Maggie Wells's Blog, page 25
December 1, 2015
Teaser Tuesday – Lucy Parker
This just in: romance takes center stage as West End theatre’s Richard Troy steps out with none other than castmate Elaine Graham
Richard Troy used to be the hottest actor in London, but the only thing firing up lately is his temper. We all love to love a bad boy, but Richard’s antics have made him Enemy Number One, breaking the hearts of fans across the city.
Have the tides turned? Has English rose Lainie Graham made him into a new man?
Sources say the mismatched pair has been spotted at multiple events, arm in arm and hip to hip. From fits of jealousy to longing looks and heated whispers, onlookers are stunned by this blooming romance.
Could the rumors be right? Could this unlikely romance be the real thing? Or are these gifted stage actors playing us all?
http://www.amazon.com/Act-Like-It-Lucy-Parker-ebook/dp/B00Z6YMLV6
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/act-like-it-lucy-parker/1122082558?ean=9781459290587
Views – 29
November 30, 2015
Monday Mayhem – NoMoWriMo!
Well, this is it. The last day of NaNoWriMo for 2015. I’m happy to announce that I verified my word count yesterday and have completed my seventh challenge!
Also, in the course of NaNoing, I FINALLY typed ‘The End’ on the first draft of LOVE AND ROCKETS!
Every year, I tell myself I won’t do it again. Who needs the worry? The stress? The sore wrists and fingers? Then, every year, I sign in, sign up, and get going again. Unlike the first time I did it, I know now that what I have at the end of NaNoWriMo is far from being ready to go out into the world. Thirty days and nights of literary abandon is great for writing, but doesn’t make for good reading.
Trust me on this.
For this reason, I have deemed December has become EditThisCrapMo. There are three stages to this process.
1) Distance. I can’t look at this book anymore. I can’t think about it. I just need to put it out of my mind and play with some other idea for a while. Believe me, it’s for the best that these characters and I go to our separate corners for a while.
2) Clarity. There are two parts to this one. The first part is acknowledging that a good portion of what I churned out in November is crap. But, even better, is coming to the realization that the majority of it is not-quite-crap. Crap gets cut, but I can work with not quite crap.
3) Reading like a reader. I think this is the most important step for any author. I read through the entire steaming pile before I make any drastic decisions. What might look like a dangling plot line at first glance, might be transformed into an additional layer of conflict, or a set up for future series installments. Reading like a reader means I have to look at the hot mess of a novel a whole before I tear it to shreds.
This is what I’ll be doing this month.
And shopping. Picking out a tree, decorating, and going to holiday parties. I’m also hoping to catch a few of my holiday favorites, now that I’m not in full-on writing frenzy. I always look for Holiday Inn, Going My Way, and the original Miracle on 34th Street when I’m cruising the listings.
Oh! The Grinch. Boris Karloff, not Jim Carrey. And, I love the one with Heat Miser and Snow Miser. Of course, it’s not Christmas until Lucy and I extort a few nickels from the mister.
Oh, and the baking! My 17 year-old stand mixer is moaning and groaning. The knobs have all cracked and been super glued. The plastic coating on my flat beater is worn through. I think I need this sexy beast as an early Christmas gift, don’t you?
Looking for a quick and easy recipe for the office party? Try these Magic Cookie Bars. Even my coconut-hating hubby eats these tasty tidbits.
What’s your plan of attack for the holiday season? Got any yummy recipes you want to share?
Views – 37
November 29, 2015
Weekend Writing Warrior – 11/29/15
Here’s another taste of my current work, LOVE AND ROCKETS (Coastal Heat #3 – October 2016). This is the story of a rocket scientist who falls in love with a hardworking single mom and her brainy daughter.
****
“Jeez, Mom—”
Darla saw her daughter’s ire and raised her the mom hand. “Don’t start.”
“That was Doctor Dal—”
“I know who it was.”
“You embarrassed me!”
Those three little words were enough to take the starch out of any defense Darla might have presented. Like any woman who’d survived adolescence, she felt her daughter’s discomfiture keenly. “I’m sorry, Sweets.”
“We were just talking about how he liked my Saturn!”
****
Good luck to everyone sprinting to finish NaNo! Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s Weekend Writing Warrior posts!
Views – 45
November 27, 2015
Fangirl Fridays!
Got a crush? It’s okay to spill it here. Fictional boyfriends battling it out for your affections in your dreams? Talk movies, TV shows, books, or even video games. Do tell! Anything goes on Fangirl Fridays!
Views – 26
November 25, 2015
Whatcha Reading?
Tell me…whatcha reading?
Views – 32
November 24, 2015
Teaser Tuesday – Marina Myles
Excerpt – CINDERELLA AND THE GHOST
All at once, Ella remembered standing in front of the long-case clock, precisely like this. But how could that be? She must have repressed memories from her visit here as a child. Yet, she couldn’t explain the vision of herself dancing with the handsome man.
Once she confirmed that a life-sized painting wasn’t hanging in the ballroom, she made her way up the grand staircase. Inexplicably, she felt drawn to where she was going. When she reached the second floor of the house, she studied a wall of faded frescoes depicting late seventeenth century life. When something told her to go on, she padded to the third floor landing.
