Daniel Kaye's Blog, page 4

Interview with author, Gail Morgan McRae. Updated Feb 2014.

Since my interview with Gail back in August 2013, she has released her first novel, Creedor, book trailer, and launched a new website. So I thought I'd just add the links, and below is the interview with Gail, hope you enjoy it.

Creedor - Kindle Edition 
The official book trailer for the science fiction novel, Creedor  
Gail's New Website  

I would like to welcome author Gail Morgan McRae to my blog.   Gail is the author of the soon to be released Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013.



Daniel Kaye - Where were you born, and where do you call home? Gail Morgan McRae - I was born in Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina, USA, but I have called Laurinburg, Scotland County, North Carolina home for the past 34 years.
DK - What is the name of your most recent book or WIP and if you had to sum it up in 30 words or less, what would you say? Gail - My most recent books are Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013, and Creedor 2, just submitted for editing. My WIP is working titled Hellritch 1. We see how descendants of Earth whose ancestors left for other life-sustaining planets survive. Wizards, changelings, military coups, and the slaughtering of innocents weave the threads of this intricate tapestry.
DK - If you gave one of your main characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say about you? Gail - I imagine that several of my characters would like to have a word with me, most of them via an in-my-face confrontation for the things that either they do or that happen to them. If I could have those conversations, I would point out that they did it to themselves – I just wrote it down for them. I think that Dr. Simon Slogar would want to know why he’s portrayed as an obese, alcoholic who has been tasked with the saving the Creedorian people from the plague that is devastating them daily.
DK - Do you have plans for a new book, and is this book part of a series?Gail - Yes, I currently have two books completed and four more in the works as part of the Reglon Empire Series. I also have ideas for a couple of companion books to supplement the series.
DK - Where and when do you prefer to do your writing? Gail - I write most often in my overstuffed recliner in my den. I prefer writing in the morning and again in the afternoon and into evening.
DK - Laptop, desktop or pen for writing?  Gail - I prefer a laptop. It’s easier on my wrists than pen and paper. It’s also nice to lean back in my recliner instead of sitting at a computer station.
DK - Who designed the cover of your book? Gail - Gentry Publishing arranged the cover design.
DK - Do you have a book trailer? Gail - No.
DK - What are your thoughts on book trailers? Gail - I think they’re a great publicity tool. I just haven’t had time to put much thought into one, and I personally think that successful book trailers require a great deal of planning.
DK - Do you have any advice for other writers? Gail - Yes. Just write. Don’t worry about making every sentence perfect before going on. Get the story down, and then go back with fresh eyes. Also don’t think that good books just drip from the pen or ooze from the keyboard. It just doesn’t happen that way. Good writers have talent, but they should understand that writing is also a skill that must be developed. Frustrating though it may be, the proofreading and editing processes are vital to a clean, professional finished product.DK - Great writing tips.
DK - Is your book in Print, eBook or both? Gail - I believe that they will be in both formats.
DK - Have you self-published and if so how would you describe the experience? Gail - I did self-publish once. I think that if I had known then what I know now, I would have gone the free self-publishing route instead of buying the publishing package. I would have gotten a finished copy for myself, but I wouldn’t make it available for others. The process of getting a self-published book ready is a great experience and overall, worth the effort.
DK - What books have influenced your writing? Gail - It’s hard to say. When I was younger, I worked in a small-town library and was tasked with reading the Children’s Library collection, some 2,000 books. I found the books of Lloyd Alexander, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Rudyard Kipling the most fascinating. I think that’s when my love of science fiction/fantasy began. In the worlds they created, anything was possible. What a revelation for me as young woman who grew up in a four-room house without benefit of indoor plumbing, television, telephone, or automobile! 
DK - Is there an author that you would really like to meet? Gail - I would love to meet J.K. Rowling.
DK - Do you have an e-reader, and do you prefer it to traditional published novels? Gail - I have a Kindle Fire HD, but I still prefer the good old book in my hand when I read.
