Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 28

The Business of Writing: Quoting Song Lyrics in Your Book #amwriting #ASMSG #RLFblog

Music is—quite literally—in my blood. My great-great-grand uncle was Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer of what is arguably the most famous 90 seconds in all of music history: "The Flight of the Bumblebee."

Much as Nikolai as a 4-year-old was already becoming accomplished at playing the drums, I began singing in choirs at a very young age. Later in life I would gravitate toward groups that performed classical oratorios and even helped to found an oratorio society in North Carolina in the early 1990s.

Thus it was only natural that I also developed a talent for composing original lyrics to popular tunes. Some are reverential, some humorous, and some are designed to drive telemarketers crazy. :D

Since I write mainly historical fiction, the only lyrics I ever feel compelled to include in my books are those I write myself, such as "The Caledonian Warrior's Lament" referenced in Morning's Journey and intended to be sung to the Scottish folk tune "Gloomy Winter."

I have included a copyright notice in the frontmatter of Morning's Journey to avoid any confusion.

But what about quoting someone else's lyrics in your book?

Kathryn Goldman of The Better Novel Project blog covers this scenario in quite some depth and breadth of legalese here:  http://www.betternovelproject.com/blog/song-lyrics/

The takeaway I get from Ms. Goldman's article is that unless the song is of critical importance to your story or its characters, it's best to err on the side of caution and refrain from including its lyrics in your book. Quoting lyrics—or any other type of poetry or prose, for that matter—without the express written permission of the copyright holder exposes you and your work to legal action under current copyright laws, unless the quoted work can be proven to exist in the public domain at the time of your book's publication.

And, yes, that awful pun in the preceding paragraph was indeed intended.

Now I'm off to compose the lyrics to a tavern song I reference only by title in Dawnflight , "The Seven Saxon Sisters." :D

May all your musical interludes be inspiring ones!

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Stormy from Devon Drake Cornerback by @JeanJoachim gets her say #football romance

Welcome back to the second character interview from Devon Drake Cornerback by Jean Joachim. This time I'm pleased to feature the heroine, Stormy Gregory!

KH: Welcome, Stormy. Devon has already shared a bit about himself. What is your proudest accomplishment?

SG: I’d have to say striking out on my own, moving to a new city, Bolton, IL, getting a job and supporting myself. No one in my family thought I’d amount to much. But I finished school on scholarship with a degree in nutrition and found a job. My parents don’t think much of what I do. They call it “glorified cook”, but I know it’s a lot more than that. My work with seniors helps them to live longer, healthier lives.

KH: I say that counts as a proud accomplishment, and I'm sorry your parents don't think so. What is your most embarrassing moment?

SG: Embarrassing or humiliating? I’ve had many in my life. The most important one is in the book and Jean won’t allow me to tell you about it. She thinks you should read the book if you want to know.

KH: Fair enough!

SG: Actually there are two there. Don’t ask me about the striptease. (Laughs) That’s in there, too.

KH: Ah, yes. I see Jean has outed you Big Time on that one. :D
What about any events that happened before the book starts?

SG: I’d have to say when one of the seniors, Mr. Magilicuddy fell to his knees and proposed to me in the lunchroom at the senior center. He was eighty-nine years old and didn’t want to take “no” for an answer. I tried to explain to him that I wasn’t Megan Fox, but he was confused and didn’t understand.

KH:  (Laughs) I should like to have seen that episode! On a more serious note, what is your most troubling fear?

SG: Now don’t laugh –

KH: I won't, I promise.

SG: I’m terrified of storms. Yes, that’s how I got my nickname. My real first name is Allison. But nobody calls me that. I don’t know why or how I became so afraid of storms, but when it starts to thunder outside, I start to tremble. I used to crawl into bed with my big sister when I was a kid, maybe four years old. Thunder rattled me and lightning? Forget about it. I was terrified. That’s when she gave me the nickname Stormy. And it stuck.

At first I was mad when it stuck. But I grew to like it. Nobody had the same name. When I got older, I loved it. Guys think it’s cool, sexy. I have made a little progress with my fear of storms. I can handle small ones, but big blows, hurricanes and such –well, I still want to crawl under the bed.

KH: And what is your greatest dream?

SG: Is Jean looking?

KH: No, I think she's busy checking the other tour stops! (Whispers) Go ahead; I won't tell her. :)

SG: Okay, here goes. My greatest dream since I was a kid was to marry my childhood crush, Devon Drake. I’d save my allowance and buy a bride magazine and imagine myself in each dress, walking down the aisle to Devon. I’m not supposed to tell about that because it’s in the book, but hey, you asked and I like to give honest answers.

KH: And I do appreciate your honesty very much.

SG: Of course that dream was shattered when I was fourteen, but it was always my greatest dream.

KH: What an awful thing to have happen to a teen. I do hope you get your happily-ever-after with the man of your dreams; it sounds like you deserve it!


BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Devon Drake - Cornerback
SERIES – First & Ten Series
AUTHOR – Jean Joachim
GENRE – Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

BOOK SYNOPSIS
Devon Drake, star cornerback, has it all: hot super model girlfriend and pro football career, or does he? A childhood friend wanders back into his life, upsetting his ideal existence. Is it finally time to tell her the truth about what happened fifteen years ago?

