Nancy Gideon's Blog, page 8
December 5, 2023
[IWSG] Reviews: For and By Readers and/or Writers?
Buut on to our topic:
December 6th question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?
I’ve been a writer practically since the time I became an avid reader. I loved telling/writing stories to entertain myself first, then others. The happiest moment of my life was when an English teacher in high school suggested I look into writing for publication. But that excitement dimmed when, as a very shy author, I realized that would mean getting feedback that wasn’t always going to be kind. It can be a school of hard knocks when strangers enter into the mix.
Reviews are opinions to benefit others who are deciding whether or not to try the author/buy the book. AND they provide nice bits of positive promo, i.e. quotes, to add selling power to author advertising campaigns.
Don’t be afraid to contact an author to request a quote, especially if they’ve read and loved other things you’ve written, but make sure you provide them with plenty of time in advance of publication to read the material. I will only leave a review for a book I love. That way, both the readers AND the author can benefit. Win-Win!
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
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!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the December 6th posting of the IWSG will be C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
Click Here →
To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
December 2, 2023
WeWriWa: He’s Baaaack! Max returns in a BOUND BY MOONLIGHT Reissue . . . Complete with New Scenes!
It’s hard to keep a great hero down. Ever since RISE BY MOONLIGHT, the 15th and “final” book of my “By Moonlight” shapeshifter series, was issued back in 2020, I’ve gotten continual requests for More Max! Far be it from me to say no. Having gotten the rights back to books 4-8 from Pocket Books, it’s time I started getting these five books back out there. They make the bridge from the original three titles to my self-pubbed books, filling in the gaps . . . with some all new material! Deleted scenes. NEW scenes. Enriched scenes that were trimmed for length for the original publication format. And new covers! Drum roll . . . Feast your eyes on BOUND BY MOONLIGHT. Now available on Kindle!
Preview BookAmazon
It’s who I am . . . Charlotte Caissie knows little about normal relationships. Driven by duty, she’s followed her father’s footsteps as an NOPD detective, compelled to see justice done . . . until a kiss from Max Savoie has her sharing his dresser drawers and making media news as his girlfriend. He expects things she can’t give, like commitment, trust. And a family. How did she lose control of her life to an enigmatic man who inherited a criminal empire . . . and is not even human?
It's what I am . . . Max Savoie struggles to be what everyone expects of him, a difficult task when he doesn’t know who or what he is. His only certainty is his love for Charlotte Caissie. When a deadly situation threatens their city, CeeCee calls upon Max’s preternatural talents to find the serial killer holding a colleague’s daughter hostage, a move that could risk exposing him for what he is . . . something more monster than man.
Enjoy Romance . . . By Moonlight!
“Bound by Moonlight has everything I want in a romance! Sizzling passion, a sexy hero, and a paranormal love to last the ages.” – Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author
The Excerpt
Don’t you just LOVE this new cover my virtual assistant made for me!!! It captures all of the Grrrrrrowl that is Max Savoie. Now, to get on to the facelifts for next books in the series . . . after seeing what my fellow WeWriWa pals have been doing . . .
A local band was doing an admirable job on a variety of cover songs. Strands of tiny lights crisscrossed above couples dancing on the street. One hand on her waist, the other engulfing hers, Max moved her in long, graceful steps to the Cajun waltz La Valse des Chere Bebe. As the sweeping tempo of the music and the heat of his touch worked magic upon her mood, Cee Cee forgot the cameras, the whispers. There was only Max, and a resurgence of the way she’d felt dancing with him barefoot on his lawn amongst his feral clan.
Gazing up at him, her heart in her eyes, she smiled at the novelty of being in love. At the irony of being in love with probably the most inappropriate male she could ever have imagined. He smiled back, a slow, sexy curve that betrayed the similar state of his own heart and promised her everything she’d been looking for. Those watching covertly got a quick glimpse of what went on between them behind closed doors, between smooth sheets.
