Jennifer Bray-Weber's Blog, page 89

Link of the Week – Jukebox Time Machine

This week’s link is just for fun and provided by a loyal MuseTrack subscriber Will Simon. Thanks, Will!

Say you want to reminisce about a time gone by with a little music to get you in a certain frame of mind. Or perhaps you need a greatest hit for the year which your WIP is set. Maybe you just want to know what was hot the year you were born, first kissed, fell in love, graduated, got married, etc.

Check it out for grins.

http://upchucky.org/TimeMachine.html

 

MuseTracks Guest – Kim Hornsby – Watt is Wattpad

World-traveling, monkey-chasing, snake-charming, soccer mom and women’s fiction author, Kim Hornsby, is visiting MuseTracks today.  And she’s got some great insight in  another tool in the savvy writer’s tool kit, Wattpad.

Take it away, Kim!

Watt is Wattpad?

In the fall of 2011, I stumbled across a Canadian online site called Wattpad and realized this was a brilliant idea. Does it matter that it’s Canadian, seeing we are talking about the internet? I believe so, because I’m from the Toronto area originally, and we take kudos wherever we can. Go, William Shatner and Avril Lavigne!

Okay, Watt is Wattpad? It’s a bulletin board, of sorts, for books, stories, poetry and anything else that falls into the writing category, Wattpad calls themselves “the best place to discover and share stories” and touts the virtues of thousands of available stories for the taking – free! Their selling feature was originally that you could download books to a mobile phone via the free e-reader app, Freda. That was big stuff several years ago and made books available to a much larger audience (and possibly a much younger audience) than those with e readers or those able to afford print books. For anyone who reads several books a week or anyone who likes to start books, loses interest and moves on, Wattpad is a goldmine. Did I mention it’s free? You simply sign up and start downloading books or start uploading your latest novel if you want to share it for free. The reader’s downside is that you have to sift through a sea of flotsam and jetsum to find a well written piece of work but it can be fun, like a scavenger hunt.

Without quoting a lot of boring details about the founder Ivan Yuen, let’s just say someone was really using his Canadian noggin up there in Toronto when he established Wattpad in 2008.www.wattpad.org  It’s a wonderful meeting place for young writers and/or anyone who wants to learn what the public is looking for in books. I do believe, however, that the majority of readers are young and not the average book buyer who browses at Barnes and Noble on a Sunday. More on that later.

According to their stats, only 1 out of 10 members on Wattpad are authors and 4 of 10 are U.S. based, thereby making Wattpad a worldwide phenomenon. The teens in India are accessible now, as well as college-aged Germans and U.S. military wives overseas. It is a way to reach more readers and maybe even find fans who don’t like to pay for books (Gasp!) but might spread the word or write a Goodreads review.

Note: Wattpad does not take uploads of anything that will infringe on Copyright laws. None. Nada. Don’t do it. Jealous competitors are lurking to call Wattpad a repository of bootlegged books, so Wattpad is firm about this.

So, as an author, I jumped into the Wattpad pool and here’s what I came up with: In the Winter of 2011/12, I posted a few chapters of my WIP on Wattpad to see what would happen. At that time it was called Surfacing Slowly. I did not have a cover for the book and used their generic, orange rectangle (not recommended) infused with the title of my novel. Over the next few months, I designed several covers and renamed the book “The Dream Jumper’s Promise.” It did better with this title. The novel needed editing and would eventually undergo a huge overhaul in the oncoming months but, initially, I got enough hits on those chapters to think Wattpad might be an interesting way to test theories. I added more chapters to my story and watched my stats.

Then, my two critique partners considered putting chapters on Wattpad. Lisa writes Literary, Christine writes Romantic Suspense and I write Commercial Women’s Fiction. Christine put her romantic suspense, An Eye For Danger on Wattpad, complete with a sexy-as-hell cover and sat back to watch the hits come in. (It behooves the writer to post each chapter individually to get your numbers higher. And to give the reader the complete novel.) As Christine’s readership and fan mail grew last summer, Lisa added chapters of her novel Maiden’s Veil, one at a time.  I made a cover, separated my chapters and put almost the whole dang thing up there. Shortly after, I started to get hits, fan mail and votes. It was great fun as a first time author, to have strangers like what you spend all your time perfecting. On the Indie pub front, my debut was put off and put off by me, (anyone else know what I mean?) and I downloaded the full on Wattpad in its pre-edited state with a preliminary ending. My numbers rose to the point that soon I had near 800 readers on Chapter 1. With 26 chapters, you’d think I’d have 20,000 reads BUT readers dropped off as they lost interest. This was another way for me to track which chapter fell short. I noticed that I lost some after chapter 3, so I went to work making the leave at the end of chapter 2 stronger. I watched the hits go up. It was super-fun watching from day to day.

Over the year 2012 I changed covers 6 or 7 times to see what brought more new readership (check stats for 1st chapter readings) and I changed the title thrice. I also developed a nice little fan base with women who wanted the last chapters. (I’d originally withheld the ending because I planned to publish The Dream Jumper’s Promise in the Spring of 2012 and wanted only to tease the reader to the last few chapters, then provide the link to Amazon to buy the book. Kind of like foreplay with a hooker. Did I just say that?) In the next few months I changed the ending drastically to include a twist that no one saw coming and withheld it from Wattpad readership. It became only available on the self pubbed version on Amazon Kindle.

As for Christine M. Fairchild, her novel hit a homerun on Wattpad and ended up having 168,000 reads on thirty chapters. Note to self: half naked man with 8 pack on the cover works well. Note to You: An Eye For Danger has a great cover but an even better story. And it’s a series. Christine had women begging for the second one. Some novels on Wattpad (especially the Watty Finalists) achieve over a million or two hits. Those novels are usually romance or teen fiction with a sexy title and cover. Considering that Wattpad’s most popular genres are romance, teen fiction, paranormal etc, I was happy to get the Women’s Fiction readership with no hunk on the cover. Lisa’s novel is beautifully written and it would be a travesty to read Maiden’s Veil on a phone butthousands did. She is doing extremely well on Amazon and just won the Chanticleer’s Best Indie Women’s Fiction 2012.

To this date I have almost 10,000 readers for The Dream Jumper’s Promise on Wattpad, which means I lost over half somewhere along the way, but I’m told this is normal with a downloaded Wattpad novel. Silly me—I was thrilled that anyone at all wanted to read my story, let alone send me a fan letter and vote for chapters and tell me how they love characters, or even how the story helped them cope with their own lives. I was hooked on Wattpad by summer 2012 even though I hadn’t made a penny. I found myself checking my numbers several times a day.

When I finally self published The Dream Jumper’s Promise in November 2012, I warned my Wattpad readership that the last chapters were about to disappear from the site but could be found on Amazon Kindle. I’ll never know if any Wattpad readers crossed over to buy the book but in those final months of editing and slogging through the muck of formatting and cover design, having my numbers climb on Wattpad kept me going. It was heady stuff for me.

