M.B. Feeney's Blog, page 20
July 2, 2013
Release Day
Well, today's the day.
The Summer Heat anthology (and the stories within) has been released. Check out the Books page for details and links to buy on various platforms. I will update these links as and when they go live.
Come join myself, R. E. Hargrave and Forbes Arnone over on Facebook for the release party where you can ask us questions, play silly games, and win some great prizes.
The Summer Heat anthology (and the stories within) has been released. Check out the Books page for details and links to buy on various platforms. I will update these links as and when they go live.
Come join myself, R. E. Hargrave and Forbes Arnone over on Facebook for the release party where you can ask us questions, play silly games, and win some great prizes.
June 24, 2013
The second of the Beach Reads anthologies covers have bee...
The second of the Beach Reads anthologies covers have been revealed, and here they are!
Wishing Cotton by Elizabeth M. Lawrence
Throw a penny in a well, wish on a star, find a four-leaf clover . . . No matter which rituals people follow, none ever seem to work. But what if there were a way to make wishes come true? For best friends Olive Alexander and Blair Adams, a beach holiday provides the perfect opportunity to see if they can find the secret. Could fellow vacationer Peter Keyes hold the key to solving this puzzle?
Author Bio
Elizabeth M. Lawrence is the author of both contemporary and period romances. Each book incorporates its own unique blend of humor and reverence, the paranormal and the mundane, innocence and insanity. In addition to her novels, Elizabeth serves as Editor-in-Chief for Renaissance Romance Publishing. A lifelong writer and former paralegal, Elizabeth divides her free time between her husband and two sons, her three cats, her collection of cozy murder mysteries, her slight Doctor Who obsession, and her mildly severe caffeine addiction. A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Elizabeth now works from her home in Cleveland, Ohio.
LinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMLawrence.AuthorTwitter: @ELawrenceAuthorBlog: http://elizabeth-lawrence-author.blogspot.com/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6475848.Elizabeth_M_LawrenceAmazon:http://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-M.-Lawrence/e/B009FDEGIA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_4About.Me:http://about.me/elizabeth.lawrence
Under the Sun by Jude Ouvrard
Tracey Howard has put her life on hold for years to care for her grandmother. Now that her grandmother is gone, Tracey decides to spend summer at the beach and reflect on where she wants life to take her next. Jackson Phillips is her new neighbor, and he dazzles her from the first moment they meet. Will Jackson be able to show Tracey how to let go of old pain and embrace future happiness?
Author BioJude lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Besides working full time for a title insurance company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.
LinksFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jude-Ouvrard/217369475054540Facebook author profile: https://www.facebook.com/jude.ouvrardauthor
Twitter: @authorjude_o @JudeOuvrardBlog: http://judeouvrardauthor.blogspot.ca/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16429213-jude-ouvrardAboutme: http://about.me/judeouvrard/#Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/Anythinggoesauthorsgroup/
Peeking Through Wooden Blinds by Jane ReinhartPaige Henderson and Joey Novak are planning their wedding. But a devastating and mysterious phone call leads Paige onto a path of self-destruction and into the arms of the wrong man. Her ensuing marriage to Nick Bruska becomes a nightmare and she struggles to regain self-worth. Joey has never forgotten Paige. Will he ever see her again? Only then could they discover the terrible mistake that changed the course of their lives.
Author BioJane Reinhart, author and poet, resides in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking.
LinksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Reinhart/109141515938945Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7055518.Jane_ReinhartTwitter: https://Twitter.com/JaneReinhart
June 12, 2013
Indivisible Line - Lorenz Font Cover Reveal
Lorenz Font has a new novel coming out on 16 July 2013 . Check back during her blog tour for my review over on my review blog (check the pages at the top for the link)Here's the cover.
Author info:
Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy.Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters.
Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule.
