Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 44

Lost & Found by Laura Browning

Author Laura Browning stopped by to share her contemporary romance, Lost & Found Love.
Back Cover: Welcome to Mountain Meadow, Virginia, where homecomings lead to happily ever after… 
Tabitha MacVie has come to Mountain Meadow to meet the sister she never knew, and find the family she longs for. What she discovers is a close-knit community determined to close ranks against the new art teacher, especially once she catches the eye of the town’s most eligible bachelor. Tabby tries hard to keep Joe Taylor at a distance.  But staying away from the handsome preacher isn’t easy once he opens his arms to her….
Tabby is the answer to Joe’s prayers. Too bad the spirited beauty believes she doesn’t belong in Mountain Meadow—or with him.  Still, Joe can’t resist offering her shelter against the local gossips, or giving her a strong shoulder to lean on when her family hopes are dashed.  And when Tabby’s life is suddenly on the line, Joe will do anything to save the woman who stole his heart.
ExcerptJoe’s glance slid to the house next to his. He glimpsed a tall, slim woman lifting a bike and setting it on the veranda before she disappeared indoors. Ah. That must be the elusive Tabitha MacVie, not at all old it seemed. In fact, what he’d so briefly glimpsed had made his breath catch. Though her hair had been back in a braid, Joseph could tell that Tyler hadn’t exaggerated, it was long and nearly as black as her cat.
He wondered if Miss MacVie ate spaghetti or meatloaf. He hoped not. As the evening wound down, his eyes strayed to the house more and more. When darkness fell and he saw the only light was once again in the third floor room, he was disappointed. What was she doing up there? He was tempted to grill Tyler, but that would be a bit too obvious. Not to mention pathetic.
With effort, Joe put her from his mind and returned to his house. He had a lot to get done Saturday, plus rehearsing his sermon one more time, and he didn’t need to be thinking about the mystery woman. But despite his promise to himself, when he got up the following morning to run, his eyes settled on her back door. The first thing he noticed was the bike was gone. Was she out riding again?Joe stretched and began the longer run he normally saved for Saturday mornings. Five miles before he came home, showered, then stopped in at Tarpley’s to do his grocery shopping. It was a weekly ritual.
While he ran, he amused himself with ways in which he could meet his new neighbor. He envisioned offering her help getting settled, but she’d probably already done that. He pictured heroically rescuing her from something—maybe a burning house. No. He certainly didn’t want to see her house burn down. Maybe…
In the end, he met her in an aisle in Tarpley’s when they both reached for the same box of macaroni and cheese. It should have been the most mundane of ways in which to encounter an attractive woman, except that as soon as their hands touched, she stumbled back with a startled gasp and clutched her hand within her other as if she’d been burned.
Joe got that. He felt the same way as he stared into eyes as wide and golden as his next door neighbor’s cat. Her hair was only a shade lighter than the cat’s. This was the elusive Miss MacVie. She was tall, he noted, nearly eye-to-eye with him, and he was a shade over six feet. He smiled, but received only that shocked look in return.
Resisting the temptation to see if he’d spilled something on himself or had a smudge of grease on his face, he held out his hand. She didn’t take it. “I’m Joseph Taylor.” He persevered, hoping to high heaven he didn’t blush. “Most folks call me Joe. I believe we live next door to each other.” When she still didn’t say anything, he continued. “Most of the time people say their name back to me. Have I upset you in some way?”
Finally, as if she pulled herself out of a trance, she shook her head. “No. I’m Tabitha MacVie—Tabby.”
He was still smiling, he realized, feeling awkward, but she had such a wary, watchful look on her face that he suspected she already knew most people called him Joe, just with Pastor with a capital P in front of it. It looked like she fit firmly in the first category of women, the ones who wanted to run like hell.
Buy Links: 
Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Kobo , Google , iTunes
Learn more about Laura Browning here:
WEBSITE     FACEBOOK     TWITTER    BLOG

Nancy Lee Badger Reminds Us that April 22nd is EARTH DAY

Years ago, in my other life working at Rand's Hardware in Plymouth, New Hampshire, I devised a way to get kids interested in Earth Day AND their local hardware store.

We ran a coloring contest, and invited the children (along with their parents) to post the finished art work in our store's front windows. Their name, grade, and school were listed on the back. 

After Earth Day passed, three schools were chosen a winner based on several randomly selected pictures, and the winning school was awarded with a wheelbarrow filled with gardening tools, potting soil, gloves, flower seeds, and much more. These rural New Hampshire schools would use the items to brighten their school's property.

Working together with the schools was a delight! The kids were so excited to see their pictures in the window, and more than a few parents came to shop our store when they never had in the past.

