FoOL FoR BooKS GiVEaWaY HoP! With some RPM!

I fell off my bike yesterday and broke my arm, leg and I have a concussion. I think the words fell out of my head. The doctors say I may not make it. But the good news is, I lost some weight!

APRIL FOOLS!!!

I almost said I was pregnant, but knowing my luck, it would be true! So here we are. Celebrating. The day of Fools.

Are you a fool? For books?

I Am A Reader Not A Writer is hosting this sucker!

My giveaway is $10 to Amazon.

It's lower this time because I am going to participate in a hop this summer with the same host and giveaway a Kindle HERE on this BLOG! YAY!

So anyway, what do you have to do, you ask?


Well, let's see. Do you follow me? Check.
Did you put your email in the comments? Check.

You're entered!

Here are the awesomes blogging fools doing the giveaway. Get out there and win something. Remember 10% finders' fee!



Dineen Miller RETURNS! Authursday

Dineen Miller

Genre(s): Christian Life/Love & Marriage, Women’s fiction with supernatural elements

Titles:

Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage (Regal)

The Soul Saver (Barbour—Summer/Fall 2012)

A Love Meant to Be, a novella—Rendezvous in Central Park (Barbour—April 2012)

Website: http://www.winninghimwithoutwords.com/

Blog: http://www.spirituallyunequalmarriage.com/

http://www.dineenmiller.com/

Twitter:

@sumarriage or @dineenmiller

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spiritually-Unequal-Marriage/

http://www.facebook.com/dineen.miller

State: California, USA

You write nonfiction and fiction – which do you prefer and why? What are the difficulties of each and the pleasures as well?

That’s a really good question, Bonnie. I think I like them both equally. Nonfiction is a tad easier in the sense that you don’t have to worry about whether you’ve dropped a thread or changed the color of your character’s eyes half way through the book. The chapters tend to be somewhat independent of each other, yet still linked in theme. And I find I still use fiction techniques to write compelling nonfiction. I think finding a salable and unique idea is the hard part. You have to invest time to build a platform.

As for fiction, I love the depth and creativity of building characters and putting them in worlds fraught with issues that test their faith and push them to grow beyond who they started out to be. I think writing like that excites me the most. That’s when the characters become almost real and take residence in our hearts. The hard part, for me at least, is not losing the feel of my characters if I’m unable to write for a while. That’s something I’m working on changing at the moment. Now that I have more contracts, I’m letting go of my design business for a while. Less distractions. Yay!

What was The Call like for Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage?

Tearful. Literally. Lynn got the email from our editor, Kim Bangs at Regal, then forwarded it on to me and called. I started crying and couldn’t believe it. In fact, I was so choked up, I couldn’t talk on the phone when I called my husband with the news. He thought something horrible had happened. Poor guy… It was just so unexpected, to be honest. I’d set in 2004 to get published in fiction. Never imagined I’d wind up part of a growing ministry with a book. God has a way of taking our dreams and molding them into something better. He loves to wow us.

Favorite book ever read: The Bible. It just never gets old, you know? ;-)

Do your characters have a “fate”? Or do they get to choose where their story goes? A little of both, I think. I pretty much know what’s going to happen to them by the end. I did have an antagonist argue with me for a day though. Never had that happen before. But he was a character who started out good, and had good intentions, but one bad decision after another lead him to a dark path. He didn’t want to be evil and tried to convince me he was good. I finally had to tell him to shut up. Hasn’t happened again.

How do you do your research? As I’m writing. I’m a seat of the pants writer, so I don’t always know what research I will need. One book I wrote actually took major chunks of time to research because it dealt with genetic modification. That was fun though. Love the Internet. I love genetics!  DNA anyone?

Is your “real life” comparable at all to the stories you write?  The Soul Saver is probably the closest to my real life in that it’s about a spiritually mismatched couple. What was freaky on that story is that when I started it, I knew the husband was a physics professor at Stanford University and that they’d lost a child due to a brain tumor. A few months later, my youngest daughter was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and the radiation treatment she would need would be designed by physicists at Stanford. We traveled up there everyday for months. Needless to say, my research was hands on for that story in many ways.

