Nancy Lee Badger's Blog, page 68

GIVING AWAY BOOKS, AGAIN!

I am guest author at Romance @ Random and am giving away a free ebook to one lucky person who leaves a comment. In fact, the winner will have their choice of either My Honorable Highlander or My Banished Highlander.



I am very glad Sue Grimshaw invited me to talk about how I research while traveling. Please check it out HERE 
And the winner is.... (check back)
*********************

I will have my kilted hubby choose a winner of an ebook at the Fierce Romance Blog HERE

And the winner is...  (check back!)

Why do I give books away?

Simple...readers who read my books, BUY MY OTHER BOOKS.

Besides, " 'Tis better to give than to receive."

Interview with author R. T. Wolfe

Today I’m interviewing R.T. Wolfe. Her book, Black Creek Burning is a romantic suspense and was released on September 24th. Please welcome her!

Nancy-Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

R. T.-First of all let me thank you, Nancy, for having me on your gorgeous blog today. I’m honored to be here. Black Creek Burning is about murder and arson, family and trust. It’s a book with passion that might make you blush but won’t offend the even the most conservative of romance readers. I work to make my characters genuine and as realistic as they are diverse, and I enjoy making my secondary characters a big part of the story. Humbly, I’ve been given nine 5-star reviews thus far on Amazon. My readers overwhelm me and I mean that in the best of terms. Although, Black Creek Burning is the first of a trilogy, there are no cliff-hangers…that anyone has noticed.

Nancy-Great! My series are also considered stand-alone books so someone can take up book #2 and still understand what's been happening. Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in? 
 
R. T.-Black Creek Burning is a romantic suspense and contains a mystery. It’s not an edge-of-your-seat story and although readers have told me they couldn’t put it down, I don’t feel it is because they were on pins and needles. It’s more of an easy read that makes you furrow your brows at what is going on behind the scenes. As of now, romantic suspense is the only genre I’ve published in. I do have other genres buzzing holes in my head, but for now I’m taking one day at a time.

Author R. T. WolfeNancy-Why have you become a published author? 
 
R. T.-I have become a published author because my compact but mighty group of before-I-was-published readers were pushy, manipulating and ruthlessly hounded me. And I thank them dearly for it.

Nancy-What is your writing routine like?

R. T.-Routine? If only. LOL I get in hours when and where I can find them. They might be early before my day job. Sometimes I can catch a few in the evening. It’s not uncommon to see me sitting on the bleachers of one of my sons’ athletic events with my laptop in my hand. Writing is my crack cocaine.

Nancy-Chocolate does it for me! Getting back on track...What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

R. T.-I’ve done all of my own promo with the exception of a Goddess Fish blog tour I have at the end of this month. I am blessed with many author friends (like you, Nancy) who have taken time out of their own crazy writing schedules to give me tips and allow me to serve as a guest on their lovely blogs. Thank you, Nancy!

Nancy-You are welcome! Mentoring is a pleasure and a blessing. Back to you, now. Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?

R. T.-The emails, notes, cards and reviews from my readers. They are my driving force. I would still write without them, but I most certainly wouldn’t write as often!

Nancy-Their words are food for the soul. Amen! What’s next for you?

R. T.-Black Creek Burning is book one in the Black Creek Trilogy. Book two, To Fly in the Shadows , is scheduled for release on February 1, 2013. Book three, Dark Vengeance , has a release date of July 1, 2013. Book two is nearly polished and I am about ¾ done with book three. So fun.

Thanks for joining us today, R. T. Tell us more about your book Black Creek Burning and how to buy it. Good luck on the next books!

BOOK BLURB

Brianna Chapman has learned to handle just about anything. Witnessing the murder of her parents had that effect. Knowing the unsolved arson had been meant for her is the one thing she can’t handle. Instead of dwelling, she stuffs her guilt soundly into her subconscious through diving into the teaching job she loves by day and the dirt of the landscaping business she owns by night. Her habit of remaining aloof to personal relationships is, well, working. Will her guilt be as easy to keep buried if the killer comes back to finish the job? In the midst of juggling a scorched yard, dead animals on her doorstep and her vandalized car, the one thing she didn’t count on was the staggering Nathan Reed. A nationally renowned woodworking artist, Nathan and his two priceless nephews move into the run-down historical house behind her and over Black Creek. They have a canny way of maneuvering around her aloof demeanor and into her heart. Will they still want to be part of her life when they discover she is haunted by past memories and hunted by present dangers?

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Black Creek Burning, is the first in a series set in beautiful upstate New York. She enjoys creating diverse characters and twining them together in the midst of an intelligent mystery and a heart encompassing romance. It’s not uncommon to find dark chocolate squares in R.T.’s candy dish, her Golden Retriever at her feet and a few caterpillars spinning their cocoons in their terrariums on her counters. R.T. loves her family, gardening, eagle-watching and can occasionally be found viewing a flyover of migrating whooping cranes.

