Writers Wednesday: Mia Downing and Free Book

Please help me welcome Mia Downing, whose erotic contemporary EXCEEDING BOUNDARIES, was released recently through Wild Rose Press. Congratulations, Mia. How exciting to have your first book--or novella--out. Would you tell us about it please?

But first let me tell you all that Mia is giving away a free download of her first title to one lucky commenter. So be sure to leave your email when you say 'Hi.'

Thanks for having me, Barbara! You’re my very first blog stop, so I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity.

EXCEEDING BOUNDARIES is a novella that started out simple in my mind—Megan made plans to seduce Adam under forgotten mistletoe. But as the characters grew and the scene unfolded, I realized they had a lot more baggage than expected!

Blurb for EXCEEDING BOUNDARIES:


Lawyer Megan Connors wants a man, one that will wine her, dine her, and help her to forget the pain of a date rape she experienced as a teen. Her boss, Adam Wentworth, is just the man—tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and a confirmed player. He's perfect for a weekend of non-committal sex that will entice her inner woman out to play for good. So Megan devises a plan for seduction, one that will lure Adam into her arms.


Adam has been attracted to Megan since day one, but his preference for dominance and her fragile air kept him at bay. Megan's kiss under forgotten mistletoe is just the fuel his lust needs to exceed the boundaries she once put in place. He's game, but he wants more than a weekend with the vulnerable yet sexy Megan.

When the weekend is over, will Megan allow the past to keep her bound or can Adam convince her she’s strong enough to submit?
Excerpt:
Megan drew away, ending their kiss, her breath quick in her throat. His breathing matched hers, and in the dim light of the dashboard, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“Well?” Adam demanded as he sat back into his seat, his voice incredibly deep, sexy, and ragged.

“Very, very nice. Thank you.”

He laughed at her weak praise and covered his face with his hands. “Good Lord, woman, can I ever please you?”

He wasn’t looking, so she cast a glance to his crotch—a nice bulge was nestled between his thighs. She wet her lips and slyly offered, “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

He swallowed again and opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. Her bravado began to falter as he swallowed one more time and ran a hand through his hair.

“If I come in, if I kiss you again…” He turned toward her and a shaft of dim light danced off the depth of the lust in his eyes. “I won’t be able to stop, Megan.”

“I know.” Power swept into her, fanning her desire like a gust igniting a spark. She held the cards, she was in control. “Why do you think I invited you in?” She slid from the car, not waiting, knowing he’d be at her side in a second. Phase Three had begun.

Humm. I notice the edges of the page are beginning to singe, Mia. Very hot. What’s your next project?

My next book is the first of a series about a group of spies. SPY GAMES: TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION will be out in July. Chase is the spy boss and Kate is his collateral damage from a failed mission. She’s been slated for an impossible, deadly mission and Chase has been given the task of making sure she’s sexually ready to seduce the bad men. Of course, he’d rather keep Kate for himself!

The second book (tentative title is SPY GAMES: LETHAL LIMITS) is about Jake, Kate’s spy partner and Tia Richards, another spy who has a problem only Jake can solve. Jake’s been sent on a mission to find a woman of his own to love, and since Tia is the only woman that makes him forget he’s sorta fallen for Kate, she’s in his crosshairs.


The third book (tentative title is SPY GAMES: ENDGAME) is about Aaron, Jake’s sexy actor brother, and Charlotte, a spy with a secret and horrible past. Charlotte is slated for a deadly mission of her own, but is marking time until the pieces fall into place by stepping in as bodyguard for Aaron, pretending to be his girlfriend as a cover.


Blurb for SPY GAMES: TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION

Emma Walters didn't choose to be a spy, but when her crazy father was caught selling bombs to the wrong people, she was given a choice--become a spy or rot in jail. Her exciting new life as agent Kate Wells becomes more so when she discovers her new boss is the agent--undercover and investigating her father at the time--who took her to third base. Emma is already in half in love with the dark and dangerous Chase Sanders. Kate wants nothing more than for him to finish what he started, but he's the devil incarnate. And one doesn't make deals or fall in love with the devil.

If someone had told Chase he'd fall in love with a certain virgin when he was on his last mission, he would have shot them dead, sniper style. She was nothing more than collateral damage, damn it. But watching the sexy new spy morph into a bombshell killing machine is too much to bear. So when the powers that be command him to train her in the art of seduction for her first--and possibly last--mission, he's scared witless. Making love to Kate means preparing her for sex with another man.

Somehow, Chase has to find a way to get Kate in--and out--of her mission without dying. And without falling in love.

Interesting and different, just what readers like. What one tip would you offer writers?

Write from your heart, not for the market. What’s big now won’t be big when you finish your manuscript. When I started writing, paranormal was dead. Now it’s the hottest thing out there. Don’t be afraid to try something new. When I first started writing, I wouldn’t have been caught dead published at an e-book house with erotic romance. Now that’s where the market is--e-pub and erotic romance. I love The Wild Rose Press and everything they stand for. They’re a great company.

How do your story ideas come to you? (Which do you visualize first, characters or plots?)

I first get a glimpse of an opening scene. In Exceeding Boundaries, I saw Megan planning to get Adam under forgotten mistletoe outside of a conference room, so she could seduce him. Then come the questions—why? Where? How? Soon the characters begin to talk to me, and as I write I start to learn more about what they do and why. I don’t really plot, per se. I write what I see in my mind, even if it’s odd, then find out why the characters did that. Usually it’s a surprise, even to me!

Thanks for being here, Mia. Come back again--perhaps when your next book is out.

Thanks so much! I’d love to come again and visit after SPY GAMES: TRAINED FOR SEDUCTION is out!

