Mara Jacobs's Blog, page 3

Guest Blogger Nan Reinhardt

Please welcome guest blogger and fellow author Nan Reinhardt. Nan has a new series releasing this week. It sounds like a great series, and something I'll be checking out. (and it takes place in Michigan - double score!)
And, as you'll find out, Nan is also celebrating something else.
Take it away, Nan!

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned sixty. Not particularly fodder for the six-o’clock news, but there’s some history I need to share with you. My mom, who was a vital and interesting woman, died when she was sixty years old. That was 25 years ago and for the last 25 years, dying at sixty has been my biggest fear.

I know, I know… I’ve heard all the reasonable arguments for why this is a foolish fear. Mother was a noncompliant diabetic who ate whatever she wanted, didn’t take her meds regularly, and thought exercise was turning the pages of a book. I am a healthy, strong woman who, although overweight, does take good care of herself. I swim, I ride my bike, I try to eat right most of the time, and I follow doctor’s orders. I am not my mother.

But you know, genetics is a wicked bitch, and every time I feel a twinge of muscle pain in my left arm or an ache in my shoulder or a moment or two of acid reflux, I wonder if this is the “big one.” The fear has been getting alternately better and worse as I’ve gotten closer to sixty. Lately, it’s been worse. I debated a while about what I could do to ease my own mind, when it occurred to me that I needed to be celebrating sixty, not dreading it.

When my editor, the fabulous Lani Diane Rich of StoryWonk, convinced me to go indie with the first novels in The Women of Willow Bay series, I knew it would be a great idea to release them on my birthday. After all, I’m turning sixty and my books are all about women in their prime. Baby Boomers who are living life to the fullest and not worrying one damn bit about their ages. What better way to celebrate turning sixty than by putting my work out there and anticipating a glorious future doing what I love to do most in the world—writing.

I like to think of it as a sort of virtual thumbing my nose at my own stupid fears and I know Mom’s right here, standing near me saying, “That’s my girl!”
Check out Nan's New Releases:
Once More From the Top
What do you do when the one who got away… comes back?
Carrie Halligan never regretted the choice she made sixteen years ago to raise her son Jack by herself in Willow Bay, Michigan. A successful photographer by day, at night Carrie satisfies her musical passions by playing piano at a hotel bar, maintaining a balance that works for her and Jack. Walking away from Maestro Liam Reilly without telling him she was pregnant with his child may have been the hardest thing she’d ever done, but it was definitely the right thing.

When Liam shows up in town to perform a benefit concert with the local symphony, however, Carrie’s carefully crafted life spins out of control. After sending Jack to summer camp, she realizes she can’t keep Liam in the dark forever. Telling the truth to the man she once loved more than life itself isn’t near as hard as spending time in his presence and realizing that the years haven’t diminished his power over her heart. Will her lie be too much to get past, or will the spark of passion between them overcome everything?

Once More From The Top on Amazon
Sex and the Widow Miles
His life ended. Hers didn’t.
Model-thin, beautiful, and aging gracefully, Julie Miles was looking forward to retirement with her husband, Dr. Charlie Miles, in their idyllic Willow Bay, Michigan home. But when Charlie dies of a heart attack, simply getting out of bed becomes a daily struggle. Desperate for a change of scene, she leaves her home to stay in her friend Carrie’s unoccupied Chicago apartment.

Her handsome and young new neighbor, Will Brody, seems to enjoy his assignment to keep an eye on her, and Jules can’t help but be flattered. She embraces life—and sex—again, until the discovery of a dark secret shatters her world once more. She knows her feelings for Will are more than casual, and he’s made it clear he wants her, but how can she ever trust a man again when her perfect life turned out to be a lie? Determined to get to the bottom of it all, Jules goes in search of the truth and discovers that there’s always a second chance to find real love.

Sex and the Widow Miles on Amazon About Nan:
Nan Reinhardt is a writer of romantic fiction for women in their prime. Yeah, women still fall in love and have sex, even after 45! Imagine! She is also a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She’s been an antiques dealer, a bank teller, a stay-at-home mom, a secretary, and for the last 17 years, she’s earned her living as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader.

But writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten, a love story between the most sophisticated person she knew at the time, her older sister (who was in high school and had a driver’s license!) and a member of Herman’s Hermits. If you remember who they are, you are Nan’s audience! She’s still writing romance, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, menopausal woman who believes that love never ages, women only grow more interesting, and everybody needs a little sexy romance.