Excerpt or Excerpt Link 

     As she meandered up the path to their house, she felt queasy, like she’d done this before. Nervously, she glanced over her shoulder through her mass of wavy brown hair as she kept moving toward the front door. Two people were walking along the street. She stopped and wondered what reason anyone would have to take a walk at this time of night in such an early bird neighborhood.
     It was then she heard the shrill of the smoke detectors. Chest tightening, she bolted for the door.
     “Mom! Dad!” she screamed and tumbled inside, spotting them almost immediately as they ran down the long upstairs hallway.
     Not again. Please not again, she begged, as she fought her frozen legs to make them move up the stairs. The smoke detectors shrieked in her ears. Or was that the shrieking coming from her lungs?
     Her parents yelled her name as they reached for the bedroom door. She couldn’t stop gasping for air long enough to tell them to stop. She wasn’t in there. Didn’t they know?      Just like each time, her viewpoint from the middle of the stairs showed her the yellowish air sucking under the door to her bedroom. Although trying to use the railing to give her momentum, every part of her felt like it was in molasses. She cocked her head to the side, drawing her eyebrows together. Her gaze locked on the eerie breeze.
     Almost simultaneously, her mother rotated the knob as her eyes turned and met hers. For that fraction of a second, her mother understood the fear on Brie’s face, but it was too late. It was always too late. As she opened the door, Brie had just enough time to witness her parents engulfed in flames before the explosion blew her back and everything went dark.
                                                                         * * * *
      Brie, wake up. Wake up, Brie. You’re dreaming.
How can my readers buy your book?
Amazon   iTunes   Android/Google Plus Visit her WEBSITE or follow her on TWITTER and FACEBOOK and GOODREADSand check out her Book Trailor!
 

HCRW ALL DAY WORKSHOP presents Madeline Hunter

Calling all writers and would-be-authors:  HEART OF CAROLINA ROMANCE WRITERS (the Raleigh NC Area Chapter) presents their ALL DAY WORKSHOP with award-winning authorMadeline Hunter
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This All Day Workshop includes coffee and pastries in the morning. Lunch will be on your own!

Morning workshop: The Book that Writes Itself
Editors demand good stories, and the heart of a good story is conflict. This workshop will explain how a strong central conflict will immediately improve characterization, plot, and pacing, and will drive the story so powerfully that it all but writes itself. The discussion will be followed by a hands-on session, during which workshop participants will analyze their works in progress (or next projects) to identify and strengthen the core conflicts and develop secondary and supportive conflicts. They will then use that analysis and brainstorming, along with Madeline’s guidance and template, to create rough drafts of conflict-driven synopses.

Afternoon workshop: An Industry Primer
Walk with Madeline through a virtual publishing house, and learn how the power flows, who does what, and which players can influence your career and how. Along the way she will describe the editorial pecking order, the roll of acquisition meetings, concepts such as publisher support, the distribution system, and the role your editor plays in all of this, from “the call” to the profit and loss report. The discussion will provide writers with knowledge that empowers them to make good decisions and become active partners in building their careers, and also enables them to position themselves and choose story ideas that will be the ones publishers want to bring on board. The potential benefits (and potential pitfalls) of self-publishing will also be discussed, along with an outline of what is involved in self-publishing.

Book Signing
Immediately following the workshop, there will be a book-signing featuring many of our local romance authors, free and open to the public. This will begin at 5:00 p.m. Authors planning to sign their books include:
 Lydia Dare
Ava StoneBeth WilliamsonEmma LangeCarol StricklandCatherine GayleClaudia WelchDeb MarloweDiana HusseyHeather McCollumJennifer DelamereKatharine AsheLaura FlorandNancy Lee Badger
For half-day & full-day pricing, registration form, and directions to the event in Cary, NC, please click HERE
 

Happy Times in New England

A piper watches the competition at the 2012 NH Highland Games & FestivalI logged nearly 2000 miles in the car, recenty. My family and I drove to New England to volunteer at the annual New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival. Despite an awful bed and uncomfortable asphalt (those did a job on my feet and hips), we had a great time. Here are just a few of the sights:
The Gunn Clan in the Parade of Tartans
Lots of great Scottish food was available at the games!
Enjoy the moments!

Nancy

Glad to be back in the city....

The Kancamagus River outside our condoWildlife is beautiful. While driving to and from New England, we spied many brown-eyed, sweet-faced deer. Their delicate beauty is awesome, but they were munching along with their 'friends' much too close to the highway.

