April M. Reign's Blog, page 2

The Mancini Saga

START THE SAGA FROM THE BEGINNING

IOU (Book One)

[image error]Twenty-seven-year-old detective Carlo Mancini is your average do-good kind-of-guy with an insatiable appetite for justice. However, Carlo has one personal setback: his inability to let a senseless crime become a cold case. His obsession to uphold the law has led him on a ten-year, dead-end search for the infamous IOU thief.

Twenty-six-year-old Mia Baker lives a normal life: a quaint apartment overlooking Central Park, cherished friends, and Pirate, her one-eyed cat. To most people, Mia’s life seems perfect; but to Mia, that couldn’t be further from the truth—especially when her disturbing past comes back to haunt her.

When Detective Mancini bangs on Mia’s front door, he has no idea he will soon unravel some disturbing truths about himself, and the woman in front of him. One chance encounter can destroy the very fabric of their woven lives when Carlo realizes reality is not always black and white…

. . . Especially when secrets are involved.

Snap Shot (Book Two)

When famous actor Antonio Mancini meets famous paparazzi Candace Moore, he doesn’t expect to [image error]fall in love with the beautiful, passionate photographer of the rich and famous. Candace is thrilled when Antonio embraces her and the demons in her closet.

On the night that Antonio proposes to Candace, their car is involved in a massive car accident. When Antonio wakes in the hospital the following morning, the investigator tells him that he was alone in the car at the time of the accident. Against medical advice, Antonio flees the hospital and starts to search for the woman who accepted his proposal. One clue after another brings him closer to discovering the truth and proving his sanity.

Christmas with the Mancinis (Bonus Christmas Story)

[image error]Isabelle Mancini, the matriarch of the family, really misses her children. Except for Bella, who is now a senior in high school, her sons are spread out all over the U.S. and overseas. She decides to do something a little different this Christmas and rents a gorgeous cabin in the mountains to get everyone together. But it’s not just their company she’s craving. Isabelle has an announcement to make, one that will shock her family.

When a blizzard strands a dinner guest on the side of the road, four of the Mancini brothers leave the cabin to brave the elements, find this guest, and bring him and themselves safely back to the cabin.

A slippery drive down the mountain, in search of the missing guest, brings unexpected suspense from both the wilderness and bad guys as a man-versus-nature challenge juxtaposes with a man-against-man danger that threatens their very survival.

The Mancini family invites you to a very special–and very exciting–Christmas Eve adventure. Don’t miss it!

Still Born (Book Three)

Coming Soon

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The Dhellia Series Fun Video

The Dreaded Writer’s Block

writer’s block

noun

a usually temporary condition in which a writer finds it impossible to proceed with the writing of a novel, play, or other work.

writer’s block

noun

an inability to write; “he had writer’s block; the words wouldn’t come”

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We’ve all been there at some point in our writing career. The moment when you sit in front of your computer or notepad and stare aimlessly as if you’re waiting for words to appear magically in front of you and create a story on their own. Wouldn’t that be nice?

I think every writer handles it in a different way. I’m going to give you the steps that I took in order to help me, once again, put my story to paper and quickly transition out of writers block and into writer’s flow.

It’s happened to me twice in my writing career. I felt lost. After all, how could I, a writer/author by career, have nothing to say? Worse, how could I have no thoughts whatsoever when at some point, I [image error]was spilling words all over the page? That realization alone made my writer’s block worse. I had no choice but to take action.  

Here are the steps I took.

Clear your mind: No matter what, we all have other things on our mind. Whether it’s school work, our day job, our family, our kids, money, or lack thereof and/or bills, we might not know the source of the virus that has stopped the flow of our writing, but if we take a moment to think about it, I bet we’ll figure it out. Find the source and deal with it first, or at least acknowledge it and deal with it later.

Bond with your characters: Take 15 minutes to sit back in a quiet area, close your eyes and picture your characters. Put yourself in the story. If you can’t picture yourself living it, how can you write it? Breathe deep and relax your body while you take those few moments with them. Let’s call it bonding time. Let them stir an emotion in you. Whether you spend that 15 minutes with the hero or the villain, let your character stir an emotion in you that gives you the thriving desire to write.

