Lilly Gayle's Blog, page 2

Lines from Folks I Know

As part of my short promo posts for Embrace the Darkness, I'd like to add another line used by one of my characters taken directly from someone I know in "real" life.

Set up: Amber Buckley and her partner, Reid are investigating the Lifeblood of America murders. Reid thinks he has a lead, but Amber fears there's something darker and more sinister behind the brutal murders.

 Reid was on a roll. She could see the
excitement in his eyes—hear the exhilaration in his
voice. He was vibrating with it. If she didn’t say or do
something to slow him down, he’d leap before seeing
where the evidence led.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to espouse
my theories to Captain Stratford or anyone else. I don’t
want this case going to the Feds or to narcotics. This is
our baby and we’re going to rock it.”
The knot in her stomach tightened. This case was
going to end badly. She sensed it as surely as she’d
sensed impending disaster in Iraq.


I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt from Embrace the Darkness, my paranormal romantic suspense available now on Amazon.  This line was brought to you by GMC imaging co-worker and friend, Selena. Thanks, Selena!

Early Release Day!

Embrace the Darkness, my paranormal romantic suspense and sequel to my 2010 release, Out of the Darkness will release on June 21, 2013. But today, I got an awesome surprise in my email box. Embrace the Darkness is part of Amazon's KDP promotional program. So from now until June, Embrace the Darkness will be available excursively through Amazon!

As part of my planned, promotional posts, I'm going to be posting excerpts. But not just any excerpts. These excerpts are things people I know in real life say. And what fun I had "quoting" them.

I've never based a character off of real people, but my characters in ETD sometimes quote people I know. So, here's the first excerpt:

Setup: My heroine, Amber, and her partner, Reid, are searching for a suspected vampire, a mad scientist (Dr. Steve Weldon from the first book) and a kidnapped victim.


Reid looked at Amber as if daring her to disagree.“She has a point. We can’t just show up in another town, flash our badges, and enter a privately owned facility without a warrant. Even if your vampire buddies can manufacture the paper work we need to cover our asses later, we can’t just storm the facility with guns drawn and stakes poised. We’d look insane.”

Amber didn’t have an argument, but she wasn’t backing down.
It is what it is.


Today's line comes from my oldest daughter and a co-worker who use the highlighted phrase quite frequently.

Hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt. More to come later!

Valentine’s Day – The Morning After

Belated Happy Valentine's Day! I hope it was a day filled with love and romance. Or at the very least, a good romance novel.


My guest blogger today is Sandra Dailey. Welcome, Sandy!


Did everyone wake up this morning to the sweet, rich aroma of roses and chocolate?

You may have had a date night or just a romantic dinner at home. Be honest, is that little black dress still lying on the floor? However you celebrated Valentine’s Day, I hope it met your expectations.

Now it’s time to get up, stretch and return to your daily routine. That’s right, it’s the morning after. Bizarre things will happen to off-set the magic.

I offer you an excerpt of a morning after from my newly released story, TWICE THE TROUBLE:

Looking in the bathroom mirror, she saw that her eyes were still a little swollen. She pressed a cold, wet cloth to them. She’d just started brushing her teeth when sounds came from downstairs loud enough to be a herd of buffalo in her kitchen. They were accompanied by a chorus of howls and laughter. What were those kids doing?

With toothbrush in hand, she raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. Sliding to a stop in the doorway, Lacey found Jerrod lying on his back in the middle of the floor. Alex was over the top of him with Jenna on his back. It was an Alex sandwich. They were all laughing hysterically.

Lacey nearly choked on her toothpaste when she saw Jerrod’s face covered in peanut butter. All three offenders froze in place and turned looks of wide-eyed innocence her way. They slowly got to their feet and faced her.

“We really screwed up this time, kids,” Alex mumbled. “She’s so mad, she frothing at the mouth.”

Both kids turned red and covered their mouths. Their eyes watered from the effort it took not to laugh.

