Terri Herman-Poncé's Blog: Terri Herman-Ponce, page 11
March 12, 2015
IN THIS LIFE: paranormal romantic suspense #FREE on #Amazon
IN THIS LIFE
Book 1 of the Past Life Series
FREE for a very limited time.
I said I’d never do it but as the quote insists, “Never say never!”
Click here for your FREE copy of IN THIS LIFE.
Enjoy!
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When psychologist Lottie Morgan meets Galen, their encounter is as intense as it is eye-opening. Something about him is familiar.
His looks. His words. His touch…
Lottie can’t resist the urge to know more about him, or the smoldering memories that surface every time he’s near. Only Galen’s keeping a dangerous secret, one linked to a life shared thousands of years ago. One that could destroy the relationship Lottie has with her current lover David.
One that is about to cost Lottie her life—again.
Take a trip to mysterious ancient Egypt, where powerful passions ignite and deadly deceptions begin.
The Past Life Series starts here.
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Sneak peek into Chapter 1
When you’ve known someone your entire life, there isn’t a lot they can say or do that can surprise you anymore. So when David entered the bedroom, tea and toast in hand and a determined look on his face, I knew the words that would come out of his mouth before he even said them.
“No, Lottie. You’re not going into work today.” And he watched me with an expression that said he knew what I intended to say, too.
“I’m feeling better.”
“Really?” He sat down on the king–sized bed and placed the food tray in front of me. “Eat this. All of this. Then we’ll talk.”
I smelled hot green tea and fresh toast and, for one brief moment, my stomach reminded me that it was empty before rolling over with nausea again.
He sent me a long look. “I figured as much.”
I shifted in bed and tried again. “I have a meeting with my boss today, David, plus a new client who’s expecting me. I’ve also got four appointments that I can’t walk away from.”
“You have the flu and can get your clients sick.”
Now he stared me down, aiming for intimidation despite the bare feet, blue jeans, and faded T–shirt. And I saw why the men that David commanded feared and respected him. Powerful stature aside, his green eyes had a way of cutting right through you until you felt compelled to obey his every word.
However, I wasn’t one of his men.
I nibbled the toast to prove a point more to me than to David, and my stomach pitched again. David said nothing, probably because he knew better, and I pushed out of bed and headed for the master bathroom. Halfway there, my legs turned rubbery and I knew I’d lost the battle.
Another therapist would have had a field day with my stubbornness.
I leaned against the counter and dropped my head. I felt beaten and fatigued, and uneasiness I’d been experiencing since getting sick prickled at me once again. I couldn’t pinpoint the emotion except to call it restlessness, living in a fog that would eventually lift and reveal something with life–altering clarity that I hadn’t discovered before. It was an irrational sensation and one I attributed to the flu.
“I’m on leave for the next two weeks,” David called out. “Take advantage of that and stay one more day. You know you need the rest and I can take care of you over the weekend until you go back on Monday.”
His taking care of me wasn’t the issue. The love of my life was an ace in the kitchen and a neat freak with an affectionate bedside manner. I simply wanted to get back on my own two feet, and under my own terms and steam. I grabbed a brush from a drawer and worked it through my hair. As I bent over to get the underside, dizziness followed and I held on to the counter until the room settled down. I drew in a breath, straightened and tried one last time with determined optimism. My hands moved up and down, up and down and then once again.
Two hands became three, then four. I felt a gentle tugging at my head and the weight of something heavy settle on top of it. The hands stroked and pampered, moving from my hair to my face and neck. A noise followed, the sound of a lid removed from a bottle, and a rich, spiced scent spread over the room and over me. I inhaled, long and deep, wanting more. Much, much more.
“Does it meet with your pleasure?” someone asked.
I could not answer. The aroma was too intoxicating and reminded me of him. Of us.
The person spoke my name and repeated the question, and still I could not answer. My name was uttered once more.
“Lottie?”
Hands settled on my shoulders and shook.
“Lottie?”
The aroma started fading away.
“Lottie, can you hear me?” The scent evaporated and I shook my head to clear the remnants of its evocative memories. David stood just behind, a firm grip on arms. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I just need a moment.” I saw his worried expression in the mirror and its intensity surprised me. “What’s wrong?”
“Enough of this already.” David steered me from the bathroom back to our bed, tucked me in and made sure I felt comfortable. He stood near me for some time and asked, “What happened in there?”
“A little nausea and another dizzy spell.” I rubbed my forehead, trying to put a name to what I felt. “Maybe I still have a fever, too.”
David touched my forehead, shook his head and sat down beside me. He was studying me now, probing, and trying to see something he didn’t see before.
