Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 21

Holiday Hook! (#MFRWHooks)

So this is a fun little blog hop put together by the #MFRW group, and I’m excited to be a first-time participant. Since I’m all about The Santa Drag this week, I figure I’ll tease you with the first few lines of the story…

Then there was the year I played Santa. I’m an actress, remember, and since the economy was lousy, I was broke. Between gigs and tired of pulling lattes, I was ready to audition for anything. The ad first appeared online in early September. For a couple weeks, I ignored it, sponging off my savings and looking for something more, well, gender-appropriate. Then I did the math and realized I needed a paying gig or I’d be on the street by December. I called in a favor and borrowed a tricked-out Santa costume.

If you’d like to read a little more about Mackenzie and her adventures as Santa, you can check it out on Amazon. HERE’s a link. And be sure to check out the other cool blog posts in the hop. The links are below…

Thanks, and have a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Liv

Cover Reveal: STEAM ME UP, RAWLEY

So every now and then I see a book cover that makes me say, “I will read that book, even if it’s written in heiroglyphics.”

This is one of those covers.

Now fortunately for all of us, the book is written in English. Even better, judging by the blurb, it’s going to be a helluva fun read. Better still, I saw the cover art as part of a invitation to bloggers to take part in the cover reveal.

So…

*cues the drumroll*

La voila! The cover for Angela Quarles’ highly anticipated New Adult Steampunk romance, Steam Me Up, Rawley!

Isn’t that a thing of beauty? The release date’s not till after the first of the year, so we’ll have plenty of time for  anticipation. And if you really can’t wait, go pick up a copy of Angela’s Steampunk time-travel romance, Must Love Breeches.

Now here’s the blurb for Steam Me Up, Rawley:

Jack the Ripper might be in town. But is marriage more terrifying?

In an alternate Deep South in 1890, society reporter Adele de la Pointe wants to make her own way in the world, despite her family’s pressure to become a society wife. Hoping to ruin herself as a matrimonial prospect, she seizes the opportunity to cover the recent Jack the Ripper-style murders for the newspaper, but her father’s dashing new intern suggests a more terrifying headline—marriage.

Dr. Phillip Rawley’s most daring exploit has been arriving at his new home in America in a hot air balloon. A tolerable sacrifice, if it means he can secure the hand of his new employer’s daughter in a marriage of convenience. But Adele works, she’s spirited, and she has an armored pet monkey running her errands. Not only does she not match his notions of a proper lady, she stirs up feelings he’d rather keep in tight control.

With Adele hunting down a headline and Dr. Rawley trying to protect and pursue her, a serial killer is spreading panic throughout Mobile, Alabama. Can Adele and Rawley find the murderer, face their fears, and discover true love?

And here are the deets…

Steam Me Up, Rawley

New Adult Steampunk Romance

Projected Release Date: Jan/Feb 2015

Length: Novel (95,000 words)

Ebook Price: $3.99

ISBN: 978-0-9905400-3-8

Content advisory: Adult language, explicit sex

And the book links…

Amazon: http://bit.ly/SMURAmz

Kobo: http://bit.ly/SMURKobo

iTunes: http://bit.ly/SMURApple

Nook: http://bit.ly/SMURBN

Google Play: http://bit.ly/SMURGPlay

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1pcvD23

Steam Me Up, Rawley board on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/10xPdRA

Official Book Page: http://bit.ly/SMURBook

Angela’s bio…

Angela is a geek girl romance writer. What makes her romances geeky? Whether it’s fan girling over Ada Lovelace by having her as a secondary character in Must Love Breeches, or outright geek references with geek types in her romantic comedy with paranormal elements, Beer and Groping in Las Vegas, or going all Southern steampunk in Steam Me Up, Rawley, she likes to have fun with her romances and hopes her readers do too.

Angela works at an independent bookstore and lives in an historic house in the beautiful and quirky town of Mobile, AL. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the usual stuff like gardening, reading, hanging out, eating, drinking, chasing squirrels out of the walls and creating the occasional knitted scarf. She’s had a varied career, including website programming and directing a small local history museum, and has discovered that writing allows her to explore all her interests.

She has a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies with a minor in German from Emory University, and a Masters in Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She was an exchange student to Finland in high school and studied abroad in Vienna one summer in college.

Angela’s contact info…

Website: http://bit.ly/VMFK00

Blog: http://bit.ly/WkQbXG

Join my mailing list: http://bit.ly/1sde3Qi

Paranormal Unbound, the group blog I belong to: http://bit.ly/1sdaIRa

Twitter: http://bit.ly/Se5gQ0

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/VMFT3L

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/1qRhgHQ

My first self-published title: The Santa Drag

This shopping mall Santa has secrets only true love can reveal.

On Monday I woke up to an email from a friend, asking if I had a holiday story to promote. I responded something like, no…the publisher of my holiday short story went out of business, so for the last couple years, The Santa Drag has been sitting on my thumbdrive, gathering dust.

