Susan Hanniford Crowley's Blog: From Nights of Passion Blog, page 229

���WIPpersnapper��� by Stacy Hoff

Some of my recent blog posts talked about WIP���s. WIP’s are what writers (like myself) call a manuscript that is a work-in-progress. My complaint last week was that there are simply too many other things for authors to get done, and our WIP often gets shoved aside so we can accomplish other tasks.

Well, I���ve found a way to push forward with my newest novel. ��All it takes is for me to crack my own whip (or in this case, WIP). Specifically, by holding myself accountable every day to accomplish my word count goal. I set the bar low to entice me to get started. A low threshold prevents me from getting overwhelmed. Or worse, refusing to even start since I know I won���t have the time to finish anyway.

It���s actually a philosophy the exact opposite of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For those unfamiliar, NaNoWriMo takes place every November, challenging authors (both aspiring and published) to write about 1,700 words a day in order to complete a 50,000 word novel in one month���s time.

But this goal is much too high for me. It takes me countless hours to reach NaNoWriMo’s 1,700 word count goal. Considering I have a day job, a family to take care of, and household responsibilities to get done, that’d be a mighty hard writing goal for me to reach in one day. In fact, I know I wouldn’t be motivated to start. So I set my word count goal real low, at a mere 100 words a day. I���ve found out with this simpler challenge, I often exceed it, sometimes getting in a 1,000 words before I fall asleep on my laptop.

Sure I���ll write at a pace slower than NaNoWriMo, but it���s my pace.��And a slow pace is better than no pace, right? Now I better get going. It���s time for me to be a WIPpersnapper again!

What do you do to motivate yourself?

Find Stacy on Social Media: ��www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff���� Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

Desire in the Everglades available on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Desire-Everglades-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00NFSMCYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410289138&sr=8-1&keywords=desire+in+the+everglades.

 

 

Filed under: A writer's life, goals, Stacy Hoff, Writing

What I’ve Learned: Secret 6 – I’m Stuck!

I’ve been stuck in my recent work in progress, Book Two in the Arnhem Knights of New York series. One reason was I needed to do several things. When I’m stuck, I have to change gears. I’m not listening to what my characters need. So I take the last sentence and write it in a journal and I climb into bed. If I fall asleep all the better, because I’ll dream what comes next. Sometimes I’ll dream what comes two chapters down.

Fortunately, I’ve come to a really lovely part in the book.�� It’s the wedding.�� I wrote and wrote and then became stuck again.�� I needed to see my heroine’s wedding gown. I needed

“Bridal bouquet white pink rose stephanotis” Photo by (c)2007 Jina Lee – Own work.�� Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridal_bouquet_white_pink_rose_stephanotis.jpg

visuals.�� So I went looking for her gown.�� There are a lot of gowns out there. Some were antique. Some modern.�� Some daring.�� Some sweet. Finally I found several and posted them on my desktop until my heroine chose her gown.�� Whew, once that was done, we had to go through all the arrangements.�� Fortunately she does have an excellent wedding planner but it’s still a lot of work. This mother-of-the-heroine/bride was completely worn out.

At this point I’ve been compiling quite a lot in a journal that I can now type back into the laptop to continue with the book.

Yay! I’m unstuck and on to the big day!

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

 

 

Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Characters, Emotions, Max Vander Meer, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Secret #6, Susan Hanniford Crowley, The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Writer's Life, writing workshop

A Little Chemistry, a Lot of Impact

I know I must have mentioned Amy Cuddy and her Ted Talk on body language at some point or other. If I haven’t, I’m sorry and you can view it here. It certainly is motivational from the standpoint of us all belonging and the importance of acting like we belong even if we feel like a fraud or a failure. That is a valuable lesson for any of us to learn, but even more fascinating to me is the science behind it.

