Today I’d like to welcome my friend and fellow author Richard F. Holmes back to my blog.
Thank you Bonnie. I must say it’s a pleasure to be here.
Thank you, Richard. Can’t wait to hear about your latest book!
Well, it’s called Inspiration For Breakfast and it’s a compilation of wisdom quotes that I felt compelled to put into book form, and I’m really grateful to you for showcasing it today on my official launch day.
As you may well know I really love inspirational quotes; I find that they can really fire you up and get you going and I just felt it was something I needed to do. I had already published one new book this year and republished my first five pieces of work as two revamped paperbacks, but I found myself wanting to do something else before the year’s end, and Inspiration For Breakfast is the result of that. I got the idea and just sat on it for weeks, but once I decided to go ahead with it, it was finished very quickly.
Was there any particular source you gathered all these quotes from?
A few really; I just love Eastern Philosophy, so the first section is dedicated to Eastern Philosophy quotes. Then there is a section on Marcus Aurelius quotes; Marcus was one of only five Roman Emperors to have been considered “good”. There is also a section on Greek Philosophy quotes and a section on miscellaneous quotes from all kinds of people as diverse as Audrey Hepburn to Winston Churchill.
Who would you say your book was for specifically?
Literally anyone and everyone Bonnie; young and old, male and female; anyone at all who is looking for a little bit of inspiration.
That sounds great, and I understand that Inspiration For Breakfast is not the only project you have been busy with?
Yes that’s correct, firstly I decided that my Kindle version of Angelic Wisdom Trilogy needed sprucing up a little, so I engaged the services of our very own Stephanie Keyes’ company, Sycamore Road Design, to create a new cover for me, and here it is…
To celebrate the new cover reveal I am hosting a free giveaway on Amazon Kindle of Angelic Wisdom Trilogy, and anyone interested in downloading a copy can find the link at the bottom of the page(available November 26th and November 27th inclusive).
As well as that I have just released my latest CD, Mantra For The Soul. This is a project that I am particularly excited about, and I also have someone working on a new backing track for one of my older meditation CDs that is already in production. If things go to plan, the finished article will seem like a completely new project, only much better. Finally, I have an idea for another CD in the new year that should turn out to be the best of the bunch. So, all in all, exciting times!
Wow! You’ve been a busy man! Kudos to you, and thanks so much for joining me today to impart your exciting news. Before you go, can you just share one of your favorite quotes from the book with us?
It would be a pleasure Bonnie, and thanks again for having me as a guest on your blog!
“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
Link for free kindle version of Angelic Wisdom Trilogy:
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Angelic-Wisdom-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B005D5IXSI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2
Buy Inspiration for Breakfast: in paperback – https://www.createspace.com/3957136
Blog – http://richardfholmes.org
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorrichardfholmes
Twitter – @atmicsplendour
I’m so happy to have Stephanie Keyes back on my blog! This time she’s here to talk about my favorite topic: Romance! Welcome back, Stephanie!
Hello and thank you to Bonnie for having me on her blog today! I thought it might be nice to talk a little bit about the romance aspect of my new release The Star Child. After all, even though the journey that Kellen and Calienta take in the book is center stage, the romance is always there, building.
I call this piece skeptic’s take on romance, because I’m not someone who is easily won over. Skeptic doesn’t even begin to cover it with me. In fact, before we started dating, I thought my husband lied to me about his birthday being the same days as mine. Yes, I did make him show I.D and yes, it is the same day.
With that backdrop in mind, here’s my take on romance:
Be sincere: Don’t create a portfolio of romantic expressions to be whipped out at a moment’s notice. If you say something that you don’t mean, then your friend/partner/spouse will know it.
Many years ago, I was working a part-time in college and I missed my boyfriend (now the enigmatic Mr. Keyes) so much. The next moment, I received a fax of a clip art rose, with the expression, “a rose for you my love”.
Corny? Definitely. However, it so perfectly made a connection that I needed at that time. I still have the fax sixteen years later. Fortunately, Mr. Keyes’ poetic expressions have improved. [Smiling]
Find Humor In Everything: Let’s face it. Life is hectic and it’s boring at times, even when you’re on the run through Faerie, getting chased by a pack of Hellhounds. If you can’t laugh at yourselves in a relationship, then where’s the fun, the passion in it?
My husband sends me ridiculous texts and tweets throughout the day. What’s interesting about this is that we both work from home, so we are only ever one floor away from one another. I spend the entire day laughing. Particularly when the jokes are bad.
Romance Is Free.
Being romantic doesn’t cost a thing. Leave a love note for the person that you care about, send them a song that touches you, and tell them what a kind person they are. The list goes on and on.
