Maggie Wells's Blog, page 29
October 7, 2015
Whatcha reading?
Tell me…whatcha reading?
Views – 34
October 6, 2015
Teaser Tuesday – Jen Crane
Rare Form
Descended of Dragons, Book 1
by Jen Crane
Purchase Rare Form:
Kindle: http://bit.ly/RFAmazonBuylink
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/RFBNBuylink
iTunes: http://bit.ly/RFiBooksBuylink
Kobo: http://bit.ly/RFKoboBuylink
A Secret Past
Fiery redhead Stella Stonewall can’t decide between a margarita and a manhattan.
The rest of her life? Please. Stella has never really fit in, and her pretty world comes crashing down when she learns it was never her world at all.
Rowan Gresham is domineering, brooding, and as sexy as chocolate-dipped sin. When he transports Stella to the magical realm of her parents she recognizes her rightful place immediately. Gresham’s motivations are less clear.
A Scorching Chemistry
The enigmatic Gresham aids in Stella’s metamorphosis and their chemistry ignites, though a long-time girlfriend and a significant age difference stand in the way.
A Battle for the Rest of Her Life
Stella’s life fast-tracks to extraordinary when she enrolls at Radix Citadel for Supernatural Learning, an enchanted college whose students turn furry on the regular. As Stella learns to navigate the magical new world of Thayer she must also find her animal form, a task as elusive as her ancestry. Stella soon faces an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn to manipulate an animal form she never knew she possessed.
In this scene Stella runs into her newfound mentor Rowan Gresham
at a school mixer. This time he has company.
“Mmm-hmmm,” I hummed playfully. Riling Rowan Gresham up was just too easy. Was I flirting? Maybe.
My attempt to hide my grin behind a sip of my drink was unsuccessful, and the tension soon left his shoulders. As I inquired further about Gresham’s “special projects,” I caught sight of a lovely brunette in her late thirties as she approached him from behind. She ran her hand through Gresham’s arm and clasped his bicep possessively.
“Hello,” she said coolly. “I’m Livia Miles.”
She pronounced this la-VEE-yah. Her gray eyes were sharp and assessing as she took in my proximity to Gresham. I backed up a step instinctively. She extended a bony hand, and I took the time to do a little assessing of my own. Now, I like to consider myself fairly well-groomed, but Livia was the type of woman who always looked…pristine. Her nails were perfectly manicured, and the shine on her toe polish caused me to blink. Her smooth skin had obviously been exfoliated and buffed to perfection, her makeup was flawless, if on the heavy side. Her jewelry was tasteful and expensive, and her hair…god, her long brown curls absolutely gleamed reflecting the overhead lights. A tight black lace dress revealed a runner’s legs and no breasts to speak of, thank the good lord for small mercies.
“Livia, this is Stella Stonewall,” Gresham put in. “Stella is a primos, and will likely be in your department’s Intro to Craft and Ritual class.”
“I know who she is, Gresham,” she said icily.
“Oh, uhm… Nice to meet you, Professor Miles,” I stumbled. “Craft? I’m sorry; Orientation is tomorrow. I know very little about the coursework here.”
“Dean Miles,” she corrected. “Craft. The art and science of causing change in accordance with one’s will.”
I must have looked as clueless as I felt, because she turned to Gresham.
“Ugh. Rowan. She is an imbecile. Wherever did you find her, and what moron allowed her into this institution? If this is the caliber of student my department is expected to instruct, I…”
“Stella is new to our ways, as you know, Livia,” Gresham growled. “She is a bright young woman, and will catch on quickly, I am sure, with the help of exceptional teachers like you.”
To this obvious schmoozing, Livia seemed appeased. I had a sneaking suspicion he had just saved me from some serious in-class discrimination.
I couldn’t recall the last time I had been so flagrantly insulted. Fifteen responses and backhanded insults raced through my mind, as did a speedy synopsis of my circumstances—new town, new school, new teacher. Don’t make enemies, I told myself. Swallow your pride. Hold your tongue.
But the fact was I had real difficulty with those particular virtues.
Views – 35
October 5, 2015
Monday Mayhem – A new chapter
Some of my writer friends and I received some sad news this week. Turquoise Morning Press will be closing as of November 1, 2015. Though I have nothing upcoming in the pipeline with them, I was sad to hear the news. TMP offered my my first publishing contract in August 2010. Since that time, we’ve published over twenty titles together. It’s been a great run, and I appreciate the experience I gained working with them, but all good things come to an end.