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
November 25, 2023
WeWriWa: Breaking the Ties that Bind, SWEET TEXAS DREAMS
Be careful what you wish for. As young adults, we can’t WAIT to break free of the influence of our parents to venture out on our own. Making our own plans. Setting our own rules. And suffering the consequences of those choices. Ah, adulthood in all its non-glamorous glory. Becca Bass has no plans to remain with the rest of her tightly knit family in the wilds of West Texas. She’s afraid of just about everything that life offers . . . especially the rough-and-tumble men. A trip to New York for a debut in the society her mother came from is everything she’s dreamed of – the chance to spread her wings amongst the elite of that city . . . and to reunite with the man she’s determined to wed . . . who is from a family her father abhors, with good reason. A dream about to end . . .
The Excerpt
I can't WAIT to get the Bass family series reissued, with all new covers . . . and a NEW book for Becca’s brother, Randall. Looks like my 2024 is going to head for Texas. Yee Yaw! Hope all of you had a fabulous Thanksgiving, because I’m especially thankful for all of you!!
The situation couldn’t have pleased Becca more—her parents simpering and smiling at one another, the anticipation of Morgan’s question, a dangling enticement . . . then her father shattered her peace of mind with his offhand announcement of, “We’ll be leaving day after tomorrow, soon as we get some things settled.”
The Duncans began a noisy protest, but Becca sat frozen in silence, uncertain as to how to interpret his statement. Did they intend to take her with them? Her gaze sought out her mother’s frantically.
“We’ve got to get back home,” Amanda concluded firmly, adding, “It was nice to get reacquainted with the past, but we’ve got a lot of future ahead of us in West Texas.” Her gaze tangled hotly with her husband’s.
What about her future? Becca wondered wildly. Then her father smiled at her, and her anxieties fluttered to a standstill.
“We’ll be going as soon as we make arrangements for Becca, seeing to her finances so she can support herself and get a place to stay.”
“Here?” she squeaked.
“You want to stay, don’t you?”
She couldn’t answer him through the sudden swell of bittersweet joy. They trusted her enough to let her go. She was staggered by that truth and suddenly, contrarily, shaken by the staggering fact that she’d be letting go, too.
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
November 18, 2023
WeWriWa: Destined to be Together . . . TEXAS RENEGADE
While my virtual assistant and I lounged during the early November evenings to let weary feet rest in our New Orleans hotel room . . . without a working TV! . . . after long days pounding the uneven pavement in search of story inspiration, I had time to enjoy doing something I spend too little time doing. I READ! I’d forgotten the luxury of spending an hour or two (or three!) banked on fluffy pillows with a good book in hand . . . on this occasion a book from my Bass family historical series that I’m getting ready to reissue. You know what I rediscovered? Not only the pleasure I reap from words on a page, but how much I LOVED this historical romance series! So much so, I’ve been racing through the pages of Book 4 with one objective in mind . . . adding a new Book 6 to the series! From the prologue of Book 1, TEMPTATION’S TRAIL, written under the pseudonym Dana Ransom for Zebra Books back in the ‘90s, I was right back in the dusty heat of West Texas with a family I knew as well as my own. And now I’m on Book 4 of 5 turning pages as fast as I can to devour scenes like this one from TEXAS RENEGADE. . .
Kenitay – An honorable mix of Tex-Apache with no place in either world is shackled by prejudice and a crime he didn’t commit. Haunted by the dark past he escaped, can he accept the offer of inclusion within his step-father’s family fold if it means surrendering a cause and a secret that could turn them against him . . . risking a future with the only woman who understands him.
Leisha – A headstrong female out to prove herself in the male-dominated Bass family of heroes finds her weakness exposed when rescued by a never-forgotten shadow from her past. Can she trust the childhood friend who saves her from disgrace without sacrificing her pride as well as her heart to the intriguing and dangerous wanted man he’s become? The Excerpt
Whew! I’m hurrying through our posts so I can get back to the rest of the story . . .
