Nancy Gideon's Blog, page 59

IWSG: Are We There Yet??

What is it about being an author that even when we get exactly what we want, we’re not happy. We plan and worry, push, petition and complain, but when that desired event comes to past, it’s . . . not enough. Perhaps it’s the Suffer for Your Art gene we creative types are plagued with. We feel we need to be tunnel-visioned, unsettled and miserable in order to call ourselves writers. Unless we’re clawing and scrapping and clipping coupons to survive, we don’t feel like we’re working hard enough toward that elusive goal. 

Sometimes I wonder if we’d recognize success if it bit us on the @ss.

What is success? How is it measured? In the amount of the advance? In the rave of the reviews? In the admiration of your peers? In a placement on the Lists? It’s the journey, you say, not the destination. But sometimes you just want to scream, “Are we there yet?”

I’m OCD. I never leave my carport without a Google map. I like knowing every turn in advance and exactly how long it will take to get from here to there. I don’t have an adventurous bone in my body. If you ever hear me say “Wherever the wind blows me” I’ll most likely be in the middle of a tornado. Not my idea of a fun trip. So what, you may ask, am I doing in the most unpredictable and frustrating profession imaginable? Just when you think you’re going the right way, there’s a detour. Your destination is so close you can almost touch it and you come up against a Road Closed sign. Even though you’re peddle to the metal, you’re either going in circles or reverse. Even when you’re following on someone else’s trusted bumper, you still get lost and have to pull over. And then there’s the constant Cone Zone construction that brings forward momentum to a crawl . . .


“Recalculating!” 

When I started out I thought all I had to do was sell that first book and it would mean an automatic dump outside the Barnes & Noble store. Dream big, I always say. I’ve since learned to have a more realistic reach. I made goals for myself as a way to judge if I’d “made it” as an author. A multi-book contract. Sell on a synopsis. An award. A full page color ad I didn’t have to pay for. A five figure advance for each book. A publicist. A hardcover. A starred review in Publishers Weekly. An enthusiastic fan following. Goals that once seemed impossible, don’t seem that important once they’re attained. They’re gas stations that make it possible for you to go on but not an end in themselves. They don’t make what’s up ahead any smoother. Because there’s always a U-turn when you least expect it. Because you still haven’t arrived at the final destination of ‘success.’

“Recalculating!”

So if it’s not those points of accomplishment that give a writer validation, what does? When do we take the exit for career contentment? It’s not on the map. It’s not the destination. Sometimes we wonder why we get in the car if the trip is so uncomfortable and never ending.

It’s the ride, itself.

For me, that was a revelation! While growing up, we never took ‘joy rides.’ We loaded up the car with Mom and Dad in the front seat of the Rambler (both smoking) and we three girls, fighting over the window seat, crammed in the back with a hunting dog and gerbil cage. Being the youngest, I was always squished in the middle with my feet on the hump. And we never stopped until we got there . . . unless the dog had to pee. We never paused to see the sights or to explore side roads or tourist traps. The whole point of the trip was to get there. Enjoying the trip was out of the question.

It wasn’t until I was an adult and traveling with writing friends to conferences or riding with my daughter-in-law for a day trip that I discovered the surprising pleasure of the unplanned stop. It took a while to silence my inner OCD that was crying, “It’s not on the map!” but suddenly I found I enjoyed the unexpected side jaunts more than the actual arrival. Sometimes detours brought me to places I otherwise never would have seen, to opportunities I would have zoomed past without knowing what I’d missed. It wasn’t about where I intended to go, it was all about how I got there.

It’s what you pack for the trip. The excitement of beginning a new project. The smugness of getting paid for doing something you love and would do for free. The awe of reading back that perfect sentence or scene and telling yourself “Did I write that?!” And the number one ‘Don’t leave home without it’? Those awesome friends you meet along the way who’ll tag along for the ride. The readers. The bloggers. The newbies who think you walk on water (while you’re paddling like crazy beneath the surface!). Your critique partners, your writers’ group, your conference pals, your Facebook friends who don’t care about any of those important goals you’ve set for yourself because they think you’re totally awesome as is—the people you collect on that crazy road who make the trip fun.

It’s the journey.

