Tina Gayle's Blog, page 64

#MFRW Camp - Cut the Crap

Hi everyone,

I hope you are planning to attend MFRW summer camp. It is a great opportunity to learn all sorts of things.

I'm giving a class on rewriting which is called "Cut the Crap."

If you are like me you spend almost as much time rewriting your book as you do writing your book.

Here is an outline of what I talk about in my class.




1. Fear of Revising-            Losing your voice            In love with your first draft            Under deadline
2. Self-Editing – has two parts 
            Inside the Story - Plot, story, characters 
            Outside the story - basic grammar, word choices - using stronger verbs.
             The story -    ·         Have you written enough?
·         Is there emotion on every page?
·         Are the Five Senses felt on each page? ·         Plot line –
·         Character Development
·         Backstory
·         Pacing
 Enter the editing mode 
·         Analyze and measure
·         Clean up passive writing
·         Grammar checks      
·         Final read for flow and to pull it all together. 
·         Formatting your manuscript for a particular publisher.   You'll find the schedule for all the classes here: http://marketingforromancewriters.org/media/schedule.pdf
It is also available on the MFRW website, on our Summer Camp page, here: http://marketingforromancewriters.org/camp.htmIn addition, it will be posted with updates on our Facebook group, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
Classes start today at noon. All times are Eastern. Hope you plan on joining in on the fun. Tina

Christine Amsden -- Her Detective book

Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective by Christine Amsden
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt:
At random, I picked up a bottle of perfume from the top shelf and read: “Induces powerful lust. Spray on your intended and make sure you are the first person they see. Lasts about an hour.”

The thing you have to understand about any magic is that there are good ways to use it, and bad ways to use it. The concept of black magic is a hotly debated topic among sorcerers. Even death, in self defense, is a shade of gray. As I stood there, reading the functions of the various love potions, I thought of all the innocent and harmful ways they could be used. A couple in a committed relationship might have a lot of fun with a spray of lust. On the other hand, using it on an unwilling victim...

I shuddered as I replaced the bottle and accidentally knocked one of the neighboring bottles of perfume to the ground. It shattered, splashing perfume all over my open-toed sandals.

“Crap.”

“What happened?” Evan asked, his voice hard and alert. I could hear him moving closer.

“Stop! I don't want to see you right now.”

“Which potion was that?” Evan asked, still in that hard-edged voice of command.

I pointed to the row of similar bottles on the top shelf. “Lust.”

One of the little bottles floated away from the shelf, but I did not turn around to see what Evan was doing with it. Instead, I started looking through my purse for a pack of tissues to clean the mess off my feet.

“Cassie, I have some bad news for you.”

“Worse, you mean?”

“This potion doesn't take affect until you actually look at someone. Your hour starts then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award-winning author Christine Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many more titles by this up-and-coming author.

Links

Website: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/
Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christ...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117845642...



Christine will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot...

Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us today.

Tina

Preparing for an Empty Nest

In my latest release "CFO's Affair" Sylvia Donovan is suffering because her daughter has gone off to college and now Sylvia is on her own.


While this is not Sylvia's only problem, as parents, we should all prepare for the day that we have an empty nest.

Everyone reacts differently to the event. My husband didn't suffer half as much as I did, but he didn't spend as much time with them as I did either.

As a stay at home mom, I planned my day around their schedule. Now, it varies according to my husband schedule.

However, I believe it could have been much worse if I hadn't planned ahead.

Years before my children even thought about leaving, I started preparing.

So what did I do?
First, I looked around and pick something that interested me. I enjoyed reading romance for years and decided since I had some time in my day to give writing a shot.
While they were away at school, I learned the craft and worked on developing my skill.
As they entered high school, I published and worked on writing more during my free time.
Once they left for college, I found I needed to work on promoting my books which required I learn more about social media sites.
Now, I spend most of my day in front of my computer. Writing, promoting on line, keeping my different sites updated. I sometimes complain that I don’t have enough hours in the day.
Do I have time for my kids?
Always, but I’m working to build my career. Just like they are working to build theirs.
What can you do to prepare for an empty nest?
Ask yourself a few questions What are your interest?Do you want to make money?Social sites do they satisfy your need to stay connected?Spend time while you’re children are still at home developing what you want to do later.take classesmeet new people in your chosen field. – gardening club, golf group, etc.Let your kids know you have a life too and that it’s not only about them.Your devotion to your goal can help teach them to follow their own dreams.
As you can see it can take years to plan or a few short months. At any point you can prepare for the future and map out a new course of action. Don’t let the empty nest get you down. Look around and find something that can become the hallmark of defining who you are. If interested, you can read the 1st chapter of my books on my website. www.tinagayle.netHave a good one, Tina
 
