Sara Daniel's Blog, page 63

Blog Revamp for New Year

In anticipation of the new year, I want to let everyone know that I've been brainstorming lately. I've decided to add some structure to this blog, and I'm going to do that by adding two weekly features.
Staring Tuesday, January 1st, I will bring to you "Tuesday Toolbox" where I will discuss one of the many tools a writer should have in her virtual toolbox.
On Fridays, beginning this Friday, I will have a "Friday Friends" feature where I will showcase a book and/or interview a fellow author.
Of course, I will still continue to be part of blog hops and giveaways and sharing my random bits of news. My hope is that this arrangement strikes a nice balances for all readers, aspiring authors, and published authors who stop by.
Merry Christmas, if you celebrate Christmas as I do. Happy holidays to those who celebrate other winter holidays!

Guest Post by S.G. Rogers

What’s In a Name?
Is naming your characters a joy or a chore?
Charles Dickens had a way with names.  Many of his characters had odd, but memorable monikers, such as Wopsie, Winkle, and Spottletoe.  Some were more descriptive, like the bombastic Mr. Bumble or the festive Mr. Fezziwig.  Author JK Rowling has fun with her character names, too.  Gossip columnist Rita Skeeter connotes an annoying mosquito and the cruel Dolores Umbridge isn’t that far a stretch from the word umbrage.
Strangely enough, I find it easier to name secondary or tertiary characters than the main ones.  Perhaps it’s because I feel some sort of pressure to make my main characters somewhat dignified, approachable, or attractive. Since that impression is subjective, it always takes me longer to decide which way to go.
Is it just me?
Even though naming my main characters is always a bit of a challenge, picking names for the remaining residents of my stories is a delight.  My creativity is unfettered and my humor comes to the forefront.   
In my latest fantasy release, Tournament of Chance, my protagonists’ names are the relatively straightforward Heather, Dane, and Joe.  Some of the minor characters, however, have more amusing names like Gumm the troll, Towcheez the fairy, and the one-eyed chef, Piers. Fun details won’t save a weak storyline, but a strong plot can be further enhanced with a little imagination. 
As a reader, do you feel memorable names increase your enjoyment of a novel, or are they a distraction?  As an author, do you agonize over your cast of characters? 
After all, a rose by any other name might just be fantastic.
~ S.G. RogersIn Tournament of Chance , a hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.
When a beautiful commoner enters the Tournament of Chance archery competition, her thwarted victory sparks a revolution in the oppressive kingdom of Destiny. Although Heather never believed the legends about the restoration of Ormaria, after three shape-shifting Ormarian wizards awaken from a long magical slumber, she joins their perilous quest to regain the throne. Heather battles vicious predators and angry trolls to free the wizards’ magic, but at a horrendous cost. She is unexpectedly torn from the arms of the man she loves and hurled back in time to fulfill a prophecy not yet written. The ensuing maelstrom tests Heather’s survival skills, wits, and endurance. Will she become an unwritten footnote in history, or can she trust the magic to lead her back to her one true love?
Now available at Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=396
Author Links:
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogersBlog - http://childofyden.wordpress.com/Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4216062.S_G_Rogers