Stormy Gregory is on the run from an abusive man. Her best friend offers her a safe place at the shelter for abused women and children. Grateful to be out of harm’s way, Stormy helps with a charitable event, not expecting to run into Devon Drake, her friend’s brother. Will she run again rather than face rejection?

Cracks in his perfect world threaten the cornerback’s starting lineup status. An unwelcome surprise short-circuits Stormy’s attempt to build a new life. Can they pull together or will the secret that separates the former friends keep them on a downward spiral?

BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US – KOBO – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – ITUNES

EXCERPT
But the last thing Stormy wanted was to hang around Devon Drake any longer than necessary. He had filled out since high school with pure muscle. Like Chutes and Ladders, Devon Drake had taken the big ladder from handsome to gorgeous. Hanging around might mean the revival of old feelings, leaving her vulnerable to rejection again. It was destined to happen, since he had a hot, high-powered girlfriend. Stormy needed to watch her step. He wasn’t available, but nobody had told her heart that.

He sat up, his gaze glued to her. She hummed the tune “The Stripper” as she unzipped and peeled off her jacket. The man slid his chair closer to the window. She began to dance slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see people on the sidewalk had stopped moving. She took a deep breath and eased her sweater up as slowly as possible.

Now, the man in the headphones was gesturing and talking. The others in the room turned to stare. Stormy kept humming and dancing. She was getting into it. Ignoring the cold, she pulled her sweater over her head, twirled it around, and flung it at a man standing nearby. He caught it and applauded.

AUTHOR BIO
Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. The Renovated Heart won Best Novel of the Year from Love Romances Café. Lovers & Liars was a RomCon finalist in 2013. And The Marriage List tied for third place as Best Contemporary Romance from the Gulf Coast RWA. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Married and the mother of two sons, Jean lives in New York City. Early in the morning, you’ll find her at her computer, writing, with a cup of tea, her rescued pug, Homer, by her side and a secret stash of black licorice.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE  – BLOG –  FACEBOOK – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST – GOODREADS –

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Author @Jemima_Pett Reviews #KASIWC by @KimHeadlee time travel #SFF Twain sequel

Whatever is a queen of
magic and minions to do? Next week on The Maze I am excited to introduce you to the first installment in the wonderful middle-grade kids' fantasy-mystery series, The Princelings by Jemima Pett, titled The Princelings of the East .

Jemima and I "met" this past May during my blog tour for King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court (#KASIWC), wherein she posted her terrific and amusing review, reblogged here for your reading pleasure:

May 13, 2015
I confess that my knowledge of Arthurian legend is not as good as some people’s; mine is heavily biased by the musical Camelot, by Disney’s The Sword in the Stone, and by, er, not finishing The Once and Future King.  Maybe I should finish it.  But I have the basics.  I wasn’t entirely up to speed with Morgan Le Fay’s part in proceedings.  I may be closer now.

Queen Morgan is in the middle of some critical negotiations when she gets waylaid and moved forward in time to a mediaeval pageant.  She quickly works out that this is false… in fact it’s being put on for her benefit to settle her in – she’s actually way in the future, about 2079, in fact.  I was disappointed to discover that the power suit with high heels is still the armour of the successful businesswoman, but style and practicality aside, I love the developments of both technology and society that Queen Morgan aka Morganna encounters, and her rationalisation of them to parallels with her own universe.  In fact, this rationalisation is so good, for us poor beings in the middle of UK Election fever, it leaves me positively in favour of Morganna’s solutions to all sorts of political nonsense.  Vote Morganna – or at least, vote President Malory for life!

For someone allergic to baseball (and pretty much to all overpaid sports that are worshipped by people spending too much money for a pathetic seat in a stadium for the benefit of an already superrich owner) the emphasis on the sport and its game play could be tedious.  Note the ‘could be’.  I give Kim Iverson Headlee 5 stars for managing to write a baseball book I enjoyed, let alone the superb world-building, dry wit and sarcasm of the political shenanigans, and the heady combination of gangsterism, time travel, social insight, and historical fiction.

I suspect all the people who enjoy the more offbeat books I review on my blog will love this!

Thanks again, Jemima—Vote Morganna, indeed! :)
Next week on The Maze: my review of The Princelings of the East by Jemima Pett.

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En route to the royal wedding in RAGING SEA Ch 7/Sc 3 #amwriting #Arthurverse

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. Some of the constants I maintain in my vision of the Arthurian legends, while turning every other aspect upside down and inside out, include the major relationships. 

One of the major relationships is the marriage of Arthur's sister (usually Morgan le Fay; sometimes Margause or Margawse, depending on the source) to one of his most troublesome enemies, Urien (or Uriens). Whether their forced union is coldly polite, fraught with friction, or engenders an entirely different alliance also depends upon the literary source.

In today's excerpt, Gawain offers a glimpse of his thoughts about riding escort duty for his aunt, Morghe (Morgan le Fay)—and the unexpected wedding guests they encounter along the way.


Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 7, Scene 3©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Rather than individual oath swearing, which would have tried the patience of people and animals alike, Uncle Arthur addressed the assembled troop:

“Do you swear by all that is holy to protect Gyanhumara nic Hymar, Comitissa Britanniam, on and off the battlefield and to obey all lawful orders given by her either directly or through your superior officers, even unto death?”

“Even unto death!” chorused the Comites Praetorii, Gawain included.