This Earth Day, I will finish sprucing up my yard here in sunny North Carolina, and enjoy the birds, butterflies, and deer that find our urban property to their liking!

What will you do to celebrate our planet?



Buy HERE

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Ava Cuvay

Ava Cuvay stopped by to answer intimate questions about her life and her latest release. Her book, His Precious Cargo , is a Sci-Fi Romance and was released on March 6th. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book. 
Ava - Firstly, Nancy, I’d like to thank you for letting me be part of your blog today! I’m thrilled to be here and have the opportunity to chat about my new release. It’s a hot story about a stripper with dreams of being a princess and an intergalactic thief with a freighter of stolen cargo.
At the outskirts of space and away from the rigid control of Central Command, Granger entices Kaedi to break her strict no-lap dace policy. The repercussions force her to pack up and hitch a ride off-world in the same freighter he has hired. They discover a passion hotter than a super nova, but their plans are shattered by the untimely death of the ship’s captain, the duplicity of the co-pilot, and the appearance of Granger’s best-friend-turned-torture-happy-enemy. When Granger’s heritage is revealed, Kaedi believes herself unworthy, but he realizes she is more precious than stolen cargo.
Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?  
Ava - While on a milestone birthday trip to Las Vegas, I sat poolside with my friend, reading a romance novel and drinking margaritas. I couldn’t even say which book or what author, but when I finished, I turned to my friend and declared, “You know… I bet I could write one of these.”
Being the good friend she is, she lifted her cocktail in silent toast. “I bet you could, too.”
Blame the margaritas, or the Las Vegas influence, but I began writing. It’s taken me six years and four (currently “tabled”) manuscripts, but I finally self-published my first book, His Precious Cargo .
Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Ava - The reward is two-fold. First, there is the physical realization of the story which began as a niggle in my head. From the words on the page to the cover art to simply holding its weight in my hands, seeing it come to fruition is pretty amazing. The second part is all the friendship and camaraderie I’ve discovered along the way. The romance writer community is so immensely supportive, and I’ve met so many kindred souls here.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Ava - Since I went the route of self-publishing, I don’t have advice specific to acquiring a contract. But would like to cheer “You can do it!” to anyone who wants to write and have their stories published (regardless if you go self or traditional). How to accomplish this goal, I’ll leave to other, more knowledgeable and successful authors… But I would encourage everyone who is working toward being a published author to enjoy the journey as well as celebrate their success. My own journey has been filled with many wonderful authors who have been supportive, encouraging, and instructive. Had I tried to walk this path alone, I certainly wouldn’t be this far along (heck, I’d be wandering in circles at the very beginning), and I wouldn’t have made so many friendship with so many awesome authors!
Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 1) I danced ballet and modern for ten years and into college. My natural turn-out is all I have left to show for it! J2) I was a Junior Miss Beauty Scholarship pageant winner in High School.3) I think frogs are cute.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Ava - The next book in The Heart Nebula Series: Love and the Corps . Coming soon, er, coming as soon as I finish edits! It won the 2015 Over the Far Side Contest in the Sci-Fi/Futuristic category, and it’s hopefully even better.
Excerpt from His Precious Cargo                            Granger caught up with her several steps later. When he moved to stop her, she whirled, crossed her arms over her chest again, and waited with barely contained anger.He stared at her battle stance for a moment. His eyebrows lifted. “I’m not Cal. And I know it hardly needs to be said, but I don’t like how he looks at you.”Her anger fled instantly. Her arms dropped to her side and she glanced toward the galley. “That makes two of us.”“You will avoid him like Klutha-9 when you can, and keep your guard up when you can’t. And remember what I taught you to do with your hands.”She wasn’t one for taking orders, but liked that Granger was concerned for her. Since his advice was reasonable, she decided not to argue.“I remember what to do: hit his nose, poke his eyes, box his ears.”“No, the part where you keep them on me and only me.”
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You can find more information about Ava Cuvay here:WEBSITE     BLOG    Facebook     Goodreads   

