Rebecca E. Neely's Blog, page 33
August 12, 2015
Meet Author of Romance Sarah Hoss
It's my pleasure to welcome author of romance Sarah Hoss to my blog today. She's sharing today about how she began writing, some more about her books, and her advice about keeping the faith as an author.
Sarah is giving away one e-copy of HIGHLAND SAVIOR - Enter below for a chance to win!
Welcome Sarah! Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing. Thank you for having me here today. I am a married mother of three. I live in the country and enjoy camping, and gardening. I began writing after reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She got me hooked on the time travel aspect and one day I was driving down the road and a scene popped in my head. That scene is in Dreams of the Highlander.
Obviously, readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories? Every writer is different because we are different people. We bring a little bit of real life into our stories. With so many great writers you have to put your stamp on them. I like to use some of the old sayings my mom said all the times. An example is in Dreams of the Highlander. Marlana is talking about a man being cute and she says, “I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed for eating crackers.” With my contemporary romances, I try to write things close to home, such as drunk driving, Alzheimer’s, festivals, and antiques.
What would you most like people to know about you, and your writing? When I started this journey and it was clear this was going to happen for me, I made a promise to my family that I wouldn’t let writing interfere with them. Family is first. I have done very well at this but there are times it can’t be helped, such as working with my editor or book release parties. Also, I do not plot as I write. I’ve tried and I just can’t do it. The story changes as I go.
As an author, how do you pay it forward? I help tweet for them about their books, and on Goodreads, I leave a review of the books I have read, and I attend book release parties.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life? To be patient. This is not a job where things happen instantly. Ideas come to you when they want to, agents respond as quickly as they can, the editing process takes several times, and waiting for reviews feels like it takes forever. This entire thing is a waiting game.
The one thing we can all count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer? It’s the same with any career, things change. There is always something new and popular. A couple of years ago, it was Amish romance, then it was vampires. But, writers try to stick to what they are popular for. If I write time travel, then switched to vampires, then to ghost stories, and then to Amish romance, I think it would be very hard to keep a following because the gap is so wide. It’s a delicate line.
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors today? In the beginning, with so many authors out there, it’s finding your place. Once you have it, then it’s just keeping up. If a writer is serious, you can do it though. I have faith anyway.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? I want to say thank you to all of the readers who have read my books and support me. If there are any new readers who are willing to give my books a try, I appreciate it and I hope you will enjoy my stories.
HIGHLAND SAVIOR
Hamish Macpherson is surrounded by turmoil: an arsonist is on the loose, he’s in the middle of a feud with a local clansman, and just as he’s trying to save his sister from a burning cottage, he appears in the middle of a foreign living room three hundred years past his own time.
Gillian Meadows thinks she’s self-sufficient and can handle anything until she witnesses a murder in the alley next to an Olde City tavern. In a desperate run to escape being the next victim, she stumbles into a wiccan store and accepts the help of the shop owner. Little does she know that one mis-spoken word of a simple incantation can change everything.
Neither world is safe, but Hamish can better protect Gillian if he returns to his own time. Gillian has no choice but to go with him if she wants to escape the danger closing in. Little do they know that his past could be the biggest threat of all to their future.
Two Lifetimes – Two Hearts – One future, if they can only survive the past.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her.
Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.
Website - www.sarahhoss.com
Blog- www.heart-of-romance.blogspot.com
Twitter - @SarahHoss1
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Hoss/237219983049037
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Sarah is giving away one e-copy of HIGHLAND SAVIOR - Enter below for a chance to win!
Welcome Sarah! Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing. Thank you for having me here today. I am a married mother of three. I live in the country and enjoy camping, and gardening. I began writing after reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She got me hooked on the time travel aspect and one day I was driving down the road and a scene popped in my head. That scene is in Dreams of the Highlander.
Obviously, readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories? Every writer is different because we are different people. We bring a little bit of real life into our stories. With so many great writers you have to put your stamp on them. I like to use some of the old sayings my mom said all the times. An example is in Dreams of the Highlander. Marlana is talking about a man being cute and she says, “I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed for eating crackers.” With my contemporary romances, I try to write things close to home, such as drunk driving, Alzheimer’s, festivals, and antiques.
What would you most like people to know about you, and your writing? When I started this journey and it was clear this was going to happen for me, I made a promise to my family that I wouldn’t let writing interfere with them. Family is first. I have done very well at this but there are times it can’t be helped, such as working with my editor or book release parties. Also, I do not plot as I write. I’ve tried and I just can’t do it. The story changes as I go.
As an author, how do you pay it forward? I help tweet for them about their books, and on Goodreads, I leave a review of the books I have read, and I attend book release parties.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life? To be patient. This is not a job where things happen instantly. Ideas come to you when they want to, agents respond as quickly as they can, the editing process takes several times, and waiting for reviews feels like it takes forever. This entire thing is a waiting game.
The one thing we can all count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer? It’s the same with any career, things change. There is always something new and popular. A couple of years ago, it was Amish romance, then it was vampires. But, writers try to stick to what they are popular for. If I write time travel, then switched to vampires, then to ghost stories, and then to Amish romance, I think it would be very hard to keep a following because the gap is so wide. It’s a delicate line.
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors today? In the beginning, with so many authors out there, it’s finding your place. Once you have it, then it’s just keeping up. If a writer is serious, you can do it though. I have faith anyway.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? I want to say thank you to all of the readers who have read my books and support me. If there are any new readers who are willing to give my books a try, I appreciate it and I hope you will enjoy my stories.
HIGHLAND SAVIOR
Hamish Macpherson is surrounded by turmoil: an arsonist is on the loose, he’s in the middle of a feud with a local clansman, and just as he’s trying to save his sister from a burning cottage, he appears in the middle of a foreign living room three hundred years past his own time.Gillian Meadows thinks she’s self-sufficient and can handle anything until she witnesses a murder in the alley next to an Olde City tavern. In a desperate run to escape being the next victim, she stumbles into a wiccan store and accepts the help of the shop owner. Little does she know that one mis-spoken word of a simple incantation can change everything.
Neither world is safe, but Hamish can better protect Gillian if he returns to his own time. Gillian has no choice but to go with him if she wants to escape the danger closing in. Little do they know that his past could be the biggest threat of all to their future.
Two Lifetimes – Two Hearts – One future, if they can only survive the past.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Sarah Hoss grew up believing she could try anything and if she set her mind to it, she would succeed. Sixteen years of dance lessons, Cheerleading, and school plays proved to her that her parent’s words rang true. Writing was no exception. Reading the Outlander series made her fall in love with time travels and the historical places books could take her.
Always a child with a vivid imagination, she realized as an adult she could put her imagination to good use and began writing. Marrying her very own hero, they live in Indiana in the town where she grew up. They have three beautiful children and one hyper dog. When Sarah isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, camping, and watching her kids’ play sports.
Website - www.sarahhoss.com
Blog- www.heart-of-romance.blogspot.com
Twitter - @SarahHoss1
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Hoss/237219983049037
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August 10, 2015
Discover, Rediscover, Reconnect - Writing Characters in a Series
My thirteen year old daughter likes her music, especially Spotify. She was listening to it the other night while she did the dishes. I was working on my laptop, listening with half an ear. She told me how much she liked the song that was playing, and I tuned in. I asked her if she knew who was singing it. She said no, but she really liked whatever group it was. I grinned. It was the Jackson Five, singing ABC. I’d heard the song many times, of course, but to her, it was brand new. When I told her it was Michael Jackson singing, she was surprised, and might I say, impressed? I’d actually told her something she didn’t know. <grin>My daughter’s ‘discovery’ of the song, and the enjoyment that comes along with that, got me thinking. Because of her ‘discovery’, I’d rediscovered, and appreciated Michael Jackson’s songs in a whole new way. When I was growing up, my father would often play records for my brother and I – Hank Williams Sr., Elvis, Johnny Cash. I love those songs to this day, and I love that I’m connecting with my daughter through music, in much the same way, I now see, that my father did with us.
Certainly, I work to forge that kind of connection with my readers. As I write the second novel in my new paranormal romance series, I’m finding lots of opportunities for discovery, rediscovery and reconnecting with my characters. I created a timeline/chapter summary/checklist for the first book, which is proving invaluable, but I’m also rereading the story, so I can ‘bring it’ for the second book, in terms of resonance, consistency, and new opportunities for plot twists and turns that may present themselves.