Lacey rinsed her mouth, and then picked up the overturned peanut butter jar. “Would someone please tell me, what’s going on?”

Alex cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. He gave her a serious expression. “I’m sorry. I had no choice. Your son called me a sissy. He had to be punished.”

Jerrod scraped a finger down his cheek and into his mouth, looking unrepentant. “I stand by what I said, Mom. The man wears hair gel.”

Perhaps the blurb will explain:
Lacey Carlyle has worked for years to create the perfect blend of home, business and family. Now she risks losing everything when the land she farms is bought by the man who abandoned her thirteen years ago.

Alex has never understood why Lacey walked away from him. Now, he holds the deed to her farm and intends to make her pay. The only problem – two kids weren’t part of the plan.

Jenna and Jerrod may not see eye-to-eye but they are both determined to find happiness for their mom and keep their home safe.

Can Lacey and Alex put their pasts behind them and embrace a future together?

Still confused? That’s okay, I know it’s early. Perhaps you should read TWICE THE TROUBLE. It’s currently available on Amazon. http://amzn.to/Wrxm6B

If you’d like to leave a comment I’ll be hanging around today. I’d love to hear about your morning after or answer your questions about TWICE THE TROUBLE.

About me:
I’m an avid reader and lifelong story teller.  I caught the writing bug after winning a short story contest.  The Chief’s Proposal was my first published work and now I’ve added Twice the Trouble, but I have many more stories to tell.

I currently live with my husband and house plants in north Florida.
http://www.sandradailey.com
http://www.sandradailey.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/sandradailey.author
http://www.twitter.com/sdaileyauthor

Sequel Secrets

When I first began writing the sequel to Out of the Darkness, I thought it would be easy. I already had my hero and heroine. Gerard and Tina were great secondary characters in the first book. They even had a budding romance. What could be better? It took about ten chapters for me to realize their story wasn't going to work. Tina had a daughter. And Gerard was a vampire.

Why did that bother me so much? Because as the mother of two daughters, I realized a good mother would never put romance ahead of her children. No matter how much Tina was attracted to Gerard, he was a vampire living in a dangerous world between worlds. Would a good mother risk falling in love with a man who's very existence could put her child at risk? Maybe. But would readers respect or even like a woman who did that? I had a hard time respecting her as I wrote their story. In my opinion, if Tina really cared more for her daughter than herself (which is how I feel about my own children) I figured she'd avoid getting involved with Gerard and she'd be upfront with her reasons. And if Gerard was as honorable as I wanted him to be, he'd respect that. So, I had to find another love interest for Gerard. And that's when I came up with what I hope is a gripping opening to the sequel, Embrace the Darkness.

The prologue practically wrote itself. I was on fire. I thought I could just keep typing away until the book was finished. But as soon as I sent a rough draft of the first few chapters to my critique partners, authors Andris Bear and Amy Corwin, I realized writing a sequel wasn't just a matter of picking up where the first story left off. As Amy pointed out, Embrace the Darkness wasn't Vincent and Megan's story. It was Gerard and Amber's story and Vincent and Megan had to take a back seat. And Andris informed me that although I needed to give readers enough information from the first book so the second book would make sense, I couldn't just dump it all in the first few chapters because it would still be backstory dump, which is a big no-no. So, I had to filter in the elements of the first book that would be crucial in the second book the same way I'd filtered backstory into the first book--a little at a time.

Easier said than done!

A lot happened in the first book. There were good vampires, villains, military operatives, a questionably bad vampire, a potential cure...How did I filter the information in without backstory dump? I figured I had to tell the first of the story from Amber's point of view. Amber is a new character. She knew nothing about vampires. So after the prologue, I began writing book two in her POV, and things seemed to click...for awhile. Then my characters took over and changed my plot, which left a lot of holes that needed to be filled.

To fill those plot holes, I had to do more research. And I found the answers I was seeking by researching some little known vampire myths. I finally finished the book in July and submitted it in August. And now I'm happy to report, Embrace the Darkness will be released on June 21, 2013.

