trevann Rogers…

10 moments new_MTE1MTUwNTQ0MTg

Ten Moments that Changed My Life ~ Trevann Rogers

  1. Graduating with a degree in English, and vowing to never again read a literary novel.
  2. The first time I saw Prince perform live. #itwasalwayslove
  3. Subscribing to a little known fanzine called Controversy, dedicated to all things Prince. In the back was a section for anyone looking for a pen pal. I signed up, and met some of my best friends for all time.
  4. Standing in line in snow and ice for tickets to a Prince concert. My feet are still angry with me, but it was worth it because…
  5. My pen pal flew in to see the show with me. This was our first time meeting, and I was unaware that she’d become my best friend, partner and love of my life.
  6. We met and somehow ended up having breakfast with Jason Momoa at a CON.
  7. First front row seat at a Prince concert. He was wearing a sheer white outfit, and he was backlit by dozens of stage lights. He looked like an angel—naked, except for a glow.
  8. Finishing HOUSE OF THE RISING SON. No one believed I could do it.
  9. Handcrafting dolls that represent Jamie and Jade in HOUSE OF THE RISING SON.

dolls

  1. Receiving three offers for the book. My goal had been for one person not related to me to fall in love with Cheyenne (the protagonist), but he and his family have touched more people than I imaged.

Very interesting, Trevann. Thank you for sharing. Very cool that you had that experience seeing Prince, especially since he’s now passed. Oh my gosh…LOVE those dolls. I’m impressed! 🙂 And now, please tell us about your book.

 

houseoftherisingson300

BLURB

House of the Rising Son

Living After Midnight, Book 1

Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance (LGBT)

Cheyenne is a half-human incubus whose star is on the rise in the Unakite City rock scene. His father, the leader of the supernatural races, would prefer he keep a “low profile”, but screw that. Cheyenne has as much music in his veins as royal incubi blood.

Alexander’s future is all set—finish law school, join the family firm, and marry someone who’d be good for business. Not that he has a say in any of it. He’s barely met the woman his father expects him to marry.

As Cheyenne’s musical career takes off, his carefully constructed life begins to unravel, exacerbated by an ex-lover who can’t let go, a crotchety barkeeper with a dirty mind and a pure heart, a drag queen who moonlights as a nanny, and Alexander—who’s not sure if he’s falling for the incubus or the rocker.

Cheyenne denies who he is, while Alexander hides what he wants. Together, they learn that getting what they truly want means being who they truly are.

~~

Excerpt:

While waiting for their drinks, Alexander studied the deep grooves carved into the table, trying to ignore the friction of Cheyenne’s thigh rubbing against his as the musician tapped a heel to the thump of the DJ’s music. Once the drinks arrived, Alexander downed half the bottle before he realized Cheyenne’s large green eyes were staring at him.

“So where’s your girl, Prudhomme? I mean, Prune Danish. No, wait…”

“Prudish. Shit, Prudence,” Alexander sputtered.

Cheyenne’s eyes sparkled. “No, you got it right the first time. Where is she?”

He shrugged. “Home, I guess.”

Cheyenne cocked his head. “Oh, really?” He put his hand on Alexander’s leg. “What’s up? You can tell me.”

“It’s not working out.” Alexander dragged his teeth over his lower lip. “It’s my fault.” He couldn’t keep his attraction to Cheyenne out of his voice. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

Cheyenne put his thumb to his lip and paused. “It’s like the drink.”

Alexander tilted his head, not sure he heard correctly. “The drink?”

“Yeah, that nasty ass bourbon. I bet your father drinks it. Your uncles. All your friends. Everybody, right?”

He didn’t answer, but waited for Cheyenne to continue.

“It was just expected that you’d drink it too. So you did.” His hand moved up Alexander’s thigh. “But now, maybe it’s okay to drink what you like. A different brand, a better vintage. Because you want it. Because it tastes better.” Cheyenne licked his lips. “Because it feels right.”

Alexander cleared his throat and brushed his lap, pushing Cheyenne’s hand away. “I can’t.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

“You don’t understand. It’s not that easy. My whole life will change.”

