March 2017

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Sunday, March 26, 2017

WeWriWa: Moving On . . .

As I finish up my promotional obligations for my latest release, PRINCE OF POWER, to concentrate on writing the next book in the series, PRINCE OF FOOLS, I searched for a topic for my monthly post over on Paranormal Romantics and came up with something that could do double duty both there, yesterday, and here, today, one of my favorite things – a book playlist. All my characters and plotlines move to their own beat. Here’s Colin’s, a hit from the past, both mine and, more personally, his. Driver picks tunes but that doesn’t make them easy to dance to.

There was something different about Colin Terriot, but Mia couldn’t pinpoint it as she leaned back against the door while he refused to acknowledge her, too busy adjusting the bass on the classic car’s tape deck and the volume to near concert level so he wouldn’t have to talk to her. Silence was fine, because it left the pleasure of looking at him, and looking at him was pure pleasure. 

He mouthed the words to the bouncy rock song, eyes on the road as if she wasn’t there. For the moment, she let him pretend, watching his hands stroke the steering wheel, wishing they were traveling over her with such tender attention. 

He started moving to the music, a subtle bob of his head at first, then the pulse of his knee, a rock to his shoulders that finally put his whole body in motion as he started singing loudly to “Jet Airliner,” its lyrics filled with leaving friends and all the people he trusted at home to move on. When he reached the line “with tears in my eyes,” did his glisten suspiciously? 

As if he’d left Tahoe for good. 

Was that what he was doing, what this strange mix of melancholy and anticipation was all about? Was he moving on to New Orleans? A whisper of temptation made her look away because it scared the crap out of her.


Blasts from the past combine with the hits that keep on coming in the soundtrack to Colin and Mia’s romance. Take a listen.



Thank goodness for them that the song never remains the same. How about your characters? Do they dance to their own music?




Obsessed with an enemy - the only female to ever walk away from him . . .

Colin . . . Prince in the House of Terriot

Brawny, cynical negotiator for his clan, Colin Terriot sees a move to New Orleans as an escape from a painful past and his reputation as a legendary lover. What he didn't expect was to fall hard for a rival spy, the female who tricked and betrayed him by leaving his bed for his brother's. Now, he now must work with her, up close and personal, as the envoy for her clan. Things are about to heat up.

Determined to have him - even if having him means losing all . . .

Mia . . . Strong-willed Guedry heir

Denied her rightful legacy, Mia Guedry plans to stake her claim over the bodies of those who killed her family. But best laid plans fall before her desire for the one male she can't resist, the one who will never trust her once burned by her necessary deceptions. Saving her Terriot prince from plans already in motion may cost more than her inheritance . . . the price could be her life.

“Get ready for fifty shades of tall, dark and deliciously dangerous with Colin Terriot, the hottest shifter yet! Five Stars!” – Book Bling

“Hold onto your heart (& your panties, ladies!) . . . the Terriot princes are back! Things are heating up in New Orleans in this powerful story of obsession, betrayal and revenge. Intricately woven plot lines and complex characters carry PRINCE OF POWER to a block buster revelation in another Page Burning Must Read! Five Hearts!” – Cross My Heart Reviews



Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

WeWriWa: A Different Drummer


Finally, back from Arizona and the awesome Tucson Festival of Books that caused me to miss last week’s post (hard to write when surrounded by wandering bagpipes, 800+ booths and 130,000 of your close personal friends in 91-degree heat! Waving to Ed who stopped by to visit with me and Elizabeth Alsobrooks). After dropping into bed when I got home from work Friday to sleep a solid 14 hours (!), I’m ready to get back to the keyboard, promoting my current title PRINCE OF POWER and to dive back into chapter four of the next up in the series, PRINCE OF FOOLS. Today’s excerpt is from PoP with an introduction to the hero and heroine in PoF as lovelorn Rico pines over Mia, the woman who’s come between him and his brother, spurning the advice of ever-wise bartender, Amber who knows what’s good for him in more ways than one.


Rico returned to his barstool to scan the club’s interior, his disappointment evident, finding a drink in front of him along with a sympathetic smile for a chaser. 

“Word of advice?” 

“Keep it to yourself,” he grumbled, wondering what bothered him more—that Mia was gone, or that she’d probably gone after someone else when he’d looked forward to her athletic exuberance to expel the complexities of his mood. He wasn’t a complicated guy, and his king and queen’s intrigues twisted him up into uncomfortable knots. He took a bitter swallow from his glass and glared up at the annoyingly non-judgmental Amber, demanding, “What?” 