Find her at:
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorenz-Font/455404784511100?ref=hl
Twitter- https://twitter.com/LorenzFont
Website- http://lorenzfont.com/
Blog- https://lorenzfont.wordpress.com/
Independent Authors Network- http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/lorenz-font.html
Linkedin- http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=221465635&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590637.Lorenz_Font
About Me- http://about.me/lorenz.font
Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/lorenzfont/
June 6, 2013
WIP Wednesday and some news
WIP Wednesday: (posted on a Thursday)
The engraving on the back of the watch read “From mud through blood to the green fields beyond”, words he’d seen engraved on a memorial statue in London and had never forgotten. Tears had filled his eyes as she slid the sterling silver watch over his hand and onto his wrist.
Sorry, that's all you get! but it's REALLY short and I wouldn't want to give too much away now!
This is part of a short story that I am considering self publishing as part of an anthology of stories I have that are far too short to submit to Renaissance Romance. I will still be submitting novellas (and hopefully a novel or two when they finally are completed) because quite frankly, I love those ladies.
The anthology is going to be called "Honour" and the theme is the armed forces. That's all I will tell you for now, but keep an eye on my Facebook page and my Twitter for more info.
The engraving on the back of the watch read “From mud through blood to the green fields beyond”, words he’d seen engraved on a memorial statue in London and had never forgotten. Tears had filled his eyes as she slid the sterling silver watch over his hand and onto his wrist.
Sorry, that's all you get! but it's REALLY short and I wouldn't want to give too much away now!
This is part of a short story that I am considering self publishing as part of an anthology of stories I have that are far too short to submit to Renaissance Romance. I will still be submitting novellas (and hopefully a novel or two when they finally are completed) because quite frankly, I love those ladies.
The anthology is going to be called "Honour" and the theme is the armed forces. That's all I will tell you for now, but keep an eye on my Facebook page and my Twitter for more info.
June 2, 2013
Summer Heat Cover Reveal
Dun dun dunnnn! The time is here to present the covers for the Summer Heat anthology. First up, the anthology cover. It is available to buy on 2 July 2013.
Isn't it pretty?Now for the solo covers:
In My Mother’s Footsteps by Forbes ArnoneAnela Alborn’s life is a lie. After growing up without the love of a father, her mother reveals his identity. Tragedy strikes and she sets off on an adventure that leads to more than she could ever imagine. Bumping into Christian Sivers distracts her from the real man of her dreams, her father. Will he live up to her dreams? And does she follow in her mother’s footsteps?
Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she traveled to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 2013.
Find Jennifer on:FacebookGoodreads--ForbesArnone
Just Like in the Movies by M.B. FeeneyAva Jones has settled for a life that she’s not sure she wants anymore, but won’t admit it. Her best friend, Erica Davidson talks her into taking a break on the Isle of Wight. Her days on the island are spent thinking things through, and arguing with Morgan whom she hates on principal.
Is it so wrong for her to want a life that follows the script of a honest to God romance film?
M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, 2 kids and a dog. She's also a student teacher, a doodler and a chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love since she could spell, and publishing is the culmination of her hard work and ambition.
Her BlogTwitterFacebookAmazon B&N Authorsdb Goodreads
Haunted Raine by R.E. HargraveDistracted by the everyday routine of raising children, being a wife, and keeping a home, Lorraine Morrissey let life pass her by. Her wakeup call comes when she realizes that with their children gone, her husband Richard is rarely home, and she’s filling her solitary days with trivial tasks. A crazy idea to save her marriage leads to a summer beach vacation unlike any she’s ever taken; one that involves unknowingly buying a haunted house.
R.E. Hargrave is a fledgling author who has always been a lover of books and now looks forward to the chance to give something back to the literary community. She lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX with her husband and three children.
Links:BlogFacebook Goodreads Twitter Amazon About.me Libboo
Authorsdb
May 18, 2013
Movies teaser
So, the release date of 2 July is creeping up on me.
The cover reveal is happening on 2 June, and I really can't wait for you to see it. I absolutely adore it. J. C. Clarke has done an amazing job with it.
Anyway, I thought I'd post a teaser from the first chapter of the book to whet your whistle :)
We tried for a couple of years to have children, but it never happened. After many serious discussions, we decided to give up on the idea altogether. That was when we bought our first fur baby: a beautiful Collie cross called Rhea. She was our little girl, and we both doted on her. We assuaged our guilt over our mutual neglect by caring for Rhea, devoting our attention to another living being rather than to each other. The puppies, Remus and Romulus, soon joined her, and our “family” was complete.