What does this mean for me?
Well, in the grand scheme of things, I’m still moving forward. I still have 3 releases scheduled for 2016 with Kensington/Lyrical-Shine. My fabulous agent is shopping my upcoming manuscripts, and we have a plan for the next two series I want to write next.
What does it mean to you?
It means you have approximately 10 days to buy copies of the following titles:
all of the Hot Nights in St. Blaise books
Grab them now! All rights will be returning to me, so I may publish some or all of these titles on my own in the future, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get to them.
Happy reading!
Mags
Views – 41
October 4, 2015
Weekend Writing Warrior – 10/4/15
Hey, gang! Thanks for celebrating the release of Going Deep with me last month. I’m so excited about this series. I just finished copy edits on FLIP THIS LOVE (Coastal Heat #2 – April 2016) and now I’m working on LOVE AND ROCKETS (Coastal Heat #3 – October 2016). I’m going to be sharing some bits from this one as I work on it. Ready? Here we go!
****
“Stop squinting. You look like you’re constipated.”
Jake Dalton went straight from squint to grimace as his mother’s sharp elbow found the soft spot between his sixth and seventh ribs. Instead of protesting, Jake simply covered his bruised side with his hand and leaned down to speak directly into his mother’s ear. “I wouldn’t have to squint if you’d let me wear my glasses. It’s just a little tape.”
Julia Dalton huffed an impatient breath but didn’t bother sparing him a glance. “There are dozens of eligible young women here, Jacob.” She scanned the Starlight ballroom with a practiced eye, muttering almost to herself as she took in every tiny detail. “I’ll be damned if I let my handsome boy go walking around like some kind of Poindexter all night.”
****
That’s it for this week. Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s Weekend Writing Warrior posts!
Don’t miss book #1 in the Coastal Heat series, Going Deep!
Going Deep – To the heart of the story.
Making Headlines
Brooke Hastings almost won a Pulitzer Prize for her hard-hitting reportage. Now she’s sitting on the story of a lifetime and wants to prove she’s not a one-hit-wonder. But in order to get the world to take notice, she’ll need the help of the one person she loves to hate—Brian Dalton.
Brian Dalton stumbled into celebrity when he landed a show on the Earth Channel. But the hunky marine biologist never forgot the serious, studious boy who left Mobile a decade before. Now back in Alabama, he’s looking for the quiet life he always wanted and hoping for a chance with the girl he always loved. When Brooke asks him to help expose some of the lingering effects of the Gulf oil disaster, Brian jumps at the chance to help preserve the place both call home…
All Romance ~ Amazon ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google ~ Kensington ~ Kobo
Views – 35
October 2, 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 – 21
September 30, 2015
Whatcha Reading?
Tell me…whatcha reading?
Views – 49
September 29, 2015
Teaser Tuesday – Sierra Donovan
What grown woman claims to have seen Santa Claus? Mandy Reese, for one—on a very special Christmas Eve when she was eight years old. These days, Mandy works at a year-round Christmas store in Tall Pine, California, where customers love to hear about her childhood encounter with Saint Nick. But when Jake Wyndham arrives in town—charming, gorgeous, extremely practical—Mandy faces a dilemma. Deny what she saw, or let Jake think she’s sugarplum crazy?
Jake scouts hotel locations all over the country, but he’s never met anyone quite like Mandy before. Her warmth and sparkle are irresistible, but…meeting Santa? Really? Jake’s no Scrooge but he’s definitely skeptical. Then again, there are all kinds of things Jake never experienced until he came to Tall Pine. Like autumn snow. Mind blowing kisses. And the magic of falling head-over-heels, madly in love…
In my Teaser Tuesday excerpt, Jake is at Mandy’s house for the first time, looking over her movie collection for something to watch. The top shelf, she’s explained to him, is her “comfort food” – her all-time favorites. What she hasn’t told him yet is that she saw Santa as a child….
__________________
A movie collection, Jake decided, was a window to the soul.
He started with that top shelf. Casablanca, of course. He was pleased to find To Kill a Mockingbird there too. Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Princess Bride were obvious, female-friendly favorites. But there were a few surprises.