“You were immobile for almost five minutes,” he said, tucking my hair behind an ear.
“I think you’re exaggerating.”
“Five minutes.”
The restlessness I’d been feeling surged through me again, stronger this time, and I didn’t like the way it felt. Something seemed off, and I wasn’t sure if it was with David or with me. Remnants of last night’s sleep started trickling in, and then a connection clicked into place.
“I had a dream last night and I started remembering it in the bathroom.” I closed my eyes, trying to remember more. “I was in a room with a servant who was waiting on me. She was preparing me to meet someone. A boyfriend.” No, that wasn’t quite right. “A lover.”
I felt a tingling uneasiness as I said the word.
“A lover?” David asked.
I opened my eyes, saw David’s grin and recognized the bait for what it was.
I grinned back. “The lover wasn’t you.”
His grin widened and then faded away. “That still doesn’t explain your behavior in the bathroom. You looked like a statue.”
“I’m tired, David,” I said, sliding down under the covers. “ The human mind is capable of doing unusual things when a person is under stress, like when they’re sick, and the gods only know I’ve been feeling a lot of that these past few days. Forget about it. It’s not a worry.”
David paused. “Is that your professional assessment?”
“Yes.”
It looked like David wanted to say more but he got up and walked to the windows that overlooked the backyard instead. I wasn’t sure what was going through his mind but I knew him well enough to know not to pry. It always backfired whenever I did. So I let him have his moment, toyed with the toast, and then passed on it in favor of some tea. My cell phone rang as soon as I put the mug on the nightstand, and I answered it on the second ring.
“Tough night’s sleep, Lottie?” The voice on the other end was male and one I didn’t recognize. “You shouldn’t tell your boyfriend about your other lovers. Especially those you dream about.”
“Who is this?” I asked.
“I’m disappointed you don’t recognize me.” He laughed, the sound crawling over my skin like a snake over sand. “I’m the man you dreamed about last night.”
Click here for your FREE copy of IN THIS LIFE
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: alternate history, Amazon, David Bellotti, free, free ebooks, In This LIfe, Kindle, paranormal, paranormal books, paranormal suspense, Past Life series, suspense, Terri Herman-Ponce
March 6, 2015
Guest Post: Terri Herman–Poncé
I’m on Mysteristas today, talking about dirty words i writing (it’s not what you think…or is it?) and the writing spirit. :)
Originally posted on Mysteristas:
How Book Marketing Rejuvenated My Writing Spirit
Marketing. It’s the ugliest, dirtiest word an author can probably think of. It’s something most of us avoid with every possible effort— even me, a degreed marketer — and yet it’s something we can’t live without.
There is a point to my bringing up this very sore subject, but I have to backtrack a bit first. When I released my latest book in December, I spent most of my days plugging forward, trying to market the release, trying to find traction, and trying to get noticed. Yeah, that other ugly word known as “discoverability”. Then I got bogged down with the holidays, the New Year, and other real life situations that sucked the momentum and the motivation out of me. After I released that book late last year, I used all of those circumstances as excuses not to start writing my next story…
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March 5, 2015
First 3 people to figure out what this is gets a free copy of my ebooks
I’m having some snow day fun.
The first THREE people who figure out what’s pictured in the foreground of the photo below gets a free copy of my ebooks.
Email me at terriponce.author@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter at @TerriPonce. You MUST follow these instructions to win. :)
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: free copy, free ebooks, Past Life series, snow day, Terri Herman-Ponce
March 1, 2015
REVIEW: The Girl on the Train
Alcoholism, narcissism, and co-dependency…OH MY!
There’s no doubt that book genres trend, and there’s also no doubt that one of the latest hot book trends deals with the darker and creepier side of humanity. Broken people, and very realistically drawn ones, who come face to face with pathological liars and psychopaths and their worst internal demons.
It’s a type of read that sucks me in, every time.
I’d initially been on the fence about buying and reading The Girl on the Train, not because I was put off by the content but because it reminded me of so many other bestsellers I’d already read. But I gotta tell you that I’m a sucker for taking a walk on the dark side, so I eventually caved and made the purchase.
Reminiscent of psychological thriller Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train takes the reader on a twisting trip from page one. But here’s the thing. The book didn’t immediately grab me. I’m the type of reader (and writer) that prefers tight storytelling. I’m a fan of the less is more concept — storytelling that has well-placed and carefully chosen words with uber-high impact. The Girl on the Train, however, contains a lot of internal monologue and thought processes and non-verbal queues with minimal dialogue. I wouldn’t call it sittin’ and thinkin’, but the storytelling style is unique, which could be off-putting if you’re not used to it or willing to invest the time to get past it and into the real meat of the story.