“It already has.”

~~

You can find House of the Rising Son on Amazon and Barnes and  Noble

 

Trevann Rogers writes urban fantasy and LGBT paranormal romances. Her books include HOUSE OF THE RISING SON and its prequel, AFTER MIDNIGHT. Trevann’s stories incorporate an unquenchable addiction to music and her love for vampires, Weres, incubi and rock stars. Like these elusive creatures, Trevann learned long ago that sometimes being yourself means Living After Midnight.

 

You can find Trevann online at:

www.trevannrogers.com

www.facebook.com/trevannr

www.pinterest.com/trevannr

Twitter: @TrevannRogers

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October 31, 2016 · 7:04 am

Halloween Romance: Devil’s Eyes (A Michael Myers Love Story)

Last year, my OKRWA writing chapter held a fun contest where participants were challenged to write a 500 word story with a ‘monster’ as the romance hero. I was coordinator, so I couldn’t enter the contest, but of course, I couldn’t resist writing a story anyway. This is the last of the Halloween Monster Romance Posts. Happy Halloween!!  

About the story…

I have always loved the Michael Myers Halloween movies. I saw my first one, when it was released in 1978,  in Moore, Oklahoma with my still BFF, Paige Warren. It was a spooky night all around.  I drove my parents’ station wagon (and of course, Michael stole and drove the hospital station wagon in the movie). After the movie, we were driving down 12th street (the local drag), and a girl stepped out onto the busy street and slowly walked across, without even looking around, like she was in a trance or something. We were freaked out, to say the least. Then, when I got home, my bratty younger brother hid in my dark room with his hand over my light switch and, when I went to flip the light on, I touched his hand and screamed.  So, yeah, that’s a night I’ll never forget. 🙂 When my kids were growing up, we all watched the movies together, and they LOVED them. They were never prone to nightmares, and if they did have them, they didn’t mind, because, like me, they loved to be scared. As twisted as it sounds, my girls and I think Michael is sexy. So…it was great fun to put him in a romance story. Hope you enjoy…

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Devil’s Eyes

Haddonfield, IL 1992, Halloween Night

Brisk October wind bit into Doctor Phoebe Loomis’s flesh beneath her thin jacket. Dry leaves skittered down the sidewalk, sounding like cracking bones.

In the aftermath of the murders, the darkened neighborhood was silent. Along the street, houses were adorned with witches, goblins, and grotesquely smiling jack-o-lanterns. One particularly creative individual had transformed his yard into a cemetery, complete with headstones and an open grave with a ‘corpse’ lying next to it.

Red and blue strobe lights painted the faces of the officers leading the killer from the house. Michael Myers, wearing charcoal-gray coveralls and a blood-sprinkled white mask, towered above the two men.

Her pulse skipped, and she took a deep breath to still her racing heart. What was wrong with her? How could she be attracted to a…monster? Tonight, he’d killed five teenagers who’d been partying in his childhood home—thrill seekers, fascinated by the legend of Michael Myers. He’d taken countless lives since his escape from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium in 1978, where he’d been incarcerated for fifteen years after he murdered his teen sister, Judith, on Halloween—at six years old.

After her uncle’s death last year, Phoebe took over his psychiatry practice. Daily, she’d devoured Michael’s file.  Yes, Michael had committed atrocities. But atrocities had been committed against him too. A relative told of how Judith abused him. All these years, he’d been killing his sister over and over. His tormented soul cried out to Phoebe. She couldn’t explain it any more than she could explain sunrises. They simply were.

Tomorrow, she would meet with a man who murdered without conscience. And tonight, like many others, she would dream of his touch, his kiss…

She grimaced. If the authorities knew of her twisted fascination with Michael Myers, not only would they not let her near him, they’d lock her up as well.

****

The interrogation room door opened and Phoebe snapped her head up. Michael—sans mask, wearing an orange jumpsuit, hands and feet shackled—stepped inside. His eyes—her uncle called them Devil’s eyes—were black as a midnight sky. But unlike her uncle, she saw more than a soulless killing machine in their depths.

