Sunday, September 30, 2012

Today's emotional forecast

I have never had a problem with writing stories.  In fact, sometimes I have too many stories to write and I have multiple projects at one time.  It has happened nearly too many times, that readers say, "who is this?" because one character from one book has slipped into the other.  I'm usually never trying to get over writer's block, can't say I've ever had it.  But in this house I don't think my family of 6 men watch my calendar to find out when there is PMS week...they're better off to read my books as I write them to find out what kind of emotions my characters are in.

In order to translate the emotions that come with characters in books, you have to feel them. If you've never picked up a book and been happy, sad, and deliriously in love with a made up character, then you aren't reading good books.  A good writer can take you on the journey of a lifetime with words. You'll fall in love with men that don't exist  You'll want to pack up and move to a town that was made up in the mind of the author. And heaven forbid you break the heroines heart...you'll find many many angry readers.But in order to write stories like that you have to feel it.

I know that when I'm writing that giddy fall in love stage, my husband usually gets more attention. To describe a great kiss you have to go have one! But these men aren't usually forewarned when the relationship in my book takes that downward fall.  They don't know my characters are fighting. Mom doesn't feel good because my main character's insides are twisted up because her heart is breaking. Really, I should have a mood forecast for them.  It would only be fair.  BEWARE: MALE CHARACTER HAS LEFT TOWN AND FEMALE CHARACTER IS GLOOMY.

Oh, but then what fun would it be if in real life you weren't taken by surprise like you are in a book. I've had people come up to me and say, "I'm mad at you. You killed of so and so." or "I didn't see that coming!"

Today my character is exhausted. Oh she has a lot on her mind! I, on the other hand, was up to late giving her things to worry about.  I should have known I'd need a nap from all of her emotions. So today's forecast will read NAP: MOM IS TIRED BECAUSE HER CHARACTER HAD A ROUGH NIGHT.

Click here for buy links for my Bestselling Keller Family Series


The Executive's Decision, A Second Chance, and Opposite Attraction are now available. Center Stage will release December 6, 2012.

Friday, September 28, 2012

I'm no expert by any means, or am I?

I'm no expert by any means, or am I?

I remember taking classes or going to seminars and thinking, "I can't imagine I'll ever know enough about anything to be an expert." I mean how do people take something, that sometimes is so basic, and make it so that the world wants to know all about it? It was a fascinating thought really.

I think back to some of my first jobs. I grew up in an industrial food warehouse and one of my first jobs was to fold boxes. Tedious job, really. Lots of cardboard cuts. But after years of doing this, my sister and I could knock out hundreds of boxes in an hours time with great efficiency   Every once in awhile you'd get another employee who walked by and they'd challenge you. "Oh, I can do that faster than you." Once they got their arms tangled up in a knot, they backed down. Now I wasn't near as fast as my sister, she had much better skill than I did, but I realized then... I was an expert at folding boxes. And wouldn't you know it, in time I had to share that knowledge and teach someone else.

A few years later I was in the beauty industry. I started as a nail care professional and later went back to school to complete my cosmetology license.  I was nineteen when I got my first license.  I was twenty when I opened my first salon, did I know anything...not one thing! But I had a drive. I competed and I took classes. I made allies with others in the profession and we fed off of each other. In time I was winning those contests, I was attending seminars and thinking, "I know all of this."  Soon people were asking me how to do certain techniques, and I had clients quitting their jobs to go to school so they could come to work for me. What was going on? Oh! I'm an expert in my field and people are inspired by what I know.

Well would you look at that, I was an expert.

I'm the kind of person who picks up careers. I'm fascinated by so many things that I learn all that I can. And, I'm a chronic entrepreneur  so if the skill I have learned can be made into some kind of business, then by golly I'm going to take it to the extreme   Once again, I'm just a tiny fish in a huge ocean. I'm no expert by any means, and I'm faking it to make it. Questions are asked, and I'll find the answer. Ah-ha...now I'm the one with the knowledge. That learning experience is a scary place to be, but soon it pays off.

Now I am an author and a publisher. I can tell you I am seriously no expert in this field. So I went to conferences. I sat in awe of the authors and agents who would put together a panel and tell you what you should do. These people were amazing, and do you know if I listened, sometimes their advice worked.

Soon I was a writing fool.  Books were being written by the dozen. "How do you do that? How can you write like that?" Oh it's simple.  Just puke it out.  Get it on the paper and then go back when you're done and make it shine. It made sense to people. They began to write!

