Margery Scott's Blog, page 15

Visions of Sugarplums and Other Inspirations – Award-winning author Nina Pierce

Visions of Sugarplums and Other Inspirations

GUEST BLOG – Nina Pierce

I love writing stories. It’s so much fun to tell people I write full time and watch their reaction. Nearly every person asks, “Where did you find the inspiration for that novel?” And the answer I always give is everywhere and nowhere.

Everywhere there are the “what ifs” around you. “What if a virus killed off nearly all of the human population?” (Healer’s Garden http://amzn.com/B0035N1UO4 Ellora’s Cave) “What if vampires had a secret society for policing rogue vampires?” (Shadows of Fire, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0092AWIRM/ ) “What if someone was a wolf shifter and didn’t know it?” (Bonded Souls http://amzn.com/B003VPWXM4 Ellora’s Cave) Okaaaaaay, so maybe you don’t ask yourself those questions, but that’s the kind of thing that rolls around in my head. I’m always imagining the “what if” of other dimensions or characters or places. From these odd ball thoughts the nugget of an idea forms and voila! A story is born!

Sometimes inspiration comes from a conversation overheard in the grocery store (it’s a new talent I’ve developed to follow people and “overhear” dialogue between mother and daughter without looking like a stalker ).

“Seriously Mom, he’s just, I don’t know, the same age as Uncle Todd.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that young.”

“But he’s my law professor.”

“And he’s very single and he has a great butt I might add.”

“Ewww. Definitely TMI.” (A pause.) “You’re seriously going to do this?”

“It’s just drinks honey, not a marriage proposal.”

Oh, yeah, that is definitely going to become a book some day. I just can’t resist the idea of a younger man with an older woman. And the daughter already gave me all kinds of information about the fact that the man is the same age as one of her uncles and her professor. Oh, the conflicts abound with just that snippet!

Inspiration also comes from my adventures in traveling. I had the pleasure of visiting Sedona, Arizona and going on a jeep tour over and around the red rock formations. Between the remote location and the stories of extra-terrestrials shared by our guide, I couldn’t stop my brain from running through all the possible romantic suspense scenarios. “What if they found a body?” “What if it’s an alien?” Man, I just went all over the place with ideas that day. And yes, I still enjoyed the tour, but mostly because our guide was a handsome character in and of himself with a rich backstory of highschool loves, alcoholism and divorce. (Which I got him to share because I’m that curious about people.) He’s going to show up in a story some day.

Then there are the story ideas that spring to me from the newspaper headlines (usually the suspense part of my stories) or the songs on the radio (the romance plot).

But those nuggets only get me so far. It’s from the nowhere of my imagination the characters start forming and their troubles begin to surface and before I know it I’m on the journey of discovering another story. And it is a complete discovery for me. I’m what authors affectionately call a “pantser”, which means I have no outline. No idea (or very little) of where I’m going or what’s going to happen next. It’s all very organic. But that’s a post for another day.

The point is my inspiration is all around me. I can’t always tell you exactly where a story started, but I can tell you I love the thrill of writing it.

I want to thank Margery for letting me take over his blog today. It’s been a lot of fun.

Nina’s most recent release, Shadows of Fire, is a sexy romantic suspense novel involving vampires working undercover as firefighters to bring down a murderer hell bent on revenge.

BLURB:

A woman forced to live a life she didn’t choose …

Thirty years ago, a horrendous attack in the California mountains thrust chemistry student, ALEXANDRA FLANAGAN, into the secret world of vampires. Now, unable to stomach the thought of drinking blood from another person, she survives on a chemical blood wine. But there are some who secretly disapprove of her clandestine activities and will do anything to stop her.

A vampire of honor protecting humans …

Ancient vampire, REESE COLTON, is part of an elite military operation seeking out and eliminating rogue vampires. Undercover as a firefighter, he and his team have been called in to investigate the unusual number of fires covering up the murders of vampires living on Alex’s blood wine.

A murderer seeking revenge …

When chemistry ignites passion, Reese and Alex find themselves embroiled in an affair that catches them both unaware. With the number of fires escalating and evidence against Alex mounting, Reese isn’t sure whether to follow his heart or the clues as he seeks to find a murderer in the Shadows of Fire.

EXCERPT:

“Alex, you down here?” called the voice again.

“In the wine cellar,” she hollered back. Alex didn’t need to consult the appointment calendar to know who was thumping down her stairs.

“Glenn called and asked me …” Reese Colton strode around the corner, coming to a dead stop at the threshold. Time hung suspended. No one moved. Hostility instantly crowded the confined space, making it hard for Alex to catch her breath.

Questions ricocheted over Reese’s features.

The vampire filling the doorway had done nothing more than spend time at her bar with the rest of the off-duty firefighters. Perhaps he was a bit more flirtatious, even shared a toe-curling kiss with her on several occasions, and though she’d wanted more, Reese had taken it no further. Despite all of that, the moment shared with Ronan brought a stab of guilt that just pissed her off. Alex didn’t owe this vampire anything.

“Reese. You know Ronan Nason?” she asked, pleased it sounded as cavalier as she’d intended.

“Um … yeah, we met a couple of months ago at the university.” Reese removed his sunglasses with such deliberate precision, Alex was sure they would slice the heavy tension in the air.

“Reese was one of the firefighters who responded to that horrible fire in my chemistry lab,” she said, working to fill the uncomfortable silence. “The one where my grad student was killed?” The young woman had only recently settled in South Kenton as a doctoral student of Alex’s. The lab and all its contents had been burned so badly, the university wasn’t sure the insurance would be enough to replace everything. Fortunately, the grant money from the tribunal would guarantee a complete refurbishment and extra funding for Alex’s research. “And I’m sure the fire marshal did his job, but it bothers me that we don’t know the whys of it all.”