Hmm…

And then I thought, well…it’s already edited and formatted.

Hmm…

And then I thought, I wonder if Shutterstock has a picture that would work for a cover.

But lunchtime I’d hit “publish” on Amazon. Since then I’ve tweaked the cover art a couple time – thank you Shauna Granger for the inspiration and advice – and now it’s up there, on Amazon, for all the world to download.

And only $0.99!!

Here’s the blurb:

Things aren’t always what they seem, and this shopping mall Santa has a secret that only true love can reveal.

Mackenzie’s an out-of-work actress who takes a job as a shopping mall Santa to pay the rent. She fools everyone with her Santa drag, until the day Joe McBride walks into the mall. Joseph Timothy McBride – the real-life, got a soap opera gig and you saw him in Scream II actor. The only guy she ever really loved. Can Mack stay in character, or is it time to strip off the red coat and peel off the beard for good?

You might be wondering where I came up with the idea for having my heroine play Santa in a shopping mall. Credit for that goes to my sister Michele, one of the most truly creative people I know. She’s been living the theater life in L.A. for twenty years now, and when I wrote the story in 2011 I dedicated it to her, and that dedication still stands. Michele is a clever woman, and I can only hope I did justice to her inspired idea.

So if you need a little (non-cloying, unexpected) Christmas cheer, swing by Amazon for a copy of The Santa Drag. It’s a fun little read, and I couldn’t be more pleased to have published it myself.

Merry! Merry!

Liv

HERE’S a jump to The Santa Drag on Amazon.

 

Deep Point Of View with Rhay Christou

Today I have as a guest one of my very dear friends, Rhay Christou. She’s a fabulous writer and teacher, and her critique of my work has done more than just about anything else to help me get a handle on deep point of view. She teaches for Margie Lawson’s Writer’s Academy, and on November 1st will begin a class in Deep POV. (Go HERE to see the course description and to sign up.) It’s the perfect opportunity to learn from one of the best, and to give you just a little taste of what Rhay can do, here are some of her thoughts on the subject…

 

You’ve heard it talked about in craft books and writing workshops. More than likely, you’ve been told once or twice that you need to go deeper into your Character’s point of view. Deep point of view is all the rage.

But what is deep point of view?  

Deep point of view is an intense view point that not only represents the sights, sounds, and actions through a POV (point of view) character but goes deeper into emotions as well as unique worldview. In short, the character owns the page, and the author becomes nonexistent. As a result, the reader is brought closer the story.

How do you go deep?  

The key to deep point of view is to discover the rules, the tricks and the tips for getting deep.

Let’s dive into four tricks for creating deep point of view.

 

1. Disappear tags

In true deep point of view speech tags—he said/she said—virtually disappear.

While speech tags clarify a speaker, they also remind the reader he is reading and not living a story.  In deep point of view tags are replaced by action, body language, voice description, emotion. Replacing tags makes the reading feel genuine to life.

How the words are said and the actions behind the words act as subtle cues to reveal more about a character, his emotional state of mind and the story.

Example:

Distant point of view: “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said.

From his words we have no real understanding of what he truly means. Does he really not want to talk? Or is he saying something he doesn’t mean? Does he want to talk but not know how to talk?

Deeper:  “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said, shredding the napkin.

We are closer. The action – shredding the napkin – gives a clue he is upset. However, that he said isn’t only a blip, reminding the reader he is reading. He said is also redundant. Reading rules tell us that if dialog is in the same paragraph as the character’s action, then the action character is also the speaker. You don’t need both.

Deeper still: “I don’t want to talk about it.”Focused on his fingers, he tore a long strip from the edge of the recycled napkin and then another and another, until a paper mountain stood between us.

The character’s body language is closed in. He is focusing on something else instead of the interrogator. He is creating a mountain between them. The specifics also give us a bigger context of story. It isn’t just a napkin, but a recycled napkin. He doesn’t just shred the paper, but tears it into strips. This takes time. This takes concentration. This tells a lot.

 

2. Goodbye thought words/sense words.

Thought words/sense words are telling words. These words put an author on the page, and creates a distant between character and reader. Thought words are disingenuous to the “real life experience” of deep point of view.

How often do you think, I’m thinking? Or I’m wondering if I’ll get a raise. How often do you think, Oh, I see bad boys up ahead.

You don’t. And if you’re truly in deep point of view, your character won’t either. He will think. He will wonder. He will see, hear, feel, but they won’t add the filter words. He’ll just do it.

Example: He felt the pain shoot through his gut and wondered if he was going to die.

The reader is kept at a distance to the character. He hears the author tell what the character’s thoughts are but doesn’t feel what the character feels.

Deep: Pain shot through his gut, and he clutched his stomach. This was it. He was going to die.

