Category: Book Topics

Here you’ll learn about a particular book or find a discussion about books and various genre.

To clone or not to clone…? #MFRWauthor

A friend as characterBy cloning here, I mean using traits of friends or family as part of your characters’ personalities. It’s a touchy thing, for sure!

I wrote a blog post years ago about five of us friends working at a company in New Jersey. I felt so close to these women—they were work sisters. One of the group died of cancer at a very young age and I wrote about how I’d first met them (they were already a working team when I joined). My first impressions were of “a blonde,” a “woman with big hair and pictures painted on her nails,” and “an aloof woman who I thought hated me.” That was exactly how I pictured them when we first met. I didn’t know them. I didn’t yet know how smart, caring, beautiful they all were, inside and out. That wasn’t the point of the blog post, either, but when they read it and responded, I had to see the post from their perspective. One woman wrote and asked was her hair really that big? Another asked “So I guess I’m the aloof one?” I felt terrible!

Now granted, a blog post isn’t the same as using friends as a basis for a book character, but the result can be the same. I have a friend whose friends asked her to make them characters in one of her books. She used different Angry friend names but some physical and personality features as secondary characters, and two out of three were angry over how she’d portrayed them. They didn’t like the parts in the book she assigned them, didn’t like how she portrayed their personalities, didn’t like… Well, you get the picture.

Another friend told me that she based a cheater and womanizer on a former boyfriend and that he would recognize himself immediately. I advised her against going that route! No need making enemies on purpose when life throws enough roadblocks our way to begin with.

In Passionate Destiny, I broke that rule. I used a former boss as the basis for Margaret. If he read the book (which I’m certain he did not), he would have recognized himself in a skinny minute. The difference is, he would have laughed! He was the nicest man in the world, but he did have a snobbish side and he wasn’t afraid to show it. That’s what I drew on for Margaret as she moved from a professorship at a New Jersey college to rural Virginia, where people have to pump their own gas and folks chat at the grocery check-out counter. So maybe the trick in having characters resemble friends or family is to be sure they have the temperament to laugh at themselves.

Creating charactersWe all view people around us—their looks, their quirks, their actions—as fodder for rich characterization for our books. We can’t help it! But when it comes to those closest to us, maybe have a talk about what you have planned before writing.

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!

History, mystery, love, intrigue: Jan Selbourne!

This month my friend and partner in crime shares a view into her real world in Oz and her writing world in the mists of history. Welcome to Nomad Authors, Jan!

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book, The Proposition?
JS: In 2015 I visited the WW1 battlefields in Belgium and France where The Propositionmillions of young men perished in that awful war. Thousands of those war graves bear the inscription Known Only to God. That made me wonder if it was possible for a soldier to swap identity discs with another whose body was unrecognizable. London’s Imperial War Museum and the Australian War Memorial told me it was indeed possible although very risky. If caught, the soldier could face the death penalty. That was enough for me to begin The Proposition.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write The Proposition?
JS: First, emails to London’s Imperial War Museum and the Australian War Memorial. I researched the huge Battle of Amiens which helped turn the tide of the war. I researched the military demobilizing process, post war London and the value of money at that time. I walked London’s streets, visited the pubs and inns and train stations featured in the book to ensure the background was as authentic as possible.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from The Proposition?
JS: I want readers to feel they are there with the characters.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
JS: I’m retired now. My working years were in the dry world of accounting.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
JS: I’ve always had the urge to write but career and family came first until a change of direction in life five years ago. I had stories to tell and the time to tell them.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
JS: I think most of them were very surprised I actually published a book!

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
JS: My books start with an idea and I am a seat-of-my-pants writer.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
JS: Definitely the lovely, positive reviews, they make it all worthwhile. And, I must say the biggest thrill I had was holding a copy of my first book, Behind the Clouds, [that became] Perilous Love.Perilous Love

NA: Do you have quirky writing habits?
JS: Not that I know of. Perhaps what I think is normal might be very quirky to others!

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
JS: Sex scenes are the hardest.

Jan Selbourne books

NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
JS: Travel, if I can afford it.

NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
JS: Heck, I have dozens of favorite books but three that come to mind now are: Sara Dane by Catherine Gaskin, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, the biography of Sir Edward (Weary) Dunlop.