The big frame house was quiet around him with only the tug of the dry Texas breeze at his window curtains to echo the restlessness of a soul all stirred up with conflicting loyalties. There were no solutions to the ache of unrealized longing in his heart, knowing he couldn’t stay and yet, that once he left, he couldn’t return. His path was one of retribution, not self-fulfillment. There was nothing except the gratification of revenge. It had been easy to promise that he’d surrender himself when all was done because there wasn’t a whisper of belief in heart or mind that he’d survive what he planned. He was already a ghost out to avenge a spiritless people. He’d accepted that when he’d claimed the right of vengeance as a son. He’d lived so long without hope, the future held no sense of expectation or reward.
Until Leisha.
(and a bit more . . .)
That was the hell of it. He could imagine himself wed to her, filling her with his children, surrounded by the close-knit Bass clan for a safe and satisfying forever . . . could imagine it but couldn’t have it. Not if he walked the path honor demanded. Consequence was going to catch him. When was the only variable. He was walking in a doomed man’s shoes and no matter how uncomfortable the fit was, he was committed to the journey as son of Kodene, a once-proud Apache warrior and now, restless spirit. He wasn’t going to Austin to clear his name and the way to a dreamed of future with Leisha Bass, and he wasn’t coming back.
He was going to kill the two men who dishonored his father’s soul.
Have a great Turkey Day for those who will be stuffing in the stuffing this week! I’m enjoy a restful holiday off by having our meal delivered . . . and will still have leftovers!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
November 11, 2023
WeWriWa: Following TEMPTATION’S TRAIL . . .
Where does one go for inspiration—to the source. I’m back from a busy, fantastic, and all too short working vacay in New Orleans. It’s no secret that NOLA is my favorite place – the music, the food . . . the history! In just five days packed fuller than my suitcase, my assistant (who’d never been before) and I explored, toured by streetcar, and overindulged in the local cuisine to get the feel of the city and, as we cabbed to the airport for the trip home, got a whiff of wildfire smoke heading its way from Texas. A six-hour Chicago airport delay later (never my favorite end to a vacay but better than at the beginning!), I got home at midnight glad to be in my own bed. Then up early, raring to bring first my Bass family five-book saga and then books 4-8 of my NOLA-set By Moonlight series back to life with at least one new edition to each series.
My love affair with Texas started back in 1993 with a most unlikely hero. Meet Harmon Bass in TEMPTATION’S TRAIL . . .
The Excerpt Part of the hard work bringing my Texas series back into print is the fact that I have no text to work with (the book galleys and handwritten original manuscripts from those five books long since lost over several decades and moves). I’m hoping scanning technology will step up to fill that void. Then, there are new covers to make – and that I’m looking forward to!
He studied the toes of his boots for a moment, building up to something. “About the money.”
“We agreed on one thousand dollars. I’ll have it for you when I see my brother again.”
He looked up. Blue, she noticed with some surprise, his eyes were blue, not a fierce black, but blue as searingly clear and intense as the midday West Texas sky in startling contrast to the darkness of his complexion.
“I was hoping to get it upfront.”
Amanda smiled. She may not have had a great deal of worldly experience, but money was one thing she understood very well, having handled it all her life. “Mr. Bass, I don’t know you from Adam. If I handed you a thousand dollars, I’d have no guarantee of ever seeing you again.”
“You have my word on it.”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not enough.”
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
Not so much as a muscle twitched in his impassive face, his expression suddenly granite hard. “How do I know you’ll pay me once the job’s done, especially if the news I bring back isn’t good?”
“I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Duncan, but I’m not that trusting, either.”
“Well, it seems we’re at a standoff unless you’ll agree to another proposition.” She could feel his tension as he waited and watched her. “I’ll give you five hundred dollars now for a horse, supplies, and all expenses. And I’ll pay you the full thousand dollars when the job’s done.”
“I already have a horse.”
“But I don’t, and I’ll be going with you.”