Reality check: when The Dream Jumper’s Promise went free on KDP Select over Christmas, it hovered around #20 in Women’s Fiction for the 3 days it was free and I got over 5,000 downloads. At one point it reached #5 and stayed in the top ten all Christmas Day. I was happy dancing around the Christmas tree. My Amazon Kindle numbers are still good and sales are steady. I’d like to think Wattpad helped get me ready, seeing I spent so much time on there last year.

If you wander around the Wattpad site, you’ll find helpful Clubs like “Editors”, “Readers”, “How to make a Book Cover”, “Trailer Making”, and there’s even a Cafe to chat about non-book topics (what the heck fun is that?). There are yearly awards called the Watty’s and even poetry awards (Atty’s) fueled by Canada’s award winning novelist and poet Margaret Atwood. With a backer like Atwood, Wattpad is here to stay.

My experience with Wattpad taught me several things: You can judge a book by its cover and a sexy cover does very well for sales. Especially with the younger crowd.

Cliffhangers at chapter’s endings are essential to keep readership going on Wattpad. (I’m not sure it matters on Amazon, if someone has already bought the book.)

A short but compelling blurb with the promise to entertain is mandatory. Especially for those who are willing to read off their phone!

Typos and editing problems don’t really matter to Wattpad readers, although I did have a reader who went through my first chapter and edited it for me. Thanks Gender Girl!

Wattpad, as a testing ground, was something useful. It was a great way to tell what worked with a certain audience and I’ll use it again, especially where covers are concerned.

And last but not least for mind boggling revelations: Canadians are awesome, eh?

Kim is the author of The Dream Jumper’s Promise,( commercial women’s fiction) http://amzn.com/B00AA4FAJC

and Necessary Detour, (romantic suspense with The Wild Rose Press) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU50M76

and lives in the Seattle area where she laments about her former life of teaching scuba in Hawaii, and her show biz days when she worked with Jamie Foxx.

Kim Hornsby

Commercial Women’s Fiction

You only journey if you dare to leave home

The Dream Jumper’s Promise

Necessary Detour

www.kimhornsby.net

www.kimhornsby.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/kimhornsby

The Biography Series- Bram Stoker

“Listen to them – children of the night. What music they make.”  Bram Stoker

 

Welcome to the new biography series at Muse Tracks.

Writers have created fascinating stories throughout the centuries for our enjoyment and education. I thought it would be interesting to turn the tables and look into the private lives of those who spent their days on earth creating unforgettable characters. I have found that they themselves are some of the most unforgettable characters I’ve run across.

On November 8, 1847, a red haired Irish boy was born named Bram Stoker. His birth was unremarkable as he was sandwiched in between 6 other brothers and sisters. His childhood, however, was cloaked in a mystery that remains unexplained. Bram was paralyzed until he was seven years old and it was time for school. He remained mostly in his bed and never walked. Some have theorized that it was a type of hysterical paralysis perhaps due to some form of abuse that happened in his young life. What we do know is that his mother spent countless hours telling him stories of strange creatures doing even stranger and horrifying things.

Once school began, he excelled. Health issues never plagued him again and by the time he reached Trinity University in Dublin he was named University Athlete. He graduated with honors in Mathematics and went on to become a civil servant. While he worked hard at his day job, it was his writing that gave him great joy. He also loved the theatre and worked as a critic writing reviews (for free, I might add) about current plays and the actors who performed on stage. He published a book on being a civil servant and a few short stories, but it was a review about a famous actor that changed the direction of his life.

Sir Henry Irving was a rock star of the stage and Bram idolized the actor’s performance in his critique. Irving, who loved being loved, invited Bram to dinner and the two spent the evening drinking and forging a friendship that would last for the rest of their lives. Soon after, Bram quit his job and joined Sir Irving as the manager of the famous Lyceum theatre in London and as his personal assistant. This decision allowed him to travel around the world as the company toured their theatrical productions. He met presidents, royalty, other famous artists and led a life most would envy. Unfortunately, this life came with a price and some say caused his death in the end.

During the early years, Bram met a beautiful young woman named Florence Balcombe. This 6’2″ strapping Irishman began to court her immediately and wasn’t slowed down by the fact that she was already engaged to another young writer named Oscar Wilde (who was his friend as well). Mr. Wilde lost his love and Bram and Florence were married in 1878. While Wilde was upset with Bram for a time, the two resumed their friendship and even met on various continents for dinners.

While we all know he was married to Florence, many say he was truly married to Henry Irving. Even the couple’s only child was born Irving Noel Stoker. (When he came of age, he only went by Noel Stoker.) Bram was at Irving’s constant call. He travelled with him, would go to dinner with him after the shows, not returning home until early morning, and then take care of the business matters of the theatre during the day. It’s reported that if he did have deeper feelings for the actor, it didn’t seem that they were returned. Their relationship had a desperate obsessive quality to it that was fueled by the creative emotions of the actor. Irving was a volatile diva taken to fits of rage when things didn’t go his way yet would lavish praise and affection on those who pleased him.

Given his demanding lifestyle, it’s a wonder Bram Stoker wrote anything at all. It took him over seven years to complete his most famous work Dracula. His manuscript slowly took shape on bits of paper snatched from wherever he happened to be when an idea hit. He meticulously researched every detail placed between those pages right down to the actual train schedule that existed during Van Helsing’s trip back to London. His characters were reflections of himself as the professor and Irving as Dracula. Some say he even wrote this story for it to be the greatest part Sir Irving would ever play on stage.

Once it was published and had fair success, he brought it to the man he worshipped and had actors do a reading for him in the theatre. It’s said Irving twitched in his seat for 20 minutes before hurling the manuscript in the air, leaving a shattered Bram in his wake.

Despite his beloved novel being rejected in this manner, Bram remained by Irving’s side until the day he died. He continued to write and published several other short stories, poems, children’s tales, and novels. Much as his life began with a mystery, his death is also a source of question. While some say he died of a stroke and sheer exhaustion, other claim that he died of tertiary syphilis contracted by visiting prostitutes which was common in Victorian England.

Such was the bittersweet life of Bram Stoker.

Mocking Romance and the Revolution

Song of the Day: Blood by In This Moment

Hey…It could have happened.

You see, most people who have know me prior to five years ago are surprised to find that I have become an author. With books. For sale. I admit, I’m surprised, too. Growing up, my dreams did not include the endless hours of solitude tapping away on a keyboard, mass amounts of research, the hari kari of reviews, marketing, and time displacement. No, I dreamed of rock stars and race horses. Don’t ask.

I stumbled upon my career. And I’m glad I did. I love it. But I don’t just write stories. I write romance. This coming from someone who shuns chick flicks and sappy greeting cards.

Not too long ago, an old friend asked me about my writing. It was small talk on their part. I don’t believe they were really that interested. But it was how they asked that drew up my hackles. Especially since the exact term used was ‘sex books’. Really? Sex books? I asked him (yes, him) if he had read one of my sex books. He bluntly said no, nor would he. Grrr…

“Why?”

