New project...our new home

 We recently began making our dream of owning a good piece of land and building our new home come true. We love being in the country. We love nature and the quiet. This was our original 5 year plan 15 years ago but life happens. It's better late than never!

We bought 5 acres of land. Hubby has done remodeling and construction practically his whole life so this is an advantage! Our garage in our present home is chuck full and we had rented a PODS for storage also. So the first thing to be built was the new garage. It's still in the process as you can see.

And this clearing is where the house will be built (the foundation will be dug next week!):

And just beyond the trees to the right in the photo, there is a slope off...a hole basically...where somewhere down the road we will have a large pond.

Recent quiet vacation

 COVID has restricted our vacation options. So we did something that was close to home and relatively cheap. And no one else around...just us and nature.

We headed to the mountains. Hubby loves to fish and hasn't been able to in quite some time. And I just enjoy the peace and quiet being out in the woods. This gives me time to recharge and do a little writing. Working nights has its advantages but after working 3 or 4 nights in a row, I lose one full day just to recoup. That is also a day of writing out the window.

 I just wanted to share our little part of the river. So relaxing at night also as the bubbling of the river and the crickets are the only sounds we heard.

The journey of Katherine and Mitchell’s story…Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

I started writing Secrets of Jenkins Bridge back in 2007. This book has traveled a long road. The lessons learned along the way helped improved my writing also. It was a rough go though. When they say you learn to grow some tough skin in this business, it is no lie. Here goes my journey with this book.

I finished it in 2008. I loved the story. Absolutely loved it. I thought without a doubt someone else would too. So, I sent queries out to the major publishers and a few literary agents…and waited…and waited. FYI, when you are told you should write the next story while waiting, do it. I didn’t and I drove myself insane waiting around. Finally, after about 3 months, the letters began to flow in. “Thank you for looking to us. However, Katherine and Mitchell’s story isn’t what we are looking for presently.” That was the basic spin. And as each one came, my heart and confidence sank lower.

Then one letter came that was not the typical form letter. It came from a major publisher, and she went into detail why this story just didn’t work. It was convoluted and Mitchell came off too aggressive/brash. Katherine was too wimpy. There were a few other things. The letter broke me. Really broke me. I boxed it and all the drafts up and put it away. My husband did not know I was writing. I was embarrassed to show him any of this. I felt like such a failure.

I did the worst thing a writer can do at that point. I stopped writing. I was so hurt that no one liked my story. Remember at this time there wasn’t really any self-publishing going on. Traditional publishing houses had been the way. I felt the story was dead in the water.

It took another 3 years before I jumped back in. In 2011 found Savvy Authors, a great place online that offers all kinds of writing workshops for a decent price. And I found that I needed to change my story a little. Not the basic storyline. But some work on the characters and in my delivery of the story. In the meantime, I took to Savvy Authors Summer Symposium which was like the writing conferences but online. I had another story that needed writing and used one of their earlier 30 days to finished classes to write it. And in the Symposium, smaller publishing companies were beginning to pop up and a few joined in on one of their pitching sessions. I pitched the story, The Swan Cove Murders. Soul Mate Publishing was about to open their doors and Debbie wanted my story to be one of the first when the company went live the following month.

She believed in me when I no longer believed in myself. Once that book was released, I sent her my revised story for Secrets of Jenkins Bridge. I received a response within hours that she wanted to publish it. This gave me more confidence in my writing and my stories. It was published in 2012. Since then, my rights were reverted to me at the end of last year. And I have taken on the journey of self-publishing.

I share this journey for those that want to give up and shelve their stories. Please don’t do that. Maybe set them aside for a time but do not stop writing. Do not stop learning. There are a ton of outlets now. And I never stop learning. I take all the classes I can and read all I can. I find the more I write, the more I am finding my voice.

Buy links: 

Amazon

Kobo

Google Play

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

It’s so exciting when after months of painstakingly writing a story, your baby, you can finally type those two little words that have so much impaction…The End. All the sweat and tears…all of the doubts…all of those times waking up in the middle of the night with a new plot or while you are driving down the road…all the times your characters came into your head to completely change the direction of the story against your will…all of this for those two words. All worth every second of the journey.

