Bri Clark's Blog, page 12

Spaghetti and The Sentence

Spaghettiand The Sentence

"What about you?" Clint asked, hisface filled with curiosity. "Do you like to cook?"
Rachel preened and knew it. Shewas proud of her culinary skills. "I do okay," she assured him.
"Oh, yeah?" Challenge lit Clint'seyes. "Cook something for me and prove it."
"You don't think I can?"
"I didn't say that."
Rachel scowled. "No, but youhinted at it."
Clint just stood there with afaint smile on his handsome face, so Rachel picked up the gauntlet he hadthrown down. "Okay, I will. I'll cook dinner for you tomorrow night."
"I'll look forward to it."
Had she totally lost her mind? Whyhad she done that? She didn't have to prove anything to Clint Hayes. Well, itwas too late to cancel now. If she didn't cook the stupid dinner for him, he'dthink she couldn't.
She stormed back to the housewhere she belonged and slammed the door behind her. "Goodness," her motherexclaimed. "What's got you in such a snit?"
"Clint!"
Mrs. Amos turned to Rachel and sether coffee down. "What did he do?"
"He manipulated me into cookingdinner for him tomorrow night."
A faint smile crossed her mother'sface. "And how did he do that in such a short time?"
"He insinuated I don't know how tocook."
Mrs. Amos took a seat at thekitchen table. "Sit down with me, Rachel."
Rachel pulled a chair out andjoined her mother. "Yes, ma'am?"
"Honey, you be careful withClint."
Hello, readers, my name is ElaineCantrell, and the brief excerpt you just read is from my  novel The Sentence which was released fromAstraea Press on March 22.  (Buy link: atthe end of the post.)The Sentence is my first inspirational novel.  Most of my work is "sweet" romance, but for along time I considered doing an inspirational novel.   After debating it for about six years, I satdown to write. I got lucky.  The first publisher I sent it to wanted it,but before I could even sign a contract with them, they closed theirdoors.  I let the book sit on my computerfor a year or so and finally sent it to Stephanie Taylor of Astraea Press.  Astraea specializes in "sweet or clean"romance, so I thought it had a good chance of finding a home there.  As I had hoped, Stephanie took it.  My cover was designed by Gin Kiser who workswith Astraea.  If you're a self-pubbedauthor, Gin is good, and so is Elaina Lee who's done a lot of Astraea'scovers.  Contact Elaina at www.forthemusedesign.com, and I cangive you Gin's email if you want.  The cover is wonderful.  It shows my heroine, a minister's daughter,with her hands folded in prayer.  It alsoshows the little white church that my hero accidentally burned down.  The Sentence will be available first asan ebook, and will go to print later.Getting the word out about a new book ishard work.  I have several activitiesalready planned.  On April 3 I'm holdinga virtual release party at my blog (http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com),and on April 12 I'll be doing a release party at the Romance Studio.  I'll be giving prizes at both parties so dojoin me if you can.  If you want me tocome to your blog for an interview of guest post,  just ask me. I'm looking for places to tell everyone about my book. (All linksbelow.)  If you're a book reviewer, I'dlove a review.I hope you will pick up a copy of thebook.  All proceeds from the sale of thebook go to the East Pickens Baptist Church miracle building which is a youthcenter.Now what did Rachel cook for Clint?  Spaghetti. Here's her recipe for spaghetti sauce. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Rachel'sSpaghetti Sauce3 or 4 stalks celery chopped but not too fine1 stick butter1 lb ground round or hamburger4 cloves fresh garlic½ bottle Worcestershire sauce (big bottle)2 can tomato soup1 can tomato paste (small can)1 can tomato sauce1 can mushroom soup1 small can sliced mushrooms drained½ bottle garlic powder3 cloves fresh garlic, not three whole heads2 large onions chopped but not too fine1 bell pepper chopped but not too fine
Fry the celery, onions, fresh garlic and bell peppertogether with butter until tender.  Addsteak, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce and cook to gray color.  Add tomato soup, sauce, paste, and mushroomsoup.  Last add mushrooms.  Let cook on low 15-30 minutes.  This sauce tastes better if you give theflavors time to blend.  It can be frozenwhich is good because it makes a lot.
Bri, thanks for letting me share with your readers.
Elaine, I'm more than happy to have you on the blog. Love this coverart. And as an APsista I'm thrilled you stuck it out and could have yet another amazing novel with Astraea Press. I'm not a big fan of inspirational at the moment. It's just the season I'm in as a reader. But Clint and Rachel have an amazing story. The background characters in this book are those that have that perfect balance of adding but not overpowering the story of the protagonists. I highly recommend The Sentence.
Elaine CantrellHope. Dreams. Life… Lovehttp://www.elainecantrell.comhttp://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.comhttp://www.facebook.com/elainepcantrellhttp://www.twitter.com/elainecantrellEmail: admin@elainecantrell.com
Buy links: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=10046831
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sentence-ebook/dp/B007ND7F8W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332519935&sr=8-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sentence-elaine-cantrell/1109667552