Her first novel Rule Number One is available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. The other two, which are the first novels in the Women of Willow Bay series, are being released exclusively at Amazon on September 26, 2013.
Visit Nan’s website: www.nanreinhardt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt
Twitter: @NanReinhardt
Talk to Nan at: nanleigh1@gmail.com

Catching Up and Looking Forward

Worth the Effort (Worth 4) is now available as an ebook on all online venues. Print version will be ready in a few weeks.

Since I don't blog all that often, I thought I'd let you know what I'm working on next:

Worth 5 (Worth the Price) will be Twain Beck's story and will be available in early 2014.
My thought with the Worth books are natural trilogies:
Books 1-3 the Besties
Books 4-6 the Becks
Books 7-9 the Bros
I've got some good ideas for the "bros" books... you know Zeke's just waiting to be heard from! And, can Ron be redeemed?

I'm also planning on a holiday Worth novella where we revisit our original three besties, Lizzie, Katie and Alison, as well as introduce a new romance. (hint: he's introduced in Worth The Effort—and it's not Twain) Working title is Totally Worth Christmas .
AND...
Besides the next Worth book, I'm also working on something a little different for me—a New Adult romance. I've really enjoyed the books I've read in this sub-genre and a story started percolating so intensely that I just had to write it.

In Too Deep will be book 1 of the Roommates Trilogy. Be on the lookout for it late this fall. I thought you might like to see a bit of the real Copper Country. I change the names of most of the places I use in my Worth series, but some not. (Pat's IGA is real, though the name is really Pat's Foods, and you do run into everyone there when you look your worst, pint of ice cream in hand.) Tootie's, featured in Worth The Effort, is based on a real place, with a real stained-glass canopy behind the bar. Here's a pic I took in the real bar a few weeks ago. (oh, what I go through for research!)

Visual Serendipity (or: Do I have a secret girl crush on Jennifer Garner?)

When I write, I always have a pretty good visual of my lead characters. Because they are real to me (yeah, I know, I'm working on that), and so that their hair doesn't change from blond in chapter 1 to red in chapter 7. Often times they're based on random people I see in magazines or maybe even folks I know. Sometimes, though not a lot, the visual is based on a celebrity.

So, I'm deep into the 4th Worth book, Worth The Effort. And I have a visual for Sawyer Beck, our hero, but it's just one that had been in my head, not based on anyone...or so I thought! I was catching up on Nashville the other night (anybody else loving that show?), and had a total light bulb moment as I realized (and said out loud to a totally empty room), "Oh my God, Deacon looks exactly like Sawyer." (because of course, it wouldn't be the other way around..heh)

Sawyer and the Deacon character don't have much in common other than being dead ringers for each other. Except...maybe...that deep sadness that is just always on the fringe of them both. You'll have to wait until April to find out about what caused that for Sawyer.
I already knew that Deni (Denise Casparich, Alison's therapy patient from Worth The Fall, and Effort's heroine) was the spitting image of Jennifer Garner.

No, not the red carpet Jennifer we're seeing everywhere these days on Ben's arm. Deni looks like Jen's (I call her Jen) character in Catch and Release. A real nature girl...dare I say a bit of a tree hugger?

So then I remembered that Anna Dawson, the protagonist in the Against romantic mystery series I write, has always been Jennifer Garner in my head when I describe her. But more the Jen from Alias.

So I ask you...do I have a big girl crush on Jennifer Garner? (not that there's anything wrong with that!)
Or, does she just embody that every woman look plus just a little bit...more?

But look at them...wouldn't they make an adorable couple? (think Jen would do a cameo on Nashville?)

If you haven't already, make sure you sign up for my newsletter. I send one out for every new release.

The Next Big Thing

I've been asked by my pal Bronwyn Green to take part in the Next Big Thing blog hop - so I'm answering a few questions about my WIP (work in progress). And I'm "tagging" one of my co-authors on Countdown To A Kiss, Holli Bertram.

What is the working title of your next book?
Worth The Fall  - The Worth Series Book 3: The Smart One
It's the third book in the Worth Series, a contemporary romance series. It's due out very shortly in ebook, a few weeks longer for print.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I always knew I wanted to write Alison's story. What I didn't know was who would show up to play with her. Let's just say I was very surprised.