DK - Where do you prefer to buy your books? Gail - I buy most of my books in bookstores, mostly Barnes and Noble. I like to plunder through some of the indie bookstores, but I’m allergic to dust so my visits are short. Besides, I love the coffee shops in the B&Ns.
DK - What book would you like to read again? Gail - When I finish the series, I’d like to read all the Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling), Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden), The Black Cauldron (Lloyd Alexander, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams).
DK - What book are you currently reading and in what format? Gail - Right now I’m reading the paperback titled Grace for the Journey by Beverly and George Thompson.
DK - Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad.  Gail - I think that book reviews are good whether the reviewer likes them or not. To me, the reviews can give useful feedback, though not always. Also, writers have to develop a thick skin when it comes to their work. Trusting your publisher and editor in their assessment of your work is the best way to handle both good and bad reviews – they shoot straight so you already know where you stand. Also, if you take their editing advice, you’ll have a better chance at a good review – at least that’s my hope.
DK - Do you have a nickname? Gail - No, I don’t have a nickname.
DK - Did you have a favourite toy as a child? Gail - Yes. I had a worn out old teddy bear that I kept until it disintegrated from use and had to be discarded.
DK - An early childhood memory – Gail - When I was little we lived upstairs at my grandmother’s house. I remember one cold, winter evening sitting on my daddy’s lap in a rocking chair pulled up close to the potbellied stove. I’d been begging him for a taste of his chewing tobacco and this night he gave in. My older brother came in and hung his flannel pajamas on the draft knob. Well, it wasn’t long before they caught on fire. Daddy jumped up to stomp out the fire, dumping me onto the floor. That “chaw” of tobacco went down and immediately came back up. As I recall, it was chaos for a few minutes before my mama came to the rescue. I never asked Daddy for another chaw. Oh, but those were the good old days!
DK - Any pets that you would like to tell us about?Gail - We have a little, brown dog named Louise who’s a mix between a pit bull and a dachshund. She’s very short but very powerful and quite protective. After my husband lost his lower right leg after an accident last year, she bit someone who came into the house unannounced. She only bit his knee because she couldn’t reach anything higher – lucky for him. Then there’s our cat Tammy. When I walk Louise, Tammy walks right along with her totally unafraid of the dog. Tammy’s a grey and white American Longhair who showed up under an azalea bush when she was so small she fit in the palm of my hand. Our daughter wished for a kitty and within a week, her wish was granted. Unfortunately, our daughter was headed off to college, so we got to take care of the baby kitten.
DK - Coffee or tea? Gail - I survive on strong coffee and lots of it.
DK - Do you have a favourite food? Gail - I love chicken and pastry.
DK - Do you like to cook, and if so what?  Gail - I love to cook. I try new things as often as I can, but have quite the menu of staple dishes that my family loves such as pot roast, mac and cheese, collards and cornbread with fatback, baked spaghetti, linguini with clam sauce, loads green salads with fruit and nuts added. Today for lunch, I made salmon patties with homemade tartar sauce.  
DK - What do you eat for breakfast? Gail - Breakfast varies for us. Sometimes toast and jam or cheese toast with fruit. Sometimes the full monty with eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits, grits with lots of Smart Balance instead of butter, and juice. Sometimes it’s just cereal and fruit. It all depends on how much time we have when we get up and how hungry we are.
DK - Name three things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)? Gail - Driver’s license, debit card, and sunglasses.
DK - Sleep in, or get up early? Gail - My husband and I are early risers.
DK - Your favourite gadget – Gail - Laptop.
DK - Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit? Gail - The UK, especially Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. My husband’s folks are of Scottish heritage and mine are primarily Irish and Welsh.
DK - One of your favourite quotes – Gail - Matthew 22:37-40 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Jesus Christ(I think if we all lived by those words, the world would be a better place.)
DK - List three of your favourite all time movies?Gail - Gone with the Wind       Dr. Zhivago       The Passion of the Christ
My facebook page: Gail Morgan McRae - AuthorTwitter: @GailMMcRae
I would like to thank Gail Morgan McRae for allowing us the chance to have a chat, and for giving us a glimpse into her writing world.

