Sara Daniel's Blog, page 60

Friday Friends - Eleni Konstantine

Reading Feeds the Soul
by Eleni Konstantine

For the last year, I had been part of conference committee and I also began studying. So much of my spare time was tied up with those activities that I noticed that my reading had gone downhill. My current reads are at 25 for 2012 whereas in 2011 I had read 74 books. That’s quite a difference. Please check out my reading list at Eleni’s Library .

The other thing I noticed was I felt down that I couldn’t get more reading done. Gone were the days when I used to read all night. With chronic fatigue syndrome, if I’m tired, I can’t read past a few pages.

That is very sad. Don’t you think?

I’m of the belief that reading feeds the soul, especially the writer’s soul. Nothing is like escaping into a book, reading about events and characters as if it were happening right in front of you. And when that isn’t happening - it’s like losing a piece of yourself.

I was finding that my own writing and creativity suffered because of this. I couldn’t really get settled into my work. Editing was fine (thank goodness because I had releases to work on), but writing something new felt stifled. No new idea grabbed hold or felt right.

However for the first time in months, I wrote something new the other day. It’s different, and still forming, but I like the basic idea.

Why the change?

Conference is over for 2012, I dropped a couple of subjects at school and I’ve started reading more again. In the last month, I have read six stories. Not all of them were novel length, but it’s still more reading than I’ve done for ages. I feel so much better for it.

My muse is rubbing her hands together and saying, “Yes, we can work on this and this, and that. Oh, and this one as well.”

It’s a good feeling to have choices for writing after a year where it really didn’t seem to.

How about you - does reading feed your soul?

~Eleni


Zeta will protect the one she loves, even if it means living in Hell.

Mastering a unique power was much safer for Zeta Kosmos with a mentor to help her along. Now that he’s disappeared, Zeta must continue alone with her calling—closing Gateways to Hell.

Daniel Richards is in the family business—Warding supernatural evil from causing havoc on humans. As such, he’s only interested in the safety of one-night stands. Until Zeta. This bad boy now wants a long, lasting relationship.

But Zeta can’t let go of her past, nor can she ignore the secret demonic threats against Daniel’s life. She’d rather fight demonic spawn and be dragged into Hell than allow anything happen to him. Can Daniel convince her to stay? Will she have to pay the ultimate price?

To read an excerpt from Gateway to Hell, please click HERE.

Eleni Konstantine is Fantasy and Paranormal fiction writer, with a number of shorts published. Her stories range from flash fiction to novels. She blames her mother for her writing bug because as a child she was given many books, including illustrated fairytales. That and a love of Greek mythology, and Eleni was destined to become a writer.

Eleni lives in Adelaide, Australia, with her family and feisty American Staffy.

Learn more about Eleni Konstantine on her website and blog .

Tuesday Toolbox - Personalizing the Author & One Lovely Blog Award

Of course people read your books for the story on the page. But who you are as a person can affect whether readers will pick up one of your books or stop reading your books altogether. I've heard stories of authors who were rude, unkind, and even politically outspoken whose actions turned off readers who had previously loved their books. No author wants to build that kind of reputation.

You want to be an author who sounds so interesting and delightful in real life that readers just have to pick up her book because they're sure it will be as wonderful as the real person. (And then the book has to live up to the reader's expectations, but that's a blog post for another day!)

So, I'm going to illustrate this by pointing to the generous, wonderful and all-around awesome middle grade and YA author Sharon Ledwith who tagged me as a recipient of the One Lovely Blog Award. See, she's so wonderful you want to read her books just because she's great. No, seriously, you must, must, MUST head over and check out her amazing book The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis.

Now with my Lovely Blog Award comes the duty to reveal seven random facts about myself, and hopefully, one of these awesome facts will strike a chord with you and make you feel just a little more connected to me. Okay, here goes:

1. I save my dryer lint. I know--that's about as exciting as, well, lint. But I'm a good Boy Scout mom. Boy Scouts build great campfires. Dryer lint makes a great fire starter. So, there you go.

2. I write middle grade and children's chapter books under the name Sara Shafer. Who doesn't love to read about squirrels?