I got a contract (because I'd listened to the experts and those who criticized my work "constructively").  Soon I was learning what these contract clauses meant and how the process worked.  Who knew I'd become an expert on knowing when you'd made a superior mistake!  But now I was an expert on that too.  Many people have asked me my opinion on that, because they knew I could help steer them in the right direction. Hmmm.  So I went out on my own. My editor coddled me and helped me along, until one day she said, "You really don't need me anymore." OMG what am I going to do now? With some thought I took her advice, and I became my own writing content expert.  Four of the books we'd worked on together (8 of them to be exactly) had gone bestseller.  Could I uphold my reputation and create another one without her? I could if I took it upon myself to be an expert at my own voice.

What do you know.  I knew what I was doing! I wrote a book that met the needs of those who read me.  Many reviews quoted it as being the best of the series and it went bestseller on a pre-sale. Could I have seriously become an author with an expertise? Well, I must have. I have authors by the dozens email me daily asking for advice.  I have more coffees and dinners purchased on my behalf because people need me.  I'm an expert they can turn to.  I know how to start and finish a book. I know what it should sound like, how to finish the formatting, and even how to get it published.

Once at a seminar to sell kitchen wares the person teaching the session said, "If you don't know what you're doing act like you do.  If you want to be a sales director, tell them you're a sales director.  You can't be what you don't think you are."  Well now wasn't that the best advice ever?

The day I called myself an author, then I took seriously enough the job.  When I had my first white belt tied around my waist as a martial artist I was introduced to the class as the next black belt of the school... In 3 weeks I'll receive my 2nd degree.  Who would have thought.  I think I'm an ideal parent (with 5 growing boys) and others must think I do a good job as they ask for my advice often. The other day I colored a clients hair blue on accident.  I am now an expert on how to fix that.

There is the old saying, "you are what you eat," well how about "you are what you think." If you're too afraid to stand up and show the world what you know, and not gracious enough to learn what it has to show you, well then you'll always be average. But if you think you have something to share with the world, and there is someone willing to listen, then you are an expert in something, no matter how simple the topic.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Interview with author Sherri A. Dub


 Today I would like to welcome multi-published author Sherri Dub to the Warrior Princess Romance Writer Blog!

What genre(s) do you write?
I write Paranormal Romance and YA Steampunk Romance.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a plotter who gets all her research done, an outline made and then I pants my way through writing the book.  Usually, it takes several versions to complete the end product.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
 I hope people read my stories and can relate to the situations the characters find themselves in.  If I am writing about werewolves or witches, I want the reader to believe that if they were actual people they met, their life problems were easy to relate to and accept.  It’s important to me that the reader becomes attached to my characters.

What other careers have you had?
I’ve been an archaeologist, a dental assistant and a commercial fisherman in Alaska. 
When people ask me how I managed those 3 careers and ended up a writer, I try to explain that when I spent 16 years in Alaska it was either work hard in a variety of fields or starve.  You learn to adapt and accept that you can do anything.
Alaska is an intense state, with beautiful people and opportunities, not for the faint of heart.  And, while it was wonderful living there for as long as I did, I’ve retired to write on the Big Island of Hawaii and it feels deserved.

Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.
Right now, I am working on a YA Steampunk romance trilogy.  I am not sure when I will have it out and ready for publication, as I may enter it in the RWA Golden Heart.

My website is:  http://www.sheropatra.com

Published works:
GODDESS COTTAGE
THE WITCH BALL
THRESHOLD OF BONES

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Interview with Author GL Briggs



Today I am honored to have Paranormal/Supernatural author GL Briggs!  Thank you for joining us!


What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

My favourite thing about being a writer is sitting at my desk and writing down ideas that have been in my head, watching them grow into real stories, and knowing people are reading and enjoying them.

What genre(s) do you write?

I write in the supernatural/paranormal genre. I have written a couple or three children’s stories, but they will never see the light of day. Right now, I am concentrating on getting the immediate ideas out of my head and onto paper (computer), but I would like to try my hand at other genres. I have a fantasy novel idea that I am working on, and want to see how that goes in the near future.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The hardest part is moving on to the next chapter. Trying to finish a chapter when my inner grammar buzzer won’t be quiet is very hard. Getting the words out in the first draft is a matter of simply writing and getting it down, which is an alien concept to me. It was a hard lesson, but worth learning.
Another difficult part for me was knowing that, within the supernatural genre, I was writing books about demons, when the world was reading about vampires and zombies. Having faith in myself and knowing I was doing the right thing for me, was a challenge.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A little bit of both. I plot the first five chapters and the last chapter in the book before I start writing. Then when the writing process has begun, the characters shape the way the story actually unfolds and gets us to the end.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?