WRITING AS A HOBBY AND WRITING PROFESSIONALLY

As my guest today I'd like to introduce Empi Baryeh. She's a long time reader but new author. She like so many of us ie authors shares her experience of going from a hobbyist to a professional writer. I have to say her bio and personality really pulled me into this piece and made me want to read her book. I'd say with that impression she's doing amazing in her new endeavors as a professional. See for yourself. 
WRITING AS A HOBBY  VS WRITING PROFESSIONALLY

Someone once asked me whatthings I've learned as an author that you didn't know when I started out with mywriting. I thought that was an interesting question and a topic I'd definitelylike to blog on. I'll turn it around slightly and talk about the differencebetween writing for fun and writing as a career.
I started writing around the age of thirteen, so there was alot of learning for me to do, and even as recently as four or five years agowhen I started pursuing publication – and in fact before I actually signed acontract – writing was simply a hobby. If I didn't feel like writing, it wasn'ta huge deal. There were stretches of time that I wasn't putting too much effortinto writing, when I easily allowed life to encroach on writing. I have toadmit, though, it was nice to write for a small audience of friends…much safer. 
But I'd always wanted to turn writing from a hobby into acareer, and suddenly I had to develop blurbs, synopses and query letters. Then,of course, there's promotion, which is a vital tool for any author, even thebig name ones. That meant I now had to worry about—ahem, expect—reviews fromreader who knew nothing about me other than a two paragraph author bio in thebook.
Though, I'd taken up blogging long before signing my firstcontract, that first sale meant blogging had become serious business. Blogtopics had to be better thought-out, and I couldn't let two weeks go by withoutat least one post.
But most importantly, there's nowa need to be more systematic in my writing habits with a little more plottingincorporated into my pantsing ways. That means I worry more when my musedecides to take vacation or when other aspects of my life make me spend lesstime writing than I'd like.
But I plod on as I continue toaspire to the day when my passport states novelistunder "occupation."Empi***AuthorBio
EmpiBaryeh is an author of heart-warming, sweet and sensual African and Interracialromance. She lives in the city of Accra in Ghana, where most of her stories areset. She speaks French and a teensy bit of Spanish.Herdebut novel, Most Eligible Bachelor, came out in February and is available fromEvernight Publishing and other online book retailers. Chancing Faith is hersecond novel, which comes out in Print and eBook on 31st March, 2012.VisitEmpi Online:Blog: http://empibaryeh.wordpress.com
Website: http://www.empibaryeh.webs.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/empibaryeh
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/empibaryeh
Twitter: @empibaryeh
COMING 31st MARCH, 2012,FROM BLACK OPAL BOOKS CHANCING FAITH BY EMPI BARYEH
BLURB :Hedidn't do short-term relationships…American ad exec,Thane Aleksander, doesn't date co-workers either—until business takes him toGhana, West Africa, and he meets Naaki. Now he's at risk of breaking all therules. Can he stop this headlong fall before it's too late?Untilhe met her!Naaki Tabika has aburning need to prove, to herself and others, that she's more than wife andmother material. To do so, she's prepared to give up everything for her job.Meeting Thane, however, makes her want to get personal. But falling for herboss could destroy her career. Will she be willing to risk it all for the onething that can make her truly happy?Two divergentcultures, two different races, two career-driven professionals, only one chanceat true love—will they find the faith to take it, or will their hearts besacrificed on the altar of financial success?
EXCERPT :Thaneknew he was in for it now. He could hardly believe he'd really done it…He'd kissedNaaki. Kissed her! What the hell was he thinking? Thane tossedhis jacket aside and yanked off his tie. Of all the stupid—Raking his fingersthrough his hair, he muttered a curse. The urge to hit something assaulted himwith a force that should have surprised him. The perfect punching bag wouldhave been his own body, since it was apparent that he needed to pound somesense into his skull. Right now, the only thing pounding was his heart as itthreatened to burst out of his chest, throbbing partly out of anger but mostlyfrom his pulsing desire.Damned if he didn'tstill want her in his arms. She made him feel like a teenager—and not in a goodway. Vulnerable wasn't a desired state of mind as far as he was concerned. Hesat down with the adjoining door in full view, still unable to comprehend howhe'd dropped his guard. How he seemed so willing to let downhis defenses around her.He'd panicked inthe elevator, allowed himself to be captivated. He'd worried about her, touchedher as if he cared. She'd kissed him back, moaned against his lips and hisknees had gone weak. He could have made love to her right there in the lobby.He could care about her, and caring was the last thing he could afford to do.Dammit. Naaki wasn't a woman you got involvedwith on a whim. He needed, at all cost, to avoid her—the woman who'd so easilybrought him to his knees, who'd caused his body to come alive and made himwant—Just want.***BUY LINKS:Chancing Faith isavailable for pre-order at the following sites:Black Opal BooksBarnes & Noble*Look out for ChancingFaith on Amazon and other online booksellers from 31st March.*Buy Most Eligible Bachelor at: EvernightPublishing
GIVEAWAYEmpi is giving away a free ebook each week for her blog tour. All youhave to do is leave a comment. Each blog you comment on gives you one vote, sothe more blogs you comment on the greater your chances of winning. At the endof each week, Empi will select one lucky winner. The prize is thewinner's choice of an ebook copy of either Most Eligible Bachelor or ChancingFaith.