Perilous Love

NA: A pet peeve.
JS: Someone sniffling.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
JS: It was at the top of the pile this morning.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
JS: I’ll lie here for one more minute.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
JS: Ironing, although I avoid that like the plague. Coming home from shopping and realizing I must go back because I’d forgotten the main item.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
JS: Sir David Attenborough.

NA: What are you working on now?
JS: This interview. Oh, other than that I am working on a story set in Boston and England during the late 18th century.

Lies of Gold

Thank you for this interview, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jan

Author bio:

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales

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Buy links:

The Proposition
Perilous Love
Lies of Gold

A Duty to History

History was my favourite school subject and I guess its never left me. It’s fascinating to learn how each era played a part in shaping our world today. Historical novelsThanks to those scholars and writers with their quills and artists with brushes, we have priceless records of empires and monarchs, exploration of unknown continents, heroes and traitors and medical breakthroughs. The Magna Carta is an excellent example of history with us today.

That puts a big responsibility on authors writing in the historical genre. If we are writing a biography, we must research the facts or be shot out of the water by a history buff. If we write historical fiction, we must research that era to provide an accurate as possible background. We can’t put our characters into the Tudor era, for instance, without portraying that period warts and all. It was colourful, turbulent and brutal.

The Regency period is popular with authors and readers because it was a renaissance of fashion, architecture, literature and music. Beneath the glossRegency couple was poverty, a rigid class system, bigotry and ruthless punishments for petty crimes. An Irish ancestor of mine was transported in chains to Van Diemen’s Land penal colony (now Tasmania, Australia). The thirteen-thousand-mile journey, with appalling food and conditions, took over three months. Her crime was stealing fifteen shillings. Granted, it was a lot of money then and the penalty of fifteen years transportation was better than a public hanging.

Perilous LoveWhile writing Perilous Love, I visited the war memorials in Belgium and France. The devastation and brutality inflicted on those countries during World War One is faithfully preserved, and visiting the area helped me portray that terrible time in my book. I walked among the thousands of immaculately kept war graves, with so many bearing the sad inscription, “Known Only to God.” One was particularly poignant. An unknown Australian lay in an unmarked grave for 75 years before he was Australian soldier's slouch hatbrought home to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Australian War Memorial.

That made me wonder if it was possible for a soldier to take the identity discs of a fallen comrade who was virtually unrecognisable. In those days, war service records were hand written with basic details of name, marital status, religion, height, colour, weight. I was sure such a thing (exchanging identities) did happen, but I had to do my research. I contacted London’s Imperial War Museum and the World War One memorial plaqueAustralian War Memorial with that query. Both very kindly replied that yes it was possible, although the chances of being caught were high and the penalty very harsh. Neither would admit it did happen but it was good enough for me to begin writing my third book, The Proposition where one man enlists to avoid prison and another enlists to avoid the money lenders.

Thus, on the bloodied battlefields of France, Harry Connelly collapses beside the corpse of Andrew Conroy. It was a risk. A hanging offence, The Propositionactually. But it was also Harry’s only hope for a future. Harry swaps identity discs—and falls into more than he ever bargained for! Shortly after his return to London, a letter arrives with a proposition which plunges him into a nightmare of murder, jealousy and greed. To survive he must live this lie without a mistake.

Could I have written both Perilous Love and The Proposition without benefit of visiting the battlefields and museums of World War One, or without writing official organizations? Sure. But the realism which I add to my books would be missing. An historical author owes her readers accuracy and realism, and I do my best to provide both!

Thanks for reading!
Jan

Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen. After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring, she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales

Contact Jan:
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Break out the champagne! #MFRWauthor

For me, typing The End (literally or figuratively) has always been reason to celebrate. I love my characters, I love my plots, I love writing a book that I’m happy Celebrating The Endwith. But the thing I love the most? Getting to the end! By the time I’ve told their stories, my characters go away. I’ve never been interested in carrying on their stories into other books. A reviewer once asked me to write a sequel to my paranormal erotic romance Passionate Destiny, and while I’ve considered it, I haven’t made a move on it (yet).

Sometimes, “the end” can be something sad or distasteful. The conclusion of a relationship, for instance. Or the end of the circus parade, if you’re a Elephantscleanup person Often, “the end” means the unknown, which can be pretty scary. Is that light at the end of the tunnel something good, or the The end of the tunnel or a train?headlight of a train heading right for you? You might not know until it’s too late!