Visit Mia at:
http://www.miadowning.blogspot.com/
miadowning007@hotmail.com

Exceeding Boundaries is available at The Wild Rose Press:
http://www.wilderroses.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=866
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Exceeding-Boundaries-ebook/dp/B007AWZFLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338254276&sr=8-1

Writers Wednesday: Mackenzie Crowne

Hi Everyone. Help me welcome the energetic Mackenzie Crowne, another talented Wild Rose Press author. Mac, please tell us all about your genre, your book, and--well--all about yourself.

 For me, kooky inspiration rocks. Literally! What is it about a pile a boulders that can so stir the human imagination? I mean, they’re just rocks for heaven’s sake. Other than water, stone is the most commonly found material on the planet. Even living smack dab in the middle of one of America’s cities, you can’t walk more than a block or two without seeing rock of some kind. Pebbles in the gutter, a stone formation in a park, the random rock garden, or mountains in the distance. Like nature’s discarded litter, rocks are everywhere. And yet, they appear in our music (Rock of Ages & The Rolling Stones) and show up in our literature and movies (ahem, Brokeback Mountain) and people all over the world spend millions of dollars each year, making pilgrimages to sites with nothing more to offer than towering granite and a view.

I’ve been known to join the throng of fascinated pilgrims on more than one occasion, and living in the southwest, I have a number of sites to choose from. If you’ve never been here, wow. You’re missing some of God’s most spectacular gifts. There is the incomprehensible enormity of the Grand Canyon, the spectacular stone maze of Lake Powel, and talk about the wow factor? Zion National Park is simply draw dropping.

Of course, sometimes these rock piles bring out the kooky in humans. Stonehenge has inspired a vicious, centuries long battle of theories, and the mesmerizing red rock of Sedona has spurred an almost cult like industry of crystals and mysticism. But, hey, who am I to judge? For all I know, I’m the kook. After all, big, beautiful boulders do it for me. I don’t know about you, but I can’t witness one of these natural litter dumps without contemplating my own tiny insignificant existence in the universe. And yet, without tiny little me, without tiny little us, to appreciate their magnificence, what are these stunning rock formations but random piles of natural rubble?

Perhaps that is the answer to my question. Throughout time and culture, mankind has expressed its mystical importance in the relationship between nature and humanity through stone. I’m not talking sheer, cliff-rock climbing here - those people really are kooks - I’m talking man’s manipulation of nature’s litter to his own design. Whether it be the Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge, or Mount Rushmore, humankind has left its handprint, as if to say, 'I was here, I witnessed. I conquered.'

For its part, nature returns the favor in the inspiration it provides, stirring the human imagination to contemplate its purpose while attempting to match nature’s grandeur. In the process, that mystical connection leads us to create and entertain.

Without this synchronicity, the world would be a much more bland place. From the rubble nature provides we build our grand structures, but more than that, nature inspires artists to put chisel to marble, and paintbrush to canvas, adding depth and beauty to the human experience. And for writers like me, nature provides the scenery, adding color, vision, and emotion to the stories we tell.

From the beginning of time, mankind has pondered the reason behind our inescapable fascination with nature’s magnificent litter, and will no doubt continue to do so until the last human breath is drawn. But to me, the reason isn’t important. As with the mystical ring of stones in my debut fantasy romance, GIFT OF THE REALM, it’s enough that the fascination exists and inspires.

So, what about you? Are you a kook like me? What’s the oddest thing that’s inspired you?

Bio: I live in Phoenix with my husband of nearly thirty years - would you believe I married when I was nine? - along with a blind cat, and a manic Pomeranian who I swear sees dead people. Two grown sons, a gorgeous DIL, and two adorable grandkids keep me hopping. I’m one of eight kids, and truly like as well as love all my siblings. I’m a four year survivor. (I love saying that. Take that breast cancer!) And living in the southwest feeds my soul.

My friends call me Mac. I hope you will too.

Gift of the Realm Blurb

Beneath the fairie mound of Dunhaven's Door, two dreamers meet their destiny…

After a decade of trying to outrun her debilitating dreams, Keely returns to Ireland to face the ancient ring of stones and the man haunting them. Within the stones, she embraces her fairie heritage and her mystical gifts. But can she trust the handsome Halfling who shares her dreams and holds her heart?

When Keely reappears in his life, Colin’s fairie blood threatens to gain the upper hand. Compelled to assist the lovely Halfling, he agrees to help her break the three-hundred-year-old curse on their families, but he'll do it on his terms—as a black wolf.

Together, two Halflings can stand against any power, but only love can break the bonds of bitterness. Will Colin’s arrogant plan to outwit the King of the Fairies doom Keely for eternity? Or is their love enough to break the curse?

Excerpt: She tossed a thick stalk onto the small pile at her feet and set the claw at another. Her continued silence said she was done with him, and expected him to go.

He disabused her of that expectation by taking a seat at the small table beside the garden. He sat with his legs spread, elbows propped on his knees. Donovan lifted his head to stare at him, his dark brows puckered above darker eyes that seemed to plead with him to bring peace to the garden once more.

“I am your friend, Keely,” Colin told her, “and I’d like to help if I can.”

She paused at her chore, tilting her head to eye him suspiciously from beneath the brow of the hat. “Why would you want to do that?”

He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Well, now, there’s a question. It turns out I’m not the sort of man who can ignore a mystery.”

“That’s not the impression you gave yesterday.”

“Yesterday I was near to being speechless.” A slow smile spread across his face as he decided how to break through her pique. “A man can be excused for being a bit rattled when sitting across from a lovely woman who’s just admitted to dreaming of him for the better part of a decade.”

She fell back on her heels, her eyes widening. “I didn’t admit to dreaming of you, Quinn.” She jabbed the claw in his direction. “I said you joined me in the dreams.”

“You’d consider that a distinction, and yet you admit you’ve been dreaming of me. I prefer my own interpretation.” Confusion knit her brow, and he could see she wasn’t sure if she wanted to blast him for being an arrogant ass, or smile. He pressed the advantage. “I’ve a clearer head this morning, darlin’. I’m here to offer my help.”