I decided to invest the time.
The story starts with protagonist Rachel staring out the window of her commuter train imagining all the what-ifs about “Jesse and Jason” (a couple whose house Rachel passes every day to and from the office). They seem to have the perfect life and love, and Rachel can very clearly picture “Jesse and Jason” enjoying all the things she lost when her husband, Tom, divorced her to marry Anna. The pangs of envy she feels toward both couples is palpable, but it’s the fact that Anna lives in the very same house that Rachel once shared with Tom (which is just down the road from “Jesse and Jason”) that really rubs salt in her very wounded and damaged spirit.
It’s also one of the reasons (in a long list of reasons) that Rachel has taken to drinking and suffers from frequent blackouts and memory lapses. This sets up for the real suspense in the story — the day when Rachel, from her seat on the train, sees “Jesse” kissing another man. The fairytale in her mind is now spoiled and comes to a screeching halt when Rachel finds out that “Jesse” (whose real name is Megan) disappears.
From there, the story takes off like a thunderbolt. Is Megan alive or dead? And who took her? More than that, did Rachel see something happen to Megan that she can’t remember as a result of a drunken stupor? Or is she directly responsible for Megan’s disappearance and possible death?
But as with other stories in this particular genre, the ending wasn’t a complete surprise for me. It was solidly built up for certain, but there is a point in the story when the reader, if they’re paying close attention, can figure out the who-did-what and why. Which sort of makes the back end of The Girl on the Train formulaic. Without offering up spoilers, it’s for this reason that I gave the book 4 stars. Well, that and the fact that I skimmed some sections of the book because of all the internal monologue.
Despite the formula, the storytelling and style is unique so I’d still suggest you give this a go if you’re into a psychological thriller that digs very, very deep. It’s not a book for the faint-hearted or those looking for happily ever afters, but it’s a solid one if you enjoy reading about humanity’s darker side.
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: book reviews, books, psychological thriller, reading, The Girl on the Train
February 22, 2015
I Have No Sense of Humor (aka, learning to write what I love)
It occurred to me today, after watching a long round of The Big Bang Theory, that I have no sense of humor. Oh, I appreciate watching it and reading it when someone else does it for me to enjoy. I can laugh at a good joke, and crack a few good ones myself. But if you ask me to write humor? Nope. I didn’t get on that DNA line before I entered this world.
It’s been said that comedy is tragedy plus time, and I gotta tell you that the best comedies shove characters into odd situations that push buttons but that also get laughs. Think Lucille Ball raising chickens, and all those eggs tucked “safely” in her shirt while Ricky practices their tango routine, only to end up crushing the eggs into a huge, messy goo. Or Stephanie Plum blowing up yet another car, or burning her hair. Or Sheldon’s “Bazinga, Punk” Zombie moment when he finally figures how to retaliate against Leonard’s pranks.
copyright Red Studios – Hollywood
They say you should write out of your comfort zone if you’re to grow as a writer. Yeah, well, I’m here to say that this particular adage only goes so far. You don’t want me writing humor. Really, you don’t. And I don’t believe a writer should push so far out of their comfort zone if they already know their limitations. Is that the equivalent of being a wuss? Nope. I think that’s accepting yourself as you are and, in all seriousness, saving the public from a pain they shouldn’t have to endure.
Copyright CBS
This is, in a way, also the equivalent of writing to the trends. Worst mistake to make ever. The moral of the story here? Write what you know, write what you love, and write what turns you on. Sure, you can push your limitations along the way as long as they’re reasonable pushes. Readers will be grateful for it.
And so will you because it takes the pressure off. No one should tell you what you should write, or how you should write it. Comfort zone or not.
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: comedy, humor, I Love Lucy, reading, Stephanie Plum, The Big Bang Theory, writing
February 15, 2015
My Book Marketing Secret
More inspiration from a great writer and marketer. But you know what? Being real isn’t something just for marketing books. It applies to anything and everything any of us does, every day.
So keep it real and be real. And enjoy your day!
Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:
This is a guest post I wrote for Chris, the Story Reading Ape’s blog, and it describes my marketing strategy – which is really very simple. In fact, it can be summed up as follows:
Be real,
be fun,
be helpful.
If you do that, people will buy your books simply because they will like you and will want to support you. In other words, “if people like what you’re saying, they’ll buy what you’re selling.”
I have read many marketing guides, but have come to realize that it all boils down to how people perceive you. In marketing speech, your brand.
