I know what it’s like to write from personal experience. My first novel, Wedlocked, is based on my first brief and disastrous marriage. But my friend and fellow author James Wilcox’s experience writing about his own personal experience is much different. His new book, Miracle Child, is a memoir that tells the story of his premature infant son, Nathaniel. I’ll let James tell you what it was like to share his heart-wrenching journey with the world, but first a little about the book…
This is a story of miracles, both big and small, and the story of one little boy born sixteen weeks early, weighing only one-and-a half pounds.
Nathaniel Wilcox needed a miracle.
He wasn’t expected to make it through the night.
This is Nathanial’s story of his five month journey to survive, and how he touched the hearts of everyone who cared for him. This is the story of how one family managed to overcome tragedy and despair, to find a renewed faith in each other and in God.
A miracle child?
Indeed.
Now James tells us about the writing of Miracle Child…
Coming up with an idea for a story, developing believable characters, mapping out plot lines, creating smooth transitions, and pulling everything together for an exciting, satisfying conclusion, these are just some of the things an author has to worry about when writing a book. Each of these steps takes time, patience, and creativity. They are also extremely personal because they are important steps in the creative process for the author. Authors give a little piece of themselves to each step of the process, a little bit of their imagination and creativity. Writing is personal because authors are sharing a piece of themselves with the world and leaving themselves open for criticism and ridicule, but also for praise and enjoyment. Although I find writing extremely fulfilling and rewarding, I always find it hard to take that next step, the step that will publish the book and share it with the word.
Having published two novels and a collection of poetry, I thought I had figured out how to deal with the excitement, the stress, and the nervousness of publishing a book. That was before I decided to write a book about my son, before my writing really got personal. My newest book, titled Miracle Child, tells the story of my son’s five month battle for life in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Mercy Hospital. My son Nathaniel was born sixteen weeks early and weighed only 1.8 pounds. He was very sick and wasn’t even expected to make it through the night. Although Miracle Child is a story of anguish, fear, stress, and frustration, it is also a story of love, hope, and faith.
In many ways, Miracle Child is the easiest book I have written because I didn’t have to create the characters or develop the story line. At the same time, Miracle Child is the most difficult book I have written because it is the most personal. I never imagined writing a book about my son and I never intended to write a book in which I am one of the main characters. I wish I could say that I am the hero of this story, but I can’t. My son is the hero of Miracle Child because he was able to touch the hearts of everyone who cared for him.
Miracle Child is the most personal book I can write. Now all I can do is wait and see if this story touches readers as much as it has touched me.
James P. Wilcox is the author of Miracle Child, two novels – Sex, Lies, and the Classroom and The M-16 Agenda – and Musings of a Particular Bear: A Poetry Collection. James, a former newspaper photographer and writer, is currently a high school teacher in the Kansas City area, where he lives with his wife and three children.
To find more about James and his work visit his website at www.jamespwilcox.com
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-P-Wilcox-Author/138615939640998?ref=hl
Twitter @m16agenda
Miracle Child available for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Child-ebook/dp/B00BUHGWOU/ref=la_B005IGG5G4_1_3_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1364102084&sr=1-3
For Nook at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miracle-child-james-p-wilcox/1114844969?ean=2940016184098
Welcome back, Stacy! I’m so happy to have you visit again and tell us all about your new novel, Garda, and what inspired you to write it. It’s sounds so interesting and imaginative!
Bonnie – thank you so much for inviting me here to your blog today so I can visit with you and your readers!!! It is always an honor to visit and talk about my writing and my life.
On February 10, I released a new novel, Garda – Welcome to the Realm. This was the first time that I have written about Guardian Angels. In my book, I call them “Garda” or “Gardaí”. The reason I choose to use that term was because the word Garda is Irish and translates to Guardian. In Ireland they call their police force Garda Síochána, or translated, the Guards of Peace.
Your readers probably don’t know that I am a police officer full time. So I love the term Garda, and when I started writing this book about Guardian Angels, that just fit perfectly.
One of the things I am most often asked is, do I believe in guardian angels? My answer is a simple, yes. Without going into religious beliefs and such, let me explain why I think the way I do.
My job is very stressful and at times very dangerous. I work for a very small department, and many times I have been out patrolling the streets alone. On those nights, or days even, that I drive around and protect my township, there have been many times when I am responding to a scene or about to stop a car, and instincts tell me to be careful. Maybe the hair on the back of my neck stands up, or some thought flashes through my mind randomly. Whatever it is, I take it seriously.
