Kathleen Rowland's Blog, page 18
July 16, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
Traditionally published or self-published, this is the question many writers of fiction ask. Traditionally published means the publisher assumes all the costs. The publisher pays the writer for the right to publish the work for a specific period of time. Big publishers pay and initial advance, but in most cases, when a book sells, the writer is paid royalties via Paypal. Many self-published books could use improvement in the area of editing. Publishers have better editors who edit for character and suggest techniques to strengthen goal, motivation, and conflict and not just give the manuscript line-editing polish. Publishers have readers looking for certain types of stories and books. There are various genres, but readers want more books of what they like best. Readers sometimes gravitate to small presses because the books are less formulaic and more original. A couple of years ago I discovered books at Tirgearr Publishing, the leader of the pack in Ireland. I enjoyed every book I read. Here is an example of fresh, fun deeply entertaining fiction—One Night in Dublin by Kemberlee Shortland in the City Nights Series. Oh, to write like that! Incidentally Kemberlee and Peter Shortland are the publishers at Tirgearr, and Kemberlee’s books have hit top seller lists for many years. You can imagine how thrilled I was yesterday when Tirgearr Publishing offered me a contract for my romantic suspense, Deadly Alliance. I was so excited last night I couldn’t sleep. In my novel the protagonists follow the laundered money trail from California to Ireland. Tirgearr comes from two Irish words to make a new Irish word. Tir means Land, and Gearr means Short. Thus, Tirgearr translates to Shortland which is the last name of the publishers. Peter and Kemberlee Shortland! 
July 15, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
A BRAND NEW ADDRESS is a finalist in the YA teen romance category! Please see the full list of winners below!
2015 BOOK BUYERS BEST CONTEST FOR PUBLISHED AUTHORS
This award showcases the shining excellence of published authors in novella and novel-length romance fiction and women’s fiction.
Congratulations to all of the finalists. Thank you to everyone who entered this year’s contest.
First, Second and Third Place will be awarded in each category. Highest score in each category will advance to the Final Round to be judged by Helen Fried, County Librarian, Orange County Public Libraries, for the “Top Pick” award.
The top finishers from the final round of judging will be announced at the chapter’s Birthday Bash on October 10, 2015.
2015 FINALISTS
Contemporary Series Romance:
A Texas Holiday Miracle by Linda Warren
Christmas Justice by Robin Perini
The Promise of Rain by Rula SinaraContemporary Single Title Romance:
Clear as Glass by Lynn Kellan
The Place I Belong by Nancy Herkness
Secret Lives by Ann AlexandraMainstream with Romantic Elements:
My Sort-of, Kind-of Hero by Emily Harper
A Scandalous Husband by Bev Patterson
Veiled Intentions by Eileen Carr
Suspense/Mystery with Romantic Elements:
Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson
Justice for Abby by Cate Beauman
LUSH by Beth Yarnall
Historical/Regency Romance:
Fair Play by Deeanne Gist
Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner
Mistress of Melody by Anthea Lawson
Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi with Romantic Elements:
That Magic Touch by Donna Marie Rogers
Wolf in Gucci Loafers by Tara Lain
Wicked Flames by Sharon Kay
Inspirational Romance:
Firewall by Diane Mills
The Widow’s Suitor by Rose Ross-Zediker
Shenandoah Dreams by Lisa Belcastro
Young Adult Romance:
Royal by Anthea Lawson
A Brand New Address by Kathleen Rowland
Innocent by Callie James
Erotic Romance:
Funny Girl by Kate Baum
Sliding Into Home by Anne Lange
Hers to Own by Anne Lange
Novella – Romance: (tie)
The Big One by Louisa Bacio
Once Upon a Ring by Kate Moore
Shimmy For Me by DeAnna Cameron
Night Angel by Lisa Kessler
July 12, 2015
Eat– for Good Health
Have you tried summertime sesame cabbage with salmon? It’s a delicious and colorful combination, and if you like staying trim and healthy, you’ll love it all the more! The photo below is courtesy of Jennifer Causey.
Ingredients for a 400 calorie meal:
Cooking spray
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preparation:
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle salmon with 3/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add salmon to pan, skin side down; cook 5 minutes. Turn salmon over; cook 2 minutes or until done.