“The death was ruled accidental.” Both men spoke at the same time.

Her gaze flew between them. “Yes,” the word dragged slowly out of her mouth. “Still, it’s hard for me to understand how a grad student in chemistry could have been so careless.”

“No doubt the poor woman let the Bunsen burner from one of her experiments get out of control,” Ronan said. “Thank goodness no one else was caught in the blaze.” He looked to Reese for corroboration.

“Any life lost in a senseless fire is one too many.” Reese’s words were as hard as the look he shot Ronan. “It’s a code to live by.”

“Aye, ‘tis true for sure. Still, we have to be grateful it wasn’t worse. Perhaps more safety education needs to be done. I’m all for keeping students safe.”

“So I hear.” The half smile Reese flashed held a challenge—not humor.

Alex couldn’t believe her ears. Ronan’s reputation of hitting on underclassmen of both sexes was well known at the university. Apparently, his notoriety had also seeped into the town rumor mill and it was enough to raise Reese’s hackles. If Alex didn’t do something soon, the testosterone flying through the air would likely wound them all. She cleared her throat to draw their attention back to her. “Yes, well, okay then. Back to the task at hand.” Checking the scheduled appointments, Alex was surprised. Reese wasn’t expected for another hour. “You’re early, Reese. If you’re in a hurry, I’d be happy to—”

“No, I’m good.” Casually leaning against the door jamb, Reese crossed his booted feet at the ankles, tucked his sunglasses into his chamois shirt and folded his arms over his chest. His contentious stare never left Ronan’s annoyed expression. “In light of all the recent fires, Glenn wasn’t comfortable leaving you here on your own. When he called and asked me to give you a hand this morning, I told him I was happy to help with the appointments.”

Alex’s heart flipped in her chest. She’d spent months trying to entice Reese beyond innocent flirtations and innuendoes. Now, when she’d made the decision to cut her ties with South Kenton, the man looked as if he were going to devour her in one lusty bite.

BUY FROM AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0092AWIRM

Award-winning romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance.

Nina resides in New England with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-eight years and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her three grown children, one love-sick son-in-law and a heart-melting grandson.

You can keep up with her new books at her website ((http://www.NinaPierce.com) or by following her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nina.pierce) or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/ninapierce)

Who is that masked man?

I’ve been on vacation for the past few weeks, so I haven’t been taking part in Six Sentence Sunday. No excuse, I know . But I have been working off and on between lazing at the pool, playing golf and generally enjoying the Southern sunshine. But vacation is over, and it’s back to work. This week’s sentences are taken from a new novella I’m working on, tentatively titled The Outlaw’s Lady

         A tall, broad-shouldered man filled the small space, his nose and mouth hidden by a black bandanna. A pale blue shirt clung to his wide chest and disappeared into the waist of what appeared to be black canvas trousers. A few strands of sun-streaked chestnut hair had escaped from the dust-covered hat covering his head and curled on his forehead. Eyes the color of fine whisky and ringed by dark lashes met hers.

         Isabella scrambled as far back into the corner of the coach as she could. Her pulse skittered as her gaze slid from the outlaw’s face to the six-shooter in his hand.

Thanks for dropping by. I’d love to hear your comments on these sentences. I’m planning to have this novella available on Amazon before Christmas, so wish me luck. Also, check out the other fabulous authors and their sixes here

Vicki Batman – I’m Such a Softie

My guest today is Vicki Batman, author of Twinkle Lights, a heart-warming Christmas story available now.

I’m Such a Softie

Like a ooey, gooey marshmallow fresh from roasting over the fire and ready to place on top of a graham cracker already covered with chocolate squares… Yeah, I’m that kind of softie.

Several years ago, my heart went zing.

I love to go to flea markets and hunt for bargains, especially when it comes to Christmas items. One time, as I was headed out the last aisle almost ready to exit. I saw a woman ahead of me take an object out of a ragtag box. I paused. I recognized what she held and clasped my hands in prayer mode and went, “Put it back. Put it back.” She lifted it, examined front and back.

She put it back. Whew!

I tried not to run to the booth because part of flea market buying is not to appear over anxious so we can get the item for an even better price. When I reached the table, I looked at what was there first to appear like I was shopping in a nonchalant fashion. Then, I bent down and saw the box. There my little friend lay on top. Again, I kept my cool and picked up the box. I set aside one, two, three items like I was considering purchasing them. Lastly, I removed the one I really desired–a Styrofoam angel with glittery silver wings, curly white hair, and sequin eyes and mouth.

My heart melted. The reason I wanted her is because my mom has this angel and puts it on the top of her tree every year. Our long-time, next door neighbor had made her. And I’ve always loved the ornament.

This girl was missing one wing-shaped eye, but I didn’t care. To me, she looked perfect. I asked how much and the lady said, “Oh, fifty cents.” My heart went whee! I paid and brought her to her new home.

I can’t bear to pack her away after Christmas. Instead, she sits on my bookcase with a few other jewels to greet me every day. And I still get all ooey gooey soft inside.

Do you have an ooey gooey heart over something special?

Blurb from “Twinkle Lights:”

A do-gooder joins forces with a reformed delinquent turned lawyer to run a Christmas tree stand benefiting the children’s hospital. When the money goes missing, fingers are pointed.

Excerpt:

         ”I don’t believe it.” Hands on hips, I stood in front of the large, white tent. No happy shoppers bustled in and out. No All I Want For Christmas is You blasting from a boom box. No holiday cheer at all.

         Instead, I found under the same ol’ AXEL’S CHRISTMAS TREES neon sign, which wasn’t flashing, a notice, which looked to be hastily printed and stuck on the tent flap with gray duct tape: Closed. Heart attack. And as an afterthought: Pray.