She didn’t react to his use of the endearment, but he didn’t miss the flash of interest in her eyes at his offer of help. “Just how, exactly, do you propose to do that?”

“These dreams we share.” He paused, pleased to see a faint blush spreading color on her cheeks. “They always take place at The Door?”

She nodded.

“The way I see it, you’ve made Dunhaven your home, but you’ve spent little time here. I, on the other hand, have lived the whole of my life in Dunhaven — except for the time I spent at university, and you’ll not be holding that against me.”

“I won’t, huh?”

He grinned. “No, darlin’, you won’t.”

“Hmmm.” She glanced away, fiddling with the tool clutched in her lap. He winked at Donovan, and gained a dog grin. Now they were getting somewhere.

That sounds great, Mac. I can't wait to read it. Best of luck with the release.

Thanks so much for being here.

Visit Mac at Mac's Mad Mania http://mackenziecrowne.com/wp,

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/MacCrowne

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieCrown

Buy Links: The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com%20or/

Amazon http://tinyurl.com/84mxmrj

Writers Wednesday: Loretta Rogers

Today I’m happy to welcome award-winning Wild Rose Press author, Loretta Rogers. Loretta, your newest book, FORBIDDEN SON, was released in March and immediately nabbed 4-Star ratings. It’s a contemporary, but your other books are stories of the Old West. What prompted you to move away from the Historical Western?

Quite often authors find themselves orphaned—meaning their chosen genre has, for whatever reason, lost its popularity with publishers. While my Historical Westerns are thriving, I thought it might be a good idea to challenge myself in a different genre. So what did I do? I chose to write a book loaded with flashbacks, and we all know flashbacks are not popular with editors. I didn’t intend for the plot to go in that directions, but when the characters took over, flashbacks was the end result. I’m so happy that my editor, Nan Swanson, saw the potential in FORBIDDEN SON. Authors never know how a book will ‘fly.’ But to receive 4-Star ratings is extremely exciting.

Please tell us about FORBIDDEN SON.
Blurb:
High school dropout Honey Belle Garret never thought of herself as poor white trash—just poor. In the summer of 1964, her world changes forever when sinfully sexy and very rich, Tripp Hartwell III offers her a ride in his convertible. When Tripp proposes marriage, it is the happiest day of Honey Belle’s life. Then, unbeknownst to Tripp, dire threats from his father force Honey Belle and her family out of town and into silence. Hidden in another state, Honey Belle determines, successfully, to make something of herself. She keeps a scrapbook of news clippings about the young man she had to leave behind. Seventeen years later Tripp is not only a lawyer like his father but a Vietnam War hero and a United States senator. Before anyone can question the strong resemblance between him and a new congressional page, Honey Belle has to tell Tripp the truth. And he must come to terms with the knowledge that he has a son by the woman who stole his heart and then mysteriously disappeared.

Excerpt:

He towered over her, his stare drilling into her. His eyes seemed to capture her from hair to high-heeled shoes. Clearing her throat, she tried to appear businesslike.

“Have I changed so much that you don’t recognize me, Tripp?” This wasn’t at all the way she had rehearsed the scene in her head. She didn’t blink an eye—afraid any reaction might betray her uncertainty.


“Look, miss, I don’t have time for twenty questions. I meet a lot of people, if—”


She wanted him to remember, to remember her, to remember—what? That seventeen years ago she had walked away from him? That she hadn’t had the courage to stand up to his father and fight for her position in the life of the man she loved. That for sixteen years she had raised the son he never knew existed. She should never have left Tripp. So much guilt, for so many mistakes. She had no one to blame but herself.


She lifted her eyes to his. “Seventeen years ago, in Charleston, South Carolina, I asked you to take me for a ride in your shiny white BMW.”


The silence of the office closed in around her.

Ah. Sounds intriguing. What’s your next project?

Currently, I’m working on a full-length historical romance that takes place during the Sapoy Rebellion in India. I’m also working on a novella which is a contemporary military romance that takes place in Afghanistan. I’m enjoying the research for both books, but often find myself lingering over the interesting facts (procrastinating, actually), instead of working on my page counts.

Oh, my goodness, I do the same thing. That’s one reason I love researching. Do you plan to return to the Old West?

The Old West is my favorite era in history and to write. I have five historical westerns plotted out. My problem is deciding which book to work on next. I do have a full-length western and a novella releasing in 2013; MCKENNA’S WOMAN from The Wild Rose Press and COWGIRL COURAGE with Avalon Books.

What one tip would you offer writers?

Just one tip? (she says with a smile). Actually, the best tip I can give writers—especially beginning writers—is to read…read…read in the genre they plan to write. While plot and characterization is always the meat and bones of a novel, there is also a formula to each genre. Westerns tend to be plot driven, while contemporary romance leans toward character driven. By reading, writers can see where the plot twists are, how many scenes in certain genres, how much or how little romance in certain genres; how action tags enhance a scene; and how all those elements formulate into a good publishable story.

Is there a special place you like to write?

My office is a converted bedroom which looks out over a spring-fed creek. Some writers enjoy listening to music while others seem to concentrate better when surrounded by noise in coffee shops. I like silence and the calming effects of watching the wood ducks or otters and even the occasional gator that swim by. Maybe someday I’ll write a story that takes place in a swamp.

LOL. I don’t know about a swamp, but I agree--silence is golden for me.
How do your story ideas come to you? (Which do you visualize first, characters or plots?)

Ideas come to me in different ways. Sometimes the title of the book pops into my head first, other times, I dream the story, and at other times a character’s name comes first. Whichever happens, if I’m near my computer, I type the information in my ‘idea’ file. Quite often when I do this, ideas seems to flow. I just go with it until I run out of juice. Then I return to whatever I was doing. Unless it’s washing dishes or vacuuming, then I find excuses to stay at the computer.