“It’s not my thing.”

“What’s your thing? Shoot outs?  Car chases? Explosions? Danger? Intrigue?”

“And babes. Don’t forget, babes.”

“Right. Romance doesn’t have any of that.”

A romance author’s keyboard

A couple years ago, at a party, a woman I’d just met asked me about my books with great interest. That is, until I told her I wrote romance. She gave me the lip curl and proceeded to tell me she only read real books. I was stunned by her rude behavior and rendered ill-equipped with an impressive retort. Not to mention that for a split second, I felt the sting of belittlement. I don’t remember what my response had been exactly. I threw out a few facts, but she was unimpressed, saying it was nothing more than porn for women.  Boy, she just doesn’t know what she’s missing. But, I wasn’t going to change this woman’s impression of the genre, or of me. For the record, I bet she has a video collection of porn.

There is a stigma attached to romance books. Some of which is aptly earned from the romance books of the 70’s and early 80’s. But a large part of the misunderstanding of romance books stems much, much further back.

I am sharing a video I received from another forum (thank you, Ella Quinn!)  that does a wonderful job explaining why and how romance books were once considered dangerous. Yes. DANGEROUS. It’s a little more than 4 minutes, but well worth the viewing.

Back to my friend…

I educated him about my books. I challenged him to read one. Hell…just read the ‘sex’ part, if he wanted. I all but guaranteed he would not only see me differently (and maybe make his jaw drop, too), but see romance differently. He might just enjoy it. And I might even teach the guy a trick, or three.

They did what?

To those who would mock the romance novelist, I dare you to read one. Come on…there are loads of sub-genres to choose from. Whatever tickles your fancy. Suspense, sci-fi, paranormal, historical, thriller, steam punk, and more. Take your pick. Read and get lost in an adventure.

Have you ever encountered someone who mocked romance? If so, how did you respond? What are your thoughts on those who look down on romance books? as always, I’d love to hear from you.

Link of the Week – Winter Writing Festival

What better way to kick of the new year than with a link that is sure to get your writing juices flowing.

Every year, my sisters at the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood puts on a fabulous writing challenge sure to fit ANY schedule. The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood Winter Writing Festival! We Rubies made sure this challenge is not only doable, it’s fun! Our festival kicks starts you creativity, offers support, advice inspiration, chats, sprints, and PRIZES! It’s a 50 day PAR-TAY!

For the details, follow the link!

I will see you there!

http://www.rsswwf.com/

MuseTracks Guest – Rachael Johns – Making Time To Read, And Why It Is Important For Writers

MuseTracks is delighted to host romance author Rachael Johns, all the way from the Outback!

Please join us with a hearty welcome.

Making the time to read – why it is important for writers.

It blows me away when I hear writers say they don’t read in their genre or WORSE that they don’t read at all. Granted finding the time to squeeze reading into a busy life can be hard BUT isn’t reading the thing that brought most of us writers TO writing?!

After reading ALL The Babysitter’s Club books in high school, I then got hooked more on boys than books and reading fell by the wayside for a number of years. Then after breaking up with a boy I thought was THE ONE, for some reason I found healing in books and writing. I remember one of the books that brought me back to reading in a big way – it was Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones Diary. Something resonated in me in her writing style and the story. After Bridget I found Lisa Jewell – a British author who is now a MUST-BUY for me, Marian Keyes and Cathy Kelly. For years I devoured every book by these authors and many more in what was then known as the chick-lit genre.

During this time I embarked on a writing degree in writing and dabbled in writing of my own, but looking back I can see I always read more than I wrote. Then in 2006, I decided to get serious about my writing. I started writing romance and I joined Romance Writers of Australia. In the next six years, I worked crazily towards my goal of publication – there was barely a moment when I wasn’t working, sleeping, eating or writing. Everything else fell by the wayside, including I now realize reading. Oh I still read books, but I was no longer devouring four or five full-length novels a week, I was now lucky if I managed one book a week.

In my determination to be published, I’d almost forgotten the joy and forgotten what brought me to writing in the first place. This last year, I have made a HUGE effort to reverse this, or rather to find a balance between writing and reading again.

In 2013, I have pledged to read at least two full-length novels a week and I plan to do this in my own genre of contemporary romance but also in other genres, to widen my reading experiences. I believe there is a lot to be learnt from reading other styles and authors. I find I rarely totally read another book for pure enjoyment now – I’m always in analysis mode, working out why I really like or do not like something. Although with limited time, I no longer finish books that aren’t gripping me within a chapter.

I have some writer friends who say they cannot read within their particular genre while writing and others that have to. I don’t feel reading similar books is a hindrance to my writing but I don’t go out of my way to do so either. My reading choices are generally simply what I feel like reading at a particular time, unless I’m reading books for research, then it’s more thought out. But overall, I believe being a writer goes hand in hand with being a reader and I can’t understand writers who don’t read much!

What about you? Do you read in the same genre while writing? Do you only read books in your genre? What’s the best book you read last year!? I’d love to add some must-reads to my 2013 TBR pile!

STAND IN STAR – January 7thst 2013, Carina Press

As an anthropologist, Holly McCartney is more comfortable in a museum than shopping on Rodeo Drive. She isn’t prepared for the media frenzy on her arrival in L.A. to accept a posthumous acting award for her late sister….or for her sister’s gorgeous friend Nate Devlin to come to her rescue. Though he resents her for some reason, she can’t fight their irresistible chemistry—especially when the paparazzi force her to stay at his mansion.

Photographer Nate only agrees to help Holly survive Hollywood for her sister’s sake, but she soon gets under his skin in a way no other woman has. The more time he spends with her, the more his attraction grows and he finds himself opening up to her in ways he never expected. But will ghosts of the past stand in the way of their perfect Hollywood ending?

READ THE EXCERPT:

Holly McCartney stepped out of baggage claim at LAX International Airport and came face-to-face with a sea of people, cameras and flashing lights. It took all of five seconds to realize the media circus was here for her.

Every nerve ending in her body stood on edge. As Hollywood’s darling, this was the existence her sister had chosen. Daisy loved the limelight and had built a life on being the center of attention for as long as Holly could remember.

Holly couldn’t think of anything worse.

Sucking in as much oxygen as she could inhale in one deep breath, she tightened her grip on her laptop bag and suitcase. Then, she lifted her chin high, pushed her shoulders back and prepared to walk through the crowd like she had no inkling that all the frenzied attention was focused on her.

And let’s face it, she could be wrong. This was Los Angeles. Actors, rock stars, agents, producers, any number of starlets could have been on the plane and she, having no interest in such things whatsoever, would have been completely oblivious.

She flexed her toes in her comfortable travelling shoes and put her best foot forward. Immediately the crowd “ahhed,” more lights flashed in her face and the people behind the lenses pushed even closer to the barricade. She gulped. Froze. Felt like the most popular exhibit in the zoo–the one everyone wanted to get their hands on.

