Allie Bock's Blog, page 15

IWSG March 4th: Do you include personal traditions/customs in your writing?

Hey guys! Guess what day it is! It's the first Wednesday of the month, so time to participate in the IWSG blog hop. It's a lot of fun! Check it out, you might want to joint us insecure writers!


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!




March 4 question - Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories? Thank you to the awesome co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the IWSG are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!
First off, I want to thank everyone that commented on my post last month on my writer's block. I took your suggestions to heart and actually finished 2 stories! Yah!
Now onto the question. Do I add personal traditions/customs into my writing?
At first, I would answer not really, because I can't think of any of my own customs. With that said, my characters do things I like to do. They eat pizza alot, go to bars, go dancing, and hang out with friends. Do you write about your customs/traditions? If so, what are they?

Book Review: The Cowboy's Rescue by Leslie North

Book Blurb:

Single mom Heather Browning will do anything to get away from her controlling ex-husband--including buying a rundown strawberry farm in Montana. Maybe the locals are right, maybe she is crazy. Still, she’ll do anything to keep her twin son and daughter safe and happy—and keep her ex out of the picture. When her only horse comes up lame, she calls local veterinarian Randy McCall. The sexy cowboy takes one look at her farm and dilapidated house and offers his help, but Heather is quick to say no. She doesn’t need anyone’s help—no matter how gorgeous and tempting Randy is. But after hurting her ankle and discovering her roof is riddled with leaks, she reluctantly agrees to temporarily move herself and the twins to the McCall Ranch. If Heather wanted a charming, sexy, man—which she does not—Randy would be perfect. Good thing she only wants to be friends…

For as long as he can remember, Randy has liked saving things. So when he’s hit with the impossible-to-ignore need to help Heather, he chalks it up to his nature. Thanks to matchmaking townsfolk, Randy is “given” to Heather for twenty-four hours of free labor, and he’s happy to oblige. It’s certainly not because he’s crazy attracted to her. Definitely not because the twins are making him think silly thoughts about being a dad. And no way is it because that one soft kiss made his heart feel like it was struck by lightning. Even as Randy tells himself—over and over—that he’s not a relationship kind of guy, his stubborn heart doesn’t believe it. Knowing Heather has already been hurt by a man, he decides to stop things before they get out of hand. But can he stop himself from falling in love?

This novel contains sexual content and referenced violence.


Leslie NorthRelay Publishing


Book Review:


This is the second book in the McCall Ranch Brothers series. I didn’t read the first one and I wasn’t lost at all. Each book follows the story of a brother.


Cover: It was the main reason I grabbed this book on Netgalley. I like the contrast of colors of the setting sun and the title. Also, the cowboy has perfect abs.

Guest Writer: Grant Eagar

Hi Everyone,

Today, we have a guest writer, Grant Eagar, posting his piece of flash fiction. Last week Sunday, there was a prompt and everyone has to write for 15 minutes. This is what he wrote.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels Prompt: A thin, cotton dress

Sophie looked into the mirror at the thin cotton dress with the blue paisley pattern. She scowled and thought, the dress looks nice for the ball, but where am I going to hide a weapon in this thing? I don’t want Henry to know I have a pistol. I especially don’t want the countess and her goons to know. She took a large pistol and shoved it into her bodice, not only was it uncomfortable it looked like some kind of growth, she didn’t need a third breast. Ugh. She next strapped the pistol to her thigh and walked back and forth in front of the mirror, people would definitely know something was there. She had to strut to keep it from chaffing, she removed it and put a small knife scabbard in its place.

She picked up the parasol and opened it up and taped the pistol to the handle then closed it. It too looked suspicious and what if someone asked why she wasn’t using the parasol? Anyway, she couldn’t carry the parasol into the dance. To spend an evening amongst cutthroats, what wicked fun, at least she would be with Henry. She put the pistol back into the drawer then took out a small derringer and tucked it into her bodice along with five bullets. She frowned; she had hoped to have a more substantial weapon, but the derringer would have to do. It also was uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as the pistol.
She looked into the mirror and smiled; she was now ready for the ball. She reached out her hand and pretended Henry was there. “Yes Henry, I would love to dance."
Check out his blog and writings HERE

