S.L. Danielson's Blog, page 11
July 28, 2019
July 23, 2019
Writing Your Novel’s Blurb
Blurb writing can be the worst for me (besides a title)…great advice!
Ciao, amici. We’re wrapping up the Story Bible series of posts today. If you missed one or more of the posts, you can find them, in order of post date, by clicking the following links:
Story Bible OverviewSeries PremiseCharacter SheetsSetting DescriptionsOutlining
Today, we’re discussing how to write the back-of-book blurb.
You’re probably wondering why a blurb, which isn’t needed until you’re ready to publish, is something I include in a story bible, which I create before I start writing even the first book in the series.
Three reasons.
One, your blurb covers only the most important and most marketable parts of your story. Keeping that in mind as you write will enable you to stay focused on what the most crucial parts of your story are.
Two, when you have a series, you want all your blurbs to follow the same format. That’s easiest…
View original post 934 more words
Stop tormenting yourself – let it go and focus on things that feel good
I do this far too much…and my husband and family call me out on it.
I know you were hurt, and afraid – but that was then and this is now. The pain only lasted less than an hour. Why would you be so willing to keep tormenting yourself by replaying the painful scenario again and again, now? Totally unnecessary and foolish really. Maybe it is time for you to stop hurting yourself with your memories and start focusing on all the things in your life that feel good?
This is a very gentle but very effective way to feel better – make up your mind to stop replaying the scenario, stop regurgitating the same old thoughts about what happened. It doesn’t help you. It doesn’t make you feel better. It is time to let that go. Time to embrace new, better feeling thoughts about other things. Make peace with 2018. Make peace with this year as well. Allow yourself to let it all…
View original post 1 more word
July 20, 2019
Rainbow Snippets July 20th
Happy weekend! It’s a Saurday and a hot one here in ye olde Midwest. 
July 14, 2019
Rainbow Snippets July 14th
Happy weekend! We’re on the downward slope of Sunday; but a good day regardless. The beetles have chased me indoors (didn’t take much to drive me inside as it was)…where I’m re-downloading my Sims (lost in an overzealous attempt to cleanse the files and ended up losing them)….:(
I see it as a ‘happy accident’ though, a chance to re-create those that weren’t going so well. One such family is the subject of this week’s snippet…Upstaged.
This week I’m posting from the brand new release ‘Aria” (Upstaged 4) which came out two days ago on Extasy Books. (link below)
What is Rainbow Snippets? It’s a group of LGBT+ authors who post six sentences (or more) from a current WIP, published work or even something they’ve read that they want to rave about. Click on the link below the rainbow to be transported to a place of wonder where you will find tasters of everything from sweet romance, to hot and steamy, to fantasy and sci-fi.
Blurb: You think you’re holding someone close, but if you’re not paying attention, they could slip right out of your arms and fall.
Asher and Erik are getting married, but Asher isn’t happy about the pressure being put on him by their families and unwittingly by Erik himself. Issues that have plagued him for a long time come bubbling to the surface and threaten to overwhelm him. Although he cries out for help, no one hears; instead they write it off as Asher throwing a tantrum again. Only Angel sees the cracks, but it’s too much for him to handle on his own, although he tries.
The pressure builds, and even though there are breakouts, still no one sees the extent of the problem until the night before the wedding, when Asher is confronted by Erik in front of all their family and friends, and bolts.
Fortunately, Asher is rescued by Vince’s Uncle Tony, who makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
The Band heads off to London for a three-month tour, and not everyone is happy about it. Vince is stressed out and worried that Angel is not being entirely faithful. Should he say something? Then Connor meets an old friend, just when he starts having doubts about his relationship with Angel, and the fur starts to fly.
Will any of the couples survive?
[image error]
Vince smiled to himself, thinking how the past year had seemed to fly by. He and Billy were doing great, which was the best. It had taken a while, but they’d finally found a great house and were enjoying every moment. Several months ago, they had talked Daisy into being a surrogate for them, and Joey was constantly by her side for support. Angel was back in the States, attending the art school of his dreams while Connor was still in Ireland, working on completing his schooling for construction. Then, of course, there was Eric and Asher. Poor guys had been living the wedding planning nightmare, but only had a few more days to go.
July 13, 2019
Upstaged 4: Aria now live!
https://www.extasybooks.com/cheryl-headford/s-l-danielson/978-1-4874-2523-4-aria/
BLURB
You think you’re holding someone close, but if you’re not paying attention, they could slip right out of your arms and fall.
Asher and Erik are getting married, but Asher isn’t happy about the pressure being put on him by their families and unwittingly by Erik himself. Issues that have plagued him for a long time come bubbling to the surface and threaten to overwhelm him. Although he cries out for help, no one hears; instead they write it off as Asher throwing a tantrum again. Only Angel sees the cracks, but it’s too much for him to handle on his own, although he tries.
The pressure builds, and even though there are breakouts, still no one sees the extent of the problem until the night before the wedding, when Asher is confronted by Erik in front of all their family and friends, and bolts.
