Laurie Larsen's Blog, page 16

When does a writer actually write?

Once upon a time, writers wrote.  And that’s it.  Oh sure, they’d have to research some.  And maybe edit a little.  And even promote a wee bit.  But for the most part, they were the writing leg of the writing/editing/publishing/promoting process.  Now?  All that’s changed.

Now, there’s the internet.  And the internet opens up scads of possibilities for the working writer to do, besides write.  There are blogs and websites dedicated to the craft of writing, the publishing industry, news of publishing deals.  There are online courses writers can take to improve their skills.  There are mailing lists being delivered to the email Inboxes of thousands of writers, multiple times a day with helpful information.

Then there’s social networking aplenty.  Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Pinterest. Authors need one of each (and probably more), and they need to be updated regularly with fresh and appealing content. There’s author pages on the online retailer websites that need to be updated.

And promotional ideas: each book needs a webpage, a video book trailer, catchy promo materials like bookmarks, trading cards, pens, t-shirts and bags.

And for independently pubbed authors, the mountain of knowledge you must achieve to be able to get your book out in whatever venue your reader may want:  Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony, Apple iTunes, paperback.  Each one has a different publishing guide, different formatting rules.

AHHHHH!  When does a writer get to write???  Have you ever wondered why you have to wait so long between books in a series?  THIS is why!  Welcome to writing in the 21st century! Excuse me, my manuscript is calling to me.

Random Moon Books announces a new title!

The excitement at Random Moon Books keeps going!  Evolving, just like a lunar phase.  Just two weeks ago we announced Random Moon, along with its two inaugural book releases — my Keeper by Surprise and Genevieve Jack’s The Ghost and the Graveyard.  Now, our third release is ready for you:  it’s an awesome cowboy action-packed love story called A Good Draw by Laurie Bradach.  Warning: once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down!

Please take a look at our blog announcing Laurie’s book.  And decide which format you want to buy it in, because you WILL want to read it!

 

 

New book available for sale: Keeper by Surprise

Keeper by Surprise

There’s been a lot of excitement in my little office over the last week.  Well, longer than just a week.  But a lot of work over the last few months have now culminated into the excitement of the last week.  I released a new book, and along with four partners, I launched a new company!  Some weeks are just BANNER weeks, what can I say?

In my last post I introduced you to Random Moon Books, the new partnership of five fiction authors dedicated to bringing you, the reader, high quality fiction at very low prices.  And you’ll be hearing more about RMB.

But today, it’s time to talk about Keeper by Surprise!  This book is truly one of my favorites.  (I know I say that every time I release a book.  They’re all my favorites.)  But this one holds a special place in my heart.  The hero, Keith Hanson came to me a fully formed person, like I knew him personally.  I didn’t have to “develop” him or get to know him.  He just came to me, along with his situation.  He’s your typical 20-year old guy, trying to establish his independence away at college, getting out from under the crushing demands of his Marine Colonel father.  He’s in love with a girl and wants to push their relationship to the next level.  He’s working hard enough at his classes to keep Dad off his back.

Parent’s Weekend starts out as a night with the utmost promise, but ends up a night with a most devastating result.  A night that changes Keith’s life forever and makes him reach deep down to come out on top.

A little behind-the-scenes tidbit about this book:  I wrote it YEARS ago.  It was the fourth book I ever wrote, right after Legacy of Lies, and before Preacher Man.  In fact, when my RMB partners were editing it for me, they pointed out ways I needed to modernize it.  Back when I wrote this one, cell phones weren’t nearly as prevalent as they are today.  It was fun seeing how quickly technology has infiltrated our world!

When I first wrote it, I had an agent who was very encouraging and hopeful that it would be the book to snag me a big New York City publishing contract.  And it did get read by a lot of NY editors, but the rejections boiled down to the following reasons:

1. The story is told mainly from a male’s, not a female’s point of view, which is not consistent with mainstream romance novels.