But alas, you are not done.

Not even close.

Now you must edit. It’s about shaping and molding…dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s if you will. Ensuring it shines.

I am sure there are many important issues to one must look for but I am going to list my top 5. And by all means, if you have a particular one not listed, please leave it in the comments.

1     Repeating words. As in using one such as ‘said’…she said, “blah blah blah” … he said “I don’t say blah blah blah” (sorry I couldn’t help myself as Hotel Transylvania is my one of my grandson’s favorite movies and if you haven’t watch it, why not?). There are tons of different words to use instead of said. I will look up synonyms of ‘boring’ words such as said, like, mad, etc

2      Grammar usage. You can’t go mixing up present tense with past tense. You will throw the reader for a loop.

3      Spell check. And this is not full proof by any stretch. You really have to read line for line. I found the word I meant to use ‘is’ was ‘us’ in a couple different places along the way. Spell check will not pick that up as an error.

4      Ensure your characters’ traits stay consistent throughout the story. I found I had inadvertently changed my heroine’s eyes from emerald to brown two scenes later.

5     Make sure your timeline stays consistent, especially if you are writing a series.

And with writing a series, keeping everything straight across several books is even more of a challenge. I keep a notebook for my series that contains each major character’s page, minor characters and some pertinent info for them, places as in a restaurant or hospital or even graveyards, and pages of major events that happened within each book. It may be a lot to contend with, but a evil necessity in order to ensure the books contain accurate information throughout the series.

What are your top editing issues you look for?

Back to the Grind

I haven’t posted in over 6 months. No excuses. Just real life happening. Since my last post, I did get a job as a Med/Surg telemetry RN on nights. So, I have had to adjust to a whole new schedule. And then the COVID virus struck. I had to learn how to homeschool my grandson with the whole e learning bit. I have to say the last few months have not been boring. I figure I can commit to 2 blogs a month for now.

I have finally published Secrets of Jenkins Bridge on Amazon. It just went live today. Now I am learning (the struggle is REAL) how to use Adobe Photoshop to make my print cover version for the book so I can submit it for the print version. I just may need to find a book designer for this one!

I have to say I have a new appreciation for editors and publishers. Now I know the importance of proper formatting for just kindle alone. And it seems every other reader (B&N, Apple, Google etc) all have different formatting rules. Like I said...a new appreciation. If you want to be an indie writer, take everything into consideration. I did not know it would take me several hours…yes several…to format for kindle. And then another several hours to format for print version for kindle. And that is just Amazon.

I found Smashwords which seems to be a great place to publish ebooks and their “meatgrinder” (love the name) will run it through and format for all the different readers and sites. That is what I am currently working on-setting my manuscript back up for their standards and submitting it to them.

I did receive my rights back to The Wishing Wreath, the All I Want for Christmas anthology with SoulMate Publishing. I am considering putting it up for free on Amazon. It is such a great short story.

Indie authors, how did fare self-publishing? Do you have any little gold nuggets or suggestions for me?

Back to writing: 4 years later.....

When I looked to see when my last blog post was, I was astonished it was well over four years ago. I can't believe I have neglected my page that long. But I definitely needed that time. I have been on a long journey both professional and personal.

A couple months after my last post in 2015, I entered the nursing program. Due to financial and personal reasons, I had to leave it after the first 7 weeks. I struggled to write. I honestly felt I was going nowhere fast with no clear path of where I wanted to go or who I wanted to be.

I finally put my foot down and decided I had to come first for once. So in 2016 I received my CNA license. In 2017 I reapplied and was accepted once again into the nursing program. During the two year program, I worked as a CNA/caregiver for a private home health company. Between all this and having a family has kept me going with no time to write. I had to put my all into the RN program in order to be successful. And that I was. My pinning ceremony was in July. I received my RN license in August.

In the writing world, I was given back my full rights to Secrets of Jenkins Bridge. I have decided to revamp it and am working on a new cover. Side note: Adobe Photoshop is a little tricky program! I am learning though....