What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
That's a tough one. I didn't have anyone "pictured" as I wrote them. And even though Worth The Weight didn't debut until October of 2012, I actually first wrote the characters of Petey and Alison ten years ago.
They've aged better than I have!
Petey Ryan is a big, bruising defensman in the NHL. Craggy good looks. Black hair, blue eyes. The guy loves to talk trash.
Alison Jukuri is short but curvy. Short, light brown hair stacked in the back with longer bangs. Smart as a whip and always ready with a quick comeback.
Both are around 36-37.
Anybody have any ideas for likely stars to play them? Leave your suggestion in the comments.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your books?
Alison is way too smart to be this dumb about a guy.
Or...Can 2 people work through eighteen years of history to find a happy ending?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Two and a half months

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Well, I have to say the first 2 Worth books, Worth The Weight and Worth The Drive. Hmmm...other than that? Anybody read the first 2 yet? Do you have a good comparison for books similar to the Worth series? Maybe the Robyn Carr Virgin River books?

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I guess you could say Petey did! I always thought Alison would end up with a different character, but when I started to write her story, Petey barged his way in.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It takes place in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in the northwest tip called the Copper Country. You get a bit of local flavor in each of the Worth books (pasties, anyone?).

You can read more about Worth The Fall here.

And now scoot over to Holli Bertram's blog and find out about her Next Big Thing - tell her Mara sent ya!

Guest Post: Author Diane Burton

So happy to have my first guest...author Diane Burton
Please welcome Diane as she discusses the Call to Adventure and her newest release...The Pilot!
Call to Adventure

Stories have a structure beyond the beginning, middle and end. It’s a structure that goes back to the myths and legends told around campfires. That structure, sometimes called the hero’s journey, is evident in movies as well as books.

One of the elements of this structure is The Call to Adventure,  also known as the first turning point.

Whatever it’s called at some point early in a story, the hero (male or female) must make a choice. Stay in her safe world or answer the call and venture forth. Without that decision, there really is no story. Does she have a goal? Does she really want it? What is she willing to do to achieve it? Making that decision can be a leap of faith as large as the one Indy makes in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, when he’s about to step out onto the invisible bridge.

In Romancing the Stone, the call to adventure is literally a call from Joan’s sister who is being held captive and only Joan can help. She has to make the choice to go to Columbia or stay in her New York apartment. In Star Wars, the call comes from Obi Wan inviting Luke to learn the ways of the Force. In Mara’s book, Broken Wings, Blackbird is invited to a backgammon tournament. To leave her “safe” house and drive to Tennessee. For a recluse, this is a big decision for her. In my book, The Pilot, Celara’s nemesis needs her to find a gangster.

In each situation, the hero says no. Not just, no. A resounding NO. Joan can’t go. She’s scared to leave her apartment. Her publisher/friend tells her she’s not up to it. In Columbia, they have rats “as big as sanitation trucks.” Luke claims he can’t leave his aunt and uncle. Blackbird can’t leave Michigan. Her ex might find her. Celara fears the gangster. No way is she going anywhere—especially with the man who impounded her ship and cargo and locked her in jail.

But something pushes the hero over the fence. Joan can’t abandon her sister. Luke has no home left, no family. If she goes to Tennessee, Blackbird can find the man who killed her father. Celera discovers her brother works for the gangster, she makes that decision. She has to rescue her brother.

So each hero answers the call. And the adventure begins.

Think about a movie or book you really enjoyed. What was the hero’s call?
Blurb for The Pilot:

There’s no place like home . . . and he just confiscated hers.

Forced to use her starship as collateral to replace stolen cargo, pilot Celara d’Enfaden risks losing everything if she fails to deliver the goods. Her ship is the home she never had as a child.

Determined to bring order to the frontier, rule-bound official Trevarr Jovano refuses to tolerate those who disrespect the law. So when an indie pilot refuses to obey, he seizes her ship and cargo.

The only thing Celara cares about more than her ship is her brother. To rescue him from the clutches of a galactic gangster, she’ll even join forces with Trevarr who is bent on avenging his wife’s murder.

Excerpt from The Pilot:

“I would like to make you an offer. I need to talk to Hallart.”

“You can’t be serious.” Space jocks—including her—took huge detours to avoid running into Hallart’s territory, or his men.

“I assure you, when it comes to Hallart, I am deadly serious.” His piercing eyes gave her pause.

“If you find him—and that’s a big if, Admin Man—you can forget about being serious. You’ll just be dead. Forget it. I don’t have a death wish. I am not helping you find the biggest gangster in the galaxy.”

“In the galaxy? You exaggerate his importance.”

“That’s because you don’t know him, Admin Man. He would kill his own mother if he could make a profit.”

Darkness crossed Jovano’s eyes. His brow furrowed. He probably didn’t believe her so she added, “I heard he did kill his mother. Father, too. And his siblings. Ask him. Right before he rips your heart out of your chest and slices it while you watch.”