The following is the last thing I did, which put me back on track and I believe is the most influential of them all.

Write a loose outline: Whether you’re a panster or plotter this particular moment will get you back on track and move you forward with your story. So what do I mean? If you’re a panster, you should sit down and write out a loose outline for the next five paragraphs. Bullet points with one sentence that will drive your mind back into the story. A list of directions, if you will.

If you get lost on the road, often times, you will stop to ask for directions or throw in the final [image error]destination into your navigator. The navigator will put you back on track, but once on track, you can choose to stay the course or navigate away from it again. Same with an outline. Make it a loose outline just to give you the confidence to get back on track.

If you already outline your work, then revisit it. Maybe it’s time to revamp by throwing your final destination back into the navigator. Maybe you veered off course at some point, and now you need to jump back on at a different location.

Make it simple. A loose outline for five paragraphs and you’ll have written enough to spark your creativity to take the controls of your story again and allow you to free up that bout of writer’s block that has utterly numbed your mind.

Here we go… get back at your computer/notepad and start writing.

April M. Reign

Photo credit:

Image credit: pooterjon / 123RF Stock Photo

Image credit: pooterjon / 123RF Stock Photo

Image credit: pooterjon / 123RF Stock Photo

The Dhellia Series

START THE SERIES FROM THE BEGINNING

Dhellia: Has a Conscience (Book One)

She may be the daughter of Satan, but DHELLIA has a conscience. She’s run away from Hell to escape her undesirable duties as princess of the underworld. A three-month road trip “upstairs” convinces her half-human side that Earth is where she belongs.

[image error]Unfortunately, Lucifer isn’t seeing things her way. Her brother, who is a soul catcher and her protector, snatches her away and hides her in the apartment of a bumbling wizard who casts a cloaking spell on her, and a geeky vampire rock ‘n roll singer who is allergic to human blood.

DHELLIA gets a job in a law office and suddenly, her future is full of possibilities—that is, until a collision of fate and destiny create the perfect storm, which puts her and her friends in peril. Once again on the run from Satan’s minions, Dhellia and her friends must find a way to survive while she discovers the powers that lie within her.

DHELLIA is a darkly funny, fresh and sassy, fast-paced series about a young woman whose birthright is the underworld—she’s mad as Hell about it, and is determined to beat the Devil at his own game!

Dhellia: Quest For The Keys (Book Two)

DHELLIA is still on the run from her father, Satan, who wants her to take her rightful place as princess of the underworld, which would include duties that conflict with her compassionate, witty and half-human personality.

DHELLIA has a falling-out with her sweet but annoying roommates, a falling-in with her handsome [image error]boss, Quinn, and a conflict with her soul-catcher brother, Damien, who is really taking a lot of heat from Satan for her disappearance. To make matters worse, Damien also disapproves of her growing connection with Quinn, whom he doesn’t trust one bit. That alone has pitted the siblings against each other as Dhellia searches for her independence and Damien tries to keep her safe.

While on a quest for the other “keys,” DHELLIA recovers two amazing artifacts that contain the most dangerous secrets on Earth, ones that could, in the wrong hands, turn the tables between good and evil. Dhellia gears up to prepare to battle “downstairs” in a way that no one ever has!

DHELLIA is a darkly funny, fresh and sassy, fast-paced series about a young woman whose birthright is princess of the underworld—she’s mad as Hell about it, and is determined to beat the Devil at his own game!

Dhellia: Trial by Fire (Book Three)

COMING SOON!!

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Dhellia: Quest for the Keys (The Dhellia Series Book #2)

I’m excited to announce that Dhellia: Quest for the Keys (The Dhellia Series Book #2) will be released

Wednesday 4-10-13

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DHELLIA: QUEST FOR THE KEYS (The Dhellia Series, Book #2).