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author/Editor Brian A.Klems

Please welcome Brian A. Klems to my blog. He is here to give our readers a new perspective as an author AND an editor. Please tell our readers about the magazine you represent. 
Brian- I’m the senior online editor of Writer’s Digest. Writer’s Digest is the number one magazine for writers who are looking to write better, get published and get paid for what they write. I’m not just saying it’s great because I work for the magazine, I honestly believe it to be true. I read Writer’s Digest before I ever worked on the magazine and consider myself lucky to be part of its evolutions, as well as a member of its awesome team of editors.
Nancy- Who first introduced you to the love of reading?
Brian- My mom. She’s been an avid reader ever since I can remember. I recall her setting annual goals of reading two books a week to reach 104 for each year. And she did that on top of raising me and my sister, getting us to our sports and extra curriculars and going back to college in her 30s to become a Kindergarten teacher. That still blows my mind. Now I’ve been passing on my love of reading to my three little ladies, two of whom are the top readers in their class (and the other is still in preschool and can’t actually read words yet, but she reads by pictures and I love that just as much).
Nancy- What is the biggest no no you see in submissions that makes you reject them?
Brian- Aside from misspelling my name, which happens way more than you’d expect considering how easily it is to find my name online, grammar mistakes will quickly kill a query for me. I’m understanding and know that we all slip time to time, especially because autocorrect often introduces errors, but having several typos or grammar errors in a query is unacceptable. If you can’t be trusted to put in the work to get it right in a query of only a couple of paragraphs, how can I trust you to get it right in a full-length article?   Nancy- Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Brian- My book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl: A Dad’s Survival Guide to Raising Daughters , is a humor parenting book designed to make you laugh and relate to the trails, tribulations and awesomeness of raising girls. I have three daughters, all of whom are smart, sweet and have me wrapped around their fingers. The book isn’t advice-driven in the sense that it tells you how to deal with a rash or save for college, it’s advice-driven in the sense that it encourages you to embrace everything and take it all in, because no matter how macho or tough you think you are, you’ll proudly wear that tiara when you’re little princess asks you to. I’ve learned it’s become an extremely popular gift book, given by friends and family to expecting parents and I’ve also seen it used by parents-to-be to announce that they are having a girl o family and friends. Either way, I appreciate all the kind comments I get about it. It makes me smile knowing it makes others smile.
Nancy- When did you start writing toward publication?  
Brian- I originally started my blog, TheLifeOfDad as a way to get my creativity out while also updating close family and friends of the progress of our first pregnancy. I had started blogs before, but they were unfocused and unsuccessful. They were valuable, as I honed my voice and learned from mistakes I made along the way, which I think is important that writers realize—event unsuccessful ventures can teach you so much. Anyway, the blog grew and I kept saying, “I’m going to write a book.” Of course, like most writers, I kept putting it off. Then, in 2011, my dad unexpectedly died of a heart attack and it put things in perspective for me. Life is short. If I didn’t try now, I may not have a chance later. So I wrote up a book proposal and sample chapters and, what’d you know—I landed an agent and a book deal.
Nancy- Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?    
Brian- The most rewarding part is when people send me a note on social media, or leave a kind review on Amazon, telling me how much they enjoyed the book. It really does make me smile and brighten my life. Putting yourself and your work out there for the entire world to judge is a pretty gutsy thing to do. Not everyone will love your work and not everyone will appreciate the weeks, months and years you’ve put in to making your dream come true. But the people that do—and luckily for me that’s been the vast majority of folks—make all the hard work worth it. I wish I could personally thank each and every one.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
Brian- Rejection is part of the game—wear it on your sleeve as a bad of honor, but don’t let it drag you down. Persistence is everything in publishing. It’s much like playing professional sports. Baseball players who want to make it to the major leagues work every day at their craft, pushing their limits, and hoping that they will be lucky enough to impress a scout that will give them a chance. Getting published is the same. It’s a matter of working incredibly hard and putting yourself in the best position you can to succeed while also hoping that you’re lucky enough to connect with someone who likes what you’re doing and wants to publish your work. And if you’re really lucky, people will read it.   BOOK BLURBIt's easy to imagine how you'd raise a boy—all the golf outings, lawnmower lessons, and Little League championships you'd attend—but playing dad to a little princess may take some education. In Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl   Brian, a father of three girls, shares his tactics for surviving this new and glittery world. From baby dolls and bedtime rituals to potty training and dance recitals, he leads you through all the trials and tribulations you'll face as you're raising your daughter. He'll also show you how to navigate your way through tough situations, like making sure that she doesn't start dating until she's 50. Complete with commandments for restroom trips and properly participating in a tea party, Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl  will brace you for all those hours playing house--and psych you up for the awesomeness of raising a daughter who has you lovingly wrapped around her little finger.
More About Brian Klems Brian A. Klems is a writer, husband, perennial fantasy sports underachiever, and father of three lovely little girls. He's the online editor of Writer's Digest magazine and is also a proud graduate of the E.W. Scripps journalism school at Ohio University.

Brian's first parenting humor book, OH BOY, YOU'RE HAVING A GIR L (Adams Media), was endorsed by Dave Barry and was called "laugh-out-loud funny" by the Chicago Tribune. Brian is a contributor to The Huffington Post, where his most popular piece, "The Letter Every Parent Should Write" was endorsed by the rockstar P!NK. 