Now I’m not a scientist and I’m not even going to claim to have full knowledge or understanding of how the chemicals and hormones within us work, but if you watch the video, you’ll see Amy Cuddy talks about our Testosterone levels and our Cortisol levels and how we can actively control and change these levels just be our conscious actions. For instance, we can power pose (think wonder woman) or close ourselves into a little “shell” before an interview. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you which would result in the more confident and impactful interviewee– the power poser of course! Amy talks about how these power poses and boosts to our confidence can increase our testosterone and decrease our cortisol. It all makes sense and is quite fascinating even as it is silly.

Why silly? Well how often have you stood talking to yourself in the mirror, giving yourself a pep talk and standing strong? The truth is we probably don’t do that��enough and if we did, those interviews, pitch sessions, public speaking sessions, etc. probably wouldn’t feel so incredibly awful and difficult and we just might find we fit in more than we thought.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, I have to tell you I’m a believer and I’m trying this. We’ll see how it goes but I’m only expecting good things.

Have a great week all and happy writing!

I know I must have mentioned Amy Cuddy and her Ted Talk on body language at some point or other. If I haven’t, I’m sorry and you can view it here. It certainly is motivational from the standpoint of us all belonging and the importance of acting like we belong even if we feel like a fraud or a failure.

Filed under: A writer's life, romance

Valentine’s Day Book Sales Coming Soon! by Mandy Rosko

I’m going to go ahead and admit that I tend to be a tiny bit saddened on Valentine’s Day. Yeah, I’m one of those girls. I never have a boyfriend or a date. Not once in all the Valentine’s Days that I’ve been alive have I ever had a boyfriend for one, and it’s one of the few times in the year when I really notice it.

Luckily, that’s what book boyfriends are for :3

Now that I’ve started you off on that depressing tangent, I want to bring you onto this good one. The Hot for Holiday Sale is coming back up again soon, and this time it’s Valentine’s Day themed! Ooooh, that’s going to be cool. Authors who are participating in this awesomeness are yours truly, Eve Langlais, Mandy Roth, I’m pretty sure Scarlett Dawn is in there, and a number of other cool authors who will be giving away their steamy stories with book boyfriends to die for, for either free, or 99 cents.

I’m going to have two books in there. One will be free, the other will most definitely be 99 cents. I like to spice things up like that ;) I’m also looking forward to this sale so I can get my hands on some really cool new books (Because I don’t have enough already)

Anyway, because I’m in need of a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, I need to know who your favorite book boyfriends are so that I can get my hands on them :3 Don’t be shy, list your favorite books with your most wished for heroes, I’ll also be posting this on my Facebook page to see if I can get any extra answers.

So, yeah, what good books have you read lately with your fav book boyfriends in them. Ready? Go!

XOXO

~Mandy

Burns Like Fire (Dangerous Creatures Book One) is��Available Now!

The Princess’ Dragon Lord is Now Available at��Amazon��and��B&N

Connect with me online:

Facebook

www.goodreads.com/Mandyrosko

Twitter: @rizzorosko

Mandyrosko.com

Want the latest on hot guys, erotic romance, and sizzling action? Add your super cool name to my Newsletter list and I’ll make sure you’re the first to hear about new releases the day they come out:��http://rizzorosko.com/contact.html
Filed under: romance

Ground Hog Day Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I am not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planets, I am intimately linked to the paranormal in the world in many ways. So are you.

With the blizzard headed my way, I hope all the little ground hogs keep warm. Yes, I know what that means.

The paranormal-scope is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to guide your life by.

The week for:

Aries:

Zombie sheep fall down a lot so you can easily get away.�� But consider getting more woolen goods or comfort clothes to keep warm.

Taurus:

A pixie dropped some dust on your doorstep and you’ll be tracking it everywhere making people smile. It’s going to be an interesting week. Expect the unexpected.

Gemini:

An elf from your past is coming your way. It could be a happy reunion or just reminiscing a bit on the phone. It’s your choice this time how close you’ll get.

Cancer:

Vampires love tap dancing. They won’t admit it. But they love the spotlight and are willing to share it with you.