The other project I’m dying to get into is rereleasing my By Moonlight books #4-8 – hence the trip to NOLA, my inspirational source material! I know, that’s a full plate . . . but then I like knowing where my next meal will be coming from!
Now, off to see what you’re up to . . .
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
October 28, 2023
WeWriWa: Take a (fang) BITE out of this Tasty MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT $0.99 SALE!
A dead (literally!) sexy dark hero, a gutsy, desperate, and driven heroine in a historical Turn of the Century setting I can’t wait to return to (at the end of this month!!) all in one spine tingling setting – New Orleans! Gerardo Pascale first appeared as a villain in the original trio of my Midnight vampire romance series – a villain who quickly became my favorite character (I DO love a bad boy!!). He was just too good to waste. Scarred and in hiding, he’s been living undetected by the human world – until an unscrupulous bargain binds him in unholy matrimony to a woman carrying another man’s child. Here’s a tasty nibble from MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT . . .
Midnight Enchantment (Touched by Midnight - Book 4)Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iBooksPublished: May 3, 2011Length: 230 PagesAdd to Goodreads TBR→
The Excerpt
Hmmmm! A vampire in the family . . . How’s that going to work out? Not as planned, I guarantee!
“Now, I may not be able to convince anyone that you are a . . . a vampire, sir, but, if I give this information to the newspapers, they will hound you unmercifully, and without access to your monies, you’ll have no means to flee the city.”
Silence as the dark night creature pondered this, unperturbed, and that alarmed Percy, as did the words that followed.
“And if I were to just tear out your throat before you could give that information to anyone?”
The casual way he presented Percy’s death made the lawyer’s blood run icy because it was no idle threat when dealing with a dangerous being who’d survived centuries by preying upon human lives, and would snatch his soul without a moment’s remorse. But prepared for that, too, solicitor told him, “The original papers are in a safe place with instructions to turn them over to the authorities should anything happen to me, and be assured, they might not believe what you are, sir, but they take murder very seriously.”
A frustration of rage pulsed from Gerardo Pasquale in palpable waves. Suddenly, Percy knew an instant of true terror as the solidity of Pasquale’s figure seemed to flicker before his eyes, becoming so faint as to be transparent, edges shifting, transforming into something else, something horrible, alien and monstrous, but exactly what was not quite clear. Standing frozen, Percy feared he’d made an irrevocable error in believing himself safe.
Then, to his relief, Pasquale assumed his human shape once again and with a deadly quiet, asked, “What do you want?”
“I want you to marry my sister.”
While you’re devouring ME, I’ll be trying to stuff my entire wardrobe into a travel suitcase and sighing over my five-day agenda for a vacay in New Orleans! Warning: Pictures to come!! And maybe another NOLA-set book or two . . . historical, contemporary, suspense, paranormal? Which would you like to read?
HAPPY HOWL-OWEEN!!
October 21, 2023
WeWriWa: Romance with a (fang) BITE! MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT $0.99 SALE
October is the time for all things WooWoo to come out and play. For only $0.99, I’m putting my favorite book in the TOUCHED BY MIDNIGHT vampire romance series into your treat bag. It has everything I adore – a dead (literally!) sexy dark hero, a gutsy desperate and driven heroine, and a historical Turn of the Century setting I can’t wait to return to (this month!! Only in present-day!) – New Orleans! Gerard Pascale has centuries of experience living undetected by the human world – until an unscrupulous bargain binds him in unholy matrimony to a woman carrying another man’s child. Here’s a tasty nibble from MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT . . .
Midnight Enchantment (Touched by Midnight - Book 4)Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books | iBooksPublished: May 3, 2011Length: 230 PagesAdd to Goodreads TBR→
The Excerpt
While you’re devouring MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT, I’ll be walking the historic French Quarter with my personal assistant (and good buddy!) on the look out for new spooktacular story ideas. I’ll be MIA next weekend while trying to stuff my entire wardrobe into a travel suitcase and sighing over my five-day agenda. Warning: Pictures ahead!! And maybe another NOLA-set book or two . . . historical, contemporary, suspense, paranormal? Which would you like to read?