2. The main characters are too young for adult fiction and too old for Young Adult fiction (Keith’s 20, Lisa is 22).

I’m thrilled that with today’s e-book reading communities, Keeper by Surprise gets a chance to find its readership.  I think it will appeal to readers who love contemporary romance, as well as more mature Young Adult readers.  I’m going to cross-promote it to both the adult and “New Adult” markets.  Keeper is now available on your Nook, your Kindle, and on Smashwords.  I’ll add Purchase links below.  Also, if you’re just not an e-reader and you still love the feel of a paperback in your hands, I’ll have one of those out for you very soon too!

   

Announcing … Random Moon Books!

A phase for every fancy!

Today is the day I get to introduce you to an exciting new venture I’ve been working on with four very talented author friends.  The five of us have formed Random Moon Books, a new partnership of writers who are dedicated to bringing high quality, low cost fiction to you, the reader!  My partner, Genevieve Jack, said it absolutely beautifully in her inaugural blog on our new website so just take a look at it here!  And while you’re there, enjoy our beautiful new website.

 

New cover to reveal!

Best news ever!!  I’ve got a new cover to share!  My new book will be coming out soon and I’m so pleased with my new cover, created by the talented Kimberlee Mendoza, who’s also done the covers on my last three books.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  Do you like it?  Does it make you want to read the book?

Inner Diva e-book free on Smashwords!

Inner Diva cover

Because I’m getting ready to release a brand new novel in coming weeks (see excerpt here) I’m sampling a tried and true strategy that successful indie e-authors swear by: I’m offering a book for free! The reason for doing this is to reach new readers interested in a free read, and if they enjoy it, they’ll come looking for other books. Fortunately, I not only have a large backlist,  I’ll also have a follow-up book soon, very soon!  My dream is to use the power of the internet to reach new readers who had never heard of me before, and so far, it appears to be working!

My book has been available on Smashwords for a free download since 2:00 this afternoon.  In just 5 1/2 hours, 118 readers have downloaded it to their e-reader, 10 libraries grabbed to put into circulation and one reader spent all afternoon reading it and then posted a very positive 5-star review!!  Thank you, hrhsophia!  You made my day.

How can you get in on the excitement? Right here: my Smashwords author page.  If you haven’t gotten your e-copy of Inner Diva yet, there couldn’t be a better time than right now!

Summer Dreams Make Me Feel Fine

I’m a lover of summer, always have been. Give me heat and humidity and it puts me in the happiest frame of mind of the entire year. Because I grew up the daughter of a teacher, we always took our family vacations in the summer, so that’s another contributor to summer being my favorite season.  I love to travel and visit new places. My favorite place is the beach. I love the sand, the surf, the waves, the water, the sun. I’m happy with a great book under the umbrella, taking occasional dips in the ocean or the pool, sipping a cold, delicious drink.

Ahhhhh …. I’ve just returned from a week in southern South Carolina, one of my most treasured places in the world.  It was a week of soaking up the beauty of the area, visiting with good friends and relatives, engaging in my favorite vacation activities, and trying something new (deep sea fishing!).  Also, eating.  We love to check out restaurants while on vacation and savor delicacies of the area, as well as our old favorites.

It was a week of renewal and relaxation.  A week to thank God for how blessed we are, and make new plans to make my dreams come true. I’ve peppered this post with some of my best images from the trip.  Hope you enjoy them.

What’s the best vacation you ever took?  Where are your favorite places to visit?  Leave me a Comment and share.

A teaser from my new book

I’m planning an exciting new release for this fall!  Since I’ve been working all day on editing it, I thought I’d give you an excerpt and see what you think.  It’s so new, I don’t even have a cover design yet!  Anyway, this is the moment where our heroine, Lisa, catches sight of our hero, Keith, for the first time.  She’s there on business and he’s mowing the lawn.  But she doesn’t know it’s him, in fact, she has a completely different assumption of what he looks like.  Well, anyway, here you go, and after you read it, leave me a comment to let me know if you enjoyed it!

 

The drone of a lawn mower floated on the hot summer evening. Lisa glanced towards the house and her breath caught in her throat. Oh. My. God.

The most gorgeous man in the world was over there, mowing the lawn.

Lisa paused in reaching for the door handle and slipped lower in her seat so she could spy on the hunk for a moment without being noticed. Was this the right house?  She grabbed the paper and double-checked the address. Yes!  It was.

Lisa took a deep breath to get her heart rate under control. Boy, it was beating up a storm!  Like she had never seen a gorgeous guy before. Well, it had been a while.

His hair, a light chestnut brown, sported hints of blond highlights. But not intentional highlights. No way was this the type of male to sit in a salon seat, paying big bucks to get highlights chemically applied. He was clean-shaven and glistening from the heat of the evening. He wore only a pair of shorts, his chest bare as he pushed the mower back and forth across the lawn.

And wow, what a magnificent chest. Hair-free and muscular, he practically shone with physical fitness. Lisa squinted for a better view. This was a guy familiar with the inside of a gym. What kind of athlete was he?  Not a body builder. He didn’t sport those obnoxious over-done muscles. His sport subtly sculpted his body. A swimmer, maybe?  A gymnast?  Who knew, but the guy had a perfect build. Not too scrawny, but without an ounce of fat on him; that was clear.

And his face. Straight out of GQ magazine, he had classic good looks. She imagined running her fingers along his chiseled jawline, then feathering across those luscious lips. They looked a tad bit full for a male – all the better to kiss you with, my dear!

She was too far away to see his eyes. She wondered with glee what color they were. It wouldn’t really matter. Whether they were crystal blue or smoldering brown, they would do nothing but enhance that strong, handsome face.

Feeling hot suddenly. God, it’s been way too long. Seeing a good-looking guy was making her hot.  Pathetic.

Lisa straightened in her seat. She’d had her fun, now it was time to work. Maybe she could flirt with the lawn crew guy afterwards.

As she prepared to exit, the lawn-mowing Adonis stopped his progress. Oh God, he was looking in her direction. He had noticed her car and it distracted him. Oh well, he had distracted her from her work. Guess she was repaying the favor. Lisa got out of the car and walked casually across the street, hoping beyond hope her knees wouldn’t weaken in front of this stud and make her do something stupid like trip and fall.

Her game plan was to walk right on by him without even a glance, step up to the door and ring the bell. If this delinquent Keith kid was home she would complete her professional visit, and on the way out, if the Greek god was still there, she’d strike up a casual conversation, as if she had just noticed him for the first time. She certainly couldn’t let him know she’d spent the last five minutes drooling over him from afar.

She got out of the car, tugged on her navy blue skirt and straightened the neckline on her white blouse. She sauntered right on past him, not even deigning a glance his way, and would’ve made it to the front porch, too, if he hadn’t cut the engine on the lawn mower and spoken to her.

“Hi, is there something I could do for you?”

Boy, was that a loaded question. To Lisa’s dismay, the mere sound of his voice caused a double-shot of female hormones to take a dive into her groin. It was deep and gravely, but polite. A touch innocent. She’d love to let his voice lap over her like ocean waves for hours at a time. She cleared her throat and attempted, probably failing miserably, a cool nonchalance. “Oh, don’t let me interrupt you. I’m here on business.”  She commenced her determined trek to the front door.

He took a few steps toward her, then stopped. “I’m sorry?  Who is it exactly that you’re looking for?”

She looked at him over her shoulder. He was gazing intently at her, his head cocked slightly to one side. “Uh,” she started, forgetting her name for a moment under the intense stare of those gorgeous … green! … eyes. Who would’ve figured him for green eyes?

He tore his gaze away from her and started looking around. He backed up a few steps to a piece of white fabric lying nearby in the lawn. He picked it up and Lisa saw it was a shirt. He slipped it on effortlessly, while she mourned the sudden and quite unexpected loss of her view of that spectacular chest.

He approached her then and continued his curious inspection of her. Lisa cleared her throat. God, she had to pull it together here. She was working, and she needed to continue to function, even in the presence of this hunk. “I’m here to see Keith. Keith Hanson.”

To her surprise, he smiled, his face lighting for a moment, like a lamp would brighten a dark room. “I’m Keith Hanson.”

 

 

 

An Angel, I Think…

Do you believe in angels?  Do you believe they walk among us on earth, protecting us when we need them?  A guardian angel, so to speak.  Well, prior to Memorial Day weekend of 2005 I wouldn’t know if I did or not.  Not until I actually met mine one night on a dark highway after a terrible car accident.  Here’s my story:

It was the day after Memorial Day, and I had taken a day off work to extend my long holiday weekend.  Besides, it was the kids’ first official day of summer break, and I wanted to spend the day with them.  In the morning, they slept in and watched TV, while I finished some work.  Then I took the kids to the pool.  We were there almost three hours, the kids both got sunburned, and then I stopped at McDonald’s on the way home and we got a late lunch.

When we were done eating, it was time for Jeff to get dressed for his baseball game.  He had a doubleheader in Eureka, about 40 minutes away, and I was taking him there early for his batting practice.  My husband, Norm would join us later after work.

Jeff played his games – won both of them, and then we went to Pizza Hut for dinner afterward.  We both started driving home, me following Norm in his pickup truck.  Jeff was with me because he likes my music choices better than his dad’s.

We were almost home.  It was about 10 PM, and it had been a long, eventful day.  I was tired.  Maybe I was in automatic pilot mode, not paying full attention to the road.  But whatever, we got off one highway and onto another right outside of town.  The intersection was tricky and of course, it was dark.  To make matters worse, the whole thing was under construction.  There were just two very tight lanes with waist-high cement walls on either side.  No shoulder to pull off on, no wiggle room whatsoever.  So, here I come, following Norm, he drives up the tight entry ramp and enters the highway, and then, so did I.

Except, when I did it, there was a semi-truck already in that lane, plowing through, right on my tail.  I first heard the horn he was laying on, and then I turned my head and saw him.  In fact, for a few nights after the accident, every time I closed my eyes, I’d see that in my memory over and over again – the semi plowing right into me, just inches from my head.

The semi and I were suddenly in the right lane together, and another vehicle in the left.  Three of us smooshed into two very tight lanes.

I didn’t know what else to do except slam on my brakes.  Jeffrey had reclined his seat and closed his eyes, so thankfully he didn’t see it coming.  My car came to a halt, but the semi couldn’t stop that fast.  He sideswiped me, traveling at highway speed.  My side impact air bag deployed, which I’m sure saved me from getting a face full of glass.  My outside mirror ripped off and flung through my closed driver’s window.  The glass shattered in my lap and the mirror landed at my feet.

As the monstrous tires swept past, it lifted my car up off the ground and I just held on tight to the steering wheel and the brakes, riding it out like a bucking bronco.  Jeff sat up at the impact and said, “Mom?  Mom?”  I could sense a trace of panic in his voice and I knew he’d fall apart if I did, so I said (probably a little too enthusiastically), “We’re okay, honey!  We’re okay!” and he calmed down.

When the truck finally passed, the car dropped back to the ground.  Three tires popped when I landed.  And … that was it.  I was fine, Jeff was fine.  The car didn’t cave in, implode, explode, jerk, jolt or get thrown over the wall – all of which were very possible outcomes.  The car took a beating but protected us, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.

Meanwhile, Norm, driving in front of us, was watching this horrifying scene unfold in his rearview mirror.  He was panicked, but there was nowhere to pull over.  Eventually he let the semi pass him, pulled in behind it when it stopped too, and parked his truck on the right lane further up.  The semi driver reached me first.  He stuck his finger in my face and yelled, “You did not have the right of way!  You did not have the right of way!”  There I sat, shaking from the accident, looking at him through the broken window of my beautiful, now destroyed car, peeking out from underneath the deployed air bag, and said, “I realize that.  I didn’t do it on purpose.”

As he turned away, Norm came running up.  The driver started in on him and Norm said, “I don’t give a damn about that!  That’s my wife and child in there!  Are they okay?”  The driver waved his hand dismissively and said, “They’re fine.”

