Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 30

.@VickiBatman ~ Stuck in a rut? Is too much of a good thing bad? #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

Stuck in a rut? Is too much of a good thing bad? 

On the way home from Mahjong, I realized I'd eaten some chocolate and couldn't even remember what it tasted like. Yikes!

At a visit to the wine country, I did some tastings and realized none of it tickled my palate.

I would read romance after romance and now, am reading more mysteries.

I have been known to consume vast quantities of Virginia peanuts. Nope. Not any more.

So what's going on? I haven't a clue. It's sorta like the day when you gave up eating 

for a








Maybe I am changing. Maybe I've reached a certain age. LOL. Certainly my palate is changing.

Or am I stuck in a rut? And we all know shaking our ruts is what we do to grow.
Our lives should be full of spice and sweetness. We need to Go. Do. Live. Be adventurous.

Have you seen the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty? Walter is a negative asset manager for Life magazine. And even though the magazine shows us an incredible world, Walter's is pretty humdrum. It's sad really and we feel sorry for him. No spice and no sweetness and though he harbors a small desire, he doesn't act on it until a missing negative sends a series of events in motion. Life magazine has a philosophy of: To see things thousands of miles away, things hidden behind walls and within rooms, things dangerous to come to, to draw closer, to see and be amazed and to feel that is the purpose of life.


Are we amazed by the incredible world around us? By the caterpillar crossing the sidewalk to the Palo Duro Canyon? By the art people create and by the art a chef cooks?

Go. Do. Live your life adventure.     What is on your bucket list?  Vicki Batman has made a change in her life to diet Dr. Pepper and bought a turquoise handbag. Find Vicki at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com  

What's growing in Karilyn's #garden? by Karilyn Bentley

As those of you who follow my Facebook or Twitter feeds know, I love to tinker in my garden. Not that I'm any kind of gardening expert, my philosophy on plants is I'll give them water and dirt. If they need more than that they should go live at someone else's home. <g> But I do love to watch them grow.

With that said, here are some pictures of various plants I'm trying to grow this year. One of the newest additions to the garden this year is corn. No clue on how to get it to produce, but several stalks are popping up.
corn stalks
Other new additions are swiss chard, kale (currently being eaten by an unknown critter) and peas (also being nibbled on, but I caught the inch worm, with, as The Hubster said, extreme prejudice).

Once again we're trying squash, both zucchini and yellow. Hopefully we'll get a squash, usually these plants get eaten by squash bugs or borers.  Squash plants   
Peruvian Lima bean plant

A couple of years ago at a Superbowl party, the hostess bought a King Cake that came with a purple and white Peruvian Christmas lima bean. She didn't want it so I took it home and planted it. It produced well and I saved several of the  beans. Last year, the beans grew but didn't produce pods. We're trying again this year. Fingers crossed. 


Also making a return appearance are the asparagus and strawberries.
Asparagus stalks
Had to cover the strawberries with milk crates to stop the mockingbird from eating the ripe ones. Pesky bird. This year we've actually gotten strawberries!!! 
strawberry plant


So, that's what's growing in my garden. As far as what's growing in my writing garden, well, Dragon Lover is now out everywhere including Barnes & Noble. Excitement! If you have a Nook, go get your copy now. 
Happy Reading! And happy gardening!!
Karilyn Bentleywww.karilynbentley.comFacebookTwitter