“The Godfather is comfort food?” he called out to the kitchen.
“Only the first one. But the other two have to go with it, because I didn’t want to separate them.”
“You’re a regular Library of Congress.” He stood and joined Mandy in the kitchen.
It didn’t look like she’d made any progress on the coffee yet. As he entered, she was transferring glasses from the sink to the dishwasher. She closed the dishwasher quickly.
“Something’s fishy,” he said.
She turned with a start. “What?”
“I don’t see any Christmas movies.”
She grinned. “There wasn’t room. I’ve got a whole separate box for those. They’re put away with the Christmas decorations.”
Jake folded his arms. “How many?”
She inclined her head, considering. “About forty. But that’s because I’m selective. Did you pick anything out?”
“Help me narrow it down. I can’t handle the responsibility.”
“You saw the favorites shelf.”
“That’s a pretty broad selection. What are you in the mood for?”
“Well …” She opened a cabinet and brought out a can of coffee. “Ghost might be my all-time favorite, but I’m not sure if you’d care for it. I’ve been trying to get Mrs. Swanson to watch it for years. She can’t get past the basic idea. She thinks, if it couldn’t happen, what’s the point in watching it?”
“That lets out a lot of movies. Especially if you count Pretty Woman.”
She started judiciously measuring coffee into the filter basket of the coffee maker. As she brought out another scoop of grounds, she eyed the size of the mound that crowned over the top of the scoop, then shook it to level it a little more before she dropped it into the filter.
So painstaking … and so irresistible.
Jake stepped behind her and spoke just above her ear. “Ghost is fine with me,” he said. “Believe it or not, I’ve never seen it. Something about Demi Moore being haunted by her husband?”
He smoothed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. A delicate gold pine tree earring dangled from her earlobe. It shimmered when his fingers brushed it.
Mandy measured out another scoop of coffee, not so precisely this time. “I can’t concentrate if you do that.”
“That’s the idea.” He moved his lips downward and kissed her ear. She gave a little shudder that triggered a matching shudder of his own. She relaxed against him. He closed his eyes and buried his face against the side of her neck, drinking in the scent of whatever it was she wore, that delicious hint of spice. For several exquisite moments, he didn’t move, just standing there with her, hearing her breathe.
Then she stepped away and carried the coffee carafe to the sink to fill it with water.
“Seriously, though,” she said. “Have you ever wondered what you’d do in a situation like that?”
He was crushed that she’d kept her train of thought. He’d certainly lost his. “Like what?”
“If you were a character in a movie like that. With ghosts, or angels, or … whatever.”
Her tone was offhand. Her back was turned, so he couldn’t see her expression. “How would you handle it?”
“Handle what?”
“What if you saw something you thought was impossible? You don’t believe in—say, ghosts, right?”
He blinked. “Right.”
She brought back the water, poured it into the coffee maker and switched it on. “So what would you do if you walked into your kitchen and a ghost was standing by the sink?”
She’d left him far behind. “I guess I’d figure it was my imagination.”
“But what would you do? They’re standing right there in front of you.”
“This is a weird conversation, Mandy.”
“Come on. Humor me. Think about it.”
“Okay.” He tilted his head back and squinted up at the ceiling. “If I could see through them, I’d know it was my imagination, or that I was dreaming. And I’d go back to bed. If they looked solid … I’d probably try talking to them and find out if they had the wrong house. But first I’d grab a baseball bat.”
It sounded reasonable to him. She didn’t seem satisfied. Jake had no idea what kind of an answer she was looking for.
“What would you do?” he asked.
“I think about it sometimes.” She watched the stream of coffee trickling into the clear carafe. “And I think … I think I might believe my own eyes.”
She looked at Jake again. The coffee maker chugged out its brewing noises.
He risked a smile. “Mandy, are you trying to tell me your kitchen is haunted?”
“No.” She returned his smile with a much smaller one of her own. “I was just kidding around.”
He had a feeling he’d failed an exam of some sort. And he wasn’t so sure that Mandy hadn’t seen a ghost in her kitchen.
____________________
Sierra Donovan is a wife, a mother of two and a writer, though not always in that order. Her greatest joy is helping people find true love on the printed page. She believes in classic movies, Christmas, happy endings and the healing power of chocolate.