3. I love NASCAR, especially the team and competitor relationship drama. (Oh yes, NASCAR had plenty of relationship drama even before Danica and Stenhouse Jr. started dating!) I love the bad boys whose cocky mouths and breathtaking driving get them in tight spots, and I love talking smack with the people who don't agree with me. The only thing I don't like: drivers, crew members and fans getting hurt. Stay safe, ladies and gentlemen.

4. I currently write for three publishers: Contemporary small-town romance for Entangled Publishing, erotic romance for Decadent Publishing, and contemporary & paranormal (Wiccan Haus series) romance for Musa Publishing.

5. My favorite vacation spot is the beach. I can't get enough of the waves lapping against the shore.

6. Since beach trips are few and far between for me, long walks through the neighborhood (or, even better, through the woods) really help me clear my head, brainstorm story problems, and dream up new story ideas.

7. I'll be reading from my contemporary small-town romance Construction Beauty Queen at Lady Jane's Salon in Naperville, IL on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 7 P.M. Come meet me in real life, listen to a book sample, and let me know if you're sold on my books yet!

Friday Friends - Marci Boudreaux

"Romance as it's meant to be" is the buzz about Marci Boudreaux's new release Unforgettable You. Here's a little for your reading pleasure.

When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.

Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.

With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.

EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.

Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”

“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”

“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”

“This is a lot for one person to handle.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.

Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”

“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”

“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”

He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”

“Falling apart is not an option right now.”

“Well, burying it isn’t either.”

Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.

Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”

“The disease—”

“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”

He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.

She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.

“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.

BUY LINK

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .

Friday Friends - Marci Bourdreaux

"Romance as it's meant to be" is the buzz about Marci Boudreaux's new release Unforgettable You. Here's a little for your reading pleasure.

When life throws a widowed innkeeper and a world-famous movie star together they share an unexpected romance. But is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

BLURB:
Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law, Doreen, in the woman’s home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a handful of Hollywood’s most elite actors at the manor. Despite her resentment of the demands being placed upon her, she can’t help but be taken in by actor Will Walker.

Will, in a last-ditch effort to save his career, has agreed to a project he has no interest in. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to Carrie. Long nights spent talking about the paths their lives have taken make him realize he’d rather have a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. aren’t as willing to let him go.

With the temptation of stardom pulling Will in one direction and the need to care for Doreen tugging Carrie in another, the couple struggle to hold onto the happiness they were missing until finding each other.

EXCERPT:
“It must be heart-wrenching to see Doreen fading away like that,” Will said.

Carrie’s face sagged. “It isn’t easy.”

“It’s a lot of work trying to keep up with her.”

“Sometimes,” she said dismissively as she looked at the menu. She glanced at the clock again. “Well, I won’t be slow roasting chicken tonight, will I?”

“I’m worried about you.”

“About me?” she asked lightly. “Why?”

“This is a lot for one person to handle.”

“I’m fine.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

“Carrie.” He coaxed gently.

Turning from the menu, she seemed to plea with her eyes. “What do you want me to say, Will?”

“You can start by telling me how you are doing.”

“How the hell do you think I’m doing?”

He took in the deep creases on her forehead and the puffiness of her eyes. “Not nearly as well as you’d like everyone to believe.”

“Falling apart is not an option right now.”

“Well, burying it isn’t either.”

Carrie opened her mouth as if to argue with him but, after a moment, she stepped back, putting space between them. He watched her pull out a Dutch oven and carry it to the sink to fill with water.

Moving to her side, he looked down at her. “Can you just talk to me? Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“What I’m thinking?” she asked. “I’ve spent the last two years pretending that my dead husband is at the grocery store,” she sat the pot on a burner, “returning insane purchases, picking her up from all over the county after she’s driven off to some place that no longer exists, if it ever did exist, but somehow it didn’t seem real until today.”

“The disease—”

“I know,” she said turning to look at him. “I know what it does. But I never really felt it. Pretending Mike is running errands, taking away her access to money, hiding the car keys, it all seemed so ordinary. Laundry? Check. Dishes? Check. Lie to Mama? Check.”

