Denise Alicea's Blog, page 17
December 6, 2011
The Twelve Days of Christmas Indie Book Blowout Dec 12-24th!
Be sure to check me out on the IBC Indie Book Blowout coming on December 12th – 24th! Help support great authors and their books this holiday season!
My short story, Consoling Angel will be featured as part of the YA category.
Be sure to go to Indiebookblowout.com for further details!
Treat Yourself!
December 5, 2011
My Author Interview with Night Owl Reviews for Consoling Angel
Come check out my new author interview at Night Owl Reviews for Consoling Angel.
http://www.nightowlteen.com/nor/Interviews/Tamazon-interviews-Denise-Alicea-on-Dec-05-2011.aspx
November 22, 2011
First Review of Consoling Angel by The Pen & Muse Blog
Here's is some of what she said, "It was a refreshing blast of fresh air to see one young woman fall in love with one young man and make an homage to the past in doing so."
To read the rest of the review, please click here.
Consoling Angel is now Avaliable!
Thank to everyone at DCL for your support, friendship, and for treating me like family! You guys Rock! Also to all my friends and family, thank you so much for your support! It's so much appreciated.
Consoling Angel
Purchase on:
PG – English -Short Story – YA /Time Travel/Romance
Soon to be Published by Dark Castle Lords (DCL)!
Check me out on
for a free read and to comment on.
Book Blurb-
Mira did not know what she had in store the day she fell asleep while wanting to escape her current situation. Overcoming a death from someone so close and burying herself in school and an internship has kept her somewhat awake and alive. An admiration for the actor, James Dean was all that kept the memory of her father alive. If she couldn't be with her father, she could at least remember what they shared an admiration for together. She always wanted to meet James Dean… she didn't know it would come true. Be careful what you wish for. It may just come true.
November 21, 2011
Official Date Has been Set for My first book, Consoling Angel.
Consoling Angel
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Ebook
Book Summary:
Mira did not know what she had in store the day she fell asleep while wanting to escape her current situation. Overcoming a death from someone so close and burying herself in school and an internship has kept her somewhat awake and alive. An admiration for the actor, James Dean was all that kept the memory of her father alive. If she couldn't be with her father, she could at least remember what they shared an admiration for together. She always wanted to meet James Dean… she didn't know it would come true. Be careful what you wish for. It may just come true.
Out Nov. 22 on Amazon, FictionWise & AReCafe.com (Dates may vary for FW & ARE).
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August 18, 2011
Faeries and Other Magic Folk Workshop!
Faeries and Other Magic Folk
Instructor: Sharron Gunn w/a Sheila Currie
Dates: September 7, 2011–October 5, 2011
Registration Deadline: September 6, 2011
Fee: $10/HHRW members, $20/others
Click HERE for Registration Form
FMI: HHRW Campus Coordinator: classes@heartsthroughhistory.com
Class Description:
Walt Disney would have you believe that fairies are sweet little creatures with wings and wands, helpful entities like Tinkerbell and the Tooth Fairy. Walt was wrong. In Celtic lands people believe it's not wise to go about your business in a manner which offends them–they are very touchy. Dead scary in fact.
Some say the idea of fairies was just too useful to be abandoned. Some say they still around because they are the old gods, the gods of the ancient Celts. They can do what they want. But what changes they have undergone; Lugh, the sky god good at doing many things, became the Luprachan (leprechaun), the little fairy good at only one thing — making shoes. And guarding a pot of gold.
Fionn MacCumhaill is a giant in fairy tales, responsible for creating the Giant's Causeway in the north of Ireland. And did you know that Highlanders don't believe that ghosts, the spirits of the dead, inhabit the houses (and castles) of the living? Nope. Their homes are 'haunted' by other, equally frightening beings. The definition of fairies is broad, you will learn something about kelpies, selkies, the washer woman of the ford and many other supernatural entities.
The course includes self-quizzes and simple research projects to generate story ideas. Discussion and questions are encouraged, but lurkers also welcome.