For as long as I’d known him, Marcus had played Sunday League football, which was followed by an afternoon with his teammates at the very pub I was now approaching. Coupled with training one evening a week, his evenings out gave me more than enough time to spend with Erica or at home with the dogs.
“Have you thought any more about that holiday I mentioned?” Erica asked while we claimed our usual table. Our customary bottle of red wine was already ready and waiting for us.
“I have . . .” My words drifted away when I thought back to her idea of a girlie getaway on the Isle of Wight. Just as its name suggested, the top-class Lakeside Hotel with attached spa was located right next to a beautiful lake. Bliss.
“And? Why the hesitation?” Erica pushed like she always did, her blue eyes flashing once more as she looked into my brown ones.
The idea of a real getaway caused the blonde hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I tried to rein my excitement in. “I don’t know. It sounds amazing, and Lord knows I could do with some time away.”
“Do it, then.”
I knew I had enough holiday time available at work. Screw it.
“Let’s do it.”
I hope you enjoyed it! Keep an eye out on FB and Twitter for more details closer to release date.
The cover reveal is happening on 2 June, and I really can't wait for you to see it. I absolutely adore it. J. C. Clarke has done an amazing job with it.
Anyway, I thought I'd post a teaser from the first chapter of the book to whet your whistle :)
We tried for a couple of years to have children, but it never happened. After many serious discussions, we decided to give up on the idea altogether. That was when we bought our first fur baby: a beautiful Collie cross called Rhea. She was our little girl, and we both doted on her. We assuaged our guilt over our mutual neglect by caring for Rhea, devoting our attention to another living being rather than to each other. The puppies, Remus and Romulus, soon joined her, and our “family” was complete.
For as long as I’d known him, Marcus had played Sunday League football, which was followed by an afternoon with his teammates at the very pub I was now approaching. Coupled with training one evening a week, his evenings out gave me more than enough time to spend with Erica or at home with the dogs.
“Have you thought any more about that holiday I mentioned?” Erica asked while we claimed our usual table. Our customary bottle of red wine was already ready and waiting for us.
“I have . . .” My words drifted away when I thought back to her idea of a girlie getaway on the Isle of Wight. Just as its name suggested, the top-class Lakeside Hotel with attached spa was located right next to a beautiful lake. Bliss.
“And? Why the hesitation?” Erica pushed like she always did, her blue eyes flashing once more as she looked into my brown ones.
The idea of a real getaway caused the blonde hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, but I tried to rein my excitement in. “I don’t know. It sounds amazing, and Lord knows I could do with some time away.”
“Do it, then.”
I knew I had enough holiday time available at work. Screw it.
“Let’s do it.”
I hope you enjoyed it! Keep an eye out on FB and Twitter for more details closer to release date.
May 17, 2013
The Journey to Forever - Lisa Bilbre
The third book in Lisa Bilbrey's Journey Series is coming VERY SOON. 18 June 2013 in fact!
Blurb:
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Time for the big cover reveal (I think this is my favourite in the series so far)
Author Info:
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Links:
* Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Renaissance Romance Publishing * About.me *
May 7, 2013
Pull to Publish
Since the whole 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon, a lot of attention has been placed on fanfic authors who pull to publish (P2P) and there are a group of people on websites such as Amazon and Goodreads who leave bad, sometimes downright awful, reviews just because a book has once been a fanfic.
Before I got any work published, I read the original fanfic of 50 Shades under the title of Master of the Universe (MotU). I read all 86 chapters of the first insallment and by the end of it, couldn't really understand the furore. It wasn't brilliantly written and I wasn't keen on the subject matter, but that was my personal opinion. Good friends of mine had absolutely adored it, we didn't fall out, just accepted each other's views.
When I heard that Icy (E.L. James) was publishing it, I thought "Good for her" and pretty much nothing else. I knew I wasn't going to buy it no matter how much she changed it up. What would be the point? As many of us who were involved in the Twilight Fandom know, she didn't change it much at all, but people still bought it and raved about it. Again, I say "Good for her". Why should I begrudge anyone their success even if I personally don't like/agree with how.
