Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 3

Michelle Miles: Living in a Fishbowl

I had a recent experience on Facebook that has me questioning my very existence on Facebook.

My post was somewhat controversial, though I had no intention of it being that way, and generated over 170 comments (don’t bother looking for it; the post is no longer available for public consumption). It was merely my observation of the double standard that exists in our world. What’s good for the goose is sometimes not good for the gander.

When we put ourselves on social media, and post things that are considered hot topics, we unwittingly invite these people into our world. If our thought or opinion doesn’t align with theirs, then we’re open for attack. Everyone and everything comes under careful scrutiny by people who know better and people who have no problem telling us about it.

A perfect example was the woman who replied to a picture of my cat to tell me I should be feeding him out of a plate instead of a bowl. My response was, “Are you seriously telling me how to feed my cat?” to which her reply was to call me a b*tch, unfriend and block me.

So be it. I don’t need her on my friends list anyway.

But it angered me. Why is it okay for her to come over to my profile, crap all over it and then unfriend and block me?

Another post had a guy telling me I was irrational and ignorant. Um, okay? Because you know me personally, HOW? And you can tell that by reading ONE of my posts? Because I’d never seen him comment on anything of mine EVER and I’ve been on Facebook for over nine years.

Being a somewhat public figure has its pitfalls, as we all know from the recent news about Roseanne. And LeBron stomping out of his interview carrying his man-purse has caused all sorts of ridicule on Twitter.

I think I’m just weary of social media altogether. I’ve been saying this for a while now. Maybe I just need a break from it all, because it’s starting to feel like I live in a fishbowl.

Vicki Batman - Thirty-four #readromance #RLFblog #MFRWorg

34          I counted just the other day because I kinda had thirty in my head. So why the number?


I’ve written thirty-four short stories.
I began by writing my romantic comedy mystery, Temporarily Employed. Then I critiqued six very short stories for a friend, and all of the sudden, the rhythm of writing these fell into my head. Then an idea came, and I was off. I churned out a lot of short stories, many of which were pubbed by magazines and other publishers, some have been in anthologies.
I really do like writing short. My life has been upside down and concentrating on a book is hard for me. I can pop in and out of a short story and feel as if I’ve accomplished a lot.
As for very shorts…
I’ve collected eleven, two of which have never been pubbed before. Here’s a bit about them:
Love blossoms in the small town of Sommerville in these heart-warming and very short tales, filled with fun and forever possibilities.
Included are:
Bug Stuff ~ An accountant unites with his co-worker to exterminate a pesky adversary.Just Desserts ~ A political dinner gone disastrous brings together a reluctant attendee and her handsome seat-mate.
With This Ring ~ When a wife forgets the all-important little black dress, the evening turns into something utterly unforgettable.
Good Girls Finish First ~ When men friends are challenged to fix breakfast if they lose a race, one woman leads the pack and discovers finishing first can lead to romance.
Ouch ~ Who knew a yoga class would be so dangerous...and romantic?
Man Theory ~ When a geeky co-worker espouses his theory on love, a friend risks her heart.
Tommy and the Teacher ~ A young boy steals from the school’s book fair causing interesting possibilities to arise.
Absolutely Positively Lost ~ Helping a map-challenged young man find his way is truly serendipitous.
The Little Birdie Who ~ A new town, a new friend, a new beginning. Who would have thought a little bird could bring two people together?
Check Her Out ~ It’s a sticky situation, especially between a store manager and Auntie Caren when her nephew must pay for the gum he stole.
This Is Not Working ~ One of those days at a new job when nothing is going right, and then the boss steps in.   


Are you thinking short stories are not as satisfying as a book? Shorts are VERY satisfying.
Find Just Desserts…and Other Stories at: Amazon  Nook                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Michelle Miles: May Day

It's May! Can you believe how fast it got here? Seems like we were just celebrating New Years Day.

May is probably one of the best months of the year (besides October - I love Fall!). Lots of fun stuff happens in May. My birthday. My husband's birthday. Mother's Day. Memorial Day Weekend. The end of school. It's a busy month for sure.

And this year, we have a royal wedding to look forward to! I can't wait. I enjoy following the royals from their wedding to the birth of their children.

I had a blog post all written and ready to post but after re-reading it (and after my cool down period), I decided it was far too snarky. And so here I am talking about May 1/Beltane while The Fifth Element plays in the background.

I like May even if it is the official beginning of our hot Texas summers. There's lots of shopping happening during the month and cake and ice cream. That just can't be beat.

What do you love about May?