I am writing the 2nd book in my paranormal series. I am not a panster so I have the book outlined of course. And also the 3rd book roughly....

So I think what I need to do is commit to writing a blog post at least once every weekend and keep it simple. I am sorry to my followers for being gone so incredibly long but I really did need that time. I will do better in the future.

Writing Update

I have to tell you all, I have a hard time writing blogs. And I know I am not the only one. I'm not alone in the "what in the world am I going to write about now....pull my hair out trying to think of anything other than what I always write about" pool. It's especially hard when I have been in a writer's block funk for the last six or so weeks. The plan was after I was done with classes in May and while I waited on an acceptance or denial for the nursing program, I would hammer out the next book. Let's just say I really need to stop planning. I wrote a little, but not nearly what I wanted. From now on, if the time is available and my mind isn't jumbled full of worries, then I will write.

In the meantime, yes I did get accepted into the nursing program! Yay! I am excited about it and of course a little afraid of the unknown. I don't begin those classes until near the end of October. But, I am also going to take a Spanish class and that begins in a couple of weeks. I am more freaked out about the Spanish class than the nursing ones. Go figure.

At least I did manage a couple of paragraphs here today. Maybe that will ease me back into the blogging world. Anything new going on with you?

Deadly Curses On Sale and a Kindle Fire Giveaway!!

I'm super excited that Deadly Curses is on sale this week beginning today and going through June 30th for 99 pennies! That's right. Just 99 cents. This is such a great way to begin the Magnolia Valley series and read Trent and Ciarra's story. I adore this couple and I believe you will too. You just can't help but to cheer them on. They are equally stubborn and fight against their growing love for one another while trying to save Trent from a vengeful mother's curse.

While Deadly Curses is on sale, I've decided to do a little giveaway for a Kindle Fire HD 6. I love this one. It isn't big and bulky at all. Will fit right inside your purse! So the rafflecopter is open until July 1st at midnight. Please copy and paste the link to this blog post and share with everyone. The more the merrier!! And I hope you decide to read Deadly Curses and fall in love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ISWG

The purpose of IWSG is to go forth encouraging and supporting each other in our writing journeys. We post the first Wednesday of each month. Whether you would like to support or you have your own insecurities in this large writing world, we would love to have you come on board. Please go here and sign up.


I'm back and this month I just want to encourage and support. So how about something relaxing to take your minds off your worries?

Been away.....Catching up

My life has been a hectic one these last couple of months. Since my blog tour for Deadly Curses, I had to put my complete focus on finishing up my final classes at the college so I could graduate. And that I did:

I have the summer off ... from classes that is. I am still working at the shop, but now I have time to write!!! See, I have applied for the nursing program and am waiting (rather impatiently) for a response. This is week two, and I have another three weeks minimum to go. So, I have set myself a goal, although it is quite an unreasonable one. I am working on Deadly Intent, book two of the Magnolia Valley series and a new paranormal suspense, All Hallows Eve. Both first chapters are now written. But I would like to get the bare skeleton of both finished before I receive the letter indicating whether or not I will be accepted into the nursing program. I know, how the heck am I going to pull this one off? Especially with that tiny, annoying editor voice in my head screaming at me to fix, fix, fix. 

Well, first I am ignoring the voice. Second, I am alternating the stories when I work on them. Meaning I will work on Deadly Intent one day, and then the next it is All Hallows Eve and so forth. My goal is to write two scenes a day. I just simply broke that up into one scene in the morning and one at night. Have I stayed on goal? Well, not exactly. But I am chugging along. The purpose to have the bare skeleton of the stories done before the letter is if the letter is a welcoming one, then that will give me roughly six to nine weeks to flesh out and edit before classes begin. Then I will do another round of edits before sending both out into the world of publishing. I will be so busy with classes, I won't be occupied wondering where the rejection letters are! So, here's to me on setting impossible goals once again, but I am going to turn that negative into positive and try to stay focused.