Goals are great. They keep you focused. They prove your mettle to the outside world. But they’re just things. It’s the enjoyment that keeps us going. The passion that fuels the engine and keeps it running. It’s the sheer pleasure of doing what we do that makes the stressful and sometimes painful trip worthwhile. It’s not about the destination. It’s all in how you take the ride.

Along that journey, one of the unexpected discoveries I made was this group. Insecure Writers Support Group. I had to laugh at the name. How appropriate. Writers encouraging and commiserating with one another in ways no ‘outsider’ could understand. We’re all on different roads, with separate maps, yet somehow we’re taking the same trip.

What are some of the goals you’ve set for yourself? How do you define success? What are some of the unplanned detours you’ve taken that proved to be beneficial? After sharing your experiences, follow along the IWSG links to visit with at least a dozen other writers and encourage them with your comments.

Look forward to seeing you next first Wednesday as we take our journey together.

Doors Are Now Open to my Third Annual Haunted Open House! Enter if You Dare…

It’s no secret that I love all things spooky and otherworldly! For the next eight days I get to share that excitement in the creepy hallways of my Haunted Open House! Expect ghoulishly good fun, games, giveaways and guests with my own fiendish ideas on how to do up Halloween in style. Expect . . . the unexpected! Make sure you stop in each day for the chance to mingle with a new guest for Patio Chatter and pick up another rocking tip at Party Central. 
One of the really cool things I’m doing with the HOH this year (with the much appreciated help of my virtual assistant, My Girl Friday / Rebel Yell Media!) is including a Giveaway Blog Hop so those like me, who love to hand out goodies, can have their porch lights on in anticipation of your visit. Each participant (there are over 60 of us!!) will have unique offerings, so make sure you tour the entire list, and will also be sharing their thoughts about the upcoming holiday. Prizes will be awarded on Halloween at each individual site.

I’m thrilled to have you here at my door!



As a writer you learn to use the five senses to bring immediacy and reader involvement to your story. Halloween is the time of year where all of mine are tingling. The smell of approaching winter teasing on the air. The rustling sound of fallen leaves under foot. The wonderfully bizarre sites that greet the eye wherever the season is celebrated – eerily glowing pumpkins, little ghouls and goblins darting through the shadows as they run from house to house, yards draped with cobwebs and ghostly shapes. The feel of your pulse racing as you sit in the dark watching scary movies, waiting for something horrible to leap out at you from the TV or theatre screen. The tastes that abound in the fall – the crisp bite of caramel apple and cider, the too sweet luxury of candy corn, the melting delight of chocolate. Sigh . . . 

My paranormal romances are written with those five senses in mind so you can smell the damp decay of the bayou, hear the whisper of footsteps behind you, see the incredible transformation of man to beast, feel your throat tighten as tears or fright torments you, and taste the forbidden lusciousness of a dangerous lover’s kiss. Oooh, that got my pulse revving up just a bit.

To help you enjoy those glorious five senses, in honor of Halloween I’m giving away a personalized collector’s edition of “By Moonlight.” This out-of-print oversized softcover Book Club special collection brings you the first three complete books in my “By Moonlight” series in one: Masked by Moonlight, Chased by Moonlight and Captured by Moonlight! The winner will be announced on Halloween!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
After you enter, please hurry on to the next HOH stop to see what they’re passing out to lucky visitors! And don’t forget to tour my Haunted Open House. I’ll be sorry if you don’t . . . MuWaHaha!

IWSG: Why So Serious?

Being a writer is a business. Stressful business. Exhausting business. Fickle business. Spirit- crushing business. Sometimes we struggle so hard scrambling to survive and to be taken seriously as professionals that we forget to enjoy what we do . . . even when it’s work. 

One of the most energy-draining tasks for a writer is the pressure to keep our name out there in the public eye . . . especially if we have limited funds or don’t have a publisher who will lavish us with free ads and promo. We pretty much have to count our pennies and our available hours and see how best to spend them. Neither ever goes far enough.

This year, I had two launches for books that were e-only—a first for me. I had to find new avenues of promotion since the majority of the ones I’d used in the past were closed to e-books going solo without their paperback dates. The first book came out a week before Christmas, the second on Memorial Day. Seriously. Holiday time is NOT prime time to launch a book unless it’s a Holiday book. Readers are busy doing family things, not reading things. Social media becomes a ghost town. Publishers even forget to mention you because they’re with family not doing book things. So, how to call attention to the fact that I had new books out in a different venue . . .