2. While salmon cooks, combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through brown sugar) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add cabbages, carrot, cilantro, onions, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to bowl; toss to coat. Divide salad evenly among 4 serving plates; top each with 1 salmon fillet. Sprinkle evenly with almonds and sesame seeds.
July 9, 2015
Wordsmith– I also review books
Today I have the spotlight on Tina Gayle’s book, My Best Friend’s Ex.
Oh my, is this a dilemma or what? Brooke dated Garrett in high school. They parted ways during college years, and this amazing hunk ended up marrying Janet, a friend. Party-girl Janet cheated on him, and they ended up divorcing. When Brooke runs into Garrett, both want to pick up where they left off. Brooke feels she needs permission from Janet to date her ex, and Janet warns her Garrett isn’t over her and will break Brooke’s heart. It’s a dilemma on many fronts. I recommend My Best Friend’s Ex to anyone who enjoys roller coaster romance.
My Best Friend’s Ex is one of seven new adult stores in the box set Fling. Get them all for 99 cents!
July 8, 2015
Wordsmith– I also review books
I just finished reading Chase by Elena Dillon, and her story grabbed me from the get-go, and I couldn’t put it down until The End! Rylan makes every effort to end her relationship with her obsessive boyfriend, Brian. After he climbs into her bedroom window at three in the morning and Rylan’s mom tries to protect her with a baseball bat, the cops arrive. The volatile situation forces her mom to relocate Rylan to Lafayette, Louisiana to live with family friends. Chase picks her up at the airport, and as they compare recent history with break-ups, they begin to forge a friendship. Facing a random crime brings them closer.
Talented writer Elena Dillon never disappoints. Her prose is witty, genuine, and her characters are lovable, responsible teens. I look forward to more from this award-winner!
Elena Dillon is the winner of the Weta Nichols Writing Award for Young Adult, the InD’tale RONE award for Young Adult and was finalist in the Book Buyers Best Awards. Elena writes sweet teenage romance with sass, suspense and swoon. Chase is one of seven new adult stories in the box set Fling for the amazing price of 99 cents!
What other’s are saying about Elena’s books:
“With a huge reveal, uncovering the dark evil on her trail, this tale is one of the best YA thrillers I’ve read!” Amazon reviewer
“This book pulled me in from the very first line: “Most days I can almost forget someone murdered my sister.” Clare Chu ~ Amazon reviewer
Find out what Elena’s up to on her blog http://elenadillon.com
Follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/ElenaDillon
Check her out on Facebook
July 2, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
Do you enjoy reading or writing in the romance genre of New Adult? Creating angst in the heroine/hero relationship is paramount. New adults, basically college aged protags, are figuring out why they’re attracted to a certain person. Are they getting enough emotion back from that person? In Betrayal at Crater’s Edge Yardley feels neglected. Marchand wants to protect her. Here’s an excerpt:
PROLOGUE
Six months before, Ice Age Earth
The evening before take-off concealed secrets, one good and another bad.
A blaring horn pierced the frigid night, warning the guards to open the chain-link gate. The hydraulic brakes of flatbed trucks hissed as they snaked through the entrance with shuttles destined for the habitable planet, Venus.
Marchand LaFond slipped off a supply truck carrying egg incubators and small greenhouse units. The chaos was ideal with twenty-some shuttles being readied for take-off. He made his way into a warehouse where he’d meet Yardley Van Dyke. Under-age for the journey, they were about to enter the space race in place of their parents. Without family responsibilities, the young and the restless couldn’t resist the opportunity.
Marchand shrank into the shadows. He couldn’t find her and began to search the ramshackle warehouse. The smell of rotten wood clung to the air. He heard a scream. Hers? Beneath him, the floor groaned. Within seconds he found a stairway. The moan came louder, and racing toward it, he spotted Yardley, slumped against a large drum container.
He whispered, “You fell through the rotten floor!”
“That’s right, smarty.” Limping, she grabbed his hand as he pulled her up. “Do you hear that?” She jerked her head to listen. Footfalls pounded loud and louder.
His entire body stilled. A forklift loomed toward them with headlights sweeping. Workers marched behind. Moving ahead of the forklift traipsed a couple of guys with red hair clipped knife-straight.
“Your cousins!” Yardley hissed. “What’s wrong with them?”
Balto and Renny reminded him of leprechauns on steroids. He’d never seen them with such dimwitted expressions.