For those who haven't read Out of the Darkness, here's what happened:


And for those interested in Embrace the Darkness, this is what you can expect:

It's Ground Hog Day!

The Pennsylvania German call Groundhog Day Grundsaudaag Murmeltiertag celebrated on February 2 each year. According to folklore, the groundhog is a predictor of weather. If it's cloudy when the groundhog comes out of his burrow, spring will come early. If it's sunny and the groundhog sees his shadow, he'll run back into his hole and winter weather will continue for six more weeks.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Day is a celebrated event and Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous ground hog in the world....altough, I don't imagine the Punxsutawney Phill who comes out of his burrow today is the same Phil whose been "forecasting" spring all these years.



Here in north central North Carolina, groundhogs are more adventurous  The one who lives in my drainage ditch has been around all winter, just hanging out.

In fact, he's been hanging around since 2006. My daughters have even named him.
One suggested Butner Bill--after Punxsutawney Phill and Bill Murray from the movie, Groundhog Day. The other suggested Phill Murray--after the same. After much debate, we settled on Bill Phill Murray. And I just saw him yesterday. He was across the road, running through the pasture.

According to the news, Punxsutaney Phil saw his shadow and predicted an early spring. I haven't seen Bill Phil Murray yet, but if I do, I'll let you know what he says about the weather.

Welcome Kelly Moran

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Thanks so much, Lilly, for having me. I'll give away a FREE eBook to one commenter.

BIO:
Kelly's been known to say that she gets her ideas from everyone and everything around her, and that there's always a book playing out in her head. No one who knows her bats an eyelash when she talks to herself.
She began her writing career in the Indie market, becoming the recipient of an Editor's Choice Award, a Finalist in the 2008 Best Book Awards, and a Finalist in the 2009 Indie
Excellence Awards before moving into traditional publishing. Her books not only have honors from the top review sites, but from NY Times bestsellers too. She is a respected reviewer and a Romance Writers of America member.
Kelly's interests include: sappy movies, MLB, NFL, driving others insane, and sleeping when she can. She is a closet caffeine junkie and chocoholic, but don't tell anyone. She resides in Wisconsin with her husband, Darren, three sons, Logan, Evan, & Ethan, and her black lab, Willow. Most of her family lives in the Carolinas, so she spends a lot of time there as well.

BLURB:
In her dreams, a ghost demands to be heard...
Once plagued by mysterious nightmares, Trisha Eaton always chalked them up to childish nuisances--until they return with a vengeance. Something about the Drake house next door haunts her, and now her night terrors and sleepwalking seem to be luring her to something dark. After a series of strange events, Trisha turns to Nick Mackey. As the new deputy in town, Nick wants to forget his traumatic past. His undeniable attraction for Trisha has him wondering if a shot at a normal life is possible. But Trisha has somehow struck a nerve in their small, superstitious town, and a long-buried secret threatens to surface again. A secret that someone will kill to keep veiled. Answers only lead to more questions in a case where nothing makes sense, but one chilling fact remains...some nightmares are all too real.

EXCERPT:
Her voice was inviting when she wasn’t mad at him. Like hot cocoa on a frigid day.
“You should smile more often,” he claimed quietly, glancing ahead at the orchard approaching.
She halted abruptly and tilted her head as if contemplating how to respond. “I smile all the time,” she said. No hint of irritation now.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I meant at me. You should smile like that more often at me.”
He couldn’t believe he said it. There was a very long awkward silence as she studied him, brown eyes widened. Talk about feeling like an idiot. Finally, she let out a laugh, smooth and rich from someone so small. She wove her arm through his affectionately like he’d seen her do with others and kept walking.
“Give me a reason to smile and I just might.”
“I’ll take it into consideration,” he mumbled. He already had. From the first moment he walked into her house tonight, he’d been considering her. Before,
really, but why argue semantics.