         I shook my head, saying to the nippy wind whipping my hair, “Poor Axel. This is horrible. Where will the funds for the Sommerville Hospital come from?”

         My stomach kinked into a hard knot as I hugged my tote to my waist. I’d been buying my Christmas tree here since…forever. Definitely since I was a blossoming idea in my parents’ mind. Mom and Dad brought my brother and me to Axel’s the first Saturday in December every year for the family tree. Who could forget the ensuing arguments over the perfect one—Mom usually won—and the joy of trimming it.

         All grown up, I continued the tradition. Axel had the most beautiful trees. The stand benefited the hospital; this year, the children’s cancer wing where his grandson had undergone treatment for leukemia. He always-always-always stashed aside a seven-foot Fraser fir for me. Nothing spelled Christmas better than a fresh, North Carolina Fraser fir.

         Now what do I do? Where do I go? Should I call Axel’s son and see if he needs anything?

Bio:

Like some of her characters, Vicki has worked a wide variety of jobs including lifeguard, ride attendant at an amusement park; a hardware store, department store, book store, antique store clerk; administrative assistant in an international real estate firm; and a general “do anything gal” at a financial services firm. The list is…endless.

Born in Dallas, a graduate of Texas Tech, she is married to Handsome, has two big boys, an attention-demanding cat, and two adorable poopies.

She has completed three manuscripts, written essays, and sold many short stories. She is a member of RWA, and the DARA, Elements, and RWA-WF chapters. In 2004, she joined DARA and has served in many capacities, including 2009 President. DARA awarded her the Robin Teer Memorial Service Award in 2010.

Most days begin with her hands set to the keyboard and thinking “What if??”

Thanks so much for joining me today, Vicki.

Learn more about Vicki from her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Listen up! with Stephanie Queen

I’m thrilled to have Stephanie Queen on my blog today. I haven’t listened to many audiobooks, but as people become busier and reading time becomes a luxury, audiobooks are the way to go – both as a listener and an author. Take it away, Stephanie.

Listening is the New Reading: All About Audiobooks

The last time someone (nameless interviewer) asked me what the last book I read was, I had to think back—way back—to before I started listening to books. I drive (too much) and work out at the gym (not enough) and those activities occupy so much of my time, I felt compelled to multi-task. So I started listening to audiobooks (I’d have preferred writing as my second activity, but discovered this beyond the limits of my mortal capacity, especially while driving).

I discovered I LOVE audiobooks! For writers out there who want to get in on the next big thing (I predict that’s audiobooks, but I think Audible is right there with me in this), you must first become a fan. Well, maybe must is a strong word, but I highly recommend first doing lots of listening and becoming familiar enough with the medium so you understand what’s good and what makes it good.

For instance, and you may have heard this, lots of audiobook fans are fans of narrators as much as they are of the author of the book. They are like actors, but they do multiple parts—usually all parts—in the production. But let me make this simple for you and give it to you step-by-step.

How to get started in audiobooks via ACX (audiobook creation exchange) for authors:

Step 1: Listen and become a fan, an aficionado of the medium. Become familiar with what’s good in your genre and why you like it. Become familiar with pricing and deals and retail distribution, digital download v. CD. Become familiar with the bestseller lists.

Step 2: Figure out how much money you have to invest in this venture. Do you have $100 or do you have thousands? You’ll potentially need to spend some money on the following:

a. Newly formatted square book cover, preferably identical to the ebook version except in shape. Maybe you can do this yourself—but I hired it out and it was less than $50 for me.

b. Narrator: You may want to choose the option of paying your narrator up front and should be prepared to pay in the high hundreds to thousands depending on the length of your book and the experience/quality of the narrator.

Step 3: ACX

I used ACX, like KDP as my creation/distribution channel, although you could find other means. I found ACX simple to use. Key for me. Logon here: https://www.acx.com:443/

Read through the basics and sign up.

NOTE an IMPORTANT DISTINCTION from ebook self-publishing—with ACX, you can self-publish your audiobook, but you can NOT establish your own price! Audible/ACX determines the price. They give guidelines about how they do it—mostly based on length of book.

Step 4: Royalty Share V. Hourly Rate

Decisions, decsions. You need your decision about how you will pay your narrator—who, by the way, will also be your producer. Narrators either produce the recordings themselves (record, edit, compile, do technical stuff).

This is where the question about how much money you have to invest comes in.

Naturally, most narrators find the hourly rate option more attractive unless you’re Norah Roberts or Tom Clancy. So it may be easier to find a quality narrator as a beginner by offering an hourly rate.

a. Hourly Rate: In the narrating/producing an audiobook business, hourly rate refers to FINISHED hours—i.e. how many hours your final audiobook is. ACX will estimate this for you based on the number of words, so you can project your costs. (They’re not always right. Mine was estimated at 11.3 hours and ended up over 13 hours!).

Hourly Rates start at $100 per finished hour. Many established high quality narrators command $350 per finished hour. This route is not for the faint of wallet!

b. Royalty Share: No up front payment, but you sign over 50% of your royalties to the narrator/producer. Two big issues with this are, as stated above, how do you convince a narrator/producer to put in the time and expense of narrating and producing with no up front money (and what kind of quality will you get) AND how much money will you end up paying if you believe you’ll do well.

This question is very individual depending on where you are in your career as an author, how well established you are, etc. Good Luck with it. Read all the fine print thoroughly.

Step 5: Choosing your Narrator! This is the cool and exciting part!!!