Is there anything you haven’t been asked that you’d like to share with us?

Many writers ask how I built my fan base. The answer is simple—develop characters that readers want to invest time in, write plots that make readers laugh or cry, or keep them turning the pages. Give readers that ‘aaah’ moment when writing ‘The End.’ The ultimate goal is to write books that will cause readers to clamor for your next novel.

Thanks so much for being here, Loretta. Please come back to visit again.

Thanks for hosting me, Barbara. It’s gracious people like you, who help authors like me extend our voice to the public. I’ve had so much fun answering the questions.

Visit Loretta at: http://www.lorettacrogersbooks.com/

FORBIDDEN SON: Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Available in both print and ebook

Rating: Spicy

Page Count: 254

Print ISBN 978-1-61217-000-8

Buy Link to FORBIDDEN SON:The Wild Rose Press http://bit.ly/zShp1l

Buy Link to FORBIDDEN SON: Amazon.com http://amzn.to/z55cqh

YouTube link to FORBIDDEN SON book trailer: http://youtu.be/xXSOIyp3Xxg

Today, help me welcome Vonnie Davis, whose delightful Westerns are published with Wild Rose Press.

Hi Vonnie. So glad you're here. Your debut book, STORM'S INTERLUDE and also your soon-to-be released novella, THOSE VIOLET EYES, are set in the hill country of Texas. What draws you to this area? I sense you have a love affair with cowboys.

Oh, I do. I love the way they move in that loose-jointed way, silently proclaiming their innate strength and devotion to family and duty. In Storm’s Interlude, my hero is the caregiver for his family and has been since his mother abandoned him and his twin sister at the age of five. He’s hard-working, opinionated and bossy. I love writing about the alpha male and the spirited women who knock them off kilter. Usually, these women are smaller in stature or less powerful, but their strength of character allows them to go toe-to-toe with this guy—and he’s simply pole-axed by her temerity. Often, within an instant, unbeknownst to him, she owns him. Don’t you love it?

In the first excerpt I’d like to share, Rachel, a home care nurse, learns the identity of the stranger she met on the way to her new job.

STORM'S INTERLUDE:

Storm heard off-key singing when he opened the back door. He quietly toed off his boots in the mudroom before stepping into the kitchen.

An open laptop sat on the wooden kitchen table. Beside it was a mug of steaming tea. On the counter, a loaf of wheat bread rested next to a jar of peanut butter. Protruding from the opened refrigerator was a cute behind, covered by baggy yellow pajama bottoms, wiggling to the beat of the song being sung. “Shot through the heart and you’re to blame, you give love a bad name.”

The off-tune singing stopped, but that perfectly rounded bottom continued to wiggle.


“Pickles...pickles. Surely there are pickles in this huge refrigerator. Maybe some of those sweet little gherkins. Oh, look, cottage cheese. You give love a bad name…” The off-tune singer extracted a container from the crowded contents of the refrigerator, absently reaching out to set it on the counter.


Sneaking up behind her in his stocking feet, he placed a hand on the edge of the open door of the refrigerator and leaned over her bent body.


She moved a pitcher of orange juice. “Okay, pickles, where are you hiding?”

“Check behind the milk.”


Rachel yelped and spun around, her hand to her heart. Her big blue eyes opened impossibly wide. “You! Wha...what are you doing here?”


He held out his hand. “Hello, Rachel. I’m Storm Masterson, Sunny’s twin brother.”

“You…you’re Sunny’s brother? Don’t you dare touch me.” She made a fist and had the audacity to shake it under his nose. He didn’t know whether to laugh or paddle that cute behind she’d been wiggling earlier.

“You…you just keep your hands and your lips to yourself. You…you naked, kissing bandit.”

LOL.  Sounds like great fun. What else do you have coming soon?

I’m fortunate enough to have a story included in the Honky Tonk Hearts series that began last month from The Wild Rose Press. Two episodes, or novellas, will release per month as long as the series runs. My episode will release on June 27.

In this story, Win (short for Sherwin) is a wounded vet who’s come home to Texas to heal, find a piece of his soul and open a ranch for amputee children. To earn a little extra coin, he’s asked his Uncle Gus, owner of the Lonesome Steer honky tonk, to give him a job as a cook. Evie works part-time as a waitress at the bar. She’s heard about this new cook and his war injuries—loss of part of his leg and some of his hearing. In fact, she’s been told to go back to the kitchen and introduce herself. Here's an excerpt from     THOSE VIOLET EYES.
Evie charged through the swinging door to the kitchen and skidded to a stop. It couldn’t be. Although his back was toward her, there was no mistaking the height and broad muscled shoulders. This mystery nephew of Gus’s was the guy who’d remarked on her eyes. Her stomach did a little twitchy dance, nerves no doubt.

She ran her suddenly damp palms over her short skirt and cleared her throat. “Excuse me. Win?”

No answer.

She took a couple steps closer and noticed he was washing vegetables under a spray of water. “Win?”

No reply.

Evie rolled her eyes and stepped behind him, tapping him on the back. The metal strainer clattered in the sink and a blur of motion barely registered before steely hands gripped her forearms. Oh my God! In a flurry of movement, he snatched her off the floor and backed her against the stainless steel counter. Cold wet hands viced her arms. Her eyes snapped wide and the air whooshed from her lungs when his body slammed into hers.


Win’s eyes were narrowed, his breathing rapid through a clenched jaw and a vein bulged in his forehead. “Don’t do that.”

The man was every inch the warrior, every hard tensed inch. He held her mid-air, so close they were nearly eyeball to eyeball. As his gaze traveled over her face and awareness evidently crept in as to the sex of his attacker, several inches of his frame hardened even more.

Evie swallowed. Oh, good Lord.