Sometimes, even motivating your significant other can be romantic. One morning I did just that. I set up the coffee pot for my husband who had worked all night. I left a note by the pot that read “Just Press On”. I intended the Post-it as a brief set of instructions; he thought it was a motivational message.
Here’s to hoping any skeptics out there (like me) find some real-life romance. Thanks for having me on your wonderful site today! Please check out The Star Child from Inkspell Publishing!
About the Book
The world is about to be cloaked in darkness.
Only one can stop the night.
Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning
tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role.
Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?
About the Author
Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master’s in Education. A seasoned, facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development.
In May of 2012, Mrs. Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design.
Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars.
Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog.
Contact Stephanie
Website: www.stephaniekeyes.com
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes/150860604966160
Twitter: www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes
Before Bond, meet Regan…Nathan Regan
The new Bond film, Skyfall launches tomorrow – but why wait until then for a military intelligence hottie? Let me introduce you to the lead male in Mandy Baggot’s new romantic thriller, Security and reveal the eye-catching 007-style book cover!
Lies hurt, but the truth can get you killed
Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She’s a style icon, the paparazzi’s darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.
Enter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He’s a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from his past are threatening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?
As the threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he’s letting on? What is her mother, the British Foreign Secretary’s involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?
Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to be the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?
Security is coming from Sapphire Star Publishing on 4 April 2013! If you can’t wait until then to find out more here is the link to the teasing trailer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV3_X9MOamo
Find out more about Mandy’s books at www.mandybaggot.webs.com or check out her author page with Sapphire Star Publishing http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot
Collect the Bond film titles and WIN a signed paperback copy of Strings Attached!
FIVE paperback copies of Mandy’s novel Strings Attached are up for grabs! All you have to do is collect the Bond films. On each of the websites featuring the Security cover reveal there will be Bond film mentioned (NOT Skyfall). Once you have all the titles, drop Mandy an email mandybaggot@sapphirestarpublishing.com and you will go into the draw for one of the books! Easy! Here are the website links you need!
Contest closes November 1, 2012
I am so excited to have my friend and colleague Nicky Wells on my blog today! She’s the author of a rock star trilogy (Romance that Rocks Your World!) and this month she launches the first installment, Sophie’s Turn, with her new publisher Sapphire Star. Today she tells us why she chose plotting over pantsing as her writing style (I totally agree with you there, Nicky!) But first a little bit about Sophie’s Turn:
Slapper. Slut. Adulteress. These are hardly words that Sophie Penhalligan would normally use to describe herself. Yet this is exactly how she is behaving, all things considered, even if she isn’t quite married to Tim yet. And it’s all happening because her past is coming to tempt her! Nine years ago, she met her teenage idol and rock star extraordinaire, Dan, up close and personal. Well, almost. Now Dan has crash-landed back in her life. How could Tim ever stand a chance against the charming, handsome singer? How could she?
Sophie, now twenty-eight and a budding newspaper journalist, is happily embroiled in a relationship with Tim, her boyfriend of two years. Until recently, she was confident that Tim would eventually propose—probably as soon as he could get his act together. But just as Tim’s persistent inaction is beginning to cast a cloud over their relationship, Dan’s sudden reappearance turns Sophie’s world upside down. Thus unfolds a roller-coaster of events including an ill-fated trip to Paris with Tim, a night of unfulfilled romance with Dan, Sophie and Tim’s engagement party gate-crashed by Dan, and Sophie’s professional secondment to accompany Dan’s band on their revival tour—at Dan’s special request and very much against her will.
And then, one fine day in Paris, Sophie suddenly finds herself engaged to Dan while her erstwhile fiancé Tim is… well, doing whatever it is Tim does back in London. What is she to do now? Who wouldn’t give anything to meet their favorite star, let alone marry him?
Find out how Sophie gets into this impossible situation, and how she turns it around, in Sophie’s Turn, the honest, funny and sometimes bittersweet story of one woman’s entanglement with a rock star.
Now Nicky shares her not-so-rare plotting disorder with us!
I suffer from Compulsive-Obsessive Plotting Disorder
Yup, that would be me. I’m a compulsive, obsessive plotter. I plot the plot, then I plot it again, then I re-plot and then, just to be absolutely certain, I plot once again. Lost the plot yet? I don’t blame you!
Let me step back a little.
Plot. What a peculiar word. I remember hearing it for the very first time. I was in secondary school and had elected English as one of my major, A-Level courses. Bear in mind this was in Germany, and we were all working in English as a second language. I believe it was Macbeth that prompted my introduction to ‘plot’. Suddenly, there it was, this word, plot. It was everywhere, and I didn’t have a clue what it meant. By way of bizarre association, it made me think of apple stew. You know, apple compote. Apple complot.