In the meantime, The Romance Reviews is having their annual summer splash party all month long beginning tomorrow!! Lots of prizes to be had and a ton of great books! Deadly Curses will be featured in the games on June 17th so be on the look out!! I will be giving away a free e-copy that day. And it will also be featured the 26th-30th. If you haven't grabbed yourself a copy, go to Amazon here.

Over 350 authors participating!!!

Deadly Curses Blog Tour Begins!! Here is the schedule......

The blog tour has begun!! The schedule is below. Please visit me and Deadly Curses on tour. There is a rafflecopter giveaway so be sure to enter!!!

Monday, March 23, 2015
The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass
 Sharon C. Cooper, Just Thinking…

Tuesday, March 24, 2015
M.J. Schiller, Romance Author

Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Ogitchida Kwe’s Book Blog
Mythical Books

Thursday, March 26, 2015
Romance Me

Friday, March 27, 2015
Paranormal Realms

Monday, March 30, 2015
Margo Hoornstra – Writing Inside & Out

Thursday, April 2, 2015
Paranormal Dimensions

Friday, April 3, 2015
Romancing the Dark Side

Saturday, April 4, 2015
Christine’s Words

Monday, April 6, 2015
Nancy’s Novels
 Musings and Ramblings

Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Author B. L. Blair

Wednesday, April 8, 2015
From the Pen of Mae Clair

Thursday, April 9, 2015
What Readers Want

Wednesday, April 10, 2015
Authors’ Cafe

Saturday, April 11, 2015
Finding Fantastical Books

Writing a Series....

I love to challenge myself when it comes to writing. I enjoy writing a novel (50k words plus), but I challenged myself by writing a novella. Much shorter, so I didn't have a lot of wiggle room. I absolutely enjoyed that! Next, I figured a short story in an anthology. Brutal and much harder. Yet again, I enjoyed the experience and it also gave me material to further write Antoine and Vivian's story.

So, how could I challenge myself once again? No safe writing for me. I went ahead and began a six book paranormal romantic suspense series (Magnolia Valley Series). Not only is it a challenge to write each individual story, but I need to have the overall series arc figured out as well. Not to mention keeping my characters straight ... and my town and surroundings. Seriously, I bought big poster boards, taped them together edge to edge and mapped out Acadia, roads, buildings, parks, cemeteries ... everything. If I don't have a map, I will never remember what the name of the restaurant my heroine's father owns and where it's located in relation to the police station. I would be completely lost.

What am I learning with writing a series? Well, first off, since book one is written, I can't go back and change anything in order to make books two through six work. I had set the stage and there are no do overs. It has released over on Amazon. Click here to grab your copy for $2.99 if you haven't done so already.

Two: I'm finding as I think of new and exciting stuff for my overall series arc, I have to incorporate them into book one. Not every single thing, but book one sets the stage. Very very important to keep that one in mind. That was no easy task. Not every single little detail as it would just give away the entire series. I need to keep some surprises of course.

Three: I have introduced every member of both the Moore and the Pacelli family in book one. Now I have to make sure if one likes the color blue in book one, then he/she had better still like the color blue in book four. I keep a detailed character sheet for every person.

And finally, in just one book, you have to make sure everything is tied up into a nice little bow ... all questions have been answered and/or settled. And there are quite a few for one book. I have to do that consistently over six books and ensure nothing is left hanging around at the end of book six.

I always like a challenge. After all, nothing can be gained without good hard work. I look forward to this long journey.

It's Release Day!!!

Deadly Curses, my new paranormal romantic suspense and book one of my Magnolia Valley series has officially released today. This one is such a great story and it was so fun to write. I love learning about new things and I certainly did during this one.

Ciarra and Trent's story is just the beginning to Magnolia Valley's family, the Moores. The challenges that face them will be tough, and they will learn how family ties are tight knit when there are outside threats. All will come to a head when good faces off against evil in the end.

I am having a Facebook launch party today from 6pm-9pm EST (3pm-6pm PST) and you are all invited. Three hours of fun, partying, and prizes. The party is HERE!

If you haven't bought your copy yet, what are you waiting for? Buy here at Amazon. It's only $2.99.

Dr. Trent Moore’s life is complete-–a no-strings relationship, financial security, and great health-–until he is summoned to his father’s grave and discovers a grave robber stole one of his father’s bones ... a finger bone. From there, Trent’s seemingly perfect world spirals out of control. Strange occurrences happen, and the sexy lead detective informs him that a grief-stricken mother has placed a curse upon him. As his near-death experiences ramp up and he finds himself falling in love, he’s beginning to believe there may be some truth to it all. But will he run out of time before he can tell Ciarra he loves her? 

When Detective Ciarra Pacelli is assigned to a prominent judge’s suspicious death, she doesn’t know her little world is about to be turned upside down. She discovers other possible victims of a deadly Voodoo curse, one being the gorgeous and stubborn doctor. As she becomes wrapped up in protecting him at all costs, she finds she’s fighting against her developing feelings for him. Once she realizes she can’t, she gives her all in finding a cure against the curse that promises to take him away from her for good.

Sexy Snippets Sunday

It's been awhile since I've participated in sexy snippets. But it's time to get back into the blogging scene and what a great way to begin!!

My sexy snippet is from my new paranormal romance, Deadly Curses, being released March 18th over on Amazon. You can secure a copy early here.


Trent has had a rough night being knocked down by what he believes to be the flu, but of course it is the Voodoo curse placed on him. He awakes to his sexy detective who has stayed the entire night by his side sleeping soundly and her head resting upon his bedside.

She slept soundly, her breaths slow and even. He couldn’t resist touching her silky hair. The tough detective was stunning. She had stayed by his side falling asleep near him holding his hand. Her light, floral perfume traveled to his nose. Sucking in a couple of savoring, deep breaths of her heavenly scent, he smiled despite the throbbing behind his eyes.

Oh yes, he loved her. 

Dr. Trent Moore’s life is complete-–a no-strings relationship, financial security, and great health-–until he is summoned to his father’s grave and discovers a grave robber stole one of his father’s bones ... a finger bone. From there, Trent’s seemingly perfect world spirals out of control. Strange occurrences happen, and the sexy lead detective informs him that a grief-stricken mother has placed a curse upon him. As his near-death experiences ramp up and he finds himself falling in love, he’s beginning to believe there may be some truth to it all. But will he run out of time before he can tell Ciarra he loves her? 

When Detective Ciarra Pacelli is assigned to a prominent judge’s suspicious death, she doesn’t know her little world is about to be turned upside down. She discovers other possible victims of a deadly Voodoo curse, one being the gorgeous and stubborn doctor. As she becomes wrapped up in protecting him at all costs, she finds she’s fighting against her developing feelings for him. Once she realizes she can’t, she gives her all in finding a cure against the curse that promises to take him away from her for good.

Read some other great sexy snippets from some very talented ladies over at the Nuthouse Scribblers

New Release: Deadly Curses

I apologize for not having blogged in so long. I'm still trying to figure out the juggling game between a full time job, full time school, and of course full time mom and grammy. But I do have wonderful news. My new paranormal romantic suspense, Deadly Curses is up for pre-sale with an official release date set for March 18th. I'm so excited about this one as it's the beginning to my Magnolia Valley series. And I'm going on blog tour from March 23rd-April 11th. When I have the solid schedule I will post it. I present to you Deadly Curses:

Dr. Trent Moore’s life is complete-–a no-strings relationship, financial security, and great health-–until he is summoned to his father’s grave and discovers a grave robber stole one of his father’s bones ... a finger bone. From there, Trent’s seemingly perfect world spirals out of control. Strange occurrences happen, and the sexy lead detective informs him that a grief-stricken mother has placed a curse upon him. As his near-death experiences ramp up and he finds himself falling in love, he’s beginning to believe there may be some truth to it all. But will he run out of time before he can tell Ciarra he loves her? 

When Detective Ciarra Pacelli is assigned to a prominent judge’s suspicious death, she doesn't know her little world is about to be turned upside down. She discovers other possible victims of a deadly Voodoo curse, one being the gorgeous and stubborn doctor. As she becomes wrapped up in protecting him at all costs, she finds she’s fighting against her developing feelings for him. Once she realizes she can’t, she gives her all in finding a cure against the curse that promises to take him away from her for good.