But the end of a book? It represents the completion of a creative process, the culmination of a lot of work and maybe a few tears. It’s something to be proud of—something not all that many people can do! Typing The End should be a celebration. It should be a chance to sit back and enjoy the moment for all that it means: the good, the triumphant, the zenith of writing a book.

Or maybe, as with a sequel to Passionate Destiny, it could mean something else. *sigh*The dreaded sequel

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!

Bad Reviews #MFRWauthor

I’m reminded of Shakespeare’s line in Henry VI, “…let’s kill all the lawyers!” except in my mind it’s “…let’s kill all the reviewers!” (Just kidding!) The line in the play is a mockery of what would happen if those who are meant to represent the accused are done away with. Chaos would result, along with the justice system. The writing world without reviewers would also suffer, though perhaps not collapse.

Reviewers present one person’s snapshot of a book, one person’s truth as he or she sees it, at the time they read the book, and so is not the end all, be all for the book or the author. Authors shouldn’t take it as such, either. So here are a few things to remember after you thrown a pillow against the wall (throw only soft, non-breakable stuff!) and cry into said pillow after you retrieve it.

  • Reviewers point out things wrong with our books that we can fix in our next book. Characters not cleanly drawn? Descriptions lack depth? Not enough (too much) emotion? Do better next time. Reviewers give us a chance to improve.
  • Reviewers aren’t God. They can make mistakes. They can be wrong. They can be totally off their rockers and… Well, let’s leave it there. Read what a reviewer says, evaluate it objectively to see if you feel they’re right, and then move on. Rehashing a criticism does no good.
  • Reviewers provide as much joy saying nice things as they do saying negative things. When I reviewed (yes, I’ve spent my time on the Dark Side), I always tried to say something nice even when I wasn’t particularly fond of a book. I also tried to phrase the good comments in a way the author could use it in a snippet for their website.
  • Reviewers are people, too. They appreciate being thanked for their work, even if you don’t feel like thanking them. Maybe they were having a bad day when they reviewed your book. A polite word might make all the difference the next one of your books they decide to read. Like chicken soup, it can’t hurt.
  • Reviewers are one way to publicize your book, so take everything good from a review that you can and (as my brilliant author friend, Jan Selbourne, says) flog it for all it’s worth!

Reviewers are good for the writing industry. If we are blessed with good reviews, thank goodness! If we are cursed with bad reviews, get the angst out of your system and keep on writing, taking any useful advice from the review that you can. Good luck!

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!

For a Killer Author, Zia Westfield!

Nomad Authors is happy to host an interview of Zia Westfield. She’s a very interesting writer! You might even say she’s a killer of an author!

Zia Westfield's Killer series

NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
ZW: I love gothic romances. There’s something about the atmosphere that grips you from the start. I also had in my head the movie, Gaslight. That was the inkling that got me started on Killer Lies, but I really didn’t know where I was going until I reached the end. 🙂

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
ZW: I set my story in western New York State, near the Pennsylvania border. I had fun researching what kind of smuggling took place during Prohibition. I also spent time learning about reptiles in the area.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
ZW: I hope readers walk away feeling fulfilled and feeling that Kelsey and Sam deserved the happiness that they found with each other.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time? What started you on the path to writing?
ZW: I have always been a voracious reader. I went through so many books growing up. I could never get enough. When I first came to Japan, it wasn’t easy to find English books and they cost a lot. Now with Amazon Japan and Kindle, books are only a click away. When my children were born, I was a stay-at-home mom. I itched to do something beyond childrearing and reading. I had all these voices in my head, demanding that I put their stories on paper. I started writing late at night, after my sons were in bed. It took a while, but I was never more proud than when I finished my first manuscript. I now teach fulltime. It can be tough sticking to a writing schedule after a long day at work. But those voices in my head won’t go away and so I make the time to write because it’s who I am.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
ZW: My family is generally proud of me, though no one has read anything I’ve written. LOL! My sons pat me on the back and tell me, “Good job.”