Maybe I’ll call for an extra car before I respond into a call, or maybe that car I was about to stop for not stopping at the stop sign will get a free pass that night as I turn off and look for another car. Is it just instinct, or is there something or someone else that whispers into my mind to let that one go, or be extra careful? I’m not sure, but I will tell you that I believe it is a guardian angel that watches over me. It is the one that comforts me when I am sad, the one that guides me when I am lost and the one that protects me when I walk towards danger. On those days when I must confront the beast face first, I go in knowing that I am not alone.
Whether you truly believe in them or not, the concept is appealing to many and that is one of the reasons I wrote my newest novel. I hope your readers will take the time to check out some of the links about the new book.
Thank you again Bonnie for the opportunity to visit with you and your readers!
After writing this initial post and sending it to Bonnie, she replied back and asked if there was any particular incident that I could expand on. I told her of course! So this is one of my brushes with what I believe was an angel watching over me.
It was a night shift several years ago, and I was working the street alone. The township that I work in is south of the only city in our county, but while we are next to a city, we are considered to be a rather country setting. We have a couple of major streets in our area, but no stop lights. Neighborhoods range from trailer parks to multi-million dollar ranches. Anyway, it was sometime shortly after midnight and I was sitting in my car watching a stop sign. There wasn’t much traffic, and when a car came to the intersection and didn’t completely stop, I thought about stopping them. Then I noticed that one of the brake lights was out, a second reason to make contact with them.
The car pulled away and I flipped on my headlights and put the car into drive to catch up to them. About a mile down the road I got behind the car, but because of the area we were in I held off flipping on my red and blue lights to direct them to pull over. The road was dark where we were driving and I wanted it in a brighter spot.
I ran the license plate on my computer, nothing interesting came back on it and I continued to follow it for a short time. Just as I reached down to flip on my lights, a tingle traveled down my spine, and the hair rose on my neck and arms. A voice inside my head said simply, “Don’t”.
For just a second I thought about ignoring it, but after years on this job, I have learned to heed the gut feelings, the instincts or the whispered words in my head. I backed off the car as I saw the passenger in the car turn to look at me. At the next street, I turned off the roadway and let the car move on.
Later that night, a department south of me got into a pursuit with that car. At the time I didn’t know it was the exact car, but I heard the call go out by the officer that he was attempting to stop a vehicle and they were fleeing. The car ended up crashing and the driver and passenger were injured. Inside the vehicle were several firearms and a trunk full of stolen electronics.
Had I attempted to stop that vehicle, many things could have happened. I don’t dwell on what could have happened, I just remember that there is a reason words whisper through my mind, and I take comfort in knowing that I have an angel watching over me.
Thank you again Bonnie! So glad you asked to me to elaborate on that!
Me, too, Stacy. Wow, that’s some story! I’m glad you listened to that “little whisper”! Best of luck with the book and thanks so much for sharing!
Read an excerpt from Garda
“He is my destiny.”
There is a place that lies between heaven and Earth, it is called The Realm. Within this place, the Guards of Peace, known as Garda Síochána, learn to guide and protect the ones that live below until they are called home.
Officer Corey Hamilton is dedicated to being the best that she can be, in uniform and out. Her loving nature, compassionate thoughts, and warrior strength make her the perfect candidate to join the Garda Síochána and spend her eternity protecting and guiding others.
Just before Corey dies in a line-of-duty accident, she meets Officer Mitchell O’Reilly. Her feelings for him may change her destiny, but not for the better, as she falls in love with this married man. Brock, Corey’s personal Garda, will bring her home to The Realm and attempt to train her for her future, even while she still fights for her past.
Will Brock be able to direct Corey down the right path, or will she cross the line and fall from grace?
Join Corey, Mitchell, and Brock for an emotional and heart-pounding adventure that is sure to make you wonder if angels are really guiding us in our everyday lives.
Get in touch with Stacy here…
Website: www.stacyeaton.com
Blog: http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4826711.Stacy_Eaton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stacy-Eaton/191880767522183?ref=hl
Twitter: @StacySEaton
You Tube video Trailer: http://youtu.be/uNJcU7Ni8k8
KINDLE: http://tinyurl.com/b43msy6
NOOK: http://tinyurl.com/bbw6l7j
About the author:
Stacy Eaton is a police officer by profession. Currently, she is working as the department investigator and enjoys digging into cases and putting the pieces of the puzzles together.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania and is the wife to a police officer and the mother of two. She is very proud of her son who is currently serving in the United States Navy and equally proud of her nine year old daughter who works hard in her Tae Kwon Do studies.