“If you try to push between those two, you’ll get crushed.” 

“Says you,” he mumbled, feeling that pinch already. 

“From the altar of the Church of Broken Hearts,” she offered with a smile, her hand pressed briefly over his. “Can I get an Amen?”

He glowered until she turned to another customer then muttered to himself, “Amen.”
Why do some guys always go after the unattainable, missing the obvious right in front of them? Sigh. Poor Rico’s got a lot heartbreak ahead of him, and this volatile triangle spurs much of the angst and emotion in PRINCE OF POWER that carries over from Book 2 to Book 3. Enjoy watching the sparks fly between two heroes who follow very different drummers in my new title now available in all formats.



Obsessed with an enemy - the only female to ever walk away from him . . .

Colin . . . Prince in the House of Terriot

Brawny, cynical negotiator for his clan, Colin Terriot sees a move to New Orleans as an escape from a painful past and his reputation as a legendary lover. What he didn't expect was to fall hard for a rival spy, the female who tricked and betrayed him by leaving his bed for his brother's. Now, he now must work with her, up close and personal, as the envoy for her clan. Things are about to heat up.

Determined to have him - even if having him means losing all . . .

Mia . . . Strong-willed Guedry heir

Denied her rightful legacy, Mia Guedry plans to stake her claim over the bodies of those who killed her family. But best laid plans fall before her desire for the one male she can't resist, the one who will never trust her once burned by her necessary deceptions. Saving her Terriot prince from plans already in motion may cost more than her inheritance . . . the price could be her life.

“Get ready for fifty shades of tall, dark and deliciously dangerous with Colin Terriot, the hottest shifter yet! Five Stars!” – Book Bling

“Hold onto your heart (& your panties, ladies!) . . . the Terriot princes are back! Things are heating up in New Orleans in this powerful story of obsession, betrayal and revenge. Intricately woven plot lines and complex characters carry PRINCE OF POWER to a block buster revelation in another Page Burning Must Read! Five Hearts!” – Cross My Heart Reviews

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Time to unpack my suitcases and put my sandals away for at least a few more months as snow and ice collects here in Michigan. Thinking back fondly to last weekend and our Tell-Tale Publishing booth in AZ (here with author Francesca Quarto and author/publisher Elizabeth Alsobrooks aka Book Bling).


Think warm thoughts, fellow WWW friends and happy writing!!


Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Sunday, March 05, 2017

WeWriWA: Woman on a Mission


It’s no secret – I love a strong heroine! To compete with and complement my hunky Alpha heroes, they have to be smart, tough, brave and loyal. No problem there. What I sometimes find difficult is making them sympathetic without appearing weak. My first draft Mia Guedry in PRINCE OF POWER was hard as acrylic nails, determined to avenge her family and snatch back her rightful place at the head of her clan no matter what she had to do. She came off as admirable, but also as unlikable. Draft two Mia, had softened edges, unresolved doubts and a betraying heart that made her struggle with the choices she needed to make. What a difference that gentler pallet made when coloring her actions. Here’s a glimpse of Mia wrestling with the direction she’s chosen:



She’d sworn vengeance over the graves of her father and uncle, had been denied the body of her brother to weep over. What was she waiting for? They were her enemies, enemies she’d vowed to destroy in the names of her dead. Why was she stalling? Because one of them had the most delicious lips and the other made her laugh? 

Sitting in her rental, staring down over the cold, deep waters of Lake Tahoe, gripping the wheel until her hands, then her arms and shoulders shook, Mia drew upon the rage, the pain, the sorrow and determination to take back what belonged to her. A vision arose, one as cold and clear as those blue waters, not of her standing atop the bodies of this enemy clan, but of their bones scattering in the wind until nothing remained of their legacy. 

To defeat them, she needed to divide them, to weaken that tentative loyalty their new king inspired. Without Bram the Beast to hold them together on short, choking leases of rage and fear, they could be taken apart, piece by piece, prince by prince, until nothing remained of their stronghold, and eventual, of their name. 

Divide and conquer, starting with the wedge she’d already driven between their clan’s most powerful supporters: Her two lovers.
 

I’m a woman on a mission next weekend, traveling to Arizona (leaving 20-degree Michigan behind – what a sacrifice!) to participate in the Tucson Festival of Books as a signing author in the Tell-Tale Publishing booth. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say hey!