 
 

The Lady and The Lawman

Thank you for joining me on my Blog Tour for my new release, The Lady And The Lawman. I've included a brief excerpt below.  Jennifer  Colorado- 1878
Curled in a ball on the uncomfortable bench seat of the stage, her arm an awkward pillow against the jolts and rocking of the stage, Margaret Atwater snoozed fitfully. The heat was stifling, covering her like a wool blanket in July. Her dress clung to her sweaty skin, her hair damp and sticking to her brow. She'd undone the top few buttons at the neck, revealing the full swell of her breasts above her snug corset. The smallest of adjustment offered a reprieve from the endless warmth and the strict confines of polite society. Who cared about social mores when it was almost too hot to breathe, much less be covered head to toe in linen and cotton?
The leather curtains flapped noisily with each rock or lumbering sway. Rays of intense sun intermittently filtered through and burned through her closed lids. She licked her parched lips, anticipating the next stop on the route like a lost man in a desert finding an oasis. She must look as poorly as she felt. But she didn't care. She was safely away from her fiancé's clutches and that was her sole concern.
It was impossible to say exactly where she was beyond a two days' ride west of St. Louis. She'd lost track in the tedium of horse hooves and the never-ending sway and dip of the stage. If she had to guess, she was somewhere in the new state of Colorado.
Deafening shots rang out, rousing her. “What?” she whispered to herself, clearing her fuzzy head.
A second round of gunfire chipped pieces of wood out of the panel above her head and the stage lurched forward with incredible speed.
“Oh no!” she shouted, instinctively covering her head.
There was no time to panic, or even think. Chunks of wood flew through the air and landed in her hair, on her lap. The uncontrollable swaying had her reaching her arms out, one hand hitting the side of the stage, her fancy East Coast hat toppling off her head.
She spread her legs wide on the floor to help maintain her balance and grunted in an unladylike fashion as she held on. If any of her society friends could see her now, they’d probably faint dead away. Her dress was unbuttoned low enough to expose her ample cleavage the lace on her corset, her hat was crushed beneath her feet, and tendrils of her dark hair fell from its pins. Her dress was stained and wrinkled from travel, and most likely beyond repair.
Through the clamoring leather flap, she could make out a blur of the endless green prairie. A wheel caught on what felt like a deep rut and the stage jumped as if it were a feather in the wind. It fell more like a boulder from a cliff.
Dust kicked up as the stage slid to a rough stop and she coughed in the thick air. The stage—and Margaret—landed on its side, the horses unable to drag the heavy load farther. Whoever fired the gunshots were nearby. She heard their heavy breathing from where she laid, sprawled in a heap, her skirts around her neck.
Wincing, she rubbed her hip where she landed on the corner of the seat. Continuing on, she did a quick assessment of the rest of her body and found only a few sore spots and probably, come tomorrow, many a bruise. Attempting to get her bearings, she looked up at the roof, no, the wall of the stage. Carefully but without any ladylike grace, she pulled herself up to the window to peek out, standing on the other wall and door, which were now the floor. Her legs, tangled in the mess of skirts and petticoats, made it extremely difficult.
Two men on horseback waved their guns and one fired again into the air. Her heart leapt into her throat as she covered her ears and flinched at the deafening sound. Only a squeak escaped her throat, a full scream clogged by fear. She was going to die. Alone, standing in a tipped carriage, a complete mess, shot by bandits or robbers or desperadoes. She'd never contemplated how she would eventually die, but she always assumed she'd be old and gray, and not in the middle of nowhere!
 