Saloon Girls of the Old West

Yeah, I knew that would grab your attention right away, and I aim to please. If you were around in the sixties and even the seventies, I’m sure you saw Gunsmoke with Marshal Matt Dillon. And who else…Miss Kitty.
Did anyone else realize that Miss Kitty ran the saloon and would have been a well dressed whore? I was only five years old, how would I have known that she was sleeping with the cowboys for money. And why didn’t the sheriff ever marry her?
Since I like for my westerns to be as historically accurate as possible, I do a lot of research on the west.  One of my favorite books is Hell’s Half Acre by Richard F. Selcer. This book is about the half acre of Fort Worth, Texas back during the height of the cattle driving days.  He talks about prostitution back in the old west and how it contributed to the local economy. Women were not allowed in most saloons, but they were close by. Most women rented rooms above the saloon where the randy cowboys would pay them a visit.  
While we like to think of a prostitute in the old west looking like Miss Kitty, most were between the ages of fourteen and twenty and were hardened women with names like Big Nose Kate, Squirrel-Tooth Alice, Irish Kate and Monkey. Yes, can you imagine a cowboy coming in and asking for Monkey?   
There was also a row of shacks in town that was known as “the line.” They were wooden cubicles ten to twelve feet deep and were rented by the week. A crib girl could be had for pocket change and her rent for a cubicle was twenty-five dollars a week. At fifty cents a tumble, she’d have to do more than fifty cowboys a week to survive. That’s hard living. Mr. Selcer discredits the myth that eventually most of these women found husbands and married. There is no statistical evidence to support this myth, and many died very young.
Another book I have, Saloons of The Old West by Richard Erdoes talks about Hurdy Gurdy Girls. I’d never heard the term, but it’s a saloon where the men went to drink and dance with a good-looking woman. At eight o’clock, the men filed in, paid the ante for the first round of drinks and their partner. Then they’d grab a hurdy gurdy girl and dance either a sovienne, waltz, mazourka or a schottische. After their allotted time, the women would take their partners to the bar where they bought another round of drinks and paid for their next dance.  A good hurdy-gurdy girl could net twenty-five dollars plus her share of the drinks. Better than the crib girls were doing in Fort Worth. And sex was not expected. Tell me what do think of when you hear the term soil-doves from the wild west? Or a saloon girl? Did you know about Hurdy Gurdy Girls?

Look my newest series, Lipstick and Lead to debut on May 23 with Desperate.
 

My Inner Wicked Witch, by Kelly L Lee

Have you ever had one of those days where your kids make you crazy, your boss is unreasonable, the dogs destroy your favorite shoes/bag/sofa, and the sound of your husband's voice makes you want to poke yourself in the eyeballs?

No? Good for you!

But for those mere mortals like me who can relate....Welcome to the club.

Those are the days when my inner wicked witch dons her pointed black hat (or pointed pink high heels) and releases the flying monkeys. On these rare (ish) occasions, I have several coping mechanisms ... most of which involve internet shopping and cocktails.





But I have a secret. I don't fear my inner wicked witch. And you shouldn't fear yours. Having an inner wicked witch isn't a bad thing at all, if you know how to manage her. She's the one who refuses to feel guilty about that girl's weekend with your besties. She's the little voice in your head that tells you it's okay to have a glass of wine after the kids go to bed. She's the one that encourages you to stick up for yourself. She demands respect, and empowers you to take something back - even if its only a few minutes a day - to reset and re-center yourself.

So feel free to call her what you like. Your alter-ego, or the devil on your shoulder, but I'm going to embrace the 'wicked' in my inner witch!.  Is anyone with me? :)


Princess Kelly

Visit me at my website:  Kelly Lee Fiction
Follow me on Facebook at: Kelly Lee - Author,  or Twitter at: Kelly Lee Fiction


 

#PlottingPrincesses - 18 details with Amber Leigh Williams, author of A Place with Briar

Hi, Amber, and welcome to the Plotting Princesses. Let's get to know you better! Amber Leigh Williams lives on the Gulf Coast. A southern girl at heart, she loves beach days, the smell of real books, relaxing at her family’s lakehouse, and spending time with her husband, Jacob, and their sweet, blue-eyed boy. When she’s not running after her young son and three, large dogs, she can usually be found reading a good romance or cooking up a new dish in her kitchen.
Favorite movie: Gone With the Wind
Favorite book: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Last book read: Waking Up With a Rake by Connie Mason & Mia Marlowe
Favorite color: Periwinkle
Stilettos or flipflops: Flipflops!
Coffee or tea: Sweet Tea
Ebook or paperback: Both
Pencil or pen: Pen Favorite song: “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones
Streak or not: Not.
Favorite dessert: Strawberry cheesecake
Champagne or gin: Champagne!
Paranormal or Historical:Historical
Ginger or Mary Ann: I’m a Mary Ann.
Favorite TV show: Castle
Hot or cold: Warm.
POV: 3rd person, hero’s!
I'd die if I don't have: My family and a good book.