The teacher tried her hardest but the meaning was elusive to me, somehow. If she’d used some inventive imagery—for example, the plot is your red threat, your guiding line, your string of pearls—I might have got it sooner. As it was, it took me a good while to figure out what a plot was.
However, once I’d grasped the concept, I never looked back. I’ve discovered that I’m a ruthless plotter. I tried pantsing, once, but I didn’t like it. The chaos and the uncertainty wasn’t for me, and all the effort involved in going back and making sure I got my chronology right was just too much.
So now, I plot. As threatened above, I plot in four stages.
Stage #1 is the core idea, the guiding principle, the ‘nugget’ of the story. Take Sophie’s Turn, for example. Here, the ‘nugget’ is that she wants to marry the rock star, but she’s already engaged.
Stage #2 is the handwritten plot. I nick the kids’ roll of paper off their easel and measure out roughly the length of the dining room table. I draw a loooooong line across, and write the beginning and end points at… the beginning and end, doh. Sorry, that was obvious! That accomplished, I know where to start and where I’ll finish, so I map out how I get there. Events that I’m certain will take place I write straight onto the plot line in roughly the right place. The rest gets populated with multi-colored sticky notes, which also help to raise questions, mark subplots, or flag contradictions.
Stage #3 is the word-processed plot-chart. This involves putting the rather large and unwieldy handwritten plot into Word, using block arrows for sections or chapters, and plenty of bullet points to flesh out each stage. There is a certain firming up of ideas, and some initial research that takes place at this point, and I typically get that tingling feeling that means the book will be written.
Stage #4 is my master outline. Here, I take each one of the individual sections represented by a block arrow and really develop it. I create a one-page synopsis for each segment of the narrative, with a large space in the margin for research notes, character description or anything else (“note to self: don’t forget to let Sophie chose her own dinner in Chapter 32”) that will help me write. When that is done, I usually have between 20 and 30 pages of ‘summaries’ which constitute my detailed plot outline, or crib sheets. When I write, this is what I refer to.
It’s quite handy, this process. It means once I’ve got to Stage 4, I’ve usually resolved major conflicts and have the plot firmly embedded in my head. It also enables me to write in short sharp bursts, as and when family life and other commitments allow me to, without getting lost or confused in my own narrative.
Now, then, you ask, do I ever deviate from the plot I’ve so meticulously plotted? Of course I do; or rather, my characters do it for me. They’re a bit pesky like that, always coming up with their own ideas, their own ways of doing something. Usually, I let them run and eventually find they fall in line, resuming the plot as previously planned by their creator. Very occasionally (and notably so in Sophie’s Turn), they will force me to reconsider or adjust certain elements (significant ones, too, like the ending!). But do you know what? Even that I find much easier after all that plotting, because at least I know what course I am diverging from.
See, I am compulsive obsessive. How about you?
About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!
Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door. She recently signed her work with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing. Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.
Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.
Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing and, of course, Goodreads.
Great information and advice, Nicky! Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Are you experiencing a second book slump? My friend, colleague and talented author Rachelle Ayala has some great ideas to pull you out of it! Take it away Rachelle!
The first book, like a first baby, is a magical and thrilling experience. Whether you’ve announced it to your family, or secretly tapped the keys on your laptop, the beginning was full of wonderful firsts. From the first line to the first critique partner, to the first finished draft and the first customer. Everything was new and exciting. The first 5-star review! The first 1-star. The first interview and the first royalty check.
Expectations have been set and now you eagerly, or maybe reluctantly, begin book #2. Here are five ways to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump or the paralysis that can creep into the process of releasing the second book.
1. Divorce your first book. The first book was a process of discovery. You’ve lived in your first book for years, perfecting it and polishing it until the characters and scenes became a part of your life. You were able to explore different angles, perhaps take the plot in an unforeseen way. Without any deadlines, you became immersed in your characters’ lives. Now, with a second book, you find it hard to see how you can become as close or attached to the characters and plot as you did before.
As harsh as it might seem, the best thing for you to do is to divorce your characters or slay them in your mind. They are done with. Gone. There is nothing you can do to change their outcome. They’ve gone to that happy land across the great divide. The same holds true to the plot of your first book. Yes, you might have a better ending, or a more clever twist. Let it go.
Even if you are writing a series, the static ending of the first book must not impinge on the life of your second book. The most important is to let the second book of the series breathe on its own, and that means giving it a fresh start independent of the first book. Take it in a new direction by forgetting the first book.
2. Stop looking over your shoulder. Now that you’ve published, you are keenly aware of such things as sales ranks, release cycles, and what other authors are doing. Perhaps you’ve joined a writer’s group to share successes and support each other in marketing and sales. Someone in your group pushes out a new book, another writer reached a new ranking, and a third one wrote five thousand words a day and is finished with her next draft.
