C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 34
July 11, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight Inspiration
What inspires a writer?
For me, it was a perfect storm of three factors. Simultaneously, I suddenly had more time to devote to personal projects, I enrolled in a world mythology course at my university, and there was a story spiraling to life inside me.
In the course, I learned about the common elements in myths across many cultures, the hero cycle, and how the characteristics of ancient heroes are the same as those of modern-day heroes.
It was fascinating to find out that nearly every culture has a flood myth to explain that there are consequences for disobedience and bad choices. I loved the course, and it inspired me to get my story down on paper—digital paper that is.
The story I was working on was Disenchanted. My hero was a sixteen-year-old girl who had to break her ancestor’s true love curse carried down through generations onto a boy she was destined to fall in love with. The setting, Old Wethersfield, Connecticut, is the home of the first American witch trials (not Salem). Witch trials–talk about consequences for bad choices! I was inspired by one of those Wethersfield witches who went to trial, so I cast her as the ancestor that curses the family of the witch trial judge.
Sources of inspiration are different for everyone. If you’re seeking inspiration for writing or creating, unplug from social media, take a class like I did, change your environment even for just an hour, visit a museum, or take a nap and dream. Let the wonders of the world around you spark your imagination!
Leigh Goff is an author of three published young adult novels and is represented by Lauren Bittrich. She is working on her next novel, a young adult thriller, while her current manuscript, Wicked Sweet, is on submission.
You can find her current published novels at Audible | Amazon | Apple
Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkTree
July 10, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Workaholics
Life Tools: Give Yourself Time to RestoreBy Susan Hanniford Crowley
I don’t know about you, but culturally I come from workaholics. We are constantly working. Some people . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:July 6, 2023
Friday Feature NEW RELEASE for STELLA MAY
The acclaimed time travel series, Upon a Time, from Stella May goes full circle with Book Four, released May 31, 2023. A Twirl in Time shows how it all began. Be sure to get your copy today!
A jaded CEO. A fiercely focused ballerina. A love that defies all society’s rules.
SoHo, 1962
JJ Morris, successful CEO, leads a secret double life, playing saxophone to his heart’s content in his hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Yet he can’t escape the feeling he’s slowly petrifying into just another jaded millionaire.
Then a gorgeous blonde steps into his bar and shakes up his world. Certain this fierce little swan of a woman is exactly what’s missing in his life, he maps out a plan to wed her by Christmas. With or without his snobby mother’s approval.
Most women would be thrilled to learn that the tall, handsome bar musician is, in fact, a wealthy prince charming. Verochka Osipoff is less than impressed. She’s focused on becoming a prima ballerina, and everything hinges on her next audition. She can’t afford distractions, especially a rich playboy slumming it in SoHo.
Yet the heat of their attraction melts Verochka’s heart like warm chocolate. But JJ’s world is a cold, glittering nest of vipers. And their venom could destroy their love song before the first movement ends.
EXCERPT
The sound of a saxophone halted her steps. That deep, velvety voice grabbed her by her throat, and refused to let go. Holding her breath, mesmerized, Verochka stopped, then pivoted. Where did it come from? Straining her ears, she looked around, searching the almost empty street. Guided by her hearing, she glanced at the closed doors on her right. The Broome Street Bar. Inside, the sax murmured its enchanting tale, sad, and touching, and heartbreaking.
Mon Dieu! What must one feel to play like that?
Verochka closed her eyes and swayed to the music. Her arms by their own volition lifted and moved in a lazy, unhurried wave. She visualized the dance in her mind, something slow and sensual. Strange, but she never paid attention to jazz before. Then again, she was never partial to any music except classical.
To her, there was nothing and no one compared to Tchaikovsky. But the soulful notes of that sax fascinated her as much as the famous opening theme from Swan Lake. When the sound trailed off, she felt almost bereft. She craved to hear more. Will the musician play again? Oh, she hopped so. She’d wait for it.
Outside? On the sidewalk at almost ten at night?
