Put a little holiday magic in your stocking this year!

December 6, 2009

Christmas is coming and we’re all busy rushing here and there. The time’s coming when you’ll hit the wall from exhaustion and you’ll need to take a break. Why not settle in with a holiday book that’ll give you warm fuzzies and happy endings?

I’ve got two for you:

Exiles from Christmas. Santa’s nephews have come to Crystal Falls to run a cookie business. If they fail, they’ll have to go back to the North Pole and fill their uncle’s black boots when he retires. But sick of toys, elves, and the North Pole’s influence, that’s the last thing Landon and Aaron want. They’re looking for love.

Jayne isn’t much for sentimental family holidays and she certainly doesn’t believe in magic. Working in the Crystal Falls post office, she is mystified when she handles mail bearing a North Pole postal mark.

When Landon and Jayne meet, their attraction for each other is undeniable, but will the truth about Landon’s life make Jayne a believer, or will it be his love that finally melts her heart?

And Not Just Make Believe: Andrea Peterchef never thought her job would include a nine-year-old Piper and vomit. Then she meets Max, a workaholic stockbroker with a voice like melted chocolate and she vows to help her charge and him reconnect as a family and maybe find the love she’s been looking for as well.

Maxwell Gildenthall is haunted by the 9/11 deaths of his girlfriend and his cousin—Piper’s dad. Deadlines and data define his life—not baby dolls and dress-up. When Andrea cajoles him into playing the part of dad, the benefits of spending time with the plus-size au pair are a bonus, but he can’t ditch the guilt.

It’ll take more than a spoonful of sugar and a dose of Christmas magic to mend the broken family. It’ll take the power of love.

Both of these books can be purchased from my newly designed website: http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Happy reading!

Release of Love Beyond Time by Rebecca Royce

December 3, 2009

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome my good friend Rebecca back to my blog to tell us about her latest release, Love Beyond Time.

SS: What inspired you to write romance? What romantic genre do you write?

RR: I had been reading Romance for a very long. I think one day, characters just sort of started talking to me and they spoke the language of Love. (laughs) But there is this other side to me, this dark, foreboding, screwed-up side and I think it’s why I’m drawn to Paranormal and Fantasy Romance. It lets me explore both elements of my personality.

SS: Screwed up? I highly doubt that. I like to say your mind is a strange and wonderful place. So, have you ever created a villain or killed a character off who is based on someone you know?

RR: A villain? No. Fortunately, I don’t know really terrible people and my villains are pretty awful. I have written characters based on people I know, one heroine in specific is based on a very good friend of mine. Have I ever killed a character based on someone I knew? Yes. I killed off a character’s mother who reminded me of someone I know. That’s funny, I never thought about that before. Great question.

SS: It’s all about the subconscious, my dear. If you could go on a date with any one of your heroes, which one would it be and why?

RR: Ooh. My poor husband. Um, okay, if I had to pick one hero to go on a date with I think it would be Kal, the hero from Love Beyond Time. He’s so intense, so interested in everything Isabelle thinks and feels. I think it would be great to spend time with him for a few evenings…

SS: Sounds yummy. Tell me about your new release. I’ve heard good things about it and am dying to know details.

RR: Love Beyond Time is the first book I ever wrote. It’s been through many manifestations but the way it is now is clearly the way it was meant to be.

Here is the blurb:

The fight for mankind’s existence begins with…two halves of a perfect whole.

Born one half of a perfect pair, Kal has spent his life believing his other half is gone. But when fate thrusts Isabelle into his arms, he will have no choice but to become the man he was destined to be. That is, if he can battle his own demons first.

Not willing to accept her heritage as an Outsider, Isabelle tries to hide from the truth. But when Kal’s life is on the line, she will have to step forward and embrace her powers or watch everything she has come to love disappear.

SS: Sweet! This is a new series for you. How difficult was it to switch from your wolves series?

RR: Not hard. I like to switch back and forth actually. It helps me stay fresh in my mind and my writing.

SS: Understandable. What inspired you to write this book?

RR: I’m not sure. It’s like one day they were just there with me. All the characters, the story line. The whole plot. I see this book as the first in a series about the Outsiders. The second book has been contracted and will be released in August 2010. Its called Love Beyond Sanity. The entire plot is fully formed in my mind. So this is book one, it’s just the beginning.

SS: Sounds like it’s off to a great start. Let’s talk happy endings. In your books, do your stories have one?

RR: Yes and No. Yes, the characters are happy and together, forever. But, since it’s a series of books, the overall plot issue, the bad guy, the terror that haunts these characters, its not nearly resolved and won’t be completely until the last book.

SS: Continuing with that question, what is your favorite fictional romantic happy ending — either from a book, a movie or TV show. Why that one?

RR: I like the way Nalini Singh ends all of her books. I find them incredibly romantic. Also, Nora Roberts really knows how to end a book. Movies? I like Serendipity because I saw that on one of my first dates with my husband. Also, Love Actually. As for TV Shows? Ross and Rachel on Friends.

SS: Last question: love at first sight. Is it possible?

RR: Absolutely.

SS: Thanks for stopping by today, Rebecca. Please tell my readers where to find more information about your books and you.

www.rebeccaroyce.com

And my books can be found at

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/

and

www.liquidsilverbooks.com

Not Just Make Believe is now available!

November 28, 2009

I’m excited to let you know that my new contemporary romance novel Not Just Make Believe now available for purchase with Desert Breeze Publishing.

Before we get to that, here are a few things of interest:

If you’re in the mood for a funny historical read, browse the Desert Breeze site to find out what Christopher Farnsworth and Lily Henderson are up to in Winner Takes All.

Question for you: What is the name of Aislinn’s horse in Woman of Honor? Drop by Nicole’s blog to find out: http://nicolezoltack.blogspot.com

Back to Not Just Make Believe

Blurb: Andrea Peterchef never thought her job would include a nine-year-old Piper and vomit. Then she meets Max, a workaholic stockbroker with a voice like melted chocolate and she vows to help her charge and him reconnect as a family.

Maxwell Gildenthall is haunted by the 9/11 deaths of his girlfriend and his cousin—Piper’s dad. Deadlines and data define his life—not baby dolls and dress-up. When Andrea cajoles him into playing the part of dad, the benefits of spending time with the plus-size au pair are a bonus, but he can’t ditch the guilt.

It’ll take more than a spoonful of sugar and a dose of Christmas magic to mend the broken family. It’ll take the power of love.

Excerpt #3:

A thoughtful expression crossed Max’s features as the elevator doors opened at the ping on the appropriate floor. “Andrea, I believe I owe you an apology for teasing you yesterday as well as a thank you for your excellent care of Piper.”

As my Great Aunt Sadie used to say… “You bet your sweet bippie you do!”

What I said was, “I’m just doing my job. I hope she’s back to her devilish self.” Before I could get off the elevator, Max hit the Close Door button. “What are you doing? That’s my floor.” Oh my Lord, he was a stalker! Howie would be surprised when he found out he had been duped by the rich and famous. I could just see the headline now: Up and coming assistant hotel manager stalked and killed by a notable mover and shaker. Charges won’t be sought…

“You’re going to dinner with me this evening.” It was a statement. He punched the illuminated button for the Lobby and we proceeded downward.

“Thanks for the invite, but I couldn’t possibly accept. It’s against company policy to accept gifts from clients. Not to mention, I just got off work and my clothes smell like the monkey house at the zoo.”

Don’t ask how I knew this. It’s not a flattering story for me or the monkey.

A glance down at my outfit confirmed my description. Rumpled black skirt, white button down shirt with a yellow stain over my left boob  I have no idea what it was  and black heels. Not exactly the outfit of the dining elite. That is to say if I were actually going to dinner with him, which I was most definitely not.

When the elevator doors slid open at the Lobby, I quickly hit the seventh floor button and the doors swung closed again. Good thing we were the only ones in the car or else I would surely be in trouble. I could just hear the lecture Howie would heap upon my head. He would probably give it in front of all the staff, just to make an impression.

Of course, he would!

The elevator cars are not for your own personal amusement. I snickered as my eyes slid to Max. My idea of personal enjoyment would include a can of whipped cream and a bare-chested Max…With a start, I realized he was talking to me.

“Andrea, listen, I’ll clear it with Howard. You can go as a personal favor to me.” He smiled cordially to the people waiting on the seventh floor as the doors swung open. “I’m sorry, but there seems to be an issue in this car. Would you mind waiting on the second one?”

I rolled my eyes when the women tittered and nodded and the men grumbled but agreed.
With a look of triumph, Max hit the Lobby button. He was already taking out his cell phone.

What nerve this guy had! Who did he think he was? I felt my blood pressure start to rise. I had already worked a nine-hour day, which had been chock full of complaining customers and a dog that had piddled on one of the sofa cushions in the Lobby. Yeah, the Stansbury had that mythical anti-pet policy but the same fussy woman kept bringing her stupid dog and Howard kept letting her stay.

Now I had to deal with a man who apparently thought that he was God.

Stop the world, I want to get off!

How about if I just grew a backbone and put a stop to all of this right now? After this little pep talk to myself, I hit the seventh floor button again as we arrived at the Lobby. “Absolutely not! I’m going to relax in my room, order room service, and watch mindless television for the rest of the night.” I grinned at the surprise on his face. “Oh, did you think you were the only one who lived here? It’s part of my benefits package. At least I don’t have to pay rent.”

“Very efficient.”

I glanced up at the humor in his voice and was immediately irritated. To top it all off, he had dimples when he smiled. Once again, I was the head float in my own freak parade.

“I’ll take care of it, Andrea.” He punched the Lobby button and gave me a commanding glance that clearly said stay put. “I would really like to have dinner with you. That’s all.”

That was the last straw. “There are other people in the world, you know. We don’t all kowtow to your every whim.” I hit the lighted seven button.

Up we went.

Max hit the Lobby button, determined to win in the battle of wills.

My fingers curled into fists until my nails bit into my palms. “You’re not listening to me.” Without thinking, I methodically hit every single button on the panel, until all the little numbered circles were lit up. I gritted my teeth and tried to regulate my breathing, but when my eyes met Max’s dark gaze, a tiny flame of desire flared in my gut. This was not a good sign.

Two things happened simultaneously.

First off, the elevator car shuddered to a violent stop somewhere between the tenth and Penthouse floors, throwing me against Max. Second, I guess Max chose that opportunity to completely lose his mind. Before I could do much more than blink at him in surprise, his arms snaked around my waist, and he kissed me. There’s no other way to tell the story. Not a swift peck on the cheek, grandma-style. It was one of those old-fashioned curl-your-toes kinds of kisses that you would see on old movies where the heroine pops her foot up behind her. Max’s lips covered mine with a warm pressure that was gentle and insistent. Shivers of excitement raced up my spine when his fingers traced circles on my back.

My traitorous body decided he was non-threatening after all and started to press itself up against the solid mass that was Max. Before I could analyze why butterflies stirred in my stomach, the moment was over.

As first kisses go, it was quite delicious. But, my foot did not pop.

In case you were wondering.

Buy Link: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-37/Not-Just-Make-Believe/Detail.bok

Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z6YPtrZ4nM

Or drop by my website for more information: http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Release of EXILES FROM CHRISTMAS

November 17, 2009

It’s finally here. My Christmas short, Exiles from Christmas, is out! Presented by Lyrical Press, Inc.

Here’s a blurb and excerpt:

Blurb: Santa’s nephews have come to Crystal Falls to run a cookie business. If they fail, they’ll have to go back to the North Pole and fill their uncle’s black boots when he retires. But sick of toys, elves, and the North Pole’s influence, that’s the last thing Landon and Aaron want. They’re looking for love.

Jayne isn’t much for sentimental family holidays and she certainly doesn’t believe in magic. Working in the Crystal Falls post office, she is mystified when she handles mail bearing a North Pole postal mark.

When Landon and Jayne meet, their attraction for each other is undeniable, but will the truth about Landon’s life make Jayne a believer, or will it be his love that finally melts her heart?

Excerpt #4:

Landon was glad when Peg finally walked away. “Tell me why you hate Christmas.” Pleasure snaked through his gut when Jayne’s cheeks infused with a rosy stain. He had the insane desire to see her smile. He wondered if the back of her wrist was ticklish. “Or is it just the commercialism of the holiday that turns you into Scrooge?”

Her lips twitched but she didn’t follow through with a full grin. “Why don’t you tell me why I should like this holiday?” She dipped a triangle of her golden sandwich into her orange-red soup then took a delicate bite.

“Everyone likes Christmas.” He floundered for words. “It’s… It’s…magical.” He broke open the flaky crust of his chicken pot pie to let the steam escape.

“What’s so magical about the whole population of the world succumbing to avarice and greed?” She pointed her spoon at him. “And don’t get me started about that jolly old fat man in the red suit.”

“How do you know Santa is old or fat? Have you seen him?” Her abhorrence to Christmas fascinated him, but the information he was about to tell her would make or break the new friendship.

“Have you?”

It was now or never. For some reason, he trusted her. “Actually, yes. In fact, I know him pretty well.” He kept his gaze glued to her face, alert for any outward signs of derision or ridicule. Prior relationships usually broke down at this point. Some had even ended with drinks to his face or upended dinners in his lap. When Jayne did nothing more dramatic than blink, he released his held breath. Maybe it’d be different this time.

“How can you possibly know him? He’s a make-believe character from story books.” She narrowed her eyes. “Unless he’s an invisible friend of yours.”

Very witty, Jayne. Funny and sexy. A great combination. He fought a smile. “He’s definitely not invisible.” No longer hungry, Landon pushed his mostly untouched plate away. “You never believed in Santa when you were a kid?” He watched as hope briefly flitted across her face but that moment of vulnerability vanished as quickly as it had come.

“No.”

“Why?” He wasn’t about to give up. He felt a tiny seed of belief buried beneath her protests and he wanted to draw it out. He needed to draw it out, if only to justify his own determination to remove himself from his own issues.

Jayne busied herself by crumbling little bits of her sandwich into her soup bowl. “Santa has always been a disappointment to me.” She captured her bottom lip between her teeth. “When I was eleven, I desperately wanted a microscope. I loved science and thought it would be fun to look inside living things.”

“And you didn’t get it, I assume?” He wrenched his gaze from her invitingly wet lips to focus on her face.

“Of course not.” Bitterness crept into the confirmation. “Not only that, a few months after that, I found all the letters I’d written to Santa in my mom’s underwear drawer. She never mailed them. I understood why later—there was nowhere to mail them to. Santa’s a fake.” She shrugged. “I found all but one letter. She must have lost it.”

“I’m sorry you had a bad childhood. What about now? You’re older and wiser. Do you believe in Santa now?”

“Are you kidding me?” She gaped at him as if he were a car wreck. “Why should I believe now? What’s the point?”

“Because.” Landon cleared his throat. “Santa Claus is my uncle.”

Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LskHJWnRb0

Promo video for Crystal Falls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpABxT0D9iA

Buy link: http://www.lyricalpress.com/exiles_from_christmas
Or visit my website for more information:

http://www.sandrasookoo.com

I hope you will consider picking up your very own copy. For 2.50, you can afford to treat yourself to some holiday cheer!

CRR Blog Tour with LK Hunsaker continues with Metaphorical Reality

November 15, 2009

SS: Please help me welcome author LK Hunsaker to the Believing is Seeing blog.

Hi Sandra! Thanks for having me on your blog today. In honor of your “seeing is believing” theme, I thought I’d talk about metaphor and reality.LKH-Nov09-2689-cp1in

“The moon had no light of its own, and no warmth. Like the window, it could only throw back an imitation of what it saw. It made people believe there was a man within, that it had illuminating powers, when there were nothing but craters. Scars from being knocked around. Disguised by false light.”
– from Off The Moon, ch.12

I love metaphor. It reminds me of impressionist paintings and Seurat’s pointillism. It’s making one thing become something else, or it’s a hint of something. It’s poetic and active. Nearly breathing. Sometimes it’s so transparent you can’t help but see it; other times it’s subtle and missed unless you pay close attention. Either way, it’s one of the basic tools of writing and highly effective when done well.

Our characters are often metaphors themselves. They stand for something we want to say. Consider Edmund in The Count of Monte Cristo. Edmund is a very real character, full and complete. He is also a metaphor for rightful vengeance. Or Anna in Anna Karenina; a metaphor for social entrapment.

In the short excerpt above, and often throughout Off The Moon, the moon is a metaphor. I won’t say much about it at this point, for fear of giving the story away, but Ryan tends to think in metaphor. It could be from his songwriting experience, or maybe he was a born poet. But just as things begin to appear differently within his own life, the moon and what it means to be “off” changes, as well. It is both a real object that draws conversation between Ryan and Kaitlyn and an enigma, sometimes like Kaitlyn herself. Other times like Ryan. It becomes a character instead of only a symbol.

Any of you who read or write poetry knows the beauty of metaphor. We can say something that sounds very simple and easy to understand and yet actually mean something much deeper. For instance, these are two lines of a poem I wrote recently (I’m not a poet. I play in it at times.)

Nature’s palette adds its own paint
shifting greens to golds

Simple. The poem is called September Whispers so it’s easy to see it refers to leaves changing in the fall. However, the leaves are only a cover, so to speak. Underneath, it refers to the aging process, with hair turning silver and newness becoming experience. Green often refers to inexperience. Gold to quality and richness.

There is much metaphor through Off The Moon, as well. Don’t worry, though, it’s much easier to understand than my poetry.

——–

Buy Link for Off the Moon preorders:

http://www.elucidatepublishing.net/books.html

free US shipping through Nov. 27, discounted outside US

Off The Moon website:

http://www.lkhunsaker.com/OffTheMoon/main.html

Also, be sure to check my blog for novel-related interviews.

http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

OffTheMoon-frontcover-400hOff The Moon
LK Hunsaker

“Riveting” Ryan Reynauld is immersed in a world of music, parties, and temporary companionship. Having risen to the top of the pop charts, his biggest concern is objecting to the way his music is produced. That is, until he finds a young woman standing on a window ledge. Against the advice of family and friends, and through media attacks and fan protests, Ryan determines to care for her himself, making a promise that threatens to destroy his career.

Convincing the skittish girl she can learn to trust again comes with a steep price. Sometimes the path to recovery begins by allowing your world to implode.

Elucidate Publishing
November 2009
Print ISBN 978-0-9825299-0-4
Ebook ISBN 978-0-9825299-1-1

SS: Thanks for the interesting information! Good luck with sales and the rest of the blog tour!

Thanks again, Sandra! And best of luck on your releases next month!

———
Next up: An interview with Ned (Ryan’s drummer), hosted by Lainey Bancroft, Nov. 17

http://www.elaineforlife.com/LaineysBlog/tabid/463/Default.aspx

The full tour itinerary is available at http://www.classicromancerevival.com

Don’t forget to leave your comments! One person from each blog will be drawn to receive a signed, mailed copy of the short story LK has written as a bit of a prequel to Off The Moon, called Toward The Sky, plus there will be a signed print book drawing for anyone who comments on at least 8 blogs! Winners will be posted at http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=1520

Interview with P.I. Barrington!

November 14, 2009

Please welcome Desert Breeze author PI Barrington!

SS: Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

PIB: Like pretty much all writers, I’ve written since I figured out you could string letters together to make words and then words into sentences. And, like every writer, I was a voracious reader. I won awards for writing in elementary school. Unlike most writers, however, I didn’t want to write. I wanted to do other things. I wanted to work in the music industry, which I did (met Paul and Linda McCartney too!), I worked in radio (on-air talent after starting out as a News Director-what else?) but I should have known, because even my first “real” job before all of that was as a newspaper reporter at 20! But, writing for me is more like an urge—sometimes I just have to do it—just get it down on paper somehow either on a desktop or with an actual (gasp!) pen and paper. I still love writing longhand and I know a lot of other authors do too.

SS: What genre do you like to write best in and why?

PIB: I like to call it “near-future” rather than sci-fi. I don’t write hard sci-fi with a lot of serious tech stuff. I think it’s more relatable to have some technology that is a logical progression of what we have now though, again, I don’t get into too much technical correctness and I make a lot of stuff up that seems logical to me at least. Also, that way, the technology is there but it doesn’t intrude on the conflicts of my characters and plot. Again, I always seem to end up writing sci-fi whether I want to or not. So far, everything I’ve had published has been sci-fi type stuff. I do love other genres too. I love ancient historical, Tom Clancy type stuff, Michener, Colleen McCullough is a favorite. I’ve read everything from the Greek playwrights to Shakespeare to MAD Magazine. MAD is still my favorite.

SS: How do you find ideas for your books?

PIB: They can come from anything. Sometimes I’ll overhear part of a conversation in a restaurant or coffee shop. They can come from an issue I feel passionate about. It can be sparked from a past experience that hopefully other people have had too. Lately, I’ve been looking at pictures from magazines that really can help create if not a plot, then at least a setting or atmosphere or “world”; photos of people that I make up stories about; shots of gorgeous natural settings that help world building too.

SS: How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?

PIB: It used to be agonizing to try to get into mode. I’m a night person but I can’t do that with family members who have day jobs. So in the last year I’ve kind of taught myself to just sit down and make myself write when I do have available time, usually in the morning when I’m by myself or when I really hit my stride between 4 and 7 p.m. It’s a tremendous help if you’re really excited about a book and love your characters. I’ve had stories that meandered about not really going anywhere and those are the creative killers for me. I have to love a book to easily get into mode schedule. Then, like everybody else, I have days and weeks where I can’t get a word onto a page. Not because of time but because I’m stuck or it just won’t come out right. Some people use music, but for me, just sitting down and writing it out is my method.

SS: Tell me a little about your new book.

PIB: Crucifying Angel, the first book in the Future Imperfect series, is my first published novel. It’s set in Las Vegas 32 years in the future amidst an ecological and economic breakdown. There’s a big romantic element to it as well, though it is a crime thriller.

SS: How did the inspiration for this work come to you?

PIB: Well, this is going to sound nuts, but after passing on another manuscript I sent her, DBP Editor Gail R. Delaney gave me the seminal premise and then said, “Now, go write it.” No kidding.

SS: Do you identify with the characters you write about?

PIB: Yes and no. I’ll see something I do, a habit, thought process, mannerism or reaction that is definitely me, but most of the time, the characters spring to life of their own accord. In Crucifying Angel, the hero and heroine have survived traumas that I’ve never even come close to and they have their own ways of dealing with things.

SS: You’ve recently signed with a new publisher. Can you tell me about that?

PIB: I’m extremely happy signing with Desert Breeze Publishing. I don’t think I could have asked for a better first publisher for my first novel. The support is incredible both from the staff and from other writers. And they’re all high caliber professionals. Every single one of them.

SS: You’re working on a new project. Is there a favorite among between the two books?

PIB: I’m working on Book Two of Future Imperfect now and I think this one will be the favorite. My hero, Gavin, is definitely showing some flaws and “bad judgments” and all the characters are interacting with each other with more depth and conflict and hopefully, a surprise or two. I like it when my characters screw up. It makes me love them even more.

SS: What do you love about your publisher/editor?

PIB: I love the fact that Gail, Jenifer and everyone else involved are such consummate professionals. I love that Gail also writes in the sci-fi romance genre’ as well. It really gives her the ability to communicate and understand the problems and solutions to that particular setting. Also, she is so supportive even though she’s so busy all the time. We have a stellar group of authors and she gives extreme care to each of us. It’s just a total win-win situation for an author.

SS: Do you have a “day” job? How do you balance both “worlds”?

PIB: Thank God, I’m able to concentrate on writing full time! I do help out my mother when she needs me but it all just kind of worked out. (See? I have no choice but to write!) I did write a film script during one year that I worked in entertainment, but really until the last few years I never wrote seriously. While I was writing Crucifying Angel, my mother nearly died from a sepsis infection and I had to deal with that for about two months. It put me behind in the writing, but I would take notebooks and any writing tools with me when I sat in the rehab hospital with her, for hours on end sometimes. It can be a struggle when you have to take care of someone so fully, but it also allowed me to learn to use my time better both to accomplish the writing and to attain some sort of release from all the pressure.

SS: What piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers that you wished someone told you when you started?

PIB: Two things: Be your own worst critic and jump on opportunities. Too many writers don’t look critically enough at their own work and then they wonder why they get passed on their submissions. If you’re honestly hard enough on yourself then you’ll create something that’s good. Don’t be insecure but don’t inflate your ego either.
And jump on opportunities. Writing is like learning any other instrument of creativity: practice makes perfect. You can’t understand how editing works and how to self-edit where you can, if you’ve never worked with an editor before. Most editors want to help you to be better—it’s good for both of you—and they’ll be extra supportive of you if you’re willing to learn and willing to be edited. The only way to learn that is to submit your work, your best work, when there’s a call for submissions. Join online groups that not only discuss writing but post submission calls. The opportunities are there, you just have to literally, sometimes, jump on them.
When I was a cub reporter, I did an interview with an author who had an ill child. She was so happy with the article, that she told me, “Any time you want to submit to my publisher (a biggie too!), just let me know and I’ll refer you.”
I was too stupid at the time to take her up on it. Now I look back and kick myself. Don’t just write something, submit it.
Oh, and one last thing: don’t use the word “Strode”.

SS: I’ll bear that in mind LOL What is your next project?

PIB: Besides finishing the next two Future Imperfect books, I have several novels brewing. I have one ‘cougar’ tale I’d like to work on seriously now, since I’ve taken a break from it, the plot changed and I see an even better ending for it; I have another science fiction/fantasy series that I started before FI, and one odd sci-fi story that’s just…strange. And then there’s that danged crime thriller that Gail passed on, I’ve been working on that for about 8 years off and on and I want to get it published before the technology in it becomes obsolete!

SS: One last question. If you had the opportunity to ask one question to one figure in literary history (either author or a character from a book), what would you ask and to whom?

PIB: Julius Caesar. I’d ask him how he did all that he did! I’ve been fascinated with him since I was a kid. Of course, any ancient history is a big love for me, but Caesar was just so…driven. I mean this guy cleaned up the calendar mankind had created, perfecting it so that we use the Julian calendar to this day! He created roads, shaped up the Roman military and made sure he took care of them, and most of all the people loved him. That was the whole tragedy of his assassination—that he was dangerous because he was beloved by the common people, and just about everyone else, except the politicians! Alexander the Great was like that too. And both of them accomplished astounding things before they were middle aged. It’s a pity we don’t have people who can do that today, especially since we have so much more technology than they did back then. They didn’t have cars; they rode horseback, camel litters, walked. And yet they covered more physical territory than most people who are alive today!

SS: Thank you so much for being here! I always learn so much about other authors.

CrucifyingAngelCoverArt72dpiCrucifying Angel blurb:

In the desolate remains of Las Vegas, Detective Payce Halligan and her new partner Gavin McAllister must stop a serial killer who may be hiding an even greater evil.

Buy link:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-44/%3Ci%3EFuture-Imperfect-Book-One-cln-%3C-fdsh-i%3E/Detail.bok

Reviewer links:

http://yvonnemason.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/p-i-barringtons-soon-to-be-released-crucifying-angel-is-a-five-star-read/

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.aspx?daoid=4939

Interview with Liena Ferror!

November 7, 2009

Today, please welcome to the blog fellow Eirelander author Liena Ferror.

SS: Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

LF: Thank you for having me here today, Sandi. I was born and bred in South Central Pennsylvania. I have a wonderful husband and two great kids one in school and the other serving our country in the Navy.
As for writing, I have been doing it for two years. The event that brought me to writing was actually my husband and a comment he made. He said my nose was buried into a book so often that I could probably write one. It’s amazing what the power of suggestion can do.

SS: What genre do you like to write best in and why?

LF: I write paranormal erotic romance because it is the genre I read most. It seemed natural to write in that style. I would like to try a contemporary/suspense in the future.

SS: How do you find ideas for your books?

LF: Anything from the Discovery Channel to pieces of art work. I watch a lot of documentaries and they seem to be the biggest fuel for my imagination. My love of the paranormal supplies the rest. Inspiration can strike at anytime and I have a notebook where I jot down ideas as they pop in my head.

SS: Isn’t that the truth? How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?

LF: Some days are easier than others to be honest with you. Some days I’m on my A-game and can pound out the words then other days I’m lucky to get through a small part of a chapter. I take each type of day as they come and accept them for what they are. The life of a writer.

SS: Do you have a specific place where you write?

LF: I can work anywhere. Right now I’m working off our desktop computer but use a flash drive so I can work off a laptop should I choose to do so. I can write anywhere. When the light and weather permits, I love to write outside. I did a good part of my edits for Queen of the Ghost Drakon outside. It felt wonderful to sit in the spring sunshine at the time and work.

SS: Do you have a “day” job? How do you balance both “worlds”?

LF: No, no day job. I’m a stay-at-home mom and homemaker. It’s easy to balance the two during the school year but the summer can get interesting at times. My family is very understanding of my writing career and give me the time I need.

SS: Tell me a little about your new book.

Queen ofthe Ghost Drakon finalLF: Queen of the Ghost Drakon is the first in The Risen Series. The Risen are females who are born as drakon and either lycan, vampire, fae, or demon hybrids. Here is the blurb for Queen of the Ghost Drakon.

A vampire’s ultimate fatal attraction is the essence of a ghost…

Innocent to the paranormal world and innocent to the world of men, Keara McCabe finds herself caught in a century’s old battle between renegade vampires and lycans after witnessing the murder of her friend at the fangs of an immortal bloodsucker. On the other hand, the vampire barely sips her blood and dies. From that moment forward, she becomes wanted dead or alive. The vampires want her destroyed for the danger she is, the lycans want her as a weapon against all vampires.

Lycan Gannon Langon vows to protect her from both her enemies. But its in her arms that he finds innocence and fire, tentativeness and passion. As their desire ignites, the enemy implements a deadly plan.

Will Keara and Gannon survive to explore their new love together or will that love be destroyed?

SS: Interesting! How did the inspiration for this work come to you?

LF: Queen of the Ghost Drakon was inspired by a show on the Discovery Channel and my love of all things paranormal. The show was about blood disorders and my imagination produced the rest.

SS: Do you identify with the characters you write about?

LF: I try to create characters that everybody can identify with, not just myself. If the reader can’t identify with the character, then the story will not be successful. I try to make my characters believable. My heroines strong, my heroes alpha and still lovable. Without believable characters, I think the plot, no matter how interesting, doesn’t get conveyed properly.

SS: You’ve recently signed with a new publisher. Can you tell me about that?

LF: I signed with Eirelander Publishing for the first two stories from The Risen series. Queen of the Ghost Drakon will be followed by Frost at Dusk. Queen of the Ghost Drakon is set to release November 20, 2009 and Frost at Dusk on April 16, 2010.

SS: Congratulations! You’ve just sold your first, second, twentieth book. Tell me more!

LF: I just sold the third book in The Risen series, Tears Upon the Battle. It is Nico Smythe and Terra Bennington’s story. Nico is an Alliance warrior whose job it is to destroy enemy renegade vampires and lycans. Terra is a peace loving Lumerian demon and earth drakon hybrid. Nico is shocked and unsure on how to handle the fact that Terra is his intended or mate and vice versa. They can’t deny their physical need of one another but together they must overcome their differences if they plan on making their mating work.

SS: What do you love about your editor?

LF: My editor is amazing. She took the time to make me a better writer by pointing out my weak points and working with me to strengthen them. She also always makes sure to point out the strong points as well. Without her, there would be no Queen of the Ghost Drakon. I owe a great deal to her.

SS: What piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers that you wished someone told you when you started?

LF: Find a good critique partner or group who can be honest with you and about your work. Someone to tell you when you are on track and when you’ve left the tracks. My critique partner has been invaluable to me.

SS: What else would you like to share?

LF: Thanks for having me here today, Sandi.

SS: Thanks for the fascinating interview! If you would like to learn more about Liena, please visit the following links:

http://www.lienaferror.webs.com

http://www.lienaferror.blogspot.com

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

Interview with Laura Hogg!

November 4, 2009

Please join me in welcoming fellow Eirelander Publishing author to my blog.

SS: Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

LH: Hello, thanks for having me here. As a little girl I wrote poetry, as a teenager and in my twenties, it was songs. In college, I wrote novels then in my thirties tried for the first time to get published. After many rejections, I came across an editor who gave me the best advice yet: join a critique group. I’ve been a musician since I played the piano as a little girl, but around the time I entered high school, I had the goal of getting published someday as well as doing something with music.

SS: Do you have a “day” job? How do you balance both “worlds”?

LH: Yes, I work in a school. Well, my daughter is grown and out of the house. She’s a writer as well, and in college. My husband likes an online game, so when I write at night, he’s busy with his friends. I can peek over my shoulder and say hi to him any time.

SS: What genre do you like to write best in and why?

LH: Historical and paranormal. I love history and am constantly reading to learn more about it. And as for paranormal, that has a lot to do with my childhood. My mom was an interesting person and taught me a lot about the paranormal.

SS: How do you find ideas for your books?

LH: Sometimes I dream a story, wake up and write a synopsis then go from there. Other times one line from a song or story will trigger something. Occasionally, my ideas come from real life experience.

SS: Tell me a little about your new book.

LH: In my Western story Emma the Outlaw out with Eirelander Publishing, Emma is led to the hanging platform to be put to death. Her father was framed for a serious crime, and she does this to save him from execution.
She looks around and sees her husband on a horse, guns blazing. In a whirlwind rescue, she hops on the back of his horse, and they’re off. Racing for the hills, she realizes that they will spend the rest of their lives as outlaws, but doing good deeds.
They capture a wanted man and leave him at the doorstep of the sheriff’s office. The true villain approaches Emma but is killed before she can prove her innocence. The sheriff finds Emma and her husband and orders them at gunpoint to raise their hands. He says he’s going to take them in. Instead they offer him a deal: they will capture the bad guys behind the scenes and allow him to take all the credit. He agrees.
Emma and her husband walk away happily and plan their next adventure, how to capture the guy on the picture the sheriff handed them. Ahead for them lies a life of excitement and passionate love.

SS: How did the inspiration for this work come to you?

LH: Well, I live in Colorado, the West, of course. I’ve been exposed to Western living; though I live in the city. The Stock Show, for example, and rodeos are educational. To be honest though, I’m a rock and roller, but living here, one cannot go without appreciating such a wonderful Western culture. Colorado is a mountain state, very outdoorsy, and I’ve often visited the gorgeous mountain towns, which are filled with history…all the old mining towns. I’ve done a lot of research on Colorado history, and it’s filled with miners, Indians, pioneers, cowboys, trains, and everything you think of when you think “Western.”

But for my story Emma the Outlaw, I actually took a part out of a non-published Western romance novel I wrote, based in Colorado, and made it into its own story.

SS: You’ve recently signed with a new publisher. Can you tell me about that?

LH: I’ve worked with the owners before. They critiqued my work so thoroughly that my head was spinning. I learned a lot from them and just had to be a part of their company, so I submitted my work.

SS: You have several books in print/e-print. Is there a favorite among them? Why?

LH: Well, I like all my work for different reasons, but if I had to pick one, I suppose it’s my time travel novel Romeo vs. Juliet out with The Wild Rose Press. The hero is from Elizabethan England, and the heroine is a modern-day American. She chases her husband through different eras in history on a wild adventure. It was great to research the different time periods. Some of the time travel escapades came out quite funny, but my heroine has to face a darkness in herself that I haven’t written in other characters. The possibilities with time travel are wild indeed. It was so fun writing this book, and I took a couple of years and worked with many critique partners to write version after version of this book to get it right. I’m writing more in the series. I guess I was inspired by that show Highlander. The hero in that series lived through many eras in history, and the effects each time period had on him were interesting.

SS: You’ve just sold your first, second, twentieth book. Tell me more!

LH: Currently, I have three novels published, a novella, and a few short stories. I’m under contract with several publishers awaiting release of more of my work. My work is mostly historical, ranging from medieval to Vintage 1920s, but some modern-day as well. And I love the paranormal. I don’t write about vampires or werewolves, but different types of paranormal, more supernatural, and I touch upon sci-fi. My work ranges from sweet to spicy, short to full-length.

SS: What piece of advice do you have for aspiring writers that you wished someone told you when you started?

LH: Don’t let the rude, hurtful, insensitive people steer you away from improving your craft. Find better critique partners to deal with. Some people honestly forget the effect callous words have on newer writers. Listen to the good advice, even if strict, but find partners who can deliver it without crushing your dreams.

SS: Now for the fun stuff. What’s the most quirky name you’ve given a character and why?

LH: Probably Relief. It’s an old American name. My novel, The 12th Kiss, is set in the year 1820, and the name could be found then. Also, I liked the nickname derived from it: Leafy.

SS: Who was the most entertaining character you’ve written?

LH: Maybe Ambrose from Romeo vs. Juliet because his dialect is unusual. I studied 16th century dialect to write for him; however, he’s been all over time, and so a funny mixture of the eras pops out of his mouth. The combination of his experience living in different centuries, gives him a unique, quirky personality.

SS: What else would you like to share?

LH: Thanks for the interview. I appreciate your time.

I can be found at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/editpicture.php#/profile.php?id=626483435&ref=profile
And if anyone would like to be interviewed at my paranormal blog, which specializes in time travel fiction, please let me know. http://traveltheages.blogspot.com

emma the outlaw by laura hogg250Blurb: Emma looks down at the crowd from a hanging platform. Her father was framed, and she took the blame for the crime to save him from execution. Where is her beloved husband, Nate? She looks around and sees her husband on a horse, guns blazing. In a whirlwind rescue, she hops on the back of his horse, and they’re off, realizing that they will spend the rest of their lives as outlaws.

They capture a wanted man and leave him at the doorstep of the sheriff’s office. The sheriff finds Emma and Nate and makes an interesting deal with them: they will capture the bad guys behind the scenes and allow him to take all the credit…this in turn for not being run in. For this couple, ahead lies a life of excitement and passionate love.

To purchase Emma the Outlaw, please go to: http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/emmatheoutlaw.htm

Intervew with Gem Judson!

November 1, 2009

Join me in welcoming fellow Eirelander author Gemini Judson.

SS: Tell me a little about yourself.

GJ: I’m a forty-something mom in Minnesota, supplementing my income by writing. I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a writer, although ironically, it was my first choice when I was a little girl. My evil sister told me I couldn’t because I wasn’t a good reader (true – I wasn’t). I went down another path and became a biologist. I started writing a few years ago as sort of therapy. I still find it eases my mind and takes away the wrinkles. (Not literally—I wish!)

SS: What genre do you like to write best in and why?

GJ: I like to write contemporary romance, and seem to have a flare for the hot stuff. At present I’m staying within a comfort zone of stories about real people—primarily people I’d probably hang out with if I met them. Why? I’ll draw a parallel to art. I’m a painter and I paint realism—landscapes and portraits. To capture a totally believable scene or make a perfect likeness feels wonderful. When I create a character, I like to make them as real as possible and place them in a setting that the reader can relate to. Give them an “I’ve been there!” moment. For now that’s my goal.

SS: How do you find ideas for your books?

GJ: They’re everywhere! I’d say all my work so far has little snippets of me, and I might draw on an experience I’ve had. Then I turn that experience on its head and go wild. I often start with a title—I’ve been told that’s backwards. Hey, whatever works! Sometimes I’ll hear a name and a light bulb comes on. My next character begins to step out of the ethers. The challenge for me is giving that character a story to walk around in.

SS: Do you have a “day” job? How do you balance both “worlds”?

GJ: I do have a 9-5 gig, and it is very difficult to sneak in a few emails and some “author” stuff during the day. And of course the evenings are supper, 6th grade homework, feed the horse. . . I do most of my writing at 9:30 at night and beyond.

SS: How difficult is it for you to get into “writer’s mode”?

GJ: Very difficult. The unfolding of a story can be so painful, and it takes a long time to get to know the heroine and hero. I feel like I write and write, and things don’t really click until we’ve truly become “friends.” A fellow writer told me she hated every story she’d ever written until after about the first 20,000 words. I’m that way too. I need to get over a hump.

SS: Tell me a little about your new book.

GJ: I have two bursting on the scene, back to back. Animals, currently available from Loose Id, is an erotic suspense. This one is for the adventurous reader and begins with three friends abducted at gunpoint. Their captors are vile characters, intent on producing pornographic videos to sell on the Internet. When the friends escape and resume their normal lives, they find their animal passion is not so easily forgotten. The love story is woven throughout, when two of the friends finally admit their true feelings.

Ring Around the Sun is out in November from Eirelander Publishing. It is a wintery romp in the north woods of Minnesota. Teal Marin is escaping an abusive relationship and goes to hide out in her recently deceased brother’s cabin. A city girl, she’s clueless at cabin life, and Darren Kennedy arrives to warm her heart, heal her wounds, and keep her fire going. Unfortunately her ex-lover is not ready to let her go so easily.

SS: You’ve just sold your third book. Tell me more!

GJ: In Her Dreams. It is a prequel to Animals and will come out from Loose Id.

Animals features a despicable character named Red. In Her Dreams details more of his evil deeds before arriving in New Hampshire. Jasmine Bly is a recovering heroin addict, chilling out and getting her life together at a recovery lodge in the Adirondacks. She’s fallen in love with the lodge manager, Adam Vianetti, but feels she is a street rat and not good enough for him. Adam, on the other hand, has vowed not to interfere with her recovery and keeps a cool distance between them, even though he’s attracted to her as well. When Red abducts them and forces them together, their barriers come crashing down and the heat rises.

SS: If you could interview any of the characters in your books, which one would it be, and why? What shocking thing might that character say?

GJ: Well, like most romance writers, I give my heroes every yummy quality I like in a man. I’d like to spend some quality time with all of them. We don’t even need to talk!

There’s Darren Kennedy (Ring Around the Sun), tall, dark and kind. I could pretend I don’t know how to build a fire. He’d show me. Conrad Manzey (Animals), the blonde powerhouse. He could talk about fish while I gaze into his baby blues. And Adam Vianetti (In Her Dreams), my Italian weight lifter. I’d just watch him flex his muscles.

Ring Around the Sun2ndBlurb for Ring Around the Sun

A ring around the sun foretells new beginnings. That’s exactly what Teal Marin needs. When she inherits a cabin in the woods of northern Minnesota, she sees an opportunity to escape her physically abusive lover and disappear. From the moment she steps off the bus, she realizes it won’t be easy—these weren’t the streets of Chicago.

As she battles against a new wintery enemy, a tall dark stranger emerges from the darkness. Darren Kennedy is a sports writer, nursing an old football injury and a broken heart in his cabin in the woods. He plucks Teal out the snow and teaches her the basics of cabin life. Together they ignite an unexpected passion that keeps them toasty warm.

Now Teal bathes in snowy, frigid sunshine with her new hero. Did she make a clean break? Not at all. Her former abuser wants his beautiful girl home.

SS: Thanks for being here today! If you’d like to learn more about Gem, please click on the following links:

Ring Around the Sun. November 20, 2009 from http://www.Eirelander-Publishing.com
Animals. Currently available from http://www.Loose-Id.com
In Her Dreams. Coming soon from http://www.Loose-Id.com!
Website: http://www.gemjudson.com
Contact: gemini@gemjudson.com

Happy Halloween

November 1, 2009

42-15584316Hope you’re all having an awesome day! Here, it’s blustery and cold–the perfect day for haunting and mayhem.

If you’re not, then just cuddle up indoors and gorge on sweets.

And if you’re looking for something to read, may I recommend my ghost story The Haunting of Amelia Pritchart? TheHauntingOfAmeliaPritchart_w3520_300Available now from The Wild Rose Press. Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/the-haunting-of-amelia-pritchart-p-3684.html

HTR052Be safe when you’re out tonight. There are ghosties and ghoulies on the prowl!