Sierra’s first novel, LOVE ON THE AIR, was a Holt Medallion finalist. Her Kensington debut, NO CHRISTMAS LIKE THE PRESENT, won the Golden Quill for Sweet Traditional Romance. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SANTA?, out September 29th, is the first book in her new Evergreen Lane series.
You can email Sierra at sierra_donovan@yahoo.com, or visit her website at www.sierradonovan.com.
Website: http://www.sierradonovan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sierra.donov...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SierraDonovan1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Blog: http://sierradonovan.blogspot.com
Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/Sierra-Donovan/e/B001J...
Kensington Publishing author page: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/30546
Views – 44
September 28, 2015
Monday Mayhem – Woohoo!
If you’ve been following this blog for the last few weeks, you know I’ve been struggling with my mojo lately. Well, I’m pleased to announce that the word drought has ended!
This weekend was the Diamond State Romance Authors annual writing retreat in Hot Springs. I was hoping the change of scenery, gathering of like-minded friends, and structured writing time away from the distractions of home would help pull me from this slump, and it did!
I set a goal of trying to write 5000 words per day and 10000 words total. Here’s my play by play of how the weekend unfolded.
Friday:
I was up and ready early, so I decided that I needed to use the time before I left productively, so I sat down in the recliner and didn’t move until I finished chapter four.
Pre-retreat word count – 2214
We stayed at the Blue House on Lake Hamilton again
I staked out the same spot as last year
And tried not to spend too much time staring out at the view
We called Papa John’s to deliver and wrote into the night, stopping only when it was time for refreshment
Word count before retiring to the hot tub – 2840
Total Friday: 5054
Saturday we were up and at it early. The forecast called for warm temps and sunny skies, so this served as my motivation
I managed to put up about 3000 words before this happened
Then I wrote some more before we decided it was time to head for Mi Pueblito (aka: the gas station Mexican place) for fortification
Word count before enchiladas and cheese dip: 4575
Word count while in food coma: 688
Total Saturday word count: 5263
We knew we had to be out by noon on Sunday. We also knew many of us were close to our previously state goals, or close to a new one. Me? I realized I could make it to the the approximate halfway mark in my book if I could manage just a couple thousand more words. Fueled by the last few cookies in the Snoopy tin, I made it!
Sunday word count at retreat: 2014
Total weekend word count: 12331!
So yeah, I’m home now and totally stoked to have made so much progress on the first draft of LOVE AND ROCKETS. I’ll keep plugging away at it, a little bit during the week and a little more on weekends and soon the bones of the book will be there.
Happy Monday, everyone. I hope this is the most mayhem you’ll be forced to endure this week!
Views – 44
September 27, 2015
Weekend Writing Warrior – 9/27/15
It’s release month for Going Deep! To celebrate, I’ll be sharing new excerpts from the finished product!
****
“I didn’t write that crap.” Her nails sliced the tender skin of her palm, but she didn’t care. She stepped closer to the door, intent on making him believe. “I wrote about the tadpoles you tried to grow in your Grandma’s birdbath. Your obsession with composition notebooks. You lettered in track because you liked the sound of your own breathing.”
The door rattled in its frame, as if he’d trusted his entire weight to it.
“I wrote about your mom and those crazy chocolate oatmeal cookies she used to bring when she was homeroom mother, and I did use the live oak thing because I liked it. The answer suited you,” she continued, momentum carrying her. “But I never used the word ‘hunky’, I swear.”
Be sure to check out all of this weekend’s Weekend Writing Warrior posts!
Going Deep – To the heart of the story.
Making Headlines
Brooke Hastings almost won a Pulitzer Prize for her hard-hitting reportage. Now she’s sitting on the story of a lifetime and wants to prove she’s not a one-hit-wonder. But in order to get the world to take notice, she’ll need the help of the one person she loves to hate—Brian Dalton.
Brian Dalton stumbled into celebrity when he landed a show on the Earth Channel. But the hunky marine biologist never forgot the serious, studious boy who left Mobile a decade before. Now back in Alabama, he’s looking for the quiet life he always wanted and hoping for a chance with the girl he always loved. When Brooke asks him to help expose some of the lingering effects of the Gulf oil disaster, Brian jumps at the chance to help preserve the place both call home…
All Romance ~ Amazon ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google ~ Kensington ~ Kobo
Views – 38
September 25, 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 – 25