Michael eyed her warily and dropped into a chair. He was handsomer than she expected. Dark, tousled hair and, other than a jagged scar running along his rugged jawline, he was…beautiful

She offered a tentative smile. “I’m Sam Loomis’ niece, Phoebe.”

He rested his shackled hands on the tabletop. His dark gaze, so intent it stole her breath, locked onto her face. Tingles skated over her skin and she glanced away.

When his touch landed on her hand, she jerked her head up. Michael’s firm lips had softened—not quite a smile, but something…pleasant.

“Phoebe…” His gravelly voice sent shivers along her flesh. “I’ll tell you my story.” Relief surfaced in his ebony eyes. “Then maybe, I’ll find peace.”

She clasped her fingers around his and nodded, smiling through tears. “I’m here for you. As long as you need me.”

 

My Paranormal Romance, Soul Seducer:

SoulSeducer_CVR_XSML

Blurb:

She spent her entire life fighting death. Now she’s falling in love with him

As a nurse, Audra Grayson devotes her life to healing others. She realizes death is inevitable, but struggles every day to help her patients combat it. When she has a near-death experience of her own, she inadvertently opens a portal between the world of the living and the dead. Two Grim Reapers step through—Gaylen, bent on vengeance, determined to bring death to the innocent, even when it isn’t their time. And Dimitri—sexy and deadly, even though he’s just ‘doing his job.’ When Gaylen targets Audra’s patients, then her loved ones, she’ll have to conquer her fears to defeat him. But she can’t as easily conquer her feelings for Dimitri—she’s falling in love with him, and there’s no future with a man who exists in a world beyond the grave.

Excerpt:

Sensing movement behind her, Audra whirled. In the shadowed corner of the room, she could make out the figure of a man, although she couldn’t distinguish his features.

Visiting hours weren’t until ten a.m. And even then, only family members were allowed in this wing of the ICU. Audra had met each of Ms. Chapman’s relatives, and this man wasn’t one of them. She could tell by his body type and height. The only male in Ms. Chapman’s immediate family was her son, and he was short and stocky.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice hushed. “You can’t be in here.”

He looked behind him, then back at her. “You can see me?”

She frowned in puzzlement. “Of course.”

“You saw me that night. Both those nights.”

Her frown deepened. “What nights?”

He moved from the gloom, drawing closer. Her instinct was to back away, but she forced herself to remain in place.

As he left the shadows behind, his features emerged, and part of her brain recognized him, but she wouldn’t let the terrifying thought solidify.

He wore faded jeans and a form-fitting black T-shirt. His pectoral muscles and biceps would rival a male model’s. They were tight and well-defined, not overly bulky like those of steroid-enhanced body builders.

Reluctantly, her mind acknowledged she’d seen him before. He’d been part of her hallucinations. Her worst nightmares were becoming a reality.

Somehow not as frightened as she should have been, she stared into his icicle blue eyes as he continued to move slowly toward her. She waited, holding her breath in expectation.

Why did she feel this tingly sense of excitement? This glimmer of anxiousness mixed with fear? Why did she feel like she might explode with anticipation?

He halted a couple of steps in front of her and lifted his hand, brushing it along the scar on her cheekbone, causing a shudder in the pit of her stomach. A current moved in the air, like a burst of electricity.

“The first time was the night you got this.” His words were a whisper along her skin, as was his touch…almost as if his caress was the hint of a sensation, but not actual contact. Her eyes drifted shut, and she swayed toward him. Her pulse raced, her skin tightening. She swallowed back a moan. She wasn’t even dismayed at her response to his nearness. It felt so right…so deliciously right. One slight move forward, and she could touch him, press her yearning body against his chest. Biting her lower lip, she just barely held back from giving in to the urge.

Softly, she murmured, “That night—I—you…” The only words she could form were incoherent drivel. Her heart pounded, her belly clenching with the strangest feeling she’d ever had. She lifted her lashes, staring up at him, wanting to lose herself in his glittering blue gaze. Wanting to feel his hands on her body…his full, sensual lips on hers. Wanting to be swept away in whatever madness this was. It felt so strange, yet at the same time, exhilarating, compelling, irresistible…dangerous.