No thinking. No wondering. Just happening and the reader is pulled deep.

While the first two tricks for getting into deep point are relatively straightforward what comes next deals more the nebulous aspects of character; the character’s worldview that leads to her voice.

 

3. Understand your character.

This is my favorite trick. However, this is the trick that most writers skim over with “Of course I know my character. I created her.” You know your character better than anyone else, but do you know your character well enough?  If you spend some time listening to your character, you will discover your character’s unique worldview and even her voice.

Answer the following questions in the character’s voice capturing words, phrases, her syntax, unique worldview. Pay attention to her body language as she speaks, ad let her ramble.

What do you want more than anything?


How far would you go to get it?


Why is what you want so important?


How do you feel about the people in your life? Yourself?

If you have truly taken the time to listen to your character, you probably have learned something new.

 

4. Understand your character’s worldview 

Along with knowing character comes understanding character’s worldview. A worldview is shaped by experiences and expectations of self, life, and society. How a character faces or describes each situation or place will be colored by his worldview. Here’s an example of three ways that a writer might write a description from a character’s point of view.

On the day after the character Puck has decided to race in Maggie Stiefvater’s Scorpio Races, Puck goes to the barn to feed her horse.

On the surface: It is early morning as I make my way out to the pasture. It’s cold, and I slide across the muddy yard.

Simple to the point, giving time, temp and place.

Slightly deeper: The morning is raw and early as I make my way out to Dove’s pasture. It’s not cold enough to freeze the mud, however, so I stomp and shiver my way across the muddy yard. I’m nervous but trying not to be.

We have a bit more specific detail, tie the cold to nerves. Deep but are we deep enough?

Maggie Stiefvater Scorpio Races: The morning is raw and pink as I make my way out to Dove’s pasture. Cold as a witch’s tit my father used to say, and my mother would say is that the sort of language you’re teaching your boys? And apparently it was, because Gabe said it just the other day. It’s not cold enough to freeze the mud, however—only a few years does it ever get cold enough for that—so I slide and stomp and shiver my way across the muddy yard. I’m trying not to notice that I’m nervous. It is nearly working.

In this short paragraph we have so much character. Deep in her thoughts and worldview, all tied together with setting, backstory, emotion. All bringing forth the character’s voice.

There you have it. Four tips for creating deep point of view.

Keep in mind these are only of a few of the ways to explore deep point of view. There are many more out there to discover. So explore, learn, practice and then use what works for you and your story.

 

Enjoy your journey,

Rhay

Bio

Two of the things I love are teaching and writing. With my MFA in writing from Vermont College, I have had the great fortune to combine these loves. I’ve taught everything from creative writing to academic writing at the university level as well as writing workshops in the USA and on the lovely island of Cyprus, where I live.

Currently, I am teaching three courses online for Lawson Writer’s Academy: Diving Into Deep Point of View,  Create Compelling Characters and From Blah to Beats: Giving Chapters a Heart.

I am represented by Pam van Hylckam Vlieg, and my first novel, I Do Not will be released in May of 2016 by Spencer Hill.

Variables of Love by MK Schiller

 

 

This is a fantastic new release by a new-to-me author. Keep reading to learn more about MK Schiller’s new release…

 

Economics major, Meena Kapoor has always known what life has in store for her. She’s in her senior year at Stanford where she’ll graduate Summa Cum Laude, and then she will begin her interviews…her marriage interviews. Meena is Indian, and she’s never questioned that she’ll have an arranged marriage like all the generations before her. That is, until she meets gorgeous math major, Ethan Callahan. Ethan’s witty sense of humor, free spiritedness, and sweet disposition stir feelings in Meena she didn’t know were possible outside of Bollywood movies. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s charming, and has the uncanny ability to make math sound like poetry, but Meena knows their equation makes no sense in the real world.

Ethan finds himself intrigued with the mysterious, beautiful girl, whose big brown eyes reflect great sorrow and pain. He only wants to make her smile. Then, he wants to make her laugh. Soon though, he wants much more. Meena makes it clear to Ethan that a future for them is not possible, but he convinces her to share the present with him. Unfortunately, family obligations and cultural expectations create complications leaving them both struggling to solve the ultimate equation.

I am a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, and attempt to conjure up passionate heartwarming stories with plenty of humor.

I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. You’ve heard of fan fiction… this was friend fiction.

I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor.

 

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Taming Ryder

 

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to take part in the release day event for Nicola Haken’s “Taming Ryder”, the sequel to “Being Sawyer Knight”. Well now she’s back with a full-on promotion for her blog tour. This looks like an awesome read, so check out the post and enter the fantastic give-away!

You met Ryder Richardson in Being Sawyer Knight. Now, this is his story.

I’ve done it. I’ve stuck a whopping two fingers up at my parents, I’ve made a name for myself as one of the world’s biggest porn stars and I’ve finally found a family I belong in.