Marchand pulled her with him against the wall. From deep in the shadows he surveyed the loading of drums onto the forklift. Twice he checked his weapon, a slingshot. As he peered at the mindless crew, he relaxed and didn’t expect to use it.
“Your two cousins and there’s Joey. Guess what? They’re on Savage’s team.”
Another emotion— anger— prickled his skin. His entire body went on alert. They’d never willingly be on his team.
“Brain implants,” she said. “That’s how Vito Savage gets his workers,” she said. “Sharlene told me.”
“She’s in a heap of trouble.” The word was out. “Sharlene spies on her grandmother.” Marchand had heard other rumblings. Sharlene’s grandmother, the CEO of BioMinds, wanted to send her snoopy granddaughter to Venus.
The scent of gasoline from the forklift burned his nose. “They’re heading out.”
“Lucky for us.” Yardley was antsy, nervous.
He put his arm around her and helped her hobble at a sloth’s pace.
Outside in the icy air, Vito Savage was ordering his crew to load the drums onto an elevator. Marchand counted ten containers going up to the corporate shuttle.
“Ew, Vito Savage,” Yardley said.
“That dude smells of rat,” Marchand said. “I’d like to know what’s inside those drums.” With his arm around her, they made their way toward their shuttle.
“The crew wasn’t shooting the breeze.” She kept her voice low. “The way they lined up those drums, they have a fetish for neatness.”
He said, “It’s not in their nature. My cousins are pigs.”
“They’re still in a trance.”
“Damn,” he said. “You’ve got some insight on you, don’t you girl.”
“Impressive, I know. Looks like the last drum is loaded.”
Marchand’s emotions ran wild. The company shuttle transported weaponry, and whatever the drums contained was part of it. He had his man. “Vito Savage. He’ll be an evil force on Venus.”
CHAPTER ONE
Looking Cool, Unruffled
Inside her greenhouse on Venus, Yardley Van Dyke kept checking out the glass. Marchand’s rover was still there. Soon he’d leave on a spying expedition. Without her! His three-wheeled vehicle powered by wind proved reliable. His reliability as her boyfriend sucked.
The audacity of Marchand LaFond, not inviting her along! That hurt. Together, they’d pieced together evidence. Savage planned to annihilate anyone in his way, and Marchand planned to locate the containers and hide them. Both he and she wanted to protect the existing population, those who landed two hundred years before.
Too dangerous? Bull crap! Rest assured, the space race was even more dangerous.
Her anguish over the drums of nerve agent matched his. Contamination of water and soil would end every gardening goal she had, not to mention lives on Venus. Vito Savage had spun the nuclear war on Mars. His greed was about to do the same on Venus.
Back on Ice Age Earth where Marchand had sailed a blade-runner over the frozen tundra, she’d tagged along on his Robin-hooding jobs. Granted, she was a terrible crew. Barely knew wind direction. Close your eyes, and you’ll feel it? Never happened, but she had something to offer— food.
The one thing an artsy person like her could do was garden. Food came in handy no matter where you lived. Lately whenever she crossed paths with him, it went down like this. She’d give him a casserole. He’d thank her, and then she’d ask him, “What’s on your mind?” The containers of nerve agent were on his mind. Period, end. No more conversation.
Her friend, Sharlene, corrected her many times. Get a grip. Save a little face.
Yardley never learned how to keep it together. A second passed, and she stood up, gazed closer. He’d added wider tires. Why get so crazy-mad when feeling left out? She inched back. Would he send a text to tell her he’d gone? Keeping tabs on him derailed her, made her sweat like the creepy person she was.
She heard wind whistle with a pinging sound caused by loose halyard fittings banging the mast. The rover was, after all, a modified sailboat. He was setting to raise the sails. Her stomach roiled. She really should shove, push, and scratch him while he was within reach. Either that or step out and wish him good luck.
Marchand was a good guy, but his silent side intimidated her. She wasn’t about to let him know cold fear shot through her limbs. She was unable to say, “Pay a little attention to me.” He functioned in a world of his own.
The dusk season arrived yesterday on Venus, the world which spun once a year on her axis. With half of the year daylight, and now in the second half, nighttime, it took a bit of genius to simulate Earth conditions with a twenty-four hour day.
As newbies on the planet with the human need to create night during constant daylight, they’d blocked light within habitats. Now it was dusk, and they simulated daylight by powering up the wind turbines. Outside the greenhouse, grow lights lit the area she inspected. Around him! There he was under the clock. At ten o’clock in the morning, covered in hard, sculpted muscle, he wore confidence like the guy about to save the world.