He glared and his nostrils flared.

“I…I’m sorry, Win. I called your name, but…but you didn’t answer. I was only trying to get your attention.” Her lips twitched at the humor in the situation—hadn’t Keira told her the man lost part of his hearing? Evidently she’d startled him. Poor soul. She felt a portion of herself return. A portion she’d hidden for so long; that light-hearted part of her soul that teased and cajoled. “Honest, I wasn’t trying to attack you.” She placed an open palm on his defined pecs and patted. “You’re safe with me, big guy.” Just to rattle him some more, she winked.


Win’s hazel eyes flashed for a second, then he slowly leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Well, you’re not safe with me.”

Exciting, Vonnie. Can't wait to read it. How long have you been writing?

I’m finishing up a romantic suspense trilogy, The Red Hand Conspiracy. All three books are set mainly in Europe and involve a group of terrorists, The Red Hand.

MONA LISA'S RULE hasn’t been given a release date yet, but involves an American art teacher who travels to Paris for her 40th birthday. She foils a bombing attempt in the salon of the Louvre where the famed portrait of Mona Lisa hangs. From that point on, she’s put under the protective custody of a younger government agent, Niko. Oh, the sparks that fly…


Book two, RAIN IS A LOVE SONE, takes place in Paris, Budapest and Asheville, North Carolina.


Book three, that I’m struggling to write, is JAZZBEAT OF SURRENDER, and takes place in Paris and Berlin. I’m having a hard time getting a handle on my hero. I’ve rewritten him and rewritten him. Let me tell you, this undercover German agent posing as a jazz musician can run, but he can’t hide. I WILL figure this guy out. I can promise you that! LOL


Now that sounds intriguing. Good luck on developing those stories. How long have you been writing?

I’ve started and stopped many projects over the years, but never gave myself permission to write fulltime until I retired early as a technical writer, and we moved from the DC area to southern Virginia. I’ve been writing for five years and have three books and two novellas under contract and two manuscripts that will never see the light of day. Yes, they are that bad!

What one tip would you offer writers?

Give yourself permission to write every day. We get so caught up in doing for others that we forget to care for our souls, especially our writer’s soul. Write something every day even if you can only take fifteen minutes from your schedule. By doing this, you establish a routine and your muse will take notice. After all, the more you write, the better you become. And write what you enjoy reading. I love Romance, so that’s what I write.

Thanks, again, for joining us today, Vonnie.

Oh, hon, it’s been my pleasure.

Visit Vonnie's website at http://www.vonniedavis.com/

Drop by her blog anytime. http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com/

Find her books at:
The Wild Rose Press -- http://bit.ly/rcCIMa
Amazon -- http://amzn.to/pkkcLq

Writers' Wednesday: Cecily White

Today, I'm happy to welcome my friend Cecily White, who just finaled in the Golden Heart, RWA’s major contest for unpublished authors. Congratulations Cecily on your wonderful contest news-- and for signing with a fantastic agent, nearly at the same time.

Thanks! Nice to know all those voodoo ‘agent summoning’ rituals finally paid off, right?

Sounds like another book to me, LOL. So, would you mind to share your story of ‘The Call’?

Sure, um, it was a dark and stormy night in September-- No wait, that’s how I lost my virginity. Sorry, let me start over…


It was a bright and sunny day in New Orleans when I got an email from Pam van Hylckama Vlieg (who used to be Laurie McLean’s assistant and is now an associate agent at Larsen-Pomada. Woohoo Pam!!!) asking to set up a phone call. At first I thought they just wanted to reject me in person, or maybe give me the ole “We-like-your-style-but-the-project-just-isn’t-for-us” schpiel. But no, apparently Pam had read the manuscript and fell in love with it, then handed it off to Laurie, who also loved it. And thus, they decided to offer representation. Apart from the near cardiac arrest and the fact that I spilled my coffee, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

Your novel, ANGEL ACADEMY: PROPHECY GIRL is a young adult paranormal. Can you tell us what gave you the idea for this particular story?

Well, it’s mostly autobiographical.

No, it’s not.

Yeah, it totally is. Substitute socialites for angelblood demon-slayers, tree-hugging liberals for Paranormal Convergence agents, and punk-ass skater boys for Crossworlders and you’ve got my adolescence.

Well, then, other than nostalgia, what draws you to this genre?

I’ve always liked paranormal, especially young adult. You’re allowed to be honest through metaphor in a way folks won’t always accept directly. That, and I want to be snogged by a vampire.

What are you working on now?

It’s a contemporary YA. We’ll see how it goes.

I know you write phenomenally fast. How long did it take you to finish your last manuscript?

Ten weeks, give or take. But when I got to the end, I hated it. So now I have to rewrite it. That’ll take at least another six. . . Live. Eat chocolate. Learn.

While I contemplate--four months???--the speed of your production, do you have advice for writers?

Just remember to write what you love. Find your voice and speak it. Don’t be afraid to say hello to people you admire, or do a cartwheel for the hell of it, or go night swimming in your underwear. Keep your eyes and ears open. Good stories are borne from good observers.

Would you share an excerpt of ANGEL ACADEMY?

Sure thang! This is a scene where angelblood warriors Amelie and Jack (our intrepid H/H's) are off-campus for Amelie's class placement exams. Jack, on loan to St. Michael's Guardian Training Academy from his usual assignment at Paranormal Convergence, has been given the unhappy task of subbing for the school examiner (a dude who was recently murdered by a Reaper). Needless to say, Jack's having a hard time being objective:

Excerpt from: Chapter Nine: Lessons and Nightmares


"Caret initio et–” I began the portal incantation, but was rudely interrupted.


“Include translation, please.”


“Seriously?" I frowned. "Am I five years old?”


Jack made a few notes but said nothing. Smug bastard.