Once my promo stint is done, I’ll be settling into some serious work on PRINCE OF FOOLS (and into a hot tub for a little vacay). A dirty job, I know. And as difficult as it may be, here’s another look at Colin Terriot, my PRINCE OF POWER (now available in a gorgeous trade paperback!)




Obsessed with an enemy - the only female to ever walk away from him . . .

Colin . . . Prince in the House of Terriot

Brawny, cynical negotiator for his clan, Colin Terriot sees a move to New Orleans as an escape from a painful past and his reputation as a legendary lover. What he didn't expect was to fall hard for a rival spy, the female who tricked and betrayed him by leaving his bed for his brother's. Now, he now must work with her, up close and personal, as the envoy for her clan. Things are about to heat up.

Determined to have him - even if having him means losing all . . .

Mia . . . Strong-willed Guedry heir

Denied her rightful legacy, Mia Guedry plans to stake her claim over the bodies of those who killed her family. But best laid plans fall before her desire for the one male she can't resist, the one who will never trust her once burned by her necessary deceptions. Saving her Terriot prince from plans already in motion may cost more than her inheritance . . . the price could be her life.

“Get ready for fifty shades of tall, dark and deliciously dangerous with Colin Terriot, the hottest shifter yet! Five Stars!” – Book Bling

“Hold onto your heart (& your panties, ladies!) . . . the Terriot princes are back! Things are heating up in New Orleans in this powerful story of obsession, betrayal and revenge. Intricately woven plot lines and complex characters carry PRINCE OF POWER to a block buster revelation in another Page Burning Must Read! Five Hearts!” – Cross My Heart Reviews

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy writing, all! May your trails be happy and sunny!



Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.


Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

IWSG: Trash to Cash - Reviving Rejected Projects


I’m a word hoarder. I never throw away anything. This is easier now that discarded projects and WIPs are kept on discs instead of in boxes filled with yellowing sheets. I finished my first manuscript in the early ‘80s and since then, it hasn’t been alone in its exile to the “Does Not Meet Our Current Needs” pile. But I believe in Karma – What goes around Comes Around, and yes, some of those rejected gems have found a new purpose and new homes and have gone on to embrace success.

I pounced on the IWSG monthly question of “Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? How did it work out?” My lengthy career is filled with such occasions. I’ve had proposals rejected or ‘passed over’ by my publishers only to be tweaked and find a home with a different editor, a different line, or a new house. My favorite tale (or tail, hehehe) is about a werewolf proposal I shopped around both on my own and through an agent that got interest but no takers. Into the drawer for a decade then revived, refreshed and off to a new publisher for a new line where it got an editor all excited . . . about the prologue . . . but could I change everything else, i.e. the entire plot and all the characters? In other words, write an entire new book off those first six-pages. Yes, I could, and did. It became the first book in a series of three manuscripts that I completed before getting that “Call” to purchase . . . but they only wanted to buy the first book and only if I’d change my hero from a bad @ss to a kinder, gentler shapeshifter. That wasn’t something I was willing to rework, so after much angsting, I turned down the contract, reached out to another former editor and found a home at Pocket Books for not just the three manuscripts, but for a total of eight books that have since branched out through self-pubbing to my new “House of Terriot” series with Book Two of four, PRINCE OF POWER, just released on Monday!






Obsessed with an enemy - the only female to ever walk away from him . . .

Colin . . . Prince in the House of Terriot

Brawny, cynical negotiator for his clan, Colin Terriot sees a move to New Orleans as an escape from a painful past and his reputation as a legendary lover. What he didn't expect was to fall hard for a rival spy, the female who tricked and betrayed him by leaving his bed for his brother's. Now, he now must work with her, up close and personal, as the envoy for her clan. Things are about to heat up.

Determined to have him - even if having him means losing all . . .

Mia . . . Strong-willed Guedry heir

Denied her rightful legacy, Mia Guedry plans to stake her claim over the bodies of those who killed her family. But best laid plans fall before her desire for the one male she can't resist, the one who will never trust her once burned by her necessary deceptions. Saving her Terriot prince from plans already in motion may cost more than her inheritance . . . the price could be her life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Times change, tastes change, and hope springs eternal for those woeful forgotten words seeking a forever home. Take them out, dust them off, slap on a new coat of paint and take them out for a spin in these new markets. You just might have that first book of ten . . . What are you waiting for?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!


Twitter hashtag is #IWSG 

IWSG awesome co-hosts for the March 1st posting will be Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!