Get your copy TODAY for $2.99 over at Amazon: Deadly Curses

Please welcome Allyson Carter and her new release Buried Secrets

I am super excited to have my friend, Allyson Carter on my blog today. Her new romantic suspense, Buried Secrets releases TODAY! It sounds absolutely delightful! I've already went on over and bought my copy. You can buy your copy: Sweet Cravings Publishing & Kindle, 

 Here is the blurb and an excerpt.

Oh and hop on over to Allyson's website as she is giving away a free copy of Buried Secrets.

Blurb

A message from her dead husband turns Mary Cox’s life upside down. Someone wants to kill her and her daughter, Faith. They’ll stop at nothing to track her down. The only man she trusts is her best friend’s brother Jace, except, he lied to her before. Will secrets from her past destroy the life she’s made for herself or bring them closer together?

Just as Jace Smith begins to adjust to civilian life, a cry of help from the only woman he’s ever cared for sends him back into the heat of battle. The type where someone—may not come out alive in the end. Secrets are revealed and nothing will ever be the same again. He’d do anything to keep Mary and her daughter safe from the danger after them. But a secret from his past threatens everything. Can they ever get back what they once had or die trying?

Excerpt of Buried Secrets

“Jace,” she whispered.

“Yes Kitten. I’m right here.”

She shot up and looked at him with shock in her gaze. Confusion was written all over her face as her eyes darted around the room, landing on the clock and then back on him. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head on what he’d been doing in her room at this hour. She crossed her arms over her chest and it did nothing but draw more attention to her breast. He averted his attention and smiled at her to try and reassure her all was fine and nothing happened.

“What are you doing here?”

Silver streaks ran down her cheeks from where her tear had dried. He reached out to brush them away with his thumb, knowing they wouldn’t go anywhere. Her satin skin under his fingers called to him in a way no one else would. She took a ragged breath in and bit down on her lower lip. Sexy.

“I heard someone crying and went to check on Faith. She was sleeping and then I heard it again.”

“Me?” She blushed a bright red that traveled to her hairline and down her neck. He loved the way she did this so easily.

“Yes,” he answered and took a step back. Heat coursed through him and he didn’t trust himself not to grab and kiss her senseless in the moment. The innocent way she asked the question and reacted always got to him. She didn’t have a clue how she affected him or how pretty she was.

“I’m so sorry I woke you.”

“Don’t worry about it. What were you dreaming about?”

Her curls bounced from side to side as she shook her head. Panic filled her eyes before she looked down and he knew he’d not like the answer to this. Did she have a nightmare about earlier today or something else? He needed to know the answer so he could make her feel safe again. She looked down and mumbled an answer he didn’t hear and then crawled across the bed and stood up. She turned her back to him, shoulders bunched up with her hands shaking. She wouldn’t realize he saw this, but he had and even more than before had to get an answer from her.

Jace placed his hands on her shoulders. She pulled away from his touch. Burn. Talk about a way to wound a man. The best way to do that was to turn away from him when you need a shoulder to cry on. “Tell me.”

“No. I can’t.” She got off the bed and moved across the room.

“What could be so bad that you can’t tell me?” He asked and regretted it almost as soon as the words left his mouth. Closing his eyes he prayed silently for her to confide in him. She needed someone else in her corner besides her best friend. Who better than the man who loved her and wanted to keep her safe?

“Because,” she sighed and turned around. Unshed tears glistened her eyes. This tough woman had been tough and all together for too long and didn’t want to let go. Afraid. She was afraid to admit she needed help and to lean on someone again. He longed to have her fall in his arms and rely on him for a change. The urge chewed its way through his body until he didn’t think he could take it anymore.

“Because what?” he prompted gently as he he went to her.

“This man or group or whatever they are has the power to take everything I love away. They already killed Bruce and now seem hell bent on killing me and Faith.”

“I won’t let them get to you two.”