Which character would you sit down and have a meal with? What would you have? What would they have? I would love to sit down with Abby. She’s an older woman who becomes a mentor to my heroine, Lexi, in The Soul Saver. She was spiritually mismatched her entire marriage. Unfortunately her husband died before he accepted Christ—as far as she knows. Abby hopes her husband encountered Christ at his death. She’s a wise woman and a great friend to Lexi. We’d have tea and scones for sure.

Do you have a spice or flavor that defines you? Cinnamon. Love it!

Would you react the same way your character did to the plot? Yes and no. Yes because earlier in my marriage, Lexi’s struggles are similar to mine. No because I’ve learned a lot along the way and God’s been immensely gracious to me in giving me wisdom to navigate my spiritually mismatched marriage.

What is the weirdest place you’ve been at or thing you were doing where you came up with a book idea? On the back of a horse. I was horseback riding with my daughter. We passed a creek on the trail that was partially shrouded in trees. I looked down and said, “You could hide a body there.” My daughter was not amused. LOL! I'll double that! LOL

How do you come up with ideas (don’t you hate this question?)? Something I’ve seen or read sparks them. Sometimes the plot comes first, sometimes the characters. I’ve had ideas and even dialogue come from dreams. It’s never dull being a writer.

You’re sitting there and you’ve hit a writer’s wall… what food inspires you? Red Hot Tamales. Or chocolate. I eat the sugar free kind now.

Name the show/music that plays in the background while you write… That varies from book to book. Just depends on my mood. Love Third Day, Red, Kutless, Daughtry, and many others. Sometimes I’ll listen to Justin Durbin. He writes music for games. Very emotive. My crit partner Ronie Kendig turned me on to his music. I generally try to match the music to the scene I’m writing.

Describe your office in three words or less… New, bright, cozy.

One word that defines you. Driven.

Favorite color and why? Peridot. Absolutely love that shade of green. That or yellow topaz. That’s my birthstone.

How did you become a writer? I was in fourth grade. A friend was writing these cute stories and I thought, “I want to do that too.” Guess that was the beginning.

Who is your biggest supporter? I can’t list just one because I’m blessed to have so many. My mother, husband, daughters, awesome crit partners and best friends, Robin Caroll, Lynn Donovan, Ronie Kendig, Camy Tang and Heather Tipton. My two best buds from church, Trish Ontiveros and Debbie Opray. I’m sure I left someone out…

Is there anything off-the-wall you think no one should know? Come on, now you have to tell! My dog has really stinky paws. Yep, that’s about as adventurous as it gets in this girl’s life.

List three things you want to do or accomplish in the next three years. Get a contract for a three book series based upon the Treasures of the Ark, see my two daughters step into their futures with confidence so I can have my husband all to myself again, and have more opportunities to speak to women about God’s wild hope for our marriages and our lives.

Ask yourself one question that you wish people would ask but no one ever does?

What’s your favorite time of day? Twilight. It holds the memory of the day and the promise of the night to come. Definitely a time of in between. I’m an artist at heart and the lighting this time of day has always intrigued me.

 That is a great question and even better answer!

Game of Would You Rather…

… be rich and famous and sell mediocre books or be average paid and a respected name that reviewers acclaim? Average and respected. I’d like to think that would mean my writing would make a difference in people’s lives.

… shake up a can of pop and open it in a group of people or go for a Polar Bear plunge? Polar Bear plunge. I don’t like doing mean things to people. LOL!

… eat 10 pounds of raw carrots or half a pound of raw fish? Bring on the sushi!

… hug a stranger or slap a friend? Hug a stranger. They just might be having a bad day.

… pray in public or not at all? Pray in public! Pray anywhere!

… choose your own ideas for books or have someone assign them for you? Choose my own, but I’m always open to input. Brainstorming brings out the best possible ideas. Can’t do that alone.

Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage.

Week after week, they sit in church . . . alone. They are the spiritually mismatched, those who are committed to a spouse who does not share their faith. Feeling abandoned by their spouse and forgotten by their church, they live out their faith in survival mode, guarding the spiritual flame yet never feeling free to share it. But God wants them to thrive—not just survive.

Winning Him Without Words presents 10 Christ centered keys to thriving in a spiritual mismatch. Readers are encouraged to commit to Christian community, to release their spouse to God’s capable hands, to find peace in their relationships with Christ and with their spouse, to continue their pursuit of a growing faith and to love their spouse with fresh enthusiasm. God wants every marriage to exude peace and love, and Winning Him Without Words empowers readers to create that environment in their homes and thrive as God works.

