Heather Allen's Blog, page 7
July 26, 2013
Lissa Bryan is visiting
This year's Blogger Book Fair theme is travel to far-away places. travel is also a major theme of my novel, The End of All Things.
After a horrible plague decimates the nation. Carly and Justin must travel from her home in Juneau, Alaska to a place with a warmer climate, where they will have a better chance of survival. It's a journey across a nation laid to waste by the disaster, but also a journey into love.
Check out the trailer, here.
Excerpt:
“I’ve never been out of Alaska,” Carly said. She wasn’t sure she could explain to him how awful a prospect it was to leave everything behind, to give up on the idea the world might return to normal if she just waited there instead of abandoning her hope and home.
“I’ve never been to Florida.” Justin took a large bite of his cold pork and beans and chewed with relish. “Here’s the thing.” He pulled a paper towel off the roll beside the sink and used it as a napkin. “We need to leave soon. It’s going to be a very long journey, and I don’t think we’ll manage to make it all the way to Florida, or even south of the Mason-Dixon for that matter, before the winter sets in. So we have to hurry and get as far as possible in the time we have left.”
Carly hesitated before asking, since she knew it was another dumb question, but she had to know. “If we can’t take a car or a motorcycle, what are we going to do?” “Ride bicycles. Walk.”
“Justin, you’re talking four thousand miles here.” The idea of moving into a house across town had been daunting enough, let alone the idea of traveling across most of North America.
Carly shook her head. “You’re talking about more than half a year, maybe more.”
“Do you understand, then, why I want to leave as soon as possible? We need to go somewhere we can grow enough food to sustain ourselves. Florida has an excellent climate for farming. I’m not saying we have to get all the way to Florida. There are other states in the South that would have a good climate for us, but I’m thinking of Florida as my goal. We may be able to use different vehicles during sections of our trip, but that’s not a guarantee. The ones we find may have dead batteries, or the fuel could have gone bad. If we encountered a roadblock or traffic jam, we’d have to unload the vehicle and try to find another. Bikes are more reliable.”
“Do you actually have this planned out, or is it just an idea you have?”
Justin chuckled. “Once you get to know me, Carly, you’ll find I have everything planned out.” He went out into the hallway and grabbed one of the bags that contained his gear. He opened up the front pocket and withdrew a map. A route had been highlighted, cutting across Canada and through the US, a bumpy line, but almost perfectly diagonal.
She traced her finger over the long line. “What if I refuse to go?”
“I can’t leave you here to die, Carly.”
Die? She gave him a startled look, but he didn’t back off and admit to exaggeration or soften the comment with a shrug or smile. Instead, he looked straight into her eyes, and his steady gaze told her he wasn’t trying to scare her or embellish. He saw it as an inevitable consequence if she were left there on her own, not as a possibility.
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes any longer. “Because you knew my dad?”
“No, not just because of the promise I made when I joined The Unit, but because I fancy myself to be a decent human being. One way or another, I’m going to have to convince you, but I hope to hell it doesn’t take very long. I know you don’t know me very well yet, but you’ll find I’m a person who keeps my promises. And I promise you I will do my best to keep you safe, warm, and fed. I’m your best shot at survival.”
He tugged up the sleeve of his T-shirt and showed her the symbol tattooed there, the same symbol that was on her father’s ring. “This once meant something. It meant enough that I had it permanently etched into my skin because it’s a part of me. It wasn’t just a military unit. It was a code of honor. I may be the last man standing, but I swear I’m not going to let that code die, too.”
And gazing into his eyes, Carly believed him. She might have very little experience of the world, but she knew sincerity when she saw it. He truly cared about what happened to her, for whatever reason. Her doubts and fears warred with her instincts, which told her Justin was what he presented himself to be. He was a nice guy with a mischievous sense of humor and a strong sense of honor and duty. Her father had told her to trust no one, but he had also told her about the symbol and what it meant to the men who wore it.
“I’m scared,” Carly said. She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment at the admission, but she felt like he deserved her honesty.
“I am, too. None of this is going to be easy, but I’d put our chances at reaching Florida higher than most.”