When Stacy is not working her demanding job, or spending time with her family, she works on her business and volunteers with the World Literary Café. When there is time, she writes.
Stacy is currently working on book 3 of the International Best Selling “My Blood Runs Blue” Series (release anticipated late 2013). She is also working on a second Domestic Violence Novel, You’re Not Alone. She also has plans to add a second book to her newest series, Garda, along with publishing a contemporary romance later this year.
As many of you know, I absolutely love romantic comedies–reading them and writing them! So I’m thrilled to have a fellow romantic comedy writer and good friend visit my blog from way across the pond in England. She’s here to tell us about her life as a RomCom author and to present her latest book. I love the title and look forward to reading A Little Bit of Madness. Welcome to the very talented and lovely Sheryl Browne!
Hi Bonnie!
Thanks so much for inviting me along today and helping me launch A Little Bit of Madness, my fourth Romantic Comedy published through Safkhet Publishing.
So, why four books in the genre you might ask? I’m not quite sure would be the honest answer, other than I can’t seem to write without injecting humour into my story. I like to write romantic comedy because I hope to allow people a little escapism and also to leave the reader with that all-important feel-good factor. I do, however, like to write about real people, dealing with real life events, someone the reader identifies with and wants to get to know. A ‘boy meets girl, boy gets girl, despite all obstacles’ story portraying characters readers can relate to and hopefully laugh with as they fall over life’s little ‘obstacles’ – because the reader is empathising with the character, because they’ve been there.
Bearing in mind real people then, along with changing population demographics, in A Little bit of Madness, I aimed for a multigenerational read. Alongside my hunky but flawed hero and my feisty yet vulnerable heroine, therefore, I’ve starred a cast of people of the Queen’s generation, or as Celia – our heroine – prefers to call them, her elderly independents: people who have life skills you couldn’t possibly learn from a book and who still have lives to live and something left to give.
I’ve written the book. My publisher loves it. Now comes the nervous nail-biting bit. Will the readers love it, too?? I hope so. Having seen a sneak peek of an upcoming review, I think so. He’s a teeny snippet: ‘This book had me laughing so hard at the antics of the elderly characters…’ I won’t say more for fear of spoilers. I have, however, popped the blurb and a brief excerpt below. Ooh, I do hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading!
A Little Bit of Madness
No rest for the wicked
Saving Charlton hall will burrow into your heart.
Celia Summers, intrepid mother of two, is too cuddly for sweatpants, she suspects. But then, her class at The Harbour Rest Home are similarly clad. Celia loves her work as an art therapist. She’s proud that she gives her elderly independents something to look forward to, even if her partner, Martin, disapproves of her efforts. He also has other things on his mind – telling complicated lies to Celia so he can sell Charlton Hall, his mum’s house, to pay off his debts.
Meanwhile, Celia fights to secure gallery space for her geriatric charges’ artwork, and to keep The Harbour from being closed. She’s even ready to abseil from a church steeple to bring attention to the plight of her old people, no matter that she might fall and end up splattered all over the flagstones. When she does fall, however, it’s much more painful – in love with PC Alex Burrows. Will he be her white-knight-in-blue and ride to her rescue?
EXCERPT
‘I think I might be able to assist. Excuse me, dears.’ May squeezed between them, potty in hand. ‘There,’ she said, opening the window and chucking the contents out. ‘That should cool their ardour.’
‘Oh my God.’ Celia gawked. ‘May, I can’t believe you just did that!’
Eleanor laughed. ‘Relax, Celia. He hasn’t been assaulted quite as rudely as you think. It’s tea, not pee.’
‘I’ve been practising.’ May nodded importantly. ‘It’s not as easy as it looks, you know, making huge potfuls and getting it right, especially when it’s orgasmic.’
‘Organic, May.’
‘Oh, don’t be such a baby,’ Celia shouted through the window, as Martin gave an outraged screech and clutched his shirt from his chest. ‘It was tea, not pee.’
‘It was bloody hot!’ Martin looked up, po-faced. Appropriately, Celia thought. ‘She could have seriously injured me, the silly cow. Come on, Celia, see sense and come out before something awful happens.’
‘It already did, Martin. You happened.’
‘Fine. Have it your own way,’ Martin snapped, ‘let’s see if the police can persuade you, shall we?’ With great fanfare, he flicked open his new mobile, and whoosh, in an instant it was gone—swept away on a cloud of fire extinguisher foam.
‘Yessss!’ Celia did a little twirl on the landing. ‘Well done, Eleanor!’
‘That is it!’ Martin shouted through a face-full of suds. ‘I’m going to find a public telephone. The police will be here in minutes, Celia. You’d better get out under your own steam, while you still can!’
‘Do what you like, Martin,’ she called, as the two men in suits climbed from their vehicle, now parked behind Martin’s Jaguar. They’d had the good sense to stay out of the line of fire until now. ‘We’re not budging. We’re not even prepared to talk until we get assurances no contracts have been exchanged!’
Let him chew on that for a while, Celia thought as she turned away. Damn! The bailiffs! She realised they could split up at any moment and bolted downstairs, missing the last step from the bottom to land in a heap.
‘Ooh bloody, bloody Martin.’ Celia crawled up the banister and limped on, sure at least one of the bailiffs would be trying to gain entry at the back by now. ‘Batten down the hatches,’ she shouted, stumbling into the kitchen.
‘All battened m’dear. Blighters won’t get in here,’ the colonel assured her, walking stick ready to thrash any hand that might nudge through the cat-flap.
‘Mum,’ Luke yelled from the front hall, ‘it’s Alex.’
Oh no. Celia’s heart plummeted. Why, why, why, if he cared about any of them, couldn’t he have turned a blind eye, bunked off work, done anything but be involved in their eviction?
‘Where?’ She raced back toward the front hall, ready to dish out the same treatment to him as they had Martin, except, um, it seemed someone already had.
‘Here,’ said Alex, meeting her in the hall looking disarmingly Colin Firth-ish. Shirt plastered to his chest, his new shoes sloshing water as he walked, his expression one of total exasperation.
‘Who let you in?!’ Celia stared at him flabbergasted.
‘Luke,’ Alex supplied. ‘On the condition I told the bailiffs to back off and in the hope I wouldn’t drown, I imagine.’
‘Good God!’ The colonel blinked his monocle-free eye. ‘Not raining is it, lad?’
Alex sighed. ‘Torrentially. You might want to point out to May that hosing down policemen isn’t the best way to proceed if she wants to avoid a visit to the station.’
ABOUT SHERYL
Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. A partner in her own business, a mother and a foster parent to disabled dogs, Sheryl has also been writing for many years, the road along the way often bumpy. She was therefore thrilled beyond words when Safkhet Publishing loved her writing style and commissioned her to write her debut novel.
RECIPES FOR DISASTER – combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews and was shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Festival of Romance Award. Sheryl has since been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single father’s search for love and his autistic little boy, launched July 1. WARRANT FOR LOVE, Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment – three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly – released August 1 and A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS –White Knight in Blue rescues the Harbour Rest Home – releases Valentine’s Day 2013.
LINKS:
Romantic Novelists’ Association
Sheryl is a loveahappyendingfeatured Author and Editor.
Twitter: @sherylbrowne
I’m so pleased to bring you my friend and colleague Rachelle Ayala’s latest release, a powerful book called Hidden Under Her Heart (A story of Abortion & Courage) From January 21-23, it will be on sale for only 99c at Amazon and Barnes & Noble so take advantage of this sale price now! Here’s a bit about this heart-wrenching book:
Maryanne Torres is a compassionate nurse who fails at relationships. After a string of losers, she swears off premarital sex, hoping to land a marrying type of man.
Lucas Knight, a law-school dropout, moves to California to train for the Ironman Triathlon. He’s smart, sweet, and everything Maryanne wants in a man, but their relationship suffers from his dedication to the sport. Seeking consolation in the arms of a handsome preacher’s son, Maryanne attends a church party where she is raped.
Maryanne is pregnant from the rape and plans to abort. But the identity of her rapist is hidden in her baby’s DNA. Lucas asks Maryanne to seek alternatives and pledges to support her through the pregnancy. When Lucas becomes the prime suspect, Maryanne must clear his name and make a life changing decision.
The rapist has other ideas. In order to destroy the evidence, he offers Maryanne an illegal offshore abortion. With Maryanne’s life in danger, Lucas races to save her and her baby. However, Maryanne hides a secret that threatens to tear them apart forever.
A 99,000-word women’s fiction, HIDDEN UNDER HER HEART deals with the consequences of rape and abortion.
From Rachelle…
Hidden Under Her Heart is an emotional and hard-hitting story about a young woman facing a heart-wrenching decision. We’ve heard the rhetoric, maybe even argued over the issue of abortion and rape. But behind the debates are real people—women and men with real problems and feelings. My story is not meant to be preachy, but compassionate, especially for post-abortive parents seeking closure. I think people on both sides of the fence will find meaning in the changes that both Maryanne and Lucas go through. Ultimately, it is an uplifting story, and my hope is that it will be a help to you.
I am the author of three novels: Michal’s Window, a historical romance between King David and his first wife, the princess Michal, Broken Build, a romantic suspense thriller set in a Silicon Valley startup, and Hidden Under Her Heart, a story about a nurse wrestling with her decision to abort. My stories tend to be dramatic and emotional, crossing genres and cultures. I like to dive deep and live through my characters’ eyes. Each of them are passionate but flawed women paired with conflicted men with good hearts. I hope you enjoy the emotional journey I take you on. I love to hear from readers. Please contact me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelleAyalaWriter or my blog: http://www.rachelleayala.com
Book Links
Michal’s Window http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/michals-window.html
Broken Build http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/broken-build.html
Hidden Under Her Heart http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/hidden-under-her-heart.html
I’d like to welcome Jack Durish to my blog. He’s a Vietnam vet and author of six books, and today he’s here to talk a little bit about himself and his work.
What is the one book you want us to read (title, genre, and availability).
Rebels on the Mountain: Historical Fiction available in all ebook formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes.
Give us a one sentence synopsis.
A childhood crush evolves into romance when Nick Andrews, a U.S. Army spy, reconnects with Lucia Comas, an American-educated mulata, in Cuba while he is there to unravel the diplomatic mess created by Fidel Castro’s revolution.
Who are the main characters and who would you like to see portray them in a movie?
Fictional
Nick Andrews: A U.S. Army Ranger and Korean War Veteran who has made a career of reconnaissance patrols behind the Iron Curtain – possibly portrayed by Stephen Amell
Lucia Comas: An American-educated, island-born mulata, daughter of the second wife of don Carlos Comas, a Cuba sugar plantation owner, and love interest of Nick Andrews – possibly portrayed by Christina Milian
Emma Regan: An American socialite whose husband, a retired pediatrician operates a free clinic on the sugar plantation she inherited, and sister to the don Carlos Comas’ second wife Sigourney Weaver
Real
Fidel Castro: The charismatic leader of the revolution that overthrew the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista – possibly portrayed by Jsu Garcia
Che Guevara: The Argentinian doctor who became one of Castro’s most notorious lieutenants and his executioner following Fidel’s rise to power – possibly portrayed by Guillermo Diaz
Ernest Hemingway: Nobel Prize winning author and Havana resident who mingled freely in the halls of power in Havana and purportedly supported Castro’s revolution – possibly portrayed by William Hurt
Tell us a little about the story.
Nick Andrews uses the cover of a pleasure trip with friends, the Regans – a retired doctor and his socialite wife who own an estate in Cuba – to infiltrate the island from its halls of power in Havana to the rebel camp in the mountains at the eastern end of the island. Unexpectedly, he rekindles a childhood crush with the island-born niece of the Regans, and makes friends with a loyal Fidelista rebel. Romance, rum, rumba, and revolution layer themselves into a thrilling tale of intrigue, action, and suspense.
What inspired you to write this book and how long did it take?
I was slated to pilot a vessel from Galveston Bay to the Chesapeake, with a stop in Havana, when I was a young sailor, but the trip was canceled due to several factors including the fall of the Batista government in Cuba. I suppose that I never let go of the disappointment of missing that adventure. Thus, I followed events in Cuba closely and studied the history of the island and its people during the intervening fifty years. I spent another two years cataloging and studying my research, and another year and a half to write and edit the manuscript.
What other books have you written?
Dream Pirates – Fiction for young readers with impaired reading skills and new English speakers
WordPerfect: Creative Applications – Technical manual
Infantry School: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir
Vietnam: A Soldier’s Journal – Personal memoir
Trifles: Literary Dessert – A collection of short stories to be published soon
Which authors inspired you, your style?
Many including…
Ernest Hemingway: Voice
Mark Twain: Irony
Charles Dickens: Memorable characters
Where can we learn more about you and your books?
Http://www.jackdurish.com contains my personal blog as well as my biography, a synopsis of all my books and links to them, and recommended websites for anyone interested in reading
How can we follow you? Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
I am currently working on my second novel featuring Nick Andrews as a young soldier in the Korean War. Also, I have been posting to my blog a series of articles built from my research into Cuba with special emphasis on the love-hate relationship between the island and the United States. Most expect a change in US-Cuban relations when Fidel Castro dies, and Americans will begin looking forward to visiting this Caribbean paradise which has been off limits for so many years.
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
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