M.J. Kane's Blog, page 9
November 1, 2016
As the clock counts down to release day….register to win on Goodreads!!!
****Register to win one of four copies of my upcoming release, ALONE!****
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Alone
by M.J. Kane
Giveaway ends November 24, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Check out this Facebook Live recording where I introduce Derrick and Kelli and how they met. Enjoy!
***Learn more about the characters HERE!***
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October 30, 2016
#8SentenceSunday: Regrets….ALONE (Book 5 of The Butterfly Memoirs)
***WHOO HOO!!! ALONE will be #1Click ready this week!!! Look for it November 3, 2016!!! In the meantime, check out this weeks snippet! ***
Derrick continues to wallow in self-pity, drowning the aggravation of how his life has turned out in a shot glass while sitting in a strip club.
Excerpt:
Shaun and I had been handed the reins two years ago. I took them and ran with them. Shaun caved under the pressure and left not only the business, but his wife and two beautiful daughters. Apparently, his drug of choice to escape the pressure went from weed to crack. A huge leap from a manageable narcotic to a killer.
I should know; I’d experimented with weed when I was in college and a few years beyond. But it was just a recreational thing, not habitual.
Bad decisions were made; the repercussions affected me and my family.
I had a lot of shit to make up for, and I had.
Thanks to Shaun, I was about to start over.
###
Did you enjoy that teaser? Don’t wait until next week; BUY your copy of ALONE on Thursday!
Available November 3, 2016!!!
About the novel….
When Derrick’s brother drives the family business into bankruptcy, Derrick is left without a job and only one choice: start over. With a new job waiting in Atlanta, the only other thing he’s looking for is a woman who’s willing to fit his no-strings-attached relationship policy. But then he runs into Kelli, a woman with a smart mouth who challenges him in every way. She’d be perfect … if it weren’t for the fact she had kids.
Shortly after giving birth to her son, Kelli’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce. Forced to move in with her newlywed sister, Kelli is faced with raising two young children on her own, finding affordable housing, and landing a job that will pay her bills. The last thing she needs or wants is a man in her life. But when her brother-in-law’s best friend shows up for dinner, it’s impossible to ignore the sexual attraction.
Fate and finances have another plan, though, forcing them into living under the same roof. Despite their differences, Derrick finds himself breaking his own relationship rules. But as his luck would have it, just when he thinks he’s ready to make a commitment, tragedy strikes close to home and, with it, issues from his past that force him to risk it all.
Get to know the characters more by reading their BIOGRAPHIES and DIARY POSTS ,
Buy Now!
Amazon B&N iTunes
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
****Enter the GOODREADS GIVEAWAY for a chance to win an AUTOGRAPHED COPY****
Contest starts Monday, October 31st!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Alone
by M.J. Kane
Giveaway ends November 24, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
####
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October 23, 2016
#8SentenceSunday: New Beginnings….ALONE (Book 5 of The Butterfly Memoirs)
Welcome to the first round of #8Sunday shares! For the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a snippet from the first three chapters of my upcoming release, ALONE! Look for it November 3, 2016. Enjoy!
So, let’s start from the beginning…
Derrick Douglas was first introduced in book four of The Butterfly Memoirs, NOBODY’S BUSINESS, as Trevon’s best friend who had a lot to say about him falling in love. Derrick is single with no intentions of getting involved in a lasting relationship…especially now; he’s got more important things to worry about.
Excerpt:
It’s funny how life can kick you in the nuts, take away everything you’ve worked for, and leave you damn near destitute.
It’s one thing when you’re the one at fault.
It’s completely different when it happens by someone else’s hand.
I loved my family, but my brother had gone from one to look up to, to the bane of my family’s existence, damn near taking everything we had worked for.
And for what?
A drug habit that had drained our family’s construction business dry from constantly putting him into rehab.
Now, due to bad decisions and contracts he’d made under the table, without my or our father’s knowledge, the company had been forced to file bankruptcy.
I loosened the tie around my neck.
After spending hours with our attorney to see if there was any way for us to get out of this mess, my father and I parted ways. He went home to explain to my mother the depth of her oldest son’s deceit, while I, on the other hand, decided to take up residence on a bar stool in a strip club and get drunk.
###
Did you enjoy that teaser?
Get to know the characters more by reading their BIOGRAPHIES and DIARY POSTS!
Available November 3, 2016!!!
About the novel….
When Derrick’s brother drives the family business into bankruptcy, Derrick is left without a job and only one choice: start over. With a new job waiting in Atlanta, the only other thing he’s looking for is a woman who’s willing to fit his no-strings-attached relationship policy. But then he runs into Kelli, a woman with a smart mouth who challenges him in every way. She’d be perfect … if it weren’t for the fact she had kids.
Shortly after giving birth to her son, Kelli’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce. Forced to move in with her newlywed sister, Kelli is faced with raising two young children on her own, finding affordable housing, and landing a job that will pay her bills. The last thing she needs or wants is a man in her life. But when her brother-in-law’s best friend shows up for dinner, it’s impossible to ignore the sexual attraction.