Back in the day when promotion was all paper products, I looked outside the box to get noticed because I couldn’t afford those glossy, bare-chested markers that the bestselling authors were dumping everywhere like confetti at a ticker tape parade. Instead, I designed a bookmark that resembled a playing card for a new Dana Ransom historical romance, Love’s Glorious Gamble , with custom rounded edges, but very basic (read cheap) design. And it won a Romantic Times’ Innovation Award for promotion right alongside Brenda Joyce’s slick naked torso hero. Cool! And fun! When my “Midnight” vampire romance series came out, again no funds were available for top shelf promo, so I snuck under the wire with my “Sink Your Teeth In and Enjoy!” giveaway: labels generated on my home printer attached to cheap novelty plastic vampire teeth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many elongated canines at a writer’s conference. Again cool and eye-catching. And fun!

When promo hit the digital age, the box I needed to think outside of became figurative instead of literal. Again, I couldn’t afford to take out ads to draw attention to my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shapeshifter series, and was experiencing creative burn out from doing a massive amount of guest blogs and blog tours. So I decided to try something different to bring blogger and reader attention to me with my 1st Annual Haunted Open House, using a fun format to exploit the paranormal genre I was writing in in a virtual way. My first HOH featured ‘rooms’ with fun posts, games, giveaways, industry guests, and a virtual library to spark interest in my titles. It was a surprising success. The next year it expanded to include VIP author guests and bigger giveaways along with a book trailer, cover reveal, and excerpts from my series . . . and attendance doubled. So did my sense of enjoyment and anticipation.

This year’s 3rd Annual Haunted Open House’s doors open from October 23 to October 30. I built on to the original premise to go even larger with a Giveaway Blog Hop, and guests that would include my favorite PNR/UF bloggers/reviewers. And all I’m investing is the time it takes to write up tongue-in-cheeky posts such as “How to Host a Killer Party” and “How to Rock a Haunted House,” adding in playlists, gruesome recipes, deleted scenes and giveaways from my latest e-only books, sneak peeks of WIPs, and other amusing stats related to Halloween . . . with a lot of sweat equity from My Girl Friday/Rebel Yell Media, my virtual helper who translates my sometimes far out ideas into tech reality. And the best part, I have a blast doing it. I look forward to it every year. And so do my guests and visitors. It’s a payoff with the work being its own reward.

Stop by for some Not Too Serious promotion, just for a smile or a laugh . . . or join in the fun!



What outside the box things have you tried to break the seriously stressful self-promotion rules?

Comment below then follow along the links to visit with others in our Insecure Writers Support Group. And don’t forget to make at least a dozen new friends . . . because it will make them smile!

3rd Annual Haunted Open House

 

The doors will be open for my 3rd annual Haunted Open House from October 23 through October 30. As an extra Trick-or-Treat surprise, this year I’ll be hosting Nancy Gideon’s Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop. The Linky Signup is below!

Bring visitors to your blog doorstep and invite them in to hear about your biggest Halloween scare, enjoy your list of favorite scary books, movies, video games or TV shows, see a picture of you decked out in your all-time favorite Halloween costume, or any other fun Halloween-related post. Then provide them with the chance of winning a Trick-or-Treat giveaway. It can be anything from a gift card, a free book, or even your favorite Halloween sounds effects CD. Be sure to provide the link to send them on to ring the doorbell at the next blog stop. Winners will be announced on Halloween!

Join in to help make this a Spooktacular event!



~Da Rules~
The Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop Image needs to be part of your post.Please put me in your Google+ Circle, Like my Facebook Page, Follow me on Twitter and/or Join this Site.Include the linky list with all the participating blogs at the end of your post OR link to this giveaway hop page.No more than 6 possible entries and only 2 can be Mandatory. All others must be optional. All entries must be able to be done on one visit to your blog.You must turn off word verification/CAPTCHA if you are requiring more than one comment for entries – If you are concerned about spam then enable comment moderation or use rafflecopter.This must be a giveaway specifically for this hop.
Your post can go up anytime beginning on Tuesday, October 22nd but must be up no later than Wednesday, October 23rd at 9:00 AM EST.Please mark your calendars. A reminder email will be sent out a few days before the hops starts.