Vicki Batman on What's inspiring you? #readromance #springishere #RLFblog

Nature is!I have always liked the beautiful colors of flowers; however, my obsession really began about three years ago when Handsome and I traveled the Rhine on a river cruise. We began our journey in Lucerne, Switzerland in late June. The weather was perfect, in fact, almost like spring compared to the heat my area experiences in the summer. Many variety of flowers bloomed everywhere. I became captivated and took many photos. Some flowers resembled those grown at home. I also spotted new plants. Even the tiny orange weed in the crack next to a white-washed building captured my fancy.  This year, the spring flowers are bountiful, most likely due to the abundance of rain and cool temperatures. The antique climbing roses is loaded with tiny pale yellow bouquets. (These are the same plants I nearly chopped down, too.) Every day, I see new things—a snowball viburnum bursting with large blossoms. Many colors of Iris. Hot pink Gerbera daises. Green roses.The air is fresh, perfumed by the budding flowers. The breeze lifts my hair and brushes across my mouth only to stick on my lip balm (no flavor). On dog walks, Champ, our white malti-poo, toddles along, stopping to pee every ten feet. His smoky gray brother, Jones, has long straight legs and walks like he knows what he is doing, only he doesn’t most of the time. Kids handling super-hero kites which are struggling to find lift. My neighbor is dead-heading the yellow and purple pansies with their fanciful smiles along her front walkway garden.So how is all this loveliness inspiring?I’ve been working harder at effective descriptions by adding how I feel and what I see. Hopefully by doing so, you--the reader--are experiencing a better mind picture.



Here’s an example from Temporarily Employed, my humorous romantic mystery:
“Yuck.” Pretty much covered the whole freakin’ day.
A blinding red-white, red-white strobe, reflected in my brand new Wrangler’s rearview mirror, seized my attention. The police.
I tossed my hands skyward, ready to surrender. I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Like I’d commented this a.m. to my roommate, Jenny, “Today, anything’s possible.”
My Bad Day checklist included:
- Crappy job interview, one which might have provided desperately needed income.
- Wore gut-busting panty hose on a hot day which had now worked past my waist and strangled my diaphragm.
 - A barely blowing air conditioner indicated something had malfunctioned in my new, fun car.
Hopefully, you are seeing a young woman having a bad day, absolutely nothing going right. And the cherry on the sundae is the police stopping her.
If you would like to read more, the fun is at: Murder & Mayhem .

Michelle Miles: New Quarter…NEW GOALS! Sorta…

It’s really hard for me to get it in my head that it’s April. APRIL! The first three months of the year are gone in a puff of smoke. 
I think I’ve mentioned before I have this journal I use daily to keep me on track for my goals. I discovered too long ago that it’s too hard for me to plan an entire year of goals. With the Best Self, it breaks down the year into 13-week increments. I set three goals for those 13 weeks. They can be anything I want. So, because I want to produce more books and get myself out of debt, I decided to start tracking these goals.
This quarter, I’m starting my fourth journal. As I look back at my previous journals, I’m kind of a one-trick pony. I have the same goals listed. Well, the same OVERALL goals. Ultimately, I want to write full time and have zero debt. But the journal allows me to break that down into manageable pieces I can achieve.
This last quarter, I finished drafting the second book in my urban fantasy series. Book 1 is still unpublished. I’ve been asked when it’s coming out and the truth is I don’t know. At the end of 2017, when I finally got back to writing the series, I had a wild idea. Write the entire 5-book series from start to finish. So that’s what I’m doing. I’ve started book three and hope to have it drafted by the end of June. Plus, I’m still tweaking book one. What I really like about writing them all at once is I can go back from book to book and add little foreshadowing moments to make it look like it was planned all along (I’m a pantser. Please don’t ask me to plot. My brain might explode.)
Anyhoo, one of the other things I want to do is get myself out of debt. It’s so hard, folks. Probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done because I’m convinced the Universe is conspiring against me. Just when I start to make a little extra money, the house payment goes up. Tax Refund? SNORT. What’s that? We haven’t had one in years. I hate it so much. And so, it’s a struggle to get myself in order and keep on that budget and send large chunks of money to these credit cards. I feel like I’m climbing a mountain with no day pack. I may die of exhaustionany minute now. 
And then I put on my happy face and decide to keep on keeping on. I can do this! 
Last quarter, I managed to accomplish 2 of my 3 goals. I’ll take that as a win.
This quarter, I want to accomplish all three goals. They’re pretty much the same as last quarter but that’s okay. I’m still working toward the big, overall goals. I talk more in depth about all of this over at my blog, which you can read here. Also, if you’re interested in the Best Self Journal, you can find out more here as well as purchase.
I know I have my work cut out for me and to that I say BRING IT ON.
Oh, and happy April!