“You fear him.”

“Any sane person is afraid of Hallart. So the answer is no. A resounding No.” She didn’t even want to think about associating with criminals like Hallart. Quintall couldn’t be one of them.

When Jovano didn’t continue, she added, “Hallart is into some very bad stuff. He’s a slaver. He runs dust and outlawed weapons. I even heard a rumor he was behind the assassination attempt on the Coalition President last year. She wasn’t the prez yet, but you know who I mean.”

He grew very still. A muscle along his jaw started to twitch. “It is not a rumor.”

“Yeah, well. The assassin missed and offed some unlucky fem who got—” At his fierce look, her voice trailed off. “. . . in . . . the . . . way.”

“Unlucky?” His quiet tone frightened her. “The fem did not just get in the way. She was protecting President Filana.”

Celara shrugged. “Well, you’re Coalition. Guess you’d know about that.”

After staring at her in silence, he said, “Yes. I would know about that.”

What just happened? What caused such a look of desolation in his eyes?

“I want you to put me in touch with your brother.” His voice had returned to its natural timbre, almost conversational, and Celara thought she had been mistaken about what she’d seen in his eyes a moment before. “He is a sure way to contact Hallart.”

Jovano was wrong. He had to be.

“Celara?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know where he is.”

“If I can find him, will you help me?”

At first she started to refuse, but if they could find Quintall, she could talk to him, find out if what Jovano claimed was true. And if it was, she would convince Quintall to give up the dangerous life, convince him to leave Hallart.

The Pilot is available at Amazon ~ Smashwords ~ Barnes & Noble Bio:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction, and romance into writing romantic fiction. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the Mid-Michigan, Young Adult and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal RWA chapters. She is the author of the Switched series , about twins exchanging places—from Earth to a starship and the reverse. With The Pilot , she begins a new series about strong women on the frontier of space. She is also a contributor to the anthology How I Met My Husband. Diane and her husband live in Michigan. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Diane can be found around the Internet at:
website:  www.dianeburton.com
blog:  http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/dmburton72
Facebook:  http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor
Goodreads: Diane Burton Author

Why I Went Indie (which is not the same as Going Rogue)

I'm not planning on doing regular blog posts (I don't have much interesting to say on a daily basis unless you want to hear about my Real Housewives obsession), but on the eve of my self-publishing debut I did want to say a few words about my decision to enter this brave new world.

Ten years ago (almost to the day) I threw a particularly poorly-written novel against the wall and proclaimed "Even I can write better crap than that". And then I thought, "Why yes, maybe I can write better crap than that." And the journey began.

I started writing, and more importantly, I started learning. I joined the national branch and local chapter of Romance Writers of America. I went to conferences and workshops and I soaked in everything from craft to business model facts. The turning point was finding my two critique partners, Holli Bertram and Colleen Gleason. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd still be at it if I hadn't met them. Support. Knowledge. Camaraderie. Spot on critique. And the occasional kick in the ass. I couldn't ask for more. Oh, and cocktails! We mustn't forget the cocktails.

I started pursuing a publishing contract, first with my small town contemporary romances, then with my romantic mystery series. I got an agent (Writers House's Jodi Reamer) and went out on submission. And I got lovely, lovely rejection letters.

But even better - but mostly worse - I got "I tried to buy it but my marketing department doesn't know how to position it" letters. A few of them. They are even harder to take than rejection letters, and yet made me believe that even though my books were not something that a retailer could easily "shelf", knowledgeable people thought they were publishable.

So we waited, and I kept writing, and we sent them out again. Same thing, only this time the "I tried to buy it" lines were slightly geared more toward "I tried to buy it, but in this market, with such limited shelf space, we just can't find a spot for a debut author".

In the meantime, the ebook world exploded and there became a place for books like mine. ("There's a place for us. Somewhere, a place for us".) Several published author friends were putting up their backlists and pre-published books and doing well with them.

And yes, it is a bit of apples and oranges because these authors already had a following of readers and had the "legitimacy" of being published, but as the ebook revolution took hold, those 2 factors blurred a little bit more. I decided to find a shelf space of my own—in the virtual world.

But you see, dear reader, even as I put forth that the self-publishing stigma has fallen, I obviously found it necessary to tell you that I was thisclose to a contract, and to name-drop my agent (oh, did I mention that it's Jodi Reamer - agent to John Green and Stephenie Meyer?). So perhaps there's still a little of the insecure writer left even in this brave new world?

But really, isn't there a little insecurity in every writer?

Happy reading, all!