DHELLIA is still on the run from her father, Satan, who wants her to take her rightful place as princess of the underworld, which would include duties that conflict with her compassionate, witty and half-human personality.

DHELLIA has a falling-out with her sweet but annoying roommates, a falling-in with her handsome boss, Quinn, and a conflict with her soul-catcher brother, Damien, who is really taking a lot of heat from Satan for her disappearance. To make matters worse, Damien also disapproves of her growing connection with Quinn, whom he doesn’t trust one bit. That alone has pitted the siblings against each other as Dhellia searches for her independence and Damien tries to keep her safe.

While on a quest for the other “keys,” DHELLIA recovers two amazing artifacts that contain the most dangerous secrets on Earth, ones that could, in the wrong hands, turn the tables between good and evil. Dhellia gears up to prepare to battle “downstairs” in a way that no one ever has!

DHELLIA is a darkly funny, fresh and sassy, fast-paced series about a young woman whose birthright is princess of the underworld—she’s mad as Hell about it, and is determined to beat the Devil at his own game!

Author Services

I wanted to let everyone know that I’m offering some new services to authors. The links are above on my page under “Author Services” and I’m excited to be able to help my colleagues with some of their publishing needs.

I’m especially proud of the covers that I’ve made for my books and the covers I’ve made for others. Please check those out at this link:  http://www.aprilmreign.com/book-cover-designs-portfolio/

There’s another part of my services that I absolutely love doing and that’s the premade covers. I’ve just started my gallery, but I plan to have covers in all genres. Besides the premade, I will also put together a custom cover that is perfect for your book, if you prefer. Please see my premade covers at this link: http://www.aprilmreign.com/premade-gallery/

So there you have it. When I’m not writing, I’m designing or thinking of ways that will help authors market and promote their work. Hope to hear from you soon.

Dhellia Waits for the Hell Hounds

(click to enlarge pictures)

In the opening scene of Dhellia Has a Conscience (Book #1), Dhellia and her brother wait for the Hell Hounds to catch up to them, so the hounds can take Dhellia back to Hell in order for her to confront her father.

This is the scene:

~~~

The view from the top of the U.S. Bank tower gave me access to observe the entire city of Los Angeles. The twinkling lights of homes and buildings, streetlights and stoplights were nothing more than mere stars on Earth as viewed from this height.

The Santa Ana winds blew my long red hair off my face and whipped it at my back. Winds like the Santa Ana’s were the natural process that cleansed the polluted air of its toxins—in some corner of my mind, I also wanted that wind to cleanse the toxins from my existence. In my case, the toxins in my life were my origins of evil.

I gazed down on the city below—the city I had come to love and in which I now waited patiently for Father’s faithful beasts to stand before me with his message.

I was no stranger to the big city, nor was I a stranger to Father’s hellhounds. Both could be evil, yet intriguing, if I took the time to appreciate what they individually had to offer. Nevertheless, I wasn’t here to evaluate humans, nor was I here to evaluate beasts from Hell. I was here because I was tired of running—I was tired of dodging my father in order to have some freedom.

End Scene

~~~

The US Bank tower is the tallest building in Los Angeles. Although I was unable to stand on top of the building, I did capture some pictures of the building where Dhellia and Damien stood. I was at the top of City Hall and the city of Los Angeles looked amazing from that height. Can you imagine what it looked like from the top of the US Bank tower at night?

Exactly how I described it. 

To give you some perspective, the first picture shows a guy running at the top of another building, and I am higher than he is. The only way to get on top of the US Bank Tower would be the portal from Hell and that building is where one of Hell’s portals is located.

Click on the picture to enlarge

 

Man Running                               April Pointing                    L.A. from way up               L.A. from the ground

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From below                          From the Sky

 

These final pictures were  taken at night. I bet by now, you can pick out which building Dhellia and Damien were standing on when Wolf and Zombie arrived ready to drag Dhellia back to her father. This is the night view and this sentence sums it up: The twinkling lights of homes and buildings, streetlights and stoplights were nothing more than mere stars on Earth as viewed from this height. 