Not wanting to look pathetic, she moved below window level and used two shaking fingers to prune dead leaves from melon vines. If he doled out a goodbye, she wanted to look not only pretty but productive. Wasn’t focusing on herself the best revenge? As she placed ripe melons into a bin, she weakened and glanced out. Still there.
His interest in her swung like a pendulum. Up. Now down. He’d moved from their dormitory-habitat, but didn’t say he’d lost love. He just didn’t say.
Her friend, Sharlene, told her how the wind was blowing. As if Yardley didn’t know they’d blown apart! As if she didn’t know he’d moved into the beached shuttle.
Be strong! No more checking, ogling. Be the girl who fiddles with plants. Enjoy your knack. Look anywhere but out the window. At her potting table she pushed seeds into a growth medium. Be grateful, proud. Not everyone has green thumb. Her skill came easily, and she shared her bumper crops. Why wasn’t this working?
The screen door squeaked. Do I look? She took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, wishing her heart wasn’t thumping like she’d run to the canal and back.
The door slammed. “Yardley.” Marchand smiled when he found her inside.
As she turned to face him, she choked with a sudden flood of feeling, all the building emotions over their changed dynamics. She blinked a few times, looking at him, so handsome she wanted to take her weed whacker to him, but the voice in her head told her to be cool. “I saw your duffel bag and carbon monoxide detector beside your rover.” She made weak eye contact.
“Time to go.” Over the course of a long silence, he flashed one of his characteristic expressions— reserved, guarded. “I can’t miss my window.”
“I have a stake in this.” Together they’d witnessed the most powerful company on Ice Age Earth load nerve agent onto their shuttle.
“Spying is risky.”
Because of her, he was privy to Botany General’s plan for the populated crater next to theirs.
He sighed. “I owe you.”
“So bring me along.” Underneath her vengeful hurt, she tried to sound sweet. Wasn’t revenge the dish best served cold? She wanted to serve it scalding hot from the oven of outrage. “Damn!” She slammed her fist on her potting table. “I’m the reason you know.”
He rolled his green eyes. “You’re a garden variety vigilante.” The warm, deep sound of his voice sent traitorous sensations of want right through her.
“Just go.” She hated her squeaky voice.
“You’re done?” When on-mission, like now, he was short on time and entirely clueless.
“I think I’ve covered everything.” Too bad she hadn’t maintained an air of sexy mystery about herself. “Take care.”
“Don’t be mad.” He paused. “Vito Savage is a dirty genocidal maniac. No one’s safe over there. Give him time. We won’t be either.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She’d pictured their niche, the place she’d come to love, contaminated. “I agree.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m on a treadmill. Need to find those drums.” He started walking away, but stopped and looked back when she yelled, “Wait for me.”
June 29, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
Are you a writer who is thinking about combining stories into a box set or anthology? Or even better, do you have a group of writer friends who write in the same genre? Authors Tina Gayle, Elena Dillon, Michele Barrow-Belisle, Geralyn Corcillo, Tracy Reed, and I decided to write a new adult box set which will be released tomorrow. FLING! We became closer in the process. It’s emotionally enormous for solitary writers to work together for fun and profit! I highly recommend this amazing experience. Elena Dillon’s daughter, Alexa, is a graphic designer and made the cover. Tina Gayle formatted our books together and even inserted individual book covers inside.
June 23, 2015
Wordsmith– I also spotlight great authors
Friends, I am excited to spotlight New Adult author Geralyn Corcillo today. Her book, Random Acts of Violent, is a stand alone on Amazon but is also within the super deal, Fling New Adult box set for the same great price of 99 cents!
Title: Random Acts of Violet 
Author: Geralyn Corcillo 
Tagline: Cautious loner Violet Parker needs a new playbook when her quiet summer on campus collides with an unexpected eight year-old, a monster in the attic, and Noah…
Blurb: Quietly independent Violet Parker is enjoying an uneventful summer of house-sitting, writing her thesis, and working to make ends meet. But suddenly a kid gets dumped on her doorstep, something keeps going bump in the attic, and most disturbing of all, Noah Swardguard shows up to lead a summer football program.