Unwise, not to mention quite dangerous. Granted, this spot in SoHo was not prone to crime. But still. A young woman alone was bound to attract some attention. Verochka looked at the closed door of the bar, biting her lip.
To go inside, or continue on her way? The wisest thing to do, of course, was to turn around, and go home, to her tiny apartment. It was late. She must rest before her wake-up call at 5:30 AM. All morning classes of Madame Valeska started at precisely 6 AM, and God forbid if any of the dancers were late even by a minute. The wrath of her teacher definitely equaled to her worldwide fame as a former principal dancer of The Royal Ballet.
Tired after the long day of classes and rehearsals, then cleaning the premises, Verochka barely kept upright. She hated her after- hours janitorial obligations, but promise was a promise. And Verochka Osipoff never broke her word.
No matter how spent she was, each and every evening, after all the dancers went home, and the school was closed, she headed to the closet for a broom and a bucket. At first, she didn’t mind it at all. It was an arrangement made in heaven. An eighteen-year-old orphan from France, determined to reach her dream, Verochka arrived at the doors of the famous New York ballet school with nothing but fifty dollars to her name and a small satchel that belonged to her father.
After her initial shock faded, the formidable Madame Valeska, the owner of the school, ordered Verochka to change into her leotards, and dance.
Her final verdict delivered in a grumbling voice was like a heavenly music to Verochka’s ears.
“You have a potential, Miss Osipoff. I’ll take a chance on you, and let you stay for a probationary period of three months. After that, we’ll see.”
Verochka’s elation was huge, but temporary. The school was obscenely expensive. No way she was able to afford the tuition. There was a stipend, but applying for it took only God knew how long, with no guarantee that it will be granted in the end.
On top of it, she was a foreigner, all alone in the strange country, and barely able to speak English.
Madame Valeska, quickly assessing the situation— more accurately, feeling sorry for her— offered Verochka a deal: the education in exchange for cleaning services. A tiny room in the attic as a temporary place to live was added to that offer. To Verochka, it was like a Christmas gift she could never have dreamt about.
Overwhelmed, moved to tears, Verochka grabbed the opportunity with both hands. After a while, she got her stipend for the gifted and unprivileged students, thanks to Madame Valeska’s help, and was able to cover most of her tuition.
The convenience of living on the premises saved her the expense of a rent, and occasional participation in corps de ballet’s performances made everything else manageable. She didn’t need a lot of food, as her extremely strict diet fell mostly into yogurt and fruit category. As to clothes— she learned at her dancing parents knee the skill to mend tears and repair pointe shoes.
Two years later, Verochka was still living in the attic, and still mopped the floors, and cleaned the premises. But it didn’t matter. Her main goal to become a prima ballerina of The Royal Ballet took the precedence over everything else.
Ambitious? Maybe. But, as her father always said, you must dream big. Otherwise, what was the point? So, she dreamed big, and worked like a woman possessed in order to reach that dream. She was content, and happy, and along the way, fell in love with New York, her new home. Her only home. She learned English, and became quite fluent in it, even though her accent stubbornly refused to be erased.
Of course, she missed France, and Paris, and small street cafes, and long strolls along the Seine. Oh, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sprinkled with powdered sugar beignets! Sometimes, she could smell them in her dreams.
But most of all, she missed her parents. She was sure they were looking at her from heaven, smiling, proud of her accomplishments.
Her occasional nostalgia was usually sweet, and short, like a children’s lullaby.
But not tonight.
After finishing her duties, Verochka was ambushed by a sadness so huge, she almost doubled down with it. Suffocated in the large empty building that housed the ballet school, she was lonely, isolated, until she couldn’t bear another minute longer locked inside. Hence, her impromptu evening walk that brought her in the middle of SoHo, to the Broome Street Bar.
The plaintive sounds of sax reached her ears again.
Oh, yeas, please.
Listening to those seductive low rumbles, she wondered about the player.
Who was he? Or was it a she? Why was that melody so sad, so sorrowful?
Available at BOOKS2READ, AMAZON, and GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS
Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website.
Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of ‘Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.
When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean with her husband. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 25 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business.
