Sarah Madison's Blog, page 15

Breaking the Cycle of Defeat

Last week, I was meeting with some friends when I got interrupted by an emergency call. As I excused myself to take the call in the other room, I heard one of my friends say quietly, “Poor Sarah, she never gets a break.”

My initial reaction on hearing this was to smile and think, “Yes. Someone gets it. Someone understands just how sucky things are for me. How sucky they have been and how unlikely they are to improve.”

It was nice, this feeling of solidarity and support, something I frequently...

It’s About Time : A New Release from B.A. Dillon, excerpt & giveaway!

Title: It’s About Time Series: Time Series #2.5 Author: B.A. Dillon Genre: M/M novella Release Date: September 2, 2015 Marriage. A civil, social and legal institution under which two consenting adults establish a life-long relationship based on love and commitment.
Scott Wilson and Brandon Lawrence want what all their friends have – marriage, kids, and a dream kitchen in the biggest house they can afford. The only thing stopping them – the state of Florida. But sweeping change is on...

Grace Duncan’s “Devotion”: Pre-order now!

Will Tanner realize he’s wrong and claim his mate before Finley’s devotion is gone?

Devotion
Published by Dreamspinner Press
Release date: September 11, 2015
220 pages
Cover artist: Reese Dante
Preorder: http://hyperurl.co/xje1c8

Blurb:

Finley Cooper is tired of waiting for his destined mate to be ready to claim him. In deference to human laws, he’s already agreed to wait until he’s eighteen. But now his birthday has come and gone—and his mate has a new set of excuses. Finley doesn’t underst...

The Value of Time

I managed to get the dog out today before it turned into a sauna outside. That’s been a little tough for me lately–getting out before it is too hot for both the dog and me. Sometimes it is all I can do to drag myself out of bed and hit the trails before the air turns too soggy to breathe, but you know, every time I do, I don’t regret it. I get so much out of these walks. For one thing, I get the joy of watching my dog be a dog. He is not his best in the city on a leash. There are too many thi...

Looking for Epic Military Sci Fi? Heart Scarab Launches July 22 2015!

Love military space opera? Political intrigue? Looking for gay protagonists but with a meaty story that goes light-years beyond the relationship? Have I got the series recommendation for you!

Anna Butler launches book 2 in her bestselling Taking Shield series with Heart Scarab, available July 22, 2015 from Wilde City Press. Book 1, Gyrfalcon, splashed down on the scene last year, delighting readers with its gripping world-building and hard core sci-fi story telling in the tradition of David W...

Looking for Epic Military Sci Fi? Heart Scarab Launches Today!

Love military space opera? Political intrigue? Looking for gay protagonists but with a meaty story that goes light-years beyond the relationship? Have I got the series recommendation for you!

Anna Butler launches book 2 in her bestselling Taking Shield series with Heart Scarab, now available from Wilde City Press. Book 1, Gyrfalcon, splashed down on the scene last year, delighting readers with its gripping world-building and hard core sci-fi story telling in the tradition of David Weber’s Hon...

Ten Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me As a Newbie Author

The other day I stumbled across a great Facebook thread in which a new author asked for advice: she wanted to know what kinds of newbie mistakes to avoid as a first-time author.

True to form, the writing community, including myself, chimed in with a number of excellent points. Afterward, it dawned on me this would make an awesome blog post, and here we are.

I’m going to give you my bits of ‘I wish someone had told me’ advice, mixed in with some of the best snippets I gleaned from my Facebook...

Bicker versus Banter: Learn the Difference between True Love and a Hot Mess

“The main characters had no chemistry together.”

One of the most damning sentences that any creative artist can read in a review. I don’t care if you’re an author, or a scriptwriter, or a producer—the words make you cringe, and strike fear deep in your heart. Lack of chemistry between your lead characters can turn a potential blockbuster or bestseller into a mediocre mess. The opposite is true as well—if people like your leads and love the interaction between them, then they will forgive you...

Suck It Up and Deal

Sometimes, like it or not, you just have to suck it up and deal.

I won’t kid you. The last couple of years have been fairly crappy for me. I’ve had to make some tough choices concerning my job, my writing, and my life in general. I’ve been battling low-level chronic health disorders, a bout of depression, and some serious financial woes. Every sacrifice I’ve made has been with the idea of making things better, of crawling out of that hole, of moving forward with life instead of just treading...

The Culture of Nasty: Where Everyone Has a Right To Share Their Opinion

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and discussing it with my friends. I suspect this is going to be an unpopular opinion. I’ve spent several hours drafting it, hours in which I could have done something more productive, and probably less like to piss the Internet off. I’ve come close to deleting it more than once.

The very fact I feel this way is proof of my point, though.

We’re in a culture of Nasty, where Meanness is King.

Perhaps it’s naive of me to think it hasn’t been there all...