Take a deep breath. You’re not in competition with your fellow writers. The writing business is a marathon, not a sprint. Think of how much time you took to develop the characters of your first book, to become embedded into the setting, to spin the plot. Do not shortchange the second book by speed-dating it out the door before it is ready. Remember, everyone has his or her own pace. Nurture yours and be happy for those around you. They have their good days and bad, and so do you.
3. Push aside procrastination. When you wrote your first book, you were happily carefree from responsibilities such as marketing, social networking and managing the business side of writing. Your mind was wrapped around the intricacies of scene development and your thorniest problems were how to get out of a plot hole or ensuring enough emotion in a critical scene.
With the second book, unfortunately, distractions abound. You’re busy with blog tours, interviews, tweeting and engaging your readers. Marketing such as giveaways and book signing eat up your time. A day can quickly go by, and another, then a week where you have not touched nor handled your second book, much less given a thought to the characters or heard from them, for that matter!
I’m not good at practicing what I’m about to preach, especially since I love social networking, emailing and online chatting. But, IF you’re going to have a second book, you must force yourself to shut off the Internet, sit in front of your laptop or pad of paper and write!
4. Bury Expectations. Ah, the monster of high expectations. Now that your first book is out and perhaps receiving rave or not so rave reviews, you feel the heightened pressure of making your second book better than the first. Perhaps readers are eagerly waiting, or reviewers are panning your book. Either way, you are determined not to make the same mistakes of your first book.
Your first book was neither as great or as horrible as you think. Some readers who loved your first book will hate your second book. Maybe some others might love it better. You cannot control people’s responses to your books. Yes, the pressure is higher if you’re especially successful. People might be breathing down your neck to read your next book, or maybe they are waiting for you to fail. Perhaps you feel that competitors are jealously nipping at your heels while fans are worried whether you can deliver. Yes, even positive expectations can produce anxiety. But tough noogies. You must ignore these expectations and work on what you can control, your second book.
5. Write for Yourself. You’ve read the reviews, both good and bad, and been inundated with well-meaning advice. You know that Christians hate sex scenes, but that’s all your characters seem to want to do. Your topic is about a sensitive racial, religious, or social issue. And horrors, you wonder what would happen if either your father’s golfing buddies or your mother-in-law’s yoga group were to read your book. Your husband tells you to write sci-fi, and your son says nobody wants to read about a loser (he meant your character, but you can’t help thinking he’s talking about the author). Now that word is out among your non-writing family and friends that you’re an author, everyone has suddenly become a writing critic.
While you can’t bury yourself in an igloo and hibernate, you can remind yourself that you’re the author and your characters will damn well do as they please, not what your mother wants, or your best critique partner suggests, or even the all holy genre rules demand.
Every writer does need feedback. But it should be taken on your terms, not someone else’s. Your book is your vision.
Some practical steps on how to receive feedback without paralysis are: 1) resist the urge to talk about your unformed book. There’s a reason God tucks a baby inside the mother’s womb for nine months so he/she can develop in privacy. 2) Write the first draft as if no one will ever see it. Tell yourself you will toss it all or that it will no doubt be completely revised. 3) Politely think for every person who gives you unsolicited advice that they should go ahead and write their own book. Who knows? They might have the next blockbuster. 4) When you’re ready, encourage your critique partners to hit you between the eyes with everything they don’t like about your book. Let it all sink in, but do not change anything. Read and absorb their crits and let it fallow or fester. 5) Work on your next revision without looking at crits. The changes you make are now yours, even if it had originally been suggested by someone else. The fact that you incorporated it organically, rather than looked through a checklist of who-said-what meant that the final product is yours. You will be stronger and more assured that you took the right direction, but most importantly, you own the story and you were true to yourself.
So get out there and swing for the fences. You can and will successfully finish your second book and avoid the sophomore slump. I’ve heard there’s a third book bounce. So every step you take to push out your second book makes you that much closer to the nirvana of book number three.
What about you? Have you finished a book and are now working on a second book? Do you feel differently about your second book? Please leave a comment.
Rachelle Ayala recently published her second novel, Broken Build (Silicon Valley Romantic Suspense). It is available at Amazon.
Rachelle Ayala’s Blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rachelleayalawriter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AyalaRachelle
I’m so pleased to be able to present an awesome book event that’s going on for only two days. I’ve been helping to promote these wonderful, up-and-coming authors and hope you’ll support them and their work, too!