PURCHASE AT:
Amazon or The Wild Rose Press

FIND KELLY AT:
Web: www.authorkellymoran.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorkellymoran
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorkmoran

Love: Roman Style

I'm not just an author, I'm a reader. As long as there's a good story, a good romance, or preferably both, I'll probably read the book. And the idea of a historical romance set in Rome intrigues me.

I loved the movie Gladiator, but the ending made me cry. Wouldn't it have been a better movie if it had ended with a happily ever after?

Christine Elaine Black is my guest today and her new novel, Maximus, is set in ancient Rome.

Christine?

Hi Lilly!
As a writer of historically-themed romance, the most thrilling part for me is to create a situation for the characters and see how they deal with it. Sometimes I don’t exactly know the road my hero/heroine will take but I know the final result that I’m looking for.

Boy, do I love conflict and secondary characters to add spice and tension to the tale. In Maximus, book I of the Imperial Desire series, there is plenty going on.

Maximus is an imperial bad-boy who has defied the emperor of Rome and as an exile, he’s staying at an abandoned estate. The neighboring family intrigues him and even though his presence is not welcome, he begins a tentative friendship with a woman, her father and her young son.

Carissa recognizes the soldier from years ago and tries to avoid him but her young son is enthralled by the man and pursues a friendship. Carissa’s father, Milo, plays a significant role in the story. He’s convinced he holds information vital to the emperor but no one has taken him seriously in years and it’s not until Maximus realizes Milo’s true identity that events take a surprising twist, throwing Carissa into danger.

Ah, true love. The road is never easy but it’s so worthwhile once we reach the destination.

It was too difficult to say goodbye to my Roman family so I wrote the next installment, Taurus, to tell the story of Kallie, another member of the family. Taurus, book II of the Imperial Desire series is due out in 2013.

Thanks for hosting me as a guest on your blog, Lilly.

Here's a blurb from Maximus:


Carissa Valeria distrusts the handsome soldier who rescues her reckless son from plunging to an early death. Recalling the man's heartless treatment of her from years ago, she itches to even the score, but her son hails the rescuer as a hero. When he becomes her neighbor, her son's friendship with the soldier threatens to uncover old secrets and place her family and her heart in danger.

Exiled to the countryside by the Roman emperor, Maximus Octavius is confounded by the brittle countenance of the woman he's willing to befriend. She's afraid, and he's determined to find out why. But helping Carissa and her son means confronting the guilt of his long-forgotten past and stirring the silenced passion in his heart.

Can Maximus win Carissa before fear and revenge tear them apart forever?

Wow! Sounds great, Christine. And I bet it does have that happily ever after I crave in novels.
Readers can find Maximus on Amazon, The Wild Rose Press' website, and Barnes and Noble.

Find Christine on Facebook, her blog, or on her website.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

Thanks to my adorable but snarky critique partner, Andris Bear, I've been "tagged" in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. And this thing is BIG. Big as the moon big! I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but you can back track through the blogs and see what all your favorite authors have been up to lately. And maybe even meet some new authors.

But be warned, this thing is exponential. Because whoever started it, tagged more than one author, who in turn, tagged several others.

Each author answers ten questions about their latest project, whether it's a new release, a work in progress, or in my case, a soon-to-be released paranormal romance from The Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press.

Simple. Huh? And loads of fun. So here goes!

1. What is the working title of your book? Embrace the Darkness. It's more than a "working" title. The book just went to galley, which means a proof copy is being created to send to review sites. It means, I'll soon have a release date. It means, I already have a fabulous cover by the wonderful and talented Angela Anderson.

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Embrace the Darkness is the sequel to my 2010 paranormal vampire romance, Out of the Darkness. As soon as I introduced Gerard Delaroche in OTD, I knew he'd have to have his own book. So, this is his story. There also some new characters as well as several "appearances" from old characters.

3. What is the genre of the book?

Both ETD and OTD are paranormal romances.