So you’ve decided how to pay your narrator, now how do you find one? The simple and effective way for me, was to look through ACX’s catalogue of narrator/producers.

a. Look for narrators with productions in your genre

b. Listen to sample clips

c. Send email invitations to narrators you enjoyed inviting them to audition for your project. HINT: This is where you must sell your project! Either sell it with a high PFH rate or the promise of mega royalties because you’re a superstar and this book sold like hotcakes. Also tell them about the project and how it fits with their style, body of work, etc.

d. Auditions: This is the COOLEST part of the project! When you hear back from narrators, you send/upload an audition script. This script should be an excerpt from your novel which will demonstrate to you that this person can handle the tone, the varying characters voices and whatever other challenges you may have in your novel. I had a British accent in mine, so I made a point of choosing people to audition who could handle this.

e. Evaluate and Choose: After listening and reviewing the auditions, I would rank them because not everyone is available and you may have to go with your second choice. My experience was that I found several narrators who were great possibilities. Also, this is where they are competing for your business now and you can negotiate money here if you’re paying PFH.

SPECIAL NOTE: Time is also a big consideration. Not everyone is immediately available and you must ask how long the narrator/producer estimates that they will finish. ACX imposes time limits on projects in production.

Step 6: Offer & Production

You make an offer via ACX using their simple prompts once you come to an agreement and your project will go into production. The next thing will be the narrator’s submission of the first 15 minutes for your approval.

But Production is another story for another day. This will get you started!

Stephanie Queen currently has an audiobook in production, The Throwbacks, the first in a romantic comedy suspense series (the ebook is now available on Amazon.) Her latest ebook release and the second in the series, is The Hot Shots, available now on Amazon.

Find out more about Stephanie and her books on her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Wow! Thank you for all this fabulous information, Stephanie. You’ve given us a lot to think about.

Cynthia Woolf – can you really Tame a Wild Bride?

Please help me welcome historical romance author Cynthia Woolf to my blog today.

Bio:

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she’d attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter’s table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn’t looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

Where did you grow up? Siblings? Locale? Were you considered a “bookworm” or a jock? Married, single? Children?

I grew up in the mountains west of Denver, CO. I have three brothers, two older (much older) and one younger. Because my older brothers were so much older than me, eight and twelve years older, my mother always said she raised two families. I was considered a definite bookworm. My mother was a librarian and we always had new books in the house. I loved it because I would get the book before anyone else. I’m married and have no children.

(I love Colorado, although driving those mountain roads is really scary. I still have the nail holes in my car’s upholstery as a reminder. )

Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

My favorite genre is historical romance. I like all time periods with regency probably my favorite. Two of my favorite authors are Johanna Lindsey and Julie Garwood.

I agree completely.

What’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?

I like to garden and we like to go fishing. Unfortunately, we haven’t been fishing in years now, but we still think about going. Now if we could just find the time.

(You and my hubby would get along fabulously.)

Do you have a favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?

No quote that I can think of.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing when I was ten. I wrote a story, a romance of course, about a little boy that I liked at the time. I still remember his name, David Williams, but nothing else about the story.

Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

I can write anywhere because my first draft is in long hand. I prefer quiet and when I used a computer I prefer my PC.

(I’m in awe of anyone who writes longhand. I don’t have the patience for that.)

Are you a plotter or a panzer?

I’m a definite pantser. I feel like when I plot the book it’s already written so what is the point. Of course, that leads to another problem that is more prevalent among pantsers, the sagging middle. I always know the beginning and end of the book but never have any idea about how to get there. LOL It usually works itself out when I’m writing.

Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

No.

Do you set daily writing goals? Word count? Number of chapters? Do you get a chance to write every day?

I don’t set daily goals. I write full time and I just make sure that I write something every day. I can’t fix a blank page.

What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

I’m not trying to write the next great American novel, I just want my readers to be able to get away from their real lives for a few hours and relax and enjoy my story

What long-term plans do you have for your career?

I intend to keep writing as long as I have stories to tell.

Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

I’m working on the third book in my Swords of Gregara series. This one is called Honora. It’s in the editing phase. I also started writing my next series, Brides Inc. The first book is The Golden Bride.

What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Write, write and write some more. Get a good critique group. Get a professional cover and get a professional editor.

A fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you.

I collect purses.

Something about you that would surprise or shock readers.

I can’t think of a thing. I’m really a pretty laid back person.

Is your book a series? If so, how long? Family saga, other?

My book, Tame A Wild Bride is part of a series. The Tame series consists of three books and a short story. The books are Tame A Wild Heart, Tame A Wild Wind and Tame A Wild Bride. The short story is Tame A Summer Heart and is included in the WG2E anthology Summer Fling.

Tell us something you learned researching your book that surprised/interested you.

When researching thoroughbreds for Tame A Wild Wind, I was surprised to learn that horses give birth on the ground. For some reason I thought they did it while standing like a giraffe does. Also, it’s very unusual for a horse to give birth to twins and triplets are unheard of.

Can you give readers a blurb about your book?

Rosie Stanton climbed on a west-bound train to answer his ad for a wife and mother, everything she wants to be. But Tom Harris lied. He doesn’t want a wife, merely a mother for his two abandoned children and a cook and cleaner for his ranch. Betrayed once, he’s vowed never to let another woman into his heart. Sexy Rosie upsets all his plans and threatens to invade his scarred heart. How will he maintain his vow to keep his hands off her as she charms his children, his cow hands, his life?

How about an excerpt?

         Rosemary Stanton stood patiently on the train platform, sweat rolling down her back and between her ample breasts. Waiting. Sweating because it was an unusually hot day in late April. Waiting for her husband. A husband she wouldn’t recognize if he were standing right next to her.

         She’d been desperate when she answered the advertisement for a mail order bride. Wanted: Single woman to cook, clean, and care for children on a cattle ranch in southwestern Colorado. Will marry upon arrival.

         Well, she was twenty-six with no prospects. Her brother just got married and his new wife, Beatrice, didn’t want Rosie around. She could answer the advertisement or become a governess. Help someone else’s children grow up into adults. Live in someone else’s house. For the rest of her life, she’d have nothing she could call her own.

