Karina Bliss's Blog - Posts Tagged "bring-him-home"
Just sent off revisions on the third book in my Special Forces series - BRING HIM HOME. Good news is it's been brought forward in the publication schedule and will be out June with Harlequin Superromance.
Already out: Book 1: HERE COMES THE GROOM. Book 2: STAND-IN WIFE. Excerpts on my website - www.karinabliss.com
I come back with a resolution. To blog here weekly. Just chatty stuff, insights into the book I'm planning, writing or revising.
Already out: Book 1: HERE COMES THE GROOM. Book 2: STAND-IN WIFE. Excerpts on my website - www.karinabliss.com
I come back with a resolution. To blog here weekly. Just chatty stuff, insights into the book I'm planning, writing or revising.
Here's an informal synopsis of the book.
A roadside bomb in Afghanistan trapped Nathan Wyatt’s commanding officer in their vehicle. Nate had a terrible choice – die with his best friend or follow his directive and try and save a wounded comrade.
Two years on, that secret is still tearing him apart. He’s in Hollywood prostituting his war medal for work as a bodyguard to the stars when his best friend’s widow drags him home to fulfill his neglected responsibilities to her family trust.
Claire has recently removed her thirteen year old son from the bad influence of his friends by moving to a tiny seaside community where she’s working on restoring an old fishing vessel she and Nate bought as a do-up years earlier.
Her goal: to start a fishing charter business. Nate’s goal: to make sure she’s not taking too big a financial risk before he authorizes the money as co-trustee.
When he discovers Claire can’t forgive her late husband for breaking a crucial promise – Steve was never meant to go on that last tour of duty - Nate sees his path to salvation. He’ll be his buddy’s advocate, secure Steve’s place in his wife’s memory by telling her stories of their time together in the Special Forces.
The last thing he intends is to find himself in love triangle with his dead best friend but as he works with Claire on the boat’s restoration, their longstanding friendship becomes so much more.
Will telling her the truth about Steve’s death set him free, or alienate the woman he’s come to passionately love?
I'm working on line edits for Bring Him Home, my June 2012 release and trying to work out what the American term is for diesel.
I'm pretty sure it's not gasoline which I'm guessing refers to petroleum. Maybe I'll simply replace with 'fuel.'
Line edits are the nit-picking stage of the manuscript. I've written it, done revisions and this is a line by line edit to pick up work overuse, time line inconsistencies, and sometimes even plot holes.
My heroine's son, despite work, remains something of a plot moppet (a wonderful term I first saw used on www.dearauthor.com or smartbitchestrashybooks.com). A child there to do a plot job rather than be a real person. Normally I have no problem writing kids, but because my heroine/hero had BIG stuff to deal with I didn't want to make her son too troubled. (He was, but he's coming out of it through the story). I went too far the other way obviously and need to get the balance right.
I'm also working on the first three chapters and synopsis of a new book, tentatively titled HIS GOODBYE GIRL, a back from the dead story, which should be a fun end to the series.
More on that one later.
I'm conscious that very few are reading this blog...hopefully numbers will grow, but for the time being it's very freeing, writing stream of consciousness 'dear writing diary' stuff.
To the handful reading this...hey, how are you? Merry Xmas!
I'm pretty sure it's not gasoline which I'm guessing refers to petroleum. Maybe I'll simply replace with 'fuel.'
Line edits are the nit-picking stage of the manuscript. I've written it, done revisions and this is a line by line edit to pick up work overuse, time line inconsistencies, and sometimes even plot holes.
My heroine's son, despite work, remains something of a plot moppet (a wonderful term I first saw used on www.dearauthor.com or smartbitchestrashybooks.com). A child there to do a plot job rather than be a real person. Normally I have no problem writing kids, but because my heroine/hero had BIG stuff to deal with I didn't want to make her son too troubled. (He was, but he's coming out of it through the story). I went too far the other way obviously and need to get the balance right.
I'm also working on the first three chapters and synopsis of a new book, tentatively titled HIS GOODBYE GIRL, a back from the dead story, which should be a fun end to the series.
More on that one later.
I'm conscious that very few are reading this blog...hopefully numbers will grow, but for the time being it's very freeing, writing stream of consciousness 'dear writing diary' stuff.
To the handful reading this...hey, how are you? Merry Xmas!
Today I'm blogging on the SuperRomance authors loop about what makes a great ending to a romance. Come visit and go into the draw for one of my backlist.
Here's the link:
http://www.superauthors.com/2012/01/w...
Here's the link:
http://www.superauthors.com/2012/01/w...
I'm back in work mode after the Christmas break. Just finished final corrections on my June release, BRING HIM HOME, and writing Chapter Four of a new book, the fourth in my SAS series, working title, HIS GOODBYE GIRL.
I re-read BRING HIM HOME last night and said to my husband, 'Either this is really really good or a piece of melodramatic drivel.'
It's a high-stakes, high-drama novel which means it's even tougher to dance the line between pathos and sentimentality.
No doubt readers will tell me if I've got the balance right!
Meanwhile on Chapter Four of HIS GOODBYE GIRL I'm obsessively reworking the first scene between my four heroes, three of whom have already had their book.
I love returning characters because they're easy to write. I know how they'll react to situations, and to each other.
It's the new hero I have to feel my way with (what a fun job!). I thought I had his measure in the first scene but he's changing on me. That's good...we're all different people depending on who we're with. I'm hoping these new facets of his personality will add dimension to his character.
And in my leisure I've been reading Cecilia Grant's debut A Lady Awakened and Sarah Mayberry's latest, All They Need. Both wonderful books.
Good reads (another pun, I'm on fire!) always inspire me to try harder in my own writing.
I re-read BRING HIM HOME last night and said to my husband, 'Either this is really really good or a piece of melodramatic drivel.'
It's a high-stakes, high-drama novel which means it's even tougher to dance the line between pathos and sentimentality.
No doubt readers will tell me if I've got the balance right!
Meanwhile on Chapter Four of HIS GOODBYE GIRL I'm obsessively reworking the first scene between my four heroes, three of whom have already had their book.
I love returning characters because they're easy to write. I know how they'll react to situations, and to each other.
It's the new hero I have to feel my way with (what a fun job!). I thought I had his measure in the first scene but he's changing on me. That's good...we're all different people depending on who we're with. I'm hoping these new facets of his personality will add dimension to his character.
And in my leisure I've been reading Cecilia Grant's debut A Lady Awakened and Sarah Mayberry's latest, All They Need. Both wonderful books.
Good reads (another pun, I'm on fire!) always inspire me to try harder in my own writing.
I'm around 25,000 into the fourth and final of of SAS hero series. Working title: His Goodbye Girl.
I find after the set-up I start to falter. Okay we're into the story...how are you two going to make those incremental steps from distrust to trust to a happy ever after that readers will sigh over?
Hero and Heroine are stumbling around the page a bit right now, still changing their minds about their scene goal, or how they feel about things while I follow them with a tuning fork...listening for the right note. And feeling tone deaf. I tell myself it's part of the process, but aw heck can't we miss this part out just this once!
Muse says no. :)
All I want is character honesty but I don't know these two well enough yet and so they keep going two-dimensional on me.
Meanwhile I have a cover for my June release, Bring Him Home, which I'll post as soon as I get approval. That book is done so it's easy to love now. I can't wait to hear how readers feel about it.
Now I'm off to the keyboard chanting the old mantra. You've got yourself through ten books. You'll find your way through the eleventh.
Good luck with your own endeavors this week!
I find after the set-up I start to falter. Okay we're into the story...how are you two going to make those incremental steps from distrust to trust to a happy ever after that readers will sigh over?
Hero and Heroine are stumbling around the page a bit right now, still changing their minds about their scene goal, or how they feel about things while I follow them with a tuning fork...listening for the right note. And feeling tone deaf. I tell myself it's part of the process, but aw heck can't we miss this part out just this once!
Muse says no. :)
All I want is character honesty but I don't know these two well enough yet and so they keep going two-dimensional on me.
Meanwhile I have a cover for my June release, Bring Him Home, which I'll post as soon as I get approval. That book is done so it's easy to love now. I can't wait to hear how readers feel about it.
Now I'm off to the keyboard chanting the old mantra. You've got yourself through ten books. You'll find your way through the eleventh.
Good luck with your own endeavors this week!
Check out these pictures of Pataua North, the setting for my June release, BRING HIM HOME. In the book, I've renamed the beach settlement Stingray Bay. I didn't use the real name for a couple of reasons.
1. It's a Maori word and hard to pronounce for international readers. (Pa T-ow). Heck, I can't even get it right phonetically.
2. I needed a couple of boatsheds by the wharf and figured it would annoy local readers to have non-existent landmarks.
In short, I impose my fictional world on a landscape, not the other way around. I guess writers are dictators in another guise. Hmm, did I want to know that about myself?
But whether Pataua or Stingray Bay, it's stunningly beautiful. Enjoy and have a great week.
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&...
1. It's a Maori word and hard to pronounce for international readers. (Pa T-ow). Heck, I can't even get it right phonetically.
2. I needed a couple of boatsheds by the wharf and figured it would annoy local readers to have non-existent landmarks.
In short, I impose my fictional world on a landscape, not the other way around. I guess writers are dictators in another guise. Hmm, did I want to know that about myself?
But whether Pataua or Stingray Bay, it's stunningly beautiful. Enjoy and have a great week.
http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en&...