A Historical Sass

Well my dearies I am popping in from my self induced hibernation with my laptop and MS of The Eternal Witch to post today guest blog post. Meg Mims is one of my fave online friends and an APsista.(We are both Astraea Press authors.) And to say Meg knows me would be an understatement because this post just made my day. So without further ado I give you a woman of the past with sass.


SASSY WOMEN BLOG POST

Alice Lee Roosevelt, the only daughter bornto President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and his first wife Alice (who died twodays after birth), was considered "bohemian" in her day and era. Since her father refused to speak his firstwife's name after her death, Alice was called "Lee" and primarily raised by herfather's sister. Young Alice clashed with her stepmother, who actually forcedher into leg braces and shoes to treat a slight case of polio – which savedAlice from being crippled for life. But tension between stepmother anddaughter, plus inattention from her father served to make Alice independent andrebellious. She refused to attend a conservative school for girls while TeddyRoosevelt served as New York's governor. She promised an act of "shame andhumiliation" if forced to go – and he took her seriously. Alice remained freeto do as she wished.


Not only did people take notice of Alice'sdoings, they also looked to her for fashion – much like Jackie O, PrincessDiana, Kate and Pippa Middleton, or celebrity actresses of today. Alice LeeRoosevelt was a great beauty like her mother, and yet not at all demure likeyoung ladies of the early 1900s. During her father's term, Alice and thenSecretary of War William Howard Taft led a diplomatic "Imperial Cruise" visitin 1905 to Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines and Hawaii. Accompanying themwere 23 U.S. Congressmen, seven Senators and other officials. Alice entertainedthe press and made headlines everywhere by attending sumo wrestling and beingphotographed with the Japanese emperor and the Empress Dowager of China.
The press dubbed her "Alice in PlunderLand" for the quantity of silk she brought home, along with a gorgeous strandof pearls donated by the Cuban government (which she wore until the end of herlife.) Alice even jumped into the cruise ship's pool (fully clothed) andconvinced a Congressman to join her. She considered her whim as akin toswimming in the bathing attire of the day, and not at all scandalous. But her1906 White House marriage to Nicholas Longworth, a Representative fromCincinnati, Ohio, who later became Speaker of the House, failed to settle herinto complacency.
Longworth, 14 years older than Alice, held different political viewsand loyalties. In fact, her 1912 campaign against her husband in his own district– in which he lost – permanently damaged their relationship. Longworth wasre-elected, however, and kept his seat for the rest of his life. But Alicecarried on many affairs and openly noted in her diary that another man fatheredher daughter Pauline, born in 1925. She once noted that Calvin Coolidge "looks as though he's been weaned on apickle." Alice, considered "the other Washington Monument," held famous partiesthrough her life. Her favorite saying: "If you can't say something good aboutsomeone, sit right here by me." A true Sassy Woman for the ages. 
Double Crossing, August 2011
The Key to Love, February 2012 HOME TWITTER FACEBOOK

 

Get Off You're Butt and Start Manifesting your Dreams

Get Off You're Butt and Start Manifesting your Dreams.By Jonna Ivin
In 2006 the movie The Secret wasreleased on DVD and people were buzzing with excitement over the idea thatanyone was capable of manifesting their wishes and desires. The biggest key wasto believe that it was already true, that you already had love, prosperity,good health and anything else your heart desired. All you had to do was believeit to be true and it would be. Sounds easy, right? So why was it so hard?

It was in the believing part that Ifailed miserably. Sure I could cut out pictures from magazines and glue them toa vision board and as a writer I was an expert at focusing on every pretenddetail of my storybook made-up life. The color of the walls in my futurekitchen, or the way my future husband's dimples always make me smile, nothingwas left to chance. It was laid out perfectly in my mind. Too bad I never thoughtit would actually happen. For years, I read books, tookclasses and did everything I could think of to try and force The Secret to workin my life. As I sat in numerous mediation and visioning groups, I'd repeatsilently, "I am surrounded by love. The man of my dreams loves me."Unfortunately that nagging voice of reason in the back of my mind would rudelyfollow with, "Except, I am going home alone to an empty house." Affirmationsdeclaring my endless prosperity were swiftly dismissed with my thoughts of, "IfI'm so prosperous why is my phone about to be cut off?" I couldn't manifestjack-diddly-squat.
Then in 2008, Hurricane Ike hit thecoast of Texas and my life would never be the same. I volunteered for the RedCross having no idea I was on my way to manifesting the biggest dream of mylife. When I arrived in Beaumont, Texas I met a man. He was a 20 year veteranwith the Army Special Forces and after knowing him for a short time, andeventually falling in love I heard a whispering of intuition that I was goingto write a book about him. Finally the The Secret had paid off and I hadmanifested the man of my dreams. Not only was he the love of my life, but I wasalso following my dream of becoming a writer. I'd manifested two dreams for theprice of one. I could never have foreseen theroad my life would take with this man, or where I would end up as a result.Never in my wildest dreams did I think this Cali girl would move to the swampsof Louisiana and the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas or that my dream man wouldturn out to be my worst nightmare. Eventually I did leave the south and thisman behind to head to the Pacific Northwest where I eventually wrote my memoirWill Love For Crumbs. It was not the book I thought I would be writing. It wasmuch better. When I sat down to begin the writingprocess it was the first time in my life I wasn't pushing and struggling to tryto make something happen. I just knew. I just believed without a doubt that Iwould finish writing and publish this book. How it would happen or when itwould happen didn't matter. All I knew was that it would happen no matter what.Finally, after all these years Iunderstood what it meant to manifest. It wasn't about how hard I could pray, orthe thousands of times I repeated the same mantra. It was about seeing the goalin front of me and each day taking one step closer to achieving it. Even when Ididn't know what I was doing or what I would do next, I kept it simple. Onetask at a time was all it took and yes, the Universe rose up and supported mydream.

I finally understood that therewere two components to manifesting your dreams; believing it was possible and getting off your butt to dosomething about it. One cannot exist without the other. Affirmations, prayer,meditation and positive thinking keep you focused on the right path. Effort andwork keeps you moving forward.



Jonna Ivin currently lives inVancouver, Washington. She is busy working on the film adaptation of her memoirand editing Loving For Crumbs - An Anthology.An audio book version of Will LoveFor Crumbs will be released in the summer/fall 2012

Amazon Link -  http://www.amazon.com/Will-Love-For-Crumbs-ebook/dp/B006V1KQLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332004195&sr=8-1

Website - http://www.wix.com/jonnaivin/jonnaivin

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1210084128

Scoop it - http://www.scoop.it/t/jonna-ivin

Contact  - jonna@jonnaivin.com
Dang! Jonna that was post that shock and shook me up. Makes me want to read your book. Thank you so much for sharing. It was truly exceptional.

Ordinary Housewife or Deadly Assassin

Character perspective:  Alexa Martinez – Ordinary Housewife or DeadlyAssassin

Alexa didn't grow up believing in fairy tales.  From an early age, she was trained tokill—literally.  Her father was acontractor for The Company (CIA) and she worked with her father.  Sometimes the line between good and evilblurred, but she was the one of the best operatives in the business.  She was taught that fear would get youkilled.  So she lived her life alwayskeeping one eye on the door and one hand on her gun.  Even after she married, she continued to livedangerously—until she had her daughter.                                                                                                       
Basement Level Five:Never Scared picks up years after her daughter was born.  Alexa is retired from the business and hastaken on the role of ordinary housewife. Yet she'll never be normal, and her children live with constant guards.  It was the internal conflict between Alexa'spast and her future that propelled the book.  
At its core, the book is about her choice to leave the pastbehind for her children.  I wanted theconflict to be one that would resonate with many people.  I think a lot of us have made questionablechoices while younger that continue to impact us as we age.  At this stage in her life, she's firmlyrunning away from her past.  She has triedto be a good wife, loving mother, and dependable friend because she wants to bebetter for her children.  She has thebest intentions.  Unfortunately, shecan't run from her past. 
Alexa is one of my favorite characters because there are somany layers to her.  She's a complicatedwoman.  On one hand, she's definitely notsomeone you want to cross.  If she'sgunning for you, fear is an appropriate emotion.  On the other hand, she's a person youdefinitely want on your side.  She lovesher family unconditionally.  She's loyaland a fierce protector of those she loves. Alexa is a flawed character, but my hope is that readers will root forher as much as I do. Basement Level 5:Never Scared will be released on April 28th through Black OpalBooks (www.blackopalbooks.com)
 Blurb:  AlexaMartinez was raised to believe that murder, deceit, and lies were a part oflife. A trained killer, she follows in her father's footsteps, specializing inpolitical assassinations for Martinez Security—contracted through the CIA. Shethrives on the power, money, respect, and—most of all—the adrenaline rush.
Despite the danger associated with her profession,Alexa strives to give her children a normal life. But when her past catches upwith her, they become pawns in a deadly game of revenge. Operating from asecret base five levels below ground, Alexa struggles to unravel the puzzle,uncovering secrets that will their alter lives forever. Now she must make achoice—is she willing to die to give her children a life outside the bulletproof glass?
L. R. Wright
I'm adevoted wife of many years and mother to 3 wonderful children who inspire andmotivate me to follow my dreams.  Inaddition to writing, I love romance novels, fine wine, and hanging out with myfriends and family.  I crunch numbers fora living, and plan events for fun. 
Website:  www.thebasementlevelfive.blogspot.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/LeslieWrightAuthorTwitter: @LWrightAuthor

Wow what an amazing character. I have a single mom/assassin/southern belle ms on my to do. Yours sounds so fun. Thanks again for coming by and sharing. Congrats on the release. 

Did That Really Happen?

Did That Really Happen?Guest post by Jennifer Comeaux,author of Life on the Edge
 Have youever experienced something in your life, perhaps a long-awaited event or afulfilled dream, and thought afterward, "Did that really happen?" That's what Ikept asking myself after I returned from my trip to the 2010 Winter Olympics inVancouver.
Attendingthe Olympics always seemed like an unreachable dream. Tickets would beimpossible to secure, lodging would be a nightmare to obtain, the costs wouldbe too outrageous. But then the unexpected happened. A batch of tickets for thefigure skating events became available a few months before the 2010 Games, andI made the spur-of-the-moment decision to buy some. I was shaking as I pressedthe "Purchase" button online. The tickets were pricey, but I couldn't let theopportunity of a lifetime pass by–the opportunity to realize a dream I'd hadsince I was a kid watching the "Battle of the Brians" on TV during the 1988Olympics.
I'm soglad I pressed that button because the four days I spent in Vancouver wereeverything I imagined the Olympics would be and more. I shared the experiencewith a couple of friends, and we made the most of every minute–from gawking atthe Olympic cauldron downtown to attending early morning ice dance practice togoing up Grouse Mountain at two in the morning for the taping of the TODAYShow. It was a whirlwind trip but full of so many moments I'll rememberforever.
I loveto take photographs, so I tried to capture in photos the feel-good spirit andenergy that was everywhere in Vancouver. I also recorded a few videos of someof my favorite moments. Check out the links below for all of the photos andvideos!Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/114752713093749901763/2010WinterOlympics?authuser=0&feat=directlink
Videos: https://picasaweb.google.com/114752713093749901763/2010OlympicsVideos?authuser=0&feat=directlink
My
Nineteen-year-old Emilyis new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to bethe first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who leftRussia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can breakthrough and make history.
Emily and Chris areon track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbiddenfeelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemythreaten to derail Emily's dreams of gold.
Where you can find Life on the Edge:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-on-the-Edge-ebook/dp/B006T89A4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325724001&sr=1-1Barnes& Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-on-the-edge-jennifer-comeaux/1108128017?ean=2940013689534&itm=1&usri=jennifer comeauxAstraeaPress: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=8347323Whereyou can find me on the web:
Website: http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.comFacebook:  http://www.facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor.comTwitter:  http://www.twitter.com/#!/LadyWave4Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5368434.Jennifer_Comeaux

That's an amazing story Jennifer. Jennifer is a fellow Astraea Press author. I'm partial to my APnistas. Thanks so much for joining me Jennifer.

Let It Bleed

To my Sweet Saturday Sample readers my apologies. I forgot I had this guest blogging event going on. But you can still get a great sample...just not one of mine. Check out S.L. Schmitz excerpt of Let It Bleed.  S.L. Schmitz hasre-released the second edition her novel Let It Bleed through Dark ContinentsPublishing. Let It Bleed fits into the Mythpunk Supernatural genre, and iswritten in the elaborate and hypnotizingly poetic prose common for that genre.The novel is currently available in e-book format, and will release as a softcover in the next few months. For more information, visit her website atwww.slschmitz.com. Follow her on twitter @slschmitz and 'like' her on Facebook.Emails and comments are always welcome to Stephanie@darkcontinents.com
The following is anexcerpt for Let It Bleed:
She sighed... eased into a trance and did not open hereyes again until the fourth and last band of the evening began to lug theirgear on stage. Transcendental deity, always asleep at the wheel. Novice,porous, the breathing crux, the lapsed withdrawal, detoxification, Incantatrixbeholden to the silence from within.In ancient times the warriors knew how to fight offdisease of the body and soul by beating their drums, chanting, singing, makingdeep noises to thaw the darkness from taking over the world, prevent theincestuous night from taking away the dawn. Modern tribes having lost theability to surrender, to reconstruct, modern teenagers having forgotten how tobend their knees, lower their shields in the shadow of the One God, feel warmthand security and love.
"Who will be my _____?"
Therefore, the only choice left becomes the choicebetween disintegration and disenfranchisement. Acoustically speaking,disintegration can best be done by peeling the ribbons of sanity one by onefrom the flesh; she was thin and determined. There is a fever brought on onlyby tasting the blood of a transcendental gothic symphony. In this dim indoorlighting, she has lost so much more than seven veils.It was highly unoriginal and non-dramatic when she firstset eyes on the Razorblade Boy. He jumped onto the raised platform (altar) withthe rest of the band and assumed the position by the lead microphone. He wastall, lean, intense, brooding, as all lead singers must be. He perched hisright foot onto an amplifier as the opening riff of the opening song echoed allthe way to the back of the room where the Dead Girl stood, transfixed.
The Outhouse was a small one-storey building in themiddle of a cornfield. The single room was illuminated by the sound of a leadpipe being beaten rhythmically against another lead pipe, sultry music hallalive with thrashing bodies, music that surrenders all that is daylight, richmedieval tapestries of primal imperialism woven into a drum roll of sartorialgravel. The Razorblade Boy with his voice converging in a fist of masshypnotism, producing a tune so bereft of romance, erotic to the point ofsuicide. A boy and his band, an expansion of disease, gauzy background vocals,the Autumnal Girl twisting her bass in an assimilation of blood vessels thateasily railroaded the existing scars and permanent body art. He writhed, hissteaming harlequin face tranquil in the descent of a Victorian novel. Oh, to beinhaled! To be sucked into the crowd's lungs and mixed with tar and beef andglue and nitrous oxide! To be dissipated into chromosomes, genetically alteredat the balcony of perfection, to be cast under the layers of mucous, coughedup, hacked up, spit out in thick androgynous strings of distortion. Able totake a song and chew it into unrecognizable shreds, masticate on the lyrics,bleach the needle words and inject the feedback!Anarchy bred in sour chimera. She stood in whisperedtendrils. She was awake, alert, slave to the endangered chorus of a high-speedgod, motionless in a mockery of spinsterhood. When the spotlight hit her justright, it appeared as though a pair of strong-jawed men with long hair and perfectlytailored black suits flanked her on both sides. In the fleeting strobe light,she sidestepped the two men and began to make her way towards the stage. Themen remained where they were standing, with their hands folded in front oftheir jackets. The next time the thin light passed through the back of theroom, they were gone.
She moved slowly, purposefully through the celebratorycrowd, unaffected by the stifling heat or the press of bodies, movedeffortlessly through the mosh pit without a single one of thenon-discriminating pit bulls attempting to bruise her glowing skin. Once shereached the center of the riotous crowd, she paused. For one burning moment shelocked eyes with the Razorblade Boy, and then thickly, heavily she raised herarms up into the air, her hands floating as if she were pressing against livingwaters. It is unknown where the spark came from--whether she ignited the flamefrom the chipped strobe light or whether she gathered the illumination from theHoly Spirit of all present, but high over all of their heads a gleaming,spinning ball of Light took shape. Her arms stretched, welcoming the Light asit began to descend, her spidery fingers pulling at invisible strings as itfloated gently to rest in the palms of her trembling hands. She held themulticolored ball of fire, cradling it in her arms, kneading the heatless massinto the shape of her heart, lips moistly parted, eyes narrowed, her fingersmanipulating the sphere until she was satisfied with the shape. Again, sheraised it over her head, her actions neither seen nor recorded by any of thetwo hundred people present, murmured an incantation in a forgotten tongue whileopening her fingers to free the energy created. The flame traveled with thespeed of a galactic curve ball over the heads of all the spectators and slammedstraight into the bare chest of the Razorblade Boy. He felt the impact, butnever saw the flame. With the vaguest of alterations of his heart rhythms, hesquinted his eyes and looked out into the pit, followed the trail of glitteringstardust, and suddenly his world shattered…He was Zeus on stage, Adonai mutating. He watched thegates of sublimation open and he stared at the beauty of the gatekeeper withawe, witnessed her unspoken doorway to the stars, unlocking oppositedimensions, poor human relation to the universe with the password divine. "Thy will be done," she said just before the twostrong-jawed men wrapped their arms around her and covered her in theiroutstretched wings.
Wow! SL great excerpt. This is a totally new genre for me. Thank you for sharing it. And for my Sweet Saturday Sample Peeps please go back here to check out more. 