Interview with author, Gail Morgan McRae.

  I would like to welcome author Gail Morgan McRae to my blog.   Gail is the author of the soon to be released Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013.



Daniel Kaye - Where were you born, and where do you call home? Gail Morgan McRae - I was born in Lumberton, Robeson County, North Carolina, USA, but I have called Laurinburg, Scotland County, North Carolina home for the past 34 years.
DK - What is the name of your most recent book or WIP and if you had to sum it up in 30 words or less, what would you say? Gail - My most recent books are Creedor 1, due out November 22, 2013, and Creedor 2, just submitted for editing. My WIP is working titled Hellritch 1. We see how descendants of Earth whose ancestors left for other life-sustaining planets survive. Wizards, changelings, military coups, and the slaughtering of innocents weave the threads of this intricate tapestry.
DK - If you gave one of your main characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say about you? Gail - I imagine that several of my characters would like to have a word with me, most of them via an in-my-face confrontation for the things that either they do or that happen to them. If I could have those conversations, I would point out that they did it to themselves – I just wrote it down for them. I think that Dr. Simon Slogar would want to know why he’s portrayed as an obese, alcoholic who has been tasked with the saving the Creedorian people from the plague that is devastating them daily.
DK - Do you have plans for a new book, and is this book part of a series?Gail - Yes, I currently have two books completed and four more in the works as part of the Reglon Empire Series. I also have ideas for a couple of companion books to supplement the series.
DK - Where and when do you prefer to do your writing? Gail - I write most often in my overstuffed recliner in my den. I prefer writing in the morning and again in the afternoon and into evening.
DK - Laptop, desktop or pen for writing?  Gail - I prefer a laptop. It’s easier on my wrists than pen and paper. It’s also nice to lean back in my recliner instead of sitting at a computer station.
DK - Who designed the cover of your book? Gail - Gentry Publishing arranged the cover design.
DK - Do you have a book trailer? Gail - No.
DK - What are your thoughts on book trailers? Gail - I think they’re a great publicity tool. I just haven’t had time to put much thought into one, and I personally think that successful book trailers require a great deal of planning.
DK - Do you have any advice for other writers? Gail - Yes. Just write. Don’t worry about making every sentence perfect before going on. Get the story down, and then go back with fresh eyes. Also don’t think that good books just drip from the pen or ooze from the keyboard. It just doesn’t happen that way. Good writers have talent, but they should understand that writing is also a skill that must be developed. Frustrating though it may be, the proofreading and editing processes are vital to a clean, professional finished product.DK - Great writing tips.
DK - Is your book in Print, eBook or both? Gail - I believe that they will be in both formats.
DK - Have you self-published and if so how would you describe the experience? Gail - I did self-publish once. I think that if I had known then what I know now, I would have gone the free self-publishing route instead of buying the publishing package. I would have gotten a finished copy for myself, but I wouldn’t make it available for others. The process of getting a self-published book ready is a great experience and overall, worth the effort.
DK - What books have influenced your writing? Gail - It’s hard to say. When I was younger, I worked in a small-town library and was tasked with reading the Children’s Library collection, some 2,000 books. I found the books of Lloyd Alexander, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Rudyard Kipling the most fascinating. I think that’s when my love of science fiction/fantasy began. In the worlds they created, anything was possible. What a revelation for me as young woman who grew up in a four-room house without benefit of indoor plumbing, television, telephone, or automobile! 
DK - Is there an author that you would really like to meet? Gail - I would love to meet J.K. Rowling.
DK - Do you have an e-reader, and do you prefer it to traditional published novels? Gail - I have a Kindle Fire HD, but I still prefer the good old book in my hand when I read.
DK - Where do you prefer to buy your books? Gail - I buy most of my books in bookstores, mostly Barnes and Noble. I like to plunder through some of the indie bookstores, but I’m allergic to dust so my visits are short. Besides, I love the coffee shops in the B&Ns.
DK - What book would you like to read again? Gail - When I finish the series, I’d like to read all the Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling), Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden), The Black Cauldron (Lloyd Alexander, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams).
DK - What book are you currently reading and in what format? Gail - Right now I’m reading the paperback titled Grace for the Journey by Beverly and George Thompson.
DK - Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad.  Gail - I think that book reviews are good whether the reviewer likes them or not. To me, the reviews can give useful feedback, though not always. Also, writers have to develop a thick skin when it comes to their work. Trusting your publisher and editor in their assessment of your work is the best way to handle both good and bad reviews – they shoot straight so you already know where you stand. Also, if you take their editing advice, you’ll have a better chance at a good review – at least that’s my hope.
DK - Do you have a nickname? Gail - No, I don’t have a nickname.
DK - Did you have a favourite toy as a child? Gail - Yes. I had a worn out old teddy bear that I kept until it disintegrated from use and had to be discarded.
DK - An early childhood memory – Gail - When I was little we lived upstairs at my grandmother’s house. I remember one cold, winter evening sitting on my daddy’s lap in a rocking chair pulled up close to the potbellied stove. I’d been begging him for a taste of his chewing tobacco and this night he gave in. My older brother came in and hung his flannel pajamas on the draft knob. Well, it wasn’t long before they caught on fire. Daddy jumped up to stomp out the fire, dumping me onto the floor. That “chaw” of tobacco went down and immediately came back up. As I recall, it was chaos for a few minutes before my mama came to the rescue. I never asked Daddy for another chaw. Oh, but those were the good old days!
DK - Any pets that you would like to tell us about?Gail - We have a little, brown dog named Louise who’s a mix between a pit bull and a dachshund. She’s very short but very powerful and quite protective. After my husband lost his lower right leg after an accident last year, she bit someone who came into the house unannounced. She only bit his knee because she couldn’t reach anything higher – lucky for him. Then there’s our cat Tammy. When I walk Louise, Tammy walks right along with her totally unafraid of the dog. Tammy’s a grey and white American Longhair who showed up under an azalea bush when she was so small she fit in the palm of my hand. Our daughter wished for a kitty and within a week, her wish was granted. Unfortunately, our daughter was headed off to college, so we got to take care of the baby kitten.
DK - Coffee or tea? Gail - I survive on strong coffee and lots of it.
DK - Do you have a favourite food? Gail - I love chicken and pastry.
DK - Do you like to cook, and if so what?  Gail - I love to cook. I try new things as often as I can, but have quite the menu of staple dishes that my family loves such as pot roast, mac and cheese, collards and cornbread with fatback, baked spaghetti, linguini with clam sauce, loads green salads with fruit and nuts added. Today for lunch, I made salmon patties with homemade tartar sauce.  
DK - What do you eat for breakfast? Gail - Breakfast varies for us. Sometimes toast and jam or cheese toast with fruit. Sometimes the full monty with eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits, grits with lots of Smart Balance instead of butter, and juice. Sometimes it’s just cereal and fruit. It all depends on how much time we have when we get up and how hungry we are.
DK - Name three things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)? Gail - Driver’s license, debit card, and sunglasses.
DK - Sleep in, or get up early? Gail - My husband and I are early risers.
DK - Your favourite gadget – Gail - Laptop.
DK - Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit? Gail - The UK, especially Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. My husband’s folks are of Scottish heritage and mine are primarily Irish and Welsh.
DK - One of your favourite quotes – Gail - Matthew 22:37-40 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Jesus Christ(I think if we all lived by those words, the world would be a better place.)
DK - List three of your favourite all time movies?Gail - Gone with the Wind       Dr. Zhivago       The Passion of the Christ
My facebook page: Gail Morgan McRae - AuthorTwitter: @GailMMcRae
I would like to thank Gail Morgan McRae for allowing us the chance to have a chat, and for giving us a glimpse into her writing world.