I had so much fun interviewing this lady and of course reviewing Winning Him Without Words.  I do so hope you'll swing on over and visit Dineen in one of her many avenues of contact.  One of the MANY things I adore about this author is her availability.  If you have a question, she has made it extremely easy to ask. Don't you love that? 

Not to mention, she's adorable and fun.

Thank you so much Dineen! 

Knock Offs and CPs continued...

Last week I discussed knock off brands in the dirt biking/ATV industry here. I also promised I'd discuss that issue with regards to publication today.

Generic brand items cost less and sometimes have less performance value than their name brand counterparts. Let's look at this in a more detailed way.

If you have a magazine that you are a RELIGIOUS follower of because of the articles, quality of paper, models, ads, all around good content, and then one day you pick up your magazine and something feels off - how do you feel? It could be the paper... or they switched editors or the layout of the pictures - something is just not right. What do you do?

This happened to me a while back and I did some research and found out the zine was cutting back on expenses. Hmmm. My subscription hadn't changed - had in fact increased - but they were cutting back. It seemed so cheap to me. It was lacking what had drawn me to the original, and while still udner the same name it wasn't quite the zine I looked forward to every month.

On the same line, RWR (Romance Writer's Report) changed their look and layout this last season and I have to say it's quite unique.  I still look forward to the magazine every month, because while they made changes, they didn't DETRACT from anything - they have only attempted to offer MORE. That's my idea of change.

This can happen with an author's brand or with purchasing a book on Amazon - ebook.  Do you look differently at the item based on cost or who pub'd it?  Some people do.

What if we left the publishing world for a second?  Let's go into electronics.  Two top electronic producers are Sony and Panasonic.  I think most people would agree with this.

Costco carries both.  We went in a few years ago to pick up another large screen TV (my husband likes his Motocross to be lifesize - and I do too!) and we learned that while we were considering Maxent (a generic brand) because it was $800 cheaper than the same Panasonic TV, we were in fact weighing the differences between the same company.

Panasonic and Sony develop a large quantity of, say, Tvs, slap their name to a few and turn around and sell the rest to lower level companies who then in turn made some aesthetic modifications and slap THEIR name on it. So, essentially you're comparing the same companies but with different prices.

Now, do you think this same principal would apply in writing?

I could write under one name and sell those books to a nice big fat publisher (not that the person is fat, you know what I mean) and still sell smaller books under a self-pub or indie publisher, right? In theory.

But would there be a difference? Is it noticeable enough to consider or would the payoff be significant enough?

Let's discuss the possibilities.

On a different note, got my revisions from my CP, Maggie Fechner, last night. Yeah, she gave great suggestions and pushed the rest of my slumpy feelings from Monday right out the DOOR!

Thanks Maggie, a ton.  I needed that.

Limits.

http://chornyruns.blogspot.com/

I've been writing a while now, a few years in fact, and I'm realizing I have limits.

These limits pertain mostly to what I know about the industry, the craft, voice, marketing, social networking, etiquette and more. I've learned that my limits in all these things are elastic. The more knowledge I acquire about each topic the looser my boundaries are. And yes, I am also learning I will NEVER be able to learn it all. There is just too much out there.

Knowing my limits and trying to overcome them is humbling. I'm not the best writer. Or storyteller. Or mother. Or wife. Or daughter. Or Friend. Or teacher. Or employee. Or anything else I'm trying to be.

And while I can study and train on each of these things, the sooner I accept that first and foremost I need to be the best ME I can be to be better at any of the above, the sooner I can actually begin to improve.

Some resources to improving these areas are:
Rachelle Gardner (Writing and the Industry)
Maggie Fechner (Writing and Being a Mom while Being Christian)
Jody Hedlund (Writing and Marketing)
Jill Kemerer (Writing and Being a Better Author)
Wendy Paine Miller (Writing and Being a Better Person)
Cathy West (Writing and the Experience)
Jillian Kent (Writing and Regency Romance)
Keli Gwyn (Writing and the Importance of Learning)
Tawna Fenske (Writing and Keeping it Real)
Katie Ganshert (Writing and Positivity)
Dineen Miller (Writing between Nonfiction and Fiction)
Shelley Martin (Writing and the Supernatural)
Erin MacPherson (Writing and Everyday Lessons)
Chazley Dotson (Writing in the YA Realm)

Lately, I've been downed by sicknesses in the house, insecurities about writing, working, where I sit in the whole scheme of things, should I just pack it all in and go back to radiology, maybe I should stop writing, stop dreaming, somehow shut the voices up inside my head telling story after story (seriously, enough), maybe I should pack up the kids and Hub and drive to the mountains and never look back.