“Fine." I cracked my knuckles and wiggled my fingers theatrically. "Caret initio et fine. There is no beginning and no end. Ab initio, ad patres. From birth unto death. Deficit omne quod nasciture. Everything that is born returns.”


In an icy hot rush, energy shot out of my fingers into a wide arc in front of me. The air between the wards began to ripple– as if someone had painted the scene on a bed sheet then given it a shake. A harsh sound like ripping silk echoed through the room, and when I glanced up, the portal had opened. Disaster free.


Hah! Take that, Jackson Smith-Hailey!


Looking into a Crossworld portal is a little like looking in a mirror, only it’s made of thickened energy instead of silvered glass. I held it open with one palm, the other hand scrawling an immobilization glyph over the Chelax demon. Not that he needed it. His eyes were so wide with fear, he looked like a harsh word might convince him to hurl himself into the portal.


I watched the tendrils of oily dust wisp about the room, then curl back in wild arcs. “Something’s wrong. This doesn’t feel right.”


“Try not to think about it.” He gave me a dismissive pat on the shoulder, drawing the last shreds of darkness out of my head. At the same time, little spurts of golden light flashed over my skin. “A job well begun is half done.”


“Thank you, Mary Poppins.”

I tried to focus on my breath and not on the deafening sirens in my head as I kicked the demon into the portal. Telling me not to think about it was like making someone chug a 20oz Diet Coke, standing them in front of a waterfall, and telling them not to think about peeing.

I’d just turned to say that out loud when the world. . . shut off.

Whatever platitudes Jack was about to spout were lost under a curtain of thick, black silence. And when I say ‘black’ and ‘silent’, I don’t mean ‘kind of dim’ and ‘naptime quiet.’ It was as if someone had dropped one of those heavy, fireproof blankets the EMT’s use in emergencies over the entire building. It shut out everything. Light, street noise, air, even the sounds of birds and crickets vanished. The result was something so oppressively empty it felt deafening.

“Okay, what just happened?” I whispered, certain that anything louder than a whisper would shatter my eardrums. I was wrong. Even if I had screamed, the words wouldn’t have made it more than a few inches in front of my face. They disappeared as I said them, sucked into oblivion.

Jack’s hand still rested at my shoulder. He tightened it now. “Don’t move.”

The cadence of his voice suggested yelling, though I could barely hear him. His arms threaded snugly around me, tugging me against the firm line of his chest.

“What’s going on?” I yelled.

“Don’t let go of me.”

"Um, wasn't planning on it."

He stood just a few inches away, but I swear, he sounded as if he was whispering from the end zone of a football field. All noise seemed to evaporate like an early morning fog. With both hands tight around my waist, he started moving toward the place where I remembered the door having been. Maybe. Frankly, I couldn’t tell squat given the sensory deprivation tank the room had become. Jack, thankfully, could. When we’d reached the doorframe, he freed one hand, groping at the wall in search of a light switch. Clearly a man with some experience groping in the dark. Because that wasn’t intimidating.

With sight and sound gone, the rest of my senses seemed to sharpen into hyper-focus. Jack’s touch was velvet on my skin, and he smelled amazing– like shampoo and marshmallows and something uniquely musky. Sunshine, if sunshine had a smell. Sigh, I could die happy now.

Wait, not literally. . . .

What a place to stop. Where can we get more?

If luck holds, you'll be able to read the rest at some point in the future. ;-)

Well, it shouldn't be long. Thanks so much for stopping by to share your good news. Be sure and come back when the book is out.

Thanks again for having me on the blog, Barb!!

Visit Cecily at her website, http://cecilywhite.com/
and follow her on Twitter @cecilywhite.

Writers' Wednesday Welcomes Susan Muller

I’m so happy to feature Susan Muller today. Susan lives in Spring, Texas, and loves to read, travel, and play with her grandchildren. When not writing, she can be found doing volunteer work at a local hospital. She’s never seen a ghost, but wouldn’t swear they don’t exist. And I'd have to agree. There are some things we just can't explain.

Thanks for inviting me Barb. I’m glad to be here.

Your book THE SECRETS ON FOREST BEND is a Romantic Suspense. What draws you to this genre?

It contains my two favorite things: romance and suspense. I have always loved mysteries, whether in books, movies, or on television. I think it’s the puzzle aspect. Trying to fit all the pieces together and figure out who-done-it. And what’s life without a little romance to jazz things up?

Absolutely. A little romance can add pizzaz to just about anything. So, could you please tell us a little about the book?

Love to.

Another day . . . another dead body.

While working a case, Homicide Detective Adam Campbell stumbles across a crooked cop, an intriguing woman and a vengeful ghost. Can he stay alive long enough to bring down the cop, win over the woman, and destroy the ghost?

In this excerpt, Adam has stopped to see his partner about evidence of a crooked cop in their department. While there, both Ruben and his mother warn Adam about his new girlfriend, Jillian.

Adam rubbed his hand over his face. “So what are we going to do about this?”

“There’s no we. I’m on sick leave. And I want it cleared up before I go back to work. Something like this could ruin a career. If you report it, you’re in the shit. If you don’t report it, you’re in the shit. Hard Luck isn’t even going to want to know it happened. Marshall’s a well liked guy. He brings donuts.”

“I guess it’s okay to commit any type of crime if you bring donuts.”

“Well, murder usually requires bear claws.”

He and Ruben discussed the problem for another twenty minutes without coming up with a solution. When Mamacita announced dinner, they started down the stairs. “Not a word,” Ruben said, nodding toward his mother.

“How’s your friend Jillian?” Mamacita asked.

“She’s doing well. Thank you for having her over that night. I think it really helped her.”

“I know. She called me the next day. Someone taught her good manners.” She glared at him. “She’s a nice girl, and I like her, but she has problems. A shadow follows her, a dark cloud.”