Noah has never succeeded in getting close to his reserved lab partner Violet. But when he sees her on campus in July—in charge of a little girl who makes her laugh and live a little—he wonders if maybe, just maybe, he has a chance with Violet Parker after all.
Excerpt:
“Hello?” he called out.
A slim young woman with a glossy brown ponytail popped up from a sort of alcove in the back. “Hi!” she chirped, turning to face him. “What can I get—” Her mouth snapped shut when she saw him. But then she pasted on a totally plastic customer service smile. “—you? What can I get you?”
Noah willed himself not to react. At all. “Violet Parker.”
“Hi, Noah.”
“So…” he said, “working here for the summer?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yeah. The team runs a football camp for high school kids.”
“Hm. What can I get you?”
Right. Parker had never liked that he played football. Not that she’d ever said anything. But she’d been classic with the bullet-proof silences. Even just watching her concentrate over a bunsen burner could be arctic.
“Noah?” she prompted.
“Coconut mango protein shake and bear claw to go. Please.”
“Right.” She quickly rang him up, gave him his change, then paused. “Um, why don’t you go sit over there while I whip up your order.” She was waving to some tables in the far corner. As in, Get as far away from me as geographically possible.
“Parker, I’m the only one here. What? Are you going to bake me a bear claw? I’ll just take one from the case, if it’s all the same to you.”
“Okay.” She quickly tossed his pastry into a thin paper bag and shoved it at him. “Now just go over there and wait, please, and I’ll bring you your drink.”
Seriously? It would take her, like, a minute to blend it. But she was looking at him steadily. Intently, even, as if she were willing him to go away.
Ouch.
Links for Geralyn Corcillo:
https://twitter.com/geralyncorcillo
https://www.facebook.com/geralyncorcillothewriter
Bio: When she was a kid growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Geralyn Vivian Ruane Corcillo dreamed of one day becoming the superhero Dyna Girl. So, she did her best and grew up to constantly pick up litter and rescue animals. At home, she loves watching old movies, British mysteries, and the NY Giants. Geralyn Corcillo lives in a drafty old house in Hollywood with her husband Ron, a guy who’s even cooler than Kip Dynamite.
June 15, 2015
Wordsmith– I also write books
When is it a good idea to write an epilogue? Falling action is the best place to tie up loose ends. Here are a few uses for to use an epilogue:
1). If your story ends with a trauma, an epilogue can let the reader know the fate of a character. 2). An epilogue can assure the reader justice has been served. 3). An epilogue can explain the fate of a character. Increase the feeling of happily ever after and let the reader know the protagonists survived. 5). An epilogue is a glimpse into the future.
June 11, 2015
Wordsmith– I also Spotlight books
Under the glow of a spotlight today is talented writer, Helen Henderson. It’s time to fly with the Dragshi! Her book, Dragon Destiny, is a romantic fantasy published by High Eyrie Publications.
Buy Links:
Ebook and paperback available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble. Visit http://helenhenderson-author.webs.com for the latest distribution sites about this action- and romance-filled fantasy.
BLURB:
Lord Branin of the dragshi, is more than just a man, but two beings—one a dragon, the other a human. The pair share one body in space in time and are able to change forms with the other at will. From the time Branin’s twinned soul, Llewlyn, awoke, Branin knew the freedom of flight. However, being a shifter came with a price. Branin and Llewlyn are the only two of their kind who have not found their intended mates, despite millennia of waiting…and searching.
The red-haired firebrand, Broch of Ky’Port plans to fill that position in Branin’s life—with or without his cooperation. When a faint thought impinged on Branin’s mind, hope for an ending to eons of loneliness soared. Plagued by doubts because no signs of a dragon shifter’s birth have been seen, Branin searches the world for the mysterious girl he only knows by the name, Anastasia.
Wing into adventure and love at http://helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com/p/dragon-destiny.html for an excerpt and a free read of the first chapter.
About Helen: Helen Henderson has written fiction as long as she could remember. Her heritage reflects the contrasts of her Gemini sign. She is a descendent of a coal-miner’s daughter and an aviation flight engineer. This dichotomy shows in her writing which crosses genres from historical adventures and westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world of romantic fantasy she is the author of two series: Windmaster and the Dragshi Chronicles. Henderson describes herself as a tour guide to the stars, the Old West, and worlds of imagination and invites you to journey with her. The trip begins at helenhenderson-author.webs.com or helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com