Read more from Brian at Writersdigest and at The Life Of Dad blogand follow him on Twitter @BrianKlems HERE   
Oh Boy, You're Having a Girl Buy Links: Amazon    Amazon PRINT

Bonus!Brian will appear April 30, 2016in Raleigh, NC as theKeynote Speaker at theWRITE NOW 2016 Writer's Conference
Learn more about the conferenceand register HERE

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Writer Linda Formichelli

Linda Formichelli stopped by to share her  book How to Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life — While Only Occasionally Wanting to Poke Your Eyes out with a Sharpie. Yes, this is her latest self-help book and is to be released on April 18, 2016. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.  
Linda- On New Year’s eve 2015, I was journaling about the year and decided to make a list of everything I had done in the past 12 months. There were over 40 items on the list! For example, I traveled to five foreign countries with my family; ran two businesses; hosted three exchange students; read 32 books; and wrote a book, 40 blog posts, and two feature articles.
Once I saw the whole list written out, I had the brainstorm to write a book detailing the process. Women are always asking me how I get do much done, especially since we’re a middle-class family with two wage-earners and a kid. We are not rolling in money orfree time!
After having written for the women’s magazines for so many years -- like Family Circleand Woman’s Day -- I especially wanted to address the cultural narrative, which is perpetuated by the women’s media, that women are trying to do it all and burning themselves out in the process, and that they need to just relax and stop trying to be superwoman. Some of us enjoy doing a lot! Sure, sometimes I get stressed out, but if you want to create a fun, meaningful life, that requires some effort.
That was the basis of How to Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life — While Only Occasionally Wanting to Poke Your Eyes Out with a Sharpie. It is a self-help book; it’s my second one. I’ve also written many book for writers, a couple of Idiot’s Guides, a Dummiesbook, and two Chicken Soup for the Soulbooks (where I wrote the intro chapters and tips, and selected and edited the essays).
Nancy- Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?
Linda- This is a self-published book, but I DID have several manuscripts! I printed out all 200 pages to edit the manuscript four times. I also had my business partner take a look...and my writer husband...and my 20 beta readers...and a professional proofreader. So the manuscript went through many, many versions.
I think a lot of writers feel that if they’re self-publishing, they can just whip out a book and stick it on Amazon -- but not so. Having an editor, and an outside perspective from other readers, is very important.
Nancy- Do you have any rejection stories to share?
Linda- Do I ever! My co-author and I sent a proposal for The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success to maybe a dozen different publishers and it was rejected by each one...so we shelved the idea. Then, a few years later, I was approached by an old trade magazine editor of mine. He had started a company that published books for writers, and did I have any book ideas? That’s how The Renegade Writer was born, and it launched my career as a book author and writing coach. I guess the moral of the story is to do your best work for every client, even the ones that don’t pay much, because you never know where they’ll end up in the future.
I also have a rejection story that’s not book related. I was a magazine writer for almost two decades, and I’ve racked up well over 500 rejections. And yet I managed to make a great living from magazine writing for a long time! Also, it really helped with the process of writing a book because after being rejected so many times, and edited by so many editors, I have pretty much no ego left when it comes to my writing. If an editor or the readers don’t like something, I change it without thinking twice. For example, when a few beta readers told me that my Fight Club, Lego Movie, and Wayne’s World jokes were falling flat (because, um, not all women have seen these movies), I just took them out. The proofreader mentioned I had over 150 asides in my book, and I deleted almost all of them. I “killed my darlings,” as the writer saying goes, and my book ended up being a lot stronger.
Nancy- What is your writing routine like?
Linda- Routine? What’s a routine? Seriously, when I really want to write something I can’t stop myself from doing it. I work during my son’s school hours of 8:30 am until 2:30 pm, and in those hours I bang out as much as I can on a manuscript.
One of the time-management tips I talk about in How to Do It All is the Admin Day -- a day you set aside every week to take care of those tasks that don’t further your big goals, but have to be done nonetheless. That way, the other days of the week you can focus on your goals without having that nagging feeling that you really should be paying the bills or scheduling dentist appointments.
My Admin Day is Friday and it’s been a godsend. Monday through Thursday I can just work on my projects, plan trips, and so on, and on Friday I do things like return non-essential emails, schedule appointments, pay bills, and get the car inspected.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract? 
Linda- Make rejection your friend...because you’ll experience a lot of it. One thing the biggest names in writing have going for them is that they’re persistent. For example, both JK Rowling and Stephen King suffered many rejections before their first books were accepted. A rejection isn’t personal...it’s not about you. It’s a completely subjective business decision by a publisher or agent.
Nancy- Please share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.  Linda- 1) I’ve studied French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Middle-High German, Old Church Slavic, and Bulgarian.2) Even though I look like a typical middle-class mom, I’m kind of a nerd: I love military sci-fi, 80s arcade games, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and manga! My favorite manga series have been Death Note, Maison Ikkoku, After-School Nightmare, Bakuman, and Hikaru No Go.3) I had 26 jobs before becoming a freelance writer at the age of 27, from retail to waitressing to freelance translation.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Linda-  I have a new book idea! It’s Do It Anyway: Your Top 50 Excuses for Not Doing What You Really Want—Busted. Also, my business partner and I are working on The Renegade Writer’s Tiny Guides To... This is a series of books where we offer short and sweet tips on interviewing, marketing, and more.