         Rosie wanted a home. Her own home. She wanted a husband and children. All the things she’d never have if she stayed in Philadelphia. When she’d seen the ad in the morning paper, she’d nearly shouted with glee. However, she managed to restrain herself until she retired to her room before she giggled with delight as she pressed her back against the door. The advertisement was tailor-made for her needs. It got her away from Beatrice and got her her own home all in one fell swoop.

         Her brother, Robert, though was not happy with the idea of his baby sister traveling across the country to marry a stranger. He grudgingly agreed to give her her dowry to take with her. Five thousand dollars. She’d take the draft to the bank as soon as she arrived in Creede, Colorado, and married Mr. Thomas Harris. Cattle rancher. It was her “in case it doesn’t work out” money. Though she supposed it would belong to her husband once she married. Perhaps she just wouldn’t tell him about it.

         Her conscience spoke up. That’s no way to start a marriage. With lies and secrets. Oh, all right. She’d tell him and have him take her to the bank. But not until after she’d taken his measure. She could tell by how he treated his animals what kind of man he was. A man who was cruel to his horses would also be cruel to his wife. If he was a cruel man, she would leave and she sure as heck wouldn’t tell him about her money.

         Even the substantial size of her dowry couldn’t seem to provide marriage prospects for Rosie back in Philadelphia. She wasn’t pretty in the conventional sense. She thought her face with its big brown eyes and full lips was pleasing enough, but men apparently hadn’t. Her one beau told her that her eyes were the color of warm brandy. That was before he left her to marry another more suitable woman. More suitable, hah! Richer was more like it.

He’d had expensive tastes and had married a rabbit-faced girl, heir to a substantial fortune to which he’d have access. Well, good luck and good riddance.

         She hoped her new husband wouldn’t be as snootish as Paul had been. As a cattle rancher she didn’t know what to expect but the idea of a more earthy, less frivolous man appealed to her.

         Rosie did have one extraordinary feature. Her hair. Waist length, wavy and a clear, golden blonde. Right now, standing on the train platform in Creede it was bound up in a loose bun on top of her head under her hat. It, like the rest of her, was covered in white dirt and a nasty grayish soot from the train. Her suit would never be the same again.

         She’d discovered on the second day of her trip, she could minimize the grime by sitting in the front of the car with the window closed. But sooner or later the heat and mugginess of the car would force her to open the window. The air came rushing in, cooling her, but bringing with it the dirt and ash from the train’s boilers and whatever the wind picked up along the way.

         On the long trip, she’d told herself again and again she’d made the right decision. She was right to make the difficult trip. This was her life and she had to take her future into her own hands.

         “Excuse me. Miss Stanton?”

         Rosie shaded her eyes from the late afternoon sun and looked up at a tall man with dark hair. His hat was pulled low, hiding his eyes. He had a strong jaw covered with a shadow of whiskers.

         “Yes. I’m Rosemary Stanton.”

         He took off his hat and held out his hand. “I’m Tom Harris.”

         Rosie took his hand. It engulfed hers with a shock of warmth. Her pale skin stood in stark contrast to his tanned one. Calluses rubbed against her soft palm though the touch was not unpleasant. She looked from their clasped hands up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

         “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Harris.”

         “Tom. Call me, Tom.”

         “And I’m Rosie.”

         “Where are your trunks, Rosie?”

         “Oh, I don’t have any trunks. I only brought what I thought I would need out here.”

         He picked up the two valises at her feet. “Doesn’t seem like much for an Eastern woman. I’m glad to see you’re practical.”

         Rosie felt the heat in her cheeks and knew she blushed at his praise, undeserving as it was. “Well, I didn’t think you’d have any balls.”

         He cocked an eyebrow.

You can find Cynthia’s books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords

Learn more about Cynthia on her website and blog. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you?

Like all authors, I’m so grateful for my readers. I thank you all for reading my books.

Thanks for visiting with me today, Cynthia. Wishing you much success in your career.

Barbara White Daille – American Romance at its finest

I’m thrilled to welcome loop-mate and Harlequin American Romance author Barbara White Daille to my blog today.

Bio:

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the lizards in the front yard but could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.

From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called “books.” Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.

Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!

Her latest release is HONORABLE RANCHER from Harlequin American Romance.

Thanks for visiting me today, Barbara. I’m pretty sure one scorpion in my bathroom and I’d be calling a mover lol. When you aren’t writing, what do you do to relax?

When I’m not writing, my favorite entertainment is curling up on the couch with a book. No matter what I’m doing, there’s usually some chocolate nearby.

A good book and chocolate – a perfect combination. When you’re writing, what genre do you write?

My published novels are short contemporary, category romances from Harlequin American Romance. They’re home and family stories and often include quirky townsfolk or a bunch of kids. Or both. These secondary characters make tons of trouble for the hero and heroine—and lots of fun for me.

Tell us about your latest release.

HONORABLE RANCHER is set in Flagman’s Folly, New Mexico, a small town where some folks think they know best about everyone else’s business, especially when it comes to their love lives. This was one tough book for me to write because the conflict between the hero and heroine affects so many people in town.

The hero, Ben Sawyer, long ago lost the girl he loved to his own best friend, who has recently died a military hero. Now, Ben has to keep the promise he’s made to watch over the man’s family and must fight to keep his hands off his best friend’s widow—who happens to be the woman he’s loved since kindergarten.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer!

When did you start writing? What inspired you?

Seeing my mom with a book in her hands. Books fascinated me, and I wanted to know what they were all about. No matter how far back I go, I can’t remember a time I didn’t write. My first “stories” were written in crayon, although I have to admit they had no words since I was too young for school and didn’t know the alphabet.