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
ZW: I’m shy about sharing my writing with others. I teach and I present at conferences. I’ve given speeches in my city with the local mayor in attendance. I am not shy as a person. But when it comes to my writing and promoting myself, I become a turtle. I’m really working on being more confident about my books.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
ZW: I really really want to outline my books. I feel like I could be more productive as a writer if I had a plan. The reality is that I often have a beginning in mind. If I’m lucky, I can manage to outline a general plan. But, when I sit down, I often veer off from that plan and end up writing by the seat of my pants. When that happens, it takes me time to figure out where I’m going next and making sure that all loose ends are appropriately tied. Maybe one day I’ll figure out the magic formula to plotting.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
ZW: I recently learned that my first book Killer Secrets placed in the Oklahoma RWA International Digital Awards contest for 2018. That other writers judged my novel to be worthy of such an award, really brought it home for me—I’m a writer and my stories entertain people. [NA: YAY!! Congratulations!]

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
ZW: Love scenes are the hardest for me to write. Some action and dialogue scenes will just flow from my fingertips. But writing love scenes that do not come off as clinical or mechanical is challenging! It’s important in a love scene that the connection between the characters jumps off the page. The reader has to believe that this is the right moment for these two characters to come together. If the chemistry is there, I know the scene will be the sensuous read I intend it to be.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
ZW: It’s comfortable! I am all about comfort. I wear flat-heeled shoes for the most part. I dress business casual for work. I like to move with ease and I like clothes that breathe. I also like bright colors. The shirt I have on is a lovely fuchsia color that lifts my spirits.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
ZW: Hmmm…I’m not sure about the first alarm. I’m lucky if I hear it. I set about 5 alarms on my phone, which drives my husband crazy. I am not a morning person. And until you get one cup of black coffee in me—preferably Peets French Roast—I am not even human. 😉

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
ZW: I don’t have a clothes dryer or a dishwasher. I’ll let you all guess what chores I despise! LOL!

NA: What are you working on now?
ZW: I am working on a novella that I hope to offer for free to people who sign up to my newsletter. It’s tentatively called Killer Date, but that might not remain the title. It features Melissa Carmichael, the sister of Sam Carmichael, the hero in Killer Lies. I’ve paired Melissa with Harry Fontana, a PI with attitude. It has my trademark excitement, suspense and romance with a dash of humor.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for Killer Deceptions, which should be released in Spring 2019.

Killer Lies

Killer Lies
Zia Westfield
(Deadly Encounters Series, #2)
Publication date: December 21st 2018
Genres: Adult, Suspense

Kelsey Tremayne’s life unraveled in the summer of her 16th year when she and a friend were abducted. She came out of the experience alive, but without memories of her abduction and her friend was never found. Rumors that she’d killed her friend in jealousy, and that she was mentally unstable, started and eventually her parents moved her away from Carville. Now, she’s back in Carville to settle her aunt’s estate. However, someone is watching her, playing with her mind. Could it even escalate to murder?

One man is willing to stand by her, protect her, and breach the barriers that have guarded her heart for so long.

Sam Carmichael stays focused on the job and keeps his personal interactions limited. The emotional instability of his wife and her subsequent suicide have made him leery of getting deeply involved with anyone. Even so, someone is targeting Kelsey Tremayne and the roots go back twelve years to an abduction that was never solved. As Sam is drawn deeper into the case, he can’t help admiring Kelsey’s strength and compassion and he vows to do everything he can to find the truth and bring her kidnapper to justice.

Can two people hurt by their pasts survive a criminal’s web to find a future together?

Goodreads Amazon USA Amazon UK Amazon Australia

Killer Secrets

Killer Secrets
Zia Westfield
(Deadly Encounters Series, #1)
Publication date: February 5th 2017
Genres: Adult, Suspense, Romance

With bills to pay, an orphaned niece to raise and her job on the line, Gemma Fitzgibbons needs a front-page story in order to keep her job. A serial killer and a corrupt detective, whose father was accused of corruption, offer headline possibilities, but when she confronts Jack Donahue, the detective is nothing like she expected.

Jack considers reporters to be bottom-feeders, and deep into the investigation of a series of murders in which the victim is posed with a wedding veil, he doesn’t have the time or inclination to delve into the scandal that ruined his father’s career. But Gemma won’t take no for an answer. Neither will she stop investigating the Wedding Veil Killer. When she attracts the attention of the killer, Jack is assigned to keep her safe. But Gemma isn’t about to hide away. She intends to use the leads she’s developed to help him track down the person responsible for the gruesome murders.

Torn between his dislike of reporters and his admiration for the smart, sexy, reporter he’s drawn deeper into the scandal in his father’s past–a scandal that someone will kill to keep hidden. But, when Gemma uncovers secrets about the scandal, and her life is threatened, Jack is determined to protect her. It’s also time to make a choice—leave the past buried or fight for the future.

