Meka James's Blog, page 5

Music Monday - One Thing Right

OMG What is this? An actual Music Monday post after weeks of nothing? Why yes, yet it is. Hey folks, I'm back!
So I the last few weeks have been a bit busy. I was making over my younger two boys rooms. They had been sharing one but now they each have their own. The Girl isn't happy about that as the youngest took over her old room. She feels we should keep a shrine to her even though she now lives in a whole other state. LOL

But I digress. Between weeks of manual labor, followed by a trip to NY for the annual RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference and general life, I've not been feeling all that inspired. The lack of inspiration means the lack of fun and/or meaningful songs I could bring you.

The tides are a changing!

School started today, so yay summer is over. Why does that matter? Welp, I again have a quiet house in which to think. Or at least pretend to think. No more listening to my younger two fight over Fortnite and who shot who. Or who stole whose bounty. No constant interruptions asking for snacks and other food countless times a day. Quiet! Oh how I've missed it.

The creative juices are a churning again and all those neglected WIPs are clamoring for attention. They want their stories told. And I'm ready to hopefully be productive again. Starting with a new song.

I heard this week's selection while I was sitting in traffic on the way to work. I didn't really pay much attention to it initially, then I kept hearing it. Almost as if the universe was trying to get me to notice and by golly I did. I have lots of thoughts and ideas for Dorian and Gerald's story, but I'm not sure how they will all play out. What I do know is I keep hearing songs that are possibly helping me shape Gerald's personality, the what's beneath the playful flirt he shows to the world, and I'm liking it. Hopefully once I get to writing, it will all work out, but only time will tell.

Until then, let there be music! I hope you have a great week, and thanks for putting up with my scattered postings. My tagline truly should be consistently inconsistent. LOL

Until next time
~Meka

"One Thing Right" by Marshmello feat. Kane Brown

#AuthorToolBoxBlogHop - OUT OF OFFICE

  It's a new month, and typically should be a new post for the #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop but as you can see I'm "out of office" this month.
I've been elbow deep in mini-home makeovers. My youngest two boys have always shared a room, and we're separating them. By "we" I mean me as my other half doesn't really take part in these endeavors.

While my boys are excited, momma is tired. Super tired. I forgot how much effort it is to de-clutter, move furniture, paint, put together furniture, etc. Been at it for two weeks, kid one is done, working on kid two's room now. All this means that at the end of the day I'm tired. And can't think on deeper levels. hahaha so the idea of writing some meaningful and helpful post is beyond my mental capabilities right now.

My boys start school in three short weeks. Hopefully my sanity and focus will return and I'll be back doling out random "advice" and scattered thoughts next month. Until then, happy hopping and I'll still pop in to do some reading during my breaks from painting.

Until next time,
~Meka

Music Monday - Whatever It Takes

Happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend? I spent mine recuperating from painting the previous week before tackling more painting this week. I got one of those Google Home things like two years ago for Christmas and last week was the most I'd used it.


In the midst of me being mostly offline for various reasons, one of my Squad members had another book release! I've bragged about Amelia Foster a few times on my blog. First featured on Music Monday when I was showcasing each of my Squad members, and then later to talk about her new release and book review.

Welp, last Tuesday, Ms. Foster released book two in her Meant To Be Series. MEANT TO BE DIFFERENT follows Carlisle brother, Wyatt as he fights to win back his high school sweetheart. This one is a second chance romance and like with MEANT TO BE KEPT, the Carlisle men once again find themselves on the groveling side of the road to redemption.

In the lead up to her release, Amelia posted various teasers with songs that helped inspire the story. Music plays a big role in her process as well. This week's selection is one from that playlist. As I said, Wyatt has some making up to do after walking away from Georgia twelve years prior. He broke her heart once, so he has come major convincing to do on why she should give him another chance.

"Whatever It Takes" plays into that because that is exactly what Wyatt is willing to do in order to prove to Georgia he's deserving and is here to stay.

If you're into second chance romances, cocky cowboys, and head strong heroines, you'll enjoy MEANT TO BE DIFFERENT.


Buy on Amazon or you can read in Kindle Unlimited
Until next time~Meka
"Whatever It Takes" by Lifehouse

Music Monday - Señorita

Happy Monday. It's been two weeks since I did one of these posts. I didn't want to miss, but I try to keep blogging a fun thing for me. I was having a bit of blahs, so didn't feel up to it, so instead of forcing myself, I skipped the posts.


The other two books in the 'series' are about 18k. I'm sitting at about 9k so halfway there. As always, music helps. Even when I'm not actively writing, I'm thinking about the story, trying to work things out, and music helps me in that process.

This week's song plays into the sexy vibe, and since I just finished their first sexy encounter, it works with Lana's somewhat new outlook on Emilio. Enemies-to-lovers neighbor style has been fun to write with the banter and snark between these two.

The words are coming slowly, but the musical inspiration keeps coming at me. I'm in the final month of summer with my kids, hopefully less distractions will help me get this completed sometime in August. Until then, the playlist keeps growing.

Hope you have a great week.

Until next time,
~Meka

"Señorita" by Shawn Mendes feat. Camili Cabello

IWSG - Getting Personal

Happy July! Can't believe how fast the summer is blowing by. My kids only have like a month of vacation left. We are here for the first Wednesday so that means IWSG blog hop day.


I'm needing to figure out what I want out of this career, so that'll be a post for another month. That means July's post will be short and sweet in only answering this month's optional question.

July 3 question: What personal traits have you written into your character(s)?
I've talked about this in a way in a post for the Author Toolbox Blog Hop. For me, adding traits from people around me is something I do to add another layer to my characters. Now, I don't find myself all that interesting, the the traits aren't all from me. I do borrow from friends and family.

Let's break down a few.

Calida-She is my main lead in Fiendish and Not Broken and she is a people pleaser. Quiet and mostly non-confrontational. Some would call her a "doormat" but that trait is based off a friend. She hardly ever wants to stand up for herself, she's afraid of making waves and rather keep the peace. It can be frustrating at times when she shares how upset she is when someone takes advantage, but it takes a lot for her to finally go off on the person and say her piece.

Macy-She's a side character and Calida's BFF. Her outlook on life and love was pulled from my younger sister. She's a free spirit that enjoys life and making the most of it. Fun fact, when my sister read Fiendish she picked up on the traits I'd borrowed to create Macy. It was cool and she loved the fact she made it into the story.

Malcolm-I talked about him in the linked blog post. He's the leading man in Not Broken and Macy's brother. He has a mash up of traits from my hubby and my sister's hubby. Yes, the same sister I used for Macy. Malcolm has a shoe and clothes habit (BIL trait) and he also still collects CDs and movies which he keeps alphabetized (hubby trait).

Evie-Evie is a side character in my story Anything Once. Not only is her entire personality based off one of my Squad members, she also shares her name. Originally the character had a different name, but as I constructed the story and Evie read/gave feedback I changed the name and included some of the actual conversations we had into the ones she had with Quinn, the female lead.

This isn't all of them, but the post could get out of hand if I keep going. You get the idea though. Using traits and tidbits from people around me helps my characters become more 'real' to me. It fleshes them out and helps me approach how they act/react from a logical and grounded position.

I can mix and match, embellish to create characters that I hope jump off the page and readers can relate to. That is my end game, to create memorable characters that stay with the reader long after they finish the book.

That's it for me this month. I hope you enjoy July.

Until next time
~Meka

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 3 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Natalie Aguirre, Jennifer Lane, MJ Fifield, Lisa Buie-Collard, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

Release Blitz: Poisoned By The Pier by Ellen Jacobson

 
Poisoned by the Pier Now Available!
Poisoned by the Pier, the third book in the Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mystery series, is now available in ebook, paperback, and large print.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play
When Mollie's husband signs the two of them up for an extreme diet, she's not amused. When someone ends up poisoned by a cake, things get even worse.

While she tries to identify the killer, Coconut Cove’s annual boating festival is in full swing. In between getting ready for her first sailing race and cheating on her diet, Mollie and her cat, Mrs. Moto, uncover clues, interview suspects, and do their best to avoid rutabagas.