Lectures:
What is a fairy?
Dinnsenchus (Hill Traditions) & The Otherworld
Folk & Creatures of the House, Water & Forest
Afterlife & Rebirth
Bio:
Sharron Gunn lives in British Columbia and teaches Irish and Scottish history at the University of Victoria part-time. Of Scottish, French and Irish origin, she was born on the east coast of Canada–some knowledge of the Gaelic and French languages and cultures was inevitable.
While living over eight years in Europe, she studied the languages and history of Great Britain and France. She has a diplôme from the Université de Nancy, France, a B.A. in French and a Masters degree (2nd first degree) in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. She is hard at work on a paranormal set in World War II.
Format: Course is conducted via Yahoo Groups email with lessons and Q&A
For additional information, contact the Campus Coordinator.
July 26, 2011
CHRWA Presents : NOVELLAS NEED LOVE, TOO!
Four Unpublished Categories: Contemporary, Paranormal, Historical, Erotic
One Published Category: author published over 12K in the last three years. Entry fee, $10. Due by September 1st.
Celtic Hearts Romance Writers – Special Interest Online Chapter of Romance Writers of America
celtichearts.org
Pay by Check Please click the link for this form which will download to your computer and include with your payment: Contest Entry Form
July 16, 2011
Writing Workshops to Improve Your Craft…
All About POV (Point-of-View) Workshop
Instructor: Cindy Causey
Lessons Include:
1. What is POV
2. Different kinds of POV
3. Changing POV–when and how
4. Organizing scenes for POV before you write
5. Tips and pitfalls for conveying POV character's actions, thoughts and characteristics
6. Tips and pitfalls for conveying non-POV character's actions, thoughts and characteristics
7. Miscellaneous tips and tricks and anything we missed
Instructor Bio:
Cindy Causey taught herself to type in the 8th grade because it was so hard to write in her diary fast enough in longhand. A degree in advertising and a career as an advertising copywriter were the result. A fifteen year stint as a copy chief at JCPenney Catalog qualified her to become Content Development Manager for JCPenney.com and finally Internet Marketing Manager.
After 20 years at JCPenney, Cindy retired in December '07 and is now working full time with her husband Scott in their multi-media production company, Dallas Digital Studios. They specialize in live-event videotaping, audio production, website design and hosting, and computer repair and training.
In 1996, her non-fiction book, Cherish the Gift, a Congregational Guide to Earth Stewardship, was published by Judson Press. She still lectures to pastoral and lay groups on the issue of environmental stewardship.
Her two romance novels, A Different Drum and A Hot Time in Texas, were released by The Wild Rose Press in 2009. She is a frequent workshop leader on the craft of writing as well as online marketing for writers.
Cindy and Scott enjoy a blended family of four grown kids and make their home in Dallas, where they both grew up. Cindy spends her spare time juggling the needs of older children and aging parents. She would love to see the edges of the entire world from the deck of a cruise ship.
September 2011 (4 weeks September 1st thru 30th)
Edit Your Book In A Month
Instructor: Eliza Knight
Get your story edited and ready for submission in just thirty days!
This workshop presents tips on editing, most common mistakes made in manuscripts, what editors and judges are looking for and show you how to evaluate the following:
Overused/Weak words
Weak verbs
Use of the 5 senses
Tightening up those sentences
Hooks – beginning and ending
Point-Of-View
Show vs. Tell
Active vs. Passive
Goals, Motivation, Conflict
Dialogue
Story Development/Plot/Characterization/Setting
Inconsistencies (Ex. heroines eyes are blue in ch. 1 and brown in ch. 2)
With each new item presented, Eliza will show you how to use the information to edit your manuscript.
By the end of Edit Your Book in a Month, your WIP should be clean and ready for submission! The skills learned during this workshop can be used for your future manuscripts as well.