What makes a good Ending? #readromance #RLFblog #writing

 
Hi, everyone! It's Princess Vicki and I want to chat about THE END. You just finished the book,  close it, and sometimes, sigh. The last line sets the tone for how the book ends, a resolution, and is a counterpoint to the opening line which sets the story in motion. Sometimes, there are lines that stay with us forever. For example:“Tomorrow is another day.” From Gone With the Wind“Thank you, God, she thought. Thank you.” From A Knight in Shining Armor (When I reached the end of this one, I sat for about a minute with the book in my hands, then started it again instantly.)When I finish a story or book, I think a lot about the last line. I have been accused of writing a cliffhanger and maybe so.
“Taking another breath, I mustered every ounce of bravery I possessed and said, “Choose me.” Find Temporarily Employed at: Amazon 
     He took a deep breath and said something I never never, ever-ever thought I would hear, “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get lucky.” Find Temporarily Insane at: Amazon 

    

The relationship isn’t resolved in TE, and in TI, Allan Wellborn is trying really hard to win Hattie back. Will he get the girl?  Today, I’m sharing last line from the Princess’ books. Take a look: “I sold my soul to the devil.” Find The Devil Take Me at: Amazon
 
   Without calling to Alexandra or the others, he sauntered past them and toward the street. Find Saving Hope at: Amazon
 
  
“Gie it laldy, now lass,” he murmured as they faced the rector. And she did, because at last the bright autumn sun shone high overhead, and everything was exactly as it should be. Find Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Marry at: Amazon
She threw her arms around his neck, and somewhere, in between sobs, he found her mouth and began to complete her happiness with unmistakable kisses.Find Mistaken Kiss at: Amazon






 
  Then he gently picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and crossed the threshold into their home, and into the bright future they would make together. Find A Family for the Rancher at: Amazon






 
She walked back to kitchen sink to finish up when she glanced through the window into the dark…and swore she saw Tessa wink at her. Find Heard it Through the Grapevine at: Amazon         As she took her silver throne as queen for the first time, Aoife realized she had at long last fulfilled the prophecy. Find On the Hunt for the Wizard King at: Amazon

  

  
But then again, what did he know, other than he'd willingly slay dragons, fight giants, and face down a wild beast with his bare hands if it brought him the right woman. Find Brooks: Book 2 in Farraday Country at: Website 
 
  Dear Readers: Do any of our endings compel you? Happy reading!
 

Michelle Miles: Let's talk crafts

I had a hard time coming up with something to blog about. I’m not sure what my mental block is with blogging lately, but I literally stare into space and then … I got nothin’.

I thought about talking about the Oscars but, let’s face it, they were #OscarsSoBoring. I was glad to see Gary Oldman and Sam Rockwell win. The Shape of Water just looks weird to me and I doubt I’ll ever see it.
There’s not much else going on in my life other than writing, editing and stitching. I’ve started an Etsy shop and I’ve been stitching my little fingers to the bone. I make cross-stitched Christmas ornaments. If you follow me on Facebook, you likely have seen me post progress photos of them. They’re fun and they give me a sense of accomplishment because I can finish one in about a week.
I’m also trying to teach myself how to crochet. I have no idea why other than I saw the most gorgeous crocheted blanket on Facebook. It looks like this:


Isn't it gorgeous? I have these grandiose ideas that I’m going to be able to do this. Let’s be real here. This is all I can do:


I guess it’s a start. Cross-stitching was easy for me to learn. Crochet? Not so much.
I’ve done all sorts of crafts—made wreaths, flower arrangements, stitched just about anything I could find a good pattern for. But crochet and knitting seem…daunting.
Anyway…that’s about all I’ve been up to. Aside from working the day job and trying to get the teen to finish his driving hours so he can go for his driving test. He is SO not interested in that.
What fun crafts do you know how to do? Or do you want to learn?

Where Did You Get that Story Idea? by Kathleen Baldwin #CreativeInspiration

Good morning! I’m Kathleen Baldwin, author of the award-winning Stranje House novels. Like most authors, the question I’m asked most often by readers is, “Where did you get the idea for your books?”
Every author has her own answer. 
I love adventure in real life and in books. Guess where I get my ideas for my adventurous heros and heroines . . . You guessed it. For me, adventuring in the wild is a powerful source of inspiration. I love being out in nature. But hey, I also enjoy doing research. How's that for a dichotomy?  Dusty musty old books are often a source of inspiration as well.
TRUTH: Inspiration comes from many places. Here's several wonderful authors answering that question.
  