The trouble was, he mused days later as the procession plodded at the pace of the horse-drawn litters carrying Ygraine and Morghe toward the Clan Moray stronghold of Dunadd, no one had ever said anything about the possibility of dying of boredom.

That changed in a blink as they neared a fork in the road to find a band of mounted Scotti warriors approaching them on the intersecting trail, which originated at the seacoast.

“Praetorii, alert!” ordered Gyan in Latin, sword drawn. Arthur had already done likewise, countenance darkening.

Gawain and the other soldiers drew their swords and closed ranks around the litters.

The Scots halted and fixed their attention upon Morghe’s escort but seemed otherwise unperturbed.

Gyan and Arthur nudged their mounts forward, as did the Scotti leader. A second Scot detached himself from their formation, a spear clutched in his left fist. From its shaft rippled an undyed, unadorned linen flag.

Gawain’s aunt and uncle sheathed their swords, but neither relaxed in the saddle.

“Commander Fergus,” said Gyan, switching to Brytonic with a slight dip of her head. “You survived.”

“As did ye, Chieftainess, though ye both”—he jerked a contemptuous nod toward Arthur—“made it damned hard for me sword-brethren and me.”

They were referring, Gawain realized with a start, to the First Battle of Port Dhoo-Glass, after which a small number of Scots escaped by stealing Brytoni fishing boats two nights after the battle.

“Next time, we’ll make it easier for you to meet your gods,” Arthur growled. “What business brings you onto Brytoni lands under the banner of truce?”

“Business that be nae concern of yours, Scarlet Dragon.” On the Scot’s lips the title became an insult.

Arthur scowled and seemed about to speak, but Gyan shot him a look. He desisted but remained wary. She smiled at the Scot named Fergus. “And yet it appears that your party and ours are bound for the same destination.” By the tilt of her chin, she appeared to scan the enemy troop. “With your womenfolk?”

Blinking, Gawain eyed the Scots closer. True enough, as many women rode in their ranks as men, and not a sword or even a dirk in the lot that he could see. And each woman, he noted, shifting in the saddle to relieve the sudden pressure, was prettier than the last. At the first moment of danger, Gawain had seen only the spears and swords.

Gyan continued, “It seems my brother-by-law has invited you to attend his wedding.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Why would he do that, I wonder?”

“Urien’s counsel is his to keep,” Arthur said. “The fact remains that these folk are here, and so are we.” He turned a predatory grin upon Fergus. “And I imagine that Urien’s—guests—shall not mind a bit of added protection as they travel to Dunadd. Attacks can be ever so unpredictable at this time of year.”

Fergus had the ballocks to laugh, as did some of his men. “We shall indeed rest easier knowing that the great Scarlet Dragon guards our backs.” With upraised fist, he signaled his party forward.

And as we choke on their dust, and gag on their horses’ stench, and tread through their cac, Gawain grumbled to himself, stifling a cough with the back of a gloved hand as Gyan gave a similar order to her men. But with that treacherous lot, white flag or no, Gawain wouldn’t have had it any other way. He could well imagine that Arthur and Gyan and everyone else in their group felt the same.

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Spotlight on Sparks Saga #fantasy series by @RSMcCoy1 Rachel McCoy

IN CELEBRATION OF THE RELEASE OF BOOK THREE OF THE SPARKS SAGA...
RS McCOY WOULD LIKE TO REINTRODUCE YOU TO...
SPARKS

Original Publication Date: December 4, 2013

“Everyone in the world has a Spark, a light inside that guides them, keeps them alive.” 
Starting school is supposed to be a fun and exciting time for any new student. But for Lark, a skilled archer and fledgling mind-reader, it’s a creative form of torture. Locked in rooms and hallways with both friends and enemies, bombarded by the thoughts and feelings of his peers, Lark is a prisoner. 
On a quest to master his Spark, Lark’s mentor–his one ally–is anything but helpful. What Lark fails to realize is the value of his rare ability, and just how far some are willing to go to have control of him.