BOOK BLURB   You want to do, see, and experience everything you can to create a rich, memorable life. Travel. Volunteer work. Athletic events. Entertaining. Reading, learning, and trying new things. And you want to look and feel great while you do it. In fact, your favorite saying just might be “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”BUT: Read any blog, magazine, or book aimed at women and the common refrain is: “You have so much to do! You need to simplify your life and say ‘No’ to things you really don’t want to do. And ask your husband to clean the bathroom, you poor thing, so you can have 15 minutes to yourself. Now, take out your gratitude journal and write about how grateful are that you can walk and breathe.”
I call BS. In How to Do It All: The Revolutionary Plan to Create a Full, Meaningful Life — While Only Occasionally Wanting to Poke Your Eyes Out with a Sharpie, you’ll learn:
*Why stress should be welcomed, not avoided.*The importance of living a do-it-all life.*Why you shouldn’t expect support from your family…and where to get it instead.*Why you should shower less, sleep less, talk to yourself, and be inconsistent — and how this can help you live a more memorable life.*How you can get it all done even when right now you have no time, no money, and no motivation.*The revolutionary plan to accomplish everything you dream of doing in your life (includes free worksheets!).
Let’s do this thing!
Excerpt: My desire to do it all it goes back much further than 2015. In high school, I studied so many languages that I didn’t have a lunch period or a study hall, and was already submitting short stories to literary journals. In college and graduate school, I took almost double the normal course load while also working and volunteering, and maintained an A- grade point average. And it goes on from there.
I couldcut down on my activities and spend my days reading light novels, soaking in lavender-infused baths, and om-ing away on a yoga mat. And the people and things in my life would get along just fine. After all, no one’s family died because their window shades were dusty. The world won’t stop spinning if I don’t read voraciously, start social clubs, volunteer, adopt special-needs pets, host teenage exchange students, or run multiple businesses.
And yet I’ve constantly put myself in situations where I knew I’d be exhausted before it was all over. I’ve teamed up with a friend to sew 80 cat beds for the local shelter. And planned multi-country trips with a 6-year-old. And started clubs and organizations where I ended up managing 100 or more members or volunteers. And agreed to write 13 magazine articles in a month. And attempted to run two businesses while homeschooling our son. And had two bathrooms renovated during the Christmas holiday, while hosting three additional holiday dinners for people who couldn’t be there for the main one. Of course, while I did all this, it was important that my teeth were flossed daily, my hair was highlighted every six weeks, and all my bras were hand-washed on a regular basis.
But Should We Flee Stress?
So yes, I’ve always experienced that major, scary problem women’s magazines and books and blogs try so kindly to help us avoid—stress. I journal, take hot baths, and get frequent massages, and I’m very involved in yoga and meditation. But when you get up from savasana and jump back into 20 crazy projects at once, the pressure is sure to come back before you can say Namaste.
Stress can feel like crap. But is it really something to be avoided at all costs?
As I was writing this chapter, I received a newsletter from author Laura Vanderkam titled The Good Life Is Not Always the Easy Life, and it perfectly encapsulates my thoughts on the subject. Laura gave me permission to quote from it here:
[…]no one is entitled to a stress-free life, and shying from stress can cut off much happiness.
Here’s what I mean. In life, there’s effortless fun and effortful fun. Cracking open a beer and turning on the TV after the kids go to bed falls in the first category. Planning a dinner party falls in the second. Both have their place, but it’s always easy to underinvest in the latter because, well, it’s work. The idea that fun should take work is incongruous enough that we resist it. Most of us are busy enough with professional work and family work that turning leisure time into work just sounds ridiculous. Better not to make a fuss.
That’s fine except that watching TV for the bulk of one’s leisure time does not make for a particularly meaningful or memorable life. When I think about the things that I would mention as highlights of my leisure time over the last year, they’re almost all effortful. Running 3 half-marathons was great in retrospect, but there were many not-fun moments of finding parking and waiting in the heat or cold for the start. Baking with my 4-year-old is marvelous in many ways, but it is never easy with her toddler brother underfoot. I loved bringing my daughter to eat with the princesses at Epcot’s Akershus in September. Hauling the kids around hot, crowded Disney World, on the other hand, which was necessary in order to eat with those princesses, was at times horrific enough to be comical.
[…]I think that being able to “hold paradox” can be useful in all realms of life. Rather than say “I want to have fun and this is not fun,” those who can hold paradox think this: Often fun takes work. This is simply its nature, much as the human body must eat and sleep to function. There is no such thing as a stress-free life, and there is no point wishing that fun will just come to you. If you want joyful communities, marvelous vacations, and fun family activities, you can create them. You can know that there will be a lot of bother and some horrible moments. You can also know that there will be good moments, memorable moments, and most importantly, moments that would not have happened had you chosen to save your energy, skip the bother, and do nothing instead.
Who looks back with pride at the end of the year (or at the end of their lives) on how much TV they watched, or how many Facebook posts they commented on? Most likely, every moment in your life you remember with fondness and pride took effort…and effort often means stress.
Not All Stress is Bad......and more. Buy the book!
BONUS: I wrote a whole blog post on exactly how much this book has cost so far to produce -- but I consider it an experiment to see if it’s worth it to hire marketing help instead of doing it myself. (You can find the post  HERE )
Nancy- How can my readers buy your book?
Linda- The book will be available on Amazon.com in Kindle and print formats; on the Barnes & Noble website in ePub format; and in the Renegade Writer Press Store  in a bundle that contains Kindle, ePub, and PDF files.  Please join the early notification list here to learn more about the book launch and get an invite to the secret Facebook group HERE


MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Linda Formichelli is a freelance writer living in the Raleigh area with her writer husband, ballet-dancing son, three rescue cats, and frequently an exchange student as well. She’s written for over 150 magazines, from Pizza Today to Woman’s Day; authored and co-authored over a dozen books, including The Renegade Writer and Becoming a Personal Trainer for Dummies (which she always thought made it sound like the reader was training dummies); and guest posted at top blogs like Copyblogger, Tiny Buddha, and Write to Done.
Linda is also the co-founder of Renegade Writer Press, which publishes books for writers and other smart people. 
You can find more information about Linda Formichelli here: WEBSITE   I’m not on any social media, except for my closed Facebook group!

Linda Formichelli will be presenting a workshop April 30, 2016 during the WRITE NOW 2016 Writer's Conferencepresented by the Triangle Association of freelancersin Raleigh, NC. 
You can find out more and register HERE

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Author Sarah Hoss

Sarah Hoss stopped by to share some intimate details about her, and her latest book. HIGHLAND SAVIOR is a historical paranormal romance and was released on July, 22, 2015. Please tell us more! Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself? 
Sarah- No, I had two manuscripts finished and signed them within a month of each other. But, from the time I started writing to the time I signed a contract was 7 years. I had to learn the industry and the trade first. I sent them out myself.
Nancy- What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help? 
Sarah- I have bookmarks and magnets I like to give out. I also have lovely people like you who host me on their blogs.
Nancy- Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped? 
Sarah- I am a member of RWA, Crossroads of America Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.  Each organization has been very helpful as they contain such wonderful and knowledgeable people.
Nancy- Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?  
Sarah- Be patient. This is not an industry to rush. It takes time to make your book the best it can be.
Nancy- Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know. 
1) I’m a “bonus” baby. My siblings are 13, 12, and 7 years older than me.2) I danced in the Pan Am Opening Ceremonies held in Indianapolis, Indiana as a teenager.3) I love camping, Christmas, and the smell of burning leaves.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
BOOK BLURB 
Two Lifetimes – Two Hearts – One future, if they can only survive the past.
Hamish Macpherson is surrounded by turmoil: an arsonist is on the loose, he’s in the middle of a feud with a local clansman, and just as he’s trying to save his sister from a burning cottage, he appears in the middle of a foreign living room three hundred years past his own time.
Gillian Meadows thinks she’s self-sufficient and can handle anything until she witnesses a murder in the alleNeither world is safe, but Hamish can better protect Gillian if he returns to his own time. Gillian has no choice but to go with him if she wants to escape the danger closing in. Little do they know that his past could be the biggest threat of all to their future.
Excerpt from Highland Savior“Cadal gu sèimh, aghráidh.” He closed his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek. Sleep in peace, love.Hamish rolled to his stomach and gathered his footing. This couldn’t be happening. Athol’s hand snaked out and gripped his wrist. “I’ll send my daughter to fetch Callum and stay with their children. He should be here.”Hamish nodded his head and watched as Athol ran off toward his daughter. Quickly, his focus turned back to where the house had once stood. How could this have happened? How did this nightmare become his reality? He covered his eyes with his fists and rocked back and forth, crying. His shoulders shook with it. His anger and sadness knew no bounds. He stood, wobbly on his feet at first but found his footing, and watched the cottage burn. His mouth was drawn tight and he breathed deeply threw his nose, making short, loud breaths. Friends and relatives stood also, watching, buckets of water still in their hands, as the boards gave way