It's a happy day. Why? Well for one, I'm still blogging weekly here, which proved tougher than I thought it would be. Reflections on a writing life equates to "Ahh, it's hard!" Who knew I was such a whiner. So this little blog makes me shape up and be more cheerful.
I can also post a link to the cover for Bring Him Home, my June release. Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Him-Home-...
SuperRomance is getting more mainstream in cover concept and I really, really like it. Except my hero looks twelve. Except I'm of an age where anyone under thirty-five looks twelve. (That's not a whine, it's a wise observation).
Should I be this excited about a book's release after ten? And yet I am, I love this book, I'm proud of it and I'm hanging out to see what readers think. If you read it, I hope you comment on goodreads or anywhere. I value reader feedback, good, bad or indifferent.
The other cool thing that happened today is that www.dearauthor.com and www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com are running their annual DABWAHA competition and talked about HERE COMES THE GROOM in their podcast as a potential candidate.
Here's the link:
http://dearauthor.com/features/podcas...
Oh, and I wrote 1,300 words yesterday, and hoping to replicate it today.
Wish me luck and happy week to you!
I can also post a link to the cover for Bring Him Home, my June release. Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Him-Home-...
SuperRomance is getting more mainstream in cover concept and I really, really like it. Except my hero looks twelve. Except I'm of an age where anyone under thirty-five looks twelve. (That's not a whine, it's a wise observation).
Should I be this excited about a book's release after ten? And yet I am, I love this book, I'm proud of it and I'm hanging out to see what readers think. If you read it, I hope you comment on goodreads or anywhere. I value reader feedback, good, bad or indifferent.
The other cool thing that happened today is that www.dearauthor.com and www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com are running their annual DABWAHA competition and talked about HERE COMES THE GROOM in their podcast as a potential candidate.
Here's the link:
http://dearauthor.com/features/podcas...
Oh, and I wrote 1,300 words yesterday, and hoping to replicate it today.
Wish me luck and happy week to you!
Interesting links and free books this week.
First up is an article on Dear Author put together by author Sarah Mayberry who asks Aussie and Kiwi authors (well, just moi) about writing for the US market. What slang do we change? What do we get to keep? Do readers want strange phrases or prefer words Americanized. Some books to win for commenters. Here's the link:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/wr...
And over on author Elise Rome's blog now, I'm trying to make an author's process interesting and giving away a book. Here's the link: http://www.eliserome.com/mm-contempor...
Nearly at midpoint of the book...chugging to hit 40,000. Hope your week's going more speedily.
First up is an article on Dear Author put together by author Sarah Mayberry who asks Aussie and Kiwi authors (well, just moi) about writing for the US market. What slang do we change? What do we get to keep? Do readers want strange phrases or prefer words Americanized. Some books to win for commenters. Here's the link:
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/wr...
And over on author Elise Rome's blog now, I'm trying to make an author's process interesting and giving away a book. Here's the link: http://www.eliserome.com/mm-contempor...
Nearly at midpoint of the book...chugging to hit 40,000. Hope your week's going more speedily.
I like writing loosely connected series. Loosely because one of my pet reader peeves is having to wade through information about people (usually happy couples) I don't care about from previous books. Unless they have a story purpose for this romance, this book, they don't get page time. It's a lot of fun finding good solid plot reasons to bring them back.
For example, the hero of my June release, Bring Him Home, starts the book as a bodyguard in Hollywood. As I was writing I was trying to come up with a self-obsessed star he could work with. And then I realized I'd already written one.
Zander Freedman. The hero's irredeemable brother in What The Librarian Did. Perfect for the role and a fun in-joke for readers of the previous book.
Do you like recurring characters? How much is too much?
For example, the hero of my June release, Bring Him Home, starts the book as a bodyguard in Hollywood. As I was writing I was trying to come up with a self-obsessed star he could work with. And then I realized I'd already written one.
Zander Freedman. The hero's irredeemable brother in What The Librarian Did. Perfect for the role and a fun in-joke for readers of the previous book.
Do you like recurring characters? How much is too much?
I've posted a giveaway through Goodreads for Bring Him Home, my June release. For a chance to win one of two copies, go here. http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Here's another excerpt also posted to my mailing list (sign up at www.karinabliss.com).
Happy reading!
NATE STEPPED BACK to assess the paint finish on the boat's hull and decided he was pleased with it The surface reflected like a mirror. He could even see Claire behind him, slowly stirring paint with a stick. Her gaze drifted down his bare back, and up again, lingering on his shoulders, and he froze.
Her teeth caught her lower lip and she seemed to shake herself, refocus on the mixing, before her eyes lifted, almost guiltily, for another scan. Nate’s breath caught, his groin tightened at the very feminine assessment. He didn’t know what to do, what to think.
How to think.