Having a consistent author brand is liberating. It allows you to publish pretty much anything you like, irrespective of genre. People will read your books because you have written them – and they trust you to offer them a good time.
That’s great. How about some…
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February 8, 2015
Grammatical Crimes – Put on the Cuffs!
I’ve been finding more and more grammar errors lately. On signs. On menus. On blogs and in the media. Even in books.
Maybe I’m more critical of these mistakes because I’m a writer, but I gotta admit they make me nuts. And they make me wonder: just why are people making these mistakes anyway? Coz, in my brain, these mistakes have become more prominent than ever.
FLICKR | copyright Steev Hise
Whatever the answer, I made a note of all the boo-boos I’ve seen over the past few weeks. And there were a bunch of ‘em. Let’s see if you can pick them out.
Have at it and have fun. :)
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Six more week’s of winter ahead!
You’re not handicapped so please move you’re car.
Try it. What have you got to loose?
I could of done that if I tried harder.
After stinking up the kitchen, my mother brought out the garbage.
In the passed, life was a lot more difficult.
I think the dogs’ leg is broken.
I like that blouse, but her’s is nicer.
Cats and dogs For sale.
Since you asked, I’ll tell you what I think. (this one’s tricky…do you know why?)
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: grammar errors, grammar mistakes, writing
February 3, 2015
Advertise with Amazon: a Step-by-step Tutorial
Great insight into advertising through Amazon for authors. I’m keeping these details handy!
Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis:
I was reading Chris McMullen’s excellent (as usual) post on Amazon’s new advertising service, and thought I’d give it a go. My monthly advertising budget is $100, but I hadn’t spent anything in January. So, I had this month’s and the previous one’s budget at my disposal – which allowed me to place two ads. For my first one, I chose the Pearseus bundle. This was done for two reasons: one, it offers great value for money. Second, its higher cost of $3.49 will hopefully allow me to cover the ad’s cost.
The second ad was for Runaway Smile. This allowed me to test two very different ways of targeting my audience, as you will see below.
Oh, and I took lots of screenshots, so as to share with you the process. That way, should any of you decide to advertise with Amazon, you’ll know how to do it. And…
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January 28, 2015
The January 2015 Author Earnings Report Has Been Released
The January 2015 Author Earnings Report is now available from authorearnings.com.
Read about what’s going on behind ebook sales relative to print. Are kindles really “full” now? Has the ebook glut truly been reached?
“Somewhere between May and July of 2014, Indie Published authors as a cohort began taking home the lion’s share of all ebook author earnings generated on Amazon.com, while authors published by all of the Big Five publishers combined slipped into second place.”
NOTE: The data and observations contained in this report do not belong to me. I’m just sharing the information with my fellow authors (or anyone else who’s interested). :)
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: Amazon, author earnings report, ebook author, ebook sales, ebooks, Kindle
January 25, 2015
Someone Else’s Success Isn’t Your Failure
I heard this quote the other day when I was watching an interview with Jim Parsons (my latest entertainment obsession, because I think he’s a comic genius and an amazing person, and because The Big Bang Theory is outstanding television). After talking about how many years he survived on unemployment, the interviewer asked Parsons the best advice he’d ever been given. Parsons said:
Someone else’s success isn’t your failure
The quote stuck with me initially because, as a writer, my life is full of comparisons. I mean, how can you avoid it? Someone else gets the big book contract. Someone else sells oodles of their latest novel and makes the bestseller lists. Someone else’s book is made into a blockbuster movie. It can feel disheartening, when you trudge your way through countless early mornings and late nights and weekends writing and editing and sweating over scenes that just won’t come together while juggling everyday life in between. And while you’re toiling away, wondering what in the hell you’re doing, someone else releases their THIRD book in ONE year and, guess what? Suddenly they’re discovered and, sigh, you’re not.
Someone else’s success isn’t your failure
It doesn’t seem fair that someone else can have such good fortune when you feel like you’re spinning wheels and you should have it instead. But I think that’s why this quote offers such perspective. If you’re truly doing your best and giving your all and working on what you love—be it writing or anything else you’re passionate about—then are you really a failure? I think we’ve become far too preoccupied with money and fame and all the trappings to recognize what true success is. More than that, we now live in a society that lives and breathes through social media, giving us even more opportunities for comparison. But all that means is this:
Someone else’s success isn’t your failure
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Copyright © 2012-2015 · All Rights Reserved · TerriPonce.com
Filed under: Stories Behind The Stories Tagged: failure, Jim Parsons, success, writing, writing advice