Let me explain that last comment. I don't disagree with her P2P, the story is hers to do with as she wishes, no matter how it began, I do disagree with the fact that she hasn't reworked it much, or at all, but that was her choice as an author.
I know quite a few fanfic authors who have gone down the P2P route, and again, I have no problem with it. As I said, they wrote the stories so they can do what they want with them. Yes, these stories were originally based on someone else's characters, but they've since worked on them and made those characters (and locations) their own and what is released is usually something completely original.
This post isn't meant to be a rant, I just want to get my opinions across about the subject which is fast becoming larger than the Twi Fandom, and all for the wrong reasons.
As I mentioned, there are people online who go out of their ways to troll through published books and trash them simply because they were once posted online as a fanfic. These people usually have quite a vast following so when they "shelve" a book under a certain tag, their followers see them and follow suit.
Again, these people are fully entitled their own opinion, but when it becomes clear that they haven't read the published book (and in some cases they haven't even read the fanfic). THAT'S when I get a little ranty. How DARE these people push their opinions onto others and really hurt the authors based on something having once been a fanfic when they can't even be bothered to read it?
There are claims and shouts of plagiarism in these reviews which I do understand... but at the end of the day, I don't believe there are many books out there that are completely and totally without outside influence of another author. We are constantly inspired by others, not just authors, but as long as we take that inspiration and twist and mold it into something of our own, then where is the plagiarism? An idea an't be copyrighted, simply the format the idea is communicated.
Here are some of the things a friend of mine have had to deal with on Goodreads. I personally think it's disgusting. These "ratings" were all 1 star for N. Wood's The Sound of Silence are given by "reviewers" who haven't read the book:
Sandra rated it 1 of 5 stars
Shelves: are-you-effing-serious, cheap-ploys-to-make-a-buck, darwin-award-eligible, dont-even-bother, gonna-be-sick, made-me-ragey, no-just-no, not-cool, not-if-i-were-dying, read-the-fanfic-for-free, rewritten-fanfiction, severe-side-eyes, shouldn-t-be-published, that-poor-tree, wtf-is-this,choked-on-foot-in-mouth, snowflakesFormerly the Twilight fanfic Can You Hear Me by Jasper1863hale.Jazzy added it
Shelves: used-to-be-a-fanfiction, indie-authors
Jeanne marked it as not-interested
Shelves: pulled-to-publish-fan-fiction
Mar 15, 2013rameau marked it as not-for-me
Shelves: p2p, see-comments
Irina marked it as rewritten-twilight-fanfiction
Debbie marked it as ff-author-pull-to-publish
Jessica M marked it as p2p-fanfiction
Joanna marked it as not-gonna-happen
Shelves: re-written-fanfiction
Samantha marked it as never-ever
Shelves: fanfic
Jaime Arkin marked it as nope-not-going-to-happen
Shelves: was-once-fanfic
Mar 12, 2013Michela Walters marked it as p2p-fic
Mar 12, 2013meltem marked it as p2p-fanfiction
Shelves: burn-it-now
Bitchie marked it as p2p-fanfic
This is just the ratings and shelves. On other books there are LONG discussions about WHY they disagree/dislike the book. I in fact have read through a lot of these discussions and can honestly say I can understand why people feel the way they do. What I don't like is the way they go on to abuse many authors by calling them talentless hacks and money whores.
I have also heard of some books and authors being labelled in this way, even when their books are not P2P (not that it matters if they are or not).
As someone who has P2P, I await these ratings and 'attacks', but at the end of the day, Just Like in the Movies, which started as an Alice/Jasper ff, was sat on my ff account unfinished for at least 12 months. There were 6 chapters posted which I reworked into the 1st 3 of the published version before writing another 10 chapters plus an epilogue. That was MY choice and MY work to do with as I wished. Yes, it originated from Twilight characters, but I pretty much started from the beginning and did with it what I would never have done with it had it remained a FF.
I don't need to justify myself and my writing to anyone, and neither does any other author. I just ask readers to ignore these ratings on Goodreads and judge a book for themselves.