Yes, dangerous. Gulping in a breath, she stepped back. His touch fell away, breaking the strange hold he had on her.

“You! It was you there that night. In the alley…” Her breath came in short gasps as the odd desire was replaced by fear. “Then again, at the hospital.” She shot her gaze around the room. “Where’s the other one? The blond guy? Who the hell are you?”

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October 30, 2016 · 8:15 am

Halloween Romance: Elvira Meets the Prince

Last year, my OKRWA writing chapter held a fun contest where participants were challenged to write a 500 word story with a ‘monster’ as the romance hero. I’ll be sharing a few of those on my blog between now and Halloween.  Enjoy!

FROM TEENA SMITH

Back in the day, I loved the treat of a scary movie late at night. On weekends, an oh-so-entertaining horror host came as a big bonus. For years, The Mistress of the Night, Elvira, and Count Gregore were staples. Their wise-cracking style brought out the fun, campy side of horror. Around Halloween they pulled out all the stops. I especially loved Elvira’s over the top, sexy persona, complete with witty double-entendres.

But the years flit by, and as they do, taste and programming evolves. Demand for horror hosting seems almost nonexistent these days. How might Elvira cope?

What if, late at night around Halloween, she were to have an uninvited guest who might suggest an unusual solution. One, he could say, to help them both. She likes it, but wants a little tweak. Hmmm.

I hope you enjoy my ideas about how the Mistress of the Dark might play this out. ~~TS

elvira

Elvira Meets the Prince

            Elvira stared at her uninvited guest. Seduction personified, he was tall and built, with dark smoldering eyes, and glossy longish black hair. She was due back on set at midnight, and it was already 10:30. Another production delay, and the project would be scrapped, taking her career with it. Not a high demand anymore for horror hosts.

            Lust rolled off him, heating the air. She crossed and uncrossed her legs. Damn — the man was a sexual magnet — or was he a man? Vampires weren’t really her thing. What had he just said? “Chupa what?”

            The corners of his sexy-as-sin mouth turned up in a smirk. “As Mistress of the Dark, you seem to have little knowledge of chupacabras.”

            The mellifluous, rich timbre of his voice added to his allure. “Dude — your pet goat suckers? Ewww.” One of her feet tapped the floor, a sure sign of her sexual attraction. “Uh, sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”

            “You can call me Prince.”

            “Oh. Like the name formerly used by the singer.” Was he looking down his nose at her?

He waved a dismissive hand, one finger adorned with what must be a five carat stone. “I never gave him permission to use the name. However, he was quite reasonable once his error was pointed out.”

            Suddenly, they sat hip to hip — knee to knee. How did he get right next to her? Less than a minute ago, he’d been at the other end of the small couch. He exhaled, blowing hot breath on her neck. It warmed her to the core, and headed south. None of the undead had so much heat. Was there a trace of Sulphur in the air? Her nose must be out of whack. She visualized her dungeon. He’d be on his knees, maybe in chains. Clad in little more than her thigh high stilettos, she’d strut before him, whip in hand. Mistress indeed . . . She blinked, and shook her head. The temptation to act on her fantasy was too dangerous at the moment. Making him keep his distance was the last thing she wanted, but what else could she do? There was no time. “I never gave you permission to come this close, Prince.”

            He inclined his head and moved an arms’ length. “Actually, my dear, I didn’t come here to talk only about my pets. I think we can help each other — in many ways.”

            “Go on.”

            His eyes became iridescent and glowed red. “A new film project — one that can start a new cinematic horror theme. I believe it’ll replace vampires and the zombie apocalypse.”

            His enthusiasm was infectious. “Do you mean?”

            “Absolutely. Chupacabras — the new horror craze.”

            It would give her career a boost, in the bargain. “I think it’s a winner.” “I have to be on set in twenty. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to someone who can make it happen.

           “But let’s step downstairs first. I want you to see something.”

 

 

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