Life is amazing. I get paid to do all my favourite things. Fuck. Party. Travel the world. What’s not to love?

And then he comes along. Mason George – Back Door Studio’s newest exclusive model and the guy who has the potential to either fuck it all up, or take me on the best ride of my life.

~ Ryder

I’m desperate. I’ve got nothing and nobody left. Entering the daunting world of adult entertainment is less of a dream and more of a necessity. Signing as Back Door Studio’s latest model has the ability to either ruin or make me, but I made a vow at my first audition never to let myself regret it.

I continue to question myself each day, but no amount of what’s, why’s or what ifs will change where I am or where I’m heading. Am I strong enough to do this? To embrace it? To enjoy it? I have no idea.

The only thing I’m certain of, is that if anyone can teach me who I’m supposed to be, it’s Ryder Richardson.

~ Mason

“Because the most exciting things in life always happen via the back door”

Author of the New Adult/Contemporary novels Missing Pieces, Saving Amy and the Take My Hand series, and m/m erotic romance Souls of the Knight series.

I live in Rochdale, England with my wonderful family and when I’m not playing with my imaginary friends I can usually be found looking after my four adorable (sometimes!) children (six if you include the dogs, seven if you include the hubby!) or stalking gay porn stars!

All in all I’m just an ordinary mum with an addiction to reading about hot book guys, writing about hot book guys, tattoos and Pepsi Max! Oh, and if my kids ever ask… I moonlight as the Pink Power Ranger

 

 

 

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Meet The Character Blog Hop

So last week my good friend Debbie Christiana  tagged me in the Meet The Character blog hop. It’s a chance for me to introduce you to some cool new author friends, and to play with Maggie, the heroine of my new novella Between the Sheets…

 

Debbie Christiana loves to read and write about things that go bump in the night, mysteries and unusual love stories.

Sheπs been fortunate to publish two novels, Twin Flames and the recently released romantic suspense, Solstice, by Black Opal Books.

In 2012 she had two dark fiction short stories published in The Ten Tales anthology series edited by Rayne Hall. The Land of the Rising Sun, in BITES: Ten Tales of Vampires and The Thirteen Steps, in BELTANE: Ten Tales of Witchcraft. Her short paranormal story, Making Spirits Bright, will be included in the soon to be released holiday anthology of her publisher, Black Opal Books.

Here’s a link to Debbie’s blog, her Amazon page, and her books at Barnes & Noble so you can find our more about the fantastic stories she writes. And here’s a link to her character interview. Natalia’s a fun girl. You should check her out.

And now for my part of the post, an interview with Maggie…

What is the name of your character? Is s/he fictional/historical?

Maggie’s most definitely fictional, though I hope you all recognize a little of yourselves in her. She’s a tomboy (is it still PC to use that term?) and she’s got trust issues, so she’s insecure about her femininity.

When and where is the story set?

Between the Sheets takes place on Whidbey Island at the fictional Lorreson Lodge. It’s a contemporary romance, set around now(ish), and while I made the lodge up, it’s based on a real place, the St. Andrews Retreat House which is out on the Hood Canal, south of Tacoma, WA.

What should we know about your character?

Three things you should know about Maggie:

#1 She loves kids because “they’re honest, and funny, and a whole lotta things grown-ups have forgotten how to be.”

#2 Her favorite band is Albannach because she loves cutting loose to the sound of highland drumming.

#3 Her best friend is Krista, even though she’s the kind of girl who maintains “a man-harem big enough to make my eyes cross”.

What is your character’s goal?

At the beginning of the story, her goal is to break her five-year drought while she’s at the annual Western Washington Choral Directors Retreat. Once she’s met Randy, her goal changes because she realizes it’s not just about sex. There are real feelings involved, at least on her part.

What is screwing up  your character’s life (main conflict in writerly speak?)

Can she open up to a guy after the last one treated her so bad?

When can we expect the book to be published or when was it published?

Between the Sheets was published 8/25/14 and is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Crimson Romance, and other fine ebook retailers.

And now for the really fun part! I’m tagging two more authors for the next round of the blog hop. 

Traci Douglass is the multi-published author of the Seven Seals series, and her new book About That Night made the top 25 in Harlequin’s SoYouThinkYouCanWrite (#SYTYCW14) contest. Here’s the blurb for her entry:

He was Mr. Popular, heir-apparent to his family’s construction business…

Then a tragic accident leaves Alex Noonan disabled and disheartened. He wants only peace and his old life back—until the one girl he never forgot re-enters the picture, restructuring his plans and filling his world with Technicolor possibilities.

She was the dazzling drama geek who got away…

After high school, Mindy Reynolds left Chicago behind and headed to the Big Apple for college and a shot at stardom. Ten years later, her career is center stage—until her impossible crush returns and she must decide between ambition and love.