I ran over to her as soon as I saw her, but the blank expression she wore made it clear she wasn’t all that pleased to see me. It had been months, and I'd almost thought she'd gone home, or hadn't had a bright enough spark after all. I could have jumped and yelled from excitement to see her.
“Khea?”
“Lark, have you met my mentor Mathias?” She turned to look at a middle aged man who stood behind her. I couldn’t get a read on either one, though it was hard to tell in the commotion of the training area. He wore the gray coverings that all mentors wore, and despite the age on his face, his golden hair matched the yellow pendant about his neck; which itself was inlaid with a black stone spider.
“Where have you been all this time?”
“Training, of course. Haven’t you?”
“Well, yes, but—Why haven’t I seen you?”
“Mathias is responsible for all my lessons.” She was cold and dismissive, almost as if I bothered her. I couldn’t believe it. Why is she being so weird? I only wanted to make sure she was safe, that she was taken care of. What happened?
With a wave of dismissal she walked past me to challenge Parvani and I was sure my mouth dropped to the ground. Does she have any idea what she’s doing?
“Is she crazy?” Micha asked. He seemed more worried for her mental faculties than her general well-being, though I couldn’t disagree.
They stood and faced each other as Sinha commenced the fight. Khea was at least a full foot shorter than Parvani and looked like she could be her toy. I didn’t imagine Parvani was going to let her down easy.
In a moment of what must have been suicidal desire, Khea lunged, blocked a punch, and landed her fist square on Parvani’s cheek before the larger girl dropped onto her back on the ground. It was the most impressive display I had ever seen. Once she knew what she was up against, Parvani put in real effort to fight, and for a while, it seemed as if they were evenly matched. The final blow came when Khea grabbed Parvani's wrist, spun around her, and forced her to the ground. “Yield,” Parvani let out, defeated.
Without a word to me or Micha, Khea walked back to Mathias and he led her away. It was all I could think about the rest of the day, and into the next morning. What happened to Khea? Where has she been all this time and why is she so distant now? And since when was she some sort of combat master?
The next day Khea returned alone and challenged Shaz, a move that made me feel that Micha might have been right. Unlike Parvani, Shaz only lasted a measly few minutes before the pain in his leg prompted a yield. That time I was able to catch her before she left.
“Hey, Khea. What’s going on? Why won’t you talk to me?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to.”
“You’re not allowed to? Says who? That Mathias guy?” It seemed outlandish that anyone should be prevented from seeing me, particularly Khea.
She nodded before she replied, “I’m not supposed to talk to you. Please leave me alone.” Right then a boulder fell from the sky and crushed me. I just wanted to make sure she was alright. Why would someone prevent that? What made it worse was that she went along with it. She hadn’t fought against it or refused to follow his rules. My insides ached in a new kind of pain.
She began to walk away, but she turned around suddenly and leaned in close. “Meet me at the gardens after dinner,” she whispered. A wide smile pressed into my cheeks; my friend was in there somewhere. Mathias may have convinced her to follow him publicly, but somewhere and in some small part, she was still my friend.

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SPIRITS


Original Publication Date: July 20, 2014

"Loving her was easier when I thought we were going to die." 
With a new home on an island that prizes human sacrifice, Lark finds that reading minds is not enough. As he battles the tragedies that haunt him, his queen insists on the continuation of the violent practice, and he is powerless against her unrivaled Spark and uncompromising authority. 
In order to stop her, Lark needs to learn the secrets of the spirits of the world. Only there isn’t much time. War looms just over the horizon.

“Lark—” Khea’s hand stroked my sweat-covered chest like she did on so many nights. My eyes fluttered open to find nothing but more darkness. After a moment, I could make out the faint hint of moonlight around the edges of the thick velvet covering the east windows.
“You had a nightmare again,” she added, as if I didn’t know. In fact, there was no denying they were getting worse. It had been at least a month since a night when I was free of the torment. Beside the haunting visions, my Spark gave me greater insight to the events, offering the pain as Micha felt it, the fear of death and leaving Isuet alone which he experienced in his final moments. My chest still burned from the heat of his blood even as Khea’s hand moved back and forth to calm me.
The familiar shame crept up into my cheeks. I missed Micha. I loved him as my lost friend, but it didn’t make it any easier to endure the night terrors or admit how lost I had become. And I hated to show how much his death affected me in front of Khea.
A man should be strong. A man should protect his wife. Even without the Affinity to keep us bound together, I felt the strong urge to protect her courtesy of the trace of my mother’s Spark which lived within me. Technically, we weren’t really married and, according to Nakben law, we never would be. Even with a child in our future, the queen could never take a husband—though that hardly changed the reality of our relationship.
The only defense against my disgrace was the thin band of copper I wore on my left hand. Khea had charmed my father’s ring with a hawk’s image to keep out Readers, but I doubted my recent use was what she had in mind. It was quite clear she hated it.
I moved my arm to wipe the beaded moisture from my brow and attempted to roll away from her. My love for Khea was eternal and transcending, but I didn’t want her to see me at my weakest. Despite the rise of my shoulder off the feathered bed, a small yet strong hand pushed me back down.
“You can’t avoid this, Lark. Talk to me.” The wall sconces burned with light that hadn’t been there a moment before, the sudden flames a clear sign of her resentment at being pushed away. The light illuminated the black band of tattoos wrapped around her upper arm, a repeating pattern of iconic suns representing the queen she had killed to save our lives and earn her title. Not only was it a horrific reminder of that night our friends were murdered, but it was also a barbaric and permanent mutilation of an otherwise perfectly beautiful young woman.

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SCHISM

Original Publication Date: September 14, 2015

“Keeping them alive was harder than I ever thought possible.” 
The devoted lover and proud father Lark is on the verge of losing it all. His abilities are slowly fading without reason and his enemies are looming ever closer. He has mere days to prepare for war and earn the allegiance of the Nakben tribes, none of which are eager to fight for a foreign queen. 
With his life and family hanging in the balance, Lark enters enemy territory, but he doesn’t realize just how weak he’s become.