“Officially,” I say I became a writer at the age of nine, when I wrote my first short story. I didn’t write my first novel until many years later…in eighth grade.

A late bloomer, lol. Where do your best ideas come from?

Someone asked me this recently, and when I stopped to think about it, the answer surprised me. I found the ideas and stories I love best—which include all my published books—have come to me as flashes that introduce a character or show an action. Unfortunately, that’s about all I get, and the rest is up to me.

In the first Flagman’s Folly story, A RANCHER’S PRIDE, Sam Robertson comes home to discover he’s a daddy. He doesn’t believe the little four-year-old girl is his. But when he meets her for the first time, he’s confronted with evidence he can’t deny. She is his flesh and blood. She’s also deaf, and he has no way of communicating with her. This was a heart-wrenching story to write, and the entire book started with one peek into Sam’s living room where a little girl sat on his couch.

I don’t always get a visual, though. With COURT ME, COWBOY, I had nothing but a sentence to start me off:

One day soon, he’d get rid of this wedding ring.

That’s it. Nothing about the character—except that he was male. No setting. No clue who the ring belonged to or what this was all about. I’m happy to say my readers start the book just where I did, with that very sentence. Immediately, we learn the man is Gabe Miller, and the wedding ring is his own.

In my current novel, HONORABLE RANCHER, I had much less than a sentence to kick-start my imagination. All I had was the memory of how I felt about my first crush. This turned into the story of a man suffering—and I do mean suffering!—the same feelings.

What are you working on now?

Thanks for asking. I’m currently working on another story set in Flagman’s Folly. When the hero’s wife and small son were killed, unanswered questions made him lose control of his life. Now, both his livelihood and his reputation are at risk, unless he can prove himself by successfully overseeing the setup of a kid’s camp on his boss’s ranch. The hero soon discovers the project manager he’s assigned to supervise holds his fate in her hands. And to his dismay, he can’t stop thinking about holding her.

The heroine has played a minor role in the previous Flagman’s Folly books. In this story, she’s trying to balance living in both the Deaf and hearing worlds—and she doesn’t appreciate the hero treating her as if she can’t handle herself in either one.

This sounds like another emotional and heartwarming story. I’m sure it’ll be a hit.

Thanks so much for joining me today, Barbara. I’m looking forward to reading your next release.

To learn more about Barbara and her books, You can find her at her website, and on Facebook and Twitter.

P.T. Macias – Hot & Spicy

Please help me welcome P.T. Macias to my blog today.

Here’s a short bio: P.T. Macias (Patricia) was born in San Jose, California. She is a first generation Mexican American. She graduated from high school and married in 1981. Patricia graduated from the University of Phoenix with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management/Administration in 1999. Patricia always dreamed of writing and is delighted to be achieving her dream. Patricia currently lives in Sacramento, California with her husband, children, and grandchildren. Her three children and three grandchildren are her pride and joy. Patricia enjoys reading romance and paranormal novels. She enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

Thanks for joining me today, P.T. Tell me, when did you start writing? What inspired you?

I recall reading a book when I was young and thinking that I can write a love story. I especially thought about writing when I didn’t like the ending.

What do you like best about being a writer?

I love writing the story. I love the characters. I’m constantly amazed on how the characters communicate their story. I love meeting amazing authors and readers.

How many books have your written? Do you have a favorite?

My first novel is Hot & Spicy. I also was compelled to write the De la Cruz Saga. The saga is about the twelve cousin’s love story. The cousin’s stories interlocked. Hot & Spicy is the first book of a twelve novel series. The other eleven novels in the series were written concurrently. I have nine of the novels in the series approximately three quarters completed. The second novel is Hot & Forbidden and is now my new release.

What inspired you to write [this story]?

It all began with a dream. I dreamed my story over and over again. I decided to write these novels after several weeks of dreaming about all of these characters. The characters truly motivated me to write their stories, lol. They wouldn’t leave me alone. I started brainstorming and organizing it into outlines. I developed each character’s personalities, interests, and personal love story. I wrote the De La Cruz Saga that is a twelve novel series.

Do you have any advice for those authors just beginning this journey?

I would advise fellow writers to be proud of their work and to own it. We all make mistakes. I have read lots of books and they always have some type of mistake in them. There will always be people that will love it and people that will hate it. You will meet awesome fellow writers and readers that will make your day, lol.

Tell us about Hot & Spicy

(taken from Amazon) Jose Enrique De La Cruz the CEO of the De La Cruz, Inc. needs a fiancée in time for the 25th anniversary celebration. La familia is anxious to meet his fiancée, but he doesn’t have one. His hermana Patricia agreed to obtain una novia for him. Paty enticed her amiga to pretend to be his loving fiancée.

Jessica Maria Acosta agreed to be his fiancée for two reasons. One, she has always loved him and prays she can make him love her. Two, this is a great opportunity to achieve her dream of working as an Interior Decorator Design Manager.

What are you working on now?

Hot & Wild is a work in progress, lol. I’m attempting to also have this one out in Dec. 2012. It’s an awesome story. This story is about Christian Arturo De La Cruz and he’s a Navy Seal. It has awesome, exciting action. It’s a thriller and has hot alpha male romance.

Here is the list of the series. They are not in order. I have not decided which one will be published after Hot & Wild. I might start publishing the primas, lol.

Hot Angel 2013 Erica De La Cruz & Gabriel

Hot & Adorable 2012 Alejandro Andres De La Cruz & Carolina

Hot & Sexy 2013 Patricia De La Cruz & Carlos

Hot & Spoiled 2012 Sebastian Antonio De La Cruz & Cynthia

Hot & Lovable 2013 Isabella De La Cruz & Gregory

Hot & Sassy 2013 Veronica De La Cruz & Christopher

Hot & Dangerous 2013 Claudia De La Cruz & Roberto

Hot & Naughty 2013 Javier De La Cruz & Gabriella

Thanks so much for visiting today, P.T.