Another aspect of rural life was evident at the condominium we stayed at in Lincoln, New Hampshire while volunteering at the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival. The multi-unit, three floor building is nestled beside a large river, yet we were still surprised by the sign on the dumpster (each visitor is required to take all trash to the dumpster before check-out)

The sign is self explanitory and you will agree I had a right to send my adult son out with the next bag.

(and I love the last sentence) Now that I am safely ensconced within the Raleigh city limits in North Carolina, I can laugh at my fear. Are you laughing at me? They would not have posted the sign without reason...would they?

*all photos by Nancy Lee Badger

Cautious author, Nancy Lee Badger

And the Winners are...

Nancy and her kilted husband at last weekend's New Hampshire Highland GamesThe Highlander Giveaway Hop is history and I have chosen two winners from everyone who was kind enough to comment.


Kilts & bagpipes at the NH Highland Games as far as the eye can see! Amy J said "I love Scottish romance. What coms to mind with the word Highlander? An incredible, sexy man who's a warrior, a hero who has a code of ethics that includes honor and loyalty that can run so deep he can be stubborn and unyielding."

I couldn't have said it better, Amy!

Diva J said "When I think of Highlanders, I am reminded of the honor and duty these (sexy, kilted) warriors possess."

Yum, I agree, Diva.

Congratulations to the winners whose names were picked from a hat by my kilt-wearing hubby.

Enjoy your prizes!

Highlander Giveaway HOP!

Along with several other authors, I am celebrating Highlanders from the past, present, and future.
I am featuring my book My Banished Highlander Book #2 of the Highland Games Through Times series. This full-length book is a Scottish Time Travel paranormal with witches, an evil sorcerer, and hunky men in kilts. It begins at a present-day Highland Games and Festival in New England.
I am giving away TWO e-books to TWO lucky people who simply leave a comment, below, between Sept. 21st and the 27th!
Book #1 in the series was released in May.

My Honorable Highlander is just as fierce, just as sensual, and just as time-traveling.
Please take a moment to answer this question::When you hear the word 'Highlander' what comes to mind? Be Honest!And, don't forget to 'HOP' over to the other author blogs and enter to win their giveaways.No purchase necessary!
Nancy

Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on writing...

Today I would like to take a moment to reflect on writing organizations that have benefited me. I spent a wonderful recent weekend night having dinner with over a dozen people who welcomed our monthly speaker to town.



We had flown Heather Osborn, an editor at Samhain Publishing, to town to speak to our local chapter of Romance Writers of America , the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers . The monthly meeting was well-attended and many of us joined afterward to talk over coffee.

This morning, I spent a couple of hours with one writer as we typed furiously in a local coffee shop, her on her next book nearing its deadline and me on promotional articles for my latest release.                                                                  


As Co-Chair of the group blog, I then spent the afternoon typing up some blog posts for the Fantasy-Futuristic and Paranormal Romance Writers. As PRO Liaison for the Celtic Heart Romance Writers chapter, I worked on a strategy to get more members motivated to finish their latest manuscript. Both these groups are on-line chapters of RWA.

Why am I bringing this up?

Simple. Writing is a lonely profession. You sit in a room or in a chair, alone, and people expect great things. I play the radio and my cat, Blaze, keeps me company, but the house is quiet (when hubby is at work). A writer needs quiet at times, but a writer needs the stimulating conversation, educational benefits, and joy-filled good times that meeting with others 'of like minds' bring.

Are you a writer? DON'T DO THIS ALONE! Ask for help, sit in on a meeting, join an on-line group, attend a writers conference, find a friend who writes. You'll be a better writer.

Nancy

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

The past few days have been filled with recollections on TV and radio of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. I watched the stories and recalled how I felt that day. I was at work at the 9-1-1 center in New Hampshire, less than 50 miles from Boston, where the first airplane hailed.
Unfortunately, war and terrorism have been around a long time, even in our young country.
1821-1864
Great-great Grandpa Joseph Abner Bean,
who died while serving in the American Civil War
Peace, above all things, is to be desired, but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain it on equable and lasting terms. —Andrew Jackson
Nancy

My Banished Highlander is out!

My last post was a little dry. Kind of a 'buy my book' message, which I really didn't want to portray, but how else to tell people about my latest release?

Then it came to me...   GIVE THE BOOK AWAY!

So, to make this blog short, to the point, and something people will
actually  comment on, I will award a FREE e-copy of either book in
my HIGHLAND GAMES THROUGH TIME Series:

                                                                My Banished Highlander
                          Book #2
                         released Sept. 1, 2012
                         Amazon   NOOK   Smashwords


My Honorable Highlander
Book #1
released May 18, 2012





What do YOU have to do?

Answer this question:
When you think of Scotland, what comes to mind?
That's it!

I will draw a winner from one lucky person who leaves a comment below (and please include an email which I do NOT save or sell)
on Sept. 11th. Good Luck!