M.C. Frank's Blog, page 468

Legacy by Hannah Fielding was one of the most beauti...

Legacy by Hannah Fielding[image error] was one of the most beautiful,
exotic and sensual romance novels I've read this month.

A journalist travels all the way to Cadiz to interview a successful doctor who is hiding a dangerous secret and...

Spring, 2010. When Luna Ward, a science journalist from New York, travels halfway across the world to work undercover at an alternative health clinic in Cadiz, her ordered life is thrown into turmoil.

The doctor she is to investigate, the controversial Rodrigo Rueda de Calderon, is not what she expected. With his wild gypsy looks and devilish sense of humour, he is intent upon drawing her to him. But how can she surrender to a passion that threatens all reason; and how could he ever learn to trust her when he discovers her true identity? Then Luna finds that Ruy is carrying a corrosive secret of his own…

Luna’s native Spanish blood begins to fire in this land of exotic legends, flamboyant gypsies and seductive flamenco guitars, as dazzling Cadiz weaves its own magic on her heart. Can Luna and Ruy’s love survive their families’ legacy of feuding and tragedy, and rise like the phoenix from the ashes of the past?Legacy is a story of truth, dreams and desire. But in a world of secrets you need to be careful what you wish for… 

A troubled young journalist finds her loyalties tested when love and desire unearth dark secrets from the past. 


I was sent this book by the author herself, the beautiful and talented Hannah Fielding, whom I have grown to respect and love, because EVERYTHING I've read by her has been an instant favorite.

At the top of my list is Masquerade[image error] (read my review here) but this one is becoming a close second.

As always, I absolutely enjoyed the descriptions of the exotic locations the novel takes place in. The author gives an intense feeling of the place, the country and its people, and I love that feeling of being there, of actually immersed in the story.

The story itself has a great deal of suspense and drama going on so, if you enjoy that kind of thing, like me, you're in for a treat! A lot of secrets emerging from the past, life-threatening danger, unanswered questions. But what made this book really special for me (and a bit different from her other books) was the tension between the two protagonists. You could cut it with a knife! I enjoyed the back and forth of their relationship, as they started with an initial attraction, which quickly escalated in scorching heat. In the end, however, it takes them a great deal of hardship, so that a true friendship and relationship of trust will form between them, before they even have a hope of a happily ever after!

I totally recommend this book to all fans of (mostly clean) romance, especially if they enjoy their romance lyrical, sweet, and with a touch of suspense.

amazon[image error]
goodreads

Achievement unlocked!RUINED has just reached #1 on ...

Achievement unlocked!
RUINED has just reached #1 on  Amazon's Bestseller List. Thank you all for making that happen.

If you...
Find it here.
Discover more about this gorgeously dark tale of foiled love, murder, and redemption.

Time to face facts: the rejection letter.I personall...

Time to face facts: the rejection letter.
I personally think that it's one of the bravest and smartest things a person can do, to  take steps in order to (continue after the break)
make their life what they want it to be. 



And in a way, isn't that what all of us writers do? We're trying to make a living doing what we love. We ask, in other words, for the blessing of creating for ourselves our own little heaven on earth. But if you've chosen this path (or, more correctly, if it's chosen  you) you'll know that it's not always smiles and roses. It's hard.



So hard that you may find yourself at the point of quitting often. I know I do. Almost daily. 

In order to go on we need encouragement and inspiration, and loads of it, from people who have walked this path before us, and met failure with grace and inner strength, never giving up until they succeeded. And, boy did they succeed.



Here are a few excerpts of great writers' rejection letters, before they were proved to be immense literary and financial successes.

I return to these lists (you can find a million of them online, by doing a simple search) every time I feel discouraged, or think that it's taking me too long to get where I want to be. I mean, if those guys had these unbelievably imbecilic things said to and about them, and they still persisted, little old me sure can do the same.