To participate please add your blog to the linky below with your shipping info in parenthesis following your blog name.

Example: Nancy Gideon's Haunted Open House (INT)

You Gotta Have Friends . . .

I was delighted to stumble upon a Blog Hop made for writers, one that addresses one of our less talked about idiosyncrasies: We’re all in need of a security blanket when it comes to our careers. You’d think after 25 years in the biz, I’d have an obnoxious amount of confidence. Not so. All it takes is one review to put me in a fetal position, just like any other author, from first completed book to USA Today.

Writers often get the mistaken idea that what we do is a competition. That we’re cage fighters going after the same prize, that it’s a cut throat business if we want to get ahead. Silly writers, you gotta have friends.

Writing is the most isolating profession I can think of. An idea with only a flashing cursor and green screen for a sounding board. No time clock. No co-workers. No reason to brush your teeth or get out of your pjs. Just you and your muse in it for the long haul. Day after day. Alone. Geez, that’s depressing!

That’s how I started out in my writing career. Just me against that army of my peers scrambling for publisher slots, clinging to my “What’s in it for me?” mantra. This was before the Internet, before writers groups, before I knew there was another flesh and blood writer living in my state! I had no creative social skills. I was reluctant to share, unwilling to participate. It was just me and that future bestseller struggling to make a mark, afraid of all those around me who held that same goal. If it was lonely at the bottom, I could only imagine how solitary it would be at the top, trying to push down all those eager newcomers who would try to steal my flag.

It wasn’t until I met two wonderful writers who had no reason to help me, but extended their hands anyway, that I understood what it meant to get the most from what we do.

You gotta have friends.

My first guardian angel I met as a conference virgin in Seattle in the madhouse that’s RWA. I was overwhelmed and reeling when an enthusiastic woman approached me to say she’d been looking for me everywhere. She’d judged my book in the then Golden Medallion contest and wanted to tell me that if she’d had her way, I would have won. She took me under her wing as a newbie, talked to me about the industry, about its quirks and ups and downs and how to deal with emotions that only a writer can understand. When I was looking for an agent, she introduced me to hers. She became a warm, supportive fairy godmother during my early career, and even though we only saw each other at conference time, her genuine concern and friendship kept me going through those rocky years. She was a contemporary author. Her name was Debbie Macomber.

Mid-career came with new challenges, mainly the slice and dice of midlist authors who were now floundering and looking desperately for homes. Many dropped out altogether, but I remembered another acquaintance and a conversation we’d had at a local restaurant over our fickle choice of employment. She was the first to break the veil of silence and honestly talk numbers with me, to compare contracts, to clue me in to the business of being a writer. It wasn’t just luck. It was work, she told me. You had to make your own luck to get what you wanted. We both loved and wanted to write paranormal romance but the bottom was gone from that market. I moved on to another genre but she had a different idea. She was going to make a place for the books she wanted to read and write by beginning one of the first genre small presses. And when I needed a place to go, she took me along for the ride. Working on a shoestring with her garage as her warehouse, she launched unique author voices with the TLC only another writer could understand. It was the first time I’d ever had a say in my cover, my blurb, and in all the other elements that actually sold my book. She breathed life back into my vampire romance series that had been buried years before, and even after fifteen years, I still get royalties. We were a team, getting books into the hands of readers who’d love them. She was the founder, publisher and editor of ImaJinn Books. Her name was Linda Kichline.

I cried like a baby when I heard Debbie’s name spoken during the premier of her Hallmark Channel television series, Cedar Cove. Just a short while ago, I cried again when I heard Linda had passed away after suffering a stroke.

Getting to the top just became less important than who accompanies me on the journey.

You gotta have friends.

Who has been the most helpful and supportive of your career? Take a minute to thank them for making the road a less lonesome place.

Follow and Hop Along:

LOVESTRUCK GIVEAWAY HOP – Max is back!

Lovestruck: (adjective) having a passionate or overwhelming feeling of love; smitten.

No other character I’ve ever created has fit this description like Max Savoie. Mysterious, dangerous, unpredictable, powerful, sexy. A prophesied Shape-shifter leader left with a mobster’s legacy. Max of the sultry innuendos, intense green eyes, Armani suits and red high tops whose love for the wrong woman – a human AND a New Orleans police detective, no less! – will cost him everything, and still he’s willing to give more to have her. Sigh . . .