For example, in a crucial scene between the hero in the 1st book (hero #1) , and the hero in the 2nd book (hero #2), I want hero #1 to behave, and sound like he did in the first book, so there is consistency for the reader. But by having him interact with new characters, it’s not only allowing me to rediscover his quirks, his mannerisms, but also to discover new ways to use his personality to my advantage for the story line. I find I’m asking myself, how can I use him to best show the hero #2 - good and bad? As well, I’m finding new in the old that’s adding a depth and richness to the story, and to my enjoyment in writing it. And all that discovery, rediscovery and reconnecting has helped me hone my writer’s voice. Overall, it’s been a win-win.BTW, in the past few months, my daughter and I have had similar conversations about Whitesnake, Marvin Gaye and the Beatles, and in recent weeks, we shared the ultimate mother/daughter discovery/rediscovery opportunity: we went to see Terminator Genisys (we’re both Terminator junkies) – giving a whole new meaning to the phrases ‘what’s old is new again’, and 'coming full circle'. Enough said.
Click here to find out more about how I interview my characters.
PLEASE SHARE: How do you get close to your characters? What methods do you use to reconnect with your story? Click here to find out more about my best fiction writing resources.
Join my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, my new paranormal romance, coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
August 5, 2015
Meet Cheryl Yeko, Author and Editor with Soul Mate Publishing
It's my pleasure today to welcome romance author, and editor with Soul Mate Publishing, Cheryl Yeko. She's sharing today about how she began writing, some more about her books, and her creative process.
It's great to have you here today, Cheryl! Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing.
I was beyond thrilled, and my family was like ... really? LOL. That was the beginning of my writing career. Protecting Rose went on to win the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in Romantic Suspense. How cool is that!
Some readers may not know you’re both an editor, and a writer with Soul Mate Publishing. Please tell us what you enjoy most about each. How does each give you insights into the other?
I was with Soul Mate about a year when Debby Gilbert, the founder of Soul Mate Publishing, asked me to come on board as an editor. I enjoy my editing responsibilities, and take them very seriously. Because I understand all the emotions the authors are going through, I’m so thrilled to be able to help them reach for their dreams. It’s emotionally very rewarding for me. Of course, I love writing just as much, and do sometimes struggle with my editing responsibilities when I’ve got a scene for my WIP floating around in my head that just has to get on paper...but, I think I do a pretty good job of juggling.
Obviously, readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories?
I write mostly romantic suspense, but the hero and the heroine’s emotional journey drives the story. I love action movies, and that’s how I write my stories...with lots of humor, action, and sexy scenes.
Recently, however, I wrote a contemporary western romance with my BFF, and fellow Soul Mate editor, Char Chaffin. RODEO KING, which released in June. A charming and sexy novella. It was a great deal of fun, and turned out so well, that Char and I plan a trilogy with this series, The Dustin Lovers Series. It can be found on Amazon. FYI...I created both the book cover and the book trailer for this fun novella.
What would you most like people to know about you, and your writing?
I write books that I would love to read.
As an author, how do you pay it forward?
I judge a lot of writing contests, and as an acquiring editor, I put my heart and effort into each author’s story I work with and want them to succeed. When I send out a contract letter, I’m as thrilled as the author is.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life?
Enjoy what you do, because being an author is not easy. You also need to know how to promote both yourself and your book if you want to succeed in today’s market. Having a website and utilizing social media is a must.
The one thing we can all count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer?
I’m adaptable. I don’t plant my feet into the ground and refuse to move along in the changing tide, I go with the flow.
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors, and editors today?
Noticeability. With the ease of self-publishing, there are a lot of books on the market, and it’s not easy to be noticed. Even if you write a fabulous book, you may get lost in the sea. The best advice I can give is to write your next book, then your next, and write the best book that you can, and eventually your hard efforts will pay off. I have eight books out now, as well as some anthologies and boxed sets. But only this year did I finally get noticed, with my romantic suspense, The Notary , which hit #4 on Amazon in the romantic suspense category. My other novels also took big bumps, and I sat in the top 100-bestselling authors, next to some of my favorite romantic suspense authors, for two weeks. It was an amazing feeling. So, never give up.
CONNECT WITH CHERYL
Website: http://www.cherylyeko.com/ ‘Where Love Always Wins’
Website: The Power of Three: http://www.thepowerof3cs.com/
Soul Mate Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/lav53p3
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/qzsks8q
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectingRose
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threeBFFs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cherylyeko
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cyeko/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5406425.Cheryl_Yeko
RODEO KING, Book One of the Dustin Lovers Series AUTHORS: CHAR CHAFFIN AND CHERYL YEKO
[image error] Caleb Johnson, 'King of the Rodeo,' is on his way to becoming Wyoming's National Champion. Until an ornery bull sidelines him with a potentially career-ending injury. Returning home to Dustin to recuperate puts him in the path of Rosemary Carmichael, the girl he deserted to become a rodeo star.
Now he's got to figure out what he really wants: returning to the rodeo circuit and going for that big, National prize, or convincing the woman he loves that he wants a life with her . . . and the son he never knew he had.
BUY LINK: http://tinyurl.com/op4nq5m
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rr-zdcvdro
[image error]MORE ABOUT CHAR and CHERYL: Char Chaffin and Cheryl Yeko are BFFs, fellow authors and Acquiring Editors, and two-thirds of The Power Of Three. Both are lovers of romance, Alpha Men and the women they’d lay down their lives for.
Char and Cheryl not only write seamlessly together but they share the same vision of what makes a great romance read: a strong story, a passionate romance, fascinating characters, a happy-ever-after ending, and the know-how to accomplish it within the pages of the books they create.
Rodeo King is the first in what they hope will be a long, successful writing partnership. In addition to the Dustin Lovers Trilogy, they are also planning a Western Historical series.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING DUSTIN, WYOMING
It started in 2014, a few months before RWA’s National Conference in San Antonio. Cheryl, Char, and fellow BFF Callie Hutton had been talking about starting up a writing collective. Understanding there is power in numbers, they got the ball rolling by selecting a title—The Power Of Three—and launching a newsletter, website, and other social network-type goodies. Then, one evening during the conference, the idea of writing a romance under The Power Of Three gelled when they chose a genre—Western Contemporary.
The actual outline for RODEO KING came together very quickly. Before that brainstorming evening was over, they had Caleb and Rosemary fleshed out, five solid chapters outlined, and had set up a basic writing schedule that would carry them through fourteen chapters and an epilogue.
Callie’s career as a talented historical romance author took off like gangbusters right after National, and it became impossible for her to participate in the writing of RODEO KING. Instead, she became Char and Cheryl’s sounding board, beta reader, and cheerleader. And they remain The Power of Three. You can catch up with them each month by signing up for their Newsletter at: http://tinyurl.com/TPO3SignUp
Cheryl and Char continued on, sharing a single chapter each month on The Power Of Three Newsletter and on their official website. In 2015, during a marathon writing session in Dallas while attending RT’s annual Convention, Cheryl and Char finished RODEO KING and finalized the cover art. Both have a ‘contemporary voice’ and very view artist disagreements arose as they finalized the story, easily coming to mutually satisfying resolutions.
The experience was so much fun that they simply had to keep going. Another evening of brainstorming netted them an outline for Book Two—ROPING HER IN—and the rudiments of Book Three, as-yet to be named.They’ve also decided to get together at least one a year, (not during a convention) for a writing retreat, along with their BFF, Callie Hutton. Never underestimate The Power Of Three!
Sign up for my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, my new paranormal romance coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
It's great to have you here today, Cheryl! Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing.
I was beyond thrilled, and my family was like ... really? LOL. That was the beginning of my writing career. Protecting Rose went on to win the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in Romantic Suspense. How cool is that!
Some readers may not know you’re both an editor, and a writer with Soul Mate Publishing. Please tell us what you enjoy most about each. How does each give you insights into the other?
I was with Soul Mate about a year when Debby Gilbert, the founder of Soul Mate Publishing, asked me to come on board as an editor. I enjoy my editing responsibilities, and take them very seriously. Because I understand all the emotions the authors are going through, I’m so thrilled to be able to help them reach for their dreams. It’s emotionally very rewarding for me. Of course, I love writing just as much, and do sometimes struggle with my editing responsibilities when I’ve got a scene for my WIP floating around in my head that just has to get on paper...but, I think I do a pretty good job of juggling.
Obviously, readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories?
I write mostly romantic suspense, but the hero and the heroine’s emotional journey drives the story. I love action movies, and that’s how I write my stories...with lots of humor, action, and sexy scenes.
Recently, however, I wrote a contemporary western romance with my BFF, and fellow Soul Mate editor, Char Chaffin. RODEO KING, which released in June. A charming and sexy novella. It was a great deal of fun, and turned out so well, that Char and I plan a trilogy with this series, The Dustin Lovers Series. It can be found on Amazon. FYI...I created both the book cover and the book trailer for this fun novella.