He saw fresh tears shimmering in her eyes before she turned toward the drawer where she’d hidden the knobs for the stove to prevent Mama from turning on the heat.

She tried several times to get the knob in place but it resisted her push, refused to fit. Cursing under her breath, Carrie slammed it down and turned to face him. “I’ve read the books, I’ve done the research, I’ve talked to support groups and doctors, but nothing they said could have possibly prepared me for that,” she said as the tears that had made her eyes shine fell down her cheeks.

“Nothing could have prepared me for her not knowing who I am.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he reached out to her. When he wrapped her in his arms, she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. A sob escaped her causing her shoulders to shake and he soothed her by whispering softly and running his hand over her back.

BUY LINK

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE .

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .

Tuesday Toolbox - Lose the Filter!

I’m not talking about letting your inner potty mouth loose. I’m talking about the filtering words that distance the reader from your character.

For readers to connect with the point-of-view character, they need to experience what that character is feeling in the moment, essentially be inside that character’s head. But words like “she thought” or “she wondered” add automatic distance because instead of wondering along with the character, the reader is watching the character do her wondering.

This overlaps with the “show, don’t tell” point of writing. Telling filters the experience through the author. Showing takes out filter of the author middleman and allows the reader to experience the store directly with the character.

Example:

With filters: I can’t believe he forgot our date, she thought. She slammed the door furiously.

Without filters: I can’t believe he forgot our date. She slammed the door.

The italic is enough to signify this is a thought. The act of slamming the door is enough to show the reader she’s furious that he forgot their date. Telling the reader how they should be feeling distances the reader from experiencing the emotion along with our character.

Friday Friends - Lizzie T. Leaf

Lizzie T. Leaf brings the dead to life with DEAD Hot, a new book in her best selling DEAD series.

Will family secrets let her find love with a guy that cats around?

BLURB:
Sharla Gomez’s dream encounter with the man she’s lusted over for months turned into rain-soaked nightmare. Her hopes of love and passion have gone to the dogs. Being a shifter is hell, especially when you’re a Pug/Chihuahua mix, or as some call the breed, a Chug. Even dogs don’t want to be told they’re so ugly they’re cute?

Dorsey Smith wants to get to know the exotic number-cruncher in charge of the strip club’s books. Just his luck she disappeared before he could ask her out for coffee. Instead of taking home the woman he lusts for, he takes home the small, drenched dog shivering in the rain. When he discovers the animal missing the next morning and he senses magic in the air. Has his safe haven been discovered and will his secrets be revealed?

Can two people with deep secrets discover the truth about each other and still find love. Or will the secrets and the evil lurking drive them apart?

EXCERPT:
Damn, he’s hot!

Sharla Gomez clamped her lips tighter to stop the drool pooling in her mouth from running down her chin as Dorsey Smith lowered the case of beer off his shoulder. The sweat drenched tee-shirt clung across his back and the muscles under it rippled. She clinched her thighs together. In her dreams of the hunk nothing obscured the bare skin of this chocolaty delight and she could lick every inch.

"Oh Dorsey, I need a refill." One of the model type chicks clustered around the other end of the bar waved her glass and blew a wet kiss from her injected lips.

Dumb bitch thinks she looks sexy, but that puffed up mouth makes her look more like she kissed an offended beehive. Sharla swallowed hard to force back the bile. Hell yes I’m jealous! What wouldn’t I give to be one of the beauties that muscular bartender rushes to accommodate.

Instead, she had been blessed by the gods with her Mexican grandmother’s love of enchiladas, which also led to inheriting Grandma Gomez’s ass. From her German grandmother, Sharla got her large boobs that helped balance her ass. Those genetics also passed along her big blue eyes, but thanks to Oma Chen being an open-minded kind of gal who married a Chinese, they slanted. Yep, her life had been one big joyful event of teasing when she was a kid.

The combination of mixed genetics led to dreams of finding a male who appreciated unique, if not downright weird.

Weird is exactly where I fall when I start trying to explain I’m a shifter. Any normal guy will run like hell.