Interview with author, Stephen O'Sullivan.

I would like to welcome author Stephen O'Sullivan to my blog. Stephen is the author of The Tenderfoot and the soon to be released Anderson's Gold.

Daniel Kaye - Where were you born, and where do you call home?Stephen O'Sullivan - I was born in Dublin and still live there.
DK - What is the name of your most recent book or WIP and if you had to sum it up in 30 words or less, what would you say?SO'S - Anderson’s Gold: Set in the late 1800s, it is a fast-paced adventure story that stretches from Boston’s bustling streets to the vast wildernesses of Western Canada.
DK - If you gave one of your main characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say about you?SO'S - I suspect Tom Anderson would start by cursing me for tearing his life apart. But I do believe he would thank me by the end of the story.
DK - Do you have plans for a new book, and is this book part of a series?SO'S - I’m halfway through my next novel, Anna, which is unrelated to Anderson’s Gold, although I do intend to write a follow up story.
DK - Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?SO'S - Late at night or early in the morning when everyone else in the house is asleep.
DK - Laptop, desktop or pen for writing?SO'S - Pen for the 1st draft as the words spill out faster than my two finger typing can cope with. 2nd draft onwards is on the laptop.
DK - Who designed the cover of your book?SO'S - I’m not sure yet. I’ve just recently sent the publishing company a description of how I see the cover. I’m not sure who they are going to use.
DK - Do you have a book trailer?SO'S - No
DK - What are your thoughts on book trailers?SO'S - To be honest, I haven’t watched many so I don’t really have any thoughts one way or the other.

DK - Do you have any advice for other writers?SO'S - If you’re new to writing, don’t waste too much time goggling for tips on how to construct a novel or what’s the best way to go about it. There is no right or wrong way so get the pen and paper out and write, write, and keep writing. You will soon discover what works for you, and accordingly, what doesn’t.
DK - Is your book in Print, eBook or both?SO'S - Anderson’s gold will be available in both formats.
DK - Have you self-published and if so how would you describe the experience?SO'S - Yes. I self-published a book called The Tenderfoot. It was a wonderful experience to have full control over everything. I look forward to self-publishing again at some point.
DK - What books have influenced your writing?SO'S - Almost everything I read has some influence. But Jack London’s books and particularly THE SEA WOLF have had a strong influence in many of my stories.
DK - Is there an author that you would really like to meet?SO'S - William Dietrich
DK - Do you have an e-reader, and do you prefer it to traditional published novels?SO'S - I don’t have an e-reader, but I think it’s about time I tried one out.
DK - Where do you prefer to buy your books?SO'S - Bookstores. I’ve bought online, but for me there’s something missing. I’ve always loved bookshops, particularly the old ones where that unique musty smell hits you the moment you step through the door.
DK - What book would you like to read again?SO'S - ZUGZWANG by Ronan Bennett.
DK - What book are you currently reading and in what format?SO'S - SHUT EYE by Adam Barron. It’s actually the audio version as I do a lot of driving.
DK - Your thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad.SO'S - No author wants to get a bad review, but those that are willing to take in and seriously evaluate what has been said, are the ones that go from strength to strength. As for good reviews, well… we all like a pat on the back, it’s only human.
DK - If you were deserted on an island, who are three famous people you would want with you, and why?SO'S - Yelena Dembo, Chess Grandmaster. She beat me 2-0 in an online chess tournament and I reckon I might wear her down if I had a few years. Second would be Richard Anderson [MacGyver]. He’s so damn handy! Third would be the actress, Marisa Tomei. I won’t go into my reasons for choosing her in case my wife reads this.
DK - Do you have a nickname?SO'S - No