“That doesn’t sound too encouraging.”
Justin was quiet for a long moment. “Do you want me to be honest or comforting?”
Carly blinked when tears stung her eyes again. He already thought she was stupid. She didn’t want to add whiny to the list. “Just for a little while, can you be optimistic?”
He took her hand in his own. “Sure, honey. I understand.”
You can read the entire first chapter here.
The End of All Things is available through TWCS, Amazon, and iTunes.
About the author:
Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot.... though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing.Links:
About.me
BlogFacebook page
Amazon
YoutubeGoodreadsTumblr
Lissa Bbryan is visiting
This year's Blogger Book Fair theme is travel to far-away places. travel is also a major theme of my novel, The End of All Things.
After a horrible plague decimates the nation. Carly and Justin must travel from her home in Juneau, Alaska to a place with a warmer climate, where they will have a better chance of survival. It's a journey across a nation laid to waste by the disaster, but also a journey into love.
Check out the trailer, here.
Excerpt:
“I’ve never been out of Alaska,” Carly said. She wasn’t sure she could explain to him how awful a prospect it was to leave everything behind, to give up on the idea the world might return to normal if she just waited there instead of abandoning her hope and home.
“I’ve never been to Florida.” Justin took a large bite of his cold pork and beans and chewed with relish. “Here’s the thing.” He pulled a paper towel off the roll beside the sink and used it as a napkin. “We need to leave soon. It’s going to be a very long journey, and I don’t think we’ll manage to make it all the way to Florida, or even south of the Mason-Dixon for that matter, before the winter sets in. So we have to hurry and get as far as possible in the time we have left.”
Carly hesitated before asking, since she knew it was another dumb question, but she had to know. “If we can’t take a car or a motorcycle, what are we going to do?” “Ride bicycles. Walk.”
“Justin, you’re talking four thousand miles here.” The idea of moving into a house across town had been daunting enough, let alone the idea of traveling across most of North America.
Carly shook her head. “You’re talking about more than half a year, maybe more.”
“Do you understand, then, why I want to leave as soon as possible? We need to go somewhere we can grow enough food to sustain ourselves. Florida has an excellent climate for farming. I’m not saying we have to get all the way to Florida. There are other states in the South that would have a good climate for us, but I’m thinking of Florida as my goal. We may be able to use different vehicles during sections of our trip, but that’s not a guarantee. The ones we find may have dead batteries, or the fuel could have gone bad. If we encountered a roadblock or traffic jam, we’d have to unload the vehicle and try to find another. Bikes are more reliable.”
“Do you actually have this planned out, or is it just an idea you have?”
Justin chuckled. “Once you get to know me, Carly, you’ll find I have everything planned out.” He went out into the hallway and grabbed one of the bags that contained his gear. He opened up the front pocket and withdrew a map. A route had been highlighted, cutting across Canada and through the US, a bumpy line, but almost perfectly diagonal.
She traced her finger over the long line. “What if I refuse to go?”
“I can’t leave you here to die, Carly.”
Die? She gave him a startled look, but he didn’t back off and admit to exaggeration or soften the comment with a shrug or smile. Instead, he looked straight into her eyes, and his steady gaze told her he wasn’t trying to scare her or embellish. He saw it as an inevitable consequence if she were left there on her own, not as a possibility.
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes any longer. “Because you knew my dad?”
“No, not just because of the promise I made when I joined The Unit, but because I fancy myself to be a decent human being. One way or another, I’m going to have to convince you, but I hope to hell it doesn’t take very long. I know you don’t know me very well yet, but you’ll find I’m a person who keeps my promises. And I promise you I will do my best to keep you safe, warm, and fed. I’m your best shot at survival.”
He tugged up the sleeve of his T-shirt and showed her the symbol tattooed there, the same symbol that was on her father’s ring. “This once meant something. It meant enough that I had it permanently etched into my skin because it’s a part of me. It wasn’t just a military unit. It was a code of honor. I may be the last man standing, but I swear I’m not going to let that code die, too.”