What would you most like people to know about you, and your writing?
I write books that I would love to read.
As an author, how do you pay it forward?
I judge a lot of writing contests, and as an acquiring editor, I put my heart and effort into each author’s story I work with and want them to succeed. When I send out a contract letter, I’m as thrilled as the author is.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life?
Enjoy what you do, because being an author is not easy. You also need to know how to promote both yourself and your book if you want to succeed in today’s market. Having a website and utilizing social media is a must.
The one thing we can all count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer?
I’m adaptable. I don’t plant my feet into the ground and refuse to move along in the changing tide, I go with the flow.
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors, and editors today?
Noticeability. With the ease of self-publishing, there are a lot of books on the market, and it’s not easy to be noticed. Even if you write a fabulous book, you may get lost in the sea. The best advice I can give is to write your next book, then your next, and write the best book that you can, and eventually your hard efforts will pay off. I have eight books out now, as well as some anthologies and boxed sets. But only this year did I finally get noticed, with my romantic suspense, The Notary , which hit #4 on Amazon in the romantic suspense category. My other novels also took big bumps, and I sat in the top 100-bestselling authors, next to some of my favorite romantic suspense authors, for two weeks. It was an amazing feeling. So, never give up.
CONNECT WITH CHERYL
Website: http://www.cherylyeko.com/ ‘Where Love Always Wins’
Website: The Power of Three: http://www.thepowerof3cs.com/
Soul Mate Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/lav53p3
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/qzsks8q
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectingRose
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threeBFFs
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cherylyeko
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cyeko/boards/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5406425.Cheryl_Yeko
RODEO KING, Book One of the Dustin Lovers Series AUTHORS: CHAR CHAFFIN AND CHERYL YEKO
[image error] Caleb Johnson, 'King of the Rodeo,' is on his way to becoming Wyoming's National Champion. Until an ornery bull sidelines him with a potentially career-ending injury. Returning home to Dustin to recuperate puts him in the path of Rosemary Carmichael, the girl he deserted to become a rodeo star.
Now he's got to figure out what he really wants: returning to the rodeo circuit and going for that big, National prize, or convincing the woman he loves that he wants a life with her . . . and the son he never knew he had.
BUY LINK: http://tinyurl.com/op4nq5m
BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rr-zdcvdro
[image error]MORE ABOUT CHAR and CHERYL: Char Chaffin and Cheryl Yeko are BFFs, fellow authors and Acquiring Editors, and two-thirds of The Power Of Three. Both are lovers of romance, Alpha Men and the women they’d lay down their lives for.
Char and Cheryl not only write seamlessly together but they share the same vision of what makes a great romance read: a strong story, a passionate romance, fascinating characters, a happy-ever-after ending, and the know-how to accomplish it within the pages of the books they create.
Rodeo King is the first in what they hope will be a long, successful writing partnership. In addition to the Dustin Lovers Trilogy, they are also planning a Western Historical series.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING DUSTIN, WYOMING
It started in 2014, a few months before RWA’s National Conference in San Antonio. Cheryl, Char, and fellow BFF Callie Hutton had been talking about starting up a writing collective. Understanding there is power in numbers, they got the ball rolling by selecting a title—The Power Of Three—and launching a newsletter, website, and other social network-type goodies. Then, one evening during the conference, the idea of writing a romance under The Power Of Three gelled when they chose a genre—Western Contemporary.
The actual outline for RODEO KING came together very quickly. Before that brainstorming evening was over, they had Caleb and Rosemary fleshed out, five solid chapters outlined, and had set up a basic writing schedule that would carry them through fourteen chapters and an epilogue.
Callie’s career as a talented historical romance author took off like gangbusters right after National, and it became impossible for her to participate in the writing of RODEO KING. Instead, she became Char and Cheryl’s sounding board, beta reader, and cheerleader. And they remain The Power of Three. You can catch up with them each month by signing up for their Newsletter at: http://tinyurl.com/TPO3SignUp
Cheryl and Char continued on, sharing a single chapter each month on The Power Of Three Newsletter and on their official website. In 2015, during a marathon writing session in Dallas while attending RT’s annual Convention, Cheryl and Char finished RODEO KING and finalized the cover art. Both have a ‘contemporary voice’ and very view artist disagreements arose as they finalized the story, easily coming to mutually satisfying resolutions.
The experience was so much fun that they simply had to keep going. Another evening of brainstorming netted them an outline for Book Two—ROPING HER IN—and the rudiments of Book Three, as-yet to be named.They’ve also decided to get together at least one a year, (not during a convention) for a writing retreat, along with their BFF, Callie Hutton. Never underestimate The Power Of Three!
Sign up for my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, my new paranormal romance coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
August 3, 2015
Keep the Inspiration Coming
I’m fresh from the Romance Writers of America (RWA) national conference in New York City and feeling inspired. In fact, I’ve got so many new ideas for stories I’m not sure I’ll ever get to them all – a most delicious problem to have.
What inspired me?
Traveling to New York, and a woman I met on the plane, Phyllis. She has a sister who has the early stages of Alzheimers disease and she was on her way to see her, hoping she would still remember her.
The rush of colors and motion and people and energy that is New York and getting to see it all from the backseat of the car, and as I roamed the streets.
The woman who checked me in to the hotel and smiled.
The woman I met at a conference five years ago, and who I had the good fortune to reconnect with, in a room full of over 1,000 people. Love you kismet.
Meeting my editor, Char Chaffin, for the first time in person. She’s as wonderful as she is online.
The amazing authors instructing the workshops, in particular, author Sharon Sala. She talked about the ups and downs of her long career, and several incidents brought her to tears. I cried along with her.
The delicious breakfast every morning. The king sized bed I sunk into every night.
The woman I struck up a conversation with in the coffee shop who’d gone to a pitch appointment, only to learn the editor was only interested in inspirational, not paranormal. Instead of fuming, and berating the process, she handled it with class, and calm.
Going to dinner with 25+ authors from Soul Mate Publishing, and the instant connection I felt with them. BTW - Soul Mate just kicked off its summer Blog-a-Thon featuring a new author every day for over a month - interviews, giveaways, fun! Click here and come join!
The incredible generosity and warmth of the other conference attendees. Enter as strangers, leave as friends became my catchphrase, no matter the event – breakfast, workshop, dinner, elevator ride.
Being a part of the experience, as a whole, and being with ‘my people’.
Hearing the stories of the authors all around me, about how they’d come to start writing, what they loved, what they feared, what they hoped, AND about the stories they were telling, and longed to tell.
Feasting on NY’s best fare, including hot dogs, pizza and cheesecake.
Traveling alone and navigating the bumps by myself, getting there safely, and making it home safely.
And that’s just the short list. Too, the conference, while an amazing educational and networking opportunity, also offers for me, a retreat from daily life, and a chance to focus on the reason we’ve all come together in the first place: our love of writing. My inspiration, my joy, I hope to nurture and protect, and return to, on those days that surely will come when I’m unmotivated, or feeling down, or scared about my career. For it’s that joy, and that inspiration, that make my words come alive. Perhaps my greatest inspiration, in a nutshell, came from author Sharon Sala, who said so beautifully in the workshop I attended only a week ago: “I’m not a writer. I’m a storyteller.”
Please share - if you attended the conference, what inspired you? If you didn't, what inspires you on a daily basis?
Let me hear from you – what are the best fiction resources you’ve found?
Join my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, my new paranormal romance, coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
What inspired me?
Traveling to New York, and a woman I met on the plane, Phyllis. She has a sister who has the early stages of Alzheimers disease and she was on her way to see her, hoping she would still remember her.The rush of colors and motion and people and energy that is New York and getting to see it all from the backseat of the car, and as I roamed the streets.
The woman who checked me in to the hotel and smiled.
The woman I met at a conference five years ago, and who I had the good fortune to reconnect with, in a room full of over 1,000 people. Love you kismet.
Meeting my editor, Char Chaffin, for the first time in person. She’s as wonderful as she is online.
The amazing authors instructing the workshops, in particular, author Sharon Sala. She talked about the ups and downs of her long career, and several incidents brought her to tears. I cried along with her.
The delicious breakfast every morning. The king sized bed I sunk into every night.
The woman I struck up a conversation with in the coffee shop who’d gone to a pitch appointment, only to learn the editor was only interested in inspirational, not paranormal. Instead of fuming, and berating the process, she handled it with class, and calm.
Going to dinner with 25+ authors from Soul Mate Publishing, and the instant connection I felt with them. BTW - Soul Mate just kicked off its summer Blog-a-Thon featuring a new author every day for over a month - interviews, giveaways, fun! Click here and come join!