DK - Did you have a favourite toy as a child?SO'S - Can’t think of any one in particular.
DK - An early childhood memory – SO'S - Sunday mornings. My father would bring me and my brother to the beach while my mother cooked the Sunday roast.  
DK - Any pets that you would like to tell us about?SO'S - A three-legged cat called Sooty. He thinks he’s a dog.
DK - What’s your poison?SO'S - Tea. Twenty cups a day.
DK - Do you have a favourite food?SO'S - Peppered steak and chips.
DK - Do you like to cook, and if so what?SO'S - I hate cooking and rarely do so. A shame really, because on the rare occasions that I have cooked, everybody raved about my secret talent. 
DK - If you had to choose - Starter or Pudding?SO'S - Starter.
DK - What do you eat for breakfast?SO'S - Cereal.
DK - Name three things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?SO'S - Marker Pen, I tend to scribble a lot on my hand. Scraps of paper in case I decide not to scribble on my hand. And a book, although not always, but often.   
DK - Sleep in, or get up early?SO'S - Early bird.
DK - Your favourite gadget – SO'S - Laptop.
DK - Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit?SO'S - China.
DK - One of your favourite quotes –SO'S - Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
DK - List three books you just recently read and would recommend?SO'S - WHERE ARE YOU NOW? By Mary Higgins Clarke. The chapters alternated between first and third person point of view. Really interesting from a writer’s perspective. THE KINGS GOLD, Arturo Reverte, for the reader that likes adventure. And AMY’S DIARY, Maureen Lee. A touching tale of life in Liverpool during the Second World War.
Where can your readers find you?
My facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-OSullivan-Writer/625886950762805?ref=hl
Twitter: @steve2832
My Website: http://stephenosullivan.webs.com/
I would like to thank Stephen O’Sullivan for allowing us the chance to have a chat, and for giving us a glimpse into their writing world.

Jaded Touch by Nola Sarina

Nola Sarina is a fantastic author and person, so I was delighted to be invited to take part in the blog hop for Jaded Touch the sequel to her first novella, Gilded Destiny . 


I really enjoyed Gilded Destiny, so when given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Jaded Touch I jumped at the offer. What I loved about Gilded Destiny was Nola’s style of writing, it brought her characters to life leaving us feel real emotion for them. I found Jaded Touch the same, from the very beginning you were pulled into a world that left you breathless and wanting more. Like a roller-coaster, the journey begins slow and builds all the way through to an exciting climax. The ups and downs of the characters’ emotions are portrayed superbly in this second part of a three part series. – This is a must read.