Book Review: Who Wants to Date a Billionaire? by Laura Burton

Book Blurb from Goodreads:

Two people with hidden agendas. One fake marriage. Zero time left and everything to lose.
Emily Stewart is a daring business owner in New York. Keeping up with appearances has hit her finances hard and a promising phone call turns into a troubling dilemma. If she has any hope of saving her match-making business, she needs to find a husband.
Enter Billionaire David Marks, an architect with a problem of his own. He lied to his family and now needs to find "the one" before Grandmother Marks' big party.
Emily knows an opportunity when she sees one and offers a deal to solve their problems.
But when the line between reality and make-believe starts to blur, Emily has to find out just how far she's willing to go to reach her goal.
And David will have to make a choice that could lose him everything.
The Devil Wears Prada meets Hitch in this light romantic comedy.
No on page sex, swearing or violence. HEA. No animals are harmed in this book.
Two people with hidden agendas. One fake marriage. Zero time left and everything to lose. Emily Stewart is a daring business owner in New York. Keeping up with appearances has hit her finances hard and a promising phone call turns into a troubling dilemma. If she has any hope of saving her match-making business,  she needs to find a husband.Enter Billionaire David Marks, an architect with a problem of his own. He lied to his family and now needs to find “the one” before Grandmother Marks’ big party.Emily knows an opportunity when she sees one and offers a deal to solve their problems. But when the line between reality and make-believe starts to blur, Emily has to find out just how far she’s willing to go to reach her goal. And David will have to make a choice that could lose him everything. The Devil Wears Prada meets Hitch in this light romantic comedy.No on page sex, swearing or violence. HEA. No animals are harmed in this book.



Laura Burton


Book Review:


Emily runs a matchmaking business for the wealthy in New York City. She wants to expand her business into LA but can’t because she has a lot of debt. Her investors want her to be married before they invest.

David is a billionaire that needs a real wife, like yesterday. Seems like a perfect solution, doesn’t it? It is until everything falls apart. This story was very sweet and clean. It did have a lot tension that started almost right away with the story, which is what kept me listening.


I grew to like the story as it went on. At first, I did not like Emily. She was self-centered and stuck up. I am glad she evolved into a more likeable person by the end. I felt bad for her during parts of the book. I enjoyed how Laura Burton wrapped up the loose ends and tied a pretty bow at the end of the story. It was very satisfying.


I listened to this book in Audible. The narrator was ok. Both MC’s were British and I would have loved more of a British accent from her.


I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author.

Book Review: Mind Reader by Kirsty McManus

Book Blurb From Goodreads:
Kellan Gallo can predict soulmates. Operating out of the nightclub Heaven Sent, his charming reputation and impressive accuracy rate are legendary.

But when Kellan meets stem cell scientist Beatrix Mackenzie, he wonders if his time might be better spent pursuing a more meaningful profession.

After a lucky interview with an employment agency, Kellan suddenly finds himself working as Beatrix’s intern. But with Beatrix convinced Kellan is a fraud, he wonders whether embarking on a career in science might be incompatible with his future happiness.

***

Beatrix Mackenzie lives her life by the facts. She loves her job as a scientist because of the clear-cut answers it can provide. So when she meets Kellan, she is reluctant to fall for his act.

However, Kellan quickly proves himself to be an intelligent, and oh-so-attractive adversary, causing Beatrix to question everything she knows.

Can two people with such differing worldviews find common ground?

If they’re soulmates, it might just be possible.
Kellan Gallo can predict soulmates. Operating out of the nightclub Heaven Sent, his charming reputation and impressive accuracy rate are legendary.

But when Kellan meets stem cell scientist Beatrix Mackenzie, he wonders if his time might be better spent pursuing a more meaningful profession.

After a lucky interview with an employment agency, Kellan suddenly finds himself working as Beatrix’s intern. But with Beatrix convinced Kellan is a fraud, he wonders whether embarking on a career in science might be incompatible with his future happiness.

***

Beatrix Mackenzie lives her life by the facts. She loves her job as a scientist because of the clear-cut answers it can provide. So when she meets Kellan, she is reluctant to fall for his act.