Follow Stella on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
July 4, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight International Kissing Day
If you haven’t kissed your significant other, your children, your parents, or other family members today, get off line and do so. After you read our blog, of course, because tomorrow, July 6th, is International Kissing Day.
Kissing Day was first celebrated in the UK and now is an international celebration in all the countries where kissing is part of the culture. Kissing was not a custom of many indigenous peoples and is believed to have been introduced to indigenous peoples through European settlement. Hooray for Europe!
According to recent research, kissing is also good for you too. It burns calories (about 2-3 calories a minute), it’s good for your heart (it creates an adrenalin that causes your heart to pump more blood), it helps prevent tooth decay, is a stress reliever, and it boosts your immunity. And if boosting your health isn’t enough reason to have a few smooches, consider this … it just feels good.
There are many ways to kiss. Here are a few:
• Passionate kisses
the goodnight kiss that lasts forever when you’re young and head over heels in love
the French kiss
the hickey kiss
the upside down Spiderman kiss
the bittersweet kiss, often shared between star crossed lovers as they leave each other
• Affectionate kisses
kissing the boo boos away
the top of the head kiss
the forehead kiss, a motherly sort of kiss,
the awkward first kiss
• Greeting kisses
the European double cheek kiss of greeting
the kiss on the cheek, often the hello and goodbye kisses we give friends and family
• Insincere kisses
the betrayal kiss of Judas
the air kiss often practiced as a sham action
the kiss of death
• Kisses that don’t involve touching lips
the Eskimo kiss, rubbing noses instead of touching lips
the butterfly kiss, done by fluttering the eyelashes against the cheek
hand kissing, a lost art except in historical romances which can be romantic or a greeting to a lady
the kiss you smack into your hand and throw to someone
body kisses (‘Nuff said’)
Writers of romance often concern themselves with the more passionate kisses, but there’s something to be said for using sweeter kisses in our stories too. Not every kiss shared by a couple is going to set off fireworks. Sometimes you need the love without the rollercoaster ride to add some levels to the romance. Consider incorporating some sweeter, more affectionate kisses in your love scenes. You might be surprised at what happens between your characters when they hold back a little on the ardor.
Have you kissed someone today?
Perhaps a book that we’ve written would help set the mood. While our series is a paranormal genre there are love stories in each one. You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
July 3, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Happy 4th
June 29, 2023
Friday Feature List Making for a writer
If you’re like us, you have a to-do list. It’s filled with the mundane-but necessary-things that must be accomplished to make life run smoothly: go grocery shopping, pay the bills, do the laundry, call the plumber to unstop the toilet. Sometimes these things, and life in general, can get in a writer’s way. But just sitting down at the keyboard isn’t the only thing a writer needs to do. There’s more to writing than putting words to paper or on computer screens. Here are a few suggestions we came up with for your to-do list. Don’t just write – feed your soul and your muse too.
1. Read. Read books, magazines, newspapers, the back of cereal boxes-whatever you can get. Writers must be readers.
2. Visit McDonald’s at lunchtime and pretend you’re a kid again. Buy a Happy Meal, eat it slowly, play with the toy, play with your food, make kiddie noises, and watch the other kids play. Writers must be able to get into the skins of other people in order to write realistically.
3. Make a journal entry. Write about your dreams, your past, your goals, your feelings. Free-write to let creativity reign. Writers have to tap into the unconscious, creative brain functions that allow characters to come alive, ideas to bubble to the surface, and creativity to flow.
4. Take a walk, jog around the block, visit the gym. Writers need exercise to stay healthy.
5. Spend time with people. Writers can’t be lone wolves all the time. We need the stimulation of companionship to recharge.
6. Pull your lawn chair under a tree and look up at the sky. Writers need time to stare into space and dream.
7. Sleep late, go to bed early, take a nap. Writers need their rest so they can be alert to the world around them.
8. Remember a time when your emotions ran high and re-experience it. Feel the anger, love, hate, fear, loneliness, sadness, courage, and jealousy. They are part of life. Writers must be able to pull emotions to the surface in order to write with passion.