Keeping them safe was harder than I ever thought possible. After all, Khea and I were two of the most powerful people to grace the planet in generations. Like anyone else, we also had our limits.
But today wasn’t the day to worry about that. Regardless of the enemy only a day’s voyage from the coast, eagerly awaiting our deaths, there was something we needed to do first.
Though Khea didn’t know it yet.
“Don’t go in too far,” I warned her, still nervous of that power she held over me. Despite all my growth, despite all the gifts I’d earned, she still had more.
My stunning Khea, queen of Nakbe and mother to our strong son, sat on the edge of the massive bed and nodded. In the hours since my return and the birth of our son, I’d kept the ring on for the most part. I still didn’t trust myself to keep the darkness at bay, to keep her safe from the looming anger I couldn’t seem to quell. If anything, I’d only become better at hiding it.
Sun streamed through the long velvet curtains where the wind toyed with its edges. While I would have liked to think the slight breeze the mere effect of the morning heat on the island, I knew better. If nothing else, Khea was a Puffer with a talent for wind that bordered on the unnatural. She was just too damn good at it.
Today, that little breeze was an easy sign of her nerves, of her fear I would recede into the darkness again. I was all too aware of how long I would have to pay for my absence. “I have a surprise for you, that’s all,” I told her, hoping to calm her fears but still knowing she wouldn’t quite believe me.
Kneeling before her, my hands gently stroking the smooth skin of her thighs until they contacted the pale blue wrap across her hips, I kissed our son’s head where he lay in her arms. “After today, I don’t have to put it back on. You just have to stay where it’s safe.”
If she could heed to the boundary between control and darkness, this just might work.


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RS McCoy didn't ever plan on being a writer. With a career teaching high school science, writing is the last thing she expected. But life never goes the way you think it will. While battling cancer, she picked up her laptop and let the words flow out. One year later, her first published fantasy novel was released on Amazon followed by her second novel six months later. She is a wife, mother of two, a scientist, baker, gardener, and life-long science fiction and fantasy addict.
       

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Release Party THE CHALLENGE - #FREE for 3 days with #Giveaways! #MFRWOrg

Now Gyan must face all her demons—
public as well as private. The Business of Writing weekly blog feature on 
The Maze has the day off in order to celebrate the release of my newest novella,  
The Challenge and its German edition, Die Herausforderung !

Best of all, both versions are a free Kindle download September 16-18, whether you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription or not. :)

So pull up a chair, don a zany hat, pour your favorite beverage, and snag this fabulous historical fantasy story set in the world of The Dragon's Dove Chronicles.

Please don't be shy, even if you are not a US resident: all of the Kindle links in this post will open the product page in the Amazon store in or nearest to your country, courtesy of Booklinker.net.

Don't have a Kindle? Don't despair!

Another, related title that's now permafree is The Color of Vengeance . In addition to Amazon, this gripping story is a free download on Nook US, Nook UK, Kobo, iTunes, Scribd, Inktera, Smashwords, and Oyster—and its German ( Die Farbe der Rache ) and Spanish ( El Color de la Venganza ) Kindle Unlimited editions are free on September 16th too!

The party's in full swing; what are you waiting for?? :)

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Football musings and character interview of Devon Drake Cornerback by @JeanJoachim

I used to hate—I mean HATE—football growing up because my dad would glue himself to the TV, especially on Sundays. It was so unfair! Then I married another football aficionado. I was doomed.

My worst fears played out when my husband got transferred to the US Air Force Academy to be a math professor. One August day during our first semester there, he came bouncing home from work brandishing not one but two envelopes of season tickets. "C'mon!" he said. "It'll be fun!" he said.

"Yeah, right," I said.

Much to my astonishment, it was fun. The math department (the largest at USAFA) has a long tradition of throwing the most awesome tailgate parties, my husband took the time to explain to me what I was watching on the field, and Air Force had an extremely good team in those days (the mid-1980s team that boasted ex-Cowboy Chad Hennings and Heisman Trophy candidate Dee Dowis).

I won't go as far as to say that I love football now, but… well. I have developed a killer method of recording play-by-play offensive stats, and I still have the files containing the Westfield (VA) high school stats of NFL wide receiver Eddie Royal (now with the Bears as of this season) and ex-Redskin Evan Royster, among others.

And to be frank, those tight pants do look mighty good on my favorite players. :D

So when the opportunity arose to host a spot for Devon Drake Cornerback by Jean Joachim, I leaped on him—er, it. :D :D :D

Oh and for the record, Devon dear, I do know what a cornerback is. I thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule (apparently, very busy :D) to answer a few of my questions!

KH: What is your proudest accomplishment?

DD: Are you kidding? Making the NFL, then getting picked to play in the Pro Bowl –that’s the NFL’s all star team game, in case you didn’t know. Then becoming top pick for cornerbacks two years in a row by the press. I always loved to run but never dreamed I’d get the chance to do it for a living.

KH: What is your most embarrassing moment?

DD: Laughs. There are so many, it’s hard for me to pick just one. Let’s see, in high school it would be getting shoved out of the locker room naked after the cheerleading practice. As an adult? There are several I can’t mention because they’re “x-rated”. (Chuckles) How about calling a movie star for a date and having her think you were Griff Montgomery, our star quarterback? Yeah, and she didn’t even know what a cornerback was. She thought I’d said hunchback and hung up on me. From the book, having my old girlfriend show up just as I’m about to go on a date with my new girlfriend.

KH: What is your greatest dream?

DD: I have three. Is that okay?

KH: Sure; go for it!

DD: First, to play in the NFL until I’m forty with no serious injuries. Second, to have a loyal wife and a couple of healthy kids. Third, to have a son who also plays in the NFL, so I can keep pro football in my life.

KH: Very admirable—and ambitious. What is your most troubling fear?