The BEST INDIE BOOK FESTIVAL is today and tomorrow on the World Literary Cafe! 10 award winning authors AND a chance to win Amazon gift cards (no purchase necessary)! Can’t beat that! Check it out here http://bit.ly/Q93gVK Sharing is encouraged and greatly appreciated!
Readers! Eight award winners in the 2012 eFestival of Words “Best of the Independent eBook Awards” have grouped together to offer you an amazing opportunity. They’ve reduced the prices of their award-winning novels to 99 cents for August 27 and 28th!
Whether you like to read mysteries, romance, horror, young adult, women’s fiction, or fantasy, this group has it. Are you a writer yourself? Do you want to learn all about digitally publishing your next masterpiece? They’ve got you covered there too.
Get all eight award-winning ebooks for the price of one single paperback!
Award Winners
Best Mystery/Suspense: Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
Best Non-Fiction: DIY/Self-Help: Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran
Best Horror: 61 A.D. by David McAfee
Best Romance: Deadly Obsession by Kristine Cayne
Best Young Adult: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto
Best Fantasy/Urban Fantasy and Best Novel: The Black God’s War by Moses Siregar III
Best Chick Lit/Women’s Lit: Carpe Bead’em by Tonya Kappes
Award for Best Twist (“I’ve Been Shyamalaned”): The Survival of Thomas Ford by John A.A. Logan
Here’s a one-stop shopping link for your convenience: http://amzn.to/MO7qBY
Happy reading!
Last month, my friend, colleague, and fellow author Stacy Eaton published a disturbing, emotionally captivating, and very important book about domestic violence. Although a novel, the authenticity of the story and its characters shine through. Perhaps this is because Stacy is not just a talented author; she’s also a police officer who has confronted domestic violence on the beat. Her book, Whether I’ll Live or Die, is featured here today along with an in-depth author interview and an excerpt. But first, here’s a little bit about the story…
“It sounded so simple in theory; ready… aim… fire… but what actually transpired was so much more.”
Officer Nicole Nolan holds the gun steady in her hands, knowing that life will be forever altered once she pulls the trigger. Her position as a small town police officer is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is her job, her career and her life.
Amanda stands where protection does not exist. With several failed relationships behind her, Amanda turns a blind eye to the possessiveness Josh displays in order to soothe her desperate need to be loved. As the mental abuse turns violent, Amanda must deal with the denial and embarrassment of being a victim once again. With her emotional and physical health sitting on the edge, she must fight to regain control of her life.
A gripping story with one final destination, but will it be life or death?
My interview with Stacy…
BT: Welcome to my blog, Stacy. It’s great to have you here and thanks for answering some questions about your powerful new book, Whether I’ll Live or Die. It’s quite the riveting read!
SE: Thank you Bonnie! I’m happy to be here and I know you are in the process of reading Whether I’ll Live or Die, it is a very intense read, I know. It sounds like you are enjoying it – I’m very glad to hear that.
BT: I definitely am. Now I know what a “nail biter” really is! You usually write paranormal novels that feature vampires as characters. What made you decide to switch genres for this book and tackle the problem of domestic violence?
SE: I really enjoy writing paranormal novels; it gives me a chance to use some serious creativity. I work in law enforcement so I see a lot of violence, especially domestic violence. I also have some previous personal experience with it. You could say it is a pet peeve of mine.
Writing WILoD gave me a chance to try and reach out to victims, family members, survivors and those who know nothing about it to see what it could be like first hand. I wanted victims to know there is help available. I wanted survivors to know I was proud of them and I wanted those who don’t know anything about it to learn not to turn their head from it – but to step forward and help someone who might need it.
BT: Was there a special case (or a series of cases) that you dealt with that inspired you to write this book?
SE: There is not a specific case. The story is a collaboration of many incidents that I have witnessed or been part of. It also takes tidbits of stuff that I have seen and twists them around to make them extreme in some cases to prove a point or to give the strongest visual. And like I mentioned earlier, I have some personal experience in this that I was able to base feelings and emotions off of.
BT: You are a police officer in Pennsylvania, just like your character, Nicole. What things do you have in common with her? What are the differences between you?
SE: lol… Since I write all of my books in the law enforcement world, I get asked this question quite often about the female lead characters.
Nicole is a very strong character. She believes in doing whatever she has to, to help someone. She likes to have control of the situations around her and she doesn’t let people push her around. In other words, she’s just like me.
As for what is different, well… I don’t know that there is much about her that doesn’t reflect the way I deal with situations and the way I feel. She was very easy to write since it was like writing from the real first person, me.
BT: Did you see any of yourself in Amanda, the other lead character who must overcome abusive men in her life?
SE: Once upon a time… I was like Amanda. I let other people affect my thoughts and decisions. I wasn’t a very strong person when I was young so I could relate to how Amanda was as a young woman. For the most part, she was also easy to write, although putting the emotions and actions of the abuse she deals with was very difficult at times.
BT: What kind of responses are you seeing from readers of Whether I’ll Live or Die that are different from your other books?
SE: The people who have read WILoD and have taken the time to reach out to me have all told me that they loved the story. It is heart wrenching at times, painful at others and they have all said they could feel the emotions intensely. Some have commented that they wanted to smack Amanda upside the head, although they could understand where she was coming from.
For many people, this story has been their first time viewing the inside of a domestic violence situation. They have commented on how lucky they are to have not had to deal with it. Others, who had dealt with it, have said thank you for putting it into words for others to see and understand.
It is a very intense novel, a lot of raw emotion. Many graphic scenes, while not gory, are graphic enough to show you the details that can be hard to imagine if you have never seen it firsthand. From everyone who has read the book, they have all sincerely enjoyed it, and for that I am thankful.
BT: I have to admit, I understand people’s frustration with Amanda, and it’s sad to know that there are many women out there just like her. You’ve gained some attention from some groups that help survivors of abuse. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
SE: Recently I have been talking to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and they have asked me to do a blog post talking about why I wrote the novel. I’m working on that now and hope to have it published on their blog soon. I have also been working with another local Domestic Violence Agency that is reviewing my novel and we are in talks about me coming to possibly visit with victims and talk to them. All of this humbles me greatly.
BT: Do you plan on returning to the paranormal genre now that you’ve branched out, or has writing this book opened up a new direction for you?
SE: Oh yeah! Like I mentioned earlier, I love writing in the paranormal world and using the creativity that I have to build different lives. I am currently working on the third book of the “My Blood Runs Blue” series. I am also working on a guardian angel novel and I have two other paranormal novels that I am toying with.
That is not to say I won’t be stepping back out and back into general fiction. I do have a contemporary romance that keeps things real that I have been working on for over a year. It’s about two-thirds complete, so maybe I can get that finished this year.
My mind doesn’t stay quiet very often and I tend to work on the novels that are talking to me at the time. I get ideas for other novels, but I have to tell myself to stop coming up with ideas and focus on what I have in front of me, lol…
BT: Wow, I’m feeling quite slothful now! Congratulations on all your success and thanks again for visiting with me. You are welcome back any time!
SE: Bonnie – Thank you so much for having me and for letting me talk about Whether I’ll Live or Die. It is a very important story and one I hope many people will take the time to sit and read. It’s been a pleasure visiting! Thank you again.
And now for an excerpt…
It wasn’t until we were on our way home that we broached the subject of my marriage again. Angie brought up a question that had been hovering around in the back of my mind most of the day.
“What are you going to say to Josh?” she asked me quietly as we drove along the highway. I gazed out the window beside me, watching the scenery flash past quickly, reminding me of the memories that had crossed my mind the night before, a rapid succession of images that began to blur together if I didn’t blink.
“I’m not sure,” I answered the window as I continued to view the passing world outside. “I’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
Turning up the volume on the radio, Angie let it go at that. We sang to the music for the rest of the ride home. As we turned onto the street, my heart stopped when I saw his car in the driveway next to mine. “Damn,” I muttered under my breath.
“You want me to go in with you?” Angie said as she pulled over in front of the house. “I can if you want me to.”
I smiled, “No, that’s alright.” I thanked her for a great afternoon and for being there for me. I promised not to push her away again and stepped out of the car. I picked up the bag with the single item I had purchased in it and made my way to the front door.
I didn’t take my keys out as I stepped up, figuring Josh would have left the door open when he got home. I glanced back at Angie, waved, then reached for the doorknob as she pulled away.
The door swung quickly open, and I lost my balance, stumbling into the foyer. I hadn’t even recovered my balance when I felt hands push me against the wall. The door slammed shut. I cringed as the door vibrated the wall next to me.
“Where the hell have you been?” Josh yelled.
I turned so my back was to the wall. I could smell alcohol coming off of him and his eyes looked aggressive and glassy.
“I was out shopping with Angie,” I responded meekly to his question.
“Bullshit! Who were you with?” He got in my face and my knees started shaking.
“I was with Angie,” I repeated quietly.
His forearm immediately came to my throat, forcing my head back to the wall. I tried to turn my head to release the pressure, but he held me too tightly against the drywall.
“You better not be cheating on me! Who were you with?” Spit landed on my face as he shouted. A buzzing grew in my ears as the oxygen was denied to my lungs. My heart slammed against my chest and I tried to push him away from me, but didn’t have the strength to compete with his alcohol-induced anger.
“Who were you with, Amanda?” He pressed harder on my neck and I felt things moving around inside. Breathing became even more difficult.
“Angie,” I squeaked out.
Suddenly, he released my throat, punching a hole in the wall beside me. I cringed away from him as far as I could get, sucking air into my hot lungs, the sound of bees still in my ears. I didn’t move any further until he turned and walked away. My shoulders slumped, and I bit my lip to keep the tears back.
“Where have you been?” He flopped down on the sofa and put his feet out on the coffee table. Dirt fell off his boot on to the wood. My head felt foggy, I couldn’t remember what he’d just asked me.
“What?” I licked my bottom lip, tasting my own blood from biting down so hard.
His boots came back to the floor, and he stood up in a swift movement. I froze for just a second as he turned to look at me, I felt like a deer in the headlights of an approaching Mack truck. He started to move, and I decided I didn’t need to be against the wall anymore. I tried to walk towards the kitchen to get away from him.
He was too fast. He grabbed me by my long blond hair, yanking me to a stop. I reached up to try and release the tension he had on me. He yanked me back to him, and I smashed into his chest, almost knocking us both over.
“Where the hell have you been?” he screamed at me as he twisted my hair down. I fell to my knees to ease the pressure.
“We were at the mall. Josh, let go, you’re hurting me!” The pain in my head was like someone had sliced me with a knife. He twisted the long hair around his hand and yanked. I screamed and he flung me away from him. I fell to the floor and lay there, one hand touching the soft carpet under me and the other touching my head where the hair had been pulled. If I hadn’t been touching it, I would have sworn the hair had been pulled out, but the soft locks were still at my fingertips.
I not only heard the sound of his boots on the floor, but I felt the vibration of them as he got closer. My body trembled. He put one knee into my back and pushed my neck down with his hand, forcing my face into the carpet.
“You ever, and I mean ever, cheat on me, Amanda, and I will kill you. You got that? I swear to God if I ever see you with another man, I will kill him and then I will kill you,” his cold voice slithered over me. I had never heard such venom come from him. The carpet fibers dug into my cheek, my cheekbone sharing the pain with my nose. Moisture ran down my cheek as my nose began to bleed again.
“You got that?” he shouted one last time and pushed down on me with his knee and hand before standing back up.
I didn’t speak, only nodded my head slightly into the carpet.
Buy Whether I’ll Live or Die at these links:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whether-ill-live-or-die-stacy-eaton/1111941743?ean=2940014655798
Get to know Stacy Eaton and her books:
Stacy is a full-time Police Officer who enjoys crime scene investigation above all else. She also owns a business that deals with helping people get the awareness out for the causes they care most about. She is a mother of two and her husband is also in law enforcement.
Website: www.stacyeaton.com
Twitter: @StacySEaton
Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton
Video Trailer Link to You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg6hnujjhmk&feature=youtu.be
Why I Love These Characters
By Andrea Buginsky
When I set out to write the first book in THE CHOSEN series, I wanted to write a fantasy book using characters that were already near and dear to my heart. Many of my readers already know that they come from a role-playing game I used to play with my family. The characters are our characters from the game, so they were already like family to me when I started to write the first book. But over the years, as I’ve continued to write their adventures, they have taken on their own personalities, which I have come to love. They are all near and dear to my heart. I’d like to introduce you to them:
Halli – Holy Paladin healer, Dwarf: Halli is based on me, and has a lot of my qualities. She’s shy and gentle, a loyal friend, and works hard. She’s a bit unsure of herself and needs encouragement from her friends on occasion.
Silvorhawk – Mage (wizard), Goliath (gentle giant): Silvorhawk, or Silvor, is a gentle giant known as a goliath. He has a witty personality and a big heart. He takes Halli under his wing when they first meet in book 1. Needless to say, their friendship blossoms into something more. Silvor’s witty charm helps bring Halli out of her shell, while his protective nature nurtures her when she needs it. He is a loyal friend and true warrior. He was raised by Striker’s family, and the two of them grew up together.
Striker – Hunter, Elf: Striker is the group leader and therefore, the papa bear of the bunch, so to speak. He looks out for everyone, and makes sure everyone in the group is well. He often leads their missions, making the tough decisions and giving out directions during their battles. But he does it with a kind heart and doesn’t push anyone. His leadership comes naturally, and the others look to him for guidance and direction.
Kaidyla – Hunter, Elf: Kaidyla is Striker’s wife. She has a very stubborn personality, and will often question others’ actions. But she also has a big heart, and considers her family and friends very sacred to her. Once you’re in her circle, you’re in forever, and she will defend you with her life. It takes a while for Kaidyla to warm up to Halli when they first meet, but they soon become as close as sisters.
Redsham – Shaman, Goliath: Redsham, or Red, is the practical joker of the group. He keeps the others laughing along their journeys and helps break the tension when things start to get a little serious. He loves all things nature, being a part of it himself, and is a loyal friend. He is very close with Silvor and Striker. The three of them are like brothers.
Lumina – Druid, Elf: Lumina is Striker and Kaidyla’s daughter, and the youngest of the group. A teenager coming into her powers, she is protected by her family. But she has a very strong personality, and can be a bit stubborn. She is loving, a true friend, loves her family to death, and loves to help others. As a part-time healer, she helped Halli learn how to heal when she began her training.
As I write more stories in THE CHOSEN series, I’m learning more about these six wonderful warriors, and falling more and more in love with them. I’ve often heard authors talk about how their characters take on lives of their own, and even begin to write themselves in the books. When I first started to learn this for myself, I was amazed. They really do! It’s such a wonderful feeling… They are some of my true friends, and I love them all very much. I can’t imagine not writing about them.
Now that you know a little about the members of The Chosen, I hope you will learn to love them too. You can meet The Chosen in their first book, and see where they’ve come since then in my newest release, “Nature’s Unbalance,” the second book in THE CHOSEN series. Both are available on Amazon.
Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer and author. “The Chosen” was her first book, and was followed by “My Open Heart,” an autobiography about growing up with heart disease. “Nature’s Unbalance” is the second story in THE CHOSEN series. Andrea plans to write more in the series. She’s already done with the first draft of book 3 and has a concept for book 4. You can find Andrea on her website, Andi’s Realm. Her books are available at Amazon.
The always interesting Richard Holmes is back on my blog to present his Angelic Wisdom Trilogy. After you read a bit about the book, check out the excerpt below to get a taste of some angelic wisdom!
This wonderful trilogy of angelic insights started life back in 2002, and was originally three separate volumes. It is a delightful piece of work that allows the reader to take a peek into the very souls of these truly amazing celestial beings that we like to refer to as angels.
The first part of the book goes into great detail as to how the angels function and what they actually do for the Earth and mankind in general. Part two gives a deep insight into spiritual (natural) law and answers the kind of questions that tend to keep the average mere mortal frustrated and in the dark. For example, have you ever wondered why you continuously seem to attract the same kinds of people into your life that always cause you hurt and pain? This question and many more are dealt with within the pages of part two. There are also question and answer sessions in parts one and two, between the author and his celestial guardian, that are both thought-provoking and interesting to say the least. Finally, part three consists entirely of such a session and deals with matters that the author felt remained unanswered from the previous two volumes. This book will change your life; you can’t afford NOT to read it.
Excerpt:
Intention is probably the most important thing in any thought, feeling or deed that you conceive, in that it is the intention behind the thought, feeling or deed that determines the outcome. The outcome in this case meaning the level of cause and effect. There have been many deeds carried out with good intentions that have not yielded desirable results. However, this does not necessarily mean that the perpetrators have acquired a degree of negative karma by their actions. It is what is in your heart that counts.
Everything is created by the thoughts of man. Humans create all situations for themselves by the power of their thoughts. Life on the Earth plane is most definitely an illusion, but the actions of humans are the product of previous thoughts, which in turn became feelings and then actions. Today’s thoughts create tomorrow’s life; we have stated this on many previous occasions. Humans are slaves to their own thoughts. The human mind will “steal” your happiness and create for you unhappiness based on illusion. By the same token humans can also experience joy whilst on Earth. The thing to remember is that matter is constantly in motion and is driven by the thoughts of humankind. It’s like a child having a piece of plasticine and constantly creating different objects from the same piece. The plasticine itself will always remain the same but the object created will always be in accordance with the child’s imagination. This is the illusion. Everything on the Earth plane is comprised of matter, which is concentrated energy. The energy will always be constant, but the scenarios of people’s lives will always be a product of their thoughts. Thoughts are very confusing and changeable; therefore the illusion will change too. This is why some people appear to go from disaster to disaster throughout their lives.
About the author
Richard Holmes is a medium and clairvoyant and also the author of spiritual books and producer of meditation CD’s that have helped to change the lives of many people from all walks of life. Only 12 years ago he was still struggling with an alcohol problem that was threatening to take his life in a very negative direction from which there would have been no return. These days he uses the same principles that enabled him to turn his life around and applies them to his client’s individual needs. He helps people replace the old negative mindsets, that keep them rooted in the past, with new positive thoughts and attitudes that enable them to get what they dream about having and being in their lives. He also helps people to realize the gifts of clairvoyance, mediumship and healing that are present within themselves. This can be on a one-to-one or group basis and is achieved through guided meditation and other methods of inner work.
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