And gazing into his eyes, Carly believed him. She might have very little experience of the world, but she knew sincerity when she saw it. He truly cared about what happened to her, for whatever reason. Her doubts and fears warred with her instincts, which told her Justin was what he presented himself to be. He was a nice guy with a mischievous sense of humor and a strong sense of honor and duty. Her father had told her to trust no one, but he had also told her about the symbol and what it meant to the men who wore it.
“I’m scared,” Carly said. She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment at the admission, but she felt like he deserved her honesty.
“I am, too. None of this is going to be easy, but I’d put our chances at reaching Florida higher than most.”
“That doesn’t sound too encouraging.”
Justin was quiet for a long moment. “Do you want me to be honest or comforting?”
Carly blinked when tears stung her eyes again. He already thought she was stupid. She didn’t want to add whiny to the list. “Just for a little while, can you be optimistic?”
He took her hand in his own. “Sure, honey. I understand.”
You can read the entire first chapter here.
The End of All Things is available through TWCS, Amazon, and iTunes.
About the author:
Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot.... though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing.Links:
About.me
BlogFacebook page
Amazon
YoutubeGoodreadsTumblr
July 25, 2013
Jody A. Kessler is Visiting
Quick Ten with Author, Jody A. Kessler.
Jody is the author of Death Lies Between Us, a New Adult Paranormal Romance, and new release, from Crescent Moon Press.
1. Do you have a favorite hobby not related to writing?
I have so many different hobbies. It’s probably my ADHD – I’m kidding. However, I really like to try new things. I tend to gravitate toward something new every year or so. Some of the hobbies I have stuck with for many years are photography, sewing, gardening, soap making, and studying herbal medicine.
2. Guilty pleasure?
Definitely See’s chocolate. Divinity, creams, chews, milk, dark. I don’t discriminate. They’re all my favorite.
3. Favorite book or author?
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I really enjoy reading historical fiction. Ms. Gabaldon’s writing is stellar and her characters are scrumptious.
4. Do you collect anything?
Music, books, and rocks. Yep, I was that kid. Always picking up shiny or interesting looking rocks and stuffing them into my pockets or hauling home a 30 pound rock because it was pretty. I still love them and will hunt for fossils or crystals at any given opportunity. My music and book collections are enormous too.
5. Tell us something that annoys you about yourself?
I tend to over-think and over complicate things. Maybe I really am ADHD. I should probably be tested or something. Ha-ha, kidding again. But there are times when my brain will not slow down – maybe that is why I spew out 100,000 word novels for fun.
6. Paper or plastic? (paperback or e-reader)
Why limit my reading choices? I like both. My e-reader has sustained some unmentionable abuse (I’m not going to tattle on myself here.) So, in certain circumstances, such as being near water, I prefer paper. Also with some of my very favorite authors – I like to have a hardback copy of their books. I also love my e-readers. I own and use both a Nook and a Kindle.
7. Cats or dogs?
Dogs. I might choose cats if my allergy to their fur didn’t make me want to scratch my face off.
8. Pantser or plotter?
Somewhere in the middle. I plot a little and then my characters like to change things on me mid-novel.
9. Perfect vacation destination (money or time constraints don’t exist)
Lately, all I do is dream about going to Ireland. My current writing project has scenes there. It is the 3rd book in the, An Angel Falls series and I want to use it as an excuse to visit and do book research. Other than Ireland, I’d love to see most of Europe including Italy and France.
10. Why do you write?
When I’m not writing, I feel completely out of sorts. So I write to stay sane. People like me better when I’m on the positive side of sanity.
Back Cover Blurb
Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.
Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.
In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.
Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?
An excerpt to tease you
The tears pour out of my eyes in a silent deluge. My chest and shoulders shake with misery. It pisses me off that I can’t make it stop, and that amplifies my problem. I am not this kind of girl! I never have been and I don’t want to be now. I despise crying. My feet take a couple of stumbling steps toward the castle.
I hear him this time. He isn’t some supernatural being who moves in total silence. Crackling footsteps approach me and then his entire body engulfs me. Strong arms encircle me. One large hand cups the back of my head pressing me forward into him. His other hand wraps around my back securing me in place.