I hope readers take with them a slight sense of fear of the unknown. Maybe it could happen, maybe not. Satisfaction in the story is another thing I hope readers feel when they reach the end of one of my books.

How long have you been a writer?

I have been a writer for a year now. I have always wanted to write, but life tends to take over. I’ve recently found the time to write, as my children are all grown up now, and I  enjoy the peace and quiet this brings which allows me to write in peace.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?

I began writing Fabled Enigma in August of 2011, and it was finished, edited and published in February 2012. My latest novel, Exorcism of the Species, was started in March 2012, finished in July and edited and published on 30 August 2012.

Are any of your characters based on real people or events?

Some of the events in the books are loosely based on experiences in my life. Only one character is based on an actual person, but I’m not going to reveal who. The person asked to be included in my book, and I thought ‘why not’. But the character was changed just enough that only the friend knows which character it is.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?

A Woman of Substance was an amazing novel and shaped the way I thought of the world. Bless the Child is another novel that spoke to me.

How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

I have had a mixed responses from both family and friends. Some were shocked and surprised, others thought my writing was a ‘phase’ I was going through, and others still never even raised an eyebrow. They are all mostly supportive now though, which I am thankful for.

Where are you from?

I’m from Manchester in the UK.

How do you come up with the titles?

Fabled Enigma, my first novel was originally named Stealth. I changed it one morning on a whim that popped into my head. My second novel, Exorcism of the Species was names so because the first book talked about the subject, and the book is all about exactly what the title says.

Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?

My life has not changed at all. The only thing that has changed has been my mindset on the writing process.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?

I definitely multi-task. At the moment I’m working on three or more projects, including the third book in the Stealth series, which will see a Christmas release, hopefully.

When not writing, how do you relax?

I read, a lot. I have a kindle and it never leaves my side. I always seem to have at least four books that I am reading at once.

Please share with us your future projects and upcoming releases.

I have just released my second novel, Exorcism of the Species, on August 30th 2012, and I am proud to say that it reached number 4 in the supernatural best sellers list on Amazon, on its release day. It’s still in the top 30 in the supernatural category, and I hope it remains so for a long time.





Humanity is in danger of extinction from an otherworldly race of savage creatures hell bent on revenge for their banishment from the physical realm eons ago. They aim to take back what was once theirs, the physical realm, by culling the human race. They are coming through an open portal into this realm in their thousands and spreading across the whole country, waiting for the signal to begin their invasion.

It's a race against time as Elena has no choice but to join forces with her enemy and enter the forsaken realm to search for the lost items needed to re-enact the banishment of so long ago.

Join them on their journey through the forsaken realm. Travel with them as they battle creatures, tackle obstacles, and seek to avoid letting the savageness of the realm change their very souls. 

Each group seeks the means to exorcise the other species from existence.

Only one race can survive.


 Thank you, GL Briggs for stopping by.  Before you go will you please share any links you have so readers can find you.


Friday, September 21, 2012

Dark Fae- A Wild Ride into Celtic Lore


Dark Fae- A Wild Ride into Celtic Lore
Today I welcome Shannon Mayer to the blog and a look at her new release!




 Overview of “Dark Fae”
With Chaos free in the world, Quinn finally faces the truth. She must kill the one she has spent her life trying to protect in order to save the world. But with leader of the Tuatha against her, her own brother seeking her blood and the world in upheaval, Quinn may not see the day that prophecy has claimed will come to pass.

At least, not without a sword that no longer exists.











Praise for the Celtic Legacy Series . . .
"This is a story of integrity, determination, sisterly bonds, and courage laced with fear. The characters are multi-layered, and they come to life in Mayer's skillful hands."

“Start with "Dark Waters", hang onto your hat through "Dark Isle" then hold your breath waiting eagerly for the final volume. I'm telling you, this series will take you to another, better place. I'm going to read all of Ms. Mayer's stories. I'm a fan!”

“When I found out this was a trilogy, I had to go back and get book one. Very good story and I literally could not put either book down.”

“Of the myriad fantasies I have read this summer, this one stands out among the best. Shannon Mayer brings some very old magic into the modern world, and the result is a wild ride through West Coast forest, the shining Pacific and beyond. She creates characters we can care about in a setting we can see, feel and smell.










Dark Waters, Celtic Legacy Book 1- http://amzn.to/HkLUP3

Dark Isle, Celtic Legacy Book 2- http://bit.ly/NWJd7dR4F 
Dark Fae, Celtic Legacy Book 3- http://amzn.to/SpnBTs
To learn more about me and my books please check out my blog, http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Launch Day for MJ Kane!