Can Mollie nab the killer before someone else is poisoned?

If you like quirky characters, adorable cats, and plenty of chocolate, you'll love this cozy mystery. Pick up a copy of Poisoned by the Pier and laugh out loud from the first page to the last.

New to the Series?
If you're new to the series, you might want to start with Murder at the Marina. Now's the perfect opportunity as the ebook is on sale for 99c/99p for a limited time.

Amazon | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play

About the Author
Ellen Jacobson lives on a sailboat with her husband and an imaginary cat named Simon. When she isn't working on boat projects or seeking out deserted islands, she writes cozy mysteries and sci-fi/fantasy stories.

Connect with Ellen on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Blog

You can also sign up for her newsletter for updates about new releases, current projects, sales and promotions, and other fun stuff.

#AuthorToolBoxBlogHop - Don't Air Your Dirty Laundry

Graphic credit: PixabyIt’s June, hard to believe another month is barreling towards its end. New month, means another post for the #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop.
This month’s topic was inspired by a few recent incidents that circulated on social media. So, what do I mean about “airing dirty laundry”, well talking about your reviews in open spaces. More specifically, your negative reviews. I published my first book in 2014, and at that time I didn’t wasn’t really part of the writing community, I was a lone ranger. I tried to connect, Google was my best friend in those days as far as trying to figure out all the inner workings. That led me down some rather interesting rabbit holes, one of which was a website at the time which was dedicated to calling out “authors behaving badly” aka talking about their negative reviewers and some going way beyond and to the point of harassing/stalking. Look up Kathleen Hale for a majorly extreme case.

 Fast forward to present day, and you have bloggers online constantly stating that review are for readers not authors. They have to be on the defensive when it comes to what they will or won’t review for whatever reasons they want. But even scarier is having to defend and/or be worried about an author being displeased if they didn’t like a review left about their book and how far an author will go to show that displeasure. And I get it, getting a negative review sucks! It just does. But there is also no getting around it.  I have a few tips on how to handle them, nothing you probably haven’t heard before, but after the last few weeks, needs some repeating.

Graphic credit: Pixaby This may be the hardest one. After spending months and maybe even years on your book you want to know what the public thinks about it. That curiosity is human nature. You want to know if people love it as much as you do, if they will be shouting that joy from the rooftops. When you read those positive reviews you’ll be on cloud nine. But, when they don’t love it, and post for all to see, some authors can and have seen that as a personal attack. It's not. But if you don't think you can handle someone not loving your words, avoid them by not reading the reviews.

 Do you have options if you want the high without the low? Yes. Have someone else read your reviews. A close friend who will send you only the joyous praise so you can bask in that glory and remain in a happy state of mind for penning that next novel.

 But what if you just HAVE to know all that is being said, well that brings me to tip two.  

Don’t screenshot the review and post on your social accounts letting your heart bled for the writerly world to see. Don’t do it! It won’t end well. And if you’re thinking only newbie and/or indies do this, you’d be wrong.

Look, we authors are human. Getting a negative review is going to hurt. You have a right to express that hurt, but (and this comes to the title) don’t do it in public. Don’t comment on the review, don’t bad mouth the reviewer. If you chose to read a review and it wasn’t favorable, call up a friend and talk in private. Reviewers say the reviews are for readers, but we all know that some authors still read them. That is our right, just as it was the reviewers right to leave their opinion. When we write a book, and/or a review, and put it out in the world, it is up for public consumption. How it’s perceived is no longer up to us, but how we react to it is.

Drown your sorrows in chocolate or ice cream. Have a PRIVATE crying session with a trusted friend that will stroke your hair and tell you it’s going to be alright.

If you’re asking yourself, well what if they tag you? Answer simple, most bloggers won’t tag an author in a review good or bad, but some do tag the good reviews. Like/love it to acknowledge, maybe even say thank you for reading/reviewing. They tagged you so you would see, that interaction is fine. If they continue to engage with you past that, great, they’ve opened the door and you’re free to keep chatting as long as they seem interested. Now, if by chance someone tagged you in a negative review, you let it go, as hard as that may sound. Depending on the platform, you can mute the thread, or block it from your feed in case others comment on it, you don’t want to keep getting the notifications.