Just to wet your appetite a little, I have an excerpt for you to get your teeth into...
 I dreamed I was falling down into the well on the old homestead where I was a slave for my teenage years, after my father and I were sold for his crimes. I kept waiting for the splash of water or the crack of rock bottom, but neither came. I simply fell and fell, reaching for walls to slow my descent but finding none, never crashing down into the end of all sensation. It was a suspended, endless plummet, too dark below me and too bright above, and there was no way out by death or life.
I jolted awake in a bed far too soft, in arms too warm, the energy of nighttime coursing through me as the drain of daytime vanished.
I awoke in arms. Oh, yes, the memory emerged: I had committed a sin with a penalty of death last night. Right. I craned up to peer at Jack’s face, and sucked in a gasp when I found him staring right back at me.
He brushed a curl out of my eyes, and I fluttered inside, my new desires awakening as readily as my body.
“You’re not sleeping,” I said.
“You were barely breathing. I worried for a while, but nothing changed so I assumed that was normal.”
I couldn’t stifle a quiet giggle. “That’s normal. We almost hibernate during the day. Everything’s slowed down, and we can be woken, but it’s not wise to be the one to wake us.”
Jack’s smile curled one side of his mouth and he brushed my temple again, though there was no hair in my way. He touched me because he wanted to.
Not because he wanted to hurt me, like Rachel. Because he wanted to make me feel good. I averted my eyes from his gaze, for that thought alone was enough to melt me inside and send a spiral of terror through my mind. How badly I wanted to feel good in Jack’s arms. How sick it was that I wanted it.
And how dead I was if anyone found out what I’d done with him.
A gurgle between us startled me out of my brooding, and I yanked back the sheet to see where Jack was hurt. He must have stripped off his shirt while I was sleeping, but I didn’t notice him do it. But all I saw were smooth muscles, a light stripe of hair cutting downward into the waistband of his pants, and I rested my hand on his stomach, his heat bleeding through my palm. “What was that?”
Jack’s grin brought delight into my mood and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Just hungry, Milady,” he said.
Oh! Hunger pains, hunger gurgles. I remembered human hunger. I tugged the sheet back up, embarrassed that I’d exposed him, and though humility caught in my throat and I didn’t know what to say, Jack laughed and threw the blanket right off us both, revealing his full torso. I couldn’t possibly pout when Jack was laughing. I loved that laugh. Carefree, unrestrained joy… something Vespers were forbidden to express.
“I forget, sometimes, what being human is like.”
“Are you hungry?”
“No!” It was a lie: I was always hungry. But not hungry enough that Jack was in danger, so he didn’t need to know.
“Oh, good.” Jack stretched, his hands clasped together above his head. My heart beat quicker in response, and I felt a little lightheaded. Like a pathetic damsel in distress in a movie, I swooned.
“How long since you were human, anyway?”
I shrugged. “About seventy years, I think. I’m not sure. I didn’t live a privileged life.”
“But you do now.”
I thought of my Lady’s palace and the lavish décor, the unlimited funds for the finest of clothing we Maids could procure. “Yes, I do now. Except I’m still a slave.”
Jack dropped his arms and glared at me, a flash of anger brightening his eyes while his smile vanished. “Still a slave? You were one before you became a Vesper?”
Questions I didn’t want to answer. Most humans didn’t realize how many different ways slavery existed in the world, and that we weren’t all freed with the end of the Civil War. Or that skin color had nothing to do with whether or not you were bought and sold for whatever purpose. I snugged the blanket around my legs and sat up. He was angry. I hadn’t seen Jack angry, or any human, really. Most often, they were just scared.
“Fuck,” Jack snapped, and I flinched at his vehemence. He flung open the bedroom door and stomped down the stairs, and I sat there in a human’s bed, wrapped in a human’s blanket, bearing the weight of human anger. What did I say wrong? The fury in his eyes was clear, but I didn’t know how I had offended him. Humans were so confusing, so sensitive. I didn’t mean to complain about my life. I knew I had the better end of the deal than Jack did. After all, he couldn’t eat me. At least not in a lethal way. Oh, that mouth of his...
I jumped out of Jack’s bed as that thought drifted from my brain down between my legs, lubricating my veins as it moved. I straightened the sheets and followed him down the stairs, taking each step with caution. An angry human seemed as unpredictable as an angry Vesper.
Jack was still shirtless, leaning on the kitchen counter on his elbows, digging aggressively into a bowl and shoving a spoon into his mouth with each scoop. He ate so fast I didn’t imagine he had much time to chew or taste his meal, and as I stared at him, my sinuses throbbed. Watching Jack eat made me hungry. Hungering for Jack made me… well, hungry. In a different way. Both ways, I reminded myself, clenching my jaw tightly shut to assure I wouldn’t forget the danger I posed to him whenever he tempted me.
Jack slammed the spoon down on the counter and tilted his head back to drink the contents of the bowl. I watched him swallow, the bounce of his Adam’s apple bringing a smile to my face.
Jack plunked the bowl down and faced me, one elbow still leaned on the counter, his abdominal muscles heaving lightly with his breath. He was so sinfully attractive.
“What?” he asked, his tone curious but impatient.
“Why do you suppose they call it an Adam’s apple?” I asked.
Jack blinked and glanced around, caught off-guard by my question. “Uh, I don’t know.”
I stepped toward him until I could lean on the counter, too. His height wasn’t overwhelming, but enough that I had to tilt up to see his jade eyes as he peered down at me, curious, a bit of anger still rippling off his sculpted shoulders.
“I think they call it an Adam’s apple because it must have tasted really bad when Levitiqas and my Lady had to eat the things. I bet it got caught in Levitiqas’ throat.”
He regarded me with curiosity. “Levitiqas and your Lady eat apples?”
“They did once. But only once, since the flesh of the apples was laden with serpent poison.”
“Why would a serpent poison apples?”
“What else should he have done to penalize them when they stole the most sacred fruit from the Garden that started it all?”
Jack’s eyes widened, the anger gone and replaced by shock. “Holy fuck, Three, are your masters Adam and Eve?”
I nodded and let a smile spread across my cheeks. “That’s how Vespers were born. All the old stories are true, Jack. They’re just adapted in your written faiths to hide us.”