It's launch day for another wonderfully talented author from 5 Prince Publishing!  Please welcome M.J. Kane!

A Heart Not Easily Broken
By
MJ Kane
              

Available from 5 Prince Publishing www.5princebooks.com  books@5princebooks.com
Genre: Fiction/African American / Contemporary Women/ Romance/ Contemporary Women/ Contemporary/ Interracial Romance and Women’s Fiction
Release Date: September 20 2012
Digital ISBN 13: 978-1-939217-02-8 ISBN 10: 1939217024
Print ISBN 13: 978-1-939217-03-05 ISBN 10: 1939217032

A Heart Not Easily Broken
Ebony is a smart, sexy, career-oriented black woman who wants nothing more than a summer fling with a man who challenges her mind and body. What she doesn’t expect is a blond haired, blue-eyed bass player—who won’t take “no” for an answer—to accept the challenge. 

When Ebony’s attempt at a brief fling turns into more, despite negative reactions from friends and family, she finds juggling love, family, and career are nothing compared to the ultimate betrayal she endures. Now her dreams spiral into lies and secrets that threaten her future and her best friend’s trust. 



M.J. Kane stumbled into writing. An avid reader, this stay at home mom never lost the overactive imagination of an only child. As an adult she made up stories, though never shared them, to keep herself entertained. It wasn’t until surviving a traumatic medical incident in 2006 that she found a reason to let the characters inhabiting her imagination free.  Upon the suggestion of her husband, she commandeered his laptop and allowed the characters to take life. It was that, or look over her shoulder for men caring a purple strait jacket. And the rest, as they say, is history.
No longer a television addict, if M.J. isn’t reading a book by one of her favorite authors, she’s battling with her creative muse to balance writing and being a wife and mother. She resides in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia with her high school sweetheart, four wonderful children, and two pit bulls. MJ can often be found hanging out at the local library where she is director of a local writer’s group, or online connecting with readers and other authors. Other activities she enjoys include: creating custom floral arrangements, assisting her children in their creative pursuits of music and art, and supporting her husband’s music production business, 3D Sounds.
You can find MJ on social networking sites, sharing writing tips, talking about music, life, and family. She’s always excited to meet new people. Connect with her via the websites below. 

Author Contact Info:
MJ Kane:


The Butterfly Memoirs Series:




Excerpt from A Heart Not Easily Broken:
The song ended, and I opened my eyes to cheer with the rest of the crowd. I was noticed all right. Various men in my immediate vicinity threw out catcalls and whistles, which were flattering, but the drummer paid me no attention. In fact, no one in the band seemed to notice me, except for one man.
One of the guitar players watched me intently. Astonished, I nearly stumbled in my heels. He was attractive but… he was white, not what I was aiming for. My lips tilted in a small smile before I moved out of his line of sight, placing myself in front of dancers who’d moved closer to the stage blocking my view of the drummer.
The next song played, and again, I tried to get lost in the music. My eyes closed, it was impossible to find my groove again without feeling stalked. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, drawing my attention down the length of the stage and to the guitar player, who once again, watched me with a predatory gleam in his eye. When the song ended, I worked my way back to the bar.  
Neither Yasmine nor Kaitlyn were there.  They must have gone to the bathroom.
“What can I get you, miss?” the bartender asked, interrupting my thoughts.
Music from the loud speakers blasted again, after the MC announced the band was taking a brief intermission.
“Margarita, extra shot of tequila, please.” The bartender nodded and went to fill my order.
“Did you get a load of the blond guitar player? He’s hot!”
My attention turned to a busty brunette who’d taken up temporary residence in the empty seat next to me. I recognized her as being one of the women who’d been dancing next to me. She adjusted her boobs, primping while talking to her friend.
“He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going home with him tonight,” she continued. Her friend giggled.
Good luck. She had a better chance than I did of finding a man tonight.
“Here you go.” The bartender placed a napkin in front of me with my drink.
“I’ve got this,” a deep voice said close to my ear, making me jump. It was incredibly sexy despite the fact it scared me. It also sent a warm tingle down my spine. Intrigued, I turned and found myself face-to-face with the guitar player. The same one my barstool neighbor wanted to go home with.
Any sort of coherent words failed me.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A tribute to Joseph Mistrulli

Today my blog was dedicated to the Remembrance of September 11, 2001. In my blog I honor Joseph Mistrulli as someone I have never met and only have a distant connection to by chance.  This week I have been honored to connect with his daughter.  I would like to, as my final tribute of today, share with you a poem she wrote in honor of her father.