Jump HERE to read chapter 1. Congratulations, Traci! I wish you all the best in the contest!!

Thrilling Tales of Suspense, Fantasy, and Happily Ever Afters…

Traci writes fiction bursting with romance and action, usually mixed with a healthy portion of fantasy, urban edge and/or snark. Her stories feature sizzling, alpha heroes with quick wits (and even faster reflexes) and smart, independent heroines who always give as good as they get.

She’s an active member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Indiana Romance Writers of America (IRWA), Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Writers (FF&P), Contemporary Romance Writers of America (CRWA), and the International Thriller Writers (ITW), and is pursing a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Writing Popular Fiction through Seton Hill University.

 

I’m also tagging Jennifer L. Oliver for the next round. She’s the author of the Haedyn Chronicles, a dark fantasy series, and just last week her YA short story Lenore’s Secret was trending on Amazon!! 

Here’s the blurb for the series prequel, , currently FREE on Amazon:

A demon who wants souls; a child born to stop him.

The demon Azazel will stop at nothing to corrupt innocent souls, even if he has to make his own. But his greed results in an abomination more powerful than he imagined: The Unnamed.

When a blind orphan, Haedyn comes face-to-face with pure evil, she makes a life-altering discovery. Now, she must decide what to do in a world where she doesn’t belong.

is a short story prequel to the dark fantasy series, The Haedyn Chronicles.

During her many years of working at a daily newspaper, Jennifer L. Oliver honed her writing skills in secret. As an avid reader, she enjoys books that give her an entertaining and temporary escape from the daily stresses of life. Now, she hopes to bring the same enjoyment to others through her own work. 

Jennifer is the author of The Haedyn Chronicles, and other dark urban fantasy and paranormal thrillers. She is also a freelance proofreader and always looking for the opportunity to help other authors reach their publishing dreams.

Although she was born and raised in North Carolina, she now lives on Florida’s gulf coast with her husband, two cats, and a Royal Bahamian Potcake dog – who is half her size and thinks the world revolves around treats. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing in the flower garden, giggling with her granddaughter, and enjoying time with her family and friends. 

Her Ghost Wears Kilts Author Interview

Since we’re getting ever closer to Halloween, it’s appropriate to have a ghostwriter on as my guest. Kathleen Shaputis is also a fabulous romance author, and she’s hear to talk about her newest release, Her Ghost Wears Kilts…

About the Author

Kathleen Shaputis, author/ghostwriter, lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Bob, and a variety of four-footed loves. Curling up with an icy Diet Coke, writing romantic comedies is her ultimate paradise when not at her day job or invaded by grandchildren.

Her latest book is the romantic comedy/paranormal, Her Ghost Wears Kilts.

For More Information

• Visit Kathleen Shaputis’ website.

• Connect with Kathleen on Facebook and Twitter.

• Visit Kathleen’s blog.

• More books by Kathleen Shaputis.

• Contact Kathleen.

 

Interview

LR: What’s the most compelling thing about Her Ghost Wears Kilts, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?

KS: The characters became such a pushy lot. The manuscript sat as a work-in-progress for a long gap of time during which I self published a romantic comedy titled “Changes in Attitude.” One of the support characters was the delightful Gillian Nation, rich, computer guru of southern Califiornia. Well, who decided to butt into “Her Ghost Wears Kilts” but Gillian himself and he brought friends. The words flew after that because Gillian’s demanding energy would not be denied. Yes, I hear voices in my head all the time, characters are notorious for that.

LR: In addition to your duties as a romance author, you’re also a ghostwriter. Sounds spooky! How did you get started as a ghostwriter, and what do you love about it?

KS: Being a ghostwriter is like being a surrogate mother, you create this beautiful baby/manuscript from someone else’s dream or idea. You flesh out pages of their stories into a memoir or characters for their novel, bringing it to life. It’s hard work yet rewarding.

LR: Part of Her Ghost Wears Kilts takes place in Scotland, right? How did you go about researching the travel bits?

KS: Being of Scottish descent, I’ve surrounded myself with books and movies about Scotland growing up. And I love that my Pacific Northwest home is on the same latitude lines as Scotland. I thrive in the rain and damp. However, a serendipitous event popped up on Facebook when I was nearly finished with the manuscript – a week long writers’ conference at Hevers Castle in England! I maxed out my credit cards and flew to the closest I would get to the moors of my ancestors. The only true piece in the book is being stuck in the underground subway system and never-ending stairwells. Yet I’ve been called out by a member of the UK that “obviously I was an American” because that couldn’t possibly happen. Trust me, I worried how they would get a stretcher up those same stairs to rescue me when I collapsed. I must have found the only combination of stops with no elevator or escalators available.



LR: Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.

KS: Both actually, my office is organized chaos, piles of books and papers everywhere, yet it’s also peacefully quiet with maybe a soundtrack of soft music.



