Vallory Vance's Blog, page 12

For the Love of a Cowboy

Reblogged from :

I blame Clint Eastwood and Forrest Carter and the 1976 film, The Outlaw Josey Wales, for my fascination with cowboys. This scene in particular:

: I have heard. You are the grey rider. You would not make peace with the Bluecoats. You may go in peace.

: I reckon not. I got no place else to go.

Read more… 628 more words

August Update 2013 – I’m Having a Party!

Okay readers, here’s where I am!

As a mom – I’ve been very busy with back to school shopping for the girlies. We bought a lot more stuff than we should have just because it was cute.
As a HR coordinator – I’ve been busy with the hiring season – career fairs for four to six hours per day. I come home from work and my face hurts from smiling.
As a writer – I’ve been a little of lazy daisy, but I’m getting it in gear!

The Beginning of Forever, the conclusion of the Amber and Kevin stories will be published by Amira Press on September 6, 2013! Yay, doing the happy dance.

I’m working on the third draft of my first cozy mystery novella tentatively entitled, Midnight’s Kiss on the Half Shell. This isn’t a romance but does feature a cute guy, who the beta readers have loved. So look for Professor Naeem Mounier to warm up your cold nights this winter.

I’m reworking the second book of the Rose Gold Collection, A Loving Affair. There were somethings I didn’t like so I’m revisiting my original outline. It is getting done, though.

My former manager was visiting the office and let me have it about Deja Vu. She said, “Your blurb is wrong. But I stayed up way too long finding out what happened between Darcey and Vincent for you not to finish the next books. I’m interested in Lenore and Xavier and Cat and want to be surprised by Carlos.” 

Dear, sweet woman, I’m on it!

And on to the fun stuff – I’m hosting a Release Day Party on Facebook on September 6, 2013 for The Beginning of Forever. I hope you’ll join me for a few minutes to celebrate the conclusion of Amber and Kevin’s story. There’ll be prizes! Including the lovely set to your left from ArtTownGifts.com.

Sunday Chat with LeTeisha Newton

Dragon’s Ward: Polyamorous Novel by LeTeisha Newton says Interracial Romance is a Genre Worth Big Notice and Who Cares About the Races of the Characters?

Though the authors may be extremely popular, Interracial Romance doesn’t get the publicity that Romance does. With a twist on love between four LeTeisha Newton’s tale is challenging the mainstream.

Port Lavaca, Texas – The Interracial Romance genre is full of popular writers that have thousands of followers and readers, and yet the authors rarely find spots next to the big fish names of the Romance genre. LeTeisha Newton challenges the authenticity of this view with her sexy novel Dragon’s Ward.

“Why should I write only vanilla romance when I have been color blind in love?” questions LeTeisha Newton. She grew up in a world where she was often told she was too ‘black’ for those outside her race, and maybe just a tad too ‘white’ for those she shared heritage with. “I chose to love because the person resonates with me. Nothing more, nothing less. The same should be said for romance novels. If my character loves a man who is not black and she happens to be black, who cares? Love is love right?” LeTeisha continues.

Her ways have thinking have shown in her works. With fifteen titles under her belt, two forthcoming from Amira Press, LeTeisha isn’t a one-day success story. She pulls readers in, keeps them guess, and wondering what’s going to happen next. “In my book Murder by Ritual people were too caught up in the murder mystery, and it happening in small town Texas to even mention the fact that Eris, who is black, was falling for her partner, Ken Satou, who was Japanese. The story mattered. Not the race. That’s a love story.”

In Dragon’s Ward Brook, the main female character, had been hunted by her stalker, Roach, for nearly two years. He’s become crazed to have her, toying with her, until he can make her his forever. Just that forever for him means death for her.  When Stefan caught the nearly frozen woman in his arms, he never thought he would find the Phoenix to his King Dragon. She’s priceless, and his nobles, Cadoc and Nero, have been awaiting her to complete their quartet as well. Come hell or high water they will save her from Roach and claim her.

LeTeisha Newton’s fans are ever growing in number and they are urged to keep her press date in mind. Dragon’s Ward will be available from Amira Press on September 20th, 2013, and through all other retailers on September 27th, 2013.