DD: Any NFL player will have the same fear –injury. Getting injured bad enough so that you can’t play or your lose your edge, that’s my worst fear. Football is my life. There isn’t anything else I want to do. Next would be losing my wife or a kid to an accident or disease. I don’t think I could handle that. But since I’m not there yet, I don’t worry too much about it.

Thank you, Devon, for sharing with us today. And do please take your time getting dressed! But be forewarned: Stormy will get her say next week on The Maze. I hope you haven't said anything that will get you into trouble with her. :D

BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE – Devon Drake - Cornerback
SERIES – First & Ten Series
AUTHOR – Jean Joachim
GENRE – Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

BOOK SYNOPSIS
Devon Drake, star cornerback, has it all: hot super model girlfriend and pro football career, or does he? A childhood friend wanders back into his life, upsetting his ideal existence. Is it finally time to tell her the truth about what happened fifteen years ago?

Stormy Gregory is on the run from an abusive man. Her best friend offers her a safe place at the shelter for abused women and children. Grateful to be out of harm’s way, Stormy helps with a charitable event, not expecting to run into Devon Drake, her friend’s brother. Will she run again rather than face rejection?

Cracks in his perfect world threaten the cornerback’s starting lineup status. An unwelcome surprise short-circuits Stormy’s attempt to build a new life. Can they pull together or will the secret that separates the former friends keep them on a downward spiral?

BUY & TBR LINKS
AMAZON KINDLE US – KOBO – BARNES & NOBLES NOOK – ITUNES

EXCERPT
The cornerback changed his clothes, slammed his locker shut, and turned toward the workout room. The loud bang stopped all conversation. The men shut up and stared. “What? What? What are you looking at? I didn’t lay a finger on that girl.” He yanked the door to the weight room open.

“We know, Dev. We know,” Griff Montgomery put in.

Devon heaved a sigh, stretched his shoulders, nodded to the quarterback, and went to work out his problems on the machines. Stormy. Perfect name. She’s like a tornado in my life. Damned annoying. But if I don’t help her, who will? Where’s Jackie? Living it up on the West Coast. She could confirm I’m not violent. Women.

AUTHOR BIO
Jean Joachim is a best-selling romance fiction author, with books hitting the Amazon Top 100 list since 2012. The Renovated Heart won Best Novel of the Year from Love Romances Café. Lovers & Liars was a RomCon finalist in 2013. And The Marriage List tied for third place as Best Contemporary Romance from the Gulf Coast RWA. She was chosen Author of the Year in 2012 by the New York City chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Married and the mother of two sons, Jean lives in New York City. Early in the morning, you’ll find her at her computer, writing, with a cup of tea, her rescued pug, Homer, by her side and a secret stash of black licorice.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE  – BLOG –  FACEBOOK – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ – PINTEREST – GOODREADS –

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Angusel wrestles with myriad emotions in Raging Sea Ch 7/Sc 2

Graphic overlay (c)2015 by Kim Headlee. I take special delight in turning certain aspects of the Arthurian Legends upon their collective ear while leaving other aspects as traditionally portrayed. 

Lancelot, whether you believe he was based upon a historical personage or not, was never described in the ancient literature as being one of the first members of the Round Table, and I have chosen to stick with that angle in Raging Sea.

In today's installment, Angusel must watch and wrestle with myriad emotions as my version of the Round Table, an elite unit known as the Comites Praetorii ("Count's Guards") forms without him.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea  Chapter 7: Sc 1 |
Raging Sea Chapter 7, Scene 2©2015 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
He knew he should remain stoic, as he’d been drilled countless times, off as well as on the practice fields, but he couldn’t help averting his gaze as Gawain rode by. Emotions that had to remain hidden assaulted him: grief, of course, mixed with anger and unworthiness and regret, bound by a taut cord of sadness. Only the determination not to be overwhelmed by the taunts and pranks of the other men of First Ala had kept that sadness from veering into despair during the past turning of the moon.

She had posted him to First Ala, and he would sooner crawl into a hole and die than fail her again.

Her words today had bestowed a glimmer of hope that one day he might earn a place in her “Count’s Guards” elite unit. He nurtured that hope as a freezing man feeds an infant flame with dry grass and twigs lest it die before it gains strength enough to save his life.

He looked up as the last of the Comites Praetorii members approached First Ala on their way toward the central aisle for their investiture. Through the rising dust clouds, he gazed over the heads of the nearest infantry century toward the crowd and blinked, hard.

An absolute vision of loveliness was standing near the rail, bedecked in an overdress dyed an exquisite shade of azure, embroidered with a gold falcon. The same design, in woad, decorated her right forearm. Eileann’s rich brown tresses were plaited with gold and blue ribbons and wrapped around her head. Her cloak, the Clan Tarsuinn pattern of saffron crossed with blue and red, was edged in gold as was her due as àrd-banoigin.

The only missing details were her harp and her smile.

It took him a moment to realize she was attending this event to honor her brother Tavyn mac Dynann, who was one of the Comites Praetorii inductees and had just cantered past them from his position behind Eighth Ala with the handful of horsemen who had transferred from units other than the Horse Cohort. Angusel wondered who might have replaced Tavyn as commander of Second Turma, Manx Cohort, and whether he might have stood a chance at the promotion had he stayed.

Nay. A weanling was more fit to lead a cavalry squad than he was.