Mary snorted and raised a skeptical brow at him. He saw denial written all over her face. She didn’t think he could keep her safe. After she said she trusted him, those were apparently only words. “You can’t stop them all by yourself.”

He stepped closer.

“For crying out loud! You don’t trust me to do as I say I will.”

She huffed out a breath and met his gaze with a hard one of her own. Her chin inched up a little more to try and not to show any sign of backing down from her position. He took another step and watched surprise come into her eyes. That’s right.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I–just…

Allyson writes in the sweet, suspense, and Christian romance genres. In her books, you’ll find emotionally stirring story lines, along with suspense with faith mixed in. She resides in the beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia with her loving husband and four wonderful children, who put up with her love for writing. When not spending time with her family you can find her knitting, and watching way too many suspense shows and reality TV.

You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and at her website

Cover Reveal: Deadly Curses Book One

It seems like I've been waiting an eternity for my cover art for my new paranormal romantic suspense, Deadly Curses. I tried hard to picture what it would look like, if a couple would be on it, maybe a little creepy looking, the colors used, background or no background, how the font would appear for both my name and the title, and of course would he/she understand what I was getting at by wanting a finger bone on it?

I think I may have driven myself along with others fairly nuts lying in wait. But finally, I've received my cover art and approved it. And here it is at long last:

Oh my ... I'm in love! First off, my absolute favorite color is purple. I never mentioned purple at all. I believe that was fate. Love the quirky lettering for the title. The hero resembles my hero and the same goes for my heroine.

Lo and behold, there is my finger bone :) Weird you say? Of course! That will make sense once you buy and read it in the fall. In the meantime, here's the blurb:

Dr. Trent Moore’s life is complete – a no-strings relationship, financial security, and great health – until he is summoned to his father’s grave and discovers a grave robber stole one of his father’s bones ... a finger bone. From there, Trent’s seemly perfect world spirals out of control. Strange occurrences happen, and the sexy lead detective informs him a grief stricken mother has placed a curse upon him. As his near death experiences ramp up, and he finds himself falling in love, he’s beginning to believe there may be some truth to it all. But, will he run out of time before he can tell her he loves her?

When Detective Ciarra Pacelli is assigned to a prominent judge’s suspicious death, she doesn’t know her little world is about to be turned upside down. She discovers other possible victims of a deadly Voodoo curse, one being the gorgeous and stubborn doctor. As she becomes wrapped up in protecting him at all costs, she finds she’s fighting against her developing feelings for him. Once she realizes she can’t, she gives her all in finding a cure against the curse that promises to take him away from her for good.

Allyson Carter and Wounded Hearts!!

I'm super excited to have Allyson Carter here with me today!! Her new release, Wounded Hearts, came out last Saturday. So, she has graced my blog to sit down for an interview :) Let's get this started:

Welcome Allyson! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I always hate this question. Okay, so here goes nothing. I’m a wife and mother. I home school my four children and have three on the Autism spectrum. In my free time, yeah like that happens often, I knit.

What is the most romantic thing your significant other or anyone has done for you? That’s a hard one cause my hubby has done a lot of things that are romantic.  I guess one would be at times he’ll make supper for the both of us after the kids are in bed. We can sit and relax and talk.

Awww. See, now that is romantic. Do you ever write in your PJ’s?

Oh my goodness, yes I sure do.

What are your pet peeves?

Lying. I can’t stand when people do this. I guess though my biggest one is when I see those who have Autism or any special needs getting treated wrong.

Cats or dogs?

I have 3 cats.

White wine or red?

Either

Coffee or tea?

Both. Coffee in the morning is a must and then sweet tea in the afternoon.

 Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

 Chocolate.

 What are 4 things you never leave home without?

My purse, cell phone, mascara and car keys

Laptop or desktop for writing?

Laptop

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

I’d prefer to do it in the morning but that isn’t always possible when homeschooling. I sneak time in throughout the day when the kids are doing their school work. Usually, I sit in the recliner to write.

If you were deserted on an island, who are 3 famous people you would want with you?

Oh, this question could get me into a lot of trouble. Let’s hope hubby doesn’t read this interview. LOL Channing Tatum, Chris Young and Luke Bryan.