But again, you take your grievance private, because the other way can and probably will blow up in your face. You could end up blacklisted by other bloggers/reviewers which will ultimately hurt you because bloggers, like authors, have a network. They help more than they can hurt and when they all shut you down over your behavior, well that could be a hard thing to come back from.
    

Everyone gets negative reviews. It’s true. Just look up your favorite author/book and I will bet that person has some one and two star reviews. No one is immune to this. What is yuck for one reader will be yum for another. Your book included.

A lot of talk happens about “growing a thick skin” to be in this business and it’s true. You put your heart and soul into a story and you want it to be loved by all. Part of growing that thick skin is knowing that it won’t be, and those that don’t enjoy it will let their opinions be known just like those that do. It comes with the territory.

Most bloggers/reviewers aren’t sitting around, gleefully trying to think up ways to hurt unsuspecting authors. If you follow enough of them on social media as I do, you’d know that 99.9% of the time the authors thoughts/feelings never factor into their reviewing process. They are simply doing something they love, reading books and letting other people know how they felt about said books.

It’s not a personal attack. Mostly. We all know trolls exist, in this digital age it is so much easier for those types of people to flourish. No getting around that either. But you don’t feed the trolls! That’s it. This writing gig isn’t always easy. It’s full of ups and downs of varying degrees. As my good friend Amelia says, eyes on your own paper. Keep focus on the things you can control and try not to stress about those you can’t.

 Until next time
 ~Meka

Music Monday - When The Party's Over

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and to any dads that may read this blog, happy belated Father's day!
This post is coming out later than normal. I failed to preschedule it, and after working back to back late shows, then getting Thing 2 off to camp, I'm moving a little slow this morning. But I wouldn't let the day pass without spotlighting a song.

So, this week is an artist I first heard last year, Billie Eilish. Her first song, "You Should See Me In A Crown" was my first introduction. She has this sleepy sort of voice and and once you listen to the lyrics you can hear the deeper messages (as one interprets them) included in the song.

This week's selection is one that I had to hear more than once to fully grasp because the beats would sort of lull me into singing along without really paying attention. But when I did my interpretation was of a one-sided maybe dysfunctional friendship/relationship. One person giving their all, making sacrifices for the other and getting little back in return. The sort of co-dependency that can go round and round and ends up hurting both parties in a way.

Then the video. It's odd, but symbolic and totally fits what I see as the meaning behind the song. Have a listen and tell me what you think both the song and video represent.

Until next time
~Meka

"When The Party's Over" by Billie Eilish

Music Monday - How Does It Feel?

It's happened again. Monday. It just keeps coming around doesn't it? Upside that means I get to bring you a new song. Great way to start the week, right?


Anyway, for the last few writing sessions I've been trying to get to the meat of the story, aka the sexy times. This book is being crafted for the Carina Dirty Bits line like Being Neighborly so that means it's to be low in plot and high in sexy situations. Emilio and Lana (current MCs) don't quite want to get with the program. Who knew it'd be so hard to make my characters have freaky times? LOL

I am FINALLY at a place that feels like a natural lead in to them getting it on, yet, writing quickies apparently is another weakness of mine so they are dragging things out. #Annoyed. To try and rush it along, you can guess that my playlist has been full of sexy songs in hopes that the mood of the music translates to my words. I am determined that this week shall be a 'home run' of sorts for these do or I'm making them celibate for the whole book! hahaha not really, but it's a threat I hope will light a fire under them. Remember I have no control here. Pantser life!

This week's song is old school R&B but for those that enjoyed this music 'back in the day' it's a classic. And had one of the most talked about videos of it's time for sure. LOL

I hope you have a great week.

Until next time
~Meka

"Untitled (How Does It Feel?)" by D'Angelo

Book Review - Luca's Lessons

I am very excited about this review today! I had the pleasure, and I do mean pleasure, of reading this baby as a critique partner to the authors so I got fed each chapter as they were completed. I was in LOVE from chapter one! Seriously IN LOVE. Everyone talks about book boyfriends, nope I took it one step farther and claimed Luca as my book husband. I kid you not. I mean just look...