But then my bigger side, the side of me that looks at a piece of cake and says "I CAN eat that 'cause later I CAN work it off" even if I never do.  It's the part of me that sees the positive aspect in the diagnosis "Stage IV lung cancer", the part that sees sadness but hears possibilities. It's the part of me that listens to my CP telling me to shut up and write, 'cause I am meant to do this (and she does a GREAT job of lifting me up, peeps). It's the real me. The me the world tries to tear down.

I'm not perfect. But then again, none of us are. Only One person has ever been perfect. I know that.

Thank Heaven for my optimistism.  It's the one thing that gets me through the depressing moments. It's what says "Hey Bon, perk up. There's vanilla ice cream and root beer in the box, go have a nip and feel a little better."

My optimism pushes me to click onto each of the links above. Because believe it or not, the one thing they all have in common is their ability to make me feel like I'm not alone. Like it is hard, but oh so worth it. It's a common thread. Go ahead and check them out. You'll be so glad you did.

Thank you to all those wonderful women listed above. I know I missed some, and I'm sorry. I really did try to get everyone, but these blogs in particular pulled me up by my jean hems this weekend and away from the Cadbury Creme Eggs. Thank you thank you.

One more thing - If I don't reach past my limits, how will my babieslearn to?

What gets you to reach beyond? Is there anything you want to vent in the comments - to drop and leave, never to be uttered again?

Either way, have a great Monday and remember, I'm eating an Oreo for you today! (the calories are free that way : )  )  And oh baby! I need free calories.

Knock Offs

A few years ago, Hubs and I went in search of a 4 wheeler for our kids. We had a budget and opted in the end to purchase/take a chance on a brand we didn't know - in fact, it was a cheap Made-In-China thing that had no guts or glory and sucked the pennies out from under us with battery replacements and wire fries.

The kids couldn't drive it because it had too much power in some places and not enough in others.

There weren't any protective casings between the gears and tires and the kids' feet. This was disturbing to say the least.

At what point did we learn our lesson? When the speed governor prevented my son from pulling the breaks and he ran over our daughter. Yep.

We then opted for a tried and true brand - Honda. Yes, it cost a bit more, but oh, it was worth it. The kids zoomed around on that ALL summer and into the winter.

Have you ever been seduced by the cheaper cost of something only to discover you KNOW BETTER?

I will tie this into publishing next Wednesday.

Amanda Alvarez - Interview

Amanda E. Alvarez
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance

Titles: Hunting Human to be released by Carina Press on March 28th, 2011.

For two years, Beth Williams has run from the past, and the beast that dwells inside her. She is haunted by memories of being kidnapped and the savage attack that killed her best friend. Now Beth finally thinks she's ready to move on...with Braden Edwards, a charming, irresistibly sexy man who tempts Beth to embrace the present.

But the past lurks closer than Beth realizes. Markko Bolvek, one of the werewolves who kidnapped her, has tracked her to Portland, Oregon, his pursuit fueled by a hunger for vengeance. Only Braden, a werewolf himself, senses the danger shadowing her steps. The Edwards and Bolveks have been enemies for centuries—and despite the instant connection he feels with Beth, Braden isn't sure which side of the war she's on.

With suspicion at odds with their attraction, Beth and Braden must learn to trust one another to stop Markko for good. Can Beth accept the wolf within—and love a man who embodies everything she fears?


Website: http://www.amandaealvarez.com/
Blog: Contributing member at Here Be Magic
Twitter: @amandaealvarez
Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/amandaealvarez1
State: Dallas, TX

Favorite book ever read: Lightning by Dean Koontz and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, they are the only books I reread regularly.

Do your characters have a “fate”? Or do they get to choose where their story goes? I suppose it’s a little of both. I always have an end destination in mind for them, but they tend to take their own paths to get there.