If the surface hadn’t been wet, he’d steady himself against the hull. Instead, he concentrated on replenishing his brush. Okay, he’d imagined it. Some trick of the light. Or the fumes getting to him. As he lifted the brush, his gaze returned inexorably to her reflection. He clenched his teeth. Hell, Claire, you can’t go around looking at men like that. You’ll end up... Nate had a sudden vivid mental image of where she’d end up and stared at the paint dripping down the hull because he’d forgotten to stroke the excess out of the bristles.
Inwardly cursing, he feathered it out. Okay, Claire checking him out had nothing to do with him and everything to do with being celibate for nearly two years. That didn’t explain the sudden hopeful leap of his pulse.
He had to put a stop to this.
Nate turned, deliberately catching her in the act, his gaze challenging. Hers dropped, hot color flooded her cheeks. Yeah, that was better. Control. This wasn’t personal. It was just the male-female dynamic, his response a reflex.
Her lashes lifted, she met his eyes with a “got me” smile that held another element that years of friendship made easy to interpret. Shy invitation. It punched Nate in the gut because her response was so intrinsically Claire. She’d always been courageous in her willingness to be vulnerable.
For a timeless moment he saw possibilities so bright that they blinded him. Saw everything he’d ever wanted, everything he’d believed beyond his reach. “When do you know you’ve found the right woman?” he’d once asked Steve. It had been after his breakup with Bree and he’d been dating women who ticked all the boxes but one. He couldn’t love them.
And his friend had answered, “When even the tough times with her are better than good times with any other woman.” The truth of that struck Nate now with blinding clarity. His fingers tightened on the handle. Where was Claire’s judgment? He was the last man she should be attracted to.
He’d run away when she’d needed him, been derelict in his trustee duties, in their friendship. She knew he was relationship trouble. He’d dumped one of her friends, for God’s sake.
And he’d left her husband to die alone.
He remembered Steve the last time he saw him, the anguish in his eyes— “Tell Claire I’m sorry.” Guilt jerked him back to reality. “Let me tell you another story about your husband.” It was Steve she had to love, Steve she had to forgive, and Steve who would always stand between them.
They both needed a reminder of that.
Here's another excerpt also posted to my mailing list (sign up at www.karinabliss.com).
Happy reading!
NATE STEPPED BACK to assess the paint finish on the boat's hull and decided he was pleased with it The surface reflected like a mirror. He could even see Claire behind him, slowly stirring paint with a stick. Her gaze drifted down his bare back, and up again, lingering on his shoulders, and he froze.
Her teeth caught her lower lip and she seemed to shake herself, refocus on the mixing, before her eyes lifted, almost guiltily, for another scan. Nate’s breath caught, his groin tightened at the very feminine assessment. He didn’t know what to do, what to think.
How to think.
If the surface hadn’t been wet, he’d steady himself against the hull. Instead, he concentrated on replenishing his brush. Okay, he’d imagined it. Some trick of the light. Or the fumes getting to him. As he lifted the brush, his gaze returned inexorably to her reflection. He clenched his teeth. Hell, Claire, you can’t go around looking at men like that. You’ll end up... Nate had a sudden vivid mental image of where she’d end up and stared at the paint dripping down the hull because he’d forgotten to stroke the excess out of the bristles.
Inwardly cursing, he feathered it out. Okay, Claire checking him out had nothing to do with him and everything to do with being celibate for nearly two years. That didn’t explain the sudden hopeful leap of his pulse.
He had to put a stop to this.
Nate turned, deliberately catching her in the act, his gaze challenging. Hers dropped, hot color flooded her cheeks. Yeah, that was better. Control. This wasn’t personal. It was just the male-female dynamic, his response a reflex.
Her lashes lifted, she met his eyes with a “got me” smile that held another element that years of friendship made easy to interpret. Shy invitation. It punched Nate in the gut because her response was so intrinsically Claire. She’d always been courageous in her willingness to be vulnerable.
For a timeless moment he saw possibilities so bright that they blinded him. Saw everything he’d ever wanted, everything he’d believed beyond his reach. “When do you know you’ve found the right woman?” he’d once asked Steve. It had been after his breakup with Bree and he’d been dating women who ticked all the boxes but one. He couldn’t love them.
And his friend had answered, “When even the tough times with her are better than good times with any other woman.” The truth of that struck Nate now with blinding clarity. His fingers tightened on the handle. Where was Claire’s judgment? He was the last man she should be attracted to.
He’d run away when she’d needed him, been derelict in his trustee duties, in their friendship. She knew he was relationship trouble. He’d dumped one of her friends, for God’s sake.
And he’d left her husband to die alone.
He remembered Steve the last time he saw him, the anguish in his eyes— “Tell Claire I’m sorry.” Guilt jerked him back to reality. “Let me tell you another story about your husband.” It was Steve she had to love, Steve she had to forgive, and Steve who would always stand between them.
They both needed a reminder of that.