Yup, right there in black and white it says for the world to see that Luca is mine. Now that all the housekeeping things of sorts are out of the way, let’s get on with the review.

An Italian Dom guides a Swiss banker through the world of BDSM and she threatens his most important rule.
Sparked by curiosity and drawn by need, Swiss banker Claire asks Italian businessman Luca to introduce her to the D/s lifestyle. He agrees, as long as she abides by his number one rule of not falling in love. The two then embark on a slow, complete and realistic path of liberating Claire’s true submissive nature.

But as their lessons progress, blurred lines morph into a child’s scribbled drawing when feelings creep into their playtime. And with new emotions bubbling under the surface, Luca questions Claire’s hard no. She calls “red” and walks away, leaving the Dom sure he’s lost the one sub who finally saw his true desire to be cared for.

Now, certain she’s broken his only rule and torn by thoughts of betraying her dead husband, Claire must decide between exploring the love she’s found or locking away her heart with the ghosts of her past.

My Review** 5 STARS **
I have talked about both these ladies on my blog before. They have been featured on my Music Monday blog posts and I reviewed Deana’s debut release Faster, as well as Amelia’s debut release Meant To Be Kept. So yeah, you are probably thinking this will be super biased, and not gonna lie, it may be a little, but always honest. You guys know my book reviews on this blog are random and that is because I only talk about books I can gush about. Even though I KNOW how important reviews can be, I don’t review every book I read if I can’t give positive feedback.
Man, I’m rambling. Moving on to the review for reals this time. I read a lot of romance it’s my thing. And I have a type. Even if I’m reading a ‘dark’ romance I’m not keen on the ‘alpha-hole’ lead and that is something you see a lot in books that are labeled as BDSM books. The ‘Dom’ has to show his control by being a borderline abusive asshole. I could rattle off a few books, but I’m not gonna because this isn’t about being negative. It’s to highlight how Luca’s Lesson is different in that regard.
From the moment he steps onto the page, his dominance and control is there, but not by force. It’s in how he carries himself, how he interacts with Claire, always keeping the upper hand even in their professional business setting which sets them on the journey.If you’re looking for a book full of steamy sex and kink, this isn’t it. And that’s not an insult. This story goes deeper. Claire is discovering a new side to herself and healing from the death of her husband in the process. This is an emotional journey as she grapples with conflicting emotions of having growing feelings for Luca and feeling like she’s being unfaithful to her husband’s memory.
Luca is respectful of this and while he is the Dom the D/s relationship is about respect and trust, something these two ladies showcase at every turn. But Claire isn’t the only one undergoing a change. He had three rules he gave Claire when they started her training. One of them, no falling in love. But rules smules. LOL This is a romance and there will be all the love. Which is something that scares the crap out of our Dom. It’s kinda cute when you think about it.
Luca’s Lessons is about more than BDSM and sex. It’s about healing, growing, and finding love unexpectedly. It’s what is all about. And, if that wasn’t enough, these ladies added in a little bit of mystery and intrigue. This book made me smile, and swoon, and cuss LOL, and fall in love.
If you haven’t guessed, I recommend Luca’s Lessons. 

Buy at these fine retailers: AmazonKoboGoogle PlayBarnes & NobleTotally Bound
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About the Authors:
Amelia Foster: Books, coffee, and chocolate make up both the heart and body mass that is better known as Amelia Foster. She has been a lifelong lover of the written word, both as a reader and an author, and completed her first manuscript at the ripe old age of five, complete with illustrations. Sadly, her art was a medium that never improved over time, although thankfully her writing has.From sweet to salacious, the only requirement Amelia has in books she reads – and definitely in the ones she crafts – is an excessively satisfying happily ever after… and then a little bit more.


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Deana Birch:Deana Birch was named after her father’s first love, who just so happened not to be her mother. Born and raised in the Midwest, she made stops in Los Angeles and New York before settling in Europe, where she lives with her own blue-eyed Happily Ever After. Her days are spent teaching yoga, playing tennis, ruining her children’s French homework, cleaning up dog vomit, writing her next book or reading someone else’s.
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