IN HONOR OF JOSEPH MISTRULLI
This poem was written by his daughter Angela Mistrulli

Who will walk me down the aisle
Who will lift my veil and smile
Who will dance with me to our song
Dancing with anyone else to butterfly kisses would just feel so wrong
Who will catch my tears before fall
Who will love me with the greatest love of all
Who will protect me from all that i fear
I dont understand why you cant be near
Who will be at my high school graduation 
Who will give me a standing ovation
Who will be proud of me no matter what i choose to do
Daddy no one could ever take the place of you


Joseph Misturlli

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Launch Day for Carmen DeSousa's ENTANGLED DREAMS

Today is LAUNCH DAY of Carmen DeSousa's third book with 5 Prince Publishing, ENTANGLED DREAMS. Life is not a fairy tale and again, Carmen brings to us likeable characters who are flawed and the reader cheers them on until the end.



When Alexandra Nicole was eight, she thought she was a princess in a fairytale. But after a tragic accident shatters her magical life, she finds herself in a cold and heartless reality.

As an adult, she once again faces harsh truths and decides to take control of her destiny. Unfortunately, choices have a way of entangling her dreams and pushing her down a dark and dismal path.

Alexandra must trust her instincts to escape danger, but be able to surrender all to find her happily ever after. Knowing how to decipher the difference, will be her toughest challenge.





While Carmen DeSousa does not write "Christian" books, she does share her characters' Christian beliefs. Her characters are real people who come with real flaws; no perfect people allowed.
She characterizes her stories as modern-day fairytales, as they are overflowing with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of her novels are sensual, but not erotic, gripping but not graphic and will hopefully make you cry, laugh, love, and hope.
Both of her published novels, She Belongs to Me and Land of the Noonday Sun, have reached bestseller status right alongside Nicholas Sparks, J.D. Robb, and other great authors.






Enjoy the prologue of ENTANGLED DREAMS

Prologue


As a child, Alexandra Nicole was a princess in a fairytale. Her royal family would spend every Sunday on the pristine beaches of Destin together. Her father, the king, would carry her on his shoulders, pretending to be her noble steed as he pranced around at her behest. He would battle dragons, the vicious Chihuahua that chased them; conquer new worlds, also known as a sand dune further down the beach; and build elaborate castles, well actually, sandcastles.
If her father was the king, then her mother was most definitely the queen. She would laugh softly under her umbrella as she watched Alexandra and her father roll in the gentle surf. When her mother did venture into the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico, her long, platinum hair would blow softly in the breeze, her blue eyes sparkled like the water below her, and her skin glistened from the ever-present sunshine in their lives.
But alas, as in any good fairytale, everything good and wonderful must come to an end.
After the tragic accident that snatched her mother away from Alexandra, her father moved them away from the beaches of Destin to another beach in Florida. Cocoa Beach.
Cocoa Beach was loud, the water murky, and there were no weekend adventures as there had been in Destin.
Her father married her evil stepmother, Lilith, who Alexandra was certain was a witch with her long, black as midnight hair and pale-white skin as if she’d never seen sunlight. Her father had admitted he wasn’t in love with Cruella, as she had come to think of the witchy woman, but that he’d wanted Alexandra to have a mother and siblings.
Well, she definitely got that.
The king started staying out later and later at night, and the princess had to do excessive amounts of chores around her new castle. Her stepmother treated her like a pariah; certainly, she’d rather have the dogs at their dinner table. Her stepsisters were ugly inside and out and were forever jealous of Alexandra and her golden-blonde tresses. Anything nice Alexandra ever received mysteriously disappeared.
Alexandra knew something was wrong with her father, but she was too young to understand. Her father, forever the happy-go-lucky guy, had turned to drinking to drown his troubles. 
It sounds like your typical fairytale, but it isn’t. There are no furry creatures to help the princess prepare a gown for the prom, no fairy godmother to waive her magic wand and produce glass slippers. In fact, at age sixteen Alexandra found herself living on her own with no family contact and no prospects of a healthy, normal life.
Alexandra had only one advantage, if you could call it that. Alexandra was beautiful. But so far, her beauty had not opened any doors; actually, it had only caused her misery.
      The only people who welcomed Alexandra were the outcasts. The parents of other losers in school fortunately didn’t care who slept over and what they did when they stayed the night. So, Alexandra Nicole, now deciding to go by Nicky, as she was no longer a princess, found herself wandering from house to house throughout her remaining high school years. 
     And then she met him…