Before I got any work published, I read the original fanfic of 50 Shades under the title of Master of the Universe (MotU). I read all 86 chapters of the first insallment and by the end of it, couldn't really understand the furore. It wasn't brilliantly written and I wasn't keen on the subject matter, but that was my personal opinion. Good friends of mine had absolutely adored it, we didn't fall out, just accepted each other's views.
When I heard that Icy (E.L. James) was publishing it, I thought "Good for her" and pretty much nothing else. I knew I wasn't going to buy it no matter how much she changed it up. What would be the point? As many of us who were involved in the Twilight Fandom know, she didn't change it much at all, but people still bought it and raved about it. Again, I say "Good for her". Why should I begrudge anyone their success even if I personally don't like/agree with how.
Let me explain that last comment. I don't disagree with her P2P, the story is hers to do with as she wishes, no matter how it began, I do disagree with the fact that she hasn't reworked it much, or at all, but that was her choice as an author.
I know quite a few fanfic authors who have gone down the P2P route, and again, I have no problem with it. As I said, they wrote the stories so they can do what they want with them. Yes, these stories were originally based on someone else's characters, but they've since worked on them and made those characters (and locations) their own and what is released is usually something completely original.
This post isn't meant to be a rant, I just want to get my opinions across about the subject which is fast becoming larger than the Twi Fandom, and all for the wrong reasons.
As I mentioned, there are people online who go out of their ways to troll through published books and trash them simply because they were once posted online as a fanfic. These people usually have quite a vast following so when they "shelve" a book under a certain tag, their followers see them and follow suit.
Again, these people are fully entitled their own opinion, but when it becomes clear that they haven't read the published book (and in some cases they haven't even read the fanfic). THAT'S when I get a little ranty. How DARE these people push their opinions onto others and really hurt the authors based on something having once been a fanfic when they can't even be bothered to read it?
There are claims and shouts of plagiarism in these reviews which I do understand... but at the end of the day, I don't believe there are many books out there that are completely and totally without outside influence of another author. We are constantly inspired by others, not just authors, but as long as we take that inspiration and twist and mold it into something of our own, then where is the plagiarism? An idea an't be copyrighted, simply the format the idea is communicated.
Here are some of the things a friend of mine have had to deal with on Goodreads. I personally think it's disgusting. These "ratings" were all 1 star for N. Wood's The Sound of Silence are given by "reviewers" who haven't read the book:
Sandra rated it 1 of 5 stars
Shelves: are-you-effing-serious, cheap-ploys-to-make-a-buck, darwin-award-eligible, dont-even-bother, gonna-be-sick, made-me-ragey, no-just-no, not-cool, not-if-i-were-dying, read-the-fanfic-for-free, rewritten-fanfiction, severe-side-eyes, shouldn-t-be-published, that-poor-tree, wtf-is-this,choked-on-foot-in-mouth, snowflakesFormerly the Twilight fanfic Can You Hear Me by Jasper1863hale.Jazzy added it
Shelves: used-to-be-a-fanfiction, indie-authors
Jeanne marked it as not-interested
Shelves: pulled-to-publish-fan-fiction
Mar 15, 2013rameau marked it as not-for-me
Shelves: p2p, see-comments
Irina marked it as rewritten-twilight-fanfiction
Debbie marked it as ff-author-pull-to-publish
Jessica M marked it as p2p-fanfiction
Joanna marked it as not-gonna-happen
Shelves: re-written-fanfiction
Samantha marked it as never-ever
Shelves: fanfic
Jaime Arkin marked it as nope-not-going-to-happen
Shelves: was-once-fanfic
Mar 12, 2013Michela Walters marked it as p2p-fic
Mar 12, 2013meltem marked it as p2p-fanfiction
Shelves: burn-it-now
Bitchie marked it as p2p-fanfic
This is just the ratings and shelves. On other books there are LONG discussions about WHY they disagree/dislike the book. I in fact have read through a lot of these discussions and can honestly say I can understand why people feel the way they do. What I don't like is the way they go on to abuse many authors by calling them talentless hacks and money whores.