to the fire and broke, caving in. Embers flew into the sky like fireflies dancing in the breeze. Two thoughts came to his mind at once- Alexander and James. He didn’t think he was strong enough to tell them, but he knew he had to before they found out from someone else. Where was James?As if thinking his named had conjured him, James ran to Hamish. “Brother, tis sorry that I am to hear of yer home and fields.” He pulled back and stared Hamish in the eyes. “We will help ye rebuild and get back on yer feet.” He searched his brother. “Are ye injured then?” His heart stopped beating for a moment. He didn’t know.His throat felt thick and he tried to swallow. He needed to  gather the courage needed to tell James the ugly truth. He rubbed a hand over his mouth then brought it to the back of his neck. He took a deep breath and blew it out. Tears welled in his eyes and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. “Brother,” he coughed, his throat hurt and his voice was strained, “Margaret was in the house.”“Did she become injured? Is she all right?” James searched the clearing for her. Hamish closed his eyes for a moment and let out the breath he had been holding. He opened and closed his fists over and over. “Nay. She’s gone.” Fresh tears flooded his eyes and for a moment he couldn’t see. Margaret was the gentlest person he knew and he loved her dearly. James stood staring at him for a moment before turning his gaze to the burnt rubble of his home. He let out a roar then broke down and Hamish held him. Together, they cried for the loss of the sister they loved.James and Hamish rode their horses in silence to Alexander’s farm. Neither wanted to give the news alone.They found their brother in the pasture grooming a new colt. The saw the excitement on Alexander’s face as he spotted them and watched as he ran over to the fence where they tied their horses. “James and Hamish, how good it is to see ye.”They glanced at each other and Hamish waited as James, being the oldest, spoke. “Where is Marlana?”Alexander glanced around the yard before remembering. “She went to the woods to check the rabbit traps.”“We need to talk to ye.” Hamish and James jumped down from the backs of their horses and led them to the fence to tie them up. Alexander followed, then took a big sniff of the air. “Why do the two of ye smell like a campfire?” He studied them, tugged on Hamish shirt where the ends were frayed and burnt. “Ye look like shit. What’s happened?”The two brothers peered at each other for a moment, then turned their attention to their brother. James moved toward Alexander. “Hamish’s home was set afire and burnt to the ground this evening.”Alexander stole glances between the two of them in disbelief. “I’m sorry to hear it.” He reached out a hand and gripped his brother’s shoulder. James placed his hands on his hips and glanced down at the ground for a moment. There was no easy way to say what needed to be said, but he must. “Alexander.” He chanced a glance his brother. Anguish etched his features, his heart breaking all over again. His sister, beautiful, sweet Margaret. A tear slid down his cheek. He stared at the heavens, praying for the strength to so this.Alexander turned to face him. Confusion and then fear flashed in his eyes. “Margaret was at Hamish’s home. We couldna get there in time to save her.” He choked on the last sentence. His throat felt thick, his head ached. “What?” Alexander shook his head. “What are ye saying? She’s dead?”“Aye,” Hamish said.
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AUTHOR BIO: Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her. Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult, she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.  Where to find Sarah-
Website        Blog 
Twitter- @SarahHoss1
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Nancy Lee Badger's Ode to Spring

Rebirth...
Renewal...
A hope for sunny days...
A wish for new beginnings...


Happy Spring to all my readers!

Nancy Lee Badger


Available at AMAZON


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Happy St. Patrick's Day to my Celtic Friends!

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day the entire week!


You don't have to be of Irish descent to wear green, down a pint, or search for four-leaf clovers. Enjoy!