 
Blurb from A Place with Briar:
Briar thinks that the latest guest booked in the bayview suite of her family’s bed-and-breakfast is just another summer guest, no matter how hot and single he might be; but Cole Savitt comes to Hanna Inn for ulterior motives and the last thing he needs or expects is to fall in love with the innkeeper.
Excerpt from A Place with Briar: 
“There’s something you need to know….”
Cole’s lips curved as he turned back to the bike. “I know.” “You do?” Briar asked, sounding astounded.

“You’ve never ridden a bike before.”“Is it that obvious?” she asked, rubbing her palms on her jeans.

“A little,” he said wryly. “Just lean with me into the turns. And hold on.”

Find Amber at: Website Find A Place with Briar at: Amazon Email: Email

Hadley Holt - Exciting New YA Author

Princess Kathleen is pleased to introduce, Hadley Holt, an exciting new YA Author. Kathleen says, “I love Hadley's new serial, WIZARD QUEEN AT SIXTEEN. I’ve read all three books an I'm eager for the next book. Haven’t had this much fun reading since Harry Potter.” 
Welcome Hadley! TELL US a little about your series: In a hidden world of wizards where only men hold the power of magic, one girl arises with the power to change everything, but only If she survives…Adriana Victoriana Evangelista (Addie), daughter to the High Chancellor of the Wizard’s Council, has always been the perfect wizard girl. She never questions why men possess magical powers and women have no power at all, magical or otherwise.   On her sixteenth birthday, Addie finds out she possesses magic. Under wizard law, she is a desecration.Just as Addie discovers love, her fate sends her straight into the path of a powerful and evil sorcerer, but the worst danger of all may come from right inside her own home.This series is about finding your own inner power and making a difference in a world full of magic and danger. Addie, her best friends, and the boy she loves will face a myriad of perils to save the world.
DESECRATION - Excerpt, Addie Discovers Her Magic…
The sound of footsteps outside sent my heart racing. If Izzy got caught without her cloak on school property, we’d both get detention for a week. And worse, my father would murder me.“Your cloak!” I whispered. I stretched out my hand as if I could somehow grab Izzy’s cloak from several feet away.In answer to my thoughts, Izzy’s discarded forest-green cloak flew across the room, coming into my open hand.I blinked at my hand and the cloak I clutched in my fist. I stared as my knuckles went white and my outstretched arm began to tremble. A thunderous pulse echoed in my ears and my limbs and I realized it was the pounding of my heart.Finally, I met Izzy’s shocked stare. We both gaped at each other for a moment. Then our gazes whipped back and forth between the corner where her cloak had been and my hand, where it currently was. And then to the door, which fortunately remained closed.I realized I’d stopped breathing. Gasping for air, I dropped Izzy’s cloak like it was on fire.“Addie,” Izzy gasped, then giggled nervously, “you just did magic.” She pointed a finger at me. “Youjust did MAGIC!”“No. Shhhh! Don’t even say that!” I shook my head spastically. I clutched my head between my hands. “No! No! No!”“Yes, yes, yes! You did!” she sang back.“It didn’t happen. It couldn’t have.” I kept shaking my head so vehemently that I started to get woozy. “I’m a girl. That’s impossible!”“It is impossible. But you did it anyway.”I couldn’t seem to stop shaking my head.“Ha! Your brat of a brother would look like such a total idiot right now. Bet he couldn’t do what you just did. His magic hasn’t come that far yet.”“No,” I said, still in major denial. I could hear my father’s voice ranting; a woman wielding magic is a desecration!“There’s some prophecy about this.” Izzy tapped her palm against her forehead several times. “Hugo mentioned it a while back. Shoot! I can’t remember.”“I can’t be part of some prophecy. My father will kill me.”
Visit Hadley at: http://www.hadleyholt.com/Thanks for being here with us today Hadley! Keep writing we love your books.

IT'S ROUND ROBIN TIME!!! by Kathy I van

We haven’t done this in a long time so I thought it was time to do one again.
It's Round Robin time!!!