Until that time readers can find LeTeisha on her blog at http://leteisha.wordpress.com, at Twitter by following @LeTeishaNewton or by her Facebook Page

Male Romance Authors: Do You Read Them?

There seems to be a new trend in romance these days. More male authors are writing romance openly. When I say openly, I mean they no longer feel the need for pen names. This isn’t anything new though. Men have been writing romance for years but they often use female pen names for the purpose of publication, and to win over the romance audience.

Just like women authors find prejudice when they write in certain genres, male authors find that as well in romance and erotica. Besides Nicholas Sparks, most people can’t name a male who writes love stories. There are many romance readers who are not open to books penned by males for whatever reason. You of course have some readers who don’t care about the gender, but many who do.

I’ve heard many different statements when romance readers proclaim why they don’t read romance by men. Many say that the feel of the romance isn’t the same when written by a man. Some say that during love scenes, male authors tend to focus more on the physical and not the emotional aspect. Some readers say they find it awkward and uncomfortable to even try a romance book written by a man.

I think it’s great that more men are writing romances just like I think it’s great that more women are writing in different genres. We still have a long way to go when it comes to readers seeing authors beyond their genders, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.

I still see more romance readers sticking with the female authors, but as males continue to find their voice in the genre, that might change.

Giveaway Question:

What do you think of male romance authors? Have you ever read a romance written by a man (besides Nicholas Sparks)? If you’ve been resistant to male-written romance, what would persuade you to give a male romance author a try? Also, if you’ve read male romance novels and enjoyed them, feel free to give them a shout out!

Five people who provide the most interesting answers to these questions will each win an ebook copy of The Wild Life.

Giveaway ends at 8 pm Central Time. Ebook copies will be emailed to participants by Stacy-Deanne. Commenters must leave email address with comment to be eligible.

Find Ms. Deanne online at:

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/aqx43

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne

Purchase your copy of The Wild Life at: http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Storm-Publishing-Presents-ebook/dp/B00DWL2NVI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1373744025&sr=1-1&keywords=Stacy-Deanne

Hump Day Hook – In the Moment

I’m back on the blog! And what a great way to start – The Hump Day Hook! This is a weekly hop where you can discover new authors in a variety of genres simply by clicking the photo. Happy Hopping!

Be warned this week’s snippet is longer than most of mine but there was just no place to cut. This portion of the scene shows a little of the first working date of Amber Grayson and Kevin Miller the couple from the short story, In the Moment, and the upcoming novella, The Beginning of Forever from Amira Press.

The moments ticked by under his silent gaze and she felt her feet twirling out of her shoes like a school girl. Thankfully their dutiful server arrived and she ordered grilled tilapia with broccoli. “Is the broccoli cooked in butter?”

“No, ma’am.” The server shook his head and turned to a grinning Kevin.

“Well, I’ll take her butter and a porterhouse, medium rare. Give me a baked potato with sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon.”

“I can hear his arteries hardening as he’s ordering, can’t you?” She snickered and stopped immediately.

That was inappropriate, unprofessional.

Kevin laughed and slapped the table top. “California?”

“What?”

“You have to be from the West Coast. No accent and your obsession with fish and vegetables. You can’t be from Texas.”

“Actually, I was born in Guam and I’ve lived all over. I’m a military brat.”

“Okay, you got me.” His smile widened. “So what brings you to Texas?”

Maybe it was his relaxed nature or his attentive gaze as if she was the only person in the room which lowered her defenses. She found herself readily telling him about growing up in different states and her college years in Southern California where she discovered her love of and aptitude for volleyball.

He regaled her with tales about his ranch located two and a half hours south of Dallas and the love of his life, Tessie. The thoroughbred mare had both a personal trainer and a personal groomer. Nothing was too good for his Tessie.

He couldn’t know his stories were added fodder for her cowboy fantasies. She tucked them away for later imaginary conversations and the hum of her vibrator sang in her ears. Kevin’s eyes dipping to the front of her blouse and his easy laugh weren’t helping matters much. Fantasy and reality were perilously close to combining and that was not a good idea.