4.Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Easy. Wrestler/actor, John Cena would be perfect for Gerard Delaroche. I even mention his name in my book. And Jessica Biel could play former MP turned detective Amber Buckley. Yea, having even one of my books turned into a movie would definitely be a dream come true!

5.What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

 To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

It's being published by The Wild Rose Press.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

 It took a little over three years from start to finish. I received the offer to publish Out of The Darkness on Mother's Day 2009. The book came out almost exactly a year to the date in May 2010. I started writing Embrace the Darkness (which was originally called Into the Light--thanks Andris Bear for suggesting the new title!) as soon as I completed the galleys for OTD. It was the first book in which I used a plot chart. But, when I got to chapter 10, I realized the story wasn't going to work. There were major plot holes and I had a problem with the heroine. So, I gave Gerard a different love interest and started over. From scratch. But I couldn't give the manuscript the attention it needed because between OTD and ETD, I published 3 other books. So, it's taken a bit longer than I'd planned.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'd like to think I have an original voice and there's no comparison. lol! To be honest, the last vampire series I read was Jenna Black's Guardians of the Night series. Jenna was my critique partner for Out of the Darkness, but we have different styles/voices. But being compared to her would totally make my day.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I thought about doing a sequel to Out of the Darkness while writing it. But family, friends, and my co-workers at Granville Medical Center kept after me to "just do it." So, I did. And while researching ancient vampire legends, I came up with a working plot for Embrace the Darkness.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Vampirsm is a virus--a possibly curable virus. But will a cure for the condition lead to a war between mortals and immortals? I guess I'll have to write book three in the series to find out. lol!

Next author up? None other than Brenda Gayle. And no, we're not related, but don't you just love her last name? lol! Check back to see when Brenda's blog goes live and follow the tour!

The Long Night Moon

Humans have been naming the phases of the moon since there were people. Even before the Native Americans assigned names and meanings to the full moons, the Celtics did it as did the ancient Chinese.
The last full moon of 2012 began last night (Thursday 12/27/12) and peaked at 5:21 am this morning, but it will still be visible tonight. Last night and again tonight, the full moon will follow the sun's path, rising around sunset and setting around sunrise on Saturday. Around midnight, the moon will be in a similar position as the sun during the summer solstice.

In areas where the sky is clear, the moon will be visible from dusk until dawn all over the world. It will be a full moon on a long night in the Northern Hemisphere and will ride low in the sky like the sun in winter in the Southern Hemisphere. North and South of the Arctic Circle where the sun stays below the horizon or there is no sun at all, the moon will mimic the position of the summer sun, hovering just above or below the horizon.

NThe December full moon shines in the center of a star formation known as the Winter Circle, a promise of where the sun will reside six months from now—a promise of longer days and warmer temperatures—a moon for wishes and dreams.

Each year, the Winter Circle is visible around the time of the Winter solstice. But this year, Jupiter is also visible near the star circle. It should be visible near the lower left of the full moon. It will be brighter than Sirius, the brightest star of the nighttime sky.

Throughout the Northern Hemisphere, this is the closest full moon to the December solstice, the longest night of the year. The Native Americans who lived in the United States named the recurring full moons to keep track of the seasons. Colonial Americans called December's full moon The Christmas Moon while others followed Native American customs, calling it the Full Cold Moon or more commonly, the Long Night Moon.

The Long Night Moon was so named because it falls soon after the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It was a great night to attack the enemy. And if you believe in the supernatural, a great night for werewolves, shape shifters, and vampires.

The Long Night Moon shines longer than any other full Moon of the year, brightening the sky as clearly as the sun for those with supernatural vision. And the further north one lives in the Northern Hemisphere, the more dramatic  the moon will be. In some areas, there will be three hours and 45 minutes more moonlight than sunlight. So beware! It will be a perfect evening for creatures of the night.

Merry Christmas

Take a moment this holiday season to remember the reason we celebrate.

Merry Christmas and God bless.
Lilly