You can find Hot & Spicy on Amazon now

Playing it safe

Happy Sunday, everyone. Thanks for dropping by. I’ve been lax in posting my six sentences for the past couple of weeks. Vacation will do that to you. But I’m back, and taking this week’s sentences from The Next Victim, available on Amazon and other ebook outlets.

         One thing they would never be was friends. They could have been lovers, maybe, if he was anything but a cop and she was anything but a reporter. It wouldn’t be the first time a cop had let something slip to a reporter when the wrong part of his anatomy was doing his thinking for him, and that slip had ended up on the front page of the newspaper the next morning.

He and Shannon could have even been more than lovers, if he was in the market for something more than a one-night stand – which he wasn’t.

Police work and relationships didn’t work. He’d found that out in the worst way possible.

What do you think? Should he take the risk that their relationship would end badly?

Thanks for visiting. Please come back next week, and don’t forget to check out the fabulous works by the other authors here.

Calisa Rhose – HOME really is sweet

I’m thrilled to welcome Calisa Rhose to my blog today to talk about her writing process and her debut novel, Home. Take it away, Calisa.

Hi Margery! Thank you for having me on your lovely blog today.

I’ve been thinking about what to talk about and all the things I need to get done- writing wise, I mean- and putting off this to do that and so on. In all the mind scramble I realized something very important about my writing and the difference in my processes in being pre vs post published.

A year ago I was just preparing for my first book tour as I received my release date for my Wild Rose Press novella, Home. Before I sold, before my book came out, everything sort of came to a screeching halt with writing. I had to get prepared, do edits, ooh and aah over my first cover, meet and get to know the wonderful group of authors that make up the Garden Roses at WRP. So many new things to do! I felt completely overwhelmed by the time I finished my book blog tour at the end of February.

Then I pitched my next book, one I’d written for Mills and Boon the year before and pulled back after unending revisions that didn’t seem to go anywhere but to lose my characters and my direction for that story. In May I sold that book- some may remember Perfect Dr. Viv- to Lyrical Press, Inc. The title was changed right away to Risk Factors. I think it fits. That book is tentatively scheduled to release in March 2013. I’m thrilled and ready. I’m also not going to over book my blog tour for that one! LOL It will have various promotional avenues I’m finding and learning about that I didn’t know about, or even how to find with Home.

I want all of you out there to see my books. What writer doesn’t? But I want you to appreciate them, not run from them. J I hope you will enjoy reading them and come away with something, even if it’s just a complacent feeling that I did a good job and provided a nice afternoon for you.

But back to my self-discovery. I haven’t fully completed a book since I finished Home and submitted it last year.Probably not something I should admit to, but there you have it. Writing is hard,even when you’re not writing!

I have a couple of finished mss I’ve been looking over, they both need rewrites though and I don’t want to dig into that just yet. I’ve began several other stories but they seem to have stalled out for one reason or another.

Life, family interferes and that prevents me writing productively. I keep thinking about the two I’ve sold and what the difference between those, me now and then. Why am I struggling to complete a project? And the answer, or part of it came to me a few days ago. One is that I didn’t have pressure of publication, edits (I just finished the last for RF last week), and the biggie- Promotion. Man I had no idea how much time and energy that P-word takes! The other? The new stories haven’t spoken to me the way those first two did.

I’ve found myself sitting, walking, always thinking about this. I need my characters to talk to me and they haven’t been. I’m not sure what to do about it, but what I have begun to do is I started a whole new story and I’m listening to the characters, really listening, to draw them out. I feel good about this one so far, and have unsolidified plans to finish it by Dec 1. By finish, I mean crits, edits and betas and submit it by that day.Not much time, but I can do this!

I’m not letting myself think about that date, I’m just pushing to meet the self-imposed deadline. Who knew? I write better under a set deadline. Not some blurred estimate, but a specific date. I’m going to have to do what many other writers do and set hard deadlines for myself, because I get carried away with promotion and emails and, because I’m an editor, projects that need to be blasted out, so I can write, rather than sitting on them, editing slowly. Even those edits have deadlines, but if I can beat those and send them out, that only leaves more time for me to write before the next step with my job edits call.

I’m making a new resolution for me. Write. Finish. Period.

I’d love to leave you with a short excerpt from Home and I hope you enjoy it!

 

HOME: Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll site

TAGLINE:

What could a gypsy and a Vietnam veteran have in common?

BLURB:

Silvertown’s outcast, Poppy Tippen, has loved football hero Sam “The Force” Callahan forever. But he never seemed to know she was alive. Now he’s home from the war and she suddenly finds herself comforting him from the demons of “that damn war.” Is his attention merely an escape from the haunting nightmares? Or does she hold the interest of the only man she’s ever truly loved?

Sam Callahan’s only solace from the war nightmares wrecking his life comes in the unlikely form of a gypsy girl with stigmas of her own. He’s known Poppy his entire life, but there’s something different about her now. Something special he desperately wants to hold on to. Can he convince her she’s the only thing he needs to put the past behind him?

 

Excerpt:

“I’ll always want you, Poppy.”

Her head shook in automatic denial. “You’ll want a girl who fits your life. Not some gypsy with no family lineage to brag about. Your momma won’t accept that, either. She’ll make you choose someone like Connie, someone who fits into your world. Not the girl everyone avoids and whispers about behind her back. You’re gonna be the town’s doctor. You need an uppity wife who will make you proud.”