Jack let out his breath in a rush, stunned. “Wow. We knew your masters were ancient. Of all the train gossip I’ve heard, all the rumors, I never expected that.”
I nodded, inhaling the taste of his breath, a hint of something sweet from his food ringing in my nostrils. “I’m not allowed to tell you this.”
“Yet you’re telling me.”
I shrugged. “I could already be killed for what we did last night. I figure, what’s one more sin, to give you some answers?”
“I don’t recall asking you about Adam and Eve. I asked if you were a slave. You asked about the Adam’s apple.”
I bit my lip, and he sucked in a breath, straightening, taking me by the waist and pulling me toward him. “Yes,” I said, “but that wasn’t the question I really wanted to ask. And you don’t owe me answers if I don’t give you any answers about this crazy life you’re indentured into.”
“What question did you want me to answer?”
I unfolded my arms from their protective cross over my chest and slid my hands up Jack’s arms, letting his heat flow into me as his fingers tightened on my waist. “Why did you get angry at me?”
The anger in Jack’s eyes flared again and something about his scent in my nostrils amplified with the rise in his temper. I stepped closer, drinking in his anger, trying to understand, trying to taste. His fury was intoxicating in an unfamiliar way. Rage and I had an intimate relationship, and my rage wanted to know his.
He let go of me to rake both hands through his hair, and then let his fingers fall to rest on my waist again. “I’m not angry at you. I’m angry that someone would enslave you, then or now. All the rules fucking piss me off. You should be able to choose who owns you.”
“You think I’d choose to be owned?”
He shrugged. “If it were by a guy like me who only wanted to please you, yeah.”
“Since when do slaves choose their masters?”
Jack smirked at me, and I loved the way his attitude toyed with his face, giving me clues to his mood before he spoke. “In my world, they do.”
What world? “You don’t choose your masters.”
“Says who? I haven’t run away yet. I can quit the train company any time I want.”
“And be hunted for it.”
“If I really didn’t want to be here, that would be an acceptable price to pay. Would you risk your life to escape masters you hated?”
The sound of searing flesh resonated in my memory as I thought of my human days. “Yes,” I whispered.
“Me too. But I’m not miserable enough to risk it, therefore I’ve chosen.”
He was angry at those who enslaved me, not at me? “What choice do I have? I can’t fight my nature… we’re programmed to be the way we are. Disobedience is difficult.”
Jack leaned into my space and I tasted his breath, and I wished I could kiss him like he kissed me. “You fought your nature and disobeyed your programming last night.”
I nodded. “I know. I did. And I loved it.”
Jack’s eyes lit with fire. Not angry fire. Just… hot fire, as though fire itself didn’t blaze brightly enough for what he was feeling. “Yes, you did.” He pressed forward and that ridge was there again, and I lost my breath.
“I can’t do this with you,” I whispered.
Jack didn’t relent. He rolled his hips against me and I moaned. “Really? You seem pretty capable to me.”
“No, I…” What was my argument again? Jack’s hand slid up my side and he ran his thumb over my breast, the hot pad of his thumb shocking my attention to the sensitive bud. I shook and pressed against him, my body betraying my morals before I had time to stop it.
Jack took my chin with a fingertip and tilted me up, and he kissed me again, and oh, how I wanted to slip my tongue between his lips and taste his breath.
“Wait, stop,” I said, breaking the connection.
“I’m sorry,” Jack rushed, his voice gritty with arousal. He stepped back and blew out his breath, shaking his head. “I don’t… I can’t think clearly with you. I can’t focus on anything but you when you’re in the room, and I forget it’s probably different to you. You’re a goddess, and I’m just a human.”
His honesty sliced through my resolve. Ugh! Why did his words have to be as enticing as his body? Jack leaned on the counter with both palms, panting, and I battled internally between talking us both down from this ledge of sexual tension, and jumping Jack, pinning him to the floor and making him mine.
Mine. I shook my head. Now that was a dangerous thought. If Jack were a Vesper, and I took him into my body… he’d be mine in more ways than one.
Or would he? I was bitten by a Gent. My soul was as susceptible to ownership as his would be, if I bit him. And I’d been owned my whole life. I didn’t know if I wanted to own somebody, wanted to dominate them.
Jack had spoken of slaves choosing their masters. “In my world, they do.” Had he meant dominance? Like, the intimate dominance human beings often engaged in with each other? I’d seen it in movies a couple of times and it looked... well, I imagined myself as the human woman with the collar, and a faceless man, sculpted and tanned, with the whip. I swallowed at the thought, my attention drawn to sensations low in my core. Sensations Jack woke up in my body last night.
But I wasn’t a human woman, and no matter how delicious it looked in the movies, such a relationship between Jack and I was impossible.
“Jack,” I breathed. “You have no idea how much I want… things I shouldn’t want, right now.”
He tilted his head to peer at me through narrow eyes, his jade flashing again with fire. “Me.”
I swallowed. “Yes. You.”
Jack blinked, and then his eyes lit with humor. “For dinner, of course.”
I glared at him. I was trying to say something important, and he disarmed so effortlessly with his humor. “No, not for dinner.”
“Really?” Playful Jack was back after a quick appearance from serious Jack. He straightened and took a step forward, and I couldn’t help but notice the way his movements tensed up my insides in that perfect, terrible way. “For breakfast, then?”
I folded my arms across my chest. Playful Jack, meet playful Three. “Not a chance. A snack, maybe, but you’re not quite enough man to satisfy my hunger.”
Jack’s breath caught and he grabbed my wrist, yanking me closer to him. I sucked in a breath, and he pressed my palm to his groin, to that ridge… Oh. My. Yes.
I hesitated, my eyes wide with shock, as Jack held my hand there. What do I do?!
Just pretend you’re a human woman. One from the movies. I swallowed my fear and wrapped my fingers around that ridge through his pants, and squeezed. Jack’s grip on my wrist tightened, a hot shackle holding me captive in a prison I wanted more than I wanted daylight. I moved my hand, and it was Jack’s turn to lose his breath.
*** Hope that excerpt has left you wanting more.
Jaded Touch along with Gilded Destiny are now available on these links:
Jaded Touch available on Amazon Gilded Destiny available on Amazon  Goodreads link to Jaded Touch                                                    And if you still want more, why not enter Nola's give away.

