Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Years!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Normally I'm on schedule with the posts, but I've been buried between work and edits. And of course now I'm sick with some wonderful stomach bug.

But, I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a wonderful Happy New Year! Be safe and have lots of fun.

My New Year's resolution: To attempt to manage my time better than this year. To complete and publish at least two books. To be more healthy.

What's your New Year's resolution?


AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date January 25th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

New Release Date

 Remember when I said how easy the edits had been for The Swan Cove Murders, and with any luck, it would be the same with Secrets of Jenkins Bridge? And that I'd probably regret saying that?

Well, here I am eating crow. Lots of edits and not just grammar usage etc. Nope, total rearrangements, deletions, and additions. Now I can honestly say that edits are no picnic. And I know my editor is only helping to make Secrets of Jenkins Bridge the absolute best that it can be.

There is just no way in Hades I'll ever make my deadline to have the book released December 28th. Not with the holidays and a full time job (not to mention the kids and grandkids). So, we've decided to push the release date out to January 25th. That'll be an extra special day for me as it's my birthday:)

I still plan on a nice little package giveaway on that day: a t-shirt, a mug, a postcard, a magnet, and a keychain all bearing Secrets of Jenkins Bridge book cover!! So be sure to mark your calendars.

As for The Swan Cove Murders, if you haven't picked up your copy, it's available at Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. Here's an excerpt:

 The door slowly opened, and she slid through the slim opening. The purple smudges under her beautiful hazel eyes spoke volumes to him, crushing his heart. Be strong.
 
  “What do you want? The sheriff already delivered the papers.” The glare radiating from her hazel eyes spoke of wanting to set him on fire, burning him alive. She’d been crying.
 
  “I know.”
 
  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you also know Earl left me the house.”
 
  “A small technicality which will be fixed the day after tomorrow in court.”
 
  She sighed. “Then what do you want today of all days?”
 
  “I would like to get into my attic.” When she didn’t answer, he smiled. “Please.”
 
  Suspicion crept into the fiery gaze. “Why should I let you?”
 
  “I have a key. I can come and go anytime I please.” Vixen. “I thought I’d be nice and ask, before forcing my way in.”
 
  “You certainly aren’t winning me over.”
 
  He put his hands together as if in prayer. “Please. I just need the trunk.” His and Earl’s trunk. After the funeral, Lena had insisted Nicholas take the treasure trove with him, but the memories inside had been too much to handle at the time.
 
  Her swollen eyes softened a little. “Well...” She pushed open the door and waved him in.   
 
  He made his way through the foyer, pausing when he spotted the family photos hanging on the wall. “I see you haven’t changed anything.” He hadn’t been inside the house since Earl’s death.
 
  “Why would I?”
 
  His eyes caught the flower arrangement on the side table near the staircase along with the card sticking up in the middle. “Secret admirer?”
 
  Her face flushed. “How about none of your business? Do you want time with the trunk or what?”

AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date January 25th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Friday, December 16, 2011

Deja Vu Blogfest:!!!

  This is how the Deja Vu blogfest works. Simply sign-up at the Blog Sign up here.  Take the badge above and plaster it everywhere, blogging graffiti gone wild. The repost your favorite blog post or one that never received the exposure it should have.  Then hop from one blog to another.  Encouragement, enlightenment, knowledge, bared souls, stimulation, hilarity, insecurities, success stories!  All on display.  Discover some new blogs and rediscover some older ones. And have a blast!! Sign up here.

Here is my resurrected blog back from July. I couldn't pick 'the best one', so I picked one that was informative - one that may help someone attempting to write that hair-pulling, nerve-wrecking synopsis. And believe me, I am no expert. It still takes me forever to write one of these, kicking and screaming all the way.

 

 Synopsis Hell

I'm sorry I haven't posted in almost two weeks, but there have been a lot of little problems. And of course they all come at once. Life would simply be boring if it didn't happen that way. But, alas I'm back.

The title says it all. As I'm doing some final editing on The Doves Cove Murders (was Spirit Writer), I'm also beginning the vicious process of drafting my synopsis.