9. Close the office door and spend time by yourself. Writers need to be alone to create.
10. Write today, tomorrow, and every day. Writers aren’t writers unless they spend the time doing the one thing they, by their very nature, can’t avoid doing. Spill your passion onto the page and release the magic into your writing life.
Perhaps a book you could put on your list for reading could be one of ours. You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
June 27, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight June 28th
On this day in1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his consort, Sophie, were assassinated by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Bosnia, precipitating the outbreak of World War 1.
In our series, The Turning Stone Chronicles, our heroes and heroines fight to prevent a war instigated by the evil group of shapeshifters lead by our arch villain, Falhman. They are in a constant struggle to prevent the shifter conflict from spilling over into the human world, although sometimes this occurs with significant consequences. Here’s an excerpt, of such a time, from the first book of the series, The Promised One:
The woman stared at him, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Return the ring, or you’ll be sorry.”
With a short laugh he stood. “Big words for someone bleeding to death.” After dropping the ring into his pocket, he gathered the scattered contents of her purse, and started to leave.
“Wait.” The words sounded thick and slurred . . . two octaves deeper . . . with a Scottish lilt.
Shaw frowned and spun back toward her. The pounding in his chest increased. On the ground, where the woman had fallen, lay a man.
He wore the same slinky blue dress she had—the seams ripped, the dress top collapsed over hard chest muscles, instead of smoothed over soft, rounded curves. The hem skimmed across a pair of hairy, thick thighs. Muscled male thighs. Spiked heels hung at an odd angle, toes jutting through the shoe straps. The same shoes she’d been wearing.
The alley tipped. Shaw leaned against the dumpster to steady himself. He shook his head to clear the vision, then slowly moved his gaze over the body.
A pair of steel-blue eyes stared out of a chiseled face edged with a trim salt-and-pepper beard. Shaw whirled around scanning the alley.
Where was the woman? And who the hell was this guy?
Terrified, Shaw fled.
The dying man called out, “You’re cursed. Forever.”
TITLE: The Turning Stone Chronicles
GENRE: Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual
>b>BLURB:
Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world?
Find out in The Series The Turning Stone Chronicles
Book one of the chronicles titled “The Promised One” available on Amazon
In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.
Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.
Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones, and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.
Book two of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “Blood Brothers” available on Amazon.
When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.
The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.
Book three of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “Son of the Moonless Night” currently available on Amazon.
Owen Todd Jordan Riley has a secret. He’s a shape shifter who has been hunting and killing his own kind. To him the only good shifter is a dead shifter. Revenge for the death of a friend motivates him, and nothing stands in his way . . . except Katrina Romanovski, the woman he is falling in love with.
Deputy coroner Katrina Romanovski has a secret, too. She hunts and kills paranormal beings like Owen. At least she did. When she rescues Owen from an attack by a werebear she is thrust back into the world she thought she’d left. Determined to find out what Owen knows about the bear, she begins a relationship meant to collect information. What she gets is something quite different-love with a man she suspects of murder. Can she reconcile his deception and murderous revenge spree and find a way to redeem him? Or will she condemn him for the same things she has done and walk away from love?
Book four of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “The Mercenary & the Shifters” available on Amazon.
A desperate call from an ex-military buddy lands a mercenary soldier in the middle of a double kidnapping, caught in an ancient shape shifter war, and ensnared between two female shape shifters after the same thing … him.
If you’re interested in checking out our other books they are on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
June 26, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday What’s in a name?
Naming Your Fictional Characters – Not As Easy As You Might ThinkBy Lucy Mitchell
Naming fictional characters is one of those writing activities a non-writer might view as…simple to do. *Sigh* They probably think we pluck a random name out of thin air, sit down to write and bring that newly named fictional person to life. If only naming a fictional character was that simple.