“Shh, shhh, it’s been a hard night. I swear I’m not seeing anyone. I’m just an idiot. I’m so, so sorry. Please believe me, everything is going to be fine, you’ll see,” he whispers into the top of my head.
I shake and snivel and let all the stress pour out of me. I have no clue how much time has passed, seconds, minutes, maybe an hour. As the tears finally run out I realize Nathan has once again taken all of my pain away with his selflessness. I lean the entire length of my body into him, letting him support me. My head seems to fit in the divot in the center of his chest as if it was made for me. He’s so warm and comfortable. It’s even better here than being nestled in my bed. I didn’t know that was possible.
His hand begins to stroke my hair. His fingers combing down its length, brushing over the back of my neck and trailing down my spine. Each pass leaves a path of warm ripples in its wake. If I could forget the world and melt into this feeling I would do it without a second thought.
“What are you doing to me?” he breathes the words out over my head.
The words exit his lips and tickle my inner ear. It sends a swell of warmth down to my chest, making me take a deep breath in. I let out a relaxing sigh. I want to tell him it’s not me, it’s him. He’s the one who has transformed me, taken away all of my willpower, and healed my wounds, changed me. All I manage to get out is, “It’s not me.” The rest of my thought, it’s you, goes unvoiced because sheer terror rips the night apart.
About the Author
Jody A. Kessler enjoys writing paranormal novels and is a member of Pikes Peak Writers. She is a yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and a graduate from the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy. When she took an extended leave from her massage practice to stay at home with her newborn she returned to her first true passion —writing. She spends most of her time being a mother, writing, and teaching yoga, but also likes going to concerts, hiking, practicing herbal medicine, and reading anything that catches her interest. Jody lives in the mountains of Colorado with her family.
Death Lies Between Us is her debut novel and the first book in the An Angel Falls series. Book two, Angel Dreams, is scheduled for release in early 2014.
Jody welcomes visitors to her website www.jodyakessler.com
You can purchase a copy here: Amazon Barnes and Noble
Or connect with her here: Facebook Goodreads Twitter Pinterest
July 24, 2013
Jean Murray is Visiting
Pen Name: Jean Murray
Key to the Cursed Series: Crescent Moon Press
Web Address: www.jean-murray.com ; www.keytothecursed.com
Blog Address: www.wickedromance.wordpress.com
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeanMurray
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wickedromance
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103113.Jean_Murray
Book Trailers:
Soul Reborn: http://www.youtube.com/user/KeytotheCursed?ob=5#p/u/0/smSJsJp5o74
Soul Awakened: http://youtu.be/S3IlOKhBZoY
Key to the Cursed series:
Bio: In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.
Author Jean Murray brings a wonderful new spin to the paranormal world with her Egyptian Underworld gods. She broke ground in the paranormal romance genre with Soul Reborn and now continues the Key to the Cursed journey with Soul Awakened. See what readers and reviewers are saying about her new book ~ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16484518-soul-awakened?auto_login_attempted=true
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Web Address: www.crescentmoonpress.com
Marketing Director: Marlene Castricato
BOOK I: Soul Reborn
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/user/KeytotheCursed?ob=5#p/u/0/smSJsJp5o74
Embed Code: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/smSJsJp5o74" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Amazon Purchase Links:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WDYK7A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjeanmurray-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004WDYK7A
Barnes & Noble Purchase Links:
Purchase Print&Nook:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Key-to-the-Cursed/Jean-Murray/e/9780982820063/?itm=1&USRI=soul+reborn
ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-soulreborn-546847-140.html
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-0-9828200-6-3
Length: Novel
Publication Date: Feb 2011
Cover art by Ash Arceneaux
THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.
Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore.
DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.
Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.
TAGLINE “Only the strongest love can unlock the souls of the Underworld.”