Instructor Bio:
Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic time-travel romance. Eliza is the owner of the award-winning blog, History Undressed and has published numerous articles on writing craft and history. She is a freelance non-fiction writer, freelance copy editor, professional critiquer (Majestic Critique Services), President of the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers signature chapter of the RWA and Contest Chair for Celtic Hearts and Hearts Through History. She presents workshops on history, researching techniques and writing craft, to various writing groups online. For more information on Eliza, please visit www.elizaknight.com or www.historyundressed.blogspot.com.
October 2011 (4 weeks October 3rd thru 31st)
Writing About Magic & Magicians
Instructor: Rayne Hall
Create believable magicians (good and evil), fictional spells which work, and plot complications when the magic goes wrong. Learn about high and low magic, witches and wizards, circle- casting and power-raising, initiation and training, tools and costumes, science and religion, conflicts and secrecy, and apply them to your novel. If you wish, you may submit a scene for critique by the instructor at the end of the course.
Instructor Bio:
Rayne Hall has published 22 books (under several pen-names, including non-fiction books about magic and ritual), seventy short stories (mostly fantasy, paranormal and horror) and thousands of articles (about magic, history, and many other topics). She has a College Degree in Publishing and a Masters Degree in Creative Writing. A member of the Society of Authors (the British organsation for professional writers), she worked many years as magazine editor and creative writing teacher. Her knowledge of magic stems from historical research and years of practice. Two of her short stories received honorable mentions in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror.
June 9, 2011
Celtic Hearts Writing Workshops!
Class #2: Bare Bones: Forensics Basics for Writers
Instructor: Kerri Nelson
Want to add a little chemistry to your writing? This course will take you through the all the forensics basics that you'll need to know to ramp up the suspense in your novel.
Lessons Include:
Who's Who (Forensics Professionals & Experts)
Going Ballistic (Firearms & Bullets)
The Fine Print (Fingerprints & Handwriting Analysis)
Let's Get Natural (Insects, Nature, & Trace Evidence)
The Talking Dead (Autopsies & DNA)
Make science fun as we delve into these topics and more during this 2 week crash course in all things forensic-ally fun!
Instructor Bio:
Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly "Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.
After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and three adorable children. When she's not reading or writing, you'll find her baking homemade goodies for her family.
Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Celtic Hearts Romance Writers and Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal Writers. She is a multi-published author currently under contract for her sixteenth novel.
Read more about Kerri's books at her website: www.kerrinelson.com
Follow her on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/kerribookwriter
Visit her industry blog here: www.thebookboost.blogspot.com
July 2011 (4 weeks July 1st thru 29th)
Class #1: Historical Angles: Writing Historical Fiction
Instructor: Beth Daniels, aka Beth Henderson, JB Dane
History, they say, is written by the winners. So how do YOU become a winner when it comes to writing historical fiction?.
In many ways, actually. There are subdivisions in the field that run the gambit from true-to-life depictions to twisted, altered versions of events and outcomes.
This workshop looks at every angle from which a historical novel can be written and branches into the research necessary, the creation of believable characters, settings, details, and looks at some of the practitioners – the successful ones – in this very diversified genre. We'll look at some movies and TV series, too, for visuals (though these will not be viewed within the workshop).
Some of the diversifications include: a historical personage as the main character; fictional characters working with historical personages; and fictional characters within a real historical event or merely within a historical period/society. There are also the distinctions between brutal depictions of war (as in Bernard Cornwall's Agincourt), a view from the other side (as in C.C. Humphreys' Jack Absolute series), the many faces of historical romance, the historical setting in mystery, and alternative history in fantasy and science fiction.
While this workshop deals with romance it is far from limited to just the romance end of the scale. The scope is the entire historical marketplace. A list of publishers of historical novels will be included in the workshop materials. Among things covered are: medieval and renaissance settings, the royals of Europe, European wars, the Colonies (U.S. and Australia), the American West and the Western, Victoriana, Holmes and his brothers-in-deduction, and the 20th century historical.