LR: If you had to recommend one writing resource, either a class or a book or a workshop, what would that be? What’s had the most impact on your work?

KS: It would be Eva Shaw’s online classes titled Writeriffic, definitely. She is such a dynamo of positive energy and talent, you can’t help but become a successful writer.



LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, would you sell your home to see a Broadway show? Could you knit a slipcover if you had to? Maybe you secretly want to appear on So You Think You Can Dance?

KS: I am addicted to movies, romantic comedies, classics and yes, I would love a walk-on part in a movie made from one of my books.



LR: Since Olympia, WA is almost next door, I can ask you this question. The Mariners, the Sounders, or the Seahawks? Or is there another team you root for?

KS: The Seahawks, most certainly, this author bleeds blue and green. Go Hawks!

Let us pause for a gratuitous show of team spirit…

LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.

KS: Ah, the sequel to “Her Ghost Wears Kilts” is well in progress. The characters are excited to be together again in an all new adventure of murder and mischief.

About the Book:

“He’s… he’s trying to warn you… ” Baillie pulled her hands from the psychic wiping out the meat-locker cold.

Baillie thought life content, successful in the Pacific Northwest until her bookshop became haunted. Murder, mayhem and maleficent merriment create a perfect tempest for Baillie between her bookstore in Olympia and the highlands of Scotland. Drag queens, divas and ghosts, conjure up a delicious adventure until jealousy and abandonment throw Baillie into the fight of her life.

For More Information

• Her Ghost Wears Kilts is available at Amazon.

• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.

• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

• Watch the book trailer at YouTube.



Book Excerpt

The cat flattened itself to the carpet near the front bookcase, ears lost against its orange-striped head, frozen in fear. A terrified hiss leaked through his open mouth and, slinking backward, the cat spun and ran toward the back of the store.

Catching a brief flash of orange out of the corner of her eye, Baillie shook her head. “Now what’s gotten into Sebastian? Must be a mouse.” She fanned her painted fingernails along the spines of books stacked on the shelf beside her. Listening to the hushed clicking sounds of her nails against the bindings as she walked down the aisle, she inhaled the intoxicating aroma of paper and leather around her. She loved opening her bookshop every morning, where antique classics, used and new volumes of various sizes filled the shelves around her. Framed paintings by local artists dotted the walls between the bookcases.

“Morning,” Baillie called to the previously owned hardbacks without the slightest apprehension of appearing insane. She talked to inanimate objects all the time—great audience, no heckling. Besides, I’m alone in here unless you count the cat, and you can’t count on that spoiled feline for anything. Where did he dash off to just now in such a hurry?

A thin volume of poems lay exposed on a shelf. “You don’t belong here,” Baillie said, sweeping it up to reshelve. She hesitated; the book cover felt cold in her hand, the worn leather chilling her fingers, sucking the warmth from her fingertips in seconds. She quickly shook her head to keep her thoughts from running amok. Of course the book was cold; in the Northwest, things always seemed cold.

“I swear someone helps themselves around here at night. The least they could do is put the books back where they belong when they’re done.” She turned and pushed a ceramic bookend aside and placed the wayward book next to the others as a quick chill shivered down her spine.

“Hey, Einstein, ol’ buddy.” Baillie grabbed an ornate feather duster from a brass umbrella stand nearby and took a few housekeeping swipes against the framed lithograph hanging on the wall. “Dang, I’m looking more like you every day.” She checked her reflection in the glass. “Tell me, did you see who moved Robert Burns’ book of poems last night? Maybe I need to borrow your glasses—going blind in my old age and missed putting it away after closing.”

Baillie turned, whistling the theme song from Fame, at the end of the aisle. She missed seeing the slow, deliberate movement as the same book silently shifted out from the shelf. The dark brown edition slid away from the other poetry books, hanging suspended for a moment, then lay back on the empty surface of the shelf. The ceramic bookend moved, closing the empty gap.

The front door of the shop opened with a tinkling of metal chimes. “It’s just me,” yelled a female voice as she came in.

“I’m in the north quarter, Sally. Would you turn on the computer?” Baillie responded from somewhere behind the walls of books. “Time to open up, I guess.”

“No problem, boss.” Sally dropped her purse under the counter.

Baillie knew her assistant’s routine by heart: She’d click the black toggle switch on the power strip with the toe of her shoe, sending juice to all the electronics at the same time. Baillie heard the calculator, printer and credit card unit each create its own hum as Sally pressed the power button.

“How are the hot flashes this morning?” Sally asked.

“Midlife under control, thank you very much young whiner.” Baillie dusted another shelf with a few fast swishes. “You can kick the personal heater on for a while.”

“Just a little damp for June this year, you know. Some of us don’t have the benefit of hormonal heaters,” she taunted.