I was so love-struck by his story, I couldn’t contain it in just one book. Even after three more novels in my “By Moonlight” series to develop Max and Charlotte’s romance, it still wasn’t enough to satisfy. I wanted more. And so did readers . . .


Available on Amazon
“I loved the character of Max Savoie, the ultimate predator hidden under the veneer of civility. His ultimate faith and devotion were both heartwarming and heartbreaking.” Night Owl Reviews on Masked by Moonlight

“There’s something compelling about both Max and Charlotte. Max will break your heart.” Book Binge on Masked by Moonlight

“Cee Cee and Max are the sort of couple one wants to read about more than once.” All About Romance on Chased by Moonlight

“Two of the most electrifying characters ever created.” Fresh Fiction on Captured by Moonlight

“Everything I want in a romance. Sizzling passion, a sexy hero, and a paranormal love to last the ages.” NYT bestseller, Gena Showalter on Bound by Moonlight

“Max is the epitome of what an alpha character should be. He has the ability to melt you with just a look.” Dana, Readaholics Anonymous

“I’m just in love with Max—he’s soooo hot. I need more Max and Charlotte.” Maithe, reader

“I LOVE your By Moonlight series. Max is one of the finest heroes I have read in such a long time.” Laura M, reader

“Please write another book featuring Max and Cee Cee. We still love and miss that bond we felt with them.” Leonard, reader

“I’m dying to know what happens to Max and Cee Cee!!” Heather S, reader

“Love, love this series but we need another Max and Cee Cee book—it’s not finished!!” Leanna, reader

It’s not finished for me, either. Enjoy a sneak peek of my work-in-progress: Remembered by Moonlight Max knew the musky, mysterious scent that reached him even before the sound of her approach. Voodoo Love. A special blend from a perfumery in the Quarter. It teased about the edges of his awareness, inciting a prickle of unexpected response. His breathing quickened. His skin heated. Anticipation made his pulse stumble. But when he turned, he saw a stranger. 
The flicker of disappointment was a greeting he’d grown used to.

“You’re up early. Have trouble sleeping?”

Her voice was low, husky, as sultry as her looks, and totally unfamiliar to him when he’d awakened in captivity, surrounded by smothering unknowns. He’d been released from that prison into her care two days ago in favor of this opulent but no less confining jail. He couldn’t leave without an escort, and she held the keys. For his own protection, they’d told him.

That was a lie.

Her name was Charlotte Caissie, a detective with the New Orleans police department. She carried her shield and gun the way most women did lipstick and a designer clutch, effortlessly, as if they were part of who she was. Tall, curvy, with a confident stride even in those four inch heels, she was fiercely exotic from flashing dark eyes and café au lait skin to her short leather skirt and zebra striped blouse. Gorgeous, lethal, and in love with him.

There was nothing aggressive about her gaze when it touched upon his. Her broken heart was in her eyes, but only for a moment. Then she smiled and played the game they settled into every time they were together. That of polite, carefully neutral guests forced out of necessity to share the same space.

He didn’t have to pretend.

In honor of the Lovestruck Giveaway Hop and Max Savoie, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift certificate. Use it to fall in love with my preternatural hero or to pursue your own romantic ideal. Get carried away.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Make sure to follow the Hop links to find out what other special characters have left us Love-Struck.

And for more Max and “By Moonlight,” I’m thrilled to announce the formation of a brand new and ubber fun Goodreads Group: “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight.” Created by a trio of enthusiastic readers, the group offers Book Buddy of the month selections, a relaxed and chatty forum to talk books and heroes and romance . . . and Max, a place for questions and breaking news, and awesome giveaways. Hope you’ll join us and get caught up in the seductive and addictive “By Moonlight” world.

Hot Paranormal Nights Blog Hop: The Heat is On!

Turn it up. Let it sizzle.

One of the things I love about paranormal romances is that steamy tension that builds between the pages until they’re ready to catch fire. We’re celebrating the sparks from July 25 to 30 on this muy caliente blog hop. To fan the fire, I’ve included an excerpt and a chance to win a $10 gift card from Amazon. Don’t forget to keep those temperatures elevated by following along the links to see how other PN authors add in the spice.