He clamped off that discouraging thought and stole another glance at Eileann. To his amazement, she seemed to be looking straight at him and smiling. Mayhap ’twas sheer coincidence, but he felt his lips tug into a half smile. Hers deepened.

His spirits felt lighter than they had in too many sennights.

Then he realized that she was standing next to the man to whom she was betrothed, the man to whom, after another turning of the moon, she would be married. Iomar glowered at Angusel. Heart plummeting, Angusel fastened his gaze upon the Pendragon, who was preparing to speak.


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Character Bios, Spotlight: An American Cowboy in Scotland by Em Taylor @emtaylor_3

TITLE – An American Cowboy in ScotlandAUTHOR – Em TaylorGENRE – Romantic Comedy/ Contemporary RomancePUBLICATION DATE – 25 June 2015LENGTH – 34000 wordsPUBLISHER – Em TaylorCOVER ARTIST – Em TaylorBOOK INFORMATION As Rhona Lorimer waits for her new boss to arrive, she reckons things can’t get much worse. The manager of the Scottish estate has to explain to her new American boss that the estate is in ruins and there’s no money left. When the drop dead gorgeous cowboy turns up in full Highland regalia, looking like he fell off a shortbread tin, Rhona knows she has her work cut out.

The locals don’t take to Lord Cole Macallan, so Rhona feels obliged to show him hospitality. But the guy is hot. Can Rhona fight her feelings for her new boss as their worlds collide and they discover just how much Scotland and America are two countries divided by a common language… but brought together by mutual passions?CHARACTER BIOS Cole Macallan.
Cole Macallan is an all-American guy. He’s a cowboy through and through. He grew up on a huge ranch in Texas and is the eldest son of an oil magnate. He has a younger brother and a younger sister. He loves horses, NASCAR and watching the Dallas Cowboys.At the age of sixteen though, Cole was being prepared to take over the family business and was sitting in on business meetings with his father.
Cole attended Duke University and studied Business. He didn’t have much choice as he was going to inherit the largest share of his family’s business which had a turnover of around $20 million a year. When he was in his second year of college, his father died of a heart attack and Cole became CEO of the company. He finished college as his uncles took care of the company until he graduated. Now he’s one of the GQ’s Top 50 bachelors in America.
Rhona Lorimer.
Rhona Lorimer is smart, sassy and cute but she’s never lived up to her potential. Unfortunately life keeps happening to her and it seems to keep knocking her on her ass. She’s an only child and really was a daddy’s girl. Her mum was never the nurturing type and hated living in the tiny village of Strathdougal, an hour south of Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow.Rhona didn’t stick in well at school and messed up her exams in her final year, not gaining enough qualifications to go to university. So she became her dad’s apprentice. He was estate manager to Lord Macallan, who owned the Castle, manor house and estate round Strathdougal. It was then she noticed her dad becoming forgetful. That was when her mum upped and left.
To cut a long story short, Rhona’s dad is now in a home, Rhona has his job and Lord Macallan died, leaving the estate to some American guy whom she has never met. To top it all, there’s no cash, the manor house is in a state of disrepair and the castle is a ruin. Once again, she seems to be sitting on her butt in a muddy puddle.EXCERPTWe walked out of the castle, Cole carefully ducking his head, and moved around to the side. The sun was weak but there was the promise of warmth and as we crunched over the gravel, I lowered my head and smiled. I had expected him to be a little forlorn that his castle would not become like something out of Braveheart or the Tudors but Cole was excited.

“Do you think we would need one of those balconies?”

“Maybe.”

We turned onto the grass, which was a little damp, being in the shadow of the ancient building. He automatically reached for my arm though I was sure-footed and steady. He moved his fingers down to my hand and clasped it.

Ever so slowly I allowed my fingers to curl as I held my breath, waiting to see if he would realise his mistake. But he didn’t. He stared ahead and continued to walk down to the back of the castle where he brought me back out into the beautiful sunshine. Wind whipped my hair into my face and with my free hand I swiped it behind my head.

“It’s just as purdy down here as it was from the top floor of the castle,” he said—his slow drawl dancing over the word ‘purdy’ and playing havoc with my girly bits. “Almost as purdy as you.” It was then I realised we were standing almost with our backs to the castle wall. He moved in front of me and cupped my chin with his free hand, still holding onto my hand with the other. Had I even breathed since he had clasped my hand? I must have. I would surely have expired by now if I hadn’t. I gazed up into his eyes, the colour of melted chocolate, and bit my lip.

As his head lowered to mine, I let the lip go and breathed out, my free hand moving to rest on his impressive biceps. And then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle, coaxing and urging mine to move in tandem with his. I was relieved he wasn’t one of those guys that come at you with their tongue hanging out as if you were an ice-cream cone.

Instead he was what I like to call a lip-kisser. He used his lips first before he introduced his tongue—flicking it lazily out to meet mine, to tease, to tempt, to illicit groans, to tickle the roof of my mouth and send pulses of need south. I moaned softly and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck.