Goodreads Amazon USA Amazon UK Amazon Australia

Zia WestfieldAuthor Bio
Zia Westfield creates suspenseful, exciting stories with romance at the heart of them. There is nothing more thrilling than watching two people fall in love despite the odds and the danger surrounding their every move.

She makes her home in Tokyo with her husband and three sons. She holds a full-time job, volunteers too much because she doesn’t know how to say “no,” and generally finds peace between the pages of a book or when she’s writing out the stories in her head.

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Excerpt from Killer Lies:

CHAPTER 1:
Sam Carmichael switched his high beams on and eased off the pedal as he drove the narrow mountain road. Fat raindrops splattered the windshield of the SUV in a steady torrent that even the windshield wipers working double time couldn’t keep up with.

The Tremayne mansion drive should be another half a mile up the road. He’d be glad to get there. The mountainside wasn’t known for landslides, but the amount of rain that had been coming down steadily had been causing a number of accidents throughout Carville. Best-case scenario, he’d see the crazy cat lady and get back into town before anything bad happened.

Thunder cracked overhead, followed by a flash of light that lit up the road, revealing towering trees on both sides. He also caught sight of the gate that signaled the Tremayne estate.

He made the turn and pulled up beside the box attached to the wall. He lowered his window, pushed the button and waited for a response.

He’d been out here years ago when he’d been riding patrol. A woman dressed in shawls and surrounded by dozens of cats, or so it had seemed, had answered the door. She’d insisted that he find the person who was trying to steal her cats.

Setting aside his private thoughts, he’d checked the house and the grounds, but had found no signs of anyone having been there.
He’d chalked it up to experience and had forgotten about it until tonight, when the desk Sergeant had roped him into coming to check out a report of a possible burglary before going home.

“Lucky me,” he said into the darkness.

“Excuse me?” The voice crackled across the intercom.

Sam leaned out, ignoring the rain that pelted him, and spoke loudly.

“Detective Sam Carmichael, Carville PD. I’m here about the burglary.” He pulled his head back in and waited for the gate to open. Instead, the intercom crackled to life once more.

“Would you show me your badge, Detective?”

Sam reminded himself that he had become a detective to serve the public, even on foul nights when man and beast knew better than to be outside. He fished his badge out of his pocket and thrust it out towards the camera. How the hell the person on the other side expected to see anything with the rain coming down like it was, he didn’t know.

The gate suddenly creaked and slowly began opening.

“You’re welcome,” Sam muttered.

While he waited for the opening to be large enough for him to drive through, he gave himself a stern talking to. Crazy cat lady or not, he would do his job and be professional. Some days were the pits and today ranked as one of them, but he wouldn’t let it interfere with his job.

He drove up the long drive, noting the overgrown lawn and the creepy vibe given off by the ivy crawling up every inch of the turreted mansion, the branches overhanging the drive, and the coldness that seemed to emanate from the dark exterior. Before he left tonight he would make a point to the person who called the stationhouse to add lights to dispel the gloom.

He pulled the SUV as close to the front porch as he could, but he was still soaked by the time he reached the top step.

He pushed the bell next to the door and prepared to meet the crazy cat lady.

The door opened, and Sam stared dumbfounded. The woman before him was dressed in shawls and a long dark grey skirt, and had one cat in her arms while another curled up on a straight back chair that butted up against the wall.

But she was years younger—younger than him, he’d guess—and punch-in-the-gut beautiful.

None of it made sense and he said the first words that popped into his mind.

“What happened to the other crazy cat lady?”
***
Kelsey Tremayne winced at the question. When she’d opened the door, she hadn’t been sure what to expect. The security system needed a major upgrade. She had barely been able to hear the detective identify himself, and the rain and poor camera quality had made it impossible to see his badge clearly.

Though she’d debated the risk in letting him approach, she had decided to chance it. She gripped the pepper spray she held in her hand which was concealed by the shawls. It hadn’t been easy to call the police given her history with them, in fact, her stomach still felt queasy over the decision, but she needed the incidents on record.

Crazy cat lady, indeed.

“Please come in, Detective.” She stepped back and petted Sabina, the white Persian mix that had sought comfort in her arms when the thunder had started.

The detective entered, dripping water on the wood floor, and surveyed her from head to foot. He was tall, over six feet, if she had to guess, with a rangy build, brown close-cropped hair, and a stubborn jaw.

Kelsey could imagine what he saw. A not-very-tall, not-very-short, brown-haired, brown-eyed female with more cats than friends. Okay, he wouldn’t be able to guess the last, but it wouldn’t take long for him to stumble onto the truth.

Then again maybe he already knew it. After all, he’d asked about the other cat lady.

ROMANCE!! Sweet or hotter than a firestorm, check out BVS

I’ve been very fortunate to be associated with wonderful publishers (like Liquid Silver Publishing (my first publisher), Siren-Bookstrand, and now, Black Velvet Seductions (aka BVS)). I think you would enjoy books from any of them, but right now I’d like to tell you more about BVS.

Black Velvet Seductions

Yes, this is a shameless plug, but I wouldn’t talk about BVS here if I didn’t The Brute and Ifeel strongly about the brand. I can vouch for the fact that BVS publishes all kinds of romance, from, well from me to my partner in crime, Jan Selbourne, who writes historical romance. Writers like Alice Renaud, Patricia Elliott, Callie Carmen (just finished Nicolas and you should try it!), K.L. Ramsey, SuzanneA Merman's Choice Smith, and many others whose books I’ve been enjoying in the last year will make your heart happy. BVS searches out some of the best writers and pairs them with some of the finest graphic artists around (Jessica Greeley is especially talented!) for covers. Ric Savage, the man who runs BVS, strives for excellence in every aspect of the publishing process. Honestly, I’ve never worked with a publishing house who does more to help authors present their books to the readers.

So how can you find out about BVS? New books and special deals are showcased in the newsletter. I chatted with Ric Savage who runs BVS and asked what his vision is for the publishing house. He told me, “In the 5 years I have managed BVS, it has been my goal to get the books of our talented authors in the hands of romance readers. We like to get to know our readers and what they think. We are constantly looking to get their views and reactions to the stories. I have always seen that as a two-way street, and I think it only right to offer readers a chance to read our books at favorable prices. We offer new books to preorder at 99 cents. We also offer freebies at times. A way of keeping in touch is through our newsletter. It is very simple to be an Insider, you just sign up to our newsletter, and we will keep you up to date with freebies, deals, and our latest news!”

I hope you do subscribe! It’s an honor to be among some of the best romance writers and to work with BVS. I know you will agree.

Dee

Prologue: Worthwhile beginnings #MFRWauthor

I love prologues. Reading them sets the stage for me and gets my anticipation humming. And writing them is like adding backstory—which we all like to add Great opener!before it’s needed—without actually involving the main characters. It’s a win-win!

As I’ve mentioned before, when I first started writing several people told me one of the “rules” was that prologues were not popular and I would be better off not writing them. Most of the time I didn’t. But when I began adding prologues, readers told me their interest went up. So what’s the deal in encouraging writers not to use a technique that seems to work for readers?

For me, the trick is to write a prologue with action. It shouldn’t be more than a few pages, and usually not as long as a chapter. This isn’t the time to build a full character study. I like to tweak the reader (any reader, including…well you can see for yourself) with action tCute dog readinghat will have them asking, “What’s next?” Of course, both the character in the prologue—often the villain—and the action itself has to lead to the main character, but without actually having him/her appear. Build suspense. Leave character development to the book’s chapters.

That’s my take on prologues, anyway. What is yours? Do you like them, to read or write?

Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.

Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!

Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!

99 cents! Shopping for a Billionaire’s Baby: Julia Kent

Shopping for a Billionaire's Baby

Description:

You know what’s even better than marrying a billionaire? Having his baby.

We’re ready. We’ve studied and planned, read all the birth and labor books, researched parenting classes, consulted our schedules, and it’s time.

And by we I mean me.

Declan’s just ready for the “have lots of sex” part. More than ready.

But there’s just one problem: my husband and his brother have this little obsession with competition.

And by little, I mean stupid.

That’s right.

We’re not just about to try to bring a new human being into the world.

We have to do it better, Faster, Stronger.

Harder.

McCormick men don’t just have babies.

They engage in competitive billionaire Babythons.

I thought the hardest part about getting pregnant would be dealing with my grandchild-crazed mother, who will go nuts shopping for a billionaire’s baby.

Wrong.