Fortunately, Asher is rescued by Vince’s Uncle Tony, who makes him an offer he can’t refuse.
The Band heads off to London for a three-month tour, and not everyone is happy about it. Vince is stressed out and worried that Angel is not being entirely faithful. Should he say something? Then Connor meets an old friend, just when he starts having doubts about his relationship with Angel, and the fur starts to fly.
Will any of the couples survive?
July 6, 2019
Rainbow Snippets July 6th
Happy 4th of July weekend! After hearing tooo many illegal fireworks in my own neighborhood, I’m ready for silence. Otherwise, work keeps me busy, and kitty too. Hobbies and errands are on the order of business; plus getting ready for a new release! I’ll tease only so much; we need the blurb cleaned up before I can post..which leaves me in a quandry.
What to post this week? Bernard’s Diary is out, and with the new one not quite ready, I’ll post from Cid. It’s a year ago (almost) when Cid hit the scene.
What is Rainbow Snippets? It’s a group of LGBT+ authors who post six sentences (or more) from a current WIP, published work or even something they’ve read that they want to rave about. Click on the link below the rainbow to be transported to a place of wonder where you will find tasters of everything from sweet romance, to hot and steamy, to fantasy and sci-fi.
Blurb:
Ask 26-year-old artist Cid Walker how he’s feeling and you’ll likely get a snarl, or a glare, but not a real answer. Cid’s soul is so damaged from a brutal and savage ex-fiancé that trusting anyone is out of the question.
Two classmates try to get his attention; Barry and Kellen. Barry is only 18 and a very naïve, sweet boy-next-door type who is young, needy, and anxious to get involved with the mysterious artist. He wants to be with Cid more than anything, but his efforts fail.
Kellen, all of 22, is as snarky as Cid is at first, but soon manages to get across to him. Kellen understands why Cid is acting out because Kellen is also keeping his soul and psyche intact with mere Band-Aids after being attacked a few years ago.
Add in a stalker that won’t take ‘no’ for an answer and you have Cid’s life at the moment. Who can get through his broken heart?
We pick up at the start of Ch 4..Barry’s POV
If you don’t recall the tale, the snippets begin in July of 2018. Here is the 1st one:
http://rainbow-snippets-july-7th
[image error]Cid
It was a stale morning, and the droning professor was not exactly keeping Barry’s interest today. His attention and focus were on the smoking hot lilac-haired hottie next to him. Cid. That’s all he even knew, except that it was a first name, not a last. Shit, he barely knew anything about this guy and yet he was pervading all of his thoughts.
Why?
Why
did some crazy art major who dressed like he was in a bad 80’s movie capture
his attention?
Barry
had knocked the ideas around in his head all night and he had to wonder just
what the attraction was beyond physical.
July 1, 2019
Coming soon…Upstaged 4: Aria
We just got the cover over the weekend 
June 30, 2019
Rainbow Snippets June 30th
Happy last day of June! Wow…where has this year gone to? It dragged at the beginning, but since beginning a new job it’s been flying….
Bernard is back out in the world!!! Wooooo. Plus, I’ve created him and Jack in the Sims 4…they’re roomies right now…so I’ll update you on how it goes. As promised, here are the buy links to Amazon, and multiple other sites:
What is Rainbow Snippets? It’s a group of LGBT+ authors who post six sentences (or more) from a current WIP, published work or even something they’ve read that they want to rave about. Click on the link below the rainbow to be transported to a place of wonder where you will find tasters of everything from sweet romance, to hot and steamy, to fantasy and sci-fi.
Blurb:
Bernard Covington, suicidal and not the most-handsome man in the world would be happy to leave the world behind altogether. That is until he meets Dr. Jack Larson. The physician takes his wounded heart and soul and patches them back together, but is he Mr. Perfect?
Bernard and Jack develop a romance, but soon the tide begins to shift as Jack’s past is revealed and it becomes a game-changer for the couple to deal with.
Will Bernard and Jack have a happy ending or will he succumb to his desire to end it all or will dealing with Jack’s phantoms keep him going? Only Bernard’s diary knows what secrets lurk in his soul…
[image error]
“Ten. I wanted to make sure this time,” he answered quietly.
She
walked away from the computer station and sat down next to him. “You keep
saying this time. Sweet Jesus, Mr. Covington, how many times have you tried
this?”
He
scratched his scalp and cocked a thick eyebrow. “Oh, this is the fourth time in
the past 10 years. I keep getting a little braver every time.”
Nancy
cocked her head and her long brown ponytail that had been resting on her
shoulder fell out of sight. She leaned her thin frame forward in the chair, and
adjusted her bright blue scrubs. “Is there someone I can call or refer you to?
We have some excellent psychiatrists—”
“No,
please. Don’t,” Bernard pleaded. “I’ve been to some of the best in this county,
hell even in the city. No one can help me. I’m not worth saving.”