Nancy Lee Badger 
proud member of the 
Celtic Hearts Romance Writers
an on-line chapter of RWA

It's Almost Time for the Annual 2016 WRITE NOW Writer's Conference in Raleigh

Registration is now open! The Triangle Association of Freelancers (TAF) invites all to our 9th annual freelance writing conference. It promises to be our best event yet! Save the date! April 30, 2016
Keynote Address: Getting Published in Today’s Worldby Brian Klems, Editor at Writer’s Digest
Brian will also be presenting a session: 15 Tips in How to Write Like the Pros . Brian will be joined by other fantastic presenters such as:Scott Myers on Character Development for ScreenwritersLinda Formichelli with Pay the Writer: Making Sure you Get What you Deserve Tom Welchshares Running Your Business: Financial Tips for Writers Don Vaughanon The Seven Pillars of Freelance Success Frank Hymanshares Column Writing for Beginners Laura Poolegives us tips on Self-Editing Made Easy Connie Gentrytells us about Writing for Trade Publications
Please note that Write Now! 2016 will be held at a NEW location: The McKimmon Conference & Training Center 1101 Gorman Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27606
TAF has worked extremely hard to keep the cost affordable for all writers.Registration is just $69; $59 for students with valid ID & seniors 65-plus; $80 at the door. Registration includes all conference activities, coffee before the workshops, a catered box lunch, and all beverages. We also will be giving away some EXCITING DOOR PRIZES!To learn more, or to register via PayPal, please visit http://tafnc.com/WriteNow.html

When Love Conquers Time Release Day!

When Love Conquers Time , contains over 1,000 pages of time travel romances set from the 14th century to the late 20th century.  Kilted Highlanders, shape-shifters, vampires, pirates, dragons, soldiers, and more will give readers hours of adventurous reading. Here are the Book blurbs:
MORAG'S TEARS (Celtic Storm Series Book 5) by Ria CantrellStep back in time to the beautiful Highlands of Scotland in the 14th century. Come and sit with us by the warm peat fire as Morag, the much loved character from Ria Cantrell's bestselling Celtic Storm series tells the story of her life. From a child, gifted in the ancient ways, to a beautiful young woman in love, Morag weaves her rich tapestry of tales. She is a mystical seer, healer, manipulator of time and chatelaine to the clan MacCollum. You will feel as if you are walking alongside her on her life's journey. Share her tears of joy as well as a few sad ones, as she recounts the triumphs and tribulations of a long life filled with love in its many guises.
SEA PANTHER by Dawn Marie HamiltonCan love mend a fractured soul? After evading arrest for Jacobite activities, Scottish nobleman Robert MacLachlan turns privateer. A Caribbean Voodoo priestess curses him to an eternal existence as a vampire shifter torn between the dual natures of a Florida panther and an immortal blood-thirsting man. For centuries, he seeks to reverse the black magic whilst maintaining his honor. Cruising the twenty-first century Atlantic, he becomes shorthanded to sail his 90-foot yacht, Sea Panther. The last thing he wants is a female crewmember and the call of her blood.
Although she swore never to sail again after her father died in a sailing accident, Kimberly Scot answers the captain's crew wanted ad to escape a hit man. She's lost everything, her fiancé, her job, and most of her money, along with money belonging to her ex-clients. A taste of Kimberly's blood convinces Robert she is the one woman who can claim the panther's heart. To break the curse, they travel back in time to where it all began—Jamaica 1715.
MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER by Nancy Lee BadgerSkye Gunn could not prevent her husband’s death, and will risk everything to defeat the sorcerer she blames. When he attacks her nephew, she is taken, instead. She escapes by plunging into the North Sea, and a spell takes her back to the future, to Jake. The woman who haunted his dreams since she blackmailed him into traveling back in time falls from the sky, beaten and bloody. He must trust her as they return to ancient Scotland. To survive, he and Skye must dare to love in the time they have.
REFLECTIONS OF LOVE  by Paul A. Crust
As a result of a head injury suffered in the Gulf War, antiques dealer, Jason Hobbs is the victim of total amnesia. After investing a great deal of time and money trying to unlock his past, he has resigned himself to the fact that he may never fully know his own true identity. Life goes on and in the course of his business Jason acquires an old dresser with an oval mirror among a shipment of antique pieces from England. That same evening, strange images start to appear, reflected in the old mirror, and the mournful sound of a woman weeping can be heard, echoing through the night air. As he searches for answers to the mysterious events which began the day the dresser came into his possession, the past and present collide, bringing events from World War 1 crashing to his doorstep. A shocking revelation will rock his world, changing his perception of who he really is.
Morag’s Tears by Ria Cantrell:  Facebook Twitter Sea Panter by Dawn Marie Hamilton:  Facebook Twitter My Reluctant Highlander by Nancy Lee Badger: Website   Facebook Reflections of Love  by Paul A. Crust:  Facebook

When Love Conquers Time,  a four-author boxed set, is available at  AMAZON  for only $.99 (Free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers) Learn more about the authors: