Laura Kaye's Blog, page 82

A Great Review & 4 Ways to Win!!!

So, popping in real quick today to share some good news and four ways to win!NORTH OF NEED received its first review today and IT WAS FANTASTIC! Some highlights: "The mythology in North of Need was fascinating...The best words I can use to describe this book are: warm and sexy....Laura sucked me into the lives of Megan and Owen so fully I could not put the book down....I can't wait to see whose story the next book, West of Want, will bring us."I have a lot of ways to win books going on today, and hope you'll check some out--I love to give books away to friends and followers! All I Want for Halloween is a Vampire! + Forever Freed Giveaway (through 10/20)Interview and Exclusive Excerpt! + Just Gotta Say Giveaway (through 10/22)
Author of the Week Feature + 2 will win choice of one of my three books (through 10/31)IT'S COMING TOMORROW! MY HEARTS IN DARKNESS DARK CHOCOLATE BOOK BIRTHDAY BASH! Lotsa giveaways all day right here on 10/20, the 6-month publication anniversary of HEARTS IN DARKNESS! Don't miss out!So, thanks for reading! And go win my books! *grins*Laura

Welcome Guest Author Laura Bickle!

[image error] Guys! I have a real treat for you today! Guest Author Laura Bickle is here sharing her book series and writing process!
Welcome Laura!   
Okay, let's begin! Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

Thanks so much for hosting me! I've worked in library science, criminology, and technology for several years. I live in the Midwest with my chief muse, owned by five mostly reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, I'm the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, I'm the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE for Pocket Books. All are contemporary fantasy.
Two really awesome series! Okay, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.
My current release is SPARKS, from Pocket Books. By day, Anya Kalinczyk is an arson investigator for the Detroit Fire Department. By night, she's the rarest kind of spiritual medium, a Lantern. While other mediums allow spirits to use their hands and voices to communicate, Anya incinerates them. With the help of her fire salamander familiar, Sparky, and a ragtag group of ghost hunters, Anya chases down unseen threats to her city.
In SPARKS, Anya's investigating a rash of spontaneous human combustion cases. With the reluctant assistance of a soul collector from the Underworld, she must track down the supernatural source of the fires and keep Sparky's newly-hatched newts safe from a malicious psychic.
Man, I totally love the premise of this series! And I've always been psyched by our fictional Detroit connection—I have a book set there too. *grins* So, which character is your favorite and why?
Sparky, Anya's fire salamander, is a lot of fun to write. Sparky is a composite of all the pets I've had. He's snuggly, petulant, protective, and snarky. As a fire salamander, he can affect electrical fields and fire...he's been known to chew on cell phones, blow up microwaves, and set of sprinkler systems in the crime lab.
He has a favorite toy that he cuddles with at night...a Glow-Worm. I had a Glow-Worm toy as a child. I was terribly afraid of the dark, and it really helped. I still give them as gifts for baby showers.
LOL! He sounds freaking awesome! My kids had Glow-Worms!!! As the author, what surprised you about this story?
Research is one of the pleasures of being a writer. And I got to research spontaneous human combustion for this book. I was really amazed at the number of theories about how this works...including the theory of the 'phosphenic fart.' In this idea, digestive gases gather and catch fire in one's digestive tract.
Yeah, I know. Bizarre. But fun to see if I can get the heroine to mention that in the story. And if I can get my editor to laugh, that's an additional bonus.
Geez! Everyone run for the Gas-X! That's terrifying yet oddly cool. LOL What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?
One of the hardest things is that stories I'm working on tend to invade my dreams. When I'm in the throes of a book, it tends to suffuse my life.
I did have recurrent dreams of one of the settings - Michigan Central Station. It's a gorgeous former train station that's fallen into disrepair. I refashioned it as a way station for ghosts crossing to the Underworld - and that made for some odd dreams.
Yup. Very familiar with that building. Detroit probably has the largest selection of abandoned historic buildings in the country. So, what are you working on right now?
I've got a couple of new things in the works. I can't say much about them, except to say that there will be more things that go bump in the night. I've always loved supernatural stories, and am scribbling furiously to keep up with ideas.
Aw, man, you're killing us! Okay, guess we'll wait! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
Hee. It's still sitting in a shoebox in the bottom of my closet. It was a wonderful learning experience, but I doubt it'll ever see the light of day.
I think we all have a book like that! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?
The beginning is the most intimidating part of a book for me to write. The blank page is a scary place, full of doubts and 'what if's.' Procrastination is my greatest enemy at that stage.
The easiest part for me is the last quarter of the book. Then, I can see how all the factors come into play and the plot threads begin to tie up. It's sort of like running downhill - exhilarating and exciting.
That's really cool insight into your process. Have you incorporated actual events or people from your own life into your books?
I worked in and around criminal justice for more than ten years, and my educational background's in criminology. I never did any super-secret or particularly exciting criminologist things...but I picked up some ideas that I work into my stories.
I try to ground my heroines' adventures with a good dollop of criminal procedure.  My heroines are investigators, and I want to include as many forensic details that are as accurate as possible.
When dealing with the fantastic, I think a healthy dose of realism adds a counterweight to the supernatural elements. If the real-world elements are accurate, I tend to be able to suspend disbelief for the fantastic elements more easily.
Yes, yes! Love that. That really expresses well something I've been thinking about with writing fantasy. Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
I think that my books tend to really focus on how the heroines balance their inner lives with their outer lives. My protagonists tend to have hidden lives with supernatural powers that they must keep secret from their day jobs.
Very relatable! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
My husband and I are amateur astronomers. I also belly dance a bit...but not in public. Nobody needs to see that, trust me! ;-)
I initially became interested in belly dancing because I wanted to help overcome my shyness. Since I spend so much time in my head, it helped me think of my body a bit more, get outside of myself. I still wouldn't dance in public, but it's a lot of fun to get together with a group of women to laugh and shimmy.
That's so cool! We want the YouTube video! *winks* Which fantasy book or series do you wish you had written?
I adore Ann Aguirre's work, Marcella Burnard, Jeri Smith-Ready, and everything that Robin McKinley has ever written.
Of all the characters you've ever written, who is your favorite and why?
I think my favorite heroine is Tara Sheridan, from DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. Tara survived an attack from a serial killer that left her scarred for life. She's withdrawn from her professional life as a criminal profiler into a self-imposed exile that's both physical and emotional. I like working with broken heroines because people are flawed in real life.
I'd been wanting to write a story about a heroine who uses Tarot cards for years. The inspiration for Tara was the Queen of Swords card from the Tarot deck. It shows a resolute woman staring off into the distance, holding her sword as if she's cut herself. I've always loved that card, and wanted to build a heroine from that archetype.
She sounds awesome! I love broken characters! Okay, now, just for fun: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Dark chocolate. Nom! Salty or sweet? Sweet Bed or kitchen table? Bed. Kitchen table is too cluttered with books! Beach or mountains? Beach. Give or receive? Give.
Thanks for coming on the blog! Where can we find you on the web?
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Publisher's Author Page | Word Whores Blog
Okay, everyone, leave Laura some questions and comment love! And thanks for reading!
Laura & Laura (couldn't resist! *grins*)
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[image error]Unemployment, despair, anger--visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.
Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya--who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern--suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya--with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team --can stop it.
Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.

A free excerpt is available here.EMBERS is available from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

WITHOUT A TRACE...
Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department—while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell—but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.
After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains—or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims—and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she's unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit's poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more—she's collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky's freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city.

SPARKS is available from Amazon and Barnes & NobleA free excerpt is available here. Laura Bickle has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she's never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses.

Six Sentence Sunday #31 - #NorthofNeed! #EntangledBooks!

I can't believe it's just over two weeks until the release of NORTH OF NEED - Book 1 in the Hearts of the Anemoi series! So, pull up a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate, and enjoy six from North of Need...