 When Allison B. Collins is dreaming up ideas she turns to two of her favorite places for inspiration; songs and Pinterest. She found this photo of a frozen lighthouse on Pinterest and it was the inspiration for a story she is still writing.  





I'll wager a song helped inspire her for her lovely story, A Family for the Rancher, about a two broken-hearted people finding a unique path to hope and love.


 The extremely imaginative Michelle Miles finds inspiration in beautiful gardens. She has a Pinterest board devoted to them.  Artwork by the amazing Anne Stokes is also a strong source of Michelle's inspiration.



Don’t miss Michelle’s wonderful fantasy, On the Hunt for the Wizard King. This series will delight your imagination. 

  



Pushcart Prize nominee and all around brilliant writer, Liese Sherwood-Fabre is inspired by questions like, "What if?" or "How did this happen?"

After living in Russia for several years, Liese wrote a masterful post cold war Russian suspense exploring the question, “How far will a mother go to save the life of her child.”
Her current work in progress resulted from the question "How did Sherlock Holmes become Sherlock Holmes?" Meet Sherlock at age 13 when he and his family must prove his mother didn't murder the village midwife. (I can't wait to read it!)



Some of Liese’s inspiration also surfaces while doing extensive research into Victorian England. She published some of her work in a collection of essays, The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, Essays on Victorian England. It’s available everywhere.   





Karilyn Bentley, who always has exciting stories, gets her inspiration while taking a shower. Karilyn is NOT going to give us a photo of herself in the shower!
 So, I found this one of a cute guy, and maybe it will inspire you?
Karilyn says, “There’s something about standing under the hot water that gives me all sorts of writing ideas.” 







One of those intriguing hot water inspirations became her latest book, Devil Take Me. Oooh, that sounds fun!




The extraordinary Elizabeth Essex has an art history degree! So she is often inspired by historical art. 


For her upcoming novel,
Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Marry, Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of the young Mr and Mrs William Hallett, also known as The Morning Walk, (from the National Portrait Gallery) was the impetus to write about a wonderfully compatible couple who seemed very much equals, but also very much in love. And the story just spun itself out from there…





So what gets your creative juices flowing?  
Tell us in the comments. We'd love to hear. We are always eager to test drive new creative stimuli. 

.@VickiBatman - What Makes me Stop Writing? #readromance #RomanceLivesForever #MFRWauthor

I remember the first time my brain didn’t want to write. I’d been working on my first romantic comedy mystery for a few months when Handsome was diagnosed with throat cancer. My whole world stopped. (FMI see Romance Lives Forever at: Romance Lives Forever .)

But how to keep the creativity going? I did develop a game plan—I took writing classes (didn’t comment much but worked on all lessons), played my favorite Word Search no Vowels, I critiqued with friends, journaled, attended my local romance writing chapter meetings. Most importantly, I set a deadline for after when his treatment would end and our lives would be back on track. On the designated date, I booted up my computer and found my book. It had been haunting me, and when thoughts popped in my head, boom! I wrote them down and saved them. I had decided if I could only write twenty words, that was what I would do. I started with chapter one and worked. I was so nervous because I thought what if I can’t get back in my groove? The next day, I did better, and after that, better, till finally, my fingers were flying again.

Then ten years later, Handsome had to have a reconstructive plastic surgery (FMI: Romance Lives Forever ).I had already been having trouble with my third book in the series; however, I had signed up to put a short story in an anthology. I worked and worked on it instead, and by the time we left the hospital, I’d submitted it.Sometimes, fundoesn’t end. Now, Handsome is having another reconstructive plastic surgery. And you know what? I’m in the groove. I’ve been working on my third book and things are humming. Last year, I had mega trouble with this book, but I sat down in the fall and worked out the problem, and now, it feels good.My lesson is persevere . I didn’t give up on me. I found a way to get me through the tough times. So, here’s a tiny bit from Book 3 in the Hattie Cooks mystery series, Temporarily Out of Luck: And I knew it took a great deal of courage to state what he’d just asked--to get lucky--although I knew he meant he really wanted us to explore the couple route. I knew from firsthand experience how much guts were required ‘cause several months back, I’d asked him to choose me.         -That was after I’d been stabbed.          -After I’d figured out he’d used me for information.          -After we’d nearly had almost wild, almost sex.         Sex would have been good. I set my finger to my lower lip, letting my mouth curve at the corners, remembering. Everybody knows sex is a good thing. Find all my fun at: Author Central