 

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Disciples of the Damned highlights (Season 1 Episode 1)

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Sons of Anarchy Meets True Blood

A Snippet

Palo pulled out more money and threw it on the counter. “Here you go.” He grabbed Dominic by the shoulder and started for the door.

Two other security guards who had shown up from the back area moved in to stop them.

“Easy, boys,” Palo said. “He’s DOD.”

“Then why the fuck is he dressed like Benjamin Franklin?” The security guards separated and let them walk out the door without further confrontation.

The second that the night air hit them, Dominic dropped to his knees just outside the bar. He was weak and famished. He needed blood or his body would deteriorate back to the skeleton form that had swayed under the sea.

Palo leaned over and picked him up, wrapping Dominic’s arm over his shoulder. “Come on, get up. You need to eat. We’re going back to my place.”

Dominic pushed Palo away from him. Although he was weak, he tried to maintain his tough façade. “Enough! What year is it?”

“Two hundred years later.”

“The devil, you say?” He turned to address the people on the street. “I’m a Lord among you. Bow to me and show your allegiance, you cattle.”

“No, no, no,” Palo stepped toward Dominic. “Get back here, man. You look like a fool.”

“Be gone from me, traitor. I will find my own way in this world.”

Passersby laughed at Dominic, but he did not notice. What he did notice was a large black man with his girlfriend who walked hand in hand down the street.

Dominic addressed the man. “Slave, where might I find the nearest plantation? I am sure your master will…”

The black man cocked his head back, mumbled, “Oh, hell no,” and delivered a right hook, which knocked Dominic’s weakened body to the ground.

PURCHASE Dominic Season 1 Episode 1

YOU Can Be In The Next Dhellia Book (Contest)

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ADVERTISE YOU, YOUR BUSINESS OR YOUR BOOK

 

YOU can be in the next Dhellia book!

 

What you get:

First prize: Your name, your business name, your book name, or your blog site will be mentioned in a scene in Dhellia: Quest for the Keys (Book #2).

Second Prize: I’m giving away TEN $10.00 USD Amazon gift cards

What you have to do:

First Prize: Write a review for any and/or all of my books on any one or all major retailers and your name will be entered to win for each time you posted the review.

Note: All previous reviews are eligible.

Second Prize: Share my Facebook post and your name will be entered to win.

All details and rules are below.

Good Luck!

 

Rules / Details:

- Your name will be entered into a drawing once for each review that you post or have posted on any of the seven major retailers.

- You must comment on this blog post with your full name (or Facebook name or twitter handle) with the number of reviews you posted and on which sites.

- All major retailers include Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, Kobo, Smashwords, Apple, and Sony.

- If you posted a review in the past and you want it to count, you must comment on this blog post with your name and reviewing sites for it to count.

- First place winners will have a mention in my book with your name, your business name, your book name, or your blog site and it will be in Dhellia: Quest for the Keys (Book #2).

- A mention can mean a sentence, a paragraph or several paragraphs, but will be decided on by April M. Reign as to the length of the mention. The individual can agree or disagree on the plug in the book, but if they disagree, they will forfeit their mention and be disqualified and the next person will win.

- You will be notified by email that you have won, your email response will authorize me to plug you in my book, and you will wave all rights to any compensation.

- The Amazon gift cards will not exceed $10.00 USD and will be sent via email as an email gift card.

- Amazon gift card: One prize per winner

-Contest ends March 31, 2013

The Lookout Roadhouse

 

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Five Books out of Five books (stars)

We enjoy a great cup of hot chocolate and there’s no better place than The Lookout Roadhouse off of Ortega Hwy over looking Lake Elsinore. About once a month, we will take the drive up the winding mountain just for that savory warm decadent treat of hot chocolate and a great view.

The service is fantastic and the food is divine. We’ve had breakfast at this lovely place and we’ve recently tried their famous BBQ ribs. They are slow cooked and will melt in your mouth. It’s almost like spending the day with family while enjoying the homey atmosphere.

This place is one of our favorites and one that I would recommend if you’re ever in the Southern California area.