To purchase The Lady And The Lawman- On Amazon- http://amzn.to/16OAdgg
On All Romance Ebooks- https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theladyandthelawman-1222712-158.html
Contact Jennifer:
jennifer@jenniferzane.com
www.jenniferzane.com
@jenniferzane
Facebook: jenniferzanewriter

Keys to Heaven by Shyla Colt

Key’s to Heaven
Coming July 1st 2013
 
Blurb
Born to a fallen angel and a demon, Heavenleigh Spirit has never truly fit in. Shunned, tested, and ridiculed, she’s hardened her heart, building a wall around her none are allowed to scale.  Carving a life for herself running the neutral bar, Purgatory,  she caters to all things winged , clawed, and other. Provided they play nice. When she breaks her middle of the road stance to rescue a newly fallen angel she gets more than she bargained for.
The amnesic angel awakes in the bed of the only woman he’s ever lusted after with nothing more than the knowledge he was sent to protect her. Struggling to remember who he is, and why she’s in danger, he fully embraces the passion between them that blazes hotter than hell fire. When the truth about his mission comes out he must fight to convince herthe love they share is real, and he’s not going anywhere.
In an ironic twist of fate the woman cast aside for a birthright she never asked for holds the keys to the worlds ruin or salvation.
 
Teaser
She was almost home when a brilliant flash of life lit up the sky. To anyone else it looked like a falling star, or meteor, but she knew better. The high pitched vibrations coming off the light in waves screamed grace. An angel was falling to earth.  She should go home and mind her own business. The short lived battled ended when she veered to the left. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she had to see it for myself! When she reached the ‘crash’ site smoke billowed from a wooded area. Parking, she leapt down from the jeep, and jogged into the forest, mindful of roots and fallen logs.  She neared a giant crater in the center of a glen.
Dark shadows began to slither up from the bottom of the trees. The angel would be disoriented and weak. It wouldn’t stand a chance against an attack of this magnitude, especially with its powers depleted. She had an unspoken rule, she pretended she didn’t see the demons and they did the same to her. She couldn’t stand here and watch them massacre this poor soul. Imagine if this had been her mother all those years earlier. Resigned to the stupid act she was about to commit she dug deep down into her soul, tapping into the part of her she liked to leave alone.
Flames licked at her skin as she walked over to stand in front of the sunken earth. Her eyes burned and she knew they’d bleed, When she was at peak power they glowed.  Holding up her hands she admired the flickering, orange fire before she spoke.
“It is under my protection.”
“Since when do you care mid-worlders?” one hissed.  There were four to her one, all lesser lever bottom suckers. She could take them with her hellfire, but it’d cost her. Usage of her demon powers always did.
“Does it really matter?” The flames that surrounded her hands grew, lighting up the area like a bonfire. “Who wants to try me first?”
Whispering rose among them. Time to put on a show. She formed a ring of fire around her and the fallen angel she’d yet to check on.
“Cross it if you dare.”
“You win for now Spirit.” They slinked back into the night, blending seamlessly and she disconnected from her demon side. If she was lucky there wouldn’t be any ill side effects other than being overly bitchy tomorrow. Threat dispatched she spun and examined the hole. The body glowed with holy light, obscuring the details. She sank to her knees and peered over into the edge. Crazy, the smoke rolling out of this hole smells sweet.
“Hello?”
As the air cleared she made out a shape cloaked in white. The body twitched.
“I’m here to help you. Can you understand what I’m saying?”  Falling was painful and traumatic. It wasn’t unusual for the angel to forget who they were and why they’d come to earth for a time until their body mended and acclimated to the new environment. The light began to fade, revealing features. She gasped. The angel was hot. A shock of chocolate-brown hair fell over his broad forehead leading into a strong jaw and a dimpled chin. His eyelids lifted revealing cobalt blue irises. She’d never had such naughty thoughts about an angel in her life! She flicked her tongue out to moisten her dry lips and did her best to tamp down her arousal. Her nipples were rock hard and her center throbbed.
“Heavenleigh Spirit. I came here for you.” 
Her jaw dropped. “You what?”
His body went limp and his head fell back as he passed out.
“Son of a bitch.” Jumping beside him she hoisted him onto her shoulders and groaned. “Pal you’re a lot heavier than you look, and that’s saying a lot given who I am.” Gritting her teeth, she gave up on trying to drag him out and released her wings. A few flaps of the powerful black monstrosities and they were out of the hole. By the time she reached the car it was all she could do to place him in the passenger seat and buckle him in.
“Looks like I’m taking you home. Not exactly how I’d like, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers.”
Rounding the car she slipped behind the wheel of her black jeep, peeled out and burned rubber. Chances were someone was looking for him, and it wouldn’t take long before the humans came with their cameras and news crews. 
 