The only guys she’d come across outside her community who would appreciate the shifting detail were the really kinky ones. And kinky didn’t appeal to her.

But the guys back home didn’t appreciate her either. Most seem to think the teasing that had followed her through her school years needed to continue. That was the top reason she decided to try a big city once she had her accounting certification in hand.

She rested her chin in her palm and watched Dorsey’s interaction with the women. The sigh that escaped held all the longing she tried not to show.

"Girl, if the lust on your face could be bottled I’d make us both wealthy." Dovey slid onto the barstool beside Sharla, her gaze glued to the other end of the bar. "He is a yummy delight. If he were a chocolate milkshake, I could slurp him up in nothing fast."

"For being the club’s owner, you’re a dirty old woman. Comments like that can get you slapped with sexual harassment if the wrong person overhears."

Buy Links:
MUSA Publishing
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog . Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter .

Tuesday Toolbox - Going Offline

Yes, the Internet is essential for today’s writer—research at your fingertips, emails from your editor and endless author loops, connecting with readers through Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest and more. But good grief, with all that going on, who has the time, inclination and willpower to actually write?

You, if you want to call yourself a writer.
I’ve found in the past year that when it’s time to write, I need to physically get away from my Internet connection. I like to go to the other end of my house with an old laptop that’s not connected to the Internet. I sit in a big comfy chair with the laptop on my crossed legs and write. When the weather is nice, I take the laptop outside to a lawn chair or picnic table.
For those without a laptop or who can’t turn off the Internet connection, there are programs you can install that will lock you off the Internet during set times. These limits work great for some people. I personally hate the idea of a machine telling me what I can and can’t do.
Going away with a pen and paper is the most obvious, cheapest, and most low-tech way to get away from Internet distractions. Although I love my pen and paper for brainstorming, my fingers can’t keep up with my brain when I’m writing long-hand, so I much prefer typing.

For those who need to type and need to be offline but don’t have an old laptop option, I highly recommend an AlphaSmart or similar device. This is a simple word processor. The batteries last forever, and it is instantly “on” the moment you press the power button. All you can do on it is type. When you’re done, you plug it into the USB drive on your computer, and it acts like a keyboard, dumping what you’ve already typed straight into your Word document.
All that’s left for you to do is marvel at how many new words you wrote today…and catch up on your email and all those Facebook status updates you missed!