Leo:

Zombies are walking down your street. The weather baffles them and they are at a standstill with indecision. Don’t let outside influences rule you.

Virgo:

Shapeshifters love yoga. They are very flexible. You will need to be flexible in the coming week.

Libra:

Dragons pack light. When the weather gets you down, take a weekend getaway. Pack light. Take little with you.�� Take no worries.

Scorpio:

Wererabbits have been munching on your food. Buy more munchies. Expect more wererabbit visitors.

Sagittarius:

Gnomes have been cleaning clutter. So should you.

Capricorn:

Surprise.�� A dragon offers you a gift. Take it.

Aquarius:

Whales are great singers. Add to your music collection. Listen more with your eyes closed.

Pisces:

Faeries find you delightful. You have been gifted and someone special wants to meet you.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, A writer's life, Max Vander Meer, Norse, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, vampire books, Vampire David Hilliard, Vampire King of New York, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, vampires, Viking, Yule

D is for Desire

���To strongly wish for or want something.��� That is desire in a nutshell. And yet the definition does not come close to describing this emotional heavy-weight of the romance world. Sexual desire is one of the absolute givens in any romance novel���the heroine and hero must desire one another in order for the plot to be viable. One of the first pieces of advice I was given as a director was to be sure that there was a moment when the hero and heroine shared a look that told the audience they were interested in one another. That look of desire sets up all that is to follow.

But the dynamics of desire are a bit more complicated as I have found out when researching this subject. Because men and women react differently to stimuli, they feel desire in different ways. Male desire has been proven to be pretty straightforward. They respond easily to visual stimuli, what they see arouses them and becomes the means to their end. We���ve all heard (or maybe made) complaints about a man���s brain being located in his groin.

For women, it���s not quite so cut and dried.

What do women want? According to studies done by Meredith Chivers, a psychology professor who does sexual research, no one is clear on how and why women respond to stimuli. One theory posits that women���s desire originates in the brain, rather than in the genitalia, as men���s do, and therefore desire is as much mental as it is physical for women. Another theory is that women���s desire is triggered by being seen as desirable. Being chosen by the partner is as much a turn-on as the physical intimacy that follows.

How many romance novels employ a ���chase��� scenario, where the hero selects and then has to chase or ���win��� the heroine? This premise may represent the most truthful transfer from the real world to the world of the romance novel, because if women want to think themselves desirable, then the chasing and choosing is a wonderful affirmation of just that.

One of the major reasons women read romance novels is to live the fantasy of the perfect relationship. And by both stimulating their minds and creating a fantasy scenario where they can identify with the heroine and become the hero���s object of choice, the reader���s desires are heightened and ultimately fulfilled.

 

 

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Filed under: Alphabet Posts, Jenna Jaxon

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Romance Author Jordan K. Rose

I had never had a Valentine until I met my husband. Oh, I���d received the obligatory Valentine���s Day cards from the other kids in school, and my girlfriends and I gave each other chocolates or little candy hearts, but I never had a Valentine. Not a date on Valentine���s Day. No flowers. No one gave me a mushy card or a sexy one. Nothing. I���d begun to think all the Valentine���s Day hoopla was hooey.

And then I met my husband. That was in May.

Fast forward to our first Valentine���s Day. I have to admit to being excited and apprehensive about the event. As I���ve said, I never had a Valentine. So, had he decided to do something other than spend Valentine���s Day with me, I probably would not have been shocked. Devastated, but not shocked.

But he spent the day with me, and for the first time I had a Valentine, and he gave me a lovely card and gifts! Chocolate covered cherries, which are one of my favorites, from a local candy store where he stood in line for almost an hour with a bunch of other men. Flowers. I received roses. First, time! And earrings. Then he took me out to dinner. It was like Christmas only it was Valentine���s Day.