Between conception issues, my mother’s desire to talk to the baby through a hoo-haw cam, a childbirth class led by a drill sergeant and a father-in-law determined to sign the kid up for prep school before Declan even pulls out, my pregnancy has turned out to be one ordeal after the other.

But it’s nothing — nothing — compared to the actual birth.

Shopping for a Billionaire’s Baby is the newest book in Julia Kent’s New York Times bestselling romantic comedy series and is a 400+ page full-length novel.

Julia Kent and Billionaires

Buy links:

Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076CS73LM/

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shopping-Billionaires-Baby-Julia-Kent-ebook/dp/B076CS73LM/

Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/Shopping-Billionaires-Baby-Julia-Kent-ebook/dp/B076CS73LM

Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/Shopping-Billionaires-Baby-Julia-Kent-ebook/dp/B076CS73LM

BN https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shopping-for-a-billionaires-baby-julia-kent/1127308035?ean=2940158710971

Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shopping-for-a-billionaires-baby/id1195376110?mt=11

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/shopping-for-a-billionaire-s-baby

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julia_Kent_Shopping_for_a_Billionaire_s_Baby_Shopp?id=Me45DwAAQBAJ

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36433312-shopping-for-a-billionaire-s-baby

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/books/shopping-for-a-billionaire-s-baby-by-julia-kent

Billionaire's Baby

Excerpt:

First morning urine is precious cargo. My Kegel muscles kick in and I halt midstream, panicking, my wet thighs making me slip slightly forward on the toilet seat, and–

I drop the test into the toilet.

“DAMN!” I scream. My vaginal wall muscles are clamped down like the Hoover Dam holding back an unexpected early thaw, and I involuntarily shake the urine off my hand, flinging droplets all over the rest of me. I jump up, turn around, and try to retrieve the ruined test.

Just then, a whuff of cold air assaults my bare ass. Declan has apparently opened the bathroom door.

“What’s wrong? I heard you scream. Are you…” His voice trails off as I look at him, hand in the toi-let, naked ass on display, single-handedly proving that taking a pregnancy test is, in fact, rocket sci-ence after all.

“We have got to stop meeting like this,” he says softly, closing the door before bursting into laughter.

Now I know why they sell pregnancy tests in packages of two.

Shopping for a Billionaire's Baby

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.

Sale blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Keren Hughes: Out of the Ashes cover reveal

Out of the Ashes

TITLE: Out of The Ashes
AUTHOR: Keren Hughes

Cover Design By: Jessica Greeley
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Models: Tiffany Marie and Robert W.

Publication Date: TBC

Keren Hughes

An upcoming stand-alone romance with all the feels, plenty of sass and steamy scenes. Out of The Ashes is being praised as Keren Hughes’s best book to date.

Out of the Ashes

Blurb:

After the divorce from hell, Jenna Morgan swears off men. But could the town “bad boy” be the one to make her break that oath?

Freeing herself from the constraints of her ex, she decides to do the one thing she always wanted to but was never allowed; get a tattoo.
Nate Peterson is the town bad boy and owner of Blank Canvas tattoo parlour. Walking into his shop could change her life in more ways than one.

Her interfering best friend, Brogan, ropes Jenna into attending a speed-dating event at the local pub where they work. Meeting a guy is the last thing she wants, but Brogan won’t let her off the hook that easily.

After meeting business-savvy lawyer Levi, she’s intrigued enough to tick his box on the stupid little card Brogan gave her. But then she bumps into Mr Tall Dark and Brooding, and it seems like fate has other plans.

At the insistence of Brogan, she decides to go on a date with each of them. There’s no harm in one date, right?!

Not realising that something as simple as a date could leave her wanting more, she sees and feels herself falling for the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

With his brooding exterior and air of mystery, Nate lures her in like a lamb to the slaughter and Jenna finds herself going all too willingly.
But after a couple of crazy months together, a tragedy tears them apart. Nate is lost in a sea of grief that threatens to drown him, and he finds himself pushing everyone away, including Jenna.

When her controlling mother throws a party that requires her attendance, Jenna finds herself coming face to face with the one she rejected.
Feeling conflicted, Jenna walks away before making a choice that threatens to break her heart.
Racing after her, Levi doesn’t want to let a second chance slip through his fingers.

Upon realising his momentous mistake, Nate wants to win her back. But can he earn her trust again? Did he destroy everything he wanted but never knew he needed?

Will fate help push the pair back together or will it tear them asunder?

Keren Hughes