Friday Friends - Clarissa Johal

Author Interview with Clarissa Johal
Tell us about yourself…I write adult paranormal but also have a YA fantasy out. I love ballet, photography, fencing and running with my dogs. I’ve lived in so many places that I’ve lost count, but I was born in California. Right now, I live in North Carolina with my husband, two daughters, dogs, cats, tanks of fish, rescue turtles, rats, gerbils...the list goes on. I used to work in veterinary medicine and as a zoo keeper volunteer. These days, I try and help out with very basic wildlife rescue rehab when I can, which doesn’t explain all the other animals in my house, but I’m a sucker for strays.
Tell us about your Book… Between was released through Musa publishing on December 14, 2012.
Since Lucinda was a young girl, she's been able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated, young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that everything can be saved. When Lucinda is involved in a car accident that kills her fiancé, she is devastated and moves to a small town to live a life of self-imposed exile. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. However, there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire. The spiritual activity around her intensifies as Lucinda is increasingly haunted by memories of the accident. As she is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she surprisingly finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.
BBQ? Carolina, Tennessee, Texas or Kansas City?Oh yikes, none of the above. I’ve been a vegetarian for about 20 years now.  My family is complicated. My younger daughter eats chicken, but doesn’t like fish, save for tuna. My older daughter eats fish of all kinds but no other meat, I don’t eat meat or fish, and my husband eats almost everything. Nobody eats beef, pork or lamb, because they don’t like it. Makes for an interesting dinner.  What are your five favorite Novels?Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser, Lirael by Garth Nix, and the Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I also really love Shakespeare.  
If you could only have one vice what would it be?I’m boring as I only have one vice now! But it’s mine so I’ll stick with it—I’m an unapologetic coffee drinker. And it has to be Peet’s Sumatra.
What do you prefer Roller Coasters, Carousels or the bumper cars?I used to love roller coasters. On the first date I ever went on, I rode every single roller coaster at the California State Fair and ended up getting sick in my purse. That cured me from roller coasters forever. The guy even asked me out again but I was just too mortified. I’d probably pick carousels now. And I’d have to ride the seahorse or I’d have a grown-up tantrum.
What are you working on now?My next paranormal novel. It’s about a young woman that gets struck by lightning and then begins to experience unexplainable things. That’s all I can say.
What’s your favorite movie?One favorite? Right now it would have to be Castaway on the Moon. It’s a Korean film that came out in 2009. Big Trouble in Little China and Woman in Black with Daniel Radcliffe are close seconds.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?The Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland, hands-down. My husband and I backpacked all over the UKmany years ago and I fell in love with Loch Skeen. I actually got choked up when it was time to leave. I wanted to sleep on the moors. The remoteness and beauty of the area really struck me.  
Are you a Plotter or a Panster?Oh, panster all the way. I have a general idea of plot and maybe one character, it may even be a supporting character, but I never know what’s going to happen until the characters tell me. With the exception of Between, which I wrote from beginning to end, I usually start by writing a random scene and it will build from there. If I tried to plot everything out, I think it would destroy my creative drive completely.
Where do you find inspiration?In art and in mythology. My favorite artists are Waterhouse, Michael Parkes and BROM. I love reading all kinds of mythology but especially Celtic and British.
Name 5 things that are on your desk right now?Victor, my gargoyle, a handout from MOMA featuring one of Tim Burton’s awesome drawings, a painting my daughter did in grade 5, a lava lamp, and my Nikon camera.
How do you handle writers block?With oven mitts. Kidding. I jump on my trampoline and I blog. Usually in that order.
How can readers find you?Just look over their shoulders. Haha, kidding.Author website: http://clarissajohal.com/Blog: http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clarissa.johal.9Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClarissaJohal

Reading Romances Challenge - February

February's theme is "Foreigners Do it Better." Basically, the hero needed to be anything other than American or English. I immediately looked up to author Sloane Taylor, who's established herself as the queen of foreign hero romances, and downloaded Masquerade onto my Kindle.
Behind every mask is a fragment of truth.

Chicagoan Clancy Marshall has planned her dream vacation in Venice down to the last detail. From gondola rides to masked balls, and anything else that just happens along, she is determined to experience all pleasures. But those careful plans fly out the door when she literally falls into the arms of a masked stranger.

Vittore Ricci comes from an old Venetian family that claims two doges in their lineage. A straight-laced Count and owner of a prestigious hotel, he never does anything without serious consideration. Until a sexy American tourist falls into his arms.
If you've ever wanted to take a trip to Venice, reading this book is the next best thing to a real life experience.  Masquerade  swept me away into this amazing, gorgeous city. Oh, and if you like Italian food--don't worry, Sloane has you covered there too! The romance is sweet. The sex is hot, and the backdrop is too die for. Who wouldn't want to be swept off their feet by a rich, gorgeous AND thoughtful Italian man?! Excuse me while I go make some travel reservations...

Tuesday Toolbox - What If?

Whether it’s for a brand new story or a manuscript that’s in need of serious revisions, I turn to brainstorming. My go-to brainstorming technique is asking myself the same question over and over.

WHAT IF?
What if an uptight marriage therapist is told on live TV that he has a child from a one-night stand?
What if the heroine, who loves and cares for this child, had followed his theories and divorced because of it?
What if they are stranded together and are forced to depend on each other?
And so the premise of Mr. Forever was born.
“What if” is the process by which I make my characters come alive.  “What if” is how I solve my plot problems…or create new ones. “What if” frees my brain to think of far-fetched possibilities. After all, I’m not setting anything in stone. I’m just suggesting “what if.”
I begin these “what if" scenarios in my head. They often come to me in the shower, on long walks, and while driving. Eventually, I sit with a pen and paper and channel these half sentences and random musings onto the page. From there, “what if” invariably leads me to a story that I can share with my readers.