The incredible generosity and warmth of the other conference attendees. Enter as strangers, leave as friends became my catchphrase, no matter the event – breakfast, workshop, dinner, elevator ride.
Being a part of the experience, as a whole, and being with ‘my people’.
Hearing the stories of the authors all around me, about how they’d come to start writing, what they loved, what they feared, what they hoped, AND about the stories they were telling, and longed to tell.
Feasting on NY’s best fare, including hot dogs, pizza and cheesecake.Traveling alone and navigating the bumps by myself, getting there safely, and making it home safely.
And that’s just the short list. Too, the conference, while an amazing educational and networking opportunity, also offers for me, a retreat from daily life, and a chance to focus on the reason we’ve all come together in the first place: our love of writing. My inspiration, my joy, I hope to nurture and protect, and return to, on those days that surely will come when I’m unmotivated, or feeling down, or scared about my career. For it’s that joy, and that inspiration, that make my words come alive. Perhaps my greatest inspiration, in a nutshell, came from author Sharon Sala, who said so beautifully in the workshop I attended only a week ago: “I’m not a writer. I’m a storyteller.”
Please share - if you attended the conference, what inspired you? If you didn't, what inspires you on a daily basis?
Let me hear from you – what are the best fiction resources you’ve found?
Join my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, my new paranormal romance, coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
July 27, 2015
My Best Fiction Writing Resources
As a writer, I adore reading, and that extends to books on the craft of fiction writing. I’ve got an entire shelf of books I’ve amassed over the years. Today, I’d like to share with you more about the two I've found to be my best resources.
Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
If you follow my blog, you’ll know I refer to this book frequently. I serve as a judge for various writing contests each year, and I often refer to this book in my comments. Bar none, this is the best book I’ve found on the craft of writing. Author Dwight Swain, in my opinion, essentially quantifies, to a degree, the process of this thing we call story. Gems like the significant detail, showing, not telling, to the concept of Motivation/Reaction units, are worth reading, re-reading, and reading again.
I attended the Romantic Times convention in Pittsburgh a number of years ago. In one of the workshops, science fiction and paranormal romance author Linnea Sinclair referred to the book and I bought a copy soon after. I remember her saying, numerous times, Swain says that ‘readers read to experience tension.’ He addresses this and a whole lot more. A must read. I now have it in Kindle format so I can search it if I’m on the go, on any of my devices.
Favorite quote: "So buckle down and forge yourself a kit of techniques out of the iron of your own copy."
Click here to read more about Swain's many achievements . He is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame
OutliningYour Novel – Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland, award winning author and blogger. Another must read, Weiland redefines the process for, and the purpose of, an outline. Rather than seeing it as boxing oneself in, rather, it has the opposite effect: it sets you free. Instead of writing yourself into a corner after fifty pages (which Weiland admits to doing, not once, but twice) an outline gives you control, and saves time: every time you sit down to write, you will know what you should write next, ensuring your story success. However, the outline is flexible; it serves you, not the other way around.
Weiland provides dozens of planning tools, ideas, questions and methods for working the story, backward and forward. I bought this book when I started my second novel and it was quickly becoming a tiger by the tail. With the aid of this book, and Scrivener, I’m excited about planning my stories. Now, I know I’m doing myself a disservice not to plan the story – not every detail, mind you, because that wouldn’t be any fun. Instead, I start with a solid foundation for my plot, my characters, my settings, and so on. This way, I know I can get not only get from point A to point B, but deliver a total experience for my reader. And yes, I've got this in Kindle format so I can have access to it at all times on all of my devices.Favorite quote: [Writing] is "...like a deck of cards, and every writer shuffles it a little differently."
Let me hear from you – what are the best fiction resources you’ve found?
Sign up for my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, coming 2015. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
July 20, 2015
My Writer's Two Cents: Show, Don't Tell
Show, don’t tell. As writers, we’ve all heard it. So, why do you show, versus tell?
To make your reader want to turn the page.
So, how do you do it? In a number of ways. And that’s the thing I love about writing – there’s always more than one way to do a thing, or achieve a desired effect. Volumes have been written on this topic and today, I'm putting in my two cents.
3 Ways to Show, Not Tell
By invoking the senses.
By staying in the present moment
By using everything else in the story as a tool to reveal character
All of these are closely related but I will attempt to discuss each separately. By invoking the senses, you’re inviting your reader into your story, orienting him or her and showing him the world, or character or conflict you’ve created.
Don’t tell your reader it’s hot. Show him the sweat on your character’s brow, as it drips between his shoulder blades, burning the cuts he got last week when he fell from the ladder he wasn’t supposed to be on in the first place. Why wasn’t he supposed to be on the ladder, you ask? Reader, I’ve just invited you into my story. Turn the page to find out more.
By staying in the present, you allow your reader to live moment by moment through your character’s struggle – a surefire way to show, not tell. By avoiding flashback, backstory and in general, anything that came before this moment in time, you can focus on what’s happening right now.
Your character is walking alone, at 5am, to the local bus station with a heavy backpack, his legs aching. He blows on his hands to keep them warm. He left his favorite tousle cap at her house. His ears are numb. He checks his phone constantly for messages. He finds a corner of the bus terminal to huddle into and carefully unzips the backpack. Andrew Jackson’s face peers back at him a dozen times from behind the neatly wrapped bundles.
Instead of telling you he just robbed a bank, or that his girlfriend broke up with him, the writer allows the story to unfold moment by moment, and piques the reader’s curiosity. This isn’t time for instant gratification. It’s time to invite the reader along on this characters’ journey.
By using everything else in the story to reveal your character, the writer puts the story to work for herself, and delights the reader. 'Everything' includes the setting, the characters' choices, his impressions, reactions, his friends, enemies, etc.--they all play into revealing your character. How do his friends treat him? With respect, or envy, or pity? What about his enemies? Why is he nice to the bum on the street? Why does he show up night after night at the same bar, but doesn’t take a drink? Why does he live in the city, versus the country?
Carefully chosen details and story elements all work to reveal character, and invite the reader on a journey of discovery without you, the writer, saying a word.
What methods do you use to show, not tell, and reveal your characters, and your story?
Sign up for my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, coming 2015. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
To make your reader want to turn the page.So, how do you do it? In a number of ways. And that’s the thing I love about writing – there’s always more than one way to do a thing, or achieve a desired effect. Volumes have been written on this topic and today, I'm putting in my two cents.
3 Ways to Show, Not Tell
By invoking the senses.
By staying in the present moment
By using everything else in the story as a tool to reveal character
All of these are closely related but I will attempt to discuss each separately. By invoking the senses, you’re inviting your reader into your story, orienting him or her and showing him the world, or character or conflict you’ve created.
Don’t tell your reader it’s hot. Show him the sweat on your character’s brow, as it drips between his shoulder blades, burning the cuts he got last week when he fell from the ladder he wasn’t supposed to be on in the first place. Why wasn’t he supposed to be on the ladder, you ask? Reader, I’ve just invited you into my story. Turn the page to find out more.
By staying in the present, you allow your reader to live moment by moment through your character’s struggle – a surefire way to show, not tell. By avoiding flashback, backstory and in general, anything that came before this moment in time, you can focus on what’s happening right now.
Your character is walking alone, at 5am, to the local bus station with a heavy backpack, his legs aching. He blows on his hands to keep them warm. He left his favorite tousle cap at her house. His ears are numb. He checks his phone constantly for messages. He finds a corner of the bus terminal to huddle into and carefully unzips the backpack. Andrew Jackson’s face peers back at him a dozen times from behind the neatly wrapped bundles.
Instead of telling you he just robbed a bank, or that his girlfriend broke up with him, the writer allows the story to unfold moment by moment, and piques the reader’s curiosity. This isn’t time for instant gratification. It’s time to invite the reader along on this characters’ journey.
By using everything else in the story to reveal your character, the writer puts the story to work for herself, and delights the reader. 'Everything' includes the setting, the characters' choices, his impressions, reactions, his friends, enemies, etc.--they all play into revealing your character. How do his friends treat him? With respect, or envy, or pity? What about his enemies? Why is he nice to the bum on the street? Why does he show up night after night at the same bar, but doesn’t take a drink? Why does he live in the city, versus the country?
Carefully chosen details and story elements all work to reveal character, and invite the reader on a journey of discovery without you, the writer, saying a word.
What methods do you use to show, not tell, and reveal your characters, and your story?
Sign up for my mailing list and claim your free sneak peek of The Keeper, coming 2015. I’ll never share your email address and that’s a promise.
July 13, 2015
Spark to Flame: My Teen Isn't Texting, She's Reading
"If we talked about books like this in school, I would love reading, and writing."