Guest Post by Clarissa Johal

Thank you for hosting me in your blog, Sara!
I’m happy to share with you my new paranormal release, BETWEEN. Enjoy!
BETWEEN by Clarissa Johal
Tagline:How far would you go to redeem yourself?
Blurb:
As a young girl, Lucinda was 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 every life can be saved.
After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.
As Lucinda 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 finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.
Excerpt:
A young woman stood beside the bed, anguish on her face. She looked vaguely familiar, though Lucinda couldn’t place her. The forgotten colors of her blousy dress had faded into indistinct shades of grey. The woman grasped Lucinda’s hand and pressed a key into it. Lucinda felt the jagged, metal edges pricking her skin. Somewhere in the distance, a car engine roared to life. The woman’s lips moved but the growling engine drowned out all other sound. The sound became louder.
Growling. Darwinwas growling.
“Darwin?” Lucinda woke with a start.
The shepherd growled again and hopped off the bed, padding into the living room.
A quiet knock sounded from the front door. Lucinda rolled out of bed to answer it.
Pushing Darwin aside to open the door, she peered sleepily into the moonlit night. A breeze blew across the clearing, stirring the grass. Confused, she shut the door before the breeze could make its way inside.
“Come on back to bed, Darwin. Nobody there.”
As she pulled the blanket up to her chin, the knocking started again.
Lucinda slipped out of bed and walked back into the living room. The sound clearly came from the other side of the door, faint but unmistakable. She slid her hand quietly over the knob. At once, the knocking stopped. Turning the knob slowly, she pulled the door open a crack, heart pounding in her chest.
“Hello?” An icy breeze slipped by her thigh as the scent of ozone assailed her senses. Her heart beat erratically. “Darwin, no!” The dog tried to push past her, growling once more. Rattled, Lucinda closed the door with a bang and locked it.
Lucinda lay in bed and shivered, unable to get warm. A chill slipped under her covers, stealing up her spine. The smell of roses clung to her blanket, the warmth from their scent seemed to be at war with the cold. An hour passed and she finally dropped off to sleep.
For the remainder of the night, the two unseen presences in her room remained at an impasse.
Bio:
Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles.
Clarissa shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Author website:  http://clarissajohal.com/Author Blog:  http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarissa.johal.9Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ClarissaJohal
Between buy links:
Musa PublishingAmazon

Christmas Wishes Blog Hop

I'm very excited that the Christmas Wishes Blog Hop coincides with the release date for my latest book Wyatt's Guilt . Wyatt's Guilt picks up with the story of the siblings of the hero and heroine from  Zane's Art .

Wyatt's Guilt
Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.

Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.

Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.

Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?












I will be giving away a copy of  Zane's Art to one random person who leaves a comment telling me their romance Christmas Wish. To be entered to win a copy of  Zane's Art , subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your romance Christmas Wish. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.
Return to blog hop hereHosted by Book & Trailer Showcase (BTS Virtual Book Tours), Coffee Beans & Love scenes (CBLS Promotions), and Full Moon Bites (FMB Blog Tours).

Entangled Under the Mistletoe Blog Hop

Did you miss your chance to win the custom manicure kit that Veronica would have loved? Never fear! I have one more that I'm giving away.

Construction Beauty Queen
Chicago socialite Veronica Jamison is determined to shake off her sheltered lifestyle and overbearing parents. She heads to her grandfather’s small town of Kortville, ready to roll up her sleeves and work for the family construction business. She’ll prove her worth, even if it means answering to the company’s ruggedly handsome co-owner, Matt.

Matt Shaw just wants to run his business, spend time with the niece he’s raising on his own, and give back to the townspeople who have stood by him. Managing a spoiled-rotten princess he knows he’ll never be good enough for? Not part of his plan. But as he gets to know Veronica, he learns there’s more to her than her beautiful looks and designer clothes. She’s got a heart as rich as her background.
With the quirky townspeople rallying against Veronica inheriting her grandfather’s business, it’s up to Matt to try to drive her out of town. But how can he, when instead she’s driving her way into his heart?

To be entered to win the custom manicure kit, subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your dea of a great holiday romance. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address, so I can email the winner to get your snail mail address. Contest is open US residents only.

Don’t forget to check out what the other authors participating in the hop are giving away!

Win a Nook from Decadent Publishing

I am blown away by this awesome giveaway from Decadent Publishing. You can win not just a Nook, but a Nook preloaded with 45 amazing Decadent Publishing ebooks. That's incredible!!! One of the books is More Than a Fantasy.

Regina’s fantasies about her hot marketing assistant, Gabriel, are interfering with her focus at work. In desperation, she turns to Madame Eve to give her a one-night stand with a man who looks just like him. When the Gabriel arrives in her hotel room, she must choose between walking away and playing out her daydreams with the real thing. Their one night becomes a wrestling match for control as Regina strives to keep the upper hand. But Gabriel is just as determined to show her how to work together for business and for pleasure.