A revenant.
It explained everything. With that certainty came the relief that she wasn’t going mad. She had seen with her own eyes the proof of his dark existence.
Her husband was a vampire.
She’d been raised to believe such things were possible. They were part of her hidden heritage, but she’d always thought of them as stories, folklore . . . until now.
Now the truth had placed a ring upon her finger and called her ‘wife.’
But did having a new name to give him change what she already knew about her husband?
Did it change the fact that she was dangerously close to falling in love with him?
( . . . and a “bite” more . . .)
He woke as he always did, from drifting nothingness to complete awareness with the last dying ray of the sun. Century after century, it was always the same, the first razor-sharp roar of thirst threading through his withered veins, the surge of dynamic energy, and the sense of sameness, that the moment replayed over and over to an eternity. But on this night, he woke to newness, to uncertainty, and for the first time, to anticipation.
Would she still be there beneath his roof? His bold, combative beauty. Or would the truth have driven her away in understandable horror? He was simply curious, he told himself, not that what one silly mortal did mattered to him in the least,
But oh, how quiet the huge house would be without her in it. From comfortable home back to mausoleum again.
It wasn’t as if he would miss her.
HAPPY HOWL-OWEEN!!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
October 14, 2023
WeWriWa: Dream a Little Dream . . . SWEET TEXAS DREAMS
It’s always the last one you’d expect who rises heroically to the occasion. In the legendary Bass family, that weak link is dreamer Becca Bass. Pretty, pampered, and terrified of just about everything involving life in West Texas, she escapes into the books her mother brought with her from her home in the East – tales of romance and manners and elegant gentlemen –things Becca’s sure are out of reach until New Yorker Morgan Daniels arrives at their dusty doorway to hire her father, the legendary Harmon Bass, to help him rescue his kidnapped father. But Harm is sidelined by an injury. Rather than let the opportunity escape, Becca steps up to fill his impossibly large and dangerous shadow. But what she doesn’t know could get them both killed.
Seeking to escape her lonely and sheltered life, shy Texas beauty Becca Bass joins New York attorney Morgan Daniels on a dangerous quest through the desert to rescue his father, who has been kidnapped. Original. The Excerpt
Ain’t that just the truth!! At least it’s her truth until she finds that grit that has sustained her family through generations.
As she lay at stiff attention, latching onto every whispered sound as a possible threat, the pain of missing the familiar rose up to clutch at an anxiously beating heart. She wished for her starched white sheets smelling fresh from the afternoon sun, for the murmurs from her parents’ bedroom—those husky love sounds that fed her romantic soul—even for her brother’s clumsy attempts at sneaking up the stairs under the influence of too much fun in town. All those things that were a big warm blanket of security had bundled about her since the day she was born. Without her family and their love close by, she suffered a pang of loneliness the likes of which she’d never experienced before. It echoed in her soul as mournfully as a coyote’s cry.
She had to wonder if this grand adventure was worth the anxieties it was putting her through.
And this was just the beginning.
As sleep claimed her, Becca decided romance was much prettier when painted by words within the imagination.
As I’m finishing the read through of her and Morgan’s romance, I’m waxing sentimental about these characters, thinking maybe, just maybe another book or two is warranted. As I watch fall settle in outside my office window, I’m thinking just maybe I need to pull out those handwritten pages of Randall’s partially written story to keep me warm . . . Sigh!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
October 7, 2023
WeWriWa: Take a Wild Ride with WILD TEXAS BRIDE . . .
It’s no secret that western-set romances are my secret love. I grew up in the TV cowboy generation, thinking that a tall, tight-jawed hunk of man with six-guns on his hips was the to die for hero. Over a half-century later, I’m still of that mind set. So, taking time off from suspense thrillers and contemporary conundrums to return to that wild, wild west is a delightful journey back in time to reissue my favorite series of the Bass family’s Texas-set adventures from back in the early 1990’s. Saddle up and take a ride with me . . .