Reviews:
Romantic Times (RT) Book Reviews (Sept2011) - 4/4.5 stars/Scorcher, http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/soul-reborn
Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer’s Top PICK/ 5 Stars (Abigail, Feb2013) “The first book in the “Key to the Cursed” series was absolutely phenomenal. Anything that deals with old world deities and is written well always hooks me from the get go. This was definitely an excellent book to begin a new series.” http://paranormal.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Reviews/Angibabi4-reviews-Soul-Reborn-by-Jean-Murray
Bitten by Paranormal Romance – 5/5 Alpha Howls, Hot http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2011/07/review-of-soul-reborn-key-to-cursed.html
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11135250-key-to-the-cursed
BOOK II: Soul AwakenedBook Trailer: http://youtu.be/S3IlOKhBZoY
Embed Code: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S3IlOKhBZoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9781937254971
Length: Novel
Publication Date: January 2013
Cover art by Taria Reed
Purchase Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B0I1A9G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwjeanmurray-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B0I1A9G
Books –A – Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Soul-Awakened/Jean-Murray/9781937254971?id=5602792319200
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soul-awakened-jean-murray/1114128757?ean=9781937254971
Book Blurb:
LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR
Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.
HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST
Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.
Reviews:
Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer’s Top PICK/ 5 Stars (Abigail, Feb2013) : “I know other readers are going to love this series as much as I do. Get settled in for a thrilling paranormal tale.” http://www.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Reviews/Angibabi4-reviews-Soul-Awakened-by-Jean-Murray
Bitten by Paranormal Romance, Ollie (Feb2013): 5/5 Alpha Howls, Hot
“I don't know where to begin to describe the absolutely marvelous job that the author does in not only creating a wonderful world with so much depth and detail, but a story line the has the mystery and intrigue that will keep you glued to the pages.” http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2013/01/arc-review-of-soul-awakened-key-to.html?zx=7d4a84f0db7635b8
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16484518-soul-awakened
July 23, 2013
Rebecca Hamilton is Visiting
The Forever Girl (Forever Girl Series #1)Video Trailer Reviews BUY NOW Kindlegraph!HarperCollins: "It’s rare to see such natural flow and tempo from a debut author."Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves. At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her. Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous. One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom. The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampire fiction, ghost stories, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.
Her Sweetest Downfall (A Forever Girl Journal)Video Trailer BUY NOW Reviews Kindlegraph!Ophelia's been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck--a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can't be ignored. When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her worries. She's destined to don a new mask--to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet. What she doesn't know--what she learns too late--is that her initiation won't be complete until she kills the man she loves. Set in an alternate Regency England, "Her Sweetest Downfall" is a standalone novella in the "Forever Girl" series, written as a gift to fans of the Forever Girl series. HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, fantasy, and vampire fiction.
July 22, 2013
Kate Lutter is Visiting
Hi, My name is Kate Lutter, and I’m super excited to be a part of Blogger Book Fair 2013 and to showcase my debut novel Wild Point Island , and a fabulous Give-away:
Give-Away during Blogger Book Fair on July 22-26, 2013
To be eligible to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card--
Go to www.katelutter.com.
Scroll down the right hand column.
Send me a comment. Include NAME, EMAIL, SUBJECT: BOOK FAIR GIVE-AWAY, and COMMENT: NAME of FAVORITE FILM OR CURRENT SERIES.
I write a blog called Black and White (how the fictional world impacts the real world and your comment will be part of a survey I’m currently conducting.)
I never would have published Wild Point Island if I hadn’t broken a few rules along the way.
I was never one for breaking the rules. I was the kid in school who always did her homework. Who always arrived on time for school. Who took notes. Studied for tests. I was that kind of person.
When I became a writer, I still followed the rules. Why wouldn’t I? I believed that rules prevent chaos, make the world a better place. One of the most important rules was—never pitch a book that you’re writing to an editor until you’re finished writing it. NEVER.
But after writing four novels and not selling them, I grew suspicious that the ideas I was writing about were not marketable. And then one day . . . last year . . . I did the unthinkable.
I was at a writing conference and I signed up for an appointment with a top New York editor of a publishing house I respected even though I was only 100 pages into writing my current novel.
Now this isn’t a good idea on many levels, but I convinced myself that I needed to know whether the idea of the story was marketable.