Fate and finances have another plan, though, forcing them into living under the same roof. Despite their differences, Derrick finds himself breaking his own relationship rules. But as his luck would have it, just when he thinks he’s ready to make a commitment, tragedy strikes close to home and, with it, issues from his past that force him to risk it all.
Available NOVEMBER 3, 2016 on:
Amazon B&N iTunes
MORE places to buy!
****For more #8Sunday shares, follow this link !****
See you next week!
####
Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the newsletter and follow this blog!
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October 17, 2016
#SneekPeek of the Upcoming Release, ALONE (Book 5 of the Butterfly Memoirs)
Hey guys! In 18 days, the next novel in the Butterfly Memoirs series, ALONE will be available! Recently, I was invited by the A Taste of Romance book club to do an online chat and share the stories of the series. We ended the evening by jumping over to my Facebook page and tuning in to a live chat where I talked about the story and read Chapter 3. Check it out, and stay tuned for upcoming pop-in’s for more live book chats, readings, and contest!
Learn more about ALONE! Read the Prologue and first chapter, character bios, and diary posts here!
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October 2, 2016
Empowering Young Authors to Write Their Stories
I had the wonderful privilege of meeting with a group of book lovers and aspiring authors this week at Barnes & Noble, and I must say, it was a joy! I had the chance to share my writing journey as well as some of my favorite writing tips. When I was done talking, the kids had great questions! I’m looking forward to chatting with them again. Thank you to Jennifer Foster, leader of the Lovejoy High School Book Club, for reaching out to me for this event! I’ve posted a link to the Facebook Live recording, so dive in, take a few notes, and get inspired!
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September 1, 2016
Cover Reveal! ALONE (Book 5 of The Butterfly Memoirs)
It’s been a long time coming, but here it is!!!!!!!
When Derrick’s brother drives the family business into bankruptcy, Derrick is left without a job and only one choice: start over. With a new job waiting in Atlanta, the only other thing he’s looking for is a woman who’s willing to fit his no-strings-attached relationship policy. But then he runs into Kelli, a woman with a smart mouth who challenges him in every way. She’d be perfect … if it weren’t for the fact she had kids.
Shortly after giving birth to her son, Kelli’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce. Forced to move in with her newlywed sister, Kelli is faced with raising two young children on her own, finding affordable housing, and landing a job that will pay her bills. The last thing she needs or wants is a man in her life. But when her brother-in-law’s best friend shows up for dinner, it’s impossible to ignore the sexual attraction.
Fate and finances have another plan, though, forcing them into living under the same roof. Despite their differences, Derrick finds himself breaking his own relationship rules. But as his luck would have it, just when he thinks he’s ready to make a commitment, tragedy strikes close to home and, with it, issues from his past that force him to risk it all.
Release Date:
NOVEMBER 3, 2016
Genre:
Contemporary Romance, Women’s Fiction, Interracial Romance, African-American Romance
Coming To:
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE ITUNES SMASHWORDS KOBO ARe
I’m so excited about this book! In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing snippets from the story as well as hosting Facebook Live chats to talk to readers and share some behind the scenes information about the characters.
If you haven’t read the books in the series, #1-Click the first novel in the series, A HEART NOT EASILY BROKEN, for #99cents!
Learn more about the series, the characters, and find #FreeReads here!
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August 24, 2016
#Butterflies and Transformation…My #NaturalHair Journey and #Writing
For the past three weeks I have been slowly making changes to my natural hair, keeping track of the change on my Instagam and Facebook pages. It started with a hair cut and ended with a new color. Why? Because sometimes in life, you have to make a change, transform, and emerge as something new…like a butterfly. I emerged from my ‘hair cocoon’ on Monday and posted the final picture. I was amazed by the number of likes and comments, several asking what I do to take care of my natural hair. Working at a library, I get asked this question nearly everyday. I was writing this long eloquent post about it, which of course was never completed, so I decided to take advantage of the Facebook Live app on my phone and answer some of those questions as well as share a little bit more about my self. Enjoy!
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July 1, 2016
Check Out These Hot #FourthOfJulyWeekend Reads!
Get A Heart Not Easily Broken for FREE!
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June 30, 2016
#Editing is Fundamental…a response to a viewers question on Facebook
June 26, 2016
Googling Inspiration and Keeping Characters in Motion
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post that dealt with writing, I know, I know…life has had me struggling to find focus on my life, family, and job and not so much on writing. Attempting to find a line that balances everything is daunting. I have the good days and bad days for both, but that’s life, right?
Today I was at work on my lunch break when I pulled up my current WIP to do some edits while eating. I realized I needed to add a bit more to the scene and wanted to describe the necklace my character was wearing. Instead of imagining a necklace, I went to the internet and Googled what I saw in my head and searched until I found an image that spoke to me. From there, the description grew from a simple necklace to so much more…which led to writing this blog post.