As passion trumps protocol, their one night stand quickly becomes much more than a fantasy.

For your first Rafflecopter entry to enter to win the Nook and ebooks, leave a comment telling me if you've ever lusted after someone at your job and how you acted on that attraction (or why you didn't act on it).

This spring I will have another 1Night Stand book tentatively titled "One Night with the Bride" available from Decadent Publishing. For the latest information about this book and all my titles, please add your email address to the subscribe box in the top right corner of this blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

After Thanksgiving, autumn is pretty much history, as winter takes over outside and in my mind. So, I would love to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace. Recently, instead of cocoa, I've taken to drinking hot tea, thanks to Elizabeth Silver, amazing editor of the Wiccan Haus series, who teamed up with Adiago Teas to create a series of special blends for Musa Publishing and the Wiccan Haus. 
The Wiccan Haus is a magical island enshrouded in fog supposedly off the coast of Maine. Good luck finding it on a map, though. It’s run by four siblings. Sage and Cemil are known as “the light ones,” not just for their light complexion but for their sunny, positive demeanor. Cyrus and Sarka, on the other hand, are known as “the dark ones” and can be more than a bit surly on occasion.
Cyrus, in particular, comes with a truckload of baggage. He has a “retro-cog” ability that allows him to see the history of an object just by touching it. Sounds cool, right? Until everyone starts bringing items to him to touch and he has no idea what grisly image is going to flood his brain next. Until the Synidcate government uses him as a one-man crime-solving machine. Until government enemies decide he must be stopped and kill three of his sisters in an attempt on his life.
So, the Syndicate gave Cyrus and his remaining siblings the Wiccan Haus island as compensation, and they retreated there for both safety and healing.
Armando Verdad, who possesses the truth-finding power, stepped up to take Cyrus’s place in the government. When Armando touches a person who is speaking, their words mentally play back in his head followed by the word “truth” or “lie.” Not quite as amazing as Cyrus’s power, perhaps, but Armando is determined to prove his power is capable of solving crimes and protecting the Syndicate.
The Syndicate Commander’s daughter has just been murdered on her wedding night. If Armando cracks this high-profile case before the police do, he will save his truth-finding department and prove his power is equal to Cyrus’s. So, he follows the victim’s lifebond Vetter to the Wiccan Haus. He’s sure she’s hiding something, and he’s going to figure out exactly what and bring her to justice.
The Wiccan Haus: Psychic Lies: Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job.
To be entered to win a copy of   Psychic Lies , subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your favorite hot drink to cuddle up with. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.
Return to blog hop here

WRITING A SERIES by Sharon Ledwith

Face it. If you’ve written a great book filled with equally great characters, readers will want more. Much more. And the sooner the better. Then, you start to panic. Sweat drips off your face and onto your keyboard. You’re committed now. Legions of readers are waiting in the wings for your next installment.
Stop.
Don’t worry.
You’ve got this.
The most important thing to remember in creating a series for any genre is to connect the dots, create a common thread to tie your individual stories together into a nice, shiny bow at the series end.
Complicated? Not really. Read on…
First: Make sure your characters have enough problems going on both individually and together to carry through at least five books. The entire series needs to get from A to B to Z dragging your characters along (sometimes kicking and screaming) until, by the end of the series he or she or they need to come out changed. They need to have shown growth, they need to have evolved through the course of their adventures.
Second: Don’t put any elements into your first story that you don’t want to live with through five or more books. It’s a long haul to drag unnecessary fillers such as a troublesome pet, a psychotic boyfriend or an ongoing health problem for the ride. Like they say, “Use it or lose it”.
Third: Don’t solve the big mysteries or resolve all their problems in the first book. Too much, too soon. The idea is to hook’em with that first book, and get your readers begging for more. Your characters should still have dreams and goals and ambitions to work toward through the length of the series. Oh yeah, and as you do answer the burning questions and resolve the terrible conflicts, make sure you replace them with additional—hopefully more serious—ones.
Fourth: Remember—it’s all about building relationships between your characters. Throw obstacles their way and create the necessary tension between them to get your readers to care about them. It’s all about the journey and how they work together to resolve their problems. You want readers to be as invested at the end of the series in how that relationship is working out as they were in the first book.
Fifth: Keep a series guidebook stuffed with all the vital information on your main characters— and recurring side characters. The color of their hair and eyes, their brother’s or sister’s names, or any allergies is vital to log. Believe me readers know when something is amiss and will call you on it.
Sixth: Make sure you’re writing a series for the right reason—because you love your characters enough to tell their story over a period of years to come. And hopefully, that could be a long, long time.
Sharon Ledwithis the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.
BlurbWhen 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.
Want more info on The Last Timekeepers series? Check it out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Last-Timekeepers-Time-Travel-Series/373953795955372
Buy Links:http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=277
Amazon Barnes & Noble
Learn about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog:www.sharonledwith.com
http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/
Stay connected with Sharon on Facebook and Twitter:Facebook Page Twitter: @sharonledwith