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Think Like A Writer

You can teach almost anyone determined to learn them the basics required to write sentences and paragraphs that say what you want them to say clearly and concisely. It's far more difficult to get people to think like a writer, to give up conventional habits of mind and emotion. You must be able to step inside your character's skin and at the same time to remain outside the dicey circumstances you have maneuvered her into. I can't remember how many times I advised students to stop writing the sunny hours and write from where it hurts: "No one wants to read polite. It puts them to sleep."
ANNE BERNAYS

Spend Some Time Living Before You Start Writing

Spend some time living before you start writing. What I find to be very bad advice is the snappy little sentence, “Write what you know.” It is the most tiresome and stupid advice that could possibly be given. If we write simply about what we know we never grow. We don't develop any facility for languages, or an interest in others, or a desire to travel and explore and face experience head-on. We just coil tighter and tighter into our boring little selves. What one should write about is what interests one.
ANNIE PROULX

Become A Slow Reader

Learning to write sound, interesting, sometimes elegant prose is the work of a lifetime. The only way I know to do it is to read a vast deal of the best writing available, prose and poetry, with keen attention, and find a way to make use of this reading in one's own writing. The first step is to become a slow reader. No good writer is a fast reader, at least not of work with the standing of literature. Writers perforce read differently from everyone else. 

Most people ask three questions of what they read: 
(1) What is being said?
(2) Does it interest me?
(3) Is it well constructed? 
Writers also ask these questions, but two others along with them: 
(4) How did the author achieve the effects he has? 
And 
(5) What can I steal, properly camouflaged of course, from the best of what I am reading for my own writing? 

This can slow things down a good bit.

JOSEPH EPSTEIN

Looking for an alternative dialogue tag?

 Looking for an alternative dialogue tag?


Read Write Think created a handy PDF file of various dialogue tags. Although I have to say I've been advised against using laughed. Hope it is of use to you.
Dialogue Tags 

Gilded Destiny now available at only 99 cents

Gilded Destiny: A Vesper Novella by Nola Sarina is here!!!

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Excerpt: “In three nights, I will let him have me," Nycholas said. "I will be done running. But… when I saw your colors, I thought… that I want to feel your colors before I die. All of your colors.” His hands slid back down my hips to my upper thighs and he spread his fingers, squeezing me again. My voice was barely a squeak. “If I say no?” Nycholas shook his head and pressed his thumbs harder into my inner thighs. “Please don’t say no.” My heart roared in my ears with lust and panic, wanting and fear, vacillating heat and chill, and the cocktail of furiously warring emotions in my system was enough to put my libido on overdrive. Instinct and arousal battled between my legs – the urge to flee mingled with the urge to pounce. Arousal – hot and liquid and spurred on by this big, muscled, inhuman man – was dangerously close to winning. I knew he could kill me. I knew he could eat me. I knew his master could find us and rip us apart, and I knew Blair would be looking for me, wondering what happened… But I couldn’t bring myself to say no. If you can't read on NOOK, Amazon/Kobo links will be available very soon. Also, Gilded Destiny is available in PAPERBACK. Click below to get a paperback copy if you need that new-book-smell to go with a dark, sexy story featuring new creatures of the night unlike any you've ever met before.

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Dialogue Should Be Brief

Dialogue Should Be Brief 1. Dialogue should be brief.
2. It should add to the reader’s present knowledge.
3. It should eliminate the routine exchanges of ordinary conversation.
4. It should convey a sense of spontaneity but eliminate the repetitiveness of real talk.
5. It should keep the story moving forward.
6. It should be revelatory of the speaker’s character, both directly and indirectly.
7. It should show the relationships among people.
ELIZABETH BOWEN