That’s what my daughter told me a few nights ago. As a mother, as a writer, as a reader, it made me sit up in my chair. I was thrilled. My thirteen year old wasn’t texting, or glazing over. She was leaning forward, excited. Our discussion about her summer reading assignment, The Book Thief , by Markus Zusak, lit the pilot light, so to speak.
We’d discussed the book, her progress, in the past few weeks. As always, I encourage her to come to me with questions, for help, discussion with her schoolwork. But we didn’t get into any ‘nitty gritty’ until this past weekend. Part of the assignment is to create a presentation to share with the class about the book, and that included identifying the themes in the book. We started to talk about what ‘themes’ meant, and which ones might be part of the story. We looked up the word, defined it: ‘unifying or dominant ideas’. Certainly, as an author of romantic suspense, I work to incorporate themes into my stories.
But theme took on a whole new meaning for me as we started to talk about the book. I asked her what parts excited her, touched her, intrigued her, made her want to keep reading. For those of you who haven't read the story or seen the movie, the story takes place in Nazi Germany, in 1939, and centers on a ten year old girl, Liesel, who’s lost her family. I asked my daughter why she thought Liesel was stealing books – what was her motivation?
The answer, or answers, I told her, I felt would uncover the themes. As we talked, I could see her getting excited – she already knew the answers, and I could see it clicking into place for her. The themes were the buried treasure in the parts of the story she’d enjoyed, and connected with; the parts she’d lived through with the main character, Liesel. And as we talked some more, she couldn’t get her ideas down fast enough.
I witnessed the story coming alive for my daughter: the reader. And, as writers, isn’t that what we all strive for? Her excitement, her love of the story, inspired me to write this post.
Seeing that spark being fanned to flame awed me, not only as a mother, who’s proud of her child, growing and learning, but as a writer, who’s just been handed an up close personal look at the most important aspect of story: our readers.
I feel incredibly lucky to have gained this renewed perspective, and to be able to share my writing experience and knowledge with my daughter (and to have a child who willingly does her homework). Who knows? Maybe she’ll be inspired to write some of her own stories.
In the meantime, it seems her assignment has become my assignment. I’ve just started reading The Book Thief.
Kudos, and thank you, Markus Zusak.
Join my newsletter & stay in the know on posts, events, sales & more! I'll never share your email and that's a promise.
That’s what my daughter told me a few nights ago. As a mother, as a writer, as a reader, it made me sit up in my chair. I was thrilled. My thirteen year old wasn’t texting, or glazing over. She was leaning forward, excited. Our discussion about her summer reading assignment, The Book Thief , by Markus Zusak, lit the pilot light, so to speak.
We’d discussed the book, her progress, in the past few weeks. As always, I encourage her to come to me with questions, for help, discussion with her schoolwork. But we didn’t get into any ‘nitty gritty’ until this past weekend. Part of the assignment is to create a presentation to share with the class about the book, and that included identifying the themes in the book. We started to talk about what ‘themes’ meant, and which ones might be part of the story. We looked up the word, defined it: ‘unifying or dominant ideas’. Certainly, as an author of romantic suspense, I work to incorporate themes into my stories.
But theme took on a whole new meaning for me as we started to talk about the book. I asked her what parts excited her, touched her, intrigued her, made her want to keep reading. For those of you who haven't read the story or seen the movie, the story takes place in Nazi Germany, in 1939, and centers on a ten year old girl, Liesel, who’s lost her family. I asked my daughter why she thought Liesel was stealing books – what was her motivation?
The answer, or answers, I told her, I felt would uncover the themes. As we talked, I could see her getting excited – she already knew the answers, and I could see it clicking into place for her. The themes were the buried treasure in the parts of the story she’d enjoyed, and connected with; the parts she’d lived through with the main character, Liesel. And as we talked some more, she couldn’t get her ideas down fast enough.
I witnessed the story coming alive for my daughter: the reader. And, as writers, isn’t that what we all strive for? Her excitement, her love of the story, inspired me to write this post.
Seeing that spark being fanned to flame awed me, not only as a mother, who’s proud of her child, growing and learning, but as a writer, who’s just been handed an up close personal look at the most important aspect of story: our readers. I feel incredibly lucky to have gained this renewed perspective, and to be able to share my writing experience and knowledge with my daughter (and to have a child who willingly does her homework). Who knows? Maybe she’ll be inspired to write some of her own stories.
In the meantime, it seems her assignment has become my assignment. I’ve just started reading The Book Thief.
Kudos, and thank you, Markus Zusak.
Join my newsletter & stay in the know on posts, events, sales & more! I'll never share your email and that's a promise.
July 8, 2015
Author of Romance Joanne Guidoccio is Redefining Reinvention
It's my distinct pleasure to welcome the accomplished and talented author of paranormal romance and cozy mysteries, Joanne Guidoccio, as she shares more about herself, her writing, and her keen insights. She owns her belief in 'reinvention', which is reflected in her books, and her blogs, including her Second Act series. One reviewer lauds her recent release, A Season for Killing Blondes, as "a quick read with just the right level of suspense, humor and romance."
Please share your thoughts, because today, one lucky commenter will receive FREE an ecopy of the book!
Thanks for spending some time at my blog today, Joanne. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing.
You're welcome! I'm happy to be here. In high school, I dreamed about writing the great Canadian novel, but I listened to my practical Italian side and pursued a teaching career. I had no regrets but often wished I had the time and energy to pursue my creative interests.
Be careful what you wish for...
Five months before my fiftieth birthday, I received a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer, forcing me to reassess and re-evaluate my life. While undergoing treatments, I started reading cozy mysteries, devouring several books a week. Halfway through my “cancer” year, I came up with a storyline for my own cozy. I completed the book in two years and then let it sit for a while.
Three years later, I retired and revisited the novel. I changed the POV to first person, added more characters, and a second subplot. I was thrilled when Editor Johanna Melaragno of The Wild Rose Press offered me a contract.
What would you most like people to know about you and your writing?
In my late forties, I realized that I no longer enjoyed reading novels with 20something and 30something protagonists. It felt like poking into the heads and hearts of young women who could easily be former students. While searching for novels featuring an older crowd, I discovered several late-blooming authors who had launched successful second acts. I was inspired and decided to populate my own essays, stories and novels with Boomer women and their older sisters.
In short, I write what I like to read.
As an author, how do you pay it forward?
I often find myself reaching for the teacher hat. I like to share what I’ve learned on my writing journey, the triumphs, challenges, and disappointments. On my blog, I have featured spotlights and reinvention stories of 100+ authors. I am particularly proud of my ability to embrace Twitter and devote many of my tweets to promoting authors and other creatives.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life?
Carve your own journey and take time to discover what you really like to write. In most cases, you will gravitate toward the genres you read. But don’t limit yourself. Instead, experiment with other genres, nonfiction, and poetry. I highly recommend attending local readings and workshops. If you need more direction, sign up for a creative writing course—online or offline—that exposes you to short stories, children’s and adult writing, creative nonfiction and poetry. Search until you find a warm, supportive environment where your words can flow freely. And most important of all, enjoy the journey.
The one thing we can count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer?
Right now, I enjoy writing cozy mysteries and paranormal romance. I intend to write more books in the Gilda Greco Mystery Series and the final book in the Mediterranean trilogy. At the same time, I hope to stretch myself and write inspirational and motivational articles, essays, and books.
Readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories?
I am catering to a different (and often neglected) demographic – Boomer women and their older sisters. I am pleased with the response from my readers:
“It was refreshing to have a main character not be a 23 year old with a model's figure and the world at her feet.” A Season for Killing Blondes (Margaret Jaeger)
“The trials she endures as she comes to terms with being an older woman, in a less than perfect body and face than she enjoyed as her time as a mermaid, leads to a believable story of starting over, reinventing yourself...becoming a butterfly.” Between Land and Sea (SK)
“It was so refreshing to read a novel where the main character wasn’t coming of age or under the age of 30. It adds an extra element of depth to the tale.” Between Land and Sea (Pure Jonel)
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors today?
Each year, millions of books are released, making it increasingly difficult for new authors to stand out. It is important for authors to pace themselves and not become discouraged too quickly. That first book may fall short of expectations, but it doesn’t mean that an author should stop writing. Breakthroughs can occur at any stage of the journey.
A SEASON FOR KILLING BLONDES
Hours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.
When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends.
As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.
Buy Links
Amazon (Canada) - http://is.gd/t0g1KZ
Amazon (United States) - http://is.gd/jADjPp
Amazon (United Kingdom) - http://is.gd/8mknFJ
Amazon (Australia) - http://is.gd/r843iX
Kobo - http://is.gd/BpO9gY
Watch the Book Trailer - https://youtu.be/QURgFbybQVw
READ AN EXCERPT from A SEASON FOR KILLING BLONDES
Carlo had removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt. His tie lay on the desk. The rumpled look suited him to a tee. And his large black-rimmed glasses accentuated those unforgettable blue eyes. Bluer than blue. Sky blue. Cornflower blue. Robin’s egg blue. Years ago, Adele Martino and I had come up with thirty-seven descriptions of Carlo Fantin’s eyes when Mrs. Gillespie assigned one of her Monday morning English composition exercises. As I tried to recall the other thirty-three, I realized that Carlo was speaking to me.
“…he’ll be taking notes as well.”
Darn! Another officer in the room, and I had missed his name and more importantly, his title. Was he a detective or a constable? I’m sure Sofia would know. In the meantime, I better stop daydreaming and start listening. I nodded in the direction of the beefy officer. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Expertly trimmed moustache. A big bear of a man who reminded me of Magnum P.I.
Carlo cleared his throat. He was ready to get down to business. Police business. “It appears that Carrie Ann was your first client. You haven’t opened this office for business yet. How did that happen?”
My heart raced as I spoke. “After Sofia and my mother left…I’m not certain about the time…um…I…I heard a knock at the front window. I looked up and saw Carrie Ann. Hadn’t seen her in ages.” I paused and then added, “Still wearing the same pageboy hair style andthat blonde color—”
Carlo waved his hand. “Stick to the facts, please.”
I felt myself reddening as those piercing blue eyes bored right through me. “Oh, sorry. Um, I let Carrie Ann in.”
“And?” Carlo said when I hesitated.
I shrugged. “We just talked for a while, then, uh…” I closed my eyes and tried to recall theconversation. But nothing concrete came to mind, only Carrie Ann’s infectious laugh and bubbly compliments about the decorating scheme. When I opened my eyes, the other officer offered me a water bottle. I thanked him and gulped down half the contents.
“You scheduled her for a session tomorrow morning,” Carlo said as he held up my appointment book. “Carrie Ann is…was considered one of the best interior designers in town. Why would she need counseling from you?” His dark brows drew together in a suspicious frown. “Were you planning to tell her to give it up?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In high school, Joanne dabbled in poetry, but it would be over three decades before she entertained the idea of writing as a career. She listened to her practical Italian side and earned degrees in mathematics and education. She experienced many fulfilling moments as she watched her students develop an appreciation (and sometimes, love) of mathematics. Later, she obtained a post-graduate diploma as a career development practitioner and put that skill set to use in the co-operative education classroom. She welcomed this opportunity to help her students experience personal growth and acquire career direction through their placements.
In 2008, she took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
CONNECT WITH JOANNE
Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccioGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
Please share your thoughts, because today, one lucky commenter will receive FREE an ecopy of the book!
Thanks for spending some time at my blog today, Joanne. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and how and why you began writing.
You're welcome! I'm happy to be here. In high school, I dreamed about writing the great Canadian novel, but I listened to my practical Italian side and pursued a teaching career. I had no regrets but often wished I had the time and energy to pursue my creative interests.
Be careful what you wish for...
Five months before my fiftieth birthday, I received a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer, forcing me to reassess and re-evaluate my life. While undergoing treatments, I started reading cozy mysteries, devouring several books a week. Halfway through my “cancer” year, I came up with a storyline for my own cozy. I completed the book in two years and then let it sit for a while.
Three years later, I retired and revisited the novel. I changed the POV to first person, added more characters, and a second subplot. I was thrilled when Editor Johanna Melaragno of The Wild Rose Press offered me a contract.
What would you most like people to know about you and your writing?
In my late forties, I realized that I no longer enjoyed reading novels with 20something and 30something protagonists. It felt like poking into the heads and hearts of young women who could easily be former students. While searching for novels featuring an older crowd, I discovered several late-blooming authors who had launched successful second acts. I was inspired and decided to populate my own essays, stories and novels with Boomer women and their older sisters.
In short, I write what I like to read.
As an author, how do you pay it forward?
I often find myself reaching for the teacher hat. I like to share what I’ve learned on my writing journey, the triumphs, challenges, and disappointments. On my blog, I have featured spotlights and reinvention stories of 100+ authors. I am particularly proud of my ability to embrace Twitter and devote many of my tweets to promoting authors and other creatives.
What is the single best piece of advice you would give to another author about the craft of writing, about marketing, and/or the writing life?
Carve your own journey and take time to discover what you really like to write. In most cases, you will gravitate toward the genres you read. But don’t limit yourself. Instead, experiment with other genres, nonfiction, and poetry. I highly recommend attending local readings and workshops. If you need more direction, sign up for a creative writing course—online or offline—that exposes you to short stories, children’s and adult writing, creative nonfiction and poetry. Search until you find a warm, supportive environment where your words can flow freely. And most important of all, enjoy the journey.
The one thing we can count on is change. How do you plan to continue to evolve as a writer?
Right now, I enjoy writing cozy mysteries and paranormal romance. I intend to write more books in the Gilda Greco Mystery Series and the final book in the Mediterranean trilogy. At the same time, I hope to stretch myself and write inspirational and motivational articles, essays, and books.
Readers have a vast number of choices in books. Why do you feel readers will enjoy your stories?
I am catering to a different (and often neglected) demographic – Boomer women and their older sisters. I am pleased with the response from my readers:
“It was refreshing to have a main character not be a 23 year old with a model's figure and the world at her feet.” A Season for Killing Blondes (Margaret Jaeger)
“The trials she endures as she comes to terms with being an older woman, in a less than perfect body and face than she enjoyed as her time as a mermaid, leads to a believable story of starting over, reinventing yourself...becoming a butterfly.” Between Land and Sea (SK)
“It was so refreshing to read a novel where the main character wasn’t coming of age or under the age of 30. It adds an extra element of depth to the tale.” Between Land and Sea (Pure Jonel)
What do you feel are the greatest challenges facing authors today?
Each year, millions of books are released, making it increasingly difficult for new authors to stand out. It is important for authors to pace themselves and not become discouraged too quickly. That first book may fall short of expectations, but it doesn’t mean that an author should stop writing. Breakthroughs can occur at any stage of the journey.
A SEASON FOR KILLING BLONDESHours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.
When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends.
As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.
Buy Links
Amazon (Canada) - http://is.gd/t0g1KZ
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Amazon (Australia) - http://is.gd/r843iX
Kobo - http://is.gd/BpO9gY
Watch the Book Trailer - https://youtu.be/QURgFbybQVw
READ AN EXCERPT from A SEASON FOR KILLING BLONDES
Carlo had removed his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his light blue dress shirt. His tie lay on the desk. The rumpled look suited him to a tee. And his large black-rimmed glasses accentuated those unforgettable blue eyes. Bluer than blue. Sky blue. Cornflower blue. Robin’s egg blue. Years ago, Adele Martino and I had come up with thirty-seven descriptions of Carlo Fantin’s eyes when Mrs. Gillespie assigned one of her Monday morning English composition exercises. As I tried to recall the other thirty-three, I realized that Carlo was speaking to me.
“…he’ll be taking notes as well.”
Darn! Another officer in the room, and I had missed his name and more importantly, his title. Was he a detective or a constable? I’m sure Sofia would know. In the meantime, I better stop daydreaming and start listening. I nodded in the direction of the beefy officer. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Expertly trimmed moustache. A big bear of a man who reminded me of Magnum P.I.
Carlo cleared his throat. He was ready to get down to business. Police business. “It appears that Carrie Ann was your first client. You haven’t opened this office for business yet. How did that happen?”
My heart raced as I spoke. “After Sofia and my mother left…I’m not certain about the time…um…I…I heard a knock at the front window. I looked up and saw Carrie Ann. Hadn’t seen her in ages.” I paused and then added, “Still wearing the same pageboy hair style andthat blonde color—”
Carlo waved his hand. “Stick to the facts, please.”
I felt myself reddening as those piercing blue eyes bored right through me. “Oh, sorry. Um, I let Carrie Ann in.”
“And?” Carlo said when I hesitated.
I shrugged. “We just talked for a while, then, uh…” I closed my eyes and tried to recall theconversation. But nothing concrete came to mind, only Carrie Ann’s infectious laugh and bubbly compliments about the decorating scheme. When I opened my eyes, the other officer offered me a water bottle. I thanked him and gulped down half the contents.
“You scheduled her for a session tomorrow morning,” Carlo said as he held up my appointment book. “Carrie Ann is…was considered one of the best interior designers in town. Why would she need counseling from you?” His dark brows drew together in a suspicious frown. “Were you planning to tell her to give it up?”
ABOUT THE AUTHORIn high school, Joanne dabbled in poetry, but it would be over three decades before she entertained the idea of writing as a career. She listened to her practical Italian side and earned degrees in mathematics and education. She experienced many fulfilling moments as she watched her students develop an appreciation (and sometimes, love) of mathematics. Later, she obtained a post-graduate diploma as a career development practitioner and put that skill set to use in the co-operative education classroom. She welcomed this opportunity to help her students experience personal growth and acquire career direction through their placements.
In 2008, she took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Canada, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.
CONNECT WITH JOANNE
Website: http://joanneguidoccio.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/joanneguidoccioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanneguidoccioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneguidoccioGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7277706.Joanne_Guidoccio
July 6, 2015
Freelance to Fiction: Consciously Unskilled
I recently blogged about adult learning at my publisher's blog, and moving from the state of being unconsciously unskilled to being unconsciously skilled. Basically, it goes like this:
Unconsciously Unskilled --> Consciously Unskilled--> Consciously Skilled --> Unconsciously Skilled
How does that apply, to both freelancing and fiction?
As a newbie freelancer, I hung my shingle out, online, and bid on many jobs before landing my first client. I also read as many books as I could find on the subject. I learned a lot, and improved a lot in many areas, and not just in my writing. I also learned how to collect from clients who owed me money, to verify interview appointments the day before, and to only take the jobs I knew in my gut I could do well.
By the way: The most memorable book I read was Robert Bly's Secrets of a Freelance Writer. A lot of his advice about organization, copywriting applies to the business side of being an author.
As an author, I’m finding myself in the Consciously Unskilled category for right now, and attempting to become for the foreseeable future, somewhat Consciously Skilled. I refer to this indirectly in another blog post, Freelance to Fiction, Learning to be an Author.
It’s a process we don’t perhaps think about, consciously, but it’s one we’ve all gone through, numerous times. It really got me thinking about my experiences in the last year as a published author, in particular regarding marketing.
When I finished my second book, I took a few weeks off from writing to turn my attention to marketing, knowing this was an area in which I was unskilled. I also was very motivated to learn as much as I could, as I’d just signed a three book deal for my new paranormal romance series. I had lots of questions – how was marketing a series different from marketing a single title? How could I do better than I did for the first book? And most importantly, I was on a mission to ferret out the “I don’t know what I don’t knows’, if you know what I mean.
What’ve I learned? LOL – there’s a whole lot more to learn. But here are some of the takeaways I’d like to share:
Take time to meet folks in person. We’re a virtual society. I love it as much as the next guy. But it’s important to connect with people, in person. Get involved at the local libraries, go to the local shops, hand out SWAG, find out about book clubs. Recently, a book club invited me back to their last meeting before summer, and I was touched, and happy to meet new members, and talk with old friends.
www.timgrahl.comAn excellent resource, for all things related to book marketing, written in easy to understand, step by step language. Articles, guides, and his book, YourFirst 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book. The focus is his Connection system, and it focuses on connecting with readers, spreading your ideas, and using your writing to add value to people’s lives. A must read.
Bad Red Head Media – tons of no-nonsense advice about marketing for authors. Kudos to Rachel Thompson. Check her out on Twitter at @BadRedheadMedia, or her website www.badredheadmedia.com. On a related note, check out her recent article in the Huffington Post, 50 Shades of Trolls on handling trolls - a timely topic these days for those following discussions about E.L. James recent Twitter, er, discussion.
Twitter How To – Yeah, I tweeted, but I didn’t understand how to compose a tweet, who, or how to follow, when to tweet. Here’s a great guide, if I may say so: http://www.thesocialmediahat.com/blog/ultimate-guide-building-your-twitter-presence-03172015
Note:Twitter is my preference, over Facebook, but I'm active on both.
As I learned how to be a better Tweep, I discovered all sorts of interesting blogs and people and started to interact, and found some great resources. I’ve learned so much, and gained a lot of followers along the way, which, to me, is a cool side benefit. I still haven’t taken part in a Twitter chat, but it’s on my list. See: http://www.socialfresh.com/twitter-chat-how-to/
I took time to work on presenting a unified theme on all of my author platforms – website, Twitter, Facebook and blog.
Evernote– I have come to depend on this wonderful organizational tool for capturing all of my research, ideas, notes, to do’s – you name it. Yep, I have it on my iPad, iPhone and I can access it online.
Cool Tools worth mentioning: SumoMe, Pixabay, Canva, Click to Tweet, Buffer, Hootsuite, Manage Flitter
And those are just some of the highlights. In the class I recently attended for the day job, in which I learned about adult learning, we watched an inspirational video about aphotographer from National Geographic. He talked about how so many people found so much wrong with the world; that was all they could see. He chose to focus on what was right with the world, through his pictures. As he went on his journey, traveling all over the world taking pictures, he found himself challenging his former thought process: if he could see it, then he would believe it. Instead, he came to discover that if he believed it, he would see it.
Powerful stuff. I think being an author is an amazing blessing that’s changed my life in so many ways, and to completely embrace the blessing, it requires shifting my paradigm, just as the photographer did. It’s a lot of work, but it’s good work. And it’s the right work for me to be doing. I feel it in my gut. I’m in the journey for the long haul, moving toward becoming Unconsciously Skilled. I believe it. And I’m seeing it.
I hope you do too.
Let me hear from you...As an author, what’ve you delved into, to move from unconsciously unskilled to unconsciously skilled?
Signup for my newsletter and stay in the know on posts, sales and events. I’ll never share your email and that’s a promise.
Unconsciously Unskilled --> Consciously Unskilled--> Consciously Skilled --> Unconsciously Skilled
How does that apply, to both freelancing and fiction?
As a newbie freelancer, I hung my shingle out, online, and bid on many jobs before landing my first client. I also read as many books as I could find on the subject. I learned a lot, and improved a lot in many areas, and not just in my writing. I also learned how to collect from clients who owed me money, to verify interview appointments the day before, and to only take the jobs I knew in my gut I could do well.
By the way: The most memorable book I read was Robert Bly's Secrets of a Freelance Writer. A lot of his advice about organization, copywriting applies to the business side of being an author.
As an author, I’m finding myself in the Consciously Unskilled category for right now, and attempting to become for the foreseeable future, somewhat Consciously Skilled. I refer to this indirectly in another blog post, Freelance to Fiction, Learning to be an Author.
It’s a process we don’t perhaps think about, consciously, but it’s one we’ve all gone through, numerous times. It really got me thinking about my experiences in the last year as a published author, in particular regarding marketing.
When I finished my second book, I took a few weeks off from writing to turn my attention to marketing, knowing this was an area in which I was unskilled. I also was very motivated to learn as much as I could, as I’d just signed a three book deal for my new paranormal romance series. I had lots of questions – how was marketing a series different from marketing a single title? How could I do better than I did for the first book? And most importantly, I was on a mission to ferret out the “I don’t know what I don’t knows’, if you know what I mean.
What’ve I learned? LOL – there’s a whole lot more to learn. But here are some of the takeaways I’d like to share:
Take time to meet folks in person. We’re a virtual society. I love it as much as the next guy. But it’s important to connect with people, in person. Get involved at the local libraries, go to the local shops, hand out SWAG, find out about book clubs. Recently, a book club invited me back to their last meeting before summer, and I was touched, and happy to meet new members, and talk with old friends.
www.timgrahl.comAn excellent resource, for all things related to book marketing, written in easy to understand, step by step language. Articles, guides, and his book, YourFirst 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Book. The focus is his Connection system, and it focuses on connecting with readers, spreading your ideas, and using your writing to add value to people’s lives. A must read.
Bad Red Head Media – tons of no-nonsense advice about marketing for authors. Kudos to Rachel Thompson. Check her out on Twitter at @BadRedheadMedia, or her website www.badredheadmedia.com. On a related note, check out her recent article in the Huffington Post, 50 Shades of Trolls on handling trolls - a timely topic these days for those following discussions about E.L. James recent Twitter, er, discussion.
Twitter How To – Yeah, I tweeted, but I didn’t understand how to compose a tweet, who, or how to follow, when to tweet. Here’s a great guide, if I may say so: http://www.thesocialmediahat.com/blog/ultimate-guide-building-your-twitter-presence-03172015
Note:Twitter is my preference, over Facebook, but I'm active on both.
As I learned how to be a better Tweep, I discovered all sorts of interesting blogs and people and started to interact, and found some great resources. I’ve learned so much, and gained a lot of followers along the way, which, to me, is a cool side benefit. I still haven’t taken part in a Twitter chat, but it’s on my list. See: http://www.socialfresh.com/twitter-chat-how-to/
I took time to work on presenting a unified theme on all of my author platforms – website, Twitter, Facebook and blog.
Evernote– I have come to depend on this wonderful organizational tool for capturing all of my research, ideas, notes, to do’s – you name it. Yep, I have it on my iPad, iPhone and I can access it online.
Cool Tools worth mentioning: SumoMe, Pixabay, Canva, Click to Tweet, Buffer, Hootsuite, Manage Flitter
And those are just some of the highlights. In the class I recently attended for the day job, in which I learned about adult learning, we watched an inspirational video about aphotographer from National Geographic. He talked about how so many people found so much wrong with the world; that was all they could see. He chose to focus on what was right with the world, through his pictures. As he went on his journey, traveling all over the world taking pictures, he found himself challenging his former thought process: if he could see it, then he would believe it. Instead, he came to discover that if he believed it, he would see it.
Powerful stuff. I think being an author is an amazing blessing that’s changed my life in so many ways, and to completely embrace the blessing, it requires shifting my paradigm, just as the photographer did. It’s a lot of work, but it’s good work. And it’s the right work for me to be doing. I feel it in my gut. I’m in the journey for the long haul, moving toward becoming Unconsciously Skilled. I believe it. And I’m seeing it.
I hope you do too.
Let me hear from you...As an author, what’ve you delved into, to move from unconsciously unskilled to unconsciously skilled?
Signup for my newsletter and stay in the know on posts, sales and events. I’ll never share your email and that’s a promise.
July 1, 2015
Writing Tips from Author Sandy Wickersham - Know Yourself
Please welcome author of romance Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter. She’s sharing with us today writing tips that make her more productive, and some more about her romantic suspense, The Diamond Road.
Sandy, please tell us more about your writing tips, and what you mean by 'knowing yourself.'
You want one writing tip, Rebecca? :) That’s hard because so many run through my head, each clamoring to be #1. Three rise to the top: protect the work; revise in different places and in different media; and change colors on the manuscript after each session to help find your place later. If you consider these for a moment, you’ll see they all relate to KNOW YOURSELF.
Know yourself means learn what your limitations are and work within them.
Know how long you can work without words looking like gobbledegook on the page. When Wendy’s looks like @s$xy’z you know it’s time to stop for that session. I’ve had that happen!
Know when family REALLY must come first. Know your frustration tolerance level; if an outside force is nagging you, won’t leave you alone, stop and handle the situation even if you’re on a deadline, otherwise your work will be bad, and you’ll waste time redoing it.
Know that you shouldn’t try to write at a certain time if your mind is clearer at another. If you’re most productive on Tuesday night in a boat on Lake Erie, do it! Whatever works to get the most writing done in each session.
Know that you should force yourself to say NO sometimes, even if it means disappointing someone and angering them.
Know to trust your instinct--if a piece doesn’t look right to you and 3 or 4 other readers also find it hard to understand, put it away for a time, mull it over in your mind, then revise it again.
Know to write what you like to read; don’t force yourself to write genres you’re not interested in. That historical novel won’t be something you’d want to put your name on if you’re a ravenous science-fiction reader!
Those things I mentioned earlier? All my KNOW TOs are part of “Protect the work.” This is not letting anyone or anything take your joy in writing away. If you really want to write, consistently do whatever it takes to find the time and place, and be bold, don’t listen to those who say you have no talent or those who don’t like your chosen genre.
Also, part of “Protect the work” is “revise in different places and in different media.” This helps overcome the familiarity breeds contempt problem. Our brain becomes so familiar with what our words look on a page that we have to trick it into seeing errors we’ve missed because we always revise or edit in the same place and in the same media. Print a copy and go to another room, or leave home if you always edit on your computer at home in your office. Print in a bright color like red if you always print in black. Read from the manuscript’s front to its back.
Last, if your manuscripts are long and you never remember to write down the page number you stopped working on and don’t have a bookmark function, just highlight and make newly written or edited text a different color. Scroll to the end of that text to find where you left off. This is especially helpful if you’re editing in the manuscript’s center and need to find that spot again quickly.
I think you get the picture by now, learn all aspects of yourself and work within those limitations to produce the best writing your can, a manuscript whose cover you’d be proud to see your name on, not cringe over because you know it wasn’t your best effort.
THE DIAMOND ROAD
Devoted to her family and God, American trucker Connie Williams decides to run the winter ice roads to earn money to pay her beloved father’s mounting bills as he fights kidney failure. Losing him will destroy her. Subconsciously, she feels inadequate because she never went to college like her siblings and still lives life like a teenager.
Canadian professor, rancher, and ice-road trucker, Jake Baxter, runs the ice roads for money to keep his ranch out of his greedy siblings’ hands. He clings to the ranch because it’s the only thing keeping his parents alive in his heart; their deaths are too fresh in his mind, too overwhelming. He blames God for his parents’ deaths and hates seeing any living creature die.
During Yellowknife, Canada’s ice-roads season, Connie and Jake will face two truckers fixated on murderous revenge. Connie and Jake and their friends have three short months to solve the mystery of who their attackers are and stop them, or die.
GET IT ON AMAZON
CONNECT WITH SANDY
Website | Blog | Facebook
Sandy, please tell us more about your writing tips, and what you mean by 'knowing yourself.'
You want one writing tip, Rebecca? :) That’s hard because so many run through my head, each clamoring to be #1. Three rise to the top: protect the work; revise in different places and in different media; and change colors on the manuscript after each session to help find your place later. If you consider these for a moment, you’ll see they all relate to KNOW YOURSELF.
Know yourself means learn what your limitations are and work within them.
Know how long you can work without words looking like gobbledegook on the page. When Wendy’s looks like @s$xy’z you know it’s time to stop for that session. I’ve had that happen!
Know when family REALLY must come first. Know your frustration tolerance level; if an outside force is nagging you, won’t leave you alone, stop and handle the situation even if you’re on a deadline, otherwise your work will be bad, and you’ll waste time redoing it.
Know that you shouldn’t try to write at a certain time if your mind is clearer at another. If you’re most productive on Tuesday night in a boat on Lake Erie, do it! Whatever works to get the most writing done in each session.
Know that you should force yourself to say NO sometimes, even if it means disappointing someone and angering them.
Know to trust your instinct--if a piece doesn’t look right to you and 3 or 4 other readers also find it hard to understand, put it away for a time, mull it over in your mind, then revise it again.
Know to write what you like to read; don’t force yourself to write genres you’re not interested in. That historical novel won’t be something you’d want to put your name on if you’re a ravenous science-fiction reader!
Those things I mentioned earlier? All my KNOW TOs are part of “Protect the work.” This is not letting anyone or anything take your joy in writing away. If you really want to write, consistently do whatever it takes to find the time and place, and be bold, don’t listen to those who say you have no talent or those who don’t like your chosen genre.
Also, part of “Protect the work” is “revise in different places and in different media.” This helps overcome the familiarity breeds contempt problem. Our brain becomes so familiar with what our words look on a page that we have to trick it into seeing errors we’ve missed because we always revise or edit in the same place and in the same media. Print a copy and go to another room, or leave home if you always edit on your computer at home in your office. Print in a bright color like red if you always print in black. Read from the manuscript’s front to its back.
Last, if your manuscripts are long and you never remember to write down the page number you stopped working on and don’t have a bookmark function, just highlight and make newly written or edited text a different color. Scroll to the end of that text to find where you left off. This is especially helpful if you’re editing in the manuscript’s center and need to find that spot again quickly.
I think you get the picture by now, learn all aspects of yourself and work within those limitations to produce the best writing your can, a manuscript whose cover you’d be proud to see your name on, not cringe over because you know it wasn’t your best effort.
THE DIAMOND ROAD
Devoted to her family and God, American trucker Connie Williams decides to run the winter ice roads to earn money to pay her beloved father’s mounting bills as he fights kidney failure. Losing him will destroy her. Subconsciously, she feels inadequate because she never went to college like her siblings and still lives life like a teenager.
Canadian professor, rancher, and ice-road trucker, Jake Baxter, runs the ice roads for money to keep his ranch out of his greedy siblings’ hands. He clings to the ranch because it’s the only thing keeping his parents alive in his heart; their deaths are too fresh in his mind, too overwhelming. He blames God for his parents’ deaths and hates seeing any living creature die.
During Yellowknife, Canada’s ice-roads season, Connie and Jake will face two truckers fixated on murderous revenge. Connie and Jake and their friends have three short months to solve the mystery of who their attackers are and stop them, or die.
GET IT ON AMAZON
CONNECT WITH SANDY
Website | Blog | Facebook