Norm stuck his head through my shattered window and kept asking, “Are you okay?  How’s Jeff?  Is anyone hurt?”  I assured him we were both fine, and then it hit me, what I’d done.  I let out a few tears and sobbed, “Look what I’ve done to my car!”

It was then that I saw a beautiful black woman looking at me through the closed passenger side window.  She was gesturing at the window.  I pushed the button to open it, and she said, “Are you okay?”

I said, “I’m fine.  We’re both fine!”  I was so relieved and amazed that I’d actually been hit by a semi and lived to tell about it.

She said, “I just witnessed that accident and I can’t believe you have no injuries.”

I said, “Thank God.”

She said, “God sent an angel down to protect you and your son from harm.”

I nodded, but my mind was whirring and I didn’t really pay attention to her meaning.  Then she said, “You need to get out of this car now.  Get out now, all right?”

I couldn’t open my driver side door, so I climbed over the console and climbed out the passenger side after Jeff got out.  When I stood up, the woman pulled me into a hug.  She smelled great and it felt so good.  She had long, wavy hair and wore a flowing pantsuit and she was covered with gold and diamond jewelry.

Another man arrived, pulled his pickup truck behind my car and put on his hazard lights so that people driving up on the highway wouldn’t rear end us, not realizing there was an accident.  He was very nice and offered to give me a jacket because I was shivering.  Then he gave me a bottle of water.  The police arrived, and I could see them interviewing the truck driver and the witness, and then they came over to me and took my statement.  They asked me if there were any other witnesses, and I said, “Yes, a woman …”

I looked around and she was gone.  I got into the ambulance and they cleaned me up.  I had cuts on my legs from where the window broke on my lap.  It was a long hour of making arrangements to have the car towed, further interviews with the police, and making phone calls.  But bottom line, Jeff and I were fine.

Late that night, Norm and I were lying in bed.  I asked him if he’d seen that black woman, and he said yes.  I said, “Where did she come from?  The guy who had stopped to help me, drove up in the pick up truck.  Were there any other vehicles parked along the road with you and the semi driver?”

There weren’t.  He asked if maybe she was a passenger with the semi driver, but the reports said he was traveling alone.  I guess she could’ve been traveling along the other direction, saw the accident and somehow parked her car going the opposite way, but she would’ve had to cross four lanes of highway traffic, and jump over three cement walls to get to me.  And she was the first one to get there!

In light of what she told me, I really have to wonder if she was my angel that God sent to protect me.  Or possibly just a person with Christian faith who just happened to be there at the right place at the right time, walking along a highway under construction at 10:00 at night.  But it was weird that she disappeared when the police got there, because usually anyone who is helpful enough to stop at an accident scene, will give a statement to the police about what happened.

Regardless, she really helped me and I was grateful that she was there.

I’m doing good.  My cuts have healed, and I’m not as shaky as I was the first few days following.  State Farm decided the car was a total loss, and I had to go over to the body shop and pick up my license plates and my personal effects out of the car.  It was a tearful moment as I sat in my destroyed luxury car, holding on to the steering wheel and thanking it for saving my life, and my son’s.  It had died an early death, but it was there when I needed it.  In commemoration of that brave car, I took the very generous settlement check and bought another car exactly like it.  There’s no difference at all except it’s a year newer.  And it’s very comfortable and familiar driving it.  It’s almost as if the accident never happened.

But it did happen.  God has a reason for why I’m still here, and I hope to discover what it is.  Maybe I’m just supposed to keep living my life – loving my sons and making sure they grow up right.

Thanks, Angel.

 

 

New 5-star review for Preacher Man!

Preacher Man bookcover

I just received a new review for my award-winning novel, Preacher Man, my January, 2009 release.  It’s an oldie but a goodie!  Check it out!

Amazon review of Preacher Man

Do you ever post your thoughts on a book you’ve read?  It’s a huge help to the author.  It helps them get better placement and promotions by the website.  If you’ve read any of my books and feel so inclined, please go onto Amazon or Barnes & Noble’s website and post your thoughts!