I have written a synopsis once before, and seeing as how that one at the very least got me a request of my full WIP-I must have done something right (I think). So I figured I'd post how I go about writing up a synopsis. This isn't going to work for everyone. I don't have the perfect formula for doing this.

It's all about condensing your story. (And it's a royal pain in the butt. Yet, when you have the finished product, it's well worth the effort!) The only way I can condense a 55K story into a two page synopsis (or whatever the requirements are for each publisher/editor/agent) is to do it in baby steps.

'So, I'll have to rewrite this darn thing several times?' you say? You bet you will. All I do is take each scene and write one sentence describing what's going on. Can't do just one? That's fine. Do two sentences, but no more than that or you'll be in editing hell instead. (Keep in mind you'll have to take this and condense it even more!). Go through your entire story writing down these sentences.

Once you're done, you do NOT get to string the sentences together and call it a synopsis. Unless you are real good at doing this, please don't string them together just yet.

Now, set that all aside. Breathe. Enjoy the sun. Then, back to work. This step you can do first before going through your story and writing those sentences, but I prefer to do it after. The first paragraph is going to be the PUNCH! Or the hook. You need to hook them in to read your story. This is the log line-your entire story rolled into 25 to 30 words. LOL! I know-impossible! But, with a little work it is possible. I guess that's a bit intimidating. I look at it like the blurb for your story. That's easier to wrap my head around at least.

Once you have that polished, it's onto your sentences you set aside. Ugh! I know. Read through it once WITHOUT making any corrections. You'll be able to pick out the important key parts needed. On the second read through, grab your pen, pencil, marker, etc (I prefer a red pen) and cross out the unimportant parts. You need to have the key points of your story. Think of them as the cause and effect points of your story. You don't want secondary characters (unless they pertain to the main plot and then you don't usually use their names) or any subplots. Another way to think of this: ACTION, REACTION, DECISION. This leads up to the climax. Remember, you're not throwing these sentences together. You have to weave them so they flow naturally and logically. Same goes for your paragraphs.

Now comes the ending. DO NOT leave them hanging. Tell what happens at the end. This is where you have the crisis-the black moment-when everything appears as if it's all about to come tumbling down. And of course the resolution and HEA. Be sure you have all loose ends tied up at the end.

Done? Okay, again breathe. Enjoy the sun. Now, you have to polish this the same as you have polished your story. UGH! I know, but it has to be done, like it or not.

A couple of last tips:

1) Write in the present tense.

2) Pay attention to what the publisher/editor/agent's requirements are on the length of the synopsis.

3) Avoid the passive voice

4) BREATHE! And have fun writing it. You should be excited about your story and if that is in fact the case, it will show in your writing. :)



AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cheryl Yeko is in the House Today With Her New Debut, Protecting Rose

Today, I have fellow SMP Author Cheryl Yeko in the house!! She's here to chat a little about herself, being an author, and her new debut, Protecting Rose, which was released yesterday. I say the book trailer a couple of days ago, and I must say it's awesome!!

Welcome Cheryl and congrats on your new release. Can you tell us a little about yourself?  Sure.  I’m happily married with 2 children and 3 grandchildren.  I love to read, write and play piano. 

What is the most romantic thing your significant other or anyone has done for you?  After 25 years together, he still opens my car doors for me.  I love that!

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?  Always.  The more comfortable I am, the better I write.

What are your pet peeves? I still have to wrestle with my husband over the 2 degrees difference on the thermostat.  Ugg.

Cats or dogs?  Cats.  Dogs are too much work. 

White wine or red?  I like White wine.  German Rieslings being my favorite.

Coffee or tea?  Coffee.  I love coffee.  My children went together and bought me a coffee/espresso machine a few years ago, and now every weekend, my husband makes us a latte in the mornings.  I love that!

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?  Vanilla.  Although my husband tells me that it's not actually a flavor.

What are 4 things you never leave home without?  My purse, my phone, my car keys and my Kindle.