However, Kellan quickly proves himself to be an intelligent, and oh-so-attractive adversary, causing Beatrix to question everything she knows.

Can two people with such differing worldviews find common ground?

If they’re soulmates, it might just be possible.

Kirsty McManus
Book Review:

Kirsty is an author that I really enjoy reading. Her characters are funny and are full of surprises. This book was a delight to read!

Kellan has a special talent. He’s able to see people’s soulmates by just holding their hand. This special talent has kept him busy every Friday and Saturday night at a friend’s night club. His life was going great until he accidently meets Beatrix.

Beatrix is a scientist. She’s most comfortable when the world makes sense with facts and numbers. She reads an article on the famous Kellan and calls it poppycock. (My word not in the book.) Then, she ends up sharing a cab together.

She is defensive towards him and he is smitten. Can he break down her walls? Will she let him?
The story is so cute. Kellan was my favorite character. He was sad he couldn’t find love but never it let him stop from being a fun-loving character. Beatrix was the perfect person to work off of him as they were total opposites. Kirsty is an artist with her stories. There were funny scenes, some serious, and of course a wonderful ending!

This is my honest opinion. I got this book off of KU.

The Billionaire's Dog Walker #2

Hi readers!
This year I am going to use Grammy’s short story prompts to write a story for my wonderful blog readers. Check out her blog. It’s a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy the story. Any feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome.
If you missed Scene 1 you can read it HERE!
Prompt: The sun was shining brightly but then…


Scene 2
Vivian     The sun was shining brightly but then it had turned out be a beautiful day for October in Chicago. My first day as a dog walker went by fast, but I had the satisfaction of exhaustion from physical labor. After walking Trevor Donne’s large, unruly canine, I had six more appointments. My feet ached, my shoulders were sore, and my lips chapped from the strong winds. I collapsed on to a park bench to catch a few rays before dragging myself home. The sun’s warmth was welcome on my face as I closed my eyes to savor it. The laughter of children filled the air, the swings creaked on their chains, and birds chirped. The hotdog stand had just started cooking the dogs for the afternoon. My stomach rumbled at the smell of cooking hotdogs. I sighed and threw my arms over the back of the bench. The ache in my shoulders eased, slightly. 
A shadow blocked out the sun, causing a shiver to race through my body. I cracked an eye open to see who dared to interrupt my break. A large, heavily muscled man dressed in a black suit stared down at me. 
“Miss Vivian?” The beard covering his face barely moved when he spoke. 
I cocked an eyebrow at him. My heart thundered at the sight of him and my palms went clammy, even though it was cold. Play it cool, Viv. You’re in a park. What’s he going to do to you?
“Yah, that’s me. What do you want?”
“Mr. Donne sent me.” He crossed his arms before nodding to a sleek black car.
“Why?” I was instantly alert. We had agreed to meet at the event this evening. “How did you know where I was?” I jumped to my feet and spoke in my most demanding senior clinician voice.
He paled a little bit and raised his hands as I stalked closer to him. I glared at him with everything I had in my 5’2” self.
“I’ve followed you.” 
“All day!” And I hadn’t even noticed! I didn’t know what was came out stronger my anger at Trevor Donne for having me tailed or myself for not even noticing. I paced back and forth in front of the bench.I needed to up my game. This wasn’t the quiet town I was used to. Anyone could’ve been following me. A serial killer, a rapist,... or a really large guy driving a black car.
“Miss, we should be going.” He interrupted my internal scolding. “Mr. Donne wanted me to take you shopping.”
“Shopping? I have clothes.” 
At that, a small smile broke his face. His eyes went from my dirt smudged sneakers to my paw print covered pants to my windblown hair. For a moment he looked like he didn’t know what to say, then a genuine smile spread out under the bushy growth.
“You need a dress.”
“I HAVE dresses.” Not really, I had one black dress that I used to wear out with my girl friends and... a white dress that will never be worn. So, yes, technically I have two dresses. It was my turn to smirk and cross my arms.
He took a step toward me and reached out for my elbow but stopped a few inches away.
“I was told to take you shopping for an appropriate dress tonight.” His voice was stern and gravelly. “Mr. Donne wants you to be suitably dressed.”
I tossed my hair to the side and opened my mouth to tell him exactly how I felt about that.
“Please, miss, just try on some dresses. If you don’t, he will dock it out of my pay.” 
Rats, I don’t know this man from Adam but what if he needed every bit of his salary.  
“Fine.” I marched to the waiting black car.
*******
Shopping with the man whose name was Carl turned out to be fun. We went to this high end boutique where I tried on dresses that cost more than a year of rent. Then, Carl took me to a salon. I was pampered with in an inch of my life. A massage, a mani, a pedi, and a facial. Then, my hair was coiffed into an elaborate up-do and my make up professionally applied. Afterwards, he dropped me off at my apartment to relax a bit before promising to pick me up in an hour. 
Exactly sixty minutes later, the door bell sounded in my tiny home. I rushed to answer the door, wobbling in my red silhettos. I swung it open. Carl’s gruff face broke into a grin as he took in the new me. 
“Quite a bit different than earlier.” He held up my jacket to help me into it. 
“There was a lot of work to go into it.” 
He chuckled as he took my elbow to steady me down the stairs. A long black limo waited at the curb, 
“We’re going in that?” I whispered.
He nodded as he opened the door for me. My heart sank as I glanced into the back of the limo. It was empty.
“Mr. Donne had to arrive early to make sure everything was ready.”
I nodded as I slid into the back. The inside smelled of brand new leather and the seats were plush. A bottle of champagne sat in a silver bucket of ice. 
“Help yourself. It’ll take some time to get to the gala.” Carl said before sliding into the passenger seat up front. 
The limo ride was fun. I drank some champagne and watched the lights of the city roll by. Butterflies danced in my stomach as I adjusted the red dress. It was a soft silk that hugged my curves while the back was nonexistent and front plunged to a deep V. A long slit went up the side and made me feel very exposed. I wasn’t even sure how this thing stayed where it was supposed to but Carl and the sales woman assured me it was absolutely right for tonight. 
The limo pulled up in front of the entrance. White columns lined the front and a carpet covered walkway led up to the doors. On either side, cameras flashed and people shouted. Carl opened my door and helped me out of the limo. Flashes blinded me and the roar of the crowd overwhelmed me. My heart raced, blood pounded in my ears, and my ankles wobbled in my new shoes. What was I doing? I made to turn back to the limo when a tall broad-shouldered man in an elegant black and white suit gripped my elbow. His blue eyes sparkled at me and a grin tugged at the corner of his lips. His artfully styled black hair and a face of an angel made my heart pound in a different way than before. Suddenly, my voice froze and I couldn’t move. Trevor Donne, in all of his glory.
He leaned down with his mouth inches from my ear. Tingles raced down my spine as he said, “You look beautiful.” He placed my hand at his elbow and led me into the gala.