Enjoy the heat as it just begins to kindle in this sneak peek from PRINCE OF SHADOWS, the latest book in my “By Moonlight” dark paranormal shape-shifter series.
She’d had every intention of going through with it.

When she’d seen Cale coming down that hall, pumped with victory, drenched in the fate of those who’d hurt her, Kendra’s heart had staggered. All she could think was Don’t let this moment pass. The solid feel of him, the always devastating effect of his kisses, and she was ready to cast everything aside to have him. Nothing else mattered. He was her first love, her prince. He would be her first lover. And maybe her only.

She’d been sure that initial wave of passion could wash away the anxious shivers. That once they made love, all her fear would be vanquished. Just his scent created unbearable arousal as instinct began to prowl.

But they hadn’t gotten that far.

I thought you wanted this, wanted me.

What if he didn’t come back to her?

What if, after a night of celebrating his victory with those females who’d had their hands all over him, Cale withdrew his protection the way she’d withdrawn her agreeability? She had no hold on him. Nothing to bind him to his promises. If he rejected her, she’d be fair and tasty game for his brothers. Her shivering returned.

Only one brief act stood in her way. Once they got past that, she’d be safe. And tied to Cale and his life here forever. Part of her rebelled against that sacrifice while another whispered, “You know you want him. You’ve always wanted him.”

Confused and dispirited, Kendra crossed the darkened living room and entered the bedroom. Everything was neat and tidy. All signs of their having shared the bed were gone. She sat on its edge and studied that smooth, unrumpled surface, thinking of Cale’s drugging kisses, hearing the sound of harsh breathing, trying to separate fears of the past from current necessity and desires. What was she going to do?

Give him something.
Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Others Controlled Her Fate

A gentle female held hostage in a deadly play for power, Kendra Terriot’s only means of survival for herself and her family is to play to a careful courtship game. The one she chooses from her clan’s dangerous heirs will inherit the coveted crown, keeping her their prisoner forever . . . unless she can retain her virtue until rescue arrives.


The Past Destroyed His Dreams

Favored son of their brutal Shifter leader, the only calm in Cale Terriot’s violent world is a childhood love for his delicate distant cousin whom he’s pledged to make his queen. With Kendra at his side, he knows he can become the kind of ruler his clan needs, but first he must learn how to become the kind of mate she desires.

A Choice Would Determine Their Future

In a treacherous race for control, where weakness means death, Cale must prove he’s not the beast his beauty fears and still protect her, especially once her unrequited love returns to free her. The only way to win her respect could mean surrendering his throne. The only way to win her heart could mean letting her go . . . even if she no longer wants to be saved.

*Fans self* Whew, is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?

To keep the summer nights as sweltering as you like them, enter my giveaway below and invest in some sultry preternatural adventures.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sneak Peek Sunday

Follow Along with Sneak Peek Sunday
Time once again to slip between the pages of a book and get lost ... but only for six paragraphs. You might call it teasing, but I call it sweet temptation. Tempting readers with new stories, new characters, a new opportunity to fall in love, to find adventure. Just a taste that will leave you wanting more.

After you savor this sampling from PRINCE OF SHADOWS , the latest book in my “ By Moonlight ” dark paranormal shape-shifter series (that can be read on its own, BTW!), make sure you do the rounds to nibble on the other offerings from this Sunday’s buffet of yummy reads.


He thought she was going to leave him. 

Hadn’t that been the plan all along? To escape this terrible place of uncertainty and sorrow? To try to capture some sort of normalcy, some degree of happiness, where she didn’t have to fear that any misspoken word could be her last? How had her happiness gotten tangled again with the son of her enemy, who wouldn’t leave the only place she couldn’t bear to stay? 

“I wouldn’t blame you, Kendra.” Cale’s words gave her pause. “I know what I’m asking is more than you can give. I know how much you hate it here. If I were any kind of man, I’d let you go, but I can’t. I can’t just walk away from my life here and go with you, either. I don’t know the answer. I do want you to know that I’d understand. I’d forgive you.”