“I heard that!” Baillie continued up and down the aisles, swishing the duster back and forth. Suddenly, a bitter cold swept around her, sending a blinding chill through her body. She gasped from the icy shock. Baillie couldn’t catch her breath as the splash of numbing cold flowed into her heart and out again, pounding inside her chest. The reddish blond hairs on the back of her exposed neck stood on end. Her teeth chattered against the chill, like Lucy Ricardo locked in the meat freezer.

“What the …?” She leaned against the shelving for support. “Whoa.” Baillie blinked rapidly and focused on her right hand, more specifically the beige metal shelf under her crimson-painted fingernails. The metal felt warm, warmer than her soul at the moment. Goose bumps traveled up her bare arms and under her short-sleeved blouse. Titles describing Scotland and its clans stood in military straight rows in front of her.

As quickly as it had struck, the air around her trembling body returned to normal temperatures. She took a shaky breath, mentally searching for some logical explanation for the bone-chilling cold. “Who turned the air conditioner on?” she whispered to herself with mock confidence. Looking around the cramped quarters of bookshelves as she moved away, the store seemed peaceful. She dropped the feather duster into a stand with a soft thud.

Twofer Teaser Tuesday

So I enjoy learning about new books and sharing what I know, and for that reason I love sharing these Teaser Tuesday posts. This one features two novels with October release dates, just in time for you to add them to your wish lists!

 

 

Title: Intensity

Author: CC Koen

Genre: Contemporary Romance/New Adult

Release Date: October. 13, 2014

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | BLOG

Title: Breaking Love (Full Hearts, Book 2)

Author: MJ Summers

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 28, 2014

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

 

The Wedding Hoax – Guest post with Heather Thurmeier

Today my guest is Heather Thurmeier. She’s a fabulous and multipublished author of contemporary romance who was gracious enough to field a few interview questions. You must keep reading all the way to the end, because there’s a rafflecopter widget, where you can enter to win the lovely daisy bracelet in the picture…

LR: What’s the most compelling thing about The Wedding Hoax, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?

HT: I really loved the connection and relationship history between Cole and Daisy in The Wedding Hoax. It was so fun to write about former lovers, reuniting and becoming engaged—fake-engaged!

LR: You’ve written a trilogy and a couple of series. Do you have any advice for someone (like me!) who wants to write a series? Do you prefer to follow the same characters over several books, or give minor characters from one book their chance to shine in another one?

HT: So far all of my series feature new characters. Characters further on in the series were secondary characters in a previous book. I like giving each of the characters their chance to shine! However, someday I’d love to write a trilogy that features the same couple through all of the books, so readers (any myself) would really get to dive deep into the characters. But that hasn’t happened yet. Maybe someday.

LR: Which book or author has influenced you the most? What is it about their work that grabs you?

HT: I have two: Jill Shalvis and Emma Chase. The way they write their characters (especially the men) is amazing. They bring the right amount of humor and emotion to their characters that just pulls me in every time. I strive to be as absolutely fantastic someday as they already are.

LR: Your bio says you’re a full-time Mom, and yet you have enough publishing credits to make me think you must also write nearly full time, too. How do you make it all work?

HT: I started writing when my kids started pre-school a few years ago. At first I was just writing a couple of hours a week while the kids were there. Once they started grade school full-time, I basically made those my office hours. Now I write from when they get on the bus to when they get home. Not much else gets done during those hours, if I can help it. But often I do still have laundry in, groceries to buy, or the school to run to.

LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, are you a closet yoga fiend? Could you macramé a plant hanger if you had to? Do you secretly want to appear on America’s Got Talent?

HT: My favorite hobbies are reading, playing video games, hanging out with the family geocaching, hiking or swimming, and watching movies. Recently I went to a painting night with a few friends and I was so resistant to going because I’m so not artistic in that way. However, it was a step-by-step instructional thing, and I LOVED it. Seriously loved it! It was so relaxing and peaceful. I didn’t even care if I painted something perfectly or not. And the characters and words in my brain just chilled out the whole time and let me detach from them for a couple of hours. I had no idea it would feel so good to put paint on a canvas! I’ve never painted anything but a wall in my house before. Now I want to take it up as a hobby!

LR: Do you have any writerly advice for my readers, maybe something you wish you had known early on in the game?

HT: I have couple pearls of wisdom.

Write, write and write some more.
Learn, learn and learn some more. Always strive to learn more about your craft and perfect your skills.
Don’t pay attention to reviews. (Yeah right!) But seriously, all you can do is try your best. Remember you can’t please every reader all the time.
Your career path is your own. It’s really hard not to see other people’s success, failures, and process, and judge yours against it. However, your path is yours, not theirs. It might be longer, shorter, twistier, or full of hills and valleys, but it’s yours. Embrace it, learn from it, and keep moving forward.

Quickies…

Wine or beer?