She turned the conversation back to the project. Her personal life for the time being was a successful ménage with her vibrator and her elliptical.

The three of them were very happy.

***For more of the Amber and Kevin stories, please click here to find the all inclusive links.***

Building a Small Town

I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because I’d had a few glasses of wine. Don’t drink and post, authors!

In my email, I’ll often get a video from Dad. They most often contain something funny that he’s seen on YouTube about cats or babies (Dad has a lot of time on his hands during retirement and a smart phone) but sometimes, he’ll send something from one of our favorite Mississippi newscasters – Walt Grayson. As I’ve said before, I’m a history freak and Mr. Grayson provides wonderful video essays about life in Mississippi.

Much to my glee, I received a video about the small Mississippi town of Hot Coffee. Click the link to watch Mr. Grayson’s vignette: http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/22198071/walts-look-around-hot-coffee-ms

My grandmother lived not thirty miles from Hot Coffee in a small town named Prentiss. When I was a kid, I loved to visit her and all the relatives in the little town. There were so many things you could do there that you couldn’t do in the city like riding a horse down a gravel road, making ice cream on the front porch and trying to find a fox in the woods.

I never found a fox in all my summers there, but I happened upon what I thought was a raccoon. Turned out to be a skunk and I had to bathe in tomato juice. I think I told that story throughout my entire third grade year of elementary school embellishing it to include a mad dash through the forest at sunset. (Guess I was a storyteller, even then.)

As I grew older, I discovered something even more unique about small towns than wildlife and open spaces. There is a true abandonment of the present for the tribal past. Case in point is the way in which my grandmother gave directions. A typical answer for how to get to so-and-so would be – “Well you take a left where Silas Polk’s store burned down.” Then you’d get a detailed history of the Polk family in the area before my grandmother continued on to the next step in the directions. GPS can’t give you that kind of stuff.

When I decided to start writing the Amber and Kevin stories, I used the demography and physical layout of Prentiss as the basis for Kevin’s hometown. I simply moved the town to Texas, exchanged family farms for ranches and adjusted the weather patterns. This took little effort on my part as I’d spent a lifetime in Prentiss. So I was surprised that one of the beta readers for The Beginning of Forever commented about the town itself as if it were a character in the novella. She loved the location, the structure, and the inhabitants.

Fellow romance writers take heed. A small town shouldn’t be overlooked when choosing a story’s setting. There is so much already built into the work that it seems like cheating.

Characters: In a small town, you are known more by your family history than what you do for a living. For instance in Chicago, Michael Warner may be a renowned neurosurgeon on the A-List for any number of social events, but in his small Kentucky hometown, he’s one of those Warners from up along the ridge. They can’t hold down a job, you know?

Here’s our hero, a man battling against a hundred years of historical antidotes to claim his woman’s heart in the end.

Conflict: How about an idealistic big city transplant coming into a small town to make changes? The changes may make life better but threaten the status quo. Imagine being attracted to that person who is not only telling you that you’re doing it wrong but your entire extended family is doing it wrong, as well? Eek!

Paranormal: Whether you are writing about shifters, vampires or aliens, a small town would be a perfect congregation place far from glaring lights where news travels at a slower pace. Though be warned, creatures of the night, news does move with far more detail than a sound bite.

If you’re interested in creating a small town for your next work, the articles listed below may be helpful in jumpstarting your research.

The Smithsonian Magazine: The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2013

Frommer’s: The Best Small Towns and Villages

Midwest Living: 100 Best Midwest Small-Town Getaways

Sunset: The West’s best places to live

Happy Writing!

~Val

Pre-Release - The Beginning of Forever by Vallory Vance

Reblogged from A World of Fantasy with LeTeisha Newton:

 First a little about me…

I’m a wife and mom of three – a teen, a tween and a toddler. Lots of different stages of life to contend with there! Hubs and I are in our forties, the second “teen years” where we are redefining ourselves. There’s the actual teen in the original angst-filled phase of self-discovery. There’s the tween, obsessed with pop culture and about to have a coronary because she can’t do everything her sister does.