“Forgive me?” She stared at him blankly. Then cold fear began to rise alongside a righteous anger. “For what? Not liking the fact that I’ve been a prisoner? That I’ve been threatened and terrorized? That my loved ones have been brutally slain for no reason other than pride? That the boy I loved was bullied and beaten and forced to live in an ugly, brutal world without knowing how much I dreamed of being with him? Don’t you dare forgive me for any of those things. You’re the leader this clan deserves. You’re the only one who can knock that beast off his throne, and I want to see you do it. I want to help you do it.”

She put her palm on his chest, feeling the vigorous beat of his pulse beneath it. Looking deeply into his eyes, she called him on his earlier promise. “I want justice for my family, Cale. Take care of that for me.”

Kendra watched as everything about her mate came together with intensely centered focus. His hand fit over hers, squeezing gently. “For you, my queen, anything.”

Amazon Barnes & Noble
Others Controlled Her Fate

A gentle female held hostage in a deadly play for power, Kendra Terriot’s only means of survival for herself and her family is to play to a careful courtship game. The one she chooses from her clan’s dangerous heirs will inherit the coveted crown, keeping her their prisoner forever . . . unless she can retain her virtue until rescue arrives.



The Past Destroyed His Dreams

Favored son of their brutal Shifter leader, the only calm in Cale Terriot’s violent world is a childhood love for his delicate distant cousin whom he’s pledged to make his queen. With Kendra at his side, he knows he can become the kind of ruler his clan needs, but first he must learn how to become the kind of mate she desires.

A Choice Would Determine Their Future

In a treacherous race for control, where weakness means death, Cale must prove he’s not the beast his beauty fears and still protect her, especially once her unrequited love returns to free her. The only way to win her respect could mean surrendering his throne. The only way to win her heart could mean letting her go . . . even if she no longer wants to be saved.

"Unique and intriguing. Remarkable characters. A very effortless read; the flow and pace were exceptional. It was refreshing to read such a well-written story in this analogous world." - Books, Books, More Books

"5 Star! Nancy Gideon has done it again. This series seems to get better and better with each book. You will love this one." - Wolf Majick

"A wonderful read, grabs onto you and refuses to let go. The descriptions were on point and beautiful. Love the intertwining of the supernatural, characters were so memorable and you simply have to love Cale. Would totally recommend this book to others." - Pick Your Poison Book Reviews

Just a reminder – I’m participating in Night Owl Reviews’ Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt by giving away a $25 Amazon gift card! Read book blurbs and hunt for the missing words and phrases for a chance to win awesome prizes from a huge list of authors!

Happy Reading!!

Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt! The Search Is On!

Remember those frantic races door-to-door looking for oddities like wooden matchsticks, KoolAid packets, a golf tee, a shoelace, and a caffeine-free tea bag? Night Owl Reviews is rekindling the excitement with prizes galore during its Summer Fun Scavenger Hunt that introduces readers to authors and their books. No need to annoy the neighbors. This Hunt is done via your keyboard with a fill in the blank word search. Seek and Find and Enter to win fabulous prizes . . . by reading book blurbs. How fun is that?!

I’ll be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card. A host of other authors are offering everything from gift certificates to gift baskets, all valued at $25 or more! The greatest prize of all could be discovering a soon-to-be favorite new author and great summer read!

Head to Night Owl Reviews and let the Hunt begin . . .

And speaking of prizes, congratulations to Sharon Miller who won a gift card from my contest during the Fresh Fiction “Pack Your Beach Tote” event!

For MORE fun, check out the awesome Bewitching Book Tours June 2013 Magazine’s werewolf issue! I’ve got an article on “All in the Family: Running with the Pack” and an excerpt from PRINCE OF SHADOWS in its glossy pages!

Happy Summer and Happy Reading!!

Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Let the Music Play: Character Soundtracks

I had a lot of fun in a recent post at Savvy Authors describing the reason for creating Playlists to accompany your books, along with a brief How-To from my virtual assistant, My Girl Friday at Rebel Yell Media Management, and my criteria for picking songs to include. I featured the playlist for Cale Terriot, the rowdy, tattooed, rock and roll hero of PRINCE OF SHADOWS, but not the one I had for the heroine. I’m all about equal opportunity so I wanted to give Kendra matching airtime with a little something extra – the reasons behind my selection of each song for both her and Cale.

So as you listen to the Playlists, read through my thoughts on bringing those tunes to the party.