Someone shoved a tiny microphone in her face. “How did you feel about your sister’s death?”

“Is it true you hadn’t spoken to her in three years?” Another face, another identical microphone. These people were good. They’d dug deep for their facts, but how could they justify making a living in such a manner?

Holly blinked as another camera flash almost blinded her.

What was it they said in the movies? No comment?

“Which designer created your dress for the awards night?”

She almost laughed at that question. She’d like to see their faces when she told them she hadn’t given a thought to what she’d be wearing should Daisy win a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actress. But hysterical laughter made way for sheer panic.

Perhaps stupidly, she hadn’t anticipated any of this. When her parents had convinced her to come, she hadn’t imagined for one second anyone would be interested in the plain, boring younger sister of Daisy McCartney. Not when Hollywood was filled with bevies of near-clones of Daisy. Skinny, blond, beautiful, bubbly glamazons.

Everything Holly was most definitely not.

“Perhaps she’s mute,” yelled a voice from the hoards. Cackles of laugher followed, making her feel about the size of an ant.

She had to say something but right now–after a fifteen-hour plane flight from Sydney during which she’d sat next to a know-it-all neurologist who spoke nonstop about his successes–she was struggling to recall any of the questions. While Holly racked her brain for something to say, anything to get this unexpected and unwanted welcome off her back, a commotion erupted in front of her.

She peered through the tightly-knit wall of people to see a tall, dark, curly-haired head making waves in the crowd. A moment later the man had pushed through the photographers and come to a stop directly in her line of vision. Her heart skipped a beat. She reminded her lungs to pump. And tried damn hard not to stare. She’d never been big on movie stars–not the type of teen to wallpaper her bedroom in celebrity posters–but this man had to be someone famous. The kind of famous who inspired heartthrob status.

To-buy links:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Stand-In-Star-ebook/dp/B00A22UVJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1354516932&sr=1-1&keywords=stand-in+star

Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stand-in-star-rachael-johns/1113832187?ean=9781426894909

Carina Press – http://ebooks.carinapress.com/AE8854D0-A46D-4313-926A-F5A35553A6F9/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=1CF30CE0-647B-44D8-8A96-5EEF7044BB18

CONNECT WITH RACHAEL!

Blog – www.rachaeljohns.wordpress.com

Website – www.rachaeljohns.com

Twitter - https://twitter.com/RachaelJohns

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Johns/260103224001776

Editor Shopping Day!

UPDATE: JENNIFER SENT ME HER REQUESTS… THIS IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY…

“I had lots of fun reading these. I really wish I had the time to read them all! Thanks for having me on Musetracks, and I wish them all the best of luck with

their stories!”

GOOD JOB EVERYONE! SHE MADE A TOTAL OF 9 REQUESTS! AND INVITED THE OTHERS TO SUBMIT THROUGH SAMHAINS STANDARD SUBMISSION PROCESS IF YOUR MS FALLS WITHIN SAMHAIN’S GENRE AND WORDCOUNT GUIDELINES. (HERE’S WHERE I SAY CHECK, CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK!)

I’M GOING TO START SENDING OUT THE REQUESTS, SO WATCH YOUR EMAIL.

Good morning everyone.

Thanks for visiting with us yesterday! And best of luck to anyone who made it into this pitch session. I have to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful Samhain authors who came to hang out with us, tell us about their books, and offer up a prize. Ladies – YOU ROCK!

As always, we’ll get the business out of the way first.

Pitches received: 59

Pitches accepted: 30

Pitches rejected: 29 (10 were over the 30 pitch limit)

• Missing info: 5

• Too long: 12 (The pitch)

• Attachments: 2

As always, thank you to those who followed the pitch rules and took the time to make sure your pitch was right! This is a business, even if our writing is personal, and we need to remember to treat it that way. How we present ourselves is as important as what we produce.

Okay – Now that we have that out of the way!

The WINNERS are:

• WATERFALL………………………………Fedora

• KINDRED OF THE FALLEN…………B.L. Foxxe

• SOUL DEEP………………………………..Cynnara

• FALLING FOR FINN……………………GailHart

• PRIMITIVE NIGHTS……………………fionadruce

• COWBOYS DOWN……………………….Catherine Wolfe

• GOD OF FYRE MOUNTAIN………….Suzanne

• REVVING HER UP……………………….Ellie Heller

• WINTER’S THAW………………………..Annabelle Ambrosio

Please send me your e-mail information and the format you’d like for your prize to dancillaw(at)yahoo.com. Please put winner in the subject line and the title you won somewhere in your e-mail. Thanks!

Now, let’s give a big, warm welcome to Jennifer Miller, editor at Samhain Publishing.

Thank you so much for coming Jennifer! I know how busy you are. The pitches are posted below in numerical order. If there’s anything that catches your attention, simply e-mail me the pitch number, title, and what you’d like to see from the author. Also let me know how you’d like them to submit the requested information.

Happy shopping!

***

#1

WARDER

Paranormal/Contemporary Fantasy Romance

108,000 words

Someone is setting death-spells targeting mortals and elf blood alike. With her mentor out of commission, it’s up to half-trained Warder Mona Lisa Kubrek to stop the magic. Despite being told repeatedly her job is to nullify spells and not go after the source, too many people are at risk for her to not track the spell-caster down. Even meeting a sexy half-elf shifter who may well be her mate won’t distract her from her goal.

Except Cart Dupree, called in by a high-ranking elf, is fully trained and has the team to search for the evildoer, so she’d be stupid to not use his expertise. Stupid is something she can’t afford to be, not with her enemy’s henchmen after her. Later she’ll deal with Cart and his questions about her special abilities and the non-standard training her mentor has given her. Right now, they need to unravel where the magician is, and who he is, before he builds enough power to decimate them all. First, though, they need to stay alive.

***

#2

CONFESSIONS OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST SHOTGUN BRIDE

Contemporary

58,000 words

Business executive Katie St. John has given up on love, which she stinks at, to focus on her red-hot career. All she wants from Steve Tyler, an amazingly sexy, surprisingly sweet, and younger Air Force pilot, is help making her vacation one to remember (and perhaps a little help crossing off a few things on her secret to-do list of sexual fantasies). Sure, the chemistry between them is hotter than the Cayman sun, but once this vacation’s over, she’ll say good-bye and go back to plotting corporate coups.

But Steve won’t settle for being her temporary boy toy. He’s lusted after Katie, the glamorous older woman who lived next door when he was a kid, since he was old enough to know what lust was. Now that she’s finally moved from his fantasies to his bed, he’s not about to let her go without a fight – especially once he learns she’s returned home with the mother of all souvenirs.

CONFESSIONS OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST SHOTGUN BRIDE was a finalist in the Textnovel.com America’s Next Best Celler Contest and several RWA chapter contests.