I like editing because all of the words have been written and the story has been told. All that’s left is fine tuning. For me, this involves sending it out to beta readers to get their feedback and then sitting down to review their suggestions as I go over the story for what feels like the hundredth time. In doing so, I try to look at it from the readers point of view and not as the author. This means reviewing every line, every thought, every action a character makes. It’s paying attention to the fact that while I can see the scene in my head and know exactly what kind of facial expression they have as a reflection of a thought or in response to someone else and their surroundings, the reader cannot. While dialogue is the main ingredient to any story, especially when there is a poignant conversation going on, there has to be action.
And by action, I mean more than the ‘he/she looked, walked, laughed, cried, and sighed’ tags.
I’m talking about the finer things that we do. People aren’t stiff and unmoving. Unless we are asleep, the human body is in constant motion, especially if we are experiencing an emotion or thought.
It kind of reminds me of the vampires of Twilight. If you’ve ever read Breaking Dawn, you should remember when Bella was turned into a vampire and gets schooled by the Cullen’s on how to ‘look’ human even though she isn’t anymore. As vampires, they no longer had the need to blink or breathe or cross their legs. Their bodies were still. She was told that if she didn’t make a conscious effort to do those things when around humans, it would draw attention to the fact that something was off.
This is just as true in writing.
If you have a scene that involves multiple characters engaged in conversation, at some point somebody has to move. Movement shows life, makes things real. Lack of action turns characters into robots. A scene that is written with just ‘he said/she said’ dialogue is dull and boring and a reader, especially one who is a serious book lover and who has read hundreds of books by hundreds of different authors, will notice. They may not be able to put their fingers on it exactly, but there will always be something about that story that made it ‘blaaa’ and not, ‘great!’
But what if the scene goes from dialogue to internal monologue and back to dialogue? How do you make that stream of conscious thought flow back to the present without missing a beat? Add action.
Here’s an example from a scene I edited today. This is from the upcoming 5th novel of The Butterfly Memoirs, Alone.
Setup:
Two characters are sitting in the kitchen talking, but during the conversation, which is in the female leads POV, she thinks back to the events of her day and a moment of revelation due to the changes in her life. She goes into an internal monologue but it flows back to dialogue by way of adding action on not only her part, but also the person she talking to.
Excerpt:
Derrick’s attention went to the meat on his plate as he sliced off a chunk, put it in his mouth, and chewed. “Damn, this is good. You’ve got great taste.”
“Thanks.” I diverted my attention before I stared. Watching him chew was a turn-on, and when he licked his lips, well…flashback to him stripping in the living room and the ripped muscles of his chest and abs had heat rising in my belly. I could feel my skin flush.
My body’s reaction made no sense. I should not be attracted to Derrick. The man irritated me beyond reason.
No, my problem right now was my raised libido because for once in my life, I stopped trying to be a mother for a few hours and focused on being a woman.
After lopping off my hair during a fit of emotional rage, my first stop had been to have the remaining tresses professionally styled by a beautician. The good news: because of my unconventional haircut, I no longer had split ends.
The mani and pedi that followed and a splurge on a sexy outfit at the mall took care of the outward appearance.
Then there was the stop at the costume jewelry store.
I’d been looking for a pair of earrings to accent the new hair style and outfit, but got sidetracked when a necklace caught my eye. It wasn’t gaudy or extravagant. It wasn’t studded with faux diamonds or fake gold. Instead, it was a simple piece of metal shaped like a butterfly.
The top part of the wings were black with flecks of green and blue, but the bottom of the wings were tipped in a deep, rich shade of purple, which was my favorite color. I’d immediately selected the necklace out of the display case and held it in my hands. The feeling that came over me as my fingers ran over the piece brought on a sense of peace nothing else ever could.
It was as if the butterfly had become my talisman.
If butterflies were viewed as symbols for change and growth, than the events of my day had led to a major turning point in my life.
I was no longer a wife.
I was a mother.
My kids needed me.
I needed me.
Nothing from this day forward would ever be the same. Where I would go from here, I had no clue. I only knew that I would find my way and care for my kids the best way I knew how.
Though the trinket wasn’t expensive and didn’t make an eye-catching statement, to me, it was priceless.
Absently, I found myself stroking the pendent that sat flush against the opening of my shirt and rested on the tops of my breasts.
Derrick’s eyes drifted down to the opening and lingered. I forced myself to keep my smile internal.
The final stop of the night had been at Long Horn Steak House to see what type of attention the new getup garnered.
Yet, no matter how many men whistled or gawked, the way Derrick looked at me right now did the most for my ego.
“Tell me about your family. Do you have siblings?”
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Well, that’s my tip for the day. Hope it helped! For more writing tips, follow this link.
Until next time, happy writing!
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Thank you for stopping by! I love to make new friends. Got questions or comments? Leave a comment, or connect with me online! If you’ve enjoyed this post, sign up for the newsletter and follow this blog!
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