When Sam laughed, his chest shuddered against her back. Deep, husky, real. He turned her in his arms and looked down at her, smiling. “Poppy, do you honestly think I give a damn what people think? Look at me! I’m the town outcast, the survivor who should have died saving the others, not be here planning a future that includes a wife, a medical practice. “I shimmy under park benches, run from my mother’s lipstick, for God’s sake. I wake up screaming and crying over nothing in the middle of the night, crawl under my bed and hide, shaking, until morning. Hell, I can’t even be a doctor because I haven’t finished school yet.”

“I didn’t know. It must be awful for you.” No matter how it hurt Poppy to know he used her, it felt much worse to know how he hurt alone. “The only time it isn’t awful is when I’m with you. When I think of you.”

HOME is available now from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon and B&N.

BIO:

Small-town country girl Calisa Rhose has been writing since she was a teen in Oklahoma.

It wasn’t until 2005, while living in California, that she realized if “they” can do it there’s no reason why she couldn’t write and get published, too. That realization began her journey into the world of publishing. After a cross-country move with her husband and their three grown daughters (plus families) back to her home state, Calisa dove into her writing. She joined RWA and the local chapter OKRWA. Since that day she has been more determined than ever to see her name in lights. She intends to nurture others and continue to grow as an author.

She’d love to hear from her readers at calisa.rhose@gmail.com and you can visit Calisa at www.calisarhose.wordpress.com Find out about her books on the Bookshelf page. Twitter, GoodReads and Facebook.

Thanks again Margery!

What about you? Do you work well under deadline, or without?

 

I’m pleased to welcome Amazon best-selling author E. Ayer...

I’m pleased to welcome Amazon best-selling author E. Ayers to my blog today. Author of the “River City” novels, E. is also one of the authors on the group blog, Authors of Main Street.

E. was born and raised with wealth, but turned her back on all of it and married her prince charming a few days after her eighteenth birthday. Her family disowned her, and her friends were shocked. A firm believer in love conquering everything, she never looked back. The love her husband and she shared became the springboard for her novels.

Fascinated with the way people deal with everyday problems, she has always been an observer and a listener. A simple problem for one person is a mountain for another. She utilizes those common predicaments, which is why her books seem to touch so many lives.

Today, she spends most of her free time writing while living in a pre-Civil War home with her two dogs and a cat. Rattling around in an old money pit gives her muse plenty of freedom. Her idea of a perfect day is to spend it at the keyboard of her computer, coffee in hand, and everything in the house actually working as it should. She’s the official matchmaker for all the characters who wander through her brain, and she likes finding just the right ones to create a story.

Now, here’s E.

Thank you, Margery, for inviting me here. It’s fall in the northern hemisphere, and for many of us that means cooler temps and pretty fall colors. I love decorating the porch, front door, and my mantles with gourds, pumpkins, fall berries, corn, and other fun things. I’m also a sucker for a bowlful of candy corn. As Halloween approaches, it’s fun to tuck in a witch’s hat, some plastic black spiders, or an adorable skeleton.

      They say to write what you know. Sometimes I do. Sometimes things happen which stick with us forever. I’ll never forget the skeleton at my door.

About three days before Halloween, my doorbell rang. Like an idiot, I opened the door without even looking to see who it was. Not that it would have mattered because I had no way of knowing the costumed man at my door. My mouth fell open. It was bitter cold, so I dragged him in, and called up the stairs for my girls to come see him.

The guy was not talking. I’m walking around him. I’m admiring his…costume. Really. The costume. His shoulders were this wide, and his butt was this little, and… He had the leg muscles of a skier and the arms of a tennis player. Oh, yeah. It was the costume I was admiring, definitely the costume! It glowed in the dark. Really, it was the costume. I’d never seen one like it before or since. It fit the man like something worn by an Olympic speed skater. It covered his body, feet, hands, and head, except for his face. That was carefully painted.

I assumed it was my single neighbor. You probably know him, straight out of college, with his first real job – a really nice guy. Of course, I’d never seen him in anything other than a coat and tie. So I make a total fool of myself, and call my girls one more time to come see him.

My oldest walked around him, and I hope she was only admiring the costume because she probably was eleven at the time. My youngest daughter sat on the staircase and stared at the man. Finally she said, “Mom, Roger has brown and this guy’s eyes are blue.”

“You’re not Roger?” My heart fell into my stomach. Who did I just yank into my house?

That incident became the opening of A Skeleton at Her Door. What if? What if the woman who opened the door to a skeleton was divorced with an ex-husband who was abusive? What if the skeleton was a really nice guy who’d been burned by enough women that he’s lost faith in ever finding a woman who could be faithful?

I write sweet romances and I write what I call sensual romances where I don’t close the bedroom door, but if your fourteen year old reads it, you won’t have to explain a thing, although I wouldn’t consider it suggested teen reading. I write for adults. A Skeleton at Her Door is a sensual romance. It’s about trusting, putting the past away, and finding love when it’s least expected. It’s also about blending two households, parenting, three children, and sneaking off for some adult time.

Just for fun, if you email me at e.ayers@ayersbooks.com and put blog in the subject, I’ll enter your name into a drawing for a free ebook of A Skeleton at Her Door.

Am I the only crazy person who would open my door to a skeleton and then pull him into the house? Am I too trusting? Maybe, but I truly believe the vast majority of people are decent and honest. Would you have opened your door to a skeleton and brought him into your home? Leave me a comment, because I love hearing from everyone, and don’t forget to email me for a chance to win a free book.

That’s quite a story, E. Because I trust everyone, I’d probably do the same thing.

A Skeleton at Her Door is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.

Wanting, the first book in E’s River City series, is available exclusively on Amazon and will be free tomorrow and Friday (October 4 and 5).

 

 

Forever, the fourth River City novel, will be available on October 8th.

 

 

 

 

 

You can learn more about E. and her books by visiting her website and following her on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks so much for joining me today, E. Good luck with your new release. I can’t wait to read the series.