Insecure Writers Support Group Feb. Post

Hi ya’ll,


This is my second month participating in the Insecure Writers Support Group. Honestly if you don’t know who they are, check them out! I will get to the question of the month in a little bit but I wanted to talk about a problem I was having in January. Hopefully with a new month, it will sort itself out.


My problem is that I haven’t been able to write. Period. I finished two books at the end of 2019. I plotted and planned my next one. Granted not as extensively as the last book I finished, but when I sit down to write nothing comes out. I stare at my computer screen for hours. I tried writing by hand and just ended up ripping page after page from my notebook. Some words would come out but I couldn’t continue. I tried a dictation app for when I was walking, but still the story was stuck. And it’s only supposed to be a short one! It’s frustrating beyond belief.

I have had a lot of stressful things going on in my life and my day job has been draining. Is it possible that my energy well is dried up? What do you do to break the writer’s block? Any advice would be appreciated!


Now on to the question for Feb.


Q: Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?


A: Honestly, no. I have never been inspired by a photo or work of art, which is too bad. I have an oil painting that I bought at Goodwill years ago when I was in college to hang in my apartment. It is an old barn that is set in the middle of a snow storm. It is my favorite painting I own. Maybe someday, I will use that as motivation for a story. Can’t you see it? A couple snowed in the barn. They have to snuggle together to keep warm. It could be quite romantic.


What about you? Have you ever been inspired by a work of art or a photo?


Hugs,



Allie