Read more… 758 more words

How to Make a Simple Book Trailer for Cheap

I’m an indie author on a budget and there are some things, I’ll have to do for myself. I’ve learned that editing and covers are super important and I can’t skimp on those. So what I can do for myself is some advertising, formatting for e-publication and making a simple book trailer!

I have these crazy ideas sometimes, that I can do anything. Back in April of this year, I had one such idea and downloaded Microsoft Movie Maker (free). I was going to make a book trailer.

The Concept – I wanted moving video with words that acted as a tease for Déjà Vu, my contemporary interracial romance. I was feeling very artsy that weekend and wanted something more abstract than concrete.

The Videos – I used www.pond5.com for the video snippets. ($30.00)

The Music – I used www.incompetech.com for the music. (free, must credit the artist)

Putting It Together – So easy. I dropped everything into a standard template and uploaded to YouTube!

Here’s the result:

 

Now for The Beginning of Forever, I went a little more concrete. The artsy wasn’t really resonating. There are no moving videos this time. I used static photographs from www.pond5.com and www.fololia.com for a total of about $14.00. I got the music for free from www.incompetech.com.

 

I had to work a little harder this time with timing and syncing the music, but it was worth it from the smiles I have gotten from my audiences forced to watch it.

Happy Writing…Trailer Producing!

~Val

 

Speaking of Marketing

As I’ve been researching new ways to connect with readers, I’ve discovered UNIVERSEindie. This is a free search engine devoted exclusively to the works of independent authors.

UNIVERSEindie defines an indie author as someone who is self-published or who is published by a small publisher that does not have the resources that the larger publishers have. If you have not received an advance of over $500 for your book, your book is eligible for UNIVERSEindie.

They are actively seeking authors to sign up and add their books to their search engine. Currently, they accept any book with a valid Amazon ASIN or Smashwords ID. Once your book is added to the UNIVERSEindie search engine, readers will be able to find it via a simple search, and within one click, or tap, it is available for purchase.

They daily promote new authors and their works via Facebook and Twitter, as well as other relevant social media outlets. They also welcome authors to submit success stories, promotional events, and other news items so they can help spread the word. Lastly, authors have the ability to add their Amazon KDP Select books to the Freebies page during any KDP free promotional period for added exposure.

So if you are an indie author looking for more ways to spread the word about your book, you may find a home at UNIVERSEindie.com!

Happy Marketing!

~Val

A Chat with the Wedding Coordinators…

Joining me in my living room tonight are Shae Boles and Heather Miller from The Beginning of Forever, the conclusion of In the Moment. Since I’ve had so much trouble interviewing the story’s heroine in the past, I thought I’d talk to two women who are very close to her, instead. Maybe we can get some interesting tidbits about the couple which Amber would never share.

Vallory Vance: Welcome, ladies. Please tell us a little about yourselves and your relationship with Amber and Kevin.

Shae Boles: Amber Grayson and I have been best friends since college so…over twenty years. Good Lord. We met in a freshman English Composition class at San Diego State where I was always asking her for a pen and she was always so nice and…gracious to give me one. Soon, I realized that Amber hadn’t joined any of the after class cliques.

So I invited her out for lunch and learned that she’d lived in Europe for most of her teenage years and was learning to adjust to American life outside of a military base. If there is one thing I can tell you about Amber it’s that she’s in a constant state of adjusting.

As for me, I’m a pediatric nurse. I’m single with a fantastic credit score…looking for same!

Anyway, I’m glad I have a larger role in this novella since I’m a big part of Amber’s life. I’m only mentioned twice in the first book and not at all in either of the two flash fiction pieces… (clears throat and sips from a margarita).

Author’s aside: In the Moment is a short story and you can’t have everything.

Heather Miller: And I’m Heather Faye Jones Miller from Loganville, GA. That’s a little town outside of Atlanta. Oh and that’s Faye with an ‘e’. (She leans over to the recorder.)

Anyway, I’m Kevin Miller’s sister-in-law. I’ve been married to his brother, Keith, for twelve years. Now I was only mentioned in the first book once, so you did a little better than me on that one, hon.

(Heather pats Shae’s knee and prattles on.)

I was in the Christmas flash. I just love saying that – Christmas flash…I can just picture myself in a red, crushed velvet robe with the feathery, white trim…and Keith and…damn. (Heather gulps down a swallow of her margarita before continuing.)