Instructor Bio:
Beth Daniels currently writes as Beth Henderson and J.B. Dane, and other names in the past. She has worked with editors at Berkley, Zebra, Leisure, Harlequin/Silhouette, and Simon and Schuster's Aladdin Paperbacks, done e-books for a now defunct company (not her fault, she says), and began her writing life with hardcover books slated for library use with a publisher that got out of the romance business (again, not her fault). More recently she's had a number of articles about writing picked up by e-zines, saw a short story published in a mystery and suspense magazine that turned up its toes the next year (really, really not her fault), and has a story in the MOTHER GOOSE IS DEAD anthology slated for publication by Dragon Moon Press in 2011.
Twenty-six of Beth's manuscripts have appeared in print or e-book format, and in 12 different languages in over 20 countries. At the moment she is working on various manuscripts, some fiction, some non-fiction but related to writing.
July-August 2011 (4 weeks July 12th thru August 9th)
Viking Age Britain
Instructor: Sharron Gunn
Course Description:
While "Viking" conjures images of fearsome invaders, the reality was far more complex. The peoples of Norway, Sweden and Denmark went on expeditions—for raiding and trading. Travelling as far as Constantinople, they occupied Normandy—named for them—and established the state of Russia. And they established the earldom of Orkney and became kings of Dublin, the Isle of Man and the Hebrides. Busy, busy go-getters!
The course will explore Viking Age Britain: Scotland, Ireland and the north of England. We will examine the society and culture of the period—battling and feuding, farming and feasting, the role of women, societal laws and honour. Sagas such as the Orkneyinga will be used to illustrate the Viking Age. Historical accuracy was not the purpose of the sagas; they were great entertainment and contain wonderful information about Norse life a thousand years ago.
Lectures:
1. The Vikings
2. Norse Society
3. Daily Life: Housing, food, clothing
4. Conquest of Britain
5. Norse Religion and Christianity
Instructor Bio:
Sharron lives in British Columbia, and teaches Scottish & Irish History as non-credit university courses, and has taught online courses for CHRW, HHRW and Savvy Authors. While living over eight years in Europe, she studied the languages and history of Great Britain and France. She has a diplôme from the University of Nancy, France, a BA in French from UBC, and a MA (2nd first degree) in Scottish History and Celtic Studies from the University of Glasgow. She is currently working on a fantasy novel set during World War II.
August 2011 (4 weeks August 1st thru 29th)
All About POV (Point-of-View) Workshop
Instructor: Cindy Causey
Lessons Include:
1. What is POV
2. Different kinds of POV
3. Changing POV–when and how
4. Organizing scenes for POV before you write
5. Tips and pitfalls for conveying POV character's actions, thoughts and characteristics
6. Tips and pitfalls for conveying non-POV character's actions, thoughts and characteristics
7. Miscellaneous tips and tricks and anything we missed
Instructor Bio:
Cindy Causey taught herself to type in the 8th grade because it was so hard to write in her diary fast enough in longhand. A degree in advertising and a career as an advertising copywriter were the result. A fifteen year stint as a copy chief at JCPenney Catalog qualified her to become Content Development Manager for JCPenney.com and finally Internet Marketing Manager.
After 20 years at JCPenney, Cindy retired in December '07 and is now working full time with her husband Scott in their multi-media production company, Dallas Digital Studios. They specialize in live-event videotaping, audio production, website design and hosting, and computer repair and training.
In 1996, her non-fiction book, Cherish the Gift, a Congregational Guide to Earth Stewardship, was published by Judson Press. She still lectures to pastoral and lay groups on the issue of environmental stewardship.
Her two romance novels, A Different Drum and A Hot Time in Texas, were released by The Wild Rose Press in 2009. She is a frequent workshop leader on the craft of writing as well as online marketing for writers.
Cindy and Scott enjoy a blended family of four grown kids and make their home in Dallas, where they both grew up. Cindy spends her spare time juggling the needs of older children and aging parents. She would love to see the edges of the entire world from the deck of a cruise ship.