I have also heard of some books and authors being labelled in this way, even when their books are not P2P (not that it matters if they are or not).
As someone who has P2P, I await these ratings and 'attacks', but at the end of the day, Just Like in the Movies, which started as an Alice/Jasper ff, was sat on my ff account unfinished for at least 12 months. There were 6 chapters posted which I reworked into the 1st 3 of the published version before writing another 10 chapters plus an epilogue. That was MY choice and MY work to do with as I wished. Yes, it originated from Twilight characters, but I pretty much started from the beginning and did with it what I would never have done with it had it remained a FF.
I don't need to justify myself and my writing to anyone, and neither does any other author. I just ask readers to ignore these ratings on Goodreads and judge a book for themselves.
May 3, 2013
It's Been So Long...
Well... I haven't done any writing or promo for at least 2 weeks. I had a couple of days where I truly felt as if I simply couldn't do it anymore.
It started when my USB that holds all my writing malfunction and deleted EVERYTHING. I wasn't impressed, but a friend's brother managed to rescue my files. That hit me like a brick and then I got to wondering if it was in fact a bit of a blessing. I was feeling so disinterested and disillusioned that nearly deleted the whole lot and called it a day.
That's when i realised I needed to completely step away for a while. It's been just over 2 weeks and I finally feel that it's time to get back on the horse, so to speak. I hate feeling that way, but it happens to us all and it's not a good idea, for me at least, to force my way through it otherwise I WILL just stop.
I also have a maths exam to revise for which will be my main priority for the next 2 weeks, but whenever take a break, I will write or edit or promote myself and the other RenRom authors.
So... here I am. Kinda.
Don't forget, I'll be posting all sorts of things over on Facebook, so pop over and say "hi".
It started when my USB that holds all my writing malfunction and deleted EVERYTHING. I wasn't impressed, but a friend's brother managed to rescue my files. That hit me like a brick and then I got to wondering if it was in fact a bit of a blessing. I was feeling so disinterested and disillusioned that nearly deleted the whole lot and called it a day.
That's when i realised I needed to completely step away for a while. It's been just over 2 weeks and I finally feel that it's time to get back on the horse, so to speak. I hate feeling that way, but it happens to us all and it's not a good idea, for me at least, to force my way through it otherwise I WILL just stop.
I also have a maths exam to revise for which will be my main priority for the next 2 weeks, but whenever take a break, I will write or edit or promote myself and the other RenRom authors.
So... here I am. Kinda.
Don't forget, I'll be posting all sorts of things over on Facebook, so pop over and say "hi".
April 15, 2013
Journey of Champions - Guest Post from Lisa Bilbrey
I recently read and reviewed Lisa's latest release "The Journey of Champions" over on my review blog, but decided to get a little insight into the writing of it, and the rest of the Journey series.
I asked Lisa if she'd always planned The Journey Series as an actual series or if the 1st book was going to be a stand alone book.
Here's what she had to say along with an excerpt:
Originally, I’d planned on The Journey Home being a simple Novella that was placed in Harvest Treats, the third book of the candy collection. And while I wrapped it all up in a nice, pretty little bow, when all was said and done, I missed my characters. There was still so much of Travis’ story to be told that when it came time to do NaNoWriMo, I decided that I’d give it a go.
The journey I went on was amazing. I ended up taking the story I’d planned for NaNoWriMo and turned it into three novellas. The first is The Journey of Champions. In this book, Travis must leave Penelope and Max again in order to travel back to Miami and set his affairs and make his final move back home. It was incredibly emotional for me to write because I felt like I was ripping this family apart.
Logically, I know that they aren’t real, but in my heart, they were grieving and longing to be with one another again. Silly, right? But that’s the type of writer I am; I put so much of myself into each book.
The other two stories are entitled The Journey to Forever and The Journey to a New Life. I’d tell you about them, but, well, I like to tease.
Excerpt—
“He’s gonna be late if you don’t hurry,” came the softest, sweetest voice Travis had ever heard. Laughing to himself, he looked over his shoulder, finding Penelope Stone standing in the doorway to their bedroom. She had her arms folded in front of her and a sparkle in her dark, sensual, mocha-brown eyes. Her long, silky, blond hair framed her face, and the pure, natural beauty that emanate from her took Travis’s breath away. She was exquisite.