Author Bio
Told once 'You have to be an author, then you're craziness becomes eccentrics', Shyla Colt has always been in love with the written word and possessed a desire to write. Named after Super Girl in the comics, she often mistakes her mortality for super hero status. So, she holds many hats, Mother, Marine Wife, and writer are her top three. Writing allows her to explore new venues, face her demons, and touch others. A huge practitioner of paying it forward, and putting in what you want to get out, she hopes to inspire, enlighten, move, and entertain you with her work. Mixing humor, drama, and strong women, often with a paranormal element, she continues to soldier ahead in the writing field. One of her favorite things is talking to fans. If you'd like to learn more or just drop a line, please check her out at www.shylacolt.com.
Buy Link for Keys to Heaven  Amazon
All Romance  
Where you can find her
Facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/authorshyla.colt?fref=ts
Blog: www.shylacoltsstraightshot.wordpress.com
Website: www.shylacolt.com
Twitter: @Shylacolt
 

Sylvia Donovan's Diet

Okay, if you've read any of the Tina Gayle's Executive Wives Club series, you've heard of me.

Sylvia Donovan, here to share with you my diet secrets. Though, personally I don't know that I'd try them.

First, I guess you should know who I was before I went on my diet.

A tall woman over the age of forty, I could carry a few extra pounds and get away with it. Then, I added a few more. My husband worked long hours and my daughter spent most of her time at school or school activities. I had time to indulge.

So I did until I was line backer big. The boys on the Nebraska football team had nothing on me.

Then I hit a wall and  emotional disaster of a day.

Not only did my husband ask me for a divorce, he was also in a fatal car crash the same day.

My world changed.

Getting out of bed at first was a real challenge. I fought through my grief and tried to be there for my daughter. Food became a task, I'd rather avoid.

Amazing how a few skipped meals can help you lose weight.

Then I needed to fill my days with something other than staring at the walls so I decided to hit the gym. Tried everything from weight lifting to zumba classes and I settled on yoga as my exercise of choice.

Two years later, I was back to my college weight.

Now, I'm off on a new adventure. I'm trying to find out who my husband had an affair with before his death.

Come along and share the ride in "CFO's Affair."


Buy link is http://bit.ly/CFOaffair

Thanks for reading my story,

Sincerely,

Sylvia Donovan

Just Released - CFO's Affair

Blurb -  Sylvia Donovan is emotionally wounded from the unexpected death of her husband and still haunted by their last conversation: his request for a divorce and his confession of love for another woman.  Her husband gone, her only daughter off to college, Sylvia faces the challenges of learning to live alone and move on with her life.Vince Wilshire, enchanted with Sylvia, is more than willing to do what it takes to capture the heart of the hurting and untrusting Sylvia.Can he help her forget the past and make her believe in love again? ExcerptThe door clicked open.Wrapping his hand around the handle to keep from reaching for her, Vince Wilshire shoved the door open. "Are you ready for this?"Her face mere inches from his, he noticed a brief flash of panic in her eyes before Sylvia Donovan lifted her chin and stepped through the entrance. "Nothing I haven't seen before. Or probably won't see again."He understood she meant the task of doing a job, but for some reason his brain registered the sexual implications of the comment. "Oh, man, you're brutal. Some things you know get better with age.”Matching his steps to hers, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and leaned in close. He whispered beside her ear, "It's all a matter of knowing how to use what you've got."She shrugged and shifted away from him, eyeing him with a raised brow. "Yes and some people are amateurs, Mr. Wilshire. You, I take it, are an old pro who knows how to wield your sword with the best of them."Laughter bubbled up into his throat. He marveled at her sassy tone and didn't relinquish his grip. "I must admit I’m very good at a few chosen tasks." Find it at Amazon.http://www.amazon.com/CFOs-Affair-Executive-Wives-ebook/dp/B00DQ1WYY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372691799&sr=8-1&keywords=cfo%27s+affair Will have the 1st chapter up on my website later today. Thanks everyone, Tina   

Masked Hearts by Sarah Cass

Blurb:
Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in hope, and not even Roy can make her start.
Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does. She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.
As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope can be found. 