I can give you any background story, you…

VV: Well, I have a list of questions already…

HM: All right, honey, go ahead.

VV: (I always wonder about what ‘the meeting-of-the-parents’ is like for an interracial couple.) Heather, let’s start with you. Was the Miller Family surprised to meet Amber for the first time?

HM: Well now, Kevin never mentioned that Amber was black. He just gave orders about what we could cook and couldn’t cook during her first visit to the ranch. That’s just the way Kevin is…kinda tells you what you’re supposed to do and that’s it.

But I wasn’t surprised. I knew a little something his mother didn’t.

Suddenly, the loquacious Heather was silent sipping from her margarita while Shae and I waited.

Shae couldn’t wait as long as I.

SB: Like what?

HM: Since you asked…I was a dancer at this club that Keith and Kevin used to go to in Atlanta and all the hostesses knew that if Kevin made the reservation, then the hostess assigned to their table was going to have dark skin and long hair.

At the time I worked there, Kevin’s favorite was this cute little Filipino gal. What was her name? Tangie? Tangerine? Tangiers. Hell I can’t remember.

And well if Keith made the reservation, any blonde would do. Till he met me.

SB: Just what kind of dancing are you talking about? (Shae’s eyes bloom to the size of saucers.)

HM: I’m classically trained – ballet, tap and jazz. Though I was never very good on the pole…lap dances at the club could net me a thousand dollars a night. (Heather gives us both the universal ‘say-something’ look.)

Me? I got nothing except – Ummm and damn and ummm again. I channel Anderson Cooper and get back on track.

VV: Shae same question. Was your circle of friends surprised to meet Kevin?

Shae claps her hand in front of her. I’m sure she like me is still thinking about Heather and what exactly is involved in a lap dance that could be worth a thousand dollars.

SB: Okay, I’m being honest. We were a little thrown off.

Amber told me about this guy she was seeing. He owned a renovation company. I’m thinking he’s like her other boyfriends.

Mind you, I’m not talking about race because my girl has no preference but she likes a well-tailored suit and Italian shoes on a man. So when Kevin showed up at a get-together at my house in a pair of non-designer jeans and working cowboy boots…let’s just say there was some buzz among the friends.

Not to mention the fact that he grabbed her ass like three times during the night…that I could see…and she didn’t go off! Yeah, we were surprised.

HM: He does touch her a lot. I think they need to be locked in a room together for three or four days and get this out of their system!

SB: I don’t think my girl could survive!

HM: (Heather squeals, stomping her feet.) She is wound a little tight isn’t she?

VV: Okay, ladies back to the questions. (With the amount of alcohol these two are consuming, I worry they’ll pass out before we get through my list.)  Shae, as one of the wedding coordinators, is Amber a bride from hell?

SB: Oh no, she’s got other things to concentrate on…her mother, her job…She’s probably the easiest bride in the world. I show her something.  She crosses it off her list and it’s done.

HM: Same with me. Amber only needs to cross the task off her list and she’s good.

VV: One of my favorite things about the wedding is the dress. Can you give us a hint about what the dress looks like?

SB: It’s flattering and…

HM: Even though Kevin would have had a coronary, I think she should have gone for something more daring. I mean, Amber’s got the T & A women pay for.

Whoa…Does Heather have a filter? Or has my hubby has made the drinks too strong?

Shae falls back onto the sofa in a fit of laughing tears while Heather giggle-snorts through another sip of the margarita.

I let them laugh for a few minutes and then bring them back around to the interview.

VV: Did you ladies have a chance to read The Beginning of Forever?

With that question, they both straighten and exchange a glance.

HM: Not all of it. There were things…

SB: That were for them…things they wouldn’t want us…

HM: Just…things for them.

Their quick turn from playful tipsiness into abject seriousness surprises me.

What was so private that it couldn’t be shared with best friends and family?

Like the Vallory Vance Author Facebook Page and give your opinion for a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon or Barnes & Noble e-gift card on September 6, 2013.

Wanna a hint? View the trailer on Youtube at http://youtu.be/-LhtuGJCEpU