“Are you okay?” Penelope asked when he didn’t speak.
“I’m fine,” Travis groused, trying to convince himself as much as her. Today, he wouldn’t just be leaving Texas for Florida; he’d be leaving his new family, too. He kept telling himself that it was just for a week, maybe two — just long enough to pack up his stuff and make the final move back to her and Max. But with each passing breath, he found the thought of missing even one moment with them excruciating. He’d just gotten a second chance at a life with them, and now he had to say goodbye.
“I don’t believe you.” Penelope smiled and crossed the room, slipping her arms around his waist.
“We don’t want you to leave, either, but you can’t put this off any longer. It’s time to go back, Travis, so that you can really be here when you return.”
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to,” he grumbled, well aware that he sounded like a two-year-old who had been told it was time to go to bed. “I’m gonna miss you, baby.”
“And I’ll miss you,” she whispered. “You’re coming home to us, Travis. And when you do, we can be a real family.”
“We already are one,” he murmured, bringing his hand up to her face. Lowering his lips down onto hers, he kissed her. They took their time, neither of them wanting to rush the moment. It was all they would have to get them through the challenge ahead.
About the author:
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Links:Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Renaissance Romance Publishing * About.me
I asked Lisa if she'd always planned The Journey Series as an actual series or if the 1st book was going to be a stand alone book.
Here's what she had to say along with an excerpt:
Originally, I’d planned on The Journey Home being a simple Novella that was placed in Harvest Treats, the third book of the candy collection. And while I wrapped it all up in a nice, pretty little bow, when all was said and done, I missed my characters. There was still so much of Travis’ story to be told that when it came time to do NaNoWriMo, I decided that I’d give it a go.
The journey I went on was amazing. I ended up taking the story I’d planned for NaNoWriMo and turned it into three novellas. The first is The Journey of Champions. In this book, Travis must leave Penelope and Max again in order to travel back to Miami and set his affairs and make his final move back home. It was incredibly emotional for me to write because I felt like I was ripping this family apart.
Logically, I know that they aren’t real, but in my heart, they were grieving and longing to be with one another again. Silly, right? But that’s the type of writer I am; I put so much of myself into each book.
The other two stories are entitled The Journey to Forever and The Journey to a New Life. I’d tell you about them, but, well, I like to tease.
Excerpt—
“He’s gonna be late if you don’t hurry,” came the softest, sweetest voice Travis had ever heard. Laughing to himself, he looked over his shoulder, finding Penelope Stone standing in the doorway to their bedroom. She had her arms folded in front of her and a sparkle in her dark, sensual, mocha-brown eyes. Her long, silky, blond hair framed her face, and the pure, natural beauty that emanate from her took Travis’s breath away. She was exquisite.
“Are you okay?” Penelope asked when he didn’t speak.
“I’m fine,” Travis groused, trying to convince himself as much as her. Today, he wouldn’t just be leaving Texas for Florida; he’d be leaving his new family, too. He kept telling himself that it was just for a week, maybe two — just long enough to pack up his stuff and make the final move back to her and Max. But with each passing breath, he found the thought of missing even one moment with them excruciating. He’d just gotten a second chance at a life with them, and now he had to say goodbye.
“I don’t believe you.” Penelope smiled and crossed the room, slipping her arms around his waist.
“We don’t want you to leave, either, but you can’t put this off any longer. It’s time to go back, Travis, so that you can really be here when you return.”
“Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to,” he grumbled, well aware that he sounded like a two-year-old who had been told it was time to go to bed. “I’m gonna miss you, baby.”
“And I’ll miss you,” she whispered. “You’re coming home to us, Travis. And when you do, we can be a real family.”
“We already are one,” he murmured, bringing his hand up to her face. Lowering his lips down onto hers, he kissed her. They took their time, neither of them wanting to rush the moment. It was all they would have to get them through the challenge ahead.
About the author:
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.Links:Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * Blog * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Renaissance Romance Publishing * About.me