Naming a character can . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:June 22, 2023
Friday Feature Twelve Pointers for Pitching to an Editor or Agent
In March of 2013, we had the best editor pitch in our careers—the one that sold our book The Turning Stone Chronicles—The Promised One to Soul Mate Publishing. It wasn’t the first time we had pitched this book, or others, and it probably won’t be the last time we have to pitch. Pitching is a constant for any writer and that face-to-face contact goes a long way. Along our journey we’ve picked up a lot of tips. Here are twelve pointers we hope you’ll find helpful.
• Dress for success. Whether you realize it or not, this is a job interview. Even though you might type in your PJs, you want to make a good first impression on the editor.
• Make a cheat sheet note card (small enough to fit discreetly in your hand) with your title, subgenre, book length, hook, your blurb and any contests the book finaled in. These are notes for you, not for the editor. We all get nervous and forget the simplest things. A cheat sheet comes in handy when this happens.
• Smile. It makes you look confident.
• Keep eye contact with the editor. This also helps you look confident.
• Give her your business card. Make sure all your contact information is on your card: website, email, telephone, and any other contact information you’d like to add. We put our book blurb on the back of our business card so it’s available for her to read (should she choose) after we’ve left. It’s also a great way to keep your story in front of her since most editors don’t accept one-sheets or other papers at a conference, but they will accept your business cards. Remember, they have to carry anything they accept back with them on the plane.
• Take a deep breath and talk distinctly and slowly. It’s natural to speak quickly when you’re nervous, but in a room with several other editors and writers giving their pitches it’s easy to miss words that are said too fast.
• Start your pitch with your book title and book cover blurb. Don’t read it—memorize it. Do your best to make it sound like you’re telling a friend about your book, not reeling off a commercial. Practice makes perfect on this hint. After you hooked her, hopefully, with your great blurb, let her know the subgenre, length, contest wins, or other pertinent information about the book.
• Be enthusiastic about your book. She’ll notice your passion and it could spark her interest.
• Keep your initial presentation to about half the time allotted for the pitch. This leaves time for her to ask questions.
• If you see she’s not interested, or she says she just bought something like it, or you have extra time, have another book ready to pitch. Just make sure it’s in a genre she’s accepting. Catherine actually pitched three books in one session because her initial pitch went so fast. The editor asked to see all three!
• Ask her how to submit. Make sure you get her business card with contact information. There’s nothing worse than leaving the interview and realizing you didn’t find out where to send your manuscript. And, yes, Catherine has been so nervous and excited that an editor asked for her book that she walked out without her contact information.
• Don’t forget to say, “Thanks” as you leave. This may seem like a given, but in tense situations it’s easy for things slip your mind, as noted by Catherine’s mistake in the hint above. If she doesn’t ask for your book, be sure to thank her for her time. You don’t want to burn any bridges. You might have another book later you’ll want to pitch to the same editor or house.
Our chance came, not at a scheduled meeting, but at the breakfast table. When you’re at a conference you need to be ready to give your pitch at anytime. Just keep it short and to the point.
Do you have any tips to add to this?
Please add in the comments.
If these points interested you then check out our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
June 20, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight You might be a writer if…
Well, you might be if…
…your book characters are more real to you than your family members.
…you buy so much paper and ink you’re thinking about investing in Hewlett Packard or Epsion.
…you get up early or stay up late to find quiet time to write.
…you have a notebook and pen stashed next to your bed, the toilet, your easy chair, your purse and the car to catch ideas as they come to you.
…you know how to use the dictation note app on your smart phone to record ideas.
…you know how to write legibly…in the dark.
…everything you see or hear elicits a “there’s a story/book/article idea there” comment from you.
…you get grouchy when you’re away from the keyboard too long.
…your friends don’t tell you too much about what’s happening in their lives because they are afraid they’ll turn up in one of your stories.
…a day without writing is like a day without sunshine.
…you subscribe to a dozen magazines and newspapers just to get story ideas.
…you have a hundred rejection letters, but keep sending out your manuscript.
…you actually write. The real proof is in the production of completed works!
Can you think of any other things that might make you a writer? Please share in the comments.
Regardless of wither you are a writer or not but like to read why not settle into a comfy chair and check out our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