Adam stopped eating. “Everyone she’s ever cared about has died young and violently——her mother, her sister, her father, and now her good friend. I imagine she does get down occasionally, but she seems to handle it well.”

“I’m not talking about grief. She carries that in a small place in her heart and it goes everywhere with her. This is something else. I don’t know what it is, but it wouldn’t come into this house.” She made a sign of the cross. “She’s going to need your help to get away from it, Adam, and I hope you’re up to the task.”

He and Ruben looked at each other and rolled their eyes. When he got ready to leave, Ruben walked him to the door and stepped onto the porch.

“I don’t know what Mamacita’s talking about with the shadow following her bit.” Ruben made quotation marks with his fingers and a spooky, horror movie sound. “But she does know people, and if she says there’s something off about Jillian, then you should think twice."

“Jillian’s different, I’ll give you that. But maybe that’s a good thing. I haven’t done so well with the one’s I’ve tried in the past. Maybe a change is what I need. Anyway, when has Mamacita approved of any woman you or I have ever dated?”

“That’s true. And she’s been right every time. Maybe this once you should use your big brain, instead of the little one.”

Sounds intriguing, Susan. I'll bet the shadow is portentious of something. I can't wait to read it to find out that it is. And I really like the line, "Murder usually requires bear claws."

But I have to ask about REDEEMING SANTA. That's quite a title

REDEEMING SANTA is an action/adventure novella inspired by real life events. I’ve been fascinated by the story since my husband’s uncle, who watched the events unfold, described it to me many years ago. In December, 1927, a man dressed as Santa robbed the local bank. Over two hundred shots were fired. People, including the sheriff, were killed and hostages were taken. It became the largest manhunt in Texas history.

My fictional version centers on a young boy taken hostage and the effect it has on his life. Using all his wiles, and a big dose of courage, he escapes after three days on the run. Now in his nineties, and facing what is probably his last Christmas, can he overcome his hatred for all things Santa for the sake of his grandchildren?

Good grief. That's must have been quite a story to write. I can't imagine how someone would deal with such a traumatic event.

What’s your next project for publication? I’m working on the first of a four part series entitled Season’s Pass. The first book is WINTER SONG and will follow a widowed homicide detective as he hunts a most unusual hit man and finds his own peace along the way.

Another unique plot, Susan. Great title, too--WINTER SONG. Good luck with that book and with the series.

Before you go, what one tip would you offer writers?

Read anything you can get your hands on. Good writing is good writing, no matter what the genre. Join a critique group or volunteer to judge contests. As you read other’s work with a critical eye, you learn what areas you need to work on. Take classes or purchase books on writing. Never stop learning. I guess that’s more than one tip. LOL

Sounds like 'one' excellent piece of advice, Susan. I agree, too. Critiquing the work of others helps us in our own writing. And someone else can find points we've missed in our story, no matter how many times we've been over it. Thanks, again, for joining us today. Come back again, soon.

Be sure to follow Susan at http://www.susancmuller.com/

THE SECRETS ON FOREST BEND is available from: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/the-secrets-on-forest-bend/, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.
REDEEMING SANTA is available from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords.

Writers' Wednesday Welcomes Sophia Johnson

Please help me welcome Sophia Johnson, whose medieval romances I adore. Sophia and I met serendipitously a couple of years ago at the RWA National Convention in Orlando. We introduced ourselves in the hotel lobby, sat down, and the conversation went roughly this way:

“What do you write?”
“Historical romance. Medieval.”
“So do I.”
“Have you published?” I asked.
“Yes. I write as Sophia Johnson.”
At that, my mouth dropped open. “Sophia Johnson?” (I sounded like a parrot.) “Oh, my gosh. I love your books.” We spent a long time talking about writing, and the era and how much we liked it. And how difficult it was to place medievals. Even so, she said, she was at work on another series, still medieval.

She was a delight. Humble, even self-deprecating, and funny. A few months later, I learned she had decided to self publish those new medievals she’d talked about. This weekend marks the release of the third, RUTHLESS.

Now, I’ll be quiet, Sophia. Tell us a bit about your first trio of novels.

ALWAYS MINE, MIDNIGHT’S BRIDE, and RISK EVERYTHING are published by Kensington, Zebra.

I set the tales several years after the Norman Conquest. The first book, ALWAYS MINE, was a time travel with a twist. A modern woman's soul went back to the eleventh century while her body was in a coma in the present time. When she discovers she's in another body and century, it was heaps of fun to write. The second book was MIDNIGHT’S BRIDE. This was light and fun, though it had a sinister part to it. RISK EVERYTHING ended the trilogy. It was the most intense. It also came out as the first book in 2005. You confuse readers when a trilogy starts with the ending book, then the beginning of the story and finish with the middle tale. Now, Zebra publishes them as ebooks. I call them the Blackthorn Castle Trilogy and warn people to read them in sequence.

Since then, I've written a four-book Raptor Castle Series taking place in the middle of the twelfth century.

What draws you to this era?

I've always been fascinated by historical books and films. I started with Alexander Dumas and THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. I went through all the usual books by men. I think schools influenced me into believing only men's books were true literature and romance writers were inane and sexually deprived. *snort* Then I realized I couldn't buy a book until I read the last two pages fist! I believe you're cheating the reader when they develop feelings for the characters only to have it end with some terrible tragedy. If I wanted to cry, I could read the newspapers to be depressed. I needn't pay $10 for it.

I discovered historical romance books held a lot of information. I can't count the times I read a
book with encyclopedias beside me. I enjoyed the new vocabulary from different times, too.

I absolutely agree. Please tell us a little about your writing process.

I'd like to have a dollar for every time someone has said to me, "Your writing is a labor of love. It can't compare to working." Well, let me you something. People who haven't written anything longer than three page letters should try writing twenty pages. I worked as a Computer Systems Analyst and it was a heck of a lot simpler than writing a long historical tale of 100,000+ words.