Black Friday Blog Hop

I started writing for my first multi-author series (The Wiccan Haus) one year ago. After I finished A Man Worth Fighting For, I started checking out my fellow Wiccan Haus sisters and realized Kate Richards and Dominique Eastwick had both written for Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series. In fact, Kate is one of the editors and creators of the series. Naturally, I had to learn more.

As soon as I read about Madame Eve's 1Night Stand service, I was captivated. Regina and Gabriel's story immediately took hold in my imagination.


MoreThan a Fantasy Regina’s fantasies about her hot marketing assistant, Gabriel, are interfering with her focus at work. In desperation, she turns to Madame Eve to give her a one-night stand with a man who looks just like him. When the Gabriel arrives in her hotel room, she must choose between walking away and playing out her daydreams with the real thing. Their one night becomes a wrestling match for control as Regina strives to keep the upper hand. But Gabriel is just as determined to show her how to work together for business and for pleasure.

As passion trumps protocol, their one night stand quickly becomes much more than a fantasy.

Excerpt:
The balcony door slid open. The trim, broad-shouldered backside of a man with Gabriel’s basic frame entered. He was dressed in jeans and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. Her fingers tingled at the prospect of touching his hard, muscled body and claiming it for the night.

The man secured the glass door then rotated toward her. Backlit by the setting sun, he had the same profile as Gabriel. Perhaps his hair was a tad darker, but she could overlook that. The lack of dimples was more disappointing.

He strolled toward her, blocking the sunset and bringing his gorgeous blond curls into the full view of the overhead lights. A charismatic smile lit up his brown eyes, denting tiny grooves on each of his cheeks. “Regina.”

No. Not possible. Not funny, either. She hadn’t wanted the Gabriel. She wanted a fake, one with no career ambitions and a staggeringly low IQ. She’d spelled out her wants on the matchmaking form. “How did you get in here?”

“I checked in, same as you.”

Her mental agenda said she should be heavy petting her way to a blowjob. It did not include arguing semantics with her assistant or a potential sexual harassment suit.

She had to get him out of here before he ruined the match Madame Eve had set up. No matter how much the other guy looked like him, the more time she spent with Gabriel, the less she wanted anyone else in his place. “Where’s the man who’s supposed to be here?”

“I’m him.”

Desire hit her hard. Everything she wanted was in her reach. And as far away as ever.

For a chance to win  MoreThan a Fantasy , please enter your email address on the upper right-hand side of this blog to subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment below telling me what awesome Black Friday deal you snagged/intend to purchase (or how you spend the day if you don't go shopping). Please also leave your email address and preferred ebook format (Kindle, Nook or pdf).

Return to blog hop here

Giveaway Fit for a (Construction) Beauty Queen

I am so, so, so excited to host my very first non-book giveaway. In honor of the ultimate girly heroine Veronica from Construction Beauty Queen, I am giving away a handmade manicure kit made by Michelle Bousley of O.C. Styles and a $20 gift card to Ulta Beauty.

So enter to win this fabulous gift for yourself or to pass on to that special beauty-conscious someone in your life!
a Rafflecopter giveaway