He gave her her first kiss when she was thirteen. But now Billy Cooper has taken up with a dangerous outlaw gang. To save him from a supposed life of crime, seventeen-year-old Sarah Bass dons boots and britches, and in the family tradition, goes after her man. Locked in a shotgun marriage, a man hell-bent on justice and a woman sworn to tame him, fight for a place for their love to survive.
Here’s a gritty taste of Texas: The Excerpt
Yee Haw!! Now, to get these books back in print without having the actual manuscript pages to work from (these were pre-computer!). Anyone know of a good paperback-to-text conversion company?
How could he ever forgive himself if anything happened to her?
For years, since that explosive kiss in Harm Bass’s backyard, all he’d dreamed of was being half the ranger Jack Bass was so he could marry Jack’s sister.
Sarah gave a murmur of discomfort, and when he leaned close to tuck his coat about her trembling form, she caught onto his arm and hugged it tight, pulling him across her for a blanketing warmth. He felt her shivering and his resistance gave without a whimper.
“Cold, huh? Me, too. Guess it couldn’t hurt for me to stretch on out beside you.”
When she burrowed against his side without ever opening her eyes, his will gave another reluctant notch. Without realizing it, he was stroking her hair, pressing soft kisses against her warm brow until there was nothing left inside him to object to the swell of tender feeling.
( . . . and a bit more . . .)
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Sarah. Cuz one of these days I might decide to quit rangering, take you for my wife and want a whole passel of kids.” He stared up at the stars, not believing it would ever happen but liking to imagine it. Sarah groaned quietly and shifted to a more comfortable curve against him.
“How many?”
Her groggy question startled him as he hadn’t thought she was awake. “How many what?”
“How many kids do you want us to have?”
He picked a large number at random, thinking to scare her off. “Six.”
“Okay.” She nudged her cheek within the hollow of his shoulder,
“’Course, there ain’t much chance of that happening once you Uncle Harmon makes a hatband outta my hide.
He felt her smile. “I won’t let him.”
Happy October and all the spooky good times ahead!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their #8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Nancy on the WebBlog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
October 3, 2023
IWSG: “Shall we play a game?”
That should answer every question you might have about AI. Artificial Intelligence was pure SciFi when I started my writing career (heck, we didn’t even have electric typewriters or erasable bond paper!). What could possibly go wrong by making our writing life easier? Apparently, a lot. Making things simpler for mankind, as proven by Asimov and Heinlein, usually doesn’t end as expected. But we never learn, do we, as we search for that easy way to get by on the least amount of personal effort.
October 4th question: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?
Bull! Fiction writing (and the arts) is just about the last bastion of personal expression. Why should any of us surrender the uniqueness of that creative endeavor? I adore all the shortcuts as much as the next author – the computer reading back your work so you can check for errors (mostly made by the computer stumbling over non-generic phrases in that lovely British accent), auto-correct, and formatting. But the individuality of self-expression through storytelling is what our genre is all about – that taking the same general idea and producing thousands of individual interpretations by applying vastly different personal opinions, levels of education, and experiences. AI, no matter how sophisticated, is still a programmed response, not unique expression. The joy I get from reading is in the flavor of personal choice – whether in plotting, dialogue, or character development. The quirks that come with being human, the illogical choices that stem from passion or instability. All the juicy, purely mortal faults and eccentricities that compose the characters and situations that take our imaginations on such enjoyable journeys. You can argue that musical scales only have so many notes and the keyboard so many letters and it’s the arrangement that makes them unique. I’ll add it’s the human passion and emotions, and experiences that take those things to the next level.
What are your thoughts? Can’t wait to find out.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
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!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. The awesome co-hosts for the October 4th posting of the IWSG will be Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG
Click Here →
To join the IWSG Blog Hop and view the List of Hop Participants!
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube | Goodreads | AmazonGoodreads “Nancy Gideon by Moonlight” group
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="https://nancygideon.blogspot.com//pla...