Laptop or desktop for writing? Well, actually, I use both at the same time.  I purchased one of those desktop holders for your lap.  I write in bed with one of those funny pillow/arm things behind me and my laptop holder on my lap.  It's even has a drawer for my flash drive, and a spot for my mouse.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?  I would love to be able to write all day long, but I work during the day.  So, I do my writing in the evenings and on weekends.  Many nights I wake up around one and write until four or five before catching another hour or so of sleep.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you? Bruce Willis because he would just be a blast and keep thing interesting.  Brad Pitt because he's just so nice to look at and Sandra Bullock, because I would need a girlfriend to talk to.

An actor you have a crush on?  My most favorite actor ever was Patrick Swayze.  I'm still mourning his passing. 

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?  Honestly, since I started writing I've pretty much given up on TV and movies.  I can't remember the last movie I watched.

What made you decide to be an author?  My husband, Patrick, bought me a kindle a few years ago and I rediscovered my love of reading.  Within a few years I had over 500 books in my library.  Mostly Romance Suspense and Paranormal.  I decided I wanted to write one and spent the next year writing Protecting Rose.

How did you choose the genre you write in?  I have always love action/romance movies.  Bruce Willis being one of my favorites.  I visualized Bruce when I wrote the story.

Are you a punster or a plotter and why?  Totally a panster. 

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?  Karen Rose is one of my favorites.  She writes the best bad guys.  I also love Alexander Ivy and her Guardians of Eternity series.

What is your all-time favorite book?  That is a tough question.  I don't have a favorite book, but I have favorite series.  J.R. Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood comes to mind.  Next to Romantic Suspense…I love Paranormal.  Protecting Rose is the first in a series of three.  When I'm done with those stories, I plan to write a paranormal story.  That is going to be fun.

What is your favorite sentence or quote in your new release? 
That's a funny story.  I was writing an explosion scene and I had written "the warehouse doors were blown open with a loud explosion…or something like that, can't quite remember the exact sentence.  One of my crit. partners said "aren't all explosions loud?" lol…she was so right.

So, I'm trying to think of a way to boost the scene when I was driving with my husband in his car one day and he picked up a voice mail from one of his buddies over the speaker phone.  His friend was telling him about the airshow he was at and he said, and I quote, "the planes flew over low enough to shake by balls!"

I loved it.  When I was finished laughing I wrote the following sentence:

"Multiple explosions rocked the air with enough force to shake his balls when the warehouse doors were blown open."

How much trouble did your characters give you while writing your new release? Which one?  Not much really.  The story just came pouring out.  The edits gave me more trouble.  I wrote the story and then learned the craft.  I learned that I had a lot of newbie mistakes in it, such as writing in a passive voice, head hopping…overused words and phrases, and such.  I had to go back and fix all of that.  It was time consuming, but didn't really change the story much, just made it a smoother read.

Where do you get your ideas from?  My muse. 

How did you choose your title?  I brainstormed with my daughter, Michelle.  My first idea was Guarding Rose, but my daughter and I kicked it around and came up with Protecting Rose. 

How do you cure writer’s block?  I step away from the story for a while and read a book.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?  If I can do it, you can do it.  Don't ever give up!

What sacred advice have you been giving by another writer?  The best advice I ever received was to join a critique group.  I have learned much from my crit. partners.  They are a wonderful, supportive group of women. 

Where can your readers stalk you?



Tell us about your new release:

Release Date: December 14, 2011

Rescuing damsels in distress is all in a day's work for Detective, Nate Stone.  After saving a beautiful woman from a burning car and assassin’s bullet, he vows to protect her.  But the determined assassin always seems to be one step ahead of the game.  Suspecting a leak within his Department, Nate takes her and runs.  He soon discovers that the hardest part of the mission is resisting his desire for the woman who trusts him with her life.

She awakes in a hospital with no memory, only to discover that someone tried to kill her.  Her only chance to survive an assassin’s game of cat and mouse is the man who saved her and who has promised to protect her.  She may not know her past, but she knows her heart, and it longs for her protective warrior who ignites a passion in her she can't deny.

 Sounds like a great suspenseful read. Thank you Cheryl for coming over and visiting us.