My favorite rejection letter, out of all that I've read so far, is this excerpt from one sent to Oscar Wilde: "My dear sir, I have read your manuscript. Oh, my dear sir." The manuscript in question was Lady Windermere's Fan . I think Mr. Wilde would have enjoyed reading this response immensely. Then again, maybe he had to struggle with feeling inadequate or insecure at times, like the rest of us. Nah, he couldn't have.



H. G. Wells was told about T he War of the Worlds that it was "an endless nightmare." The publishers did not believe it would “take". They actually said that they thought the critics would say: ‘Oh don’t read that horrid book’ as soon as it came out.


Jane Austen was pressured by her mother and all her peers to marry for her own and her family's financial security after her father's death. She lived on funds provided by her friends and family, and kept on writing. The publisher who first received Pride and Prejudice  'declined' it and returned it to her by post. She sold her first book, Northanger Abbey , to a publisher who didn't sell it until she offered to buy it back from him six years later. During her lifetime she self published three of her books. Yes, you read that correctly. Miss Austen was a self published author, ladies and gentlemen.


 Emily Dickinson, the gifted poetess, was told that her poems were "quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and were generally devoid of true poetical qualities."


The lovely and beloved L. M. Montgomery was rejected by five publishers. After that, apparently she got so discouraged that she buried her manuscripts in a hat box for two years. Thankfully for all of us, she took them out again.

Louisa May Alcott was told to "stick to teaching." Ooookay.


The beloved Chronicles of Narnia were rejected for years before C.S. Lewis signed with a publisher. I can't even think of my childhood without memories of Lucy, Peter, Eustace and Jill. I wouldn't have become the person I am if it wasn't for this man's writing and perseverance until he succeeded. 


Beatrix Potter was self published too. After The Tale of Peter Rabbit was rejected by everyone she sent it to, she published two hundred and fifty copies with her own money.


...And here is the famous "No Thanks To" dedication of The Enormous Room by E. E. Cummings .





You know why these literary giants kept on writing, in spite of the rejections, seeming failure, and abuse? Because they couldn't do anything else. Even those who were told that their style was the problem, that their books were too short, too long, too dark, too weird, even they didn't change their writing. This was who they were. This was how they existed. They couldn't turn it on and off in order to please others or make money, or even to succeed, no matter how badly they might have wanted that. And aren't we all glad they kept at it, without compromise. 


Some parting thoughts.



How many times a day do you think about quitting? So far today, I’ve thought about it 3 times. A few hate comments, a few thoughtless words, a bit of loneliness, a bit of stress, a bit of being ignored, and it gets to me. Some people never think about quitting, success just comes natural to them. But for those of us who struggle to keep going through the hard times, here is something I realized: I won’t quit. Even if everyone hated what I was doing, even if no one read my work, even if I had to deal with nothing but discouragement and rejection (which isn’t at ALL the case, by the way, I’ve been so incredibly blessed with friends and passionate readers all over the world, it boggles my mind). But even then. You know what? I’d still write. I’d still work my fingers to the bone on a keyboard, wear my eyes out until I saw spots. Why? Because it’s my passion. It’s why I get out of bed in the morning. It’s not what I do, it’s what I AM. I’m a storyteller. And if I don’t tell stories, a part of me will die. The important part. So, whether anyone reads or not, I’m here. And I’m writing.




All images copyrighted © M.C. Frank (find them on my instagram account)

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Announcing my new novel,LOSE ME.coming winter 2017 (...

Announcing my new novel,LOSE ME.coming winter 2017 (release date TBA)
LOSE ME. is the NA (new adult) story of a British actor and a (read more after the break) 




Things aren't as they seem, however, and soon enough sparks begin to fly. What they don't know is that a dark, heartbreaking secret is threatening to tear them apart.
I am so excited to share this story with you guys, all of you have been so supportive through the entire publishing process, I have never felt less alone in my life! 
This book is so close to my heart, because it deals with a lot of issues I myself have had to deal with. One of them is extremely serious and I haven't read or seen any book that deals with it, and so it is even more important to me to raise awareness about it. A very special person in my life has had to deal with it, and my book is dedicated to him. Actually, I think that's the main reason inspiration took me to this story; it was because I needed to tell my story as well as his, and to put it out there in the world, so that more people can know that they are understood and that they are not alone in their struggle. 
So, without further ado, here are some things I'd love to share with you about LOSE ME.
one:

I recently did a fun Q&A tag about the main characters of the novel, Ari and Wes. If you want to know a tiny bit more about the gorgeous, hot English actor boy, and the fearless stunt girl who turns his world around, you can read it by clicking this link. It's a quick (not to mention swooooony) read. 
two: 
So many people who have read the book already on Swoon Reads or (better yet) as beta readers have made me so happy with their kind and encouraging comments, I can't even. 



I don't know what I've done to deserve you guys.
Anyway, if you'd like to join them, and be one of the first readers to be notified when there are news on the book's final cover, release date, and/or ARC requests being open, please feel free to add it on goodreads.  It would help me out too, to know that there are some lovely people out there waiting for my little novel to go out into the world, and spur me on to work even harder.
three:I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that I have uploaded the first few chapters online for absolutely free, so that anyone who is interested in reading LOSE ME. might take a look and see the gorgeousness that is my baby if it's their cup of tea. 

You can read the first three chapters of LOSE ME. at this link.

four:
GREAT NEWS!
I just can't wait until you get a copy of LM in your hands. Do you feel the same way? 
Do you want to know what everyone's talking about?




Well, here is your chance! 
You can sign up to receive your brand new copy of LOSE ME. for free, in exchange for an honest review. 
Here is the LOSE ME. ARC requests SIGN-UP SHEET.
Applications are open, and they will remain so for the next few months, until the ARCs of LM will be ready to be sent to you!
If you have read this far, I only have one more thing to say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving my book a chance, and for giving me the opportunity to make a living out of what I love best in the world: telling stories.
I love you and I can't wait to talk to you .

Giveaway time!I posted this pic on instagram and sai...

Giveaway time!

I posted this pic on instagram and said that I randomly discovered these two copies of The Book Candy Classics edition of Persuasion on my bookshelves, and would anyone like them.

Well, guess what? (giveaway after the break)

EVERYONE wants them! (lol) So here is a giveaway, in which I'm giving away all two (2) copies. 
(I was thinking I could maybe keep one for myself, but what the heck. You guys are so supportive, you deserve both of them).


Please spread the word so that more readers can discover these new editions, they are my babies and I am so proud of them!

Also, don't forget the sale that is going on right now on the rest of the Book Candy Classics (links here) so you can make the most of it! 



Good luck and happy reading.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

I just spent the entire morning doing the best job on the...

I just spent the entire morning doing the best job on the planet: I just mailed six of my books to the loveliest readers (India, Europe, Puerto Rico and more…) I am so excited to have you read my books, you guys, I can’t believe that you love them and keep pushing me to write more. I am truly (more after the jump)

 blessed







I sent out a few more e-copies, but I’m free to take ARC requests again. Anyone interested?  Just email me to request an ARC copy of one of my books and I'll send them to you! Help to get the word out by sharing this post who’d love a free book, I’ll love you forever.


P.S. petals will not be included in the packages

Books and petals

I just spent the entire morning doing the best job on the planet: I just mailed six of my books to the loveliest readers (India, Europe, Puerto Rico and more…) I am so excited to have you read my books, you guys, I can’t believe that you love them and keep pushing me to write more. I am truly blessed... 




I sent out a few more e-copies, but I’m free to take ARC requests again. Anyone interested?  Just email me to request an ARC copy of one of my books and I'll send them to you! Help to get the word out by sharing this post who’d love a free book, I’ll love you forever.


P.S. petals will not be included in the packages