***

#3

SIXTH SENSE

Romantic Suspense with Paranormal Elements

65,000 words

Reluctant psychic Katherine Crystal, dubbed “Crystal Ball Kate,” is thrust into the national spotlight when she accurately predicts that the young son of movie actor Vince Rivers will die in a private plane crash. Skeptical Atlanta police detective Jack Hale—who harbors a deep-seated distrust of psychics—is the by-the-book officer who ignores Katherine’s warnings when she calls to report her premonition. Jack is forced to partner with Kate, who uses her eerie sensitivity to evil to help him catch a serial killer. Their investigation into a mystery surrounding Kate’s birth leads to murder and romance among a secret society of psychics in the quaint spiritualist community of Casa Spirito, Florida.

Sixth Sense won the Georgia Romance Writers 2012 Unpublished Maggie Award of Excellence in the Paranormal/Fantasy category.

***

#4

URGENT: ONE NANNY REQUIRED

Sweet Romance

48,345 words

NICHOLAS TRENTON: Widowed, devoted father first. Hollywood director second. Yes his job called him away from home a lot but his son was safe at home with a nanny. Well he was supposed to be! Although his recent shenanigans had left Nick struggling to keep anyone to look after him. He had a shoot coming up in LA for 3 weeks, what was he going to do?!

RANIA GEORGE: Proud sweet shop owner. Yes it was run down but it was hers. Her mother had grand dreams of becoming an actress and would have been disappointed in her daughter’s career but she was fine with this. After all, unlike her mother, she knew if she ever started a family, she would put them first.

Rania was used to children outside her sweet shop but one alone on a dark night was a first. What parent would let their child wander the streets at night!

Nick was surprised to find his son contentedly spending time with a stranger. Why not hire her as the nanny for LA and bring Theo along? He’d pay of course, and judging from the state of her shop she needed all the help she could get.

***

#5

DEVOTED

Contemporary/Sci Fi/Fantasy Romance

80,000 words

Matthias of Linley loves spending time with Vivian Redwood. He adores watching her prepare for her day, cooking dinner and laying in bed with her at night. He shivers at her touch, stroking him softly, cherishing him.

But the trouble with this story is that Matthias isn’t real, he is a character in her favorite novel. See humans do not realize that each novel is actually alive; the characters can see, hear and feel us. Each is unique and most are content with their lot; but not Matthias. Matthias wants Vivian and he’s found a way to have her…

***

#6

FLAME

Hot Romance/Erotica Romance

50,000 words

“Becky finds herself being chased by three men. Each moment gives her another intense, erotic encounter. With tension and heat rising fast, what will happen when they all find out she’s been having fun with them. Will she be able to choose Mr Right?”

***

#7

MAISIE MCGRANE: METER MAID

Humorous Thriller

95,ooo words

Unsinkable Maisie McGrane is desperate to join her Irish family’s cop fraternity. Expelled from the police academy, she takes a job as a meter maid to weasel her way back on to the force. When she over-enthusiastically boots the mayor’s limo and the ensuing scuffle goes viral, Maisie becomes a target with little more to protect herself than her ticket gun.

Similar in tone to: Stephanie Plum meets Blue Bloods

***

#8

SWEET SANCTUARY

Contemporary romance with paranormal elements

120,000 words

Kate’s twentieth wedding anniversary plans never included discovering her husband’s long term affair. She quickly takes steps to rid herself of the man, while keeping her children and recovering a fraction of everything he has stolen from her life. Determined to make a fresh start for her kids, Kate follows her heart and buys the farm of her dreams in the North Georgia foothills. Sweet Sanctuary comes complete with an ancient and unusual Victorian house, a fish-stocked lake, and a reclusive handyman who not only lives on his own island in the middle of it, but cares about her children, and steals her breath away every time he looks at her.

Alone, Ian Stuart has walked the familiar paths of this old farm for more decades than he cares to count. Now, for the first time since an angry mother’s curse banished him to this place, he wants a normal life. He foolishly allows himself to fall in love with Kate and her children, knowing he doesn’t deserve them and will never have anything to offer. But he needn’t worry. His age-old secret will one day soon destroy everything he holds dear, and leave him with nothing.

Again.

***

#9

AMBUSHING THE HEIRESS

Historical/Regency romance

100,000 words

Bored and gorgeous Lady Evangeline ‘Mischief’ Moorecroft delights on dancing the razor’s edge between scandal and infamy.

Cynical, duty-bound Major Vicks Geale returns to England to find he’s inherited a title, the family’s crumbling estate and a mountain of debt. To free a fortune held in trust, he must restore the estate’s land sold off by previous heirs, the bulk of which is attached to the Duke of Moorecroft’s feckless daughter’s dowry. Pragmatic Geale, who finds love irrelevant, is certain she’ll suit.

Unable to resist Geale’s bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage. Smugly certain her father will pay her way out of the unequal marriage, she’s horrified when he won’t.

Evangeline wages a campaign of secrets, flirtation and seduction to win her freedom from the hardened soldier. The trouble is, matching wits with her brooding new husband is proving to be the most fun she’s ever had.

***

#10

DARKNESS UNDONE

Paranormal Romance

105,700 words

Bound to a vengeful goddess, immortal warrior, Reynner, has little time for the fairer sex. The last thing he wants is to be aligned with another female, even if she is the key to finding an artifact and saving his realm. His stone-cold resistance is tested, his attraction undeniable for the feisty mortal. But she demands the one thing he cannot give her…his trust.

Eve Leighton keeps away from intimacy of any sort after an accident in her teens left her with a painful gift—the ability to see into another’s soul through physical contact. When an ice-cold warrior claims she is his world’s savior, she’s intrigued, until she dares a look into his soul and sees a man who’s been cruelly betrayed. She agrees to help him and loses her heart. But the man is an unassailable fortress. With quiet determination, she chips away his barriers and a passion darker than night pulls them under.

But Reynner must overcome his own personal demons as battles are fought to claim the woman he loves or lose her to a vicious goddess. And Eve has to face her own mortality and fight for a love of a lifetime.

***

#11

FIRE ANGEL

Suspense/Romance

69,697 words

Criminal profiler, Jake McKenzie, volunteered to go to Afghanistan and came home minus a leg. Concerned that he can’t do the work the way he did before, he only takes on cold cases. When a pyromaniac serial killer terrorizes Paradise, he agrees to return to police work and prove to himself, once and for all, that he can do the job.

Sixteen years ago, Alexis Michaels escaped Paradise and an abusive uncle, and after surviving a deadly fire, became one of the country’s leading fire and arson investigators. She reluctantly returns home to lead the hunt for the killer. Her uncanny ability to put herself in the arsonist’s place is the skill they need to find this maniac.

After a threatening note, she grudgingly agrees to partner with Jake. Their past history intensifies their attraction, and sparks fly, but Alexis mistakenly believes that he’s married, and withdraws from him, leaving Jake frustrated and confused. They must set aside their differences and work together to catch the killer who sees Alexis as a threat to his agenda. Lives are at stake, and according to the killer, Alexis is next.