If you want your copy of Protecting Rose, hop on over to Soul Mate Publishing here.


AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Meggan Connors is Visiting Me Today: Her New Release The Marker!!!

Today, I have fellow author Meggan Connors in the house. I'm pretty excited to hear all about Meggan and her new debut release, The Marker, out now at Soul Mate Publishing.

It’s so great to have you here to chat, Meggan! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm a wife and a mom to two little kids, six and four. I'm also a speech pathologist, and I have a lot of preschoolers on my caseload. My secret talent? I can sing a mean "Twinkle, Twinkle."

What is the most romantic thing your significant other or anyone has done for you?
I could go with the obvious, where my hubby asked me to marry him on a beach in Hawaii at sunset. But honestly, I think it was when I decided I was going to write a novel. I mentioned vaguely that I'd like to go to a certain conference (my first!), and he investigated it, signed me up, booked a hotel and flight, and arranged for a babysitter so he could go with me. All with no prompting from me. I never would have gone to that first conference if it hadn't been for him.

Do you ever write in your PJs?
Doesn't everyone?

What are your pet peeves?
They are too numerous and varied to list here! J

Cats or dogs?
Both

White wine or red?
Heavens, you want me to choose? That's so not fair!

Coffee or tea?
Coffee, absolutely. (This book is brought to you by Starbucks).

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?
Chocolate, the darker the better. Mmm…. Chocolate.

What are 4 things you never leave home without?
Cell phone and purse (which always has a set of matchbox cars and crayons, but may or may not contain my wallet and my keys… Sigh)

Laptop or desktop for writing?
Laptop.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I usually write between 8:00PM and midnight in my bed. Hence the PJs and the laptop.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?
1.      Viggo Mortensen, because a girl's got to have something pretty to look at, if she has to be stuck on an island.
2.      Jon Stewart, because he's funny, and we'll need some quality entertainment.
3.      Cody Lundeen, the primitive survival expert. Not only will he keep me and the boys alive, but once I tire of Viggo and Jon, I'm sure he could figure out a way off the island. I also find it oddly endearing that he never wears shoes, though I don't know why. Granted, he'd have to agree to be my puppet, which, if you've watched the show Dual Survival, would never happen, but it's my fantasy and my deserted island, so…

           I do so enjoy being the puppet master. It's awesome.

An actor you have a crush on?
Oh, Viggo… (stares off dreamily into space)

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?
I recently watched Anonymous, and this former English major was in Lit geek nirvana.

What made you decide to be an author?
I've always told stories to myself to help me get to sleep. Before I went to graduate school, I used to write a lot, but once I finished my thesis and the professional articles I had to write after that, I stopped for a while. One day about two years ago, I woke up and told my husband, "You know, I think I'm going to write a romance novel." And so I did.

It was terrible. No, seriously. Terrible. But it was a start, and we all have to start somewhere. I still love that book, though.

How did you choose the genre you write in?
You mean, I have to choose? Rats! I write whatever strikes my fancy, though they are all set in the west. Right now, I'm so interested in western steampunks. They're not so different from the Victorian-era historicals I've been writing, I suppose.

Are you a pantser or a plotter and why?
Both. I tend to have a general arc that I follow. Typically, I will have three or four things carefully plotted out that have to happen. How the characters get there is up to them.

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?
I can safely say that Johanna Lindsay, the author of the very first romance novel I ever read, definitely was an influence.

What is your all time favorite book?
I could never pick just one, but Trinity by Leon Uris makes me cry every time I read it. So does The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. And the Lit geek in me loves Wuthering Heights and MacBeth (I know everyone else likes Hamlet, but I love MacBeth. Maybe it's the influence of all those Scottish historicals I read as a teenager). I really enjoyed Karen Moning's Faefever series, too.

What is your favorite sentence or quote in your new release?

I love this exchange:

He broke the kiss first, his breathing ragged. Beneath her fingers, his pulse drummed to the same mad beat as her own. He cupped her face in his big hands and said softly, “You’re a goddamn liar.”
“What?” she breathed.
He gave her a small, sad smile. “A woman doesn’t kiss a man like that unless she loves him…"


How much trouble did your characters give you while writing your new release? Which one?
Nicholas gave me some trouble. My early readers told me Nicholas was unsympathetic. I kept trying to make him sympathetic, but every time I did, he dug in his heels and refused to change. In some ways, he got even more reckless. So I entered The Marker into a contest and wound up winning my category. If Nicholas hadn't insisted that he stay the same, I doubt that would have happened.

Where do you get your ideas from?
Beats me. The ideas show up and I write them down. I've gotten ideas from looking at maps and from watching shows on food trucks. The ideas come from crazy things that wind up having nothing to do with the story that gets written.

How did you choose your title?
The title is a reference to my heroine. She is the marker her father bet in a card game.

How do you cure writer’s block?
I usually write something else. Or, if I'm stuck, I'll skip ahead and write the scene that's bugging me.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?
Keep writing. Keep trying to improve your craft, and get to know other writers. And, for the love of all you consider holy, get a critique partner. I was late to the party on this one, but I can't even tell you how much having a CP has helped me with both my writing and my confidence.

What sacred advice have you been given by another writer?
I think the one thing piece of advice I was given that really struck a chord with me was advice I got from the first contest I ever entered. The judge said, "Write the scene from the point of view from the person who has the most to lose."

Now, each time I start a scene, I think, "Who has the most to lose, and why?" It's helped.

Where can your readers stalk you?
I would love to hear from readers! They can visit my website/blog at www.megganconnors.com. They can also like me or friend me on Facebook! I'll be having a contest soon with some giveaways coming soon, and Facebook is the way to get in touch with me to find out more details!

Tell us about your new release:

When her father loses her in a poker game, Lexie Markland is sent to work in the household of Nicholas Wetherby for one year to pay off the debt. Innocent but not naĆÆve, she is savvy enough to know she must maintain her distance from this man who frustrates her with his relentless teasing but whose kisses bring her to her knees. Because although she may be just another conquest to him, the marker he won at the card table, it’s not just her heart in jeopardy should she succumb to Nicholas’s considerable charms.
Since his brother’s death almost a year before, nothing has held Nicholas’s attention for long–not women, not booze, not even an excellent hand at cards. Nothing, that is, until he meets the woman he won in a drunken night of poker. Intrigued by his prize and her chilly reserve, he makes it his mission to crack Lexie’s cool demeanor. But even as passion explodes between them, the question remains: will Nicholas be able to take the ultimate risk… and gamble on love?


 Thank you Meggan for being here and sharing a little bit of yourself and your new release The Marker with us. Congratulations!!

You can purchase The Marker over at Soul Mate Publishing beginning today.





AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Friday, December 9, 2011

Winner of When Hearts Collide and I'm Over at Mare's Place Today :)

 Today, I'm over at Mare's Place discussing The Swan Cove Murders and my Christmas memories.

All this month as you can see by the pic on the left, Mare's Place is hosting one or two authors each day along with some great prizes.

So, don't miss your chance to win some freebies and meet some awesome authors and their new releases over at the Romance Countdown to 2012!!


And now onto the winner of When Hearts Collide from Kendra James: caseywyatt!!! Woot. Congrats Casey. Contact me at shieldsdonna@hotmail.com.


And that's pretty much all that's going on in my little corner of the world. Have a fabulous weekend all :)





AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

When Hearts Collida author Kendra James is in the House!!!!!!!!!

Woot!!! I have Kendra James in the house today for a great interview about herself, her writing, and her new debut, When Hearts Collide, which releases today over at Soul Mate Publishing. She is giving away a free copy to one lucky commenter here today :)

Welcome aboard, Kendra. I'm so excited to have you here today. Can you tell us a little about yourself? I’m a registered nurse who lives in London, Ontario with one dog and three cats. I’m retired from hospital nursing and an the nurse for a children residential treatment center. I love the three R’s, reading, writing, and horseback riding. As I don’t have my horse anymore, I have more time for the first two.

What is the most romantic thing your significant other or anyone has done for you?
Tell me my dream of being published would come true.       

Do you ever write in your PJ’s?  Sometimes and sometimes if the muse is evasive I’ll put on my purple fairy T-shirt or my Tinker bell top.

What are your pet peeves? False advertising, telemarketers.

Cats or dogs? I love dogs, I only have one right now, a collie-cross named Tiff. I had two other dogs until a few months ago, Shoona, Tiff’s sister, and Mister, a Chihuahua with a heart problem.  
Cats love me. None of my three cats were picked by me. My white cat, Zeus, hid in my car in 1997 when I moved off the farm. She thinks she owns me. Jack, my lovely gray cat, I inherited when my daughter moved to Fort MacMurray.  Jinx, a tabby, also from my daughter was dropped off several years ago. She’s like the Eveready bunny. Well in her twenties, she just keeps on going. It becomes a contest as to who can monopolize my lap and try to help with my writing.

White wine or red?    A sweet white, or a strawberry Zinfandel

Coffee or tea?     Coffee please, double cream and sugar, or better yet, a large French vanilla cappuccino

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream? Chocolate of course, unless it’s French vanilla

What are 4 things you never leave home without?  A note pad, multiple pens, my ipad, and my lipstick.

Laptop or desktop for writing?  My MacBook.

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?   After I fade for a bit in the evening, then rouse and write till one or two in the morning.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you? Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Pearce Bronson.

An actor you have a crush on?   Richard Gere

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?   Tower Heist
 
What made you decide to be an author?    I had no choice. I had to, had to, do it.

How did you choose the genre you write in?  I write in several genres. I don’t feel that a writer needs to be confined to any one genre. I wrote poetry since grade two, was published for a poem in grade three. I wrote a lot of poetry that I never showed anyone until later in life. When I broke my hand getting a horse on a trailer, I had time off from my nursing job and started writing children’s stories and a romance that still might get published. I love writing mystery and adding a touch of medical to it.

Are you a panster or a plotter and why?   Panster, but I am trying to become a dreaded plotter as I think my writing might and would definitely be more organized.

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?  Oh, there are so many, Taylor Caldwell, Victoria Holt, Michael Palmer, Lee Child, Harlen Cobin, Jodi Picoult.

What is your all time favorite book?   Sacagewa. Anything by Taylor Caldwell or Jodi Picoult.

What is your favorite sentence or quote in your new release? 

            I liked my beginning before editing as I love doing anaphora.

            Molly Tanner is choosing flight over fight. She is choosing to run away and let someone else crusade for her. She is choosing to abandon her nursing career, her friends, her home. As she clutches the leather-wrapped steering wheel of her Cavalier, her grandmother's favorite saying echoes in her head. "No one ever said life was fair.”
            Well, wasn't that the truth. But is her choosing to flee, the right decision?
But with that cut, I guess I will go with:

            The silence was eerie—no child’s laughter, no dog barking, no male voice to send her heart hurtling out of control. No sound at all, just the hush of hollow spaces. She let the pillow absorb her tears.

How much trouble did your characters give you while writing your new release? Which one?  I related with Molly as I am a nurse but I think the most trouble was having her have had trouble in her nursing career without people thinking she was a bad person.

Where do you get your ideas from?  Everywhere. I just don’t have time to write all the books I want to.

How did you choose your title? Another thing that just came to me. The book starts off with Molly fleeing her home and her career. She misses hitting a deer but the oncoming Jaguar is not so lucky. The story evolves from the collision, so WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE, just seemed the perfect title.

How do you cure writer’s block? Do a wash, organize my writing area, have music in the background and if that doesn’t help, I go for a walk and hope the muse is there when I get back. But writing is really putting your butt in the chair and the hands to the keep board. Even if you write garbage, you are still better than a blank page.
Writing a poem to start off sometimes helps.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?  Keep at it. Take courses, join writer’s groups. Test the waters by entering writing contests. The feedback can be priceless. My friend, Brian Henry, a writing workshop teacher, says it takes three things to be published, talent, luck and persistence and if you have even two of those you can be published.

What sacred advice have you been giving by another writer?  Write it, rewrite it, then get it out there.

Where can your readers stalk you? I have two websites, or I will have when my son finishes my websites. (Did I mention it’s not always a good idea to have family do these things. They don’t always have the same vision or urgency.)  My website for Kendra James (pen name for my romance writing), http://www.kendrajames.net/ is up and more will be added to it. My other website, http://www.bevirwin.com/, is still very much a work in progress. My son promises soon.



 Tell us about your new release:  WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE is a medical romance about a nurse, suspended from her nursing job, stops to assist at an accident scene. She is attracted to the semiconscious man but stunned when he asks her to care for his daughter so she does not end up in foster care again. Pretending to be his wife and mother of his gorgeous daughter proves to be more than she has bargained for when she looses her heart to both of them.


It's been wonderful having you here. Thank you so much for stopping by, Kendra.

Everyone: You can get your copy of When Hearts Collide over at Soul Mate Publishing.



 
AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders
Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Book Releases, Kindle Giveaway, and Updates

 This weekend I wanted to post early as there is some major catching up that I need to do around the house and with my writing and other commitments.

 There are lots of updates.


You can get The Swan Cove Murders at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And if you're not yet convinced about buying it, both have sneak peeks of the entire first chapter.
****If there is anyone who would like to read and do a review on The Swan Cove Murders, please shout it out and leave your email and I will contact you with a copy of it**************************

Over at SMP Authors Group Blog, we have a winner for November's giveaway. Congrats to Viola Cross!!!
Head over there this month for a Kindle giveaway. Click here to get the details. Seriously, who wouldn't enter?

New releases out:

Kira Taye's His Treasure is now out at Breathless Press


In a time when men ruled their households with firm hands, can a quiet man tame his rebellious wife with persevering love?
Angry at being forced to marry a man not of her choosing, Adaku stubbornly shuns her new husband on their wedding night. However, she soon discovers there are worse things than giving into a man whose touch awakens her deep desires. In a land where fruitfulness is celebrated, she could soon be labeled a barren woman.
Obinna knows there are several ways to tame a rebellious woman. Patience and perseverance are two of them. Adaku is his treasure and he will never let her go. When her fears push her into his arms, will he be able to convince her to stay with him forever by unleashing the passion within her?


Xandra James Reluctant Revenge is now out at Pink Petal Books


Nash was bound to Sienna completely – by a blood connection and a deep desire. An Enforcer for the Supranormal community, he was obligated to protect his sexy assignment, despite her family devastating his world.
After being betrayed, Sienna falls into the arms of her surly protector; a demon with a secret of his own. But can she face her destiny knowing she's more dangerous than those Nash was protecting her from?





Callie Hutton's A Wife For Christmas is now available at Soul Mate Publishing


Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1906
History teacher Ellie Henderson, has been a thorn in High School Principal Max Colbert’s side ever since he took over three months ago. When she’s not flying by his office, late for her class, with books and papers jumbled in her arms, she’s attending Suffragettes meetings against his orders.
Because of her family connections, Max can’t fire her, but he can certainly find someone to marry her, and keep her busy in the kitchen--and far away from his school. Max soon finds that what seemed like a good idea can turn into disaster when Miss Ellie Henderson is involved. The woman is a master at getting into trouble.
With the Christmas season in full swing, he has many opportunities to introduce her to prospective husbands. However, he gets the uncomfortable feeling that no one is worthy of the minx...


Got my bookmarks and I must say they came out wonderful. In case anyone forgot, here's a pic:


 Got them made at IPrint.com. They are inexpensive and do such a fabulous job!!!

And my grandson (my monkey :) ) is doing better. He's still in NICU, but is now 5lbs 1 oz. And in the next couple of days he will finally be in a regular crib instead of the incubator. Fingers crossed that he is home by Christmas. Here he is:


 And a shout out to all of you who follow me. Thank you.




AVAILABLE NOW @ Soul Mate Publishing: The Swan Cove Murders           Release Date December 28th: Secrets of Jenkins Bridge