I take at least a month to research the time that I want to place the story in and hunt for something in history as a background. Then there's finding characters and selecting the correct name for the time and country. Once that's done, I write a two-page biography so I'll know what's in the mind of the character and how he/she should react to any circumstance. Only then do I start to think of how to get the story out of my mind and into a book.

There's something you should know about me. I write long. For the NY Publishers, I've always had to cut at least 11,000 words.

You’ve been published in print but your new titles are available as ebooks. What made you decide to move into epublishing?

I wrote the Raptor Castle Series. Each one has a unique beginning and story to tell. And they were long medieval stories. Like I said, each one was too long, so I cut and cut and cut. I had two wonderful agents, Jenny Bent and Holly Root. Zebra turned them down. Neither could find a publishing house for me because the editors said they liked the books but didn't know how to place them in a category, or how to publish it in a big way, or the story was too unique, etc. Both agents said they loved the stories and didn't understand why they couldn't get them published.

Well, the series sat in my hard drive for four years and I finally decided to ePublish in September of 2011.

Would you mind telling us how that’s going?

Don't let anyone tell you it's easy, because it isn't. Some of the many things I miss are an editor, a cover artist, a skilled writer for the inside teaser and back cover, advertising, mass market books and easy-to-get reviews.

What I don't miss is having someone tell me I can't write a story where the heroine isn't heroic because she wasn't a virgin in the beginning of the book. Or a story can't begin with a monk who ends up having children after he's forced to leave Kelso Abbey. I won't tell you why. Read Forbidden. Or, I can't write a story about a woman whose elderly husband convinces her to seduce a man younger than he is, or… You get the drift.

I love looking up (every day, if I wish it) the royalty statements to see how many books I've sold in the last day, or week or month. I never could get a feel for how many books I'd sold each month by the publishing house statements. And why should an author receive 8 percent of what remains after they pay themselves for everything else? I like having 70 percent of the profit. After all, it took me ten months to write the tale, so why should I take the leavings?

How long have you been writing? Do you have a special place where you like to create?

I've been writing since 1999. It seems like only yesterday that I started ALWAYS MINE. In 2002 I finished RISK EVERYTHING. It was the first book I'd entered in the Golden Heart, so I was very surprised when I came home from vacation and found a letter that I was a finalist. I didn't win the Golden Heart, though. I didn't expect to.

We converted a small bedroom into an office for me. It's my favorite room in the house. Huh! Probably because I spend 80% of my time in here. Awake time, that is. I can't write anywhere else. Not even on a laptop. I can think only here in front of my screen. I have poster boards with pictures of people who look like my characters, one on each side of my CPU, so I can look at my heroine or hero and ask. "So, what trouble are you going to cause today?"

Your Golden Heart story about receiving the letter is interesting. Now people gather around the phone to await that call, while they check different loops for announcements. Actually this year's ‘golden’ day is coming in less than two weeks.

So now that three of your Raptor Castle series have been published, what’s next?

FORBIDDEN and SEDUCED are on Amazon Kindle, B&N, Smashwords and others. The third book, RUTHLESS, came out this weekend. Soon I'll start reading through SURRENDER again before I have it edited.

I send a letter called Sophia's Ramblings (that's what I do – ramble on and on) once a month after writing. That's something else that I miss. Time. This do-it-yourself thing eats away at your time to write.

What one tip would you offer writers?

Don't take rejections to heart. They harden your feelings. When you get a rejection from an editor or a low review, you can laugh about it. Sometimes you can tell they haven't even read the book, else they get their jollies from tearing someone else down.

I hope you brought us a peek at the new release.

I did. Below is the teaser that'll appear before Chapter One in RUTHLESS.

DEFIANCE
Muriele rose to her feet. Magnus did not move. Just stared at her. His eyes narrowed to cold slits. Promising something. What? The room became deadly quiet. No one moved. The dancer stood still, her eyes studying them.

Muriele took a step, then two. She didn't dare look behind her. When she reached the doorway, the sound of his footsteps matched her own.
When she started up the stairwell, she grabbed her skirts above her knees and ran up the stone steps like all the wolves in the forest nipped at her heels. When she turned a corner, she hesitated. Listened.

Had Sir Magnus returned to the great hall?

Nay!

He slowly climbed.

Each booted step rang an ominous warning.

REPRISAL
Muriele burst out onto the landing. She rushed past the torch flickering in its wall bracket, her eye on the doorway, her hand outstretched far ahead of time.

She chanced a quick glance behind her. Oh, Saints! She wished she had not.

He stepped out of the gloom into the light as he stalked her, his steps measured, his lips set in a grim line. His large hands clenched and relaxed as if they longed to wrap themselves around her neck.

The length and tempo of his stride quickened, eating up the distance between them. Her heart thudded. She reached the door. Frantic knowing he was so close, she fumbled with the latch. With all her might, she shoved the door until it was open enough for her to squeeze through. Turning, she pushed with both hands, her feet anchored to the floor. It near closed. With a sharp, loud noise, his boot slammed against the outside edge. She was but a finger's width away from latching it.
~~~
Now, relax and let your imagination take you into this tale of love through the ages.

My favorite cover is also on RUTHLESS. Now, I dare you to tell me he isn't sexy! And don't say I didn't warn you about rambling once I get started!

LOL, Sophia. And no argument about the cover. That's one luscious hero. Thanks so much for being here and best of luck with the books. I hope you'll come back to visit when SURRENDER is ready to go.

You can reach Sophia's publications, and Sophia, with these links.

The Blackthorn Trilogy and Bks. 1 thru 3 of The Raptor Castle SeriesAvailable now at Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, B&N and all major distributors.http://www.sophiajohnson.net/ ; http://sophiajohnsondotnet.wordpress.com/ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1216026114http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=37441594