I had the title: Wild Point Island .
I had the genre: paranormal romance
And I had the story idea—a love story where two people want to be together but they can’t because it’s physically impossible.
Yes, I’ll admit it—I was addicted to True Blood —HBO’s hot drama and was a Sookie and Bill fan. I loved the idea of Bill (a vampire) falling for Sookie (a half human, half fairy). It was a relationship doomed from the start. Bittersweet. And I’d drafted a romance modeled on a similar concept.
My hero, a revenant, who was once human, was now a different life form. He’d returned from the dead. He was 420 years old and was condemned to live his very long life on Wild Point Island. My heroine was half human/half revenant. She lived on the mainland, in North Carolina.
They were both descendants of the Lost Colony of Roanoke, an original English colony that was settled in 1592, but then disappeared when the mother ship returned to England for supplies. This was my hook, and I wanted to see if it was hook enough to sell a book.
If the editor were interested, she would request at most a partial—the first three chapters—if she requested anything at all--and that would give me time to finish the book, and then I would know that I had a marketable idea.
So I marched into my appointment to do a very wrong thing. I pitched the story I hadn’t finished and waited for her reaction. In a pitch session with an editor at a conference you have ten minutes to sell your story. Some writers crack under the pressure. They become tongue-tied. They stare down at their notes, and the words swim before their eyes.
To my shock and amazement, the editor responded immediately. She knew all about the Lost Colony of Roanoke. She’d vacationed down in North Carolina as a child. She loved the idea. And then she lowered the boom. The good news. What every writer who pitches wants to hear—She requested the entire manuscript.
She referred, of course, to the story I hadn’t yet finished.
I smiled and said, “Of course. No problem.” I was doomed.
Back home, my husband said, “Just finish it then.”
Two hundred pages in a month? I would have to write ten pages a day straight for twenty days which would give me roughly two hundred pages and then, I would need ten days to edit. Already I was sweating.
The next day I signed up online for Book In A Month. I set myself a schedule. I grew determined to finish the book.
It was ugly and beautiful at the same time, and I learned two things from the experience. One—I could write incredibly fast when I wanted to. For the first time in my life, I entered into what writers call “the zone.” When you write intently everyday for long periods of time, you know your story so well, you do enter into the special world of your story, and it does get easier. Two—I never broke that rule again. I finished. I edited. And I submitted.
And it was rejected.
It wasn’t until months later when I had a chance to rewrite the story that I was able to sell it.
Wild Point Island was published by Crescent Moon Press in 2012. It’s now available from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com in print and e book formats.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=wild+point+island
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-point-island-kate-lutter/1110947513?ean=9781937254254
You can find me at www.katelutter.com.
As for Wild Point Island , the back cover blurb reads:
Banished from Wild Point Island as a child, Ella Pattenson, a half human-half revenant, has managed to hide her true identity as a descendent of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. Thought to have perished, the settlers survived but were transformed into revenants--immortal beings who live forever as long as they remain on the island.
Now, Ella must return to the place of her birth to rescue her father from imprisonment and a soon to be unspeakable death. Her only hope is to trust a seductive revenant who seems to have ties to the corrupt High Council. Simon Viccars is sexy and like no man she’s ever met. But he’s been trapped on the island for 400 years and is willing to do almost anything for his freedom.
With the forces of the island conspiring against her, Ella must risk her father, her heart, and her life on love.
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July 20, 2013
Forever Breathing Blog Tour
Monday starts the blog tour for Forever Breathing! stop by all of these wonderful blogs!
July 17, 2013
July 15, 2013
Get them while they are HOT- on sale for only 99 pennies!
Just Breathe - http://www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-ebook/dp/B00AVLTKFE/ref=sr_1_4_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1373924770&sr=8-4&keywords=just+breathe
Barely Breathing - http://www.amazon.com/Barely-Breathing-Just-Breathe-ebook/dp/B00CCIFYQI/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
Just Released... Forever Breathing - http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Breathing-Just-Breathe-ebook/dp/B00DVZZB00/ref=pd_sim_kstore_2