Our Valentine���s Days have changed over the years. We still give each other gifts and have a nice meal, though generally on Valentine���s Day we stay home because eating out on Valentine���s Day usually means an expensive, subpar meal.

But I realize the longer we���re together that until I met my husband I was not ready for a Valentine. I hadn���t met anyone who I wanted to be my Valentine. There had been men who interested me, but not for long. I liked them well enough for the time, but not enough to keep them around.

For me having a Valentine to love, someone you can���t wait to tell all the news of the day, and share every secret with, or go grocery shopping with, or race outside to help fix his boots while he plows us out from the blizzard, that one person who after nearly twenty years together you still get excited to see when he walks through the door that���s my idea of a Valentine. And for me, there���s only one person who still gives me butterflies, only one Valentine.

I���d love to hear about your idea of the perfect Valentine. I have a give away for one lucky winner. In time for Valentine���s Day I���m part of the Call Me Valentino anthology. Call Me Valentino is an anthology including novellas from Kirsten Osbourn, Jamie Lee Scott, Olivia Gaines, Hildie McQueen and myself.

Fall in love this Valentine’s Day as USA Today and Amazon Best Selling authors come together to bring you one sexy hero written in five different genres. Call Me Valentino uses the same hero set in five different worlds. Your new book boyfriend is a cowboy, an FBI agent, A Highland Laird, a real estate developer and even a vampire. Which Valentino will be your favorite?

I���ve written The Vampire���s Penance, from my Romance in Central City series exclusively for this anthology. This is Rafe and Maddie���s story.

The chain of events set in motion when Rafe Valentino tries to stop his brother from making the stupidest decision of his life borders on deadly. Rafe goes from being one of the most terrifying creatures to walk the earth to requiring round the clock nursing care. As if being at death���s door isn���t enough, the senior member of The Vampire Guard has no choice but to reveal the heinous secret of his past in order to protect nurse Maddie Van Kool from throwing away her life on him.

To get you ready for the series I���m giving away The Vampire���s Partner, Novella Two from the series. This is an eBook so available to everyone.

One lucky winner just needs to tell me your idea of the perfect Valentine. Please, tell me in the comment box. The contest ends at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015.

Jordan loves vampires. She also loves to laugh. And if you know anything about Jordan, you know her vampires will make you laugh.

A few years back Jordan received a copy of Twilight from her husband as part of her anniversary gift. By the end of that week she���d read the entire series and moved onto Anne Rice���s Vampire Chronicles. Eight weeks and eighteen vampire books later the idea for her first book came to her followed very quickly by Eva Prim.

The Eva Prim Series follows the night-to-night escapades of The Demon Mistress, a vampire with the inexplicable ability to call demons. With both full length novels and short stories the series has a bit of something for everyone.

Jordan���s other books include Black Magic Rose, book one of The Alliance Series, where the world is set in a hospital run by vampires and werewolves; and The Central City Romance Series, where members of The Vampire Guard one-by-one find love in the ruins of the city.

When she���s not writing about one vampire or another Jordan enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken and their lovable Labrador, Dino on the beautiful beaches of New England.

Find Jordan at:������

Find Jordan on her website at www.jordankrose.com.

Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose

Friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jordan-K-Rose-Author/307285709309992

Follow her Pinterest boards at: http://pinterest.com/jordankrose/boards/

Friend her on Goodreads at: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5751865.Jordan_K_Rose

Google- https://plus.google.com/109182255192009311324/posts

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jordan-K-Rose/e/B007D06OUU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1421929786&sr=8-1

Thank you, Jordan, for being our guest on Nights of Passion.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Call Me Valentino, Eva Prim Series, Jordan K. Rose, paranormal, paranormal romance, romance, romance novels, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Valentine's Day, vampire books, vampires

My WIP is Giving Me ���WIPlash��� by Stacy Hoff

Are any of you banging your heads against the wall from your WIP? If so, you are suffering from ���WIPlash.��� Please join me for a virtual chiropractic session.

For those of you who don���t know, a ���WIP��� is what writers call their work-in-progress. It is the manuscript they are slogging out, desperate to be done. This first draft affects authors in numerous physical ways, from stomach acid to headaches. And torments us emotionally as the tug of our WIP competes with other ���to-do���s��� that pull hard in the opposite direction.

The things that compete with our WIP are usually:

family (even trickier when you have young kids, like I do)
friends (remember them?)
day jobs (so we can actually earn a living)
household chores & responsibilities (necessary evils)
working out at the gym (another necessary evil)
trying on countless items of clothes to see what still fits since terminating membership at said evil gym (guilty as charged)
the occasional day off (God forbid)
editors, critique groups & mentors working on our other manuscripts (who want their changes done now)
marketing (a requirement if we want our books to sell)

Arrrgh! Which one of these things is an author supposed to do first? Can���t my life stop for one lousy minute so I can get my WIP done???

Sadly, No. The world will not stop rotating simply because I want to get off. Not even for a few precious minutes.

Well, crying about it isn���t going to help me. I���ve got to stop writing this blog post and get back to my WIP. It���s the best way I know to combat a bad case of ���WIPlash.���

What do you do when you feel tugged and pulled in multiple directions?

Find Stacy on Social Media:��www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff Twitter: twitter.com/authorStacyHoff���� Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

Desire in the Everglades available on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Desire-Everglades-Stacy-Hoff-ebook/dp/B00NFSMCYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410289138&sr=8-1&keywords=desire+in+the+everglades.

Filed under: A writer's life, romance, Stacy Hoff

What I’ve Learned: Secret 5

Sometimes it’s just not right to give everything away at the beginning.�� I’ll let you guess what I’ve learned.

If you don’t have a smile on your face yet, look at this! Did you guess the secret yet?

You’re still not laughing!�� Well, this is my favorite.

The secret is laughter. Laugh every day and stay happy, healthy and inspired that way.

-Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley, Amazon Kindle Bestselling Author of Vampire Romance

www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Where love burns eternal and whispers in the dark!

Vampire King of New York available at Amazon Kindle and print, Barnes and Noble Nook and print and in Kobo

A Vampire for Christmas in Kindle

Filed under: A Vampire for Christmas, Blogging with Heart, Max Vander Meer, romance, Secret #4, Susan Hanniford Crowley, the romance of life, vampire books, Vampire King of New York In Print, Vampire Maximillion Vander Meer, What I have Learned so Far: Sharing Secret, What inspires you?, Writer's Life

Fairness and Perception

Life isn���t fair. I���d probably be fairly wealthy by now if I had a nickel for every time I heard this saying throughout my childhood, and that���s considering I had a pretty good time growing up. My son goes to preschool and I would say that most mornings someone is in tears. I manage people and I���d say that most mornings there are some sort of complaints I receive.

Why? Why are we such dissatisfied beings and why do we tend to see our ���lot��� as the poorly dealt one. I truly do believe that sometimes life isn���t fair. Yet, I also believe that things happen for a reason and sometimes that unfair route is the best one. That being said, the majority of us seem to have a perception that something is always wrong. My question is, is there really something wrong and is life always unfair or are we just perceiving things through negatively tinted lenses. In my opinion, I���d say it is a bit of both with a bit more weight on the negatively tinted lenses. Although I���d also say that depends on the person.

So what do we do with all this grumpiness we tend to carry around with us. The truth is that it is probably going to take a varying strategy for each of us (some more similar than others). Some might get our positive attitude change through self-help books, ted talks, motivational seminars, life experiences, etc. Others, might never get there and may just continue to wallow in their pity (misplaced or not).

What I would say is that although life isn���t fair, it is also what we make of it. We can wallow but that���s not going to change anything. So the real question is, do you want a chance to change or would you rather just remain in the state that makes you miserable and grumpy? I know what I would prefer.

Happy writing this week!

Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly, What inspires you?, Writer's Life