***

#12

LOVE & VENGEANCE

Historical Fiction with Romantic Elements

100,000 words

Back during the reign of Trajan, c. 108 AD, at the pinnacle of Rome’s power, Marcus, a fine Roman citizen, is stripped of his position to be condemned as a slave to fight in gladiatorial games. Sentenced to die in the Colosseum, he lives and excels at the blood sport, becoming Champion of Rome, possessed by a demon to win his freedom to exact vengeance against his accusers.

Gustina is a Roman slave, never tasting the joys freedom, serves her owner, her domina, but when she finds the woman dead, poisoned by her husband, Gustina is accused as the killer and sentenced to die in the Colosseum.

Marcus saves her by using the coin he wins to buy her life. He will protect her from death by his status as champion and she will save him from the dark demon of vengeance but together, their love is tested by the very Romans who condemned him to slavery – his family – the same people he must rescue her from before they kill her.

***

#13

GREAT & UNFORTUNATE THINGS

Historical

87,000 words

Operating as a British spy, Tristan St.James, the new Marquis of Wrenworth, barely escapes Afghanistan with his life in the spring of 1869. He plans to seek vengeance against the traitor who exposed him and for the agent he’s forced to kill. Returning to England, as a lord, he must marry. Haunted by guilt from the horrors of war, he avoids love at all costs, but finds himself drawn to the only woman who is disinterested in him.

Lady Evelyn Hurstine has waited over two years for the return of her love, a man who left for war in the East. But during that time, she suffered a brutal assault, resulting in a child and fear of any man touching her except for the man she once knew. The pursuit by the marquis scares her but her excuses against his proposal dwindle.

Their marriage strengthens into love until she discovers her husband isn’t the safety she believed but the one who killed the man she once loved. Caught in a world of intrigue and mayhem, Tristan must prove his love to her before the traitor destroys them both.

***

#14

COMANCHE HAVEN

Romance – western romance

106,416 words

From the moment Celia, the emerald-eyed, Comanche half-breed, gets off the stage in Tyler, Texas, Seth Loflin realizes he is on a collision course with the past. She was his first love and now Shooter Creek’s ranch boss can’t allow her to succumb to the danger that stalks her.

Someone wants to kidnap her and sell her as a slave, but now that she’s in his protective arms, he intends to keep her safe.

Celia can’t run back to the safety of her former life in South Carolina. If she stays at Shooter Creek with Seth, she’ll be putting the man she still loves and his ranch in danger of harboring a Comanche. Seth refuses to leave her side. His vow to protect her comes with a price. Yet he gives Celia the hope and courage she needs. Now she’ll fight for her new life with Seth…or die trying.

***

#15

SUGARWATER RANCH

Contemporary Western Romance

84,400 words

Sean O’Connell’s life was perfect until drinking affected his bull riding, and he ended the season too broke to leave the Northwest for the warm southern rodeos. Worse, yet, he had to get a real job.

After a wild night with his buddies gets out of hand, he wakes up naked in a strange house, staring into the intense blue eyes of a woman he’s never met. Turning to his infallible O’Connell charm, he’s dumbfounded when it leaves her cold. It’s obvious she’s not his usual good-time girl, so how did he get here?

When bar manager Catherine Silvera finds a waterlogged, unconscious cowboy in danger of freezing to death in front of the Sugarwater Bar, she saves his life–then runs away faster than a jackrabbit with a coyote on its tail. Any man who makes his living following the rodeo circuit is not for her, especially if he thinks partying is part of the competition. Since he’s everything she doesn’t want in a man, why can’t she shake an irresistible attraction to the rugged cowboy?

***

#16

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DELTA

Thriller

90,000 words

My name is Lolita Vette, a seventh generation seventh daughter of a long line of witches. And I’m a fake. A charlatan. While telling fortunes and selling love potion in the Delta isn’t as sexy as running a grift, it’s a lucrative and steady business.

I’m not a witch. Just a girl with an elevated Kinesic ability. My brain processes a person’s microscopic tics and tugs so clearly, I’m a human lie-detector. Combine my God-given curse with a decent ability to cold read, and you’d be surprised how many rational people start believing in magic.

So when hard-ass ex-Army Ranger Collie-Roy Souther asked me to find his no-good brother–last seen working for crime lord Queenie Trent–my answer was no. As in no way in hell. But the man’s persistent. So much so I started nosing around where I shouldn’t.

And now, before I’d decided on whether Collie-Roy belonged in a shallow grave or in my bed, he’s disappeared. Vanished into the ether, unless you count his little finger and a helluva lot of blood.

Now even I can’t help but search for a little backwater magic in this mess of a world.

***

#17

ACES WILD

Paranormal Romance

62, 806 words

A simple life’s all fun and games until you become the target of fire breathing dragons. So much for simple.

When Val Draig saunters into Ace’s Southern occult bookstore she accidentally almost emasculates the tall, emerald-eyed hunk. Just as well, he’s the type she knows she’s better off avoiding. What she finds out too late is that he’s a dragon and a simple phone call placed her humdrum life in danger. And not just hers: dragons and humans alike will fall if the long drawn-out war hits a crescendo. Suddenly, all Ace wants is her boring old life back: a return to a time when she wasn’t falling out of helicopters and unsuccessfully dodging bullets.

Val can keep Ace safe, but she won’t accept anything less than safety for everyone. To stop the rival clan, she and Val will have to rely on each other’s strengths and wits. They’ll unravel a past fraught with lies only to discover a future together is the key to their survival. Ace may not have it all, but who she is may just be wild enough to make it work.

***

#18

SEASTRUCK

Women’s Fiction – Paranormal

92,500 words

Encounters with mortals brought Lura nothing but grief. All the same, when the mermaid sees a man drowning in the Gulf of Mexico off St. Pete Beach, the words of the Law of One ring through her mind and she swims out to save him. Seven Sacred Laws rule the mer world; ignoring them leads to corruption and self-destruction.

Before the moon cycle ends, she must mate with a human in hopes of conceiving – her only chance to preserve her ancestral memories. The slim, muscular man found in her waters has the genes she seeks for her offspring. Once on land, Lura shape shifts into a leggy blonde to seduce him. Tyler isn’t about to get careless, though, not with an accidental pregnancy and a failed marriage behind him.

When the mermaid is captured by a treasure hunter, he triggers an ancient curse that keeps her in his power. It’s Tyler she wants. Only unlocking the secret of the last Sacred Law allows her to use the power of love against the curse and enlist Tyler’s help in her escape.

***

#19

IMMORTAL BLOODLINES

Paranormal Romance

88,000 words

Kila’s mother severed their relationship in hopes of keeping her lineage a secret. When Kila meets Ethan, a charming and lethal man from the bayou, things take a passionate but bitter twist. Their illicit love affair acts as a catalyst to her birthright. Bringing her destiny to the forefront awakens the Sepulturans, riling unprecedented anger from shape-shifting clans, and reveals the truth behind the voices in her head. One act of forbidden romance shatters the carefully sculpted facade on reality, one where shape-shifters prey on humans, creatures of the grave distort minds, and an unknowing hunter walks among the immortal bloodlines.