HT: Neither. Ick. I’m a coolers, fruity martinis, or margaritas kind of girl.

The weirdest pet you’ve ever had was a…

HT: A crayfish. No, I’m not kidding. I totally caved in and said yes to the class pet. Why? Because a major tragedy had just happened in the news and I was so thankful to be able to hug my kids that I figured if a crayfish was the silliest thing to worry about considering the worries that other parents had that day.

True Blood or The Southern Vampire Mysteries? (or in general, the book version or the TV/movie version)

HT: Can I pick the Vampire Diaries? I used to like True Blood for the first season or so, but then it just got to be a little much for me. I never read the books. And I’m not sure what the Southern Vampire Mysteries are, but now I’ll go check them out. I am quite enjoying the Vampire Diaries on TV though!

Your favorite romantic vacation spot is…

HT: A beach with an ocean view.

Small town or big city?

HT: Neither. Small towns are too small and big cities are just too big. I like the burbs where I get a little bit of both!

 

Now here’s the blurb for The Wedding Hoax:

A satisfying category romance from Entangled’s Lovestruck imprint…

To save their companies, they’ll plan the fake wedding of the century…

Meet the bride…

Daisy Willows is a wedding dress designer who longs for her own happily-ever-after. In the meantime, she’s struggling to keep her business going even as she covers her mom’s increasing medical expenses. So when a bridal show expo owner offers to help her out, she can hardly say no. And all it takes is Daisy pretending she’s back with her playboy ex. And that they’re engaged…

Meet the groom…

Cole Benton works for his father’s bridal magazine, which is on the verge of downsizing. All he really wants is a crack at an outdoor lifestyle magazine, and if he has to fake-marry Daisy to make it happen, he’s definitely in. Now Daisy and Cole are playing up their fake engagement, shopping for rings, and even kissing upon request. All of which is makes it a whole lot harder to remember that their big white wedding is a big white lie…

 

Buy Links: Amazon     Nook     Kobo     iTunes

 

Excerpt:

Cole adjusted himself in the boutique chair as Daisy came out in yet another stunning dress. He didn’t think it was possible to be attracted to a woman in a wedding gown, but apparently it was.

And it was maddening.

Damn it. He didn’t want to be any more attracted to Daisy than he already was. At this point, he wanted her to walk down the aisle in a white garbage bag so he didn’t have to see the shape of her curves, teasing him about what he couldn’t have but also couldn’t stop thinking about.

Nor could he stop imagining those undergarments she’d mentioned to the women at the bridal show. Was Daisy wearing something sexy under all that white lace and satin, too? A push-up bra? A thong?

He sat forward and leaned his elbows on his knees, ignoring the ache in his groin at the thought of Daisy in a thong. He didn’t even have to use his imagination. An image of her lying on her stomach across his bed came to mind. Her skin had been smooth under his fingertips as he traced the lace of her thong to where it disappeared between two luscious hills of milky-white flesh. She’d shivered beneath his touch when he’d caressed the tiny crease where her bottom met the backs of her thighs. And when he’d playfully smacked her ass, the apples of her cheeks weren’t the only spot on her body to blush as she’d rolled away from him, giggling and smiling seductively.

If he’d realized that would be one of his last moments with Daisy, he would have savored it more, prolonged his own enjoyment to push hers further. What he wouldn’t give to see that spark in her eyes when she was on the cusp of going over the edge again. Or the pink tinge in her cheeks as his tongue tasted her.

“Cole!” Daisy’s voice was sharp, piercing his thoughts and shattering the nice memory he was currently enjoying more than the present moment.

“That one is nice,” Cole said on instinct, forcing himself to focus on the dress she wore instead of what she might be wearing underneath it. This dress was similar to the others— sleeveless, white, satin and beads, and expertly hand-stitched. He’d never really given Daisy a lot of credit for her work before, but he should have. She was a master of her craft.

She put her hands on her hips. “That’s what you said about every dress so far. Are you even paying attention?”

No.

“I’m trying to, but you know how I feel about shopping.” He laid his head back and rubbed his eyes hard, hoping to erase the memory of Daisy’s thong from his brain long enough to get through this torture without a raging hard-on.

“How could I forget? You’re worse than taking a child shopping. At least with a kid you can give them a snack or a toy to keep them busy.”

“I could go for a snack.” He shrugged.

 

Author bio:

 

Heather Thurmeier is a lover of strawberry margaritas and a hater of spiders. She was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, but now lives in New York state with her husband and kids where she’s become some kind of odd Canuck-Yankee hybrid. When she’s not busy taking care of the kids, Heather’s writing her next romance, which will probably be filled with sassy heroines, sexy heroes who make your heart pound, laugh out loud moments, and always a happily ever after. You can find out more about Heather and her books by checking out her website at: http://heatherthurmeier.com.

 

Social media links:

 

Email:  heatherthurmeier@gmail.com

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