Now those are some great ones to have along! An actor you have a crush on?

Channing Tatum

What is a movie or TV show that you watched recently and really enjoyed?

DR. Who

What made you decide to be an author?

I was going crazy 5 years ago stuck in a snow storm with the kids. I remember waking up with this idea in my head. At this time, I’d not written anything since high school. Only a couple friends knew that I wrote and back then it was mostly poems. This idea for a YA book wouldn’t go away, so I got my two oldest daughters going on their schooling for the day, and then sat down at the computer and started typing. The book just poured out of me. That’s when it all clicked and I knew I wanted to be an author.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

ell, that took some time. I first started writing YA (nothing published there yet.) I then went into another genre under a pen name, but after awhile got bored of writing really hot. So, I guess the sweet genre picked me. I’ve always written romance and suspense. Both are something that I love.

Are you a punster or a plotter and why?

I’m a plotter. It just works better for me this way to know where things are going. My characters still surprise me all the time though.

 

Is there a particular author who may have influenced you?

Yes, there is one who really did influence me as I switched genres. That’s Julie Lessman.

What is your all time favorite book?

I can’t pick just one. There are too many!

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

That would have to be from the heroine’s daughter Hannah. Actually there are a couple from her that are my favorites.

How much trouble did your characters give you while writing your new release? Which one?

A lot! Mark was a pain in the behind. He didn’t want to admit how tortured he was. Shelby didn’t want to admit how much she cared for Mark. I wanted to slap them both.

Where do you get your ideas from?

Everywhere.

How did you choose your title?

I just picked a few and asked feedback from some close people to me.

 How do you cure writer’s block?

By slamming my head on the computer…not really but at times I want to. I usually go clean, cook, play with the kids, knit or something else. It always passes.

Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer?

Yes. Don’t give up … no matter what someone tells you. It takes a lot of hard work to get published. Keep working on polishing your craft and learning. And of course most importantly, keep writing.

What sacred advice have you been giving by another writer?

To never give up and push through when something isn’t going right with the book. Don’t be afraid to break the rules at times as well.

Where can your readers stalk you?

They can stalk me at Facebook, Twitter and my website.  

You can buy Wounded Hearts HERE

 

Tell us about your new release:

After a bitter divorce, Shelby Johnson is looking to rebuild a life for her and her daughter, Hannah, while avoiding the thing she mistrusts most: men. Her resolve is tested, however, when her brother’s best friend, Mark, moves in across the street and her long-buried feelings for him return. Can she possibly open up her heart again? Is she willing to let herself love? When someone threatens her life she quickly realizes that her heart isn’t the only thing on the line and she turns to the only man she feels she can trust.

Reliving everything he lost overseas, Mark Daniels goes back to his hometown to try and live a peaceful life but instead gets caught up in Shelby’s troubles.. He knows she needs someone to protect her but can he be that man? Except, being near Shelby again is making him feel things he’d rather never feel—again. When his past comes to haunt him in a way he never expected, he vows to protect Shelby and her daughter until his last breath.

Excerpt

“Stay right here, sweetie.”

Reaching in, she picked up the paper. At first, the words written on the thing didn’t register. She had to re-read them twice.

Keep quiet or else.

Her hands shook. A lump formed in her throat. When Mark walked out to the car, their gazes met. She noted the concern on his face as he stared at her.

“What’s the matter, Shell?”

She tried to talk, but nothing would come out. When he rushed to her side, she gave him the note. The words had been created with letters out of magazines or something, glued to the paper. She tightened her hold on Hannah. Someone had put the paper there when they were a few feet away. Why?

“Take Hannah and move to the sidewalk.”

Shelby nodded then moved to where he told her. He pulled out his cell and punched in a number. Mark moved with determination as he talked on the phone with the police. Within moments, a squad car showed up. So much for not having attention on her while she was out with Mark. Who had put the note in her car? Better yet, how did they get in when she’d locked the car?

“Shelby, do you have someone mad at you?” Detective Moore asked as he shut the door to his car and made his way over to her.