***

#20

PRIYA IN HEELS

Contemporary multicultural romance

88,000 words

Priya is the epitome of an obedient Indian daughter. Her loyalty to her parents is carved by their love and sacrifice, but the manipulations of her aunts pushes her to forge an even tighter bond. Priya will fiercely uphold her family’s honor and has done so by becoming a medical resident, remaining a virgin, and agreeing to marry her intended. Life is near perfect, her fiancé is tolerable, and her friends are the intervals of excitement she needs. The only thing that can derail her world is the sexy Irishman down the hall, the one who wants to get into her bed and shatter her walls. Logic is clear. Tyler is no good for Priya’s life plans. Love, on the other hand, is unreasonable and clashes with the carefully sculpted life her parents gave her. Maybe going after her heart isn’t such a big deal, or maybe it’s the thing that will unravel her world and leave her an emotional wreck.

***

#21

WINTER SONG

Mystery/suspense

82,000 words

Grieving widower, detective Noah Daugherty, focuses his energy on winning over his late wife’s resentful Yorkie and taking scumbags off the street. Scumbags like The Driver, an honest to God hit man who advertises on Craig’s list. Noah has never believed in hit men, at least not ones that offer their services to the public, and he certainly never envisioned The Driver, a teenage killer who professes to take jobs to pay his college tuition, but in fact, simply loves his work.

When The Driver senses Noah closing in on his true identity, he takes steps to eliminate the detective and his annoying little dog. That’s when it gets personal. But Noah isn’t that easy to kill. After his first attempt fails, The Driver is left wondering–what’s it going to take to kill this man, silver bullets? A stake through the heart? He’d better think of something quick, because Noah is now aiming for him.

Winter Song is the first book in a four part series

***

#22

IN THE HEART

Contemporary romance/womens fiction

100,000 words

After a tragic shooting claims the life of her fiancé, Celia Bailey returns to her small hometown vowing one day to find love again. A year later, she’s finding it difficult to keep that vow when the man occupying her thoughts and haunting her dreams is a man she knows shouldn’t get involved with.

Toby Colton is about to find his new life turned upside down. He has a steady job as a prison guard and is forming ties in the close-knit community he recently moved to. However, one chance meeting on the side of a road brings a string of complications he never counted on.

For the ex-rodeo rider, Celia is one sad cliché after another: the boss’s daughter…his best friend’s sister…and love at first sight. While the two fight a losing battle to resist their attraction, a scheming and dangerous inmate by the name of Vince Monroe sets his sights on escape—and Celia.

When Toby must risk his own life to save a kidnapped Celia, they learn love doesn’t always play by the rules.

***

#23

DR. STRANGE LOVE Short Story Series #1

Erotica/ Erotic Romance

8,000 words

Toni Reynolds loves her fiancé, Luke Campbell, more than anything. Still something is missing. They both recognize their love life has become predictable. Toni, realizes she’s not satisfied. She fears that she’s missing something and the closer her wedding date gets, the more unhappy she becomes.

It’s her secret though, until the night, Luke announces they’re hiring a sex therapist. Uneasy about a professional poking around in their relationship, especially one who makes ‘house calls’, Toni feels betrayed. Her love for and her trust in Luke win out as she agrees to meet the good doctor. Neither Luke nor Toni is prepared for the talents of Damon. This story is 8,000 words.

***

#24

THE FOUND GIRL

Contemporary paranormal romance

100,000 words

Jonas Kavanagh’s life was predetermined.

One day he will be king to a magical elf kingdom and he will also be the first in the royal line to take a human as queen. Only two complications stand in his way. First, the human woman fated to be this queen doesn’t believe in love, magic or even the prediction. Second, and far more difficult to overcome, the person assigned the task of finding this human wants nothing more than see Jonas joined with someone else and he possesses enough power to accomplish this.

Alvina McKellen’s life has been one loss after another. Orphaned and unwanted by relatives forced to care for her, then framed by a man who said he loved her, she seeks a new life far from where she began. She sure never expected that new life to involve a frightening man with strange abilities and an unexpected marriage to a supposed king.

Together, a reluctant elf king and a lost girl find passion, love and their destiny together, something not even the most powerful magic of one who would tear them apart can destroy.

***

#25

LOVING EMMALYNE

Paranormal romance

37,000 words

Growing up in a gothic royal castle, young Emmalyne has been in love with the handsome wizard Donovan for as long as she can remember, never believing he is aware of her affections.

She watches from afar as he trains to one day take his position beside her cousin, the prince.

Donovan is dedicated to becoming a wise and powerful wizard so when the time comes to serve his friend, Prince William, he will be the best there is. He has more important things to worry about than a small girl’s infatuation with him; namely, exacting his revenge on the vampire Keiron who killed Donovan’s family almost a century before.

When Emmalyne returns to the castle after two years away, now grown, captivating and beautiful, Donovan can no longer ignore what she stirs inside him. However, before he can make Emmalyne his, Keiron again shows up to steal the life of someone he loves.

Keiron is fascinated by the beautiful Emmalyne and instead of killing her; he changes her, making her into a being Donovan hates the most. Years later, Donovan must decide whether his love for Emmalyne is stronger than his hatred of the creature she’s become.

***

#26

TRUTH BE TOLD

Single Title

90, 570 words

Jill Barlow has come a long way—Texas to Vermont—in search of a safe haven after her husband, and then her father are murdered. A letter she receives from him after his death suggests he was killed because of his fight to keep the Texas Legislature from adopting casino gambling. Jill wants nothing more to do with politics despite the attraction drawing her to the son of the woman whose crystal shop Jill wants to buy.

Jerrod Phillips, a Vermont State Assemblyman, has come a long way in the twenty some years since his wife abandoned him and their two children. He’ll do anything to keep his family from being hurt again, especially when the threats come packaged in the attractive form of Jill Barlow who he suspects is involved in murder.

Jill and her friends are physically threatened. The possibility of justice for her husband and father’s murders pales beside the need to keep her grown kids and her friends safe. If she survives, what chance can she and Jerrod have when he holds her responsible for his brother’s death, and she fears the consequences of involvement in the life of another politician?

***

#27

BIG BAD WOLFE

Contemporary Category Romance

55,000 words

When desire comes head-to-head with feelings from the past, sparks are bound to fly.

Sarah never planned on seeing Falon Wolfe ever again. The he walked into the conference of her grandfather’s company. Falon was the one thing in her life she couldn’t forget. And she’d tried. For nine years she tried forgetting the scent of his skin and the way his body felt.

Falon’s overbearing ego, coupled with his dark good looks and undeniable charm grate on Sarah’s nerves. The cold cynicism that replaced his quicksilver spontaneity had Sarah devising a plan of her own: seduce the man who didn’t know he held her heart, and make him remember who he really was.

