Jan 4 2016

My Year In Review – And A Look At What’s Ahead!

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Wow! It’s been one helluva year.

I started self-publishing my  romance novels via Amazon in December of 2014, putting out the first two Sci Fi romances I’d written in the same month, Sky Woman and Rain In The Moonlight (Books 1 & 2 of the Seeder Saga). I originally put them out on Smashwords, then tried Amazon, expecting that Amazon would email me every time someone purchased a book, like Smashwords did.

They didn’t.

Consequently, I thought my books weren’t selling. I reasoned that my readers probably only came from my fanfic following, and they’d already purchased through Smashwords, so that was that.

I finally figured out how to use the reports function on Amazon in January of this year and found to my delighted surprise that I’d sold books. A lot of books! (Well, a lot to me, anyway…). I also had some good reviews, and some solid ratings on Goodreads. Continue reading →

Jan 1 2016

FanFic Friday: Killian Has A Swordfight With An Unexpected Opponent

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In my Once Upon A Time fanfic, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, an alternate timeline is created when the Jones family flaunts a generational curse leveled by Triton, and he meddles with time, creating a whole new reality for Emma and Killian. Their daughter, Meriel and her magical companion, Kai have to travel back to this altered past,  then get her parents to meet and fall in love in order to restore the timeline.

In this scene, young Meriel is good and mad at Daddy, after he runs out on Emma to seek his own fortunes. She decides to take matters in her own hands and get him back on track. Continue reading →

Dec 31 2015

Resource Thursday: The Mary Sue Test

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If you’re a writer – particularly a romance or YA writer – you need to be familiar with the term “Mary Sue.”

A “Mary Sue” is a convenient character trope leaned upon (a lot) by beginning writers (and sadly, some not-so-beginning writers). I hate to feel like I’m throwing Stephenie Meyer under a bus here, but Bella Swan in the epitome of a “Mary Sue.” And the difference between Bella Swan and the protagonist of Stephenie’s next book after the Twilight series is night and day. In The Host, the character of Wanderer is so much more fleshed out and so much more interesting for it.

There’s a really good definition of a “Mary Sue” here, if you’d like to read all the tired, hackneyed character traits. If you recognize a majority of these in your story, you may want to check out The Writer’s Mary Sue Test.

I’m pleased to say my overall score was in the mid-twenties and my character was pronounced “healthy” and able to stand on her own.

Your mileage may vary, of course, and this test is not definitive by any means. It is a helpful tool though, to keep you from turning a blind eye to your own weaknesses.

So tell me – which “Mary Sue” ruined a book for you?

Dec 29 2015

Seasinger Will Be Making A Splash Soon…

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Kai Vand isn’t your normal multi-millionaire business tycoon – he’s a Twixter. Twixters are the children of humans and Elementals, an ancient, magical race who are able to harness the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

Kai’s twixter abilities give him powers over water, but in addition, he’s got an extra gift – he’s a seasinger, meaning he hears the voices of all those who’ve died at sea.

When one voice gives him a very special message to deliver he finds himself embroiled in a mystery that affects both sides of his heritage. He also finds himself strangely drawn to Shira, the human woman he was charged to deliver the message to.

It’s going to take all their skills to face a looming threat – and all Kai’s self-control to keep his hands off Shira.

Seasinger will be out in January 2016!

Dec 28 2015

I Write Boring Beginnings. Dammit.

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Time for my deep, dark confession people: I suck at beginnings.

Every blessed one of my first drafts has the same damn problem: Sloooooow. Draggy. Too much exposition and not enough action.

One key writer thing you should always do is drop your reader into a story in progress and introduce the backstory in bits and important pieces. Continue reading →

Dec 22 2015

Book Excerpt: Auld Lang Sin

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In my latest novella, Auld Lang Sin, Lauren is an office worker who keeps to one hard and fast rule: Never date someone you work with.

Ross is determined to blur those lines, and he knows exactly how to make Lauren forget all those carefully crafted guidelines.

In this excerpt, set after their first steamy almost-went-there encounter, Ross is getting some digs in during a meeting… Continue reading →

Dec 21 2015

Looking For A Steamy Holiday Read? Auld Lang Sin Is Now Available!

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Lauren prides herself on being a professional woman with one hard and fast rule: don’t ever date anyone you work with. That all goes to hell the minute Ross strolls in the door, with a wicked accent, a rocking body and a face chiseled by angels. Add to that his single-minded determination to get to know Lauren on a more-than-professional basis, and all her carefully crafted rules begin to blur.

From the company holiday party to a New Year’s Eve masquerade ball, Ross teases and torments until Lauren decides to sent the old year out with a bang. A really, really good bang.

Auld Lang Sin is available at Amazon for Kindle or Smashwords for all e-reading devices (or online) and for a mere $.99!

Grab yourself a cup of holiday steam and enjoy!