BUY & TBR LINKSAMAZON KINDLE US | AMAZON KINDLE CA | AMAZON KINDLE UK | AMAZON PAPERBACK | GOODREADS | SHELFARIAUTHOR BIOEm lives in the small village of Dundonald (which features in An American Cowboy in Scotland) in Ayrshire, Scotland. She regularly visits Dundonald Castle for coffee, cakes, inspiration and chat. When she’s not writing historical, contemporary and vampire romances, she’s trotting around the country to film and TV conventions, hob-nobbing with celebrities and avoiding housework.
Em is still waiting for her own Colonel Brandon to come along but since she’s sick of kissing frogs, she’s quite content to hog the TV remote and have the whole sofa to herself.AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKSAMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADSGIVEAWAY PRIZES1 (One) Prize Pack Containing: Sterling Silver Scottish Thistle necklace bought from Dundonald Castle Visitors Centre. Signed paperback of An American Cowboy in Scotland Dundonald Castle guidebook and postcard.

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The Business of Writing: Now What? (DIY Book Trailer part 2) from @nancyjcohen

Last week on The Maze I reblogged (with permission) the first half of author Nancy J. Cohen's wonderful resource for DIY book trailer developers, which I titled "Do Your Homework".

Once you've done your homework to write your script and select—and pay for—the desired images, music, and videos...

Now What?

Open a New Project in Windows Live Movie Maker (File; New Project) and click Add Videos and Photos. Add one photo at a time, and the program will produce slides. If you want a blank slide to add text only, click the Credits button.

Once you have your pictures added, go back to the beginning. Click on Add Caption for each slide and add your text in the text box. You can drag this box to wherever you want it placed. You can also change the color of the text. If it’s a light background, choose a dark text. If you have a black or dark background, make the text white. Alter the font as needed.

You’ll now see Video Tools and Text Tools. These have little boxes where you can see the Duration. I try to have the duration of my text shorter than or equal to the video. So a video slide might run for 5 seconds, and the text for 4.50. Some slides you’ll want longer, if you have more text or if you have an image like the book cover that you want to linger on screen. Under Text Tools, choose Effects. This gives you options for how you want your text to scroll or appear on the slide. Click on Edit if you want to make changes.

Under Video Tools, click on Animations. Here you can add Transitions between slides. Position your cursor in front of each slide. Then hover your mouse over each transition effect to see what it does. Click to select. Keep in mind that the transitions cut some of the time out of the slide before and after. Each time you want to view the effect, put the cursor in front of a slide and click the Play button. Next do the same for Pan and Zoom. Make choices there so your pictures aren’t static.

When you have arranged your pictures and text to your satisfaction, click on Home and Add Music. Browse for your music file and click Open. The program adds it to your slide show. You can adjust the track as needed, like timing it to start further in by changing the Start Point. Also, hit Fade In at the beginning or Fade Out at the end if desired.

Add credits at the end by clicking Credits. This will be a text only slide. Here’s where you put the sites where you found your images and music. You’ll also want a slide to show your book cover. Either add text there or on a separate slide with your book info: Title, author, publisher, etc. The same Text Tools apply to these slides as for the others.

Remember to save your project often. Hit File and then Save Project.

When you are totally done, click File, then Save Movie and choose the Widescreen/HD version to Save to Your Computer. Your trailer is ready to upload to YouTube and elsewhere. Don’t hit the YouTube button on Live Movie Maker, or it may upload a smaller version. Then go to YouTube and upload the HD file to your account.

A book video is another tool in your promotional arsenal, but it’s not worth breaking the bank over. Doing it yourself or hiring a low-cost company is the ideal way to go. It’s another way to excite viewers about your upcoming release.

Where To Post Your Book Video
Amazon: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/
Book Goodies: http://bookgoodies.com/contact-us/video-trailer/
Book Trailer Central: http://booktrailercentral.co/
Book Trailers: http://booktrailers.ning.com/
Daily Motion: http://www.dailymotion.com/us
Preview the Book: http://www.previewthebook.com/previewupload.php
Veoh: http://www.veoh.com/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/

Remember to add your video to all your social networking sites plus your website and blog.

<><><>

Watch Nancy J. Cohen's Trailers
MysteriesPeril by Ponytail: http://youtu.be/T2Vao7yDIVY
Hanging By A Hair: http://youtu.be/gv5ldn9uw7I
Shear Murder: http://youtu.be/ePpShWy3Wbw

RomancesWarrior Lord: http://youtu.be/91cdYSftbmU
Warrior Rogue: http://youtu.be/cjV-PRVGoVs
Warrior Prince: http://youtu.be/aVm2FIumw0o

<><><>

For more information about DIY video trailers, check out: http://darkparanormalromanceseries.com/?p=263 by author Dariel Raye, posted 3/19/2015.

If the advice in these tutorials seems a bit beyond your technical expertise or patience, you can pay someone else to do it for you, and Google is bursting at the seams with companies who advertise this type of service, especially for videos that exist at the slide-show-set-to-music end of the quality spectrum.

If you're drooling over the movielike trailers you see here and elsewhere in the course of doing your homework, be prepared to fork over several hundred dollars, and in some cases $1,000 or more.

And be prepared to ask yourself the tough question of whether such an investment will be worth it to you in the long run.

I was very fortunate to have commissioned someone who charged me less than $300 per trailer, and normally I would be delighted to mention her business here on The Maze, but she is no longer producing them, alas. She created the Snow in July trailer at the top of the page, and it encouraged more than 30 customers to purchase the novel the day the trailer went live.

May your book trailers yield many such successes for you, whoever creates them!

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