A palpable hush filled the corridor ahead of her. Then a charged stream of energy rushed forward. Since all the curtains were drawn over the arched windows, the hallway sat in darkness and shadow. Ella should be doing so many things. Unpacking. Cleaning. Deciding which bedroom would be hers. But a sense of urgency prompted her feet to continue.
What will I find in this part of the house? Glimpses of the valiant but very dead Jean-Daniel Girard?
Gulping, she opened door after door and peeked in each one. She finally came to a storage space, with an additional staircase leading up to an attic. Creeping up those stairs, she surveyed the articles on the landing. Broken mirrors and articles of furniture draped in white sheets lay strewn about. Tangled strings of cobwebs swathed the wood paneling.
A glowing beam of sunlight angled into the room. Ella’s pulse sped. In the corner, she spotted an item covered with a black cloth. The object reclined against the far wall—and appeared to be larger than she was. Pushing the curtains open, she allowed more sunlight to bathe the space. Hands quivering, she moved back to the draped item and pulled away the black cloth.
The painting’s gilded frame was stunning. On it, Ella located a nameplate.
Jean-Daniel Girard—Viscount de Maincy
1677-1703
Slowly, as though her life was being altered with every centimeter, her stare ascended to the nobleman’s astonishing face and instantly, the world fell into a compelling silence.
Jean-Daniel Girard was tall, muscular, and inarguably handsome. In fact, his striking good looks affected Ella so deeply that she could barely breathe as she gazed upon them. More than that, she knew she’d seen the viscount’s face somewhere before. While she racked her brain about where she’d seen it, her gaze roamed over Jean-Daniel’s sold body, penetrating aquamarine eyes, and angular features. He could be described as classically handsome. The epitome of male beauty, really. And thankfully, that classic quality helped him transcend the fanciful clothing and wig he wore.
Ella took a step in and studied him some more. True to subjects painted in that era, he wasn’t smiling. Rather, he seemed a pensive and a bit melancholy. However, she could tell from the laugh lines bracketing his generous mouth that he grinned often.
Incredibly lifelike, the nobleman seemed capable of emerging from the painting right then and there. Ella’s skin tingled.
Her gaze drifted to the adorable dog sitting at the viscount’s feet. A splendid example of a hound, it possessed a gleaming brown-and-white coated, an open mouth, and a protruding tongue. Oddly, the dog seemed to be smiling.
“I can tell you loved your master,” she murmured.
Mesmerized by the man in the painting, Ella stared at his image for what felt like hours. The more she analyzed it, the more she noticed its “lost soul” quality. She crossed her arms. No, that wasn’t it. Instead, there seemed to be something underlying the viscount’s solemn face. As if he weren’t solemn at all. As if he possessed a sense of unfinished business.
To die so young…
www.facebook.com/marinamylesauthor
www.twitter.com/#!/marinaauthor
www.amazon.com/author/marinamyles
Buy links:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cinderella-and-the-ghost-marina-myles/1120419439?ean=9781601832832
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cinderella-and-the-ghost/id923819973?mt=11
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cinderella-and-the-ghost
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Cinderella-Ghost/Marina-Myles/Q392155177?id=5953492178836
Views – 34
November 23, 2015
Monday Mayhem – Thank you
It’s Thanksgiving week here in the States, and I want to tell you that I am thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you for being a part of my life. Here’s hoping the coming year is filled with popcorn, jelly beans, toast, and pretzels sticks.
And if there’s an ice cream sundae sitting around, make sure you eat it too!
xoxo
Mags
Views – 38
November 22, 2015
Weekend Writing Warrior – 11/22/15
Here’s another taste of my current work, LOVE AND ROCKETS (Coastal Heat #3 – October 2016). This is the story of a rocket scientist who falls in love with a hardworking single mom and her brainy daughter.
****
The solar system stretched the diameter of the seventy-two-inch round top.
Knowing her terrifyingly bright baby, she’d probably decided brown blob on the tablecloth was a meteorite. And Jake Dalton had probably given her a name for it. A real name. Not something silly like Andy Asteroid or Mario the Meteor. One more along the lines of Cassius or AvalonXJ5.
Her cheeks burned as she stared straight at the glowing papier-mâché sun. She closed her eyes and allowed the wave of pure mortification to wash over her. He’d done nothing more than take a few minutes out of his evening to talk to a little girl who’d spent almost two weeks getting the rings of Saturn right, and she’d stopped just shy of calling the man a pedophile.
This wasn’t the first time she’d fucked up royally.
****
That’s all from me this week. Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s Weekend Writing Warrior posts!
Views – 46
November 20, 2015
Fangirl Fridays!
Got a crush? It’s okay to spill it here. Fictional boyfriends battling it out for your affections in your dreams? Talk movies, TV shows, books, or even video games. Do tell! Anything goes on Fangirl Fridays!
Views – 31
November 18, 2015
Whatcha Reading?
Tell me…whatcha reading?
Views – 30