Returning to Chicago after fifteen year, Falon learns that things weren’t as simple as his cynicism had him believing. Faced with their strong attraction, Falon vows to have Sarah until he gets her out of his system.

When feelings change from cold agendas to blazing passion Sarah and Falon must come clean about their motives or risk losing everything. Sarah must move past her insecurities and Falon’s frigid walls if she truly wants to tame the Big Bad Wolfe.

***

#28

HER UNREASONABLE DOUBT

Romantic Suspense/Thriller

90,000 words

Assistant District Attorney Madison Montgomery has a choice: work with an accused killer to save her life, or die.

When some crazed person bent on revenge stalks and threatens Madison, she turns to Joshua Baldwin for help, the former violent crimes detective she just prosecuted for murder. Although the jury acquitted him, this man she once loved and the only cop she ever trusted is still trying to prove to Madison and the world that despite the incriminating evidence the jury was right.

Amid accusations of police corruption, deep mistrust, and unrelenting passion, Madison and Josh navigate a dangerous road toward finding the real killer and the person threatening her and, perhaps, alleviating her unreasonable doubt.

***

#29

BRANDED

NA Suspence Romance

97,000 words

Allison barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. When the invaders raid the party, she and her siblings flee, avoiding the massacre.

Three weeks later, Ali is captured by the heartless General, who led the invasion, as she and her siblings search for other survivors. When she refuses to submit to him, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Furious at the humiliation she forced upon him, she is taken out to join the rest of the captives in front of the firing squad. But she escapes, and flees again.

She finds a small group in hiding who nurse her back to health physically and emotionally. While among them, she falls in love with the young man who found her – Damien Rogers.

But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man, his obsession is inflamed. Allison discovers that his hunt for her may not kill her, but his mind games may break her and Damien apart. She must put herself on the line or he could kill her family and the man she loves.

***

#30

KOMODO KABOOM

Paranormal,Sub-genre: Horror, Romance

25,000 words

Set in a series of valleys named Hekati’s Wrath, a corrupt family, Matriarchal Oriane, seeks to overpower the ruling queen and council of Hera’s Paradise Kingdom. What stands in the way of those plans is one not so innocent female, Trestle Oriane, and a recruiter rebel, Clink Doggerel, seeking an inside weapon in taking it down.

Trestle despises her family, grew up abused and disdainful of the lcientiousness her dame and sire fostered to control outlying subjects and family members. She had no problems accepting the bargain Clink offered her, take down the power seat, and gain freedom.

Deep within Hekati’s Wrath is a labyrinth that the Oriane stronghold surrounds. That is the rumored power source of the entire set of valleys. Remove the power source, remove the threat, and lastly remove the corrupted family members came the orders to Clink. Only one problem resulted, he’d recruited Trestle from a very early age and then fell in love with her.

Trestle is aware of treachery lurking everywhere and trusts no one, except perhaps Clink. She carries his child, she has a secret ability that only Clink knows about. She shape shifts into a komodo dragon, one that goes Kaboom upon reshaping.

It’s the first Pitch Day of 2013! Say hello to all the authors!

I can’t tell you all how excited I am for this Editor Shop.

Jennifer Miller is my editor at Samhain. I adore her and am so thankful to have her in my corner!

PRIMITIVE NIGHTS released from Samhain on Jan 8th. and to celebrate, Jennifer agreed to be our attending editor. NINE other authors from Samhain agreed to come as well and we’re all giving away prizes!

I’ll start taking pitches around 10:00 am EST. But please don’t send me anything until you see the word ‘GO’ posted in big letters as an update at the top of this page. Once it’s there, send your pitch to candi_agent_shop (at) yahoo.com.

Yes, I know, it’s hard to wait, but while your waiting (and after you pitch), check out the new or soon to be released authors and their works below. Each link will take you to a page with their information, blurbs, excerpts and yummy covers!

Please feel free to comment and chat. We’ll all be here through the day and the more you comment, the more times you’re entered to win!

Here are the links to each authors info:

(PLEASE DON’T POST COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL PAGES. COME BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE TO POST COMMENTS OR WE MIGHT MISS THEM!!!!)

 Joy Daniels – REVVING HER UP
 Mari Carr – WINTER’S THAW
Lacy Danes – WATERFALL
Isis Rushdan – KINDRED OF THE FALLEN
Anne Hope – SOUL DEEP
Jackie Ashenden – FALLING FOR FINN
Candi Wall – PRIMITIVE NIGHTS
Cynthia D’Alba – TEXAS TWO STEP
Barbara Elsborg – COWBOYS DOWN
Renee Wildes – GOD OF FYRE MOUNTAIN

Good luck to everyone!

It’s ALMOST time to pitch! $25 Giftcard giveaway right now!

I can’t tell you all how excited I am for Editor Shop in the morning. Well , maybe you can tell since I’m posting before I usually do…

PRIMITIVE NIGHTS released from Samhain on Jan 8th. and to celebrate, Jennifer Miller (my editor) agreed to be our attending editor. NINE other authors from Samhain agreed to come tomorrow as well and we’re all giving away prizes!

I’ll start taking pitches around 10:00 am EST on Jan 12th. But please don’t send me anything until you see the word ‘GO’ posted in big letters as an update at the top of the morning post. Once it’s there, send your pitch to candi_agent_shop (at) yahoo.com.

BIG, HUGE, WARNING! We’re going to be swamped in the morning, so read the rules for pitching under the tab at the top of the page titled Agent/Editor Shop please. I delete without prejudice. If you don’t follow the rules, you’re out!

So just for fun tonight, and of course because I want everyone looking at my cover… Anyone who tells me what my MALE main character’s name is will be entered to win a $25.00 giftcard to Amazon or Barnes&Noble! I’ll draw a winner tomorrow before I post the word GO, and as a bonus, anyone who comments between now and then will also be entered in the big drawing for books tomorrow!

Read the blurb and excerpt from Primitive Nights at the links below:

Samhain

Amazon

Barnes&Noble

Have a great night and good reading to you all!

Candi

Hump Day Kick Start – Seduce Me Edition

Song of the Day: My Littlest Secret by Cavo

Hump Day Kick Start – for your muse, a writing picture prompt, or just a visual treat.

The first Hump Day Kick Start of the year.

I love this picture. The shadows, the light. The look in his eyes. The way her bra is just off her shoulder. Great for a prompt.

So tell me who are they? Exes? One-night stand? Co-workers? Enemies? What is he saying? Is he seducing her? Giving her an ultimatum? Bargaining with her? Is she giving in? Struggling with her inner self to resist him? Plotting some sort of provocative revenge? Maybe these two are reenacting one of my book’s love scenes. (Shameless plug – ) Who knows, perhaps he’s a thief about to nibble the diamond from her ear.

Love to hear your comments. Bring it on, folks.