Breathing hard, Megan staggered to her feet and studied her afternoon's labor with her hands on her hips.
She'd made a snow family.
A snow family. A snowman, a snow woman, and a snow child.
A sob tore up her throat and echoed into the stillness. What the hell was she thinking?

Click here to read the blurb and the first three chapters! Click here to see the uber cool home page for the Anemoi series! Thanks to everyone who visits each week! I'd love if you would comment! Be sure to read the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter!
Thanks for reading,Laura

Just Gotta Say Blog Tour Week 2 Winners!

I'm so excited to announce more winners! This part of the job of being an author makes me feel like Santa all year round, and I love that! *grins* So, without further ado, congratulations go out to the follow blog tour participants, each of whom won an ebook of JUST GOTTA SAY, my recent contemporary erotic romance release:

From Tigris Eden's Forbidden Blog: acm05 From The Order of the Smut Vixens: books4me67 From Mare's Place: Kellie

There's still one open giveaway! Comment over at Book Lovers Inc. for a chance to win JUST GOTTA SAY - ends 10/22! 
Thanks for reading! And thanks to all the readers who followed the tour and bloggers who hosted me! Y'all rock!
Laura 

Welcome Guest Author Shadonna Richards!

I'm pleased to welcome guest author Shadonna Richards to the blog today!
Welcome, Shadonna!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.
Thank you, Laura.  I'm a writer of romantic comedy and contemporary romance. I'm also an avid reader and a member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America).  
Great! Now, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release—and, wow!, that cover is BEAUTIFUL!
An Unexpected Bride has been described as an old-fashioned romance with modern elements by one reviewer.  
Ooh, cool combination! Which character is your favorite and why?
Evan Fletcher. He's such a sweetie. He's a shrewd businessman who drives himself very hard but underneath all that, he's got a good heart and soul. There's also a bit of mystery about him. He tends to hide his feelings especially after being burned in the past. Emma wonders if she can possibly change that.
Sounds intriguing! As the author, what surprised you about this story?
I guess, Emma's actions. She has the biggest heart but also a mouth that promises more than she can deliver.   
LOL! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?
Possibly. I can foresee Emma getting into more mischief in the future.
What are you working on right now?
I'm in the process of revising a couple of contemporary romances with similar themes to An Unexpected Bride and a couple of short heartwarming romantic stories.
Good luck! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?
Oh, gosh, the very first book I wrote was when I was about age seven…thankfully that will never see the light of day (smile).
I've got one of those myself! Is there a theme or message that runs through your work?
Love conquers all.
That's a good one, for sure. Okay, now, just for fun:
Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk chocolate Salty or sweet? Sweet Beach or mountains? Beach Give or receive? Way better to give. J
Emma Wiggins is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher, in seven days—too bad he doesn't know it yet!
Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather's last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged--to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.
The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather's condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days.  Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

Want more about Shadonna & her new book? See her blog/website, follow her on twitter, and visit her amazon buy page – An Unexpected Bride is .99!

Shadonna Richards enjoys reading and writing about the magic of romance and the power of love. She is the author of the non-fiction books, A Gift of Hope and Think and Be Happy: 365 Empowering Thoughts to Lift Your Spirit (an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller in Meditation). Winner of Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write 2010 Day Two Challenge, she is a member of the Romance Writers of America. An Unexpected Bride is her first novel. She's a proud mommy and wife and lives in Canada with her husband and son.
Thanks for reading,Laura & Shadonna

Guest Author Cate Lord Talks Cosmetics & Books!

I'm very excited to have fellow Entangled Publishing author Cate Lord here today!
Welcome, Cate!
Cate's got a fun post, a GIVEAWAY and an admission, read on...
Laura, thank you so much for inviting me to be a guest on your blog!  I'm delighted to be here. 
Did you know I have a weakness?  I do.  A big weakness, if my bathroom counter, cluttered with lipsticks, blushes, powders, eyeliners, and pots of glittery lip gloss, is any indication.
Yeah, I admit it.  I'm a cosmetics junkie.
I've always loved makeup.  When I was a pre-teen, I'd walk two houses down the road to my friend's home.  We'd head to her bedroom and pull open the top drawer to her dresser which was filled with drugstore brand eye shadow compacts and other makeup treasures.  I remember that sense of wonder when I looked upon her collection, all of the bright colors gleaming and winking as though to say "Wear me.  I'll make you as beautiful as a Seventeen magazine model."
That love of makeup stayed with me, and over the years, I've tried an extensive variety of products.  I prefer department store or designer brands (those in displays at stores like Sephora and Ulta) over drugstore ones, partly because I have very sensitive skin and some products make my skin turn fire-engine red.  Not fun.  The mascara that made my eyes water and itch like crazy?  Especially not fun.
Knowing what products I love and can't live without—lipstick is my number one fave—made it easier for me to write the character of Jessica Devlin, the heroine of my fun and flirty comedy Lucky Girl, released in trade paperback and ebook by Entangled Publishing in September.
Twenty-nine-year-old Jess is the rather plain Jane but dedicated beauty editor of Orlando's O Tart magazine.  Catalogs and beauty samples land on her desk every day.  Her job includes testing all of those goodies and writing reviews and articles for the magazine as well as her popular beauty blog.  Talk about a fun job!  Part of me was seriously jealous.
Jess's life is far from perfect, however.  She was recently dumped by her unfaithful fiancé while in the midst of planning their wedding.  Her self esteem in shreds, she takes two weeks off and flies to England to be maid-of-honor in her cousin's wedding—taking a hefty case of makeup must-haves with her.
Jess might have all the tools to transform herself into a sultry vixen, but she's nervous about the trip.  Her cousin is getting the happily-ever-after Jess wanted so badly.  There's also the embarrassing episode that took place two years ago after Jess's grandfather's funeral; it involved an English pub, too many drinks, overflowing grief for a grandfather she'd cared greatly about, and a handsome Brit who'd held her in his arms and comforted her while she bawled.
Even though there's little chance of her running into James Bond gorgeous Nick Mondinello again, guess who is at the wedding?  Jess decides to avoid Nick, since he's a playboy like her dad who left when she was twelve.  However, she can't ignore she's attracted to him, and fate keeps throwing her and Nick together—whether she's got her makeup on or not.
Through the book which is essentially Jess's journey to regaining her confidence in herself, becoming "whole," and finding true love, I found a way to work in my love of lipstick.  I invented quirky shade names that not only helped to add humor, but directly related to Jess's personal circumstances.  Jess calls the woman she believes is Nick's girlfriend Sex Crazed, after a vampy red lipstick.  When Jess goes to Nick's party, excited about getting to know him better, she wears a glossy shade called Butt Naked Beige.  Back at her Orlando office, hoping to smooth over a snafu that happened while she was on vacation, she wears Good Girl Pink, which she later obliterates with a sweep of Vamp.  Gosh, but I had fun inventing those lipstick names.
In the end, though, no matter how much lipstick Jess has got tucked up her beauty editor sleeve, it's the plain Jane her who wins Nick's heart.  That just fine with this cosmetic-loving, makeup junkie author.  While it's great for a woman to know how to transform into a glamorous goddess, it's even better if she feels beautiful in her own bare skin.  Jess becomes one such lucky girl.
Jessica Devlin isn't looking for love. Heartbroken after being dumped by her unfaithful ex‐fiancé, she's determined to have a fabulous time during her vacation in England where she'll be maid‐of‐honor at her cousin's wedding. After working overtime as beauty editor of Orlando's O Tart magazine, avoiding dating, and putting on ten pounds, Jess is ready to toss her past like an empty lipstick tube and party like a single gal.
But when she steps into the church on her cousin's wedding day, she sees the one man who could sabotage her plan—James‐Bond‐gorgeous Nick Mondinello. She's never forgotten the London marketing exec who held her in his arms after her beloved grandfather's funeral two years ago. Ambitious, and lusted after by women everywhere, Nick is completely wrong for guarded, Plain Jane Jess.
Could Spy Man Nick ever fall for her? Nope. Not unless Jess is one lucky girl.

Connect with Cate:  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  CateLord.com

Find Lucky Girl at Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Powell's | BAM | Diesel | Books On Board

Cate Lord is the contemporary pen name of multi‐award‐winning historical romance author Catherine Kean. Her novels have garnered numerous accolades, including two Reviewer's Choice Awards and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Her books also finaled in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and the 2008 National Readers' Choice Awards.
Grateful for her wildly active imagination and plenty of story ideas, Cate is busy working on her next book. She lives in Central Florida with her husband, daughter, and a very spoiled cat.

GIVEAWAY!For a chance to win an ebook copy of LUCKY GIRL, comment with your email address! Winner will be chosen by random.org. Giveaway is open internationally. Ends 10/13 at 11:59pm EST. 

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to comment!Laura & Cate 

Announcing My Dark Chocolate Book Birthday Bash! #CelebrateTheDark!

[image error] I'm very excited to announce the 6-month publication anniversary of HEARTS IN DARKNESS, my bestselling and award-nominated contemporary romance. To celebrate the occasion right, on October 20th I'll be hosting right here all day a  DARK CHOCOLATE BOOK BIRTHDAY BASH!
And, of course, since it's a party, we need sweets and prizes--and I'll have both! Top prize event giveaway will be a big, mouthwatering basket of dark chocolate decadence! Second prize will be a $10 amazon gift card! But come back throughout the day for the chance at lots of smaller, spontaneous prize drawings!
So, get ready for treats and prizes! Hope to see you on the 20th!
Thanks for reading,Laura

Six Sentence Sunday #30 - Featuring Just Gotta Say!

Hey guys, before I transition to excerpts out of North of Need beginning next week, in anticipation of the November 1 release date for that book, I thought I'd feature one more excerpt from Just Gotta Say, my recently released erotic romance. This is a favorite moment of mine (er, language alert...):

"What now, Callie?" he asked, a pleading tone straining his voice.Her head spun in wonder that she could finally have Lucas, and she answered, "Fuck me."Lucas's hazel eyes darkened. He stared at her for a long moment. She could almost see the thoughts whirling behind his intense gaze. Finally, he leaned down and whispered, "I will never just fuck you. Even when I take you hard and fast—and I will—it won't ever be just fucking."

Thanks as always for reading, and I hope you'll comment too! Don't forget to read the Other Sixers' Posts and follow the #sixsunday hashtag on Twitter!
Have a great Sunday!Laura

Guest Author Nancy Holzner on Starting a Scene with Dialogue

[image error] I'm very excited to welcome author Nancy Holzner, who's celebrating a new release (Bloodstone) and sharing some great writing craft advice today. 
Don't miss her giveaway!
So, take it away, Nancy...
When you write a novel, you wrestle, over and over again, with beginnings—it seems like you always have to be starting something. (Wasn't there a Michael Jackson song like that?) There's the act of sitting down each day to write each day, of course, but that's not what I'm talking about here. Every scene, every chapter—the novel itself—requires a beginning. When you've finished a scene, you have to figure out how to start the next one. The constant need to start something new can be one of the hardest things about writing a novel.
My favorite way to get started on a new scene is to sketch out the characters' dialogue. I bring together two or more characters who appear in the scene and see what they have to say to each other. Often, the first time through, I just write down their words, noting who's speaking if necessary. This bare-bones dialogue looks kind of like a script.
Here's an example from a scene in Bloodstone, the third novel in my Deadtown urban fantasy series. When I drafted this scene for the first time, I already knew the context in which the conversation takes place: Vicky, my protagonist, is at a late-night dinner party at her sister Gwen's house. The evening has been a disaster, and Vicky escapes to the kitchen to get away from the conflict in the dining room. In the kitchen she finds her eleven-year-old niece, Maria. Here's the start of their conversation, as I wrote it the first time through:
"Hi, Aunt Vicky."
"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"Yeah."
"I think I hear a "but" coming."
"But I couldn't sleep." Qqq "I'm scared to."
"Bad dreams, huh?"
"Not bad. Some of them are good. But they're weird."
"Weird how?"
"It's like I'm not me anymore. Qqq Mom said I should tell her if I have dreams like that."
"Have you?"
"What will she do if she finds out?"
In case you're wondering, qqq is my shorthand for "something's needed here." I use qqq because it's easy to search for. Here, I stuck in a couple of qqq's because there's a pause in the dialogue where something happens—an action, a thought, a shift in the tone of voice—but right now I'm focused on the what the characters are saying.
After I've sketched out some dialogue, I read back through the conversation and think about fleshing out the scene. Where are they? I know they're in Gwen's kitchen, but what are their positions? Is Maria's throat-clearing "hi" necessary to open the conversation? How do the characters look and act as they speak? How do they feel about the situation? During the second pass, I think about these questions and start layering in the answers.
So my next time through the excerpt might look something like this:
Balancing the stack of plates, I shouldered open the swinging door into the kitchen. Maria, wearing blue flannel PJs, stared at the doorway with wide eyes. She'd half-risen from her seat and looked ready to bolt. When she saw it was me, she slumped back in her chair.
I slid the plates onto Gwen's spotless counter. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"Yeah."
"I think I hear a "but" coming."
"But . . ." A faint smile curled her lips, then disappeared. "I couldn't sleep." She murmured her next words so softly I almost missed them. "I'm scared to."
I turned on the water at the sink. "How about you rinse, and I'll load the dishwasher?"
"Okay." She padded over to where I stood. Her bare feet looked cold on the tile floor. We worked for a minute or two in silence, Maria squinting seriously at each plate.
"Bad dreams, huh?" I asked.
She gave half a nod, then shook her head. "Not bad. Some of them are good. But they're weird."
"Weird how?"
"It's like I'm not me anymore." Worry clouded her face as she handed me a plate. "Mom said I should tell her if I have dreams like that."
"Have you? Told her, I mean."
Her wet hand gripped my wrist. "What will she do if she finds out?"
You can see, I'm sure, what I'm trying to do in the second pass: Show Maria's worry and ambivalence about her dreams and Vicky's attempt to get her niece to speak freely. Loading the dishwasher gives them something to do as they talk, and Vicky uses it as a way to make Maria feel more normal.
I'll go through a scene like this at least a couple more times before I move on—adding and subtracting, looking for places that need action or clarification or a hint about what the characters are feeling. Getting a sense of what they have to say to each other is the first step. Once I can hear the dialogue, I can begin to picture what the characters are doing and thinking and feeling as they speak. It never fails me as a scene starter.

Bloodstone, the third novel in Nancy Holzner's Deadtown series, is now available. Besides urban fantasy, Nancy also writes mystery; the first book in her Bo Forrester mystery series is titled Peace, Love, and Murder. For information on Nancy and her books, visit her website. You can also find Nancy on Facebook and Twitter, and blogging with other fantasy authors at Dark Central Station.
Follow here for more information on Bewitching Book Tours.

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer—dubbed the South End Reaper—uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston's human and inhuman residents.
As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood…

 

GIVEAWAY! Nancy is offering a tour-wide giveaway - readers can enter at each stop by clicking on this link.

Nancy is offering 5 book giveaways - 5 winners.

Each of five winners gets his/her choice of a signed copy of Deadtown, Hellforged, or Bloodstone.

This giveaway is open to US only.

Thanks for reading! Now, leave Nancy some comment love and enter to win!Laura

JUST GOTTA SAY BOOK TOUR: OPEN GIVEAWAYS!

Hey guys! My book launch blog tour for JUST GOTTA SAY is almost over, but there are a number of giveaway opportunities still open. Check 'em out for a chance to win!Interview at Tigris Eden Book Feature and Exclusive Excerpt at Order of the Smut VixensInterview at Book Lovers, Inc.So, hop on over to one or all and comment to enter to win!
Thanks for reading!
Laura