A Family for the Rancher by Allison B. Collins #CowboystoGrooms #AFamilyfortheRancher #PlottingPrincesses #MFRW @allisonbcollins

Hi, everyone! It’s been ages since I blogged with the Plotting Princesses. So much has happened, but I’ll try to keep it short.
Under my real name, Allison B. Collins, I have a three book deal with Harlequin for a new series, Cowboys to Grooms!  It’s been a dream of mine for years to be a Harlequin author.  I’ve been reading their series for more years than I care to admit, and to now be writing for them—it’s better than the richest of chocolates and the bubbliest of champagnes. It really hit home last summer when I was invited to the Harlequin party at the Romance Writers of America conference.  Strictly for Harlequin authors and employees, I really felt like part of the Harlequin family. (I might have to write about it after the next one, so stay tuned!)
The first book, A FAMILY FOR THE RANCHER, just launched, and I’m over the moon excited about it. This series started out as a dream I had a couple of years ago. As soon as I woke up that next morning, I knew I had to turn it into a series of books. There are five brothers, so five books.  Nash is the oldest brother, and definitely a wounded hero home from the war in Afghanistan. I was so into writing about him that it made me cry several times. Kelsey Summers is the physical therapist Nash’s father hired to help Nash get better.  Kelsey arrives at the ranch with her mother and young daughter in tow. 
Blurb:
PART SOLDIER. PART SURVIVOR.  ALL  COWBOY.

Nash Sullivan doesn’t need help from anyone. Not his father, not his brothers and sure as heck not from a physical therapist—even a darn feisty one like Kelsey Summers. He lost his leg during his overseas deployment and he just wants to be left alone. Besides, the last thing a woman like Kelsey needs is half a man.

Single mom Kelsey knows all too well that the scars on the inside run the deepest. She needs to move on from her own tragic past, but the Sullivan ranch is starting to feel a little too much like home. And she can’t stop thinking about her wounded—and gorgeous—patient. Could Nash be the cure for her own broken heart?

Excerpt:
A knock sounded at the door, and her mother walked into the room. “I’ll get it, sweetie.”Looking up to see who was at the door, Kelsey saw a deliveryman holding a huge vase of flowers.Her mother squealed. “Flowers! I just love flowers. Thank you so much, young man.” She took the vase from him and closed the door. “I’ll bet they’re from Angus. Isn’t he just the sweetest?”The urge to warn her mother again about forming a relationship with her employer died on her lips as Bunny looked at the little envelope on the arrangement and frowned.“These aren’t for me. They’re for you. Who on earth would be sending you flowers? And here, of all places?” She brought the vase to the desk and set them down, handed Kelsey the card.“There must be some mistake.” She read the outside of the envelope. It was her name all right. She slid a finger under the flap and opened it.
Thanks for last night. And for today. I appreciate it more than you know. Nash.
“Well? Who’s it from?” Her mother still stood next to her, tapping her foot.“It’s nothing.”“Then why are your cheeks red?” Bunny grabbed the card and read it aloud, then smiled. “Is that where you went last night? And just what is he thanking you for?”“Mom, he’s my patient. I can’t talk about him.”“I don’t think he was a patient last night when you left here so late. Are you seeing him?”“No, Mom. In fact, his brothers were there. He just got in a little trouble, and we helped him.”“I’ll bet he didn’t order flowers and have them rushed over for his brothers.” Bunny cupped Kelsey’s chin. “Angus told me Nash has been in trouble before. He used to get in fights, has always had an anger problem, and it’s escalated since he got out of the Army.”Kelsey leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms. “Wouldn’t you be angry if you lost—had been through as much as he was in the war? He’s my patient. I have a professional relationship with him. That’s it. I don’t think you should be talking about him with Angus.”“I don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.”“I’m not going to. This is my job, you know. I’ve never gotten involved with patients before.”“I know. But you’ve also never worked with a really good-looking cowboy before. I mean, have you seen what those worn-out jeans do for his butt?”“Mother! I can’t believe you said that!”Bunny laughed. “I may be old, but I’m still a woman. I’m telling you, you should check it out.” She walked out of the room, giggling.
I love these Sullivan men and the women they fall for so much, and am having the best time writing their stories.  And to think it all started with that really intense dream.
If you’re an author, have you ever had a dream that you turned into a book? For readers, do you have dreams that you think should be a book? What was it—if you want to share, that is!
Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo
Where to find Allison: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads