Why limit yourself to one genre when you can have double the fun writing in a variety of genres? Hard to do, you say? Too confusing, you say? Needs endless research, you say? Not necessarily. One way to enhance your expertise in writing across genres is to read across genres until they feel natural and familiar enough to attempt these genres yourself as a writer.

Consider the ways in which you could take your hero/heroine and put him/her squarely in a heartwarming romance as she goes through the story Arch, the Black Moment, and the Happily Ever After. Or take the same protagonist and dump her in the midst of a heart-thumping mystery where she finds herself holding an ornate metal metal-opener covered in blood. Where did it come from?

Or do you fancy a paranormal? Here your main character has had a glimpse of a previous life, and he must find the portal by which he can enter it. You get the idea.

Although I started out writing and publishing short mysteries, I transitioned into the romance genre because of its scope for character development, layers of motivation, and its intrinsic belief in adage that sincerity and love conquer all.

Whether sweet traditional or sensual, there’s an unbreakable rule – the hero and heroine must be the focus of the story, which means that the players have to be selected carefully; they need to both complement and contrast with each other. The contrast must be strong enough to act as a catalyst for conflict, yet the characters must be similar enough in their personalities to be drawn to each other despite their differences.

Some authors create character charts to list similar and contrasting traits. Others use different methods to tackle this. For my two contemporary romance novels, His Harbor Girl and Maid to Order, I wrote pages and pages of character descriptions ad interactions, with colored ink tracing the different threads of interaction between the hero and heroine. In His Harbor Girl, the heroine, Leanna, a tourist guide for a pristine island untouched by technology, must confront, in more ways than one, the wolf scientist, who arrives at the island, ostensibly to study wolves. But since both have a history together, and have met in college a few years before, Bryce’s sudden appearance is suspect, especially since Leanna left without any explanation. Yet they’d had a strong attraction for one another, and it was still simmering beneath the surface.

In Maid to Order, an heiress wants none of her parents’ money and so takes up a job as a housekeeper/cook at the hero’s house, to underwrite her training at a culinary institute. He’s wary of women who chased him for his money and she is posing as a housekeeper. Could the two ever find common ground given this state of deception?

There’s nothing like mysteries to create scenarios that tantalize the mind, and anthologies are a great venue for placing your mysteries if that’s your poison, pardon the pun. Short Attention Span Mysteries, Wrong Side of the Law, Orchard Press Mysteries, and Detective Mystery Stories, are some of the collections that featured several of mine. Or if you prefer electronic publications, Untreed Reads is one to try. Two of my mysteries, “If Looks Could Kill” and “False Alarm” were ones that recently appeared in this publication. Think Miss Marple, Columbo, Perry Mason, and Midsomer Murders all rolled into one, with a special slant of your own.

The horror genre is all the rage now, so why not try to write one? The most common, everyday elements can create a sense of dread. Think of a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky, a bubbling stream nearby, children playing with paper boats, and yet… Again here anthologies abound. One that offers a variety of themes is Daily Bites of Flesh from Pill Hill Press. Here’s an excerpt from “Circe Rising”

“The dirge-like singing around me grew to a groaning, grunting crescendo as the mudmen performed their terrorizing dance in rhythm around me – Richard Czorky, erstwhile anthropologist. Bedecked in their grass skirts, feathers, and multi-colored tunics, they performed their ground-thumping maneuvers.

Their masks decorated with ash and red paint, the Asaro Mudmen of Madang in the Melanesian islands, where I had come to work among the native peoples, now surrounded me with sinister intent. These were the very people who had once feted me with garlands and song.

What changed their adulation to anger and hatred you ask? Stay with me and I will tell you a story – if you dare to listen.

Then suddenly, the singing stopped. The oldest tribesman, a gnarled, toothless crone, said in Simbali, their native dialect, “You have broken our laws.” Daily Bites of Flesh

In “The Curse of Nilofer” I indulged in a bit of ancient Egyptian necromancy, when an archaeologist goes in search of a sarcophagus and finds the seeds of an ancient plant that, unknown to him, exudes poison. Here’s an excerpt, “Miles’s fascination with the plant grew more intense. He rummaged among his notes to look for the pictographs of the hieroglyphics he had drawn so carefully.

The pictures told him more of what he wanted to know. He had missed it before in his hurry to race against the soaring temperature in the tomb.

Nilofer was depicted as trying poison the pharaoh Smenkare with the help of her lover, using the insidious plant – and she had nearly succeeded until the Pharaoh discovered the plot and banished her into the desert – and certain death. The seeds had been placed in her hand as a testimony to her treason against the Pharaoh.

Miles blinked as he threw the pictographs back into the pile and dragged himself back to the sofa. What evil had compelled Nilofer to orchestrate her doomed plot?

He hoisted himself up and took the potted plant into the kitchen and pulled it out, shook it free of the sod and dumped it into the trash compacter.

That done, he lay on the living room sofa. The overpowering fragrance now penetrated the entire house. He took out his cell phone and dialed Elaine. He left a message, ‘Elaine, come as soon as possible.’”  Zombies/Ghosts and Vampires Anthology.

Paranormals offer a fund of possibilities. What if the hero had a glimpse of something briefly and wanted to return to it, whether it’s somebody he falls in love with or an unusual setting? In my story, “Perdita, the Lost One,” which appeared in an anthology called Time Intertwined, the statue of an ancestor of hers, whom she is obsessed with, provides the portal through which she transports herself into a previous life. When the statue is moved a panel moves behind it in the room.

Go on, try to see how many genres you can craft a story in. It’s fun – really.

Blurb HIS HARBOR GIRL

Hurt that Bryce Robertson, the man she loved, could not make a commitment to their relationship, Leanna Reed attempts to take control of her life by opening a gift shop in Pelican Harbor, Michigan, a sanctuary that will provide healing and a place to raise her daughter.

But after an absence of five years, Bryce comes to the neighboring island to study wolves,

Bryce finds more than his lost love. Who is the little girl rapidly stealing his heart? Meanwhile, Leanna has her own angst. Can she keep Bryce from finding out about their child until she’s ready to tell him in her own way?

Excerpt

Bryce patted the pocket of his blue fleece jacket. “I have a cell phone. And thanks, if we need anything, we’ll call.”

He walked out of the office and saw a burly older man sporting a white beard approach him.

“Good afternoon, I’m Chester Reed. You folks need to be taken to the island?”

Bryce nodded and extended his hand. “Bryce Robertson.”

Chester grinned and shook his hand. “Got a lot of luggage, I see.” He helped them load the small blue and white steamboat that stood anchored alongside the dock.

“No vehicles allowed on the island.”

“We don’t need any.”

Chester cast off and steered the ferry slowly away from the shore.

“Always glad to meet a friend of Lea’s.”

“Pardon?” Bryce wasn’t sure what to make of Chester’s comment.

“Lea says she knew you in college.”

“Ah…yes. And I’m glad to meet you. Are you her father?”

Chester nodded but kept his eyes on the course as the shoreline shrank in the distance. “Yessir, she’s always busy with the store. It’s good for her. That and her daughter.”

Bryce jerked his head toward Chester, surprised to hear that Leanna had a daughter. She hadn’t mentioned that, and it could have been why she had left without a word. He was sure if this were his child, Leanna would have told him. A thought crept into his mind. Maybe, she didn’t tell him because the father was someone from their college days. No, couldn’t be, because he knew all of them. Well, then she’d met somebody here in Pelican Harbor. A dull feeling overcame him. He knew why and didn’t want to give it a name. He’d been smacked by the monster called jealousy before, but never like this.

Bryce pushed away his thoughts for now and glanced at Chester, whose grasp tightened on the thick steering wheel. He composed himself and said, “Her daughter?”

“Yuh, Leanna’s crazy about that kid.” Chester gave the boat’s steering wheel a gradual turn.

Rekha Ambardar has over one hundred short stories, articles, and essays published in print and electronic magazines, including The Writer’s Journal, ByLine, The Indian Express, Writing World.com, Her mysteries have appeared in Shots in the Dark and other mystery anthologies.

She is a regular contributor to The World and I Online where she writes articles on current topics.

Rekha has been writing as long as she can remember, but took it seriously about five years ago when she realized she’d better do something about it instead of just day-dreaming. She believes the reason she started scribbling is because she always loved reading, both fiction (classics and moderns), and non-fiction (biblical archaeology of the ancient Middle East, history and biography).

She’s working on another short contemporary novel, set in North Wisconsin, and likes the idea of the sensible heroine who takes no nonsense and goes for what she wants, make no mistake. The hero also, she says, has undergone a sea change in concept in recent years, which makes for a merry jaunt for the author who wishes to write in this sub genre.

She hopes to write mystery and adventure books along the lines of H. Rider Haggard. Several of her short stories (mystery, romance, mainstream and literary) have been published in print and e-mags. Her articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Journal and ByLine.

She teaches at the International School of Business at Finlandia University in the scenic Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Contact Email: rekha_ambardar@yahoo.com

Website: Visit Rekha’s Web site at http://rekha.mmebj.com.

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I’ve always had empathy for the Nez Perce Indians who summered and wintered in the valley where I grew up. They of course weren’t living there while I lived there. They’d been placed on reservations in Idaho and Washington long before I was born.

Growing up in Wallowa (Winding Waters) Valley I heard the legend of the antlered monster in Wallowa Lake and drove through the canyon where the Lake Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) wintered. I even set foot on Dug Bar where they crossed the Snake River when traveling to Camas Prairie in Idaho where they harvested camas bulbs a main staple in their diet and held horse races.

But I never saw a Nez Perce Indian.

They fed and helped Lewis and Clark when they were in need of supplies and directions, they welcomed the missionaries when they came to “save the savages”, and they tried to live peaceably with the whites who gradually encroached on their territories.

But the treaty of 1868 that took away the Lake Nimiipuu’s winter and summer homes and that of four other bands of Nez Perce was the awl that split the Nimiipuu in two entities, the treaty or reservation Nez Perce who signed the treaty and moved to Lapwai Reservation and the non-treaty who refused to sign the treaty and leave their homes.

The non-treaty Nimiipuu continued to live as usual tolerating and getting along with the whites who grew in number each year. Finally, in 1877 the General Howard was sent to force the non-treaty Nimiipuu onto the reservation.  The chiefs continued to parlay with the general hoping to remain on their homeland but when three young Nez Perce warriors killed a white man in retaliation for a relative who was killed, the army refused to listen and the non-treaty Nimiipuu fled to what they thought would be freedom with a Sioux Chief in Canada.

The 1400 mile chase had three times as many casualties on the army who outnumbered the Nez Perce warriors four to one. The New Perce used evasive maneuvers to allow their women and children to continue traveling away from the army. Chief Joseph of the Lake Nimiipuu has been touted as the brilliant military strategist when in fact it was his brother Ollokot who had the military prowess. Joseph worked always to keep the women and children safe and to preserve his people.

Many know the story how the Army finally wore down the Nimiipuu and they surrendered. But they were told they could return home and instead were transferred to reservations thousands of miles from their homes in an attempt by the government to make an example of the Nez Perce. And after eight years when Joseph and the one hundred survivors of the nearly 600 who started the exodus to freedom were finally sent back home they weren’t allowed on the Lapwai reservation because the “reservation” Nimiipuu didn’t want to be associated with the non-treaty Nimiipuu.

This is a sad story that I’ve chronicled in the third book of my historical paranormal romance, Spirit of the Sky. The trilogy is based on three sibling Nez Perce Spirits who were placed by the Creator to watch over the Lake Nimiipuu. The first book is a look at life before the white man came, the second book is about encounters with the white men, and the third book follows the Nimiipuu on their race for freedom.

Blurb for Spirit of the Sky

To save her from oppression, he must save her whole tribe. To give her his heart, he must desert his career…

When the US Army forces the Nimiipuu from their land, Sa-qan, the eagle spirit entrusted with watching over her tribe, steps in to save her mortal niece. Challenging the restrictions of the spirit world, Sa-qan assumes human form and finds an unexpected ally in a handsome cavalry officer.

Certain she is a captive, Lt. Wade Watts, a Civil War veteran, tries to help the blonde woman he finds sheltering a Nez Perce child. While her intelligent eyes reveal she understands his language, she refuses his help. But when Wade is wounded, it is the beautiful Sa-qan who tends him. Wade wishes to stop the killing—Sa-qan will do anything to save her people.

Can their differences save her tribe? Or will their love spell the end of the Nimiipuu?

Excerpt

She smiled and his heart leapt into his throat. He thought her beautiful from the first moment he saw her standing in the river fiercely protecting the child, but watching her tense face relax and smile, he was smitten. A light and pleasing calm washed over him for the first time in a very long time. He could only bask in the moment briefly. They were enemies.

“I am from the sky, and I watch over the Nimiipuu.” She nodded her head and flashed him with yet another smile. “You may call me Angel.”

“Only if you call me Wade.”

She nodded. “Let me check your wounds. You have moved around.”

“Why are you taking such good care of me when your warriors left me for dead?”

Her sunshine gaze peered straight into his eyes. “You saved my niece at the village and the wounded from the Bannock scout. You do not have the thirst to kill like the other soldiers.” She bowed her head and removed the blood encrusted bandage from his shoulder. “The Nimiipuu need you.”

Her touch warmed his body, tingling the areas around his wounds. He glanced at her small, delicate hands hovering over his injuries. He shut his eyes, and then opened them. Her hands shimmered as if in a fog. His pain subsided, in fact, his body felt well rested.

A soft lyrical chant rose from her lips as she continued to hover her hands over his wounds. Her eyes remained closed, her light lashes resting on her sun-kissed cheeks. He’d never seen a woman as beautiful as this. He had to learn her true origins and return her to her family.

Paty Jager Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently ranch 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

She is a member of RWA, EPIC , and COWG. She’s had eleven books and a short story published so far and is venturing into the new world of self-publishing ebooks. 

Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance and Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1^st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest. Spirit of the Lake was a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence.

Contact Email: patyjag@gmail.com

Website:  www.patyjager.net

Blog: www.patyjager.blogspot.com

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Buy Link:

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Blog Tour Contest! Each blog stop has a picture of an eagle in the post. Follow the tour and send me the number of different pictures you saw while following the tour. To learn where I’ll be go to my blog(http://www.patyjager.blogpsot.com) or website(http://www.patyjager.net) If there is more than one correct entry I’ll draw a winner on May 21^st  to receive a $25 gift certificate to either Barnes and Nobles or Amazon, a handmade custom ereader cover, and chocolate. Send your entry number to: patyjag@gmail.com by May 21^st.

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The tradition of wishing on shooting stars is unknown, but according to WiseGeek it is “undoubtedly linked to their beauty and relative rarity” and quite possibly “humanity’s eternal fascination with the Heavens”. In truth, shooting stars aren’t even stars at all. They are actually meteroids burning up in the atmosphere as they fall to Earth. The definition on StarChild says the short-lived trail of light the burning meteoroid produces is called a meteor. It is those meteors that we call shooting or falling stars.

The idea for “Falling Star” came to me when I was finishing up my first book, “Shooting Stars”. I didn’t see what was coming until I typed the last words and realized these three had a lot more in store for me.

Willa Brock believes very strongly about wishing on stars. Shooting stars in particular. She even incorporated them into her tramp stamp. J In Falling Star, you learn more about why shooting stars mean so much to her and how her belief in them has rubbed off on those she loves.

I remember saying the poem at the beginning of this post almost every time we had a clear sky growing up. Although, I don’t remember if the wishes came true or not. I’d like to think that they did. No doubt I will continue to believe as Willa does that wishing on a shooting star is good luck and I’ll continue to search the skies for those rare beauties.

Have you ever wished upon a shooting star?

Or any star for that matter?

Did your wish come true? 

 Blurb

Falling Star

Willa Brock possesses everything a woman could hope for – great friends, a rewarding career and a loving husband – until her world begins to crumble. Almost overnight, she doubts her abilities as a doctor and must battle some inner demons she thought she’d laid to rest.

Although head over heels for his wife, Schyler still harbors a desire to be with men. When Willa confesses an attraction to the hot male nurse, Keenan, Schy goes out of his way to befriend him, hoping to satisfy his desires and ignite new ones with his wife. But he may not be able to convince Willa that loving Keenan won’t change how he feels about her.

Playing the role of odd-man out, Keenan needs to carve a place for himself with the two people he wants most; otherwise, he risks losing everything.

Just when it seems like the sky is falling they must close their eyes and wish upon a star…and embrace the possibility that combining three hearts will strengthen the love each holds for the other…

Excerpt

Chapter 1

The snick of the bolt sliding into place echoed though the locker room as Willa scrambled to finish pulling on her T-shirt. Not now. I need to be alone. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She needed to forget what happened–at least for a few moments.

“Where are you headed?” a masculine voice said.

She didn’t have to look to see who it was: Kee. His voice had haunted her dreams for the past two months. And tormented her waking moments as well. He and her husband, Schy, had become almost inseparable since Kee discovered her deep dark secret: Her tramp stamp.

In the last couple of weeks, they’d both started hinting that they wanted all three of them to be more than just friends. She’d been warming up to the idea. Until her run-in with Brian, her ex-fiancé. The things he’d revealed splashed cold water on the idea with the force of a waterfall.

“Did you know that Schy was involved with a man before he met you?” He’d asked her and she’d told him that she was fully aware of it, but she’d not been prepared for what he’d asked her next. “But, did he tell you he wasn’t the one to break it off?”

She shook her head to rid it of that information. Now was not the time to examine it and what it might mean. Especially with Kee standing behind her, watching her every move. “Out of here,” she said, the words coming out more terse than she meant.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

Willa finally looked around her locker door. He stood leaning against the wall near the door. His long muscled legs crossed at the ankles, his arms crossed over his chest like he didn’t have a care in the world. “I don’t think so, Kee. I need to be alone.” She pulled her purse out of the locker and shut it with a resounding bang.

Kee watched her as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

“The last thing you need is to be alone, Willa. I’m going to stick to you like glue until you get home to Schy.” He moved to stand in front of the door.

Willa’s head snapped up at the tone in his voice. “I don’t need a babysitter. I can make it home all by myself. Now move out of my way. I’m not in the mood for this shit.”

He straightened to his full six foot height. He would tower over her by a good five inches taller than her when she stood beside him. “No.”

“Okay, I’ll just call security then and let them come in here and they can escort you out.” She reached into her pocket for her cell phone.

“Schy was right. You shouldn’t be alone.”

Her fingers froze on the keypad. She looked up at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Kee dropped his arms to his sides and moved forward, not stopping until mere inches separated them. “It means exactly what it sounds like. I called Schy after you refused to let me go with you to talk to that kid’s parents. You’ve been acting like a robot since you had to call it in the operating room, Willa. It’s not like you to bottle everything up.”

“You don’t know anything about me, Keenan. You don’t know if I ‘bottle things up’ at times or not. Now just leave me the hell alone and let me go.” She stared into his eyes. They’d gone from their normal sparkling green like sun dappled leaves to a deep emerald green. She hated that she knew already that they always seemed to do that when his emotions about something were strong.

They were that color a lot whenever he was around her or Schy.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Schy gave me strict instructions not to let you leave here, alone.” He gazed deep into her eyes before adding, “By any means necessary.”

Willa felt something snap inside. Schy and Kee were both acting like she belonged to them. Oh, they didn’t realize that she saw the way they stared down every guy that looked at her whenever they went out somewhere. Or the way they always seemed to flank her as they walked through a crowded area. This was the last straw though. She could ignore the subtle stuff, but demanding that she not leave somewhere without one of them was bullshit.

She’d had enough.

She narrowed her eyes on him. “I don’t care what the hell my husband said. I’m sick and tired of the two of you acting like I’m some sort of possession that you can pass back and forth. Neither one of you has the right to tell me when I can and can’t be alone.” She pushed past him, her arm brushing against his as she went. A jolt of awareness shot through her.

She pushed the feeling away. She was married. She couldn’t have feelings like that for another man.

Only for her husband.

She’d just reached the door when she felt Kee’s hand grab hold of one of her shoulders. He turned her around.

His eyes were intense, stormy and wild. He clenched his jaw as though trying to contain the emotion she saw swirling in their depths, an emotion she’d rather not contemplate at the moment. “Is that what you believe we think of you as, Willa? A possession?”

“Isn’t that what I just said? I don’t think I stuttered.” She tried to pull free of his grip, but only succeeded in making him tighten it.

“That is so not how either of us sees you,” he said, his voice thick and husky as though he was trying to hold back what he was feeling, but not quite succeeding.

“Really? Then tell me how it is that you see me, because from where I’m standing that’s what it looks like.”

“We see a woman who’s intelligent, vibrant, commanding, and sexy as hell. And we both just want the chance to hold onto you, even if only for a moment.”

Willa tried again to pull free. “That’s all good and fine, Kee, but have you forgotten that I’m married to Schy. You shouldn’t be thinking about holding me. Ever.”

Shay MacLean is a multi-published author of Erotic Romance. Shay is a proud member of Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of several special interest chapters, Passionate Ink (of which she currently holds the position of Workshop Coordinator), RWA Online , Hearts Through History and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal. Shay is also a member of Savvy Authors and Romance Divas. When Shay isn’t immersed in her writing projects she enjoys photography, graphic/web design in addition to spending time with her wonderful husband and four amazing children.

Contact Email: shay@shaymaclean.com

Website: www.shaymaclean.com

Blog: www.scorchedsheets.blogspot.com

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Last summer, my husband and I had a pesky little groundhog invading our vegetable garden. Actually, he was not such a little critter; he was pretty fat and I don’t think he needed to eat our tomatoes. Now, I love animals, don’t get me wrong, but I love my tomatoes and other veggies more. But, I did have to give our furry friend some credit because he had been persistent and didn’t seem to want to give up.

We have two 8 x 8 raised garden beds and my husband did a great job of setting this garden up and putting wire fencing on the ground underneath the garden beds; he also put 3’ high rabbit fencing all around the garden. We’ve had this garden for three years now and haven’t had much trouble with animals until last summer. The year before last, the groundhog was around, but he wasn’t so brazen. 

During the last two weeks of summer, the groundhog had been coming around and nibbling on some tomatoes that had overgrown the fencing. Yes, we did have to do some reorganizing and plant the Juliet and Grape tomatoes further from the fencing. So, I do understand how our friend came along to eat some tomatoes growing through the fence.  One memory of our furry friend sticks out in my mind. One day while I was finishing up on work, my husband called me into the kitchen as he looked out the window and we saw the groundhog literally sitting like a king on top of the wooden gate posts, leaning on the tomato cages eating as if he owned the place. Of course, I charged out on to our deck, with my husband chuckling in the kitchen, as I tried to scare the groundhog away. As he’d done before, he made his way around the other side of the garden and hid there in front of his hole under the fence of the property line, as if he thought I didn’t see him. Yes, I yelled at him again to get away. By the way, we live in a townhouse community and by then after these escapades with me coming out to scare our friendly critter away, the neighbors probably think I’m crazy. Maybe that’s why my husband wasn’t coming out; either that or I was providing entertainment for him.

Anyway, the groundhog dutifully scampered into his hole under the fence until the next day when he brazenly came back to our garden to feast. Thinking about this groundhog has made me realize that as authors, we need to be just as tenacious and consistent in our search to reach our goals in writing great stories and marketing our work. Even if we have editors getting back to us saying our work is not good enough, we need to take the good with the bad and keep going. Of course, if their criticisms are legitimate, we should heed them and make corrections. We need to be tenacious like the groundhog and never give up until we reach our goals and find the publishers we are looking for.

When it comes to marketing, we must keep working at it even when it seems like we are the only author, drowning in a sea of other authors and don’t feel like our efforts are making a difference. If we give up, then we won’t be making a difference in our success.  However, every step we take in the right direction, even if it’s only baby steps in writing and marketing, is going to make a difference. Whenever we feel like giving up, let’s remember my furry friend, Mr. Groundhog, and keep hanging on. Success is just around the corner. 

Blurb for Bella Lucia:

After being married for six years, Gwen and Lucas DeStefano are dealing with the pain of a childless marriage and trying to trust God for their future.  On a weekend getaway to the Poconos, they attempt to relax and renew their marriage, but witness an event that turns their lives upside down.  They see a body dump in the woods while they are on a hike and their lives become entangled in a web of suspense and God’s ultimate blessing in the form of a little baby girl, named Bella Lucia. Will Gwen learn to trust God with childlike faith and wholeheartedly accept His plan?

Purchase Link for Bella Lucia

Joanne Troppello is an author of romantic suspense novels.  She has published three books: Shadowed Remembrances, Mr. Shipley’s Governess and Bella Lucia. Currently, she is working on her new writing project, The Paradise Redeemed Series. Joanne is married and loves spending time with her husband and family. She enjoys interacting with readers at The Mustard Seed Blog.

Contact Email:  thetroppellos@yahoo.com

Website:  www.joannetroppello.weebly.com

Blog: http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/blog.html

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  Welcome back Reid…You are always fun to have here at KP

  Great to be back with you Mary! Thanks for the re-invite and howdy to all your great followers here at

You are a rancher – with more than one ranch! And now you have taken on a sixteen book fiction series and a smaller, but daunting, three book non-fiction series. How do you find the time?

Time? Sleep? How do you spell those words? Are they in the dictionary? This author thing is like taking on a second full-time career and job. Time, energy, and focus are needed to run and operate the ranches, particularly when spread out over long distances and in the current economic climate.  Fortunately I love that business too, and if affords me the unique ability to intertwine my passions and love of the land with a vocation. Ironically, it also gives me great fodder for writing backdrop, scenes, and of places in which the action of the novels transpire.

I have found additional purpose and energy (not that I have ever lacked either) in writing – a long held goal. Love it! And, though the Land for Love and Money non-fiction volumes, and Threads West series are wholly separate categories, they, and the ranching, all flow from and generate the same power. They are all of the land, which is my home and the root of my energy. And, the land is the stage upon which me, all of us, and the characters who live in the pages of my novels line dance in our fleeting moment of existence, to then be replaced by the shoulder taps of successive generations.

Wonderfully put.

You mentioned, writing was a long held goal of yours. How did your wish to pen these stories arise?

Many is the night I would huddle under the blankets at the age of 6 or so until my early teens – when I no longer had to hide my odd-hour insatiable reading habit – dim light of the flashlight I had snatched from the kitchen tool bagfading and flickering as morning approached. I eagerly turned pages of the books, once in a while poking my head out to study the approaching light from the East, filled with youthful resentment that my reading time was coming to an end for another night. It was that time, around the age of nine, in fact, that I vowed to myself that, I, too would write novels, spin stories, furrow the brows of readers with empathy for the characters, and transport them into the arc of the tale. It just might be where I picked up my night owl habits, too!

The Threads West, An American Saga series has been “incubating” in my mind for thirty years. A convergence of events, not the least of which is my belief in those troubled times that the touchstone of American’s history, and the courage and passion of her people is our true guide post to the future.

I too huddled under the blankets at an early age to read…which lead me to writing at night since the voices wouldn’t shut up.

Which authors did you most like? Did they influence you? Did they play a role in your selection of genre?

I have been influenced by many great authors. Crane and Hemingway, whose detailed descriptions of scenes and circumstances have always enthralled me. Leon Uris, whose brilliant schemes of converging life threads has had a major effect on the presentation in my novels, the gritty west of McMurtry, and Max McCoy’s dazzling dedication to historical context.

You could say the genres of Romance, Historical Fiction, and Western chose me, and I chose them. A mutual love affair, no pun intended. I muse at times about this tremendous gift these men have given me without ever knowing it. I wonder if—should I be so lucky as to enjoy even a modicum of their great and well deserved success—if readers of Threads West will read these books and make promises to themselves about writing their own novels. I surely hope that kind of energy springs from my work. And so, threads will once again converge. There is a symmetry to it all that appeals to me. Writers inspire each other. No doubt about it!

What fuels that creative flow? Do you have a favorite reading — writing snack?

Oxygen is the basic! But, elk, chocolate, and coffee are the primary food groups in my opinion. Everything else is a derivative. I would hasten to add that “chocolate” is relegated to that fine dark European chocolate, or my favorite, which are Nestle’s semi sweet morsels. I am staring at an oversized yellow bag of them as I write this, occasionally slurping down sweet tidbits between paragraphs (and sippin’ on the day’s twentieth cup of java). It’s a fine day indeed when the local grocery store has bags of semi-sweets on sale.

I think chocolate is a food staple…at least for me…lol

With ranches to run, and so many books on your plate over the coming years, how do you organize your writing? What is your “system”?

Every author has their own system. Some use detailed outlines. There is now organizational and editing software. Others use story boards – some very elaborate. I don’t write detailed outlines nor do I use story boards. I have been writing these books in my head for decades. My outline for a book is one single page, the titles of the chapters listed on the left, and editing status on the right.  The characters tell me their stories. Like the simple scribe I am, I merely write them. They rely on me only to portray the setting, to create the stage of mood that flows from and embodies the scene.  I follow their dictates in the twists and turns of the story line which remains always true to the basic center of the yarn, but will absolutely deviate in sexy, delightful, frightful, and deliciously unanticipated ways, just as life does.

Characters, of course, are key ingredients to any tale, of any genre, whether true, half true, or pure fiction. When one is writing historical fiction, the characters must be true to their time. It’s almost as if the writer needs to step into a portal and catapult themselves backwards through the years. The characters must be authentic, and in my humble opinion, their inner and external conflicts, ambitions, passions and interactions, have to engender every possible emotion – whether beads of perspiration and quivers from a hot, steamy scene, or tears over a tragic event.

As for the rest of my “system”, I am laughing. Truth be known, I dictate because I can’t type. Actually I can type about 100 words per minute. Unfortunately, that includes ten typos (at least) per line. I am also not a big fan of spell check. It is the big paw, little keyboard syndrome. Also, I spend so much time traveling between ranches, or in locations without power that recording thoughts for later use became a necessity in my teens. The prehistoric full-size cassette recorders of the 70s were quite something. Good ones were the size of small briefcase.  Then along came the micro-cassette recorders.  If I was in heaven then, the current digital technology is pure nirvana.

In the “old” days—up to two years ago, I would dictate and give the tapes to my staff to transcribe. With the voice recognition systems this step is eliminated.  I dictate, the software types (what a pleasure!) I print the hard copy, fax the first edits to them shortly after, and poof! —we have a draft! I think this system works well for me because I am so used to “writing and composing” via speech over almost forty years. I can express myself in a stream of consciousness, almost like real conversation. Other than edits, and perhaps twenty pages of the book, Threads West was entirely written using this system. The entirety of Maps of Fate was written using voice recognition. Matter of fact, significant portions of both books were written while guiding the one-ton truck through the beautiful wild and remote stretches of the West that lie between our ranches! I must admit to occasional breaks in the machine scribed drafts that exclaimed, “Oh, damn, was that a cop?” or “Hey, how about using a blinker, you moron!”

You are tooooooo funny. I’m a pantster…I write by the seat of my pants…but I usually have the characters telling me what to write.

Tell us about the characters in Maps of Fate. There are a number of very different personalities that enter the story.

Maps of Fate not only reacquaints readers with the characters from Europe and American they met and apparently have come to love and follow, but introduces new characters – a cruel, tortured renegade, his innocent, traumatized, not yet a woman captive, a brash young warrior, his strong beautiful wife and their friends in a tribe of the Oglala Sioux, and an older black couple – slaves – courageous, but fearful, grabbing the brass ring of history and setting the sails of their lives for freedom.

I try hard to write from the perspective of each character. We are all shades of gray. Universal energies affect and are felt by everyone. In the worst of us there is a redeeming quality. In the best of us there is a dark facet. But, we are all Americans and it is together as a people that this country was built. It is the threads of disparate lives from uncommon social origins, locations, and backgrounds that made this nation great. Hence the name of the series.

I’m delighted to report – and a HUGE thank you to our readers, that Maps of Fate was a #1 best seller in a number of categories and genres (Western, Western Romance, Historical Fiction, Women of the West, Historical Romance, etc.) within hours of its release on April 17^th. Threads West rose back into best seller positions, too! Maps has done very well, and maintained best seller status in many of those categories – which obviously fluctuate. As I write this we are embarking on special Mother’s Day Special – marking down both the Kindle and Nook e-books from $9.99 to $3.99 for Threads West and $4.99 for  Maps of Fate – but only until after Mother’s Day! Our iPad books are available, too!

I and the publishers were approached months back by the American Veterans Co-Op Foundation, parent of many Vet Organizations. They asked if I would help with fundraising, honored me with an invite to be part of their annual Veteran’s Day Telethon, and asked if we would donate a portion of book sales to their Organizations, which create housing, jobs and start-up costs for Vets and new Veteran-owned businesses. It took one nano second for me to say YES!

Our Veterans are the firewall between us, and in the current turbulent times, all else on the planet. They are the guardians of our safety, the protectors our freedom, and the defenders of the American spirit. I’m delighted to have been asked to assist. We did one event several weeks ago. I’m looking forward to special events we have jointly planned with this great outfit over Memorial Day, and being part of their National Telethon on Veteran’s Day, November 11^th, this year.

This is a wonderful thing to do Reid. Congratulations with your many endeavors and I’m sure your books will sky rocket to the top, as these have.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to blog here again, Mary. I hope you and your readers have snagged a grin or two! I will look forward to our next get together!

You bet you will be back…for each book you write…lol It was great to see what all you are into and up to these days.

For those you haven’t read Reid’s books, he has donated two of each title to give away to four lucky commenters. So leave a comment and you might receive a print copy of Threads West or Maps of Fate.

Excerpt

From Chapter-Prophecy

She felt the fire in the smooth caress of his fingertips as they traced across her breast, lingered on her erect and pulsing nipple, then continued down her hips and came to rest lightly, longingly on the concave valley of smooth belly between her hips. The smell of him, and of them, mingled with the fragrance of sun-baked sage.

Her heart pounded, a strange tingling heat permeated her loins, and she could feel the blush in her face. This was a feeling she’d never known, could never imagine, could barely absorb on so many levels. She swept a soft palm over the cords of muscle in his arm. She was consumed by a desperate wanting, a deep primal need which overrode her butterfly fear of the unknown. She gasped, her hips writhing involuntarily as he lowered himself gently onto her. A momentary stab of pain and then overwhelming pleasure mixed cum laude and enveloped her being as he slowly, carefully, began to sink into her.

She groaned, a muffled cry equally grounded in passion, trepidation, and longing. He stopped, tenderly brushed a calloused thumb slowly across her forehead and down her cheek and looked deep into her eyes, “Am I hurting you?”

She felt tears well in the corners of her eyes, bit her lip and shook her head, her full answer to him in the ever-tighter wrap of her arms around his shoulders, the increasing bend of her knees, and the firm plant of her heels against the muscular flesh of his buttocks, drawing him in.

“Don’t stop,” she moaned, “Oh God, please don’t stop.”

From Chapter-Surprised

Sarah stood stupefied. She felt the tremor in her knees and the sweat of fear and heat dribble down from her temples in grimy streaks on her face. Dust, smoke from burning canvas and gray puffs of gunpowder residue rendered everything ghost-like and surreal and softened the apparitional shapes of bodies and wounded who were strewn in haphazard positions. The guttural whoops of the attackers, screams of petrified and dying horses, shouts in English, moans of pain, and the sounds of gunshots echoed between the wagons.

Sarah held the Sharps in one hand, breech open, ready for loading and stared in shocked disbelief. The scene was incomprehensible. Through the haze which enveloped the wagons she saw the shadowy figures of Mac, Reuben, and Johannes sprinting to the breach where the wagons of the train had not quite completed their defensive circle. In that gap, Zeb, a knife in each hand, and two other men from the train, struggled in mortal combat with an increasing number of lance- and tomahawk-wielding invaders. Reuben and Mac each carried two rifles. Johannes had his carbine in one grip and a pistol in the other. His saber scabbard slapped against his leg as he ran.

Sarah saw him look over his shoulder, and could barely make out his shout, “Behind us!”

Johannes wheeled ghostlike in the brownish-gray cloud that enveloped the conflict, took calm steady aim and fired once from the Colt. The rider of the horse bearing down on the three was jerked violently backwards by the impact of the .44 caliber slug, somersaulted backward over the rear of his horse and lay unmoving, barely discernible in the ground swell of dust. Sarah’s eyes quickly searched the nearby wagons. Jacob had disappeared.

“Sarah, load the damn rifle!” Rebecca’s frantic voice shouted above the din.

Jolted back to reality, Sarah tried to control the trembling which had overtaken her body, jammed the cartridge into the Sharps with shaking fingers, then handed the long gun to Rebecca who, in turn, gave her the rifle she had just discharged. Rebecca turned, rested the receiver and forestock over the lip of the wagon front as a rest, and began to swing the bead of the muzzle of the re-armed weapon as she found a target.

Without looking back, Rebecca commanded in a loud voice, “Inga, reload! Be quick about it!”

Pressed against the side of the wagon box, Sarah fumbled in the saddlebag draped over the wagon wheel for the next round. She heard a whisper in the air, almost the sound a small bird makes on a calm and peaceful evening in the stillness just before dark, and then a sudden, hollow resounding thud. A woman’s voice screamed in pain and terror.

Mary’s Review

I have read both of these books and they are, IMHO the best historical western adventure romance I have read. Reid did a great job weaving the lives of the characters together as history became part of America. The adventure is awesome and the romance outstanding. I fell in love with the characters in Threads West and was frustrated when the first book ended. I wanted to read more about these characters coming to America from all over the world. As Reid said…the melting pot of America…which he did a fantastic job with the total aspect of the books. Maps of Fate, carried the characters from Threads West, forward west. He added a few new characters to the story and wove them with the characters already heading west. I can say I went through many emotions in these books, they pull at your heart strings and also make you smile. Reid’s books are an easy read and I couldn’t put Threads West down. Maps of Fate…the same thing, but it was a longer book and I couldn’t stay up all night and finish it. I know if you like romance, history, adventure and western, you have it in these great books.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

 Reid L. Rosenthal is fourth generation land and cattle.  He owns interests in sixteen ranches in three western states and Canada.  His long-standing devotion to wild and remote places and to the people–both past and present–who leave their legend and footprint upon the American West is the inspiration and descriptive underpinning of all of his writing.

This passion fuels each novel in the widely acclaimed historical romanceseries, Threads West…An American Saga. The first novel of the eight part saga has been compared to McMurty’sLonesome Dove.  Each ensuing book unfolds the riveting tale of an emerging nation, an evolving west, and the land forged personalities of the driven men and women whose American spirit built a great nation.  The western landscape fuses personalities from uncommon origins, and weaves lives into generational tapestries of lust, duplicity, enmity, love and triumph.  Threads West is the tale of America and her spirit.  “It is your story,” Reid whispers. Then, raising his voice to match his passion, deep tones booming, he reminds us, “This is the ongoing story of us.”

Contact Email: threadswest.media@gmail.com

Website:  www.threadswestseries.com

Other Links:  Book 2 – Maps of Fate video trailer http://youtu.be/eTk0wxqVlIw

Book 1 – Threads West video trailer http://youtu.be/rXOYpND55ko

Audios for the first 3 chapters (Done by Reid)

Chapter 1 – http://threadswestseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DVT_A002_020315_0853.mp3

Chapter 2 – http://threadswestseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DVT_A003_020315_0911.mp3

Chapter 3 – http://threadswestseries.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DVT_A004_020315_09261.mp3

Leave a comment, name and email address,  

because four lucky people will win a print copy of

Threads West  or Maps of Fate

Keith Publications    Wicked Ink Press    D’ Ink Well    Dreams N Fantasies 

@KeithPubs 

@Writers_Rescue 

FB Keith Publications LLC 

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Mary

We are going a second day for the Spring Into Creativity.

Enjoy and go to the 28th on the calendar.

Ahh, spring-the peaceful time of year when the chaos of the holidays is past us and we can stop and smell the flowers, bask in the fantastic weather and enjoy the tranquility of springtime. AIHRR! (This is the sound of a very obnoxious buzzer!), think again-we are pressured into the exciting task of SPRING CLEANING! Yes, you know you are bombarded by it. It is everywhere, Magazines, TV shows, there are even entire web sites dedicated to the subject. Tip’s and to do’s for this springs cleaning session.

Even though I despise the pressure and suggestion of what should be done, I know I should do it. I’m not talking about the cleaning of our dwelling (even though mine could use some attention). First and foremost, your creative space and works. Us writers/creative types have the uncanny knack of looking so unorganized, no one can figure out how we can find anything at all, but we can, for the most part. So to address the “for the most part “here are some pointers for us avant-garde types. Big smile here.

“If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk?” Dr. Laurence J. Peter.

We have all heard this quote. I for one conquer. So moving on, no, ok fine. Gather all your writing utensils and put them together in one place.  Yes, my head is hanging.  Is yours? Even while organizing this blog post I felt overwhelmed. But, let’s break it down into pieces and know going into this that only some may pertain to you right now and the rest you can use for future reference.

Let us tackle our manuscripts and all that pertains to them. Now is a good time to go through those piles, whether digital or tangible, of half written manuscripts, character boards and charts, journal entries, to be edited with a fine tooth comb almost ready to submit manuscripts, story ideas, and research.   

First, go through any manuscripts that are on the verge of being ready to submit. Now is the time to go through them with a sharp keen unbiased eye and get them out of your way and ON their way to being published. Make sure you are going through every little detail before you send them out. If you do not do this, it is likely they will not be accepted or if they are, they will be back logged in editing so long you will get very frustrated with your publisher. Remember, it is not the editor’s job to rewrite your manuscript. Although, it does happen sometimes, save yourself the frustration and nerve racking wait period.

Next, start organizing your works in progress, in order of near completion.  Then by creative juices, this meaning what your brain is creatively telling you to tackle.

Create a journal and note taking space to organize and keep those ideas that pop into your head constantly in order. Organized folders on your computer or better yet there are sites that can help you do this and you can access them from any computer and now a days from your mobile device. A great one is Evernote. http://www.evernote.com/  I am just starting to use this one and so far it’s pretty nifty and extremely useful.Google docs is another great one.

Go through your character GMC( Goal, Motivation, Conflict, the three building blocks to any good fiction) and all their characteristics making sure you stay true to those throughout your manuscript. You wouldn’t believe how often it happens that a character with stunning blue eyes in one chapter has changed to dull grey eyes in another. This is also part of the fine tooth comb mentioned beforehand.

Time management, who has time for this? If you’re anything like me, your time is all smooched together. Yes that is a technical term. I have three kids, two dogs, a cat and a husband all needing my time. Not to mention my job, thanks KP, creative work, email, twitter, facebook, housekeeping and the list goes on.

So how do we tackle this one? There are tools out there in the wide open space of the net that are just begging to be used. Twitter and social media for example, there are sites which enable you to schedule your tweets and status updates. Shaking your head at me aren’t you? Saying, “Hey, no you need to be engaged with twitter and interact”. I do agree with you on this, however, how often do you find yourself intent on only spending fifteen to thirty minutes engaged in your twitter conversations only to realize it was more like hours?

Here is a list of a few social media management sites. Some are free to use and some offer options for free use or multiple plans.

Hootsuite is a very popular tool. Sign up is free-today. http://hootsuite.com/

Gremln is the takeover of twaitter. It looks fantastic and I am going to try this one out myself. http://gremln.com

Timely looks very good to and it analyzes your last 199 tweets and figures out the best time slots for your tweets. http://timely.is/#/

Have you used any of these sorts of media management and how have they helped you?

Keeping track of your work hours will encourage you to work in blocks of time and use that time wisely. In between your blocks, get up walk around, HYDRATE, stretch then work on the next block. Finish time sensitive work first. Get it done and over with. It feels good to lighten the load a bit even though we all know one more thing will get piled on there.

Log your word count and time doing so. Watching your numbers grow is a great confidence booster and drives you to power through to the end. It also holds you accountable to time in which you might have been slacking on your project.

Start a spreadsheet of any and all payments and expenses. If you earn money from your writing keep track of the form, source, amount and date of payment. Keep records of your expense, such as, ink cartridges, paper, computer costs, conferences, mileage, postage and internet.  In some situations, you may be able to claim your expenses on your tax returns. If not, at least you will be able to budget better for those costs in the future.

Last but not least, your brain. Yes, it too needs to be refreshed. Surround yourself with color, use colored paper or pens, it helps promote memory. Take a ten minute break after a 20 to 30 minute work session. This means walk away from the computer. The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.  ~Agatha Christie

Take a day off of what you are creatively working on now and you will approach it with fresh eyes. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  I know it sounds odd but the smell of peppermint stimulates and keeps your brain alert. I have been known to send a bag of peppermint candies with my kids on testing days (enough to share of course). Breathe through all of this. Smile a lot, even when no one is around.   

In case you are wondering, no I didn’t block my time well enough to write this piece, spent too much time on social media, couldn’t find my notes and boy am I thirsty.

 Now off to my spring cleaning session I go!

Have you started your creative spring cleaning yet? If so, what have you done that I have missed?

Leave a comment, name and email address,  

because several lucky people will win The Groom’s Cake

by Jacqueline Vick…one of Keith Publications e-book authors.

http://www.wickedinkpress.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=34&reviews_id=3

Keith Publications    Wicked Ink Press    D’ Ink Well    Dreams N Fantasies 

@KeithPubs 

@Writers_Rescue 

FB Keith Publications LLC 

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Mary

Hi Annette for taking the time to be with us today.

Mary, thank you for having me as a guest on your blog today.

I see you’ve worked at some really different and interesting jobs, what was your favorite job of all besides writing?

I learned many things in every work situation. Let me begin with my very first position. I sold men’s underwear and socks at a discount store. But then men didn’t have the choices they have     today.

My next position, I was one of the first female gas station attendants (pump jockey) in our city. The boss actually wanted me to give up nursing school and become an assistant manager, even     after I filled a very handsome young man’s car with gas when he only wanted a very few dollars worth. But I wanted to something more with my life.

I have always been able to find something to do. When my husband and I moved to a city and nurses were not in demand, (yes there was a time) I went to community college and became a qualified stenographer.

When we moved to a small community and I had children, rather than commute to a hospital in the city, I became the Town Administrator and then later I became an elected official.

But the position I enjoy the very most is being Annette-wife-mother- daughter-sister-friend-writer.

I like that position as well.

Do you work other than writing (which in my opinion is a full time job)?                          

For the last few years, writing is my work.

One of my favorite quotes is by Canadian author Margaret Laurence, “When I say ‘work’ I only mean writing. Everything else is just odd jobs.”

I love this quote…fits me to a T.

How did you get started writing?

I began to think about writing decades ago especially after I read my favorite Harlequin Series Books. I believed that I too could write a book like the books I read.

The problem with Harlequin Series books is that they look simple and therefore the assumption is that anyone can sit down and write one, fire it off and by the end of the year you are set as an author with a beautiful office and lovely clothes.

Pulling apart the pieces and seeing how the stories went together were not my strong point. I don’t do puzzles well because I have a special challenge. So I would just begin and as any beginner, I would get to a few pages into the book and be stuck.

After years as a nurse and then as an office administrator and then when my children became more independent I returned to University and obtained my BA in English. I began writing short stories because that was what I could find help with in my writing community and it was where I began to have small publishing successes. The short story allows me to explore ideas I am interested in. It is somewhere between poetry and the short novel. I enjoy distillation. I like the book When I am an Old woman I shall wear Purple because it gives thumbnail sketches of the choices women have made that effect their total lives.

I always carried my dream of writing a romance and when XoXo Publishing ™ accepted Moving On A Prairie Romance my goal was met. This manuscript didn’t happen over night or even over a year but over a few years and many drafts.

At present I have a second novel in final draft form and it will begin the rounds of publishers soon.

What aspect of writing do you love the most?

I used to get the best flush of excitement about a new idea but now it is the whole process of fitting the pieces together watching a story take shape. I know that the beginning is only the first flame of an idea. It is like a cake recipe. I see in the photograph of the lovely end result creation but I have to gather the ingredients, mix it in just the right order, find the correct size pan and then watch it bake and hope that it comes out in one piece. If not, I evaluate what I did and then perhaps begin again, or taste it and look at it from different angles and decide that it works even though it isn’t what I started out to do.

I feel great when an editor accepts a short story or flash fiction for publication. I am pleased that XoXo Publishing™ accepted Moving On A Prairie Romance for e publication. Now it is available for readers. I’ve received comments from readers and again I receive validation that I am progressing in my writing career.

What aspect of writing do you hate the most?

I don’t hate the mechanics of grammar but I am frustrated by it. I have more grammar books on my shelves than many others.

For instance: Are they laying on the bed or lying on the bed?

Comma usage is another challenge for me.

Any tips for other writers who are starting out and haven’t published yet?

Keep writing. Find your voice which is your own unique take on the world. When I look at all of the stories I’ve written and the time and paper I’ve used, I think about women who knit. They’ve used skeins and skeins of yarn and purchased books of patterns and made items that may not find a home for the cost of the hours and material but they are passionately creating and sharpening their talents. As a writer I don’t have drawers of blankets or booties or mittens, I have stories instead.

 I think this is with all of us writers.

Do you have any advice for writers who want to get published, but have been receiving rejection slips?

Rejection is always hard. In this day and age it is a plus if you actually receive a word from editors or publishers, it’s being said that the new rejection is not hearing anything. I kept my rejections for a while but really it is a negative reminder. If there is a suggestion on how to make a story better, I give that advice consideration. I think that finding your audience is the key. My novel, Moving On A Prairie Romance is a G/one flame/sweet novel. It isn’t considered literary, it isn’t a mystery, or a thriller, so those editors, readers are not going to read my book or even give it a chance. But there are readers who will. They are the readers I want to find. I had a reader tell me that my book was the first book she finished in years. She is now reading similar books on her electronic reader. I feel good about that.

What are three of your favorite promotions tips?

1. Tell your friends and family, they are your best source of advertisement.                      
2. Do readings when you can. It breathes life into your words.
3. Say yes to opportunities even if they are out of your comfort zone.

If you could describe yourself in only one word, what would it be?

Persistent.

Tell our readers something about yourself that they wouldn’t find in your website bio.

I don’t swerve for rodents on the highway.

I think more accidents happen this way than people realize.

Do you have any hobbies? If so, what do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

I love walking and riding my bicycle around urban street and lanes.  Last year I walked in two five kilometer marathons. I know that most people can walk this distance but I completed walking marathons. This year I am registered for the same two. I’m waiting for our weather to improve so that I can walk outdoors again. My son just sent me a link to a half marathon walk. Twenty-one kilometers. Pause for thought.

If you didn’t write, what would you do instead?

Organize my friends and families lives much to their disapproval.

Oh my…hmmmmm

Will you be attending any book or writing conferences this year? If yes, which ones? Where and when?

This is my year off of attending conferences. I need to assimilate the knowledge that I have gained from the past years. I am also learning how to promote a virtual book in a virtual world and this is a huge learning curve. On that note, I need to sign up for a workshop at our local library about electronic publishing. And I never say never.

I never say never…those who do get bit in the tush…:)

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I love reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee before I begin my day.

Tell us about your WIP.

My work in process, working title Inside Out, is a short, sweet relationship, of 69,000 words. Robbie, a master’s university student, wears a disguise which represents a negative human condition to gain experience for her thesis. Jake, an anthropologist, carries his own baggage with regard to Robbie when she is in disguise. The manuscript is complete. I have to learn how to format it to send out.

Blurb:

Anna is a mysterious woman who has just moved to Regina Beach. The residents of the small town know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering Anna’s secrets. Nick was a Sergeant in the Canadian Army, doing active duty until a horrific accident sent him home to recover. He helps Anna feel safe and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on his future physical endurance test proving he is capable of joining his troop. Anna is shocked when she discovers that Nick’s goal is to return to active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually, she understands that all life cycles end, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she has the strength to support Nick.

Excerpt:

Anna touched his arm in a moment of shared intimacy the nanosecond before his stance changed.

He shifted away from her as if he sensed danger. Nick turned on his rubber-soled boots and almost leapt through the door. The moment was thick with fear. Anna caught a chuckle that ended up like a snort. They were like two wounded animals who suddenly found themselves in the same pen, wondering who was stronger and would survive. Surely she wasn’t attracted to Nick Donnelly just because they were both grieving their severed pasts.

She scooped up the miniature animal figurines from the window sill and grabbed a bucket to fill with soapy water. She’d been put on probation during her nurse’s training because she couldn’t control her empathy. She was not going to sacrifice the dike that she’d built just because of a handsome man. She was moving on. A little voice hoped that he would too. Maybe he had. What made her think she knew everything? If he were truly settled, he’d be more than a temporary, she answered herself confidently.

She hung her black pants, grey jacket and blouse in the closet. In her jeans and t-shirt she felt as if the very tight restraints she had lived with were loosening. Going through the linen closet, Anna found everything that she needed. She bundled the sheets, pillows, and blankets on the deck and headed through the hedge to ask about a Laundromat.

Herman was filling his hummingbird feeders and looked up and smiled. “So what did you think of our Nick?”

“He seems to know his work for being temporary foreman and temporary B&B host.”

“Now that’s something you can take to the bank–a man who works with his hands and has brains too,” Herman said.

Anna remembered his calloused hands framing her face, holding her hand. She shivered. “I came to ask you if there was a Laundromat in town.”

“Top of the hill, girlie. Need any help?”

“No thanks. I’m stronger than I look.” She flexed her arms like a body builder showing off her biceps.

“Oh, I forgot,” she said. “I have to wait for the power person to come.”

Herman sat heavily in the chair in the shade. “I’ll keep an eye out for

Hank. He’s been on the job for years and if there’s a problem, he’ll find you. Can’t get too lost in this town, especially a new woman and pretty to boot! You should have heard the tongues clattering on coffee row this morning.”

“People talked about me?” She reached for the railing.

“They more or less speculated. You’re news. Some of the fellows were commenting about your packing. I didn’t get that one.”

Her cheeks burned when she remembered her butt pointed to Centre Street for all to see. Bile burned in her belly. “I’ll have to watch my P’s and Q’s.”

 Leave a comment, name and email address,  

because one lucky person will win a 

Gift certificate to XoXo Publishing for $5.00.

Annette Bower lives and writes in Regina, SK Canada. She likes to explore relationships about love and how love begins, grows and ends. She also writes about the challenges facing the older generation. She likes to walk around her home city and cities and towns she travels to.  She walks short marathons and enjoys a bicycle ride along paths.

Email: daisy.bower@gmail.com

Website: www.annettebower.com

Blog: www.annettebower.com

Keith Publications    Wicked Ink Press    D’ Ink Well    Dreams N Fantasies 

@KeithPubs 

@Writers_Rescue 

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It is conference time. Are you prepared? 

An integral part of preparation is the one sheet, also known as a pitch or sell sheet. This is a must if you plan on attending a pitch session with an editor or agent. What is a one sheet you might ask? Basically it is like a resume for your book and yourself. It does not have to be boring like a resume. This is your opportunity to look prepared, professional and to leave behind a lasting impression of yourself and book. 

You can be creative with your sheet. I used the newsletter templates in word. Pick one that suits you. 

Your one sheet should contain: 

• Your name and Pen name.
• Your contact information
• A current, clear photo of yourself.
• A short Bio. (There are tips to writing a bio from my March 9^th blog, here at KP, just click on the 9^th and it will take you to it.)
• Story genre and word count
• A hook line.
• The title of your work.
• A brief summary of story. (I know it is hard to summarize your story to one paragraph, but brevity is highly important here.)
• Very brief character GMC. ( Goal, Motivation, Conflict, the three building blocks to any good fiction)
• You may also include some type of clip art that portrays your story well. (not a necessity)

With these steps you are on your way. Each one sheet is unique to its creator. Not all editors or agents will keep your one sheet. However you should have several copies just in case. 

Pitching is nerve racking process in itself, by having your sheet with you, you can use it as a tool for yourself. It is calming to have something in your hand and you can also refer to it if you get nervous and are stumbling for an answer.  Most pitch sessions are only ten minutes long. So use that time wisely. Ask questions yourself as well. 

I have included an example of a pitch sheet. There is also an abundant amount of information on the net if you get stuck. 

Here are a few links to check out: 

http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-sheet.html 

http://suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com/2010/01/creating-one-sheet.html 

Have fun creating your sheet! 

Have you already created your one sheet? 

What worked best for you? 

Are you attending a conference or two this year? 

Leave a comment, name and email address,  

because one lucky person will win one of KP’s e-book.  

Desert Dreams Writers’ Conference  

April 27-19th in Scottsdale, AZ 

Registration fee includes Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning workshops, Friday mixer, Friday and Saturday dinner, Saturday luncheon, editor/agent appointments, editor/agentpanel, hospitality suite, brainstorming session, book signing, networking, and more. 

Register online at www.desertroserwa.org   

If you plan to attend the conference, please email me  mary@keithpublications.com and let me know. 

I would love to meet you. 

Keith Publications will have a ”Pitch” sign up sheet at the registration table.  

We have Jose Bogran with us today. He has a new book out called The Assassin’s Mistress.

He has donated two different books to give to two lucky commenters.

Jose tell us about your self-pub experience. Didn’t you come from small pub houses?

I decided to release The Assassin’s Mistress through Amazon Select program because of the advantages it presents in regards of control over your story. Cover design, promotion, all falls into the author’s responsibility. One thing that I’ve learned is that self-pub doesn’t mean alone. If you want to present a quality work to the public you must contract the services of professional editing, cover designs, copy-editing and many other details. It is hard work that takes time away from writing a new story, but life is nothing but a string of trades, isn’t it?

Yes, my previous titles were released through small e-pubs. I don’t believe in burning bridges so I am still in good terms with both of them.

I agree, never burn bridges.

Being a non-native English speaker, how has this affected your writing and communication with people and pub houses that do or only speak English?

It means I have to accept the fact that some grammatical nuisances that come natural to you will never be so to me; hence the importance of a good editor. Of course I am always learning the craft, and hopefully, every new work will need fewer corrections.

When did you start to write in English?

Well, it all came about when the naïve 20-year-old me, thought it would be easy. I love thrillers, Tom Clancy, Ken Follett, Clive Cussler, Mario Puzo, they all made it look so easy that I thought, why not?

What are your writing methods or tricks of the trade?

It all begins with a thought. Once I decide the general idea of the story I want to write, I prepare an outline. The research then takes me down roads that sometimes change the outline. All this time, I think up of small scenes, pivotal ones, you know, the ones you long to write. Last, I sit and hope the muse descends long enough to push me through the whole novel without getting writer’s block.

What genres do you write and why?

First of all, thrillers. The authors I listed above give a clue why.  However, back in 2007, I published a romantic comedy. It was a good experience.

Are you aware of any themes that run through your stories? If so, what are they?

One that I frequently find, after the fact, is redemption. A hero with a checkered past is usually among my main characters.

What inspires your stories?

Every story has a different and unique story of how it came to be. For example, Love Me Two Times—about a man who falls in love with a woman who suffers Multiple Personality Disorder—sprung out of an incident I had with my then-girlfriend. The incident, by the way, is depicted in chapter 2.

What is your writing schedule?

When I’m working on a novel, I try to write every night. A thousand words, at least. During the day, I try to plan ahead, but sometimes it doesn’t quite work that way.

Will you be attending any book or writing conferences this year? If yes, which ones? Where and when?

I’m going to the Backspace Conference in May. Planning also to go ThrillerFest in July, but still not certain.

What is your favorite way to promote your writing?

Guest blog posts or interviews such as this one. Of course, giveaways are always fun, too.

Where is your favorite place to write? Why?  

I’m privileged with a small nook in my house I can call my writing pen. Have all I need: a computer, yellow pads, assorted pens and markers, a few books on writing and dictionaries, and most importantly, NO internet connection. 

I can see how you can get a lot of writing done without an internet connection. We tend to spend too much time on social networks, than we think we do..:)

Do you have any passions besides writing? If yes, what are they? Why?

I love movies. Of all kinds, I can sit—and enjoy—a romantic comedy with my wife, then move to the next room and sit through an action or sci-fi with my kids. I combined my passions when a local newspaper hired me to write movie reviews for three years. Getting paid to watch movies, one of the best jobs I ever had!

The other one is music. My collection includes genre as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, The Doors, Mana, Bon Jovi, Ray Conniff, Queen, Moises Canelos, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys.

What relaxes you?

A good book. I love reading thrillers, escape into the well crafted world of my preferred authors.

A good movie. Can be an action flick, or comedy.

A good record. I’ve got to have music playing almost all the time.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Even if it sounds a bit of stereotyping, we guys don’t appreciate comfort food as much as a comfort “drink.” For me, it’s scotch served neat. I stop at three, by the way.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Chocolate covered cherries. Next question, please.  

What decade has been your favorite? Why?

Here I have to do a bit of mix. Like the music and books of the 80’s, loved my life during the 90’s but the 2000’s I appreciate things a bit more. Kids and wife would do that to you.

If you had another career, what is it?

I do have another career. I work in the garment manufacturing industry. I’m proud to say that I love it. I’m paraphrasing what the late singer Facundo Cabral used to say. “If you don’t love what you do, even if you do it all day, you’re still goofing around.”

This is so true. We do need to love what we do; it makes us happier and also our families.

If you didn’t write, what would you be doing instead?

A professional piano player. One of those you find in bars or cruise ships.

Sounds like fun.

Are you a cat or dog person? Do you have any pets and if so, please tell us about them.

The family pet is a 5 year old beagle. His name is Wasabi, like the spicy green stuff they serve you with sushi. He likes to play with my kids, and me. We almost lost him a few months after we got him, and I think because of that, we became very attached to him.

If you could have one wish, what would it be?

As a writer, that people fall in love with my stories. As a person, well, it is a bit more personal, but can be summed up by saying I wish happiness for my three sons.

As writers, I think we all wish this.

If you could describe yourself in only one word, what would it be?

Determined.

What is the one thing you most want to do that you haven’t yet?

Make it to the New York Times Bestseller’s list.

This would be a great accomplishment. I say go for your dream.

Tell our readers something about yourself that they wouldn’t find on your website bio.  

I bought my Amazon Kindle in a moment when I really shouldn’t have. In the same order I included the Michael Bublé’s cd  “Call me irresponsible,” but most people miss the joke.

I get it. You are a funny person.

Do you have any advice for writers who want to get published, but have been receiving rejection slips?

Keep trying, don’t give up.

Please tell us about your most recent release.

The Assassin’s Mistress is a short story released through the Amazon Select program. The story centers on professional hit man Robert Prescott and his newfound love, except she’s a married woman.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Oh yes, The Assassin’s Mistress is best enjoyed if served with popcorn and coke. Just like a good movie.

Blurb:

A random encounter leads to deception, love and murder. While vacationing at a ski resort, professional hitman Robert Prescott meets a strange and beautiful woman.

They discover passion and embark into a dangerous game hiding their relationship from her powerful husband. Then a further twist of fate makes Robert’s occupation collide with his new found love.  

Excerpt: The Assassin’s Mistress

“Come with me if you want to live.” The man stretched out his hand, his voice almost inaudible over the constant blowing of the mountain wind.

Chantal gripped the edge of the cliff for dear life. Her hands were going numb, both the cold and effort taking their toll. Her black gloves were covered by the falling snowflakes. She looked up at him and saw her frightened reflection in his goggles. He wore an electric blue cap, but a ponytail of flaming red hair dangled toward her as he leaned forward.

The way he spoke caught her attention. She had heard that phrase before. She felt silly trying to place it when her life was in peril.

“Hey! Take my hand!”

Mon Dieu, I can’t hold on. I’m going to die! Chantal felt her fingers opening against her will. She slightly shook her head. “I can’t.”

She slipped off and screamed as she dropped, though after a couple of inches she stopped with a jolt. He had a grip of iron. Her wrist hurt but she would not complain about it.

“Don’t pull or I’ll slide over the edge,” he said. “It’s very slippery here.”

She looked up again, and saw him flat on his belly, reaching with both hands. The man, her savior, let her hang there for what she thought an eternity, but had to be only a few seconds as he worked the situation through. He moved her to one side, then the other. Each swing she rose higher and higher, until she took advantage of her momentum and threw out her leg. The heavy ski boot grabbed on the edge. He changed position and began pulling. She heaved too with all her might, not wanting to depend solely on his strength.

She reached the top and together, like entangled lovers, they rolled away from the cliff’s edge.

They ended up lying face up, side by side and out of breath. Relief washed over her and she felt like shouting. She wanted to do snow angels right then and there.

“Merci,” she said after a minute.

“You’re welcome. You ski very well, but you lost it on that last jump.”

“Oui, I know. The second I touched ground the left ski broke. Lucky for me you were close by. I’m Chantal.” She put out her hand.

“Robert Prescott.” He shook her hand.

J. H. Bográn, born and raised in Honduras, is the son of a journalist. He ironically prefers to write fiction rather than fact. José’s genre of choice is thrillers, but he likes to throw in a twist of romance into the mix. His works include novels in both English and Spanish, short stories, contributor to The Big Thrill magazine, screenwriter for Honduras domestic television and movie reviewer for La Prensa. He’s a member of the International Thriller Writers and of writer’s online community Backspace.

Contact Email: jhbogran@hotmail.com

Website: www.jhbogran.net

Blog: www.thetaleweaver.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jhbogran

Twitter: @JHBogran

Leave a comment, name and email address,

because two lucky people will win Jose’s e-book. 

Keith Publications    Wicked Ink Press    D’ Ink Well    Dreams N Fantasies

@KeithPubs

@Writers_Rescue

FB Keith Publications LLC

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