Playlist for Kendra Terriot of PRINCE OF SHADOWS:




Because of You (Kelly Clarkson): is where my heroine comes from, a background where she witnessed her mother’s abuse and failure to address it, and now fears she’ll be subjected to a similar situation. The aching sentiments reflect her caution, lack or trust and isolation.
Behind These Hazel Eyes (Kelly Clarkson): picks up with Kendra in the present. She’s had a close relationship ripped away by betrayal and faces a return of those emotions that tear her apart.These Dreams (Heart): I’ve loved this one since the ‘80s! Its haunting lyrics express Kendra’s romantic ideals, those “dreams in the mist.” That it laments about a world full of princes is a bonus with her ultimate freedom coming in the form of a kiss from one of them.I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts): If ever there was an anthem for being caught in a toxic relationship, this is it. It’s playing in the book’s pivotal club scene where Kendra’s feelings of awakening sexuality focus on Cale, the one who hurt her and “took her heart and pride away.”Broken Wings (Mr. Mister): Another of my ‘80’s favs. The fact that it starts with a crooning, “Baby” makes it Cale’s poignant plea for Kendra, the half that makes him whole, to give him a chance to make things right between them.Bring Me Back to Life (Evanescence): Ami Lee’s angsty, raw and desperate vocals express Kendra need to break from her fears and experience not just sex, but emotion and love, and echo Cale’s plea that he’s been living a lie and for her to save him from them.Fall For You (Secondhand Serenade): Cale’s wooing promise that she’s it for him, for her to open her heart and trust him, and Kendra’s struggle against her want to believe him.Dog Days Are Over (Florence & the Machine): The driving beat pulses with Kendra’s rediscovery of freedom as she puts the past behind her, quits hiding from its pain so she can move forward.
Cale Terriot’s Playlist from PRINCE OF SHADOWS:


Beautiful Disaster (Kelly Clarkson): Kendra’s observation of Cale as “damned as he seems” from suffering more damage than the soul should have to take. Her list is full of contrasts, unknown motives and uncertainties. She’s waited so long to have him but fears it will be a terrible mistake.
Lonely Boy (The Black Keys): Cale’s determination to wait for the love of his life by putting his heart and emotions on hold with a claim of “I don’t mind bleeding.”
Money Talks (AC/DC): As a Terriot, full of arrogance, wealth and privilege, Cale cynically realizes that money and power are what the females of his clan are after, but Kendra’s always wanted him in spite of it. A fun scene in the book with Cale dancing and pouring champagne over the heads of his grasping female entourage.
1st Regiment (Chrome Division): Reflects the Terriot motto of take what they want, want what they see, and hold what they have with the aggressive growl that others get out of their way or they’ll have “another reason for war.”
Music (Madonna): Kendra thinks this an odd inclusion in Cale’s personal playlist until he picks up its sexy, infectious beat to show off graceful and powerful MMA moves . . . and his hot bod. Madonna’s video reflects the Terriot’s love of flash and elitism, and even features a little fighting dust up.
Broken (Seether): From Cale and Kendra dance at the club. The raw ballad is all about Cale’s longing for his lost love and his desire to take her pain away.
Shot of Love (AC/DC): Full of Cale’s macho swagger as he stakes a proud and boastful claim upon his new mate in front of his family, and she doesn’t mind responding in kind to his bold, “I want you.”
Cat People (David Bowie): Cale’s patient and often animalistic struggle to become strong enough within his family’s brutal hierarchy to claim Kendra as his queen summed up with “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through,” overcoming weakness with necessary violence.
Broken, Beat and Scarred (Metallica): Fierce, hard rocking literal look at what Cale’s been willing to do to survive and protect those he loves by never staying down. Echoes his mantra of “What don’t kill you makes you strong.”
Ships In the Night (Mat Kearney): If movies have their love song, this is PRINCE OF SHADOWS’s. Full of petition and promise as Cale vows to be that heart that’s not walking away as he searches for a way to right his life and lead it with Kendra at his side.

Hope this has given you an up close and personal look inside PRINCE OF SHADOWS and its characters through the magic of music! Do you find Playlists a fun addition to a book’s content as a reader? As a writer are they something you’ve tried?

Happy listening. Happy reading.