The rules are simple – Read the first paragraph then add your own spin in the comment section. (That means you have to click on the comments link directly beneath this post sand see if someone else has added to the story. Then just jump in and write your part.

You can come back as many times as you'd like and add as much as you want. Write a sentence. Write two. Write a paragraph. It's all up to you. The only caveat—please keep it PG rated, since we are an open blog and the little ones might read it. (Hey you never know who is looking at or reading these things LOL.)

We'll keep it going as long as you keep writing or until Wednesday night at midnight. So, make it unique, make it funny, make it scary, make it paranormal or whatever you want, just have fun!

HERE'S THE STORY:

I couldn't wait to get home. Really. Could. Not. Wait. The hands on the clock moved like a snail today. Five o'clock couldn't get here fast enough. When the big hand hit the twelve, I was out the door like my shoes were on fire. Jean-Paul was coming home tonight. We've been apart for six long, lonely weeks, through no choice of my own, I'll guarantee you. If I'd had any inkling he'd be in Paris for six weeks without me, I'd have quit my job and hightailed it over there in a nanosecond.
Fresh flowers are on the table. The wine is chilling. I picked up dinner on the way home. Hey, not seeing my fiance in six weeks, no way was I slaving over a hot stove. I'm showered, pampered, primped and ready to rock. All we need now is Jean-Paul.

Okay, now it's up to you. I can't wait to see where you take the story.


I just wanted to add, in case you didn't know, my novella, Second Chances, book #1 in the Destiny's Desire series, is currently free at Amazon. If you haven't read it yet, now is your chance. After all, you can't beat the price. :-) Link: http://amzn.to/GIx1uB

#PlottingPrincesses # @VickiBatman - A Laugh a Minute

Laugh a Minute
You may have noticed my tagline: Vicki Batman, sassywriter of sexy and funny fiction.
I never thought of myself as being funny until a friend said something. I was like me? Really? I'd always appreciated books with humor.  And when another friend pressed in my arms #4 Janet Evanovich, I sighed with contentment after I read it, thinking someone who wrote what I liked to read. Naturally, I gobbled all of them up.
When I began writing, I noticed funny words crept in my work. And so did creepy witty dialogue. And I played havoc with internal dialogue. And found smiley faces in the edits.
After several of my short fictions were published in the True magazines, I let my girlfriends read them and watched and listened for their reactions. I saw smiles, snorts, giggles, ha's, etc. I knew then I'd done my job and done it right.
Finding a good funny word doesn't usually come through on my first draft. I have to work it-work it-work it. And when I go back later on and read what is there and it makes me smile--even after multiple thousands a gazillion passes—then I know all was done correctly.
So here's a treat from my funny romantic suspense/mystery, Temporarily Employed (coming soon!). My heroine Hattie, another sassy gal, is eyeing a guy with suspicion after he asks her out to dinner:   
No frisking and no arrests were—so far, in my book—a good thing. Knowing he was Sarah Anne’s older brother, I found eliminating him from the stalker, murderer, and rapist categories easy. The something in the truck line sounded similar to approaches used in past dating experiences. For instance:
“Want to come up and look at my etchings?”
Translated: A roll in the hay.
Or the ever popular “Would you like to meet Mr. Lizard?”
Translated: Mr. Wiggly Worm.
“How about coming to my place for a drink?”
Translated: To ply me with multiple drinks and the requisite roll in the hay.
I hadn’t fallen for those then and wouldn’t be a sucker now.
He stuck his hands on his hips. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m not a stalker, murderer, or rapist." 
Apparently, he could read minds. "Just a minute." I closed the door enough to release the chain, then opened it. “Why can’t you just tell me whatever it is?”
“No. I want to show you—-”
“Not a Picasso?” I asked.
“No.”
“Not an iguana?”
A perplexed expression crossed his face. “A what?”
“Not your pet worm?”
“What pet worm?”
“Not—”
“Look, I don’t know what you’re thinking. The only worms I know about are for fishing."
 
*I have to add that I was once asked to "come up and see my hamster"—lolol.
How did I do?  Do you like to read funny books?