Irish historical meets paranormal romance

 I'm pleased to introduce Diva Jeffersons as the guest post for St Patrick's Day. Also known to all those close to me as my wedding anniversary. I'm thrilled that an Irish novel release is featured on my blog today of all days! I'm Irish. I'm a romantic. And it never fells that some kind of Celtic influences all my books. Oh did I mention I combine paranormal and historical. Obviously, ya'll know I'm loving Diva right now.


Why did you combinehistorical romance with a touch of paranormal?
At first, paranormal elements were not found inTo Love An Irishman. The originaloutline excluded instances involving 'little girl' and a suddenly appearing'rose'. All good stories evolve as writers put their ideas to paper. Sometimeswe write the unexpected. Our characters guide the book and in a sense tell uswhat they want to happen. The most unlikely plot could literally appear fromthin air.            Since my novel takes place mostly inIreland, I figured there is a lot of intrigue and mystery on the island. Afterall, some things happen for a reason, despite their magical influences. Withlove, there is possibility, and sometimes the main character needs a littlepush into the right direction. I realized my hero and heroine needed more thanfate to bring them together. They needed a tiny miracle to show them what ismore important in their lives. Not every feeling is conveyed through wordsalone. So, this is where the 'little girl' makes her appearance. She shows thecharacters what they are failing to see.            As for the bloomed 'rose' over twobud's sudden appearance, it is also a well-placed sign. During the time I spentresearching my theme, I found a good omen in the 'rose'. In rose lore, a roseover two buds represents secrecy. I wanted to dedicate the rose's appearance inmy story to Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's memory, and to the inspiration she gave methrough her novel A Rose In Winter,so I incorporated it in the plot. After all, what is more secret than a silentmessage?Although, I will not reveal who the 'littlegirl' really is or the
Diva Jefferson ~ Historical Romance Author Website: Facebook: Twitter: 

Mila Ramos - Jademystique Blog: The Familial Witch by Bri Clark

Mila Ramos - Jademystique Blog: The Familial Witch by Bri Clark: Give a HUGE welcome to Bri Clark as she presents her pretty intriguing book The Familial Witch.  Seeing as my birthday is coming up, t...

A Call to action and cover reveal

Devri Walls guests today on the Belle of Boise and doesn't hold back. She issues a call to action that even got this sassy Belle's eyebrow shooting up and eyes bugging wide. I see great things in gel's future. You'll think so too in just a second. Read on..

            Fasten yourseat belts ladies and gentlemen, it's about to get a little inspiring aroundhere! Not because of what I have done, oh no. Because of what you are all going to do when you arefinished reading this. Today's topic is, DO IT! Ok, ok, it lacks inoriginality. At least I refrained from saying Just Do It. I surely get points for self control.            How many thingsdo you have sitting around in the back of your mind that you have always wantedto do? Some of those things will probably lay cluttered back there forever. Forexample, I have always wanted to work as a lawyer and a dolphin trainer. Let'sface it.,. not going to happen. But some of those things get tired of hangingaround in the back of your head, ignored. They stand up once in a while and yell,"HEY! Pay attention to me!!" Those are the things we are going to talk abouttoday. Are you going to just let them sit back there, occasionally yelling atyou, forever? Sure, I understand they are not alone. They are surrounded by,silenced by, and beaten into submission by your fears and doubts. There is, 'Ican't do it,' followed by, 'It's too hard,' saddled next to, 'impossible!' and'why me?'            Yep, I livewith them too. Annoying little buggers. But I have had enough, and so have you!(Trust me here, you really have.) It is time for all of us to stand up and do what we do. Be who we are meant to be. I am here today because I have written ayoung adult novel scheduled for release this May. I had to push past 'I can'tdo it' and 'it's too hard' more times than I care to count. (Those two aretough, I tell you, they just won't shut up! And they're fat... very fat.) Ialso punched 'impossible" in the face and swore not to cave in to 'why me?"Because, dang it, why not me? Whynot you ?Really? What makes someone else so much more special, or deserving of what youwant than you are.             Now let's amendsomething here for a second. You don't deserve it just because you ARE. We are destined for greatness, but notjust because we exist. We are destined for greatness when we are willing towork, willing to try and give it everything you have got. Willing to step outonto that limb where you can hear it snapping under your weight and all you seeis pitch back below you. After you do these things, why not you? You can do it!            So please, I amliterally begging here, let's do this! Whatever it is. Run a marathon, write abook, start a youtube series. Stop being scared! Go back to school. Start yourown business, fall in love. Reach back into that mind of yours, fumble around abit and find one that works. One that works in the season of life that you arein, and dive in. Punch a few of your mental naysayers in the face and let'smake this work! Really, you can do this. Just repeat that to yourself over andover again, and start. Things will only change if you make them, so what do youwant? Come on, leave me some comments, let me know what YOU are going to do!Below is the brand new cover art that will be plastered on the front of my results after punching 'it's to hard' rightin its big fat face! Kinda in love with it. Enjoy looking, check out thesynopsis. But seriously after that, sit down and tell me, what you are going todo?


 Wings of Arian By Devri Walls Release date; May 2012

            Kiora thoughtshe had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entireexistence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie.That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. Onemore lie.            With Alerictelling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one whocan stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest mostpainful ride of her life.             Shereluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons andshapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evilDralazar.             However, thisjourney was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by aProtector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded,stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trusteach other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostileconversation.             And now itcomes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heardone? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide wholives and who dies on those very questions.

Devri Walls lives in Kuna Idaho with her husband and two kids.She has worked as a music teacher and currently, a preschool teacher. Shemajored in theater and her love of a story still drives her today. Thankfully,she has finally found an outlet for all the voices in her head. Her firstnovel, Wings of Arian, will bereleased on Amazon May of 2012.  Find heron Twitter, Facebook, her blog; www.writingmyfuture.com and on Goodreads.

Devri you've certainly sparked my inner doer. Thank you so much for coming and I really love your cover art. Good Luck and congrats with your release.