Buy Links:
Sweet Cravings Website-  http://bit.ly/12z5EuC
Amazon -  http://amzn.to/ZYH9CP
Barnes & Noble-  http://bit.ly/18a4Gr7
All Romance Ebooks-  http://bit.ly/12MaZ0K
 Excerpt:
Minnie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see anything but their linked fingers. A simple gesture, but one that could get them in so much trouble if seen not only by the crowd, but by Mister as well. Still, she couldn’t manage to pull away. All she wanted to do was stay right there. Or maybe even take it further. She let her fingers move toward his and he did the same until their fingers laced together. Slowly she turned her head. His light amber eyes twinkled, a smile lifting his cheeks until the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I thought so.”The crushing pressure on her chest released, and the unfamiliar tension of a real smile pinched her cheeks. The rest of the world no longer mattered now that she could stare into the eyes of one of her own people. A giddy skip to her heart and she dared to lean closer to him, dared to let the smile remain when she should have tried to erase it. “I don’t know how it could be true. But yes, that’s what I called the boy. Called you. You’re him, you are White Tail.”“And now my dearest charge, the young woman that’s like a daughter to me, will display her trust in my skills.” The unfamiliar words of Mister ripped at the fleeting sense of relief. His face held no hint of its usual patronizing smile when he approached. “Won’t you, Minnie?”Minnie couldn’t manage to shove away the shock, she couldn’t even blink. Never had Mister used his sharpshooter skills with her as a target. That action was reserved for people he didn’t trust. She yanked her hand from Roy’s grasp, but she knew it was already too late. A fleeting, desperate idea to plead her innocence emerged, but she ignored it and pushed forward a smile as bright as she ever used for her white woman act. She gave the Mister a nod, even as John pulled her toward the post.Carl came up moments later with an apple. “Foolish child,” he whispered. “Just close your eyes so you don’t see it, and don’t move. He’s using his long shot and one little move could get you hit instead of the apple.”She refused to show him the fear threatening to rip her stomach right out of her body. Instead she grabbed the apple with a small nod. “I understand.”John moved behind her and set his hands on her waist. He kicked at her ankles before pushing them apart. “Wider stance helps you stay more still. Head straight. This is his warning, he won’t hurt you yet. Trust that.”The advice wasn’t necessary, but she appreciated the gesture. After a moment she managed to swallow down the thick lump in her throat. It would do no good to show them her fear. “I’m not an idiot. Go before they think I’m scared.”Despite her harsh words, John squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Then he and Carl were gone.Mister stood far down the street, the farthest distance he could shoot straight from what she could tell. Though she’d seen him take this shot many times, she’d never been on the receiving end.Back straight, she lifted the apple to her head. In her mind she imagined the fantastical yelling of the Mister as he did before every shot. In reality she heard nothing but her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Slowly she dropped her hands to her sides, curling her skirt under her fingers. Despite her own internal promise she wouldn’t close her eyes, she did just that.
Through the rush of her heartbeat came the crack of the gun. Cool drops of apple and apple juices ran down her nose.BIO: 
Sarah Cass’s world is regularly turned upside down by her three special-needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers, dabbling in horror, straight fiction, and urban fantasy. An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible and though she may emerge scarred, she’s also stronger. Now officially multi-published, she’s still working on bringing new stories to fill out her year and your reading lists. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog,  Redefining Perfect , which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art.
  
Where to find me:
Redefining Perfect– http://redefiningperfect.com
Sarah’s StoryLines– http://authorsarahcass.com
Twitter – http://twitter.com/sadiecass
Facebook– http://facebook.com/SarahCass.Author
 
 

Tag Team Parenting

Taking care of an infant can be very demanding.

It takes a great deal of time. Even if you are not holding down a full time job, the challenge of trying to care for a baby and do all the other things you normally do can be a challenge.

This is why I feel tag team parenting is so important.

- it give each of you a break. She's fixing dinner, he's feeding the baby.

- he loads the laundry while she's washing the baby's bottles.

Sharing the chores help each of the baby's parents to not only spend time with him/her but also allows the other one a chance to achieve another task.

You also need a chance to rest.

Luckily, my husband got up early and took the early morning feeding so I could sleep in a few more hours. If he hadn't I don't know how I could have functioned.

A point I try to stress in my new book "CFO's Affair" coming out July 1.

Sylvia hasn't spend her days with a baby in years. Now, she is the sole provider for a ten month only. She is struggling and not sure what she wants to do about the future.

Find out what she does on July 1...




 
 
 

Writing Tip - Wordy Phrases

It is so easy to ramble on and on about things. Here's a few tips to cut your word count.

A large number of - Try many or the exact number

Here's some other examples.

on the order of magnitude of---about
in the nature of---like
in view of the fact that---since
give encouragement to---encourage
make an adjustment in---adjust
is equipped with---has
avail yourself---use
a majority of---most
take into consideration---consider

Found this list at http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/information/Writing_Tips.cfm

Check it out for other tips.

Tina