 

Michelle Miles: It's All In A Name

Sometimes I have trouble coming up with surnames for my characters. Other times, they come to me out of the blue. Not sure how or why but I think it’s my subconscious at work. Like in my urban fantasy Dream Walker series, my heroine’s last name is Walker. It was something I did completely subconscious and then realized how fitting it was.

In other cases, I pick specific surnames to go with the heritage of the character. Or they might have a particular meaning I’m going for in relation to the character’s personality traits.

Other times I’m just completely stumped.

I’m working on a new paranormal romance. It’s about a witch who returns to her small East Texas town after a ten year absence only to learn she’s there for a reason bigger than anything she expected. I couldn’t think of a surname for her aunt who passes away in the opening so I did what I always do when that happens.

iGoogle. (Meaning I crack open the interwebs :) )

Did you know you can find a list of the most popular surnames in the US? The UK? The World? You can also find the meaning of a surname, the origin, the coat of arms. It’s really fascinating stuff. I suppose all that comes in handy for the genealogists of the world. But for a writer? It’s a gold mine.

Just in case you were wondering, the top ten surnames in the US are:
SmithJohnsonWilliamsJonesBrownDavisMillerWilsonMooreTaylorI usually steer clear of these common ones and try to find ones that are still familiar yet uncommon. For my current WIP, I’m using Wilder, Hunter, Hart and McAllister.

The funny thing is I found a GREAT website that ranked surnames. I can’t for the life of me remember how I searched for it and now I can’t find it again. That’s maddening. Especially when I KNOW it’s out there somewhere. Maybe I’ll figure out my search string—with Google it's all about how you search for things.

So there you have it. A little bit about how I find surnames for my characters. Don’t even get me started on first names for my characters. That’s a whole ‘nother blog post! ;)

Barb Han: My Writing Process

Thanks to author Diane Kelly, for inviting me to participate in the “My Writing Process” blog tour! Diane writes romantic mysteries featuring feisty heroines, quirky sidekicks, and sexy leading men, with humor that leaves readers laughing out loud. Diane’s manuscript for Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure won the Romance Writer's of America's  prestigious Golden Heart award. Visit Diane and learn more about her books at http://www.dianekelly.com/.

In this blog tour, authors share a bit about their writing process. Here are some details about mine:
1) What am I working on?  I’m working on a story that will help launch a new line for Harlequin, Harlequin Intrigue Noir. My story is about a female spy who has been assigned to go after one of her own. It’s darker, grittier, and sexier than anything I’ve ever written and I can’t wait to share it with you. The tentative release date is October 1st.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?Others have said I write action like no one else they’ve read. I love that.
3) Why do I write what I do?What could be better than getting to orchestrate two people falling in love, or killing a bad guy on the page? I love writing romantic suspense.  
4) How does my writing process work?My process has changed a lot since signing on to write for Harlequin. For my publisher to buy a story, I have to think through the main plot points in advance and give them an outline of the story with the first three chapters. I’ve become more of a planner and that’s been a difficult but great thing for me. The even better news is that they don’t make me stick to the outline strictly. Stories unfold for me as I write them and rarely end up as I initially imagined. The surprise is the best part. I write every day, seven days a week and pretty much everywhere. If I find I’m getting stale (which basically means I’m not getting much word count) at my desk, I move to the living room on the laptop. I bring my laptop to carpool and kid sports (practices). I’ll go to the coffee shop if writing at home stagnates. Changing scenery tends to boost my productivity. Writing every day consistently also increases speed and quality. My writing brain is a muscle just like any other. The more I work it out, the better.      Look for the “My Writing Process” blog tour next week at these author sites:
Robena Grant enjoys writing the ordinary heroine in extraordinary circumstances who coaxes the solitary hero into creating a team. Visit Robena at www.robenagrant.com.
RoseAnn DeFranco: Following the pursuit of a musical theatre career in NYC, RoseAnn DeFranco turned her creative energy to writing funny, steamy romance with heart which resulted in the BROTHERS OF AUDUBON SPRINGS series. Visit RoseAnn at www.radefranco.com.  
Diana Layne: A homeschooling mother of six, suspense thriller author Diana Layne balances her hours between nurturing her children and killing off bad guys. Visit Diana at http://blog.dianalayne.com/