How do you do your research? It really just depends on the book. Generally I research at the start of the writing process as a means to get to know my characters and story lines. I also do additional research as I write and edit, but I don’t have a set process for this.

Is your “real life” comparable at all to the stories you write? Not in the least. I like it that way.
Which character would you sit down and have a meal with? What would you have? What would they have? Tough question! Beth and I would have tea at a local coffee shop since neither of us are big on coffee. Braden and I might catch a burger at a local place and shoot the breeze. Chase would be my top pick, though I’d have to choose the place because he’s of the opinion that if it’s dead it’s edible.

Do you have a spice or flavor that defines you? Dark chocolate. If we are what we eat, I’m dark chocolate.

Would you rather do a reading of your work to a group of nudists you don’t know or read to your friends and family in the nude? Nudists I don’t know! Then I could just focus on the words. No one, least of all friends and family, wants to see me naked and stuttering through a reading.

Would you react the same way your character did to the plot? Interesting question! I don’t know for certain. I’ve never been mauled by a werewolf. I know I’d be really angry and certainly very afraid. But without a support system, having to go it alone like Beth did? I don’t think I’d have her fortitude.

What is the weirdest place you’ve been at or thing you were doing where you came up with a book idea? My first book idea came about while I was sitting in the back of my constitutional law class trying not to nod off.

How do you come up with ideas (don’t you hate this question?)? Some just pop up and work with them and play with them and twist them until I recognize what they really are. And other times I just have to do something monotonous and get my mind to wander. Mile three on the treadmill is very, very productive.

You’re sitting there and you’ve hit a writer’s wall… what food inspires you? Twizzlers. Or M&Ms. Or Skittles. Sometimes all three. (Cheezits work in a pinch too.)

Name the show/music that plays in the background while you write… Totally depends on the week. Last week it was Adele, this week it’s Eminem.

Describe your office in three words or less… Starbucks.

One word that defines you. Procrastinator.

Favorite color and why? Green because I find it energetic.

How did you become a writer? I wondered one too many times, ‘what if?’

Who is your biggest supporter? My friends and family. They’ve all been really wonderful. And my cats probably deserve a shout out too, all those late nights spent at local coffee shops and they still haven’t slit my throat in my sleep.
If you could plug one author beside yourself, who would it be?  Eek! I don’t know! Can I just say that it’s always good branch out, try a new genre, by an eBook, try an author you’ve never read. And it doesn’t have to be a first time author, either. If you’ve never read Nora Roberts give her a shot. Try something new, finding a new love as a reader is always fantastic.

Is there anything off-the-wall you think no one should know? Come on, now you have to tell!  I was a lifeguard for years and years. But I’m not a very good swimmer.
List three things you want to do or accomplish in the next three years. Try every cupcake shop in Dallas. Write a book a year. Turn thirty with grace and dignity.

What has been the toughest part of your writing journey? Would you change anything about it?Finishing the first book and starting the second. I’m constantly working to find my writing process, it doesn’t come easily for me and sometimes writing feels like a chore. But no, I wouldn’t change anything about it right now.

If you could tell yourself something five years ago, what would it be? Yeah, that whole law school thing? Maybe you want to consider an MFA instead. ;) Seriously though, I’d tell myself I’m on the right track and that I should be proud of the things I’m doing.

Can you tell me about “The Call”? I’d totally forgotten about my submission to Carina Press until a friend of mine told me she got a rejection letter that morning. When my phone rang at two that afternoon, interrupting “The Club Can’t Handle Me” I just knew. I didn’t answer the phone. I couldn’t, I would have babbled, or burped, or something else completely undignified.

Game of Would You Rather…

… be rich and famous and sell mediocre books or be average paid and a respected name that reviews acclaim? Define average pay. On the one had it’s lovely to get great reviews, on the other if I were rich and famous I could write full time, give up my day job and focus on writing stellar books.
… shake up a can of pop and open it in a group of people or go for a Polar Bear plunge? I’ve got a Coke in my hand. Run!
… eat 10 pounds of raw carrots or half a pound of raw fish? Sushi! Nom nom nom nom.
… hug a stranger or slap a friend? Hug a stranger. Unless the friend really needed the slap – I’d like to think I’m a good friend and would always lend a hand (hehehe) where necessary.
… pray in public or not at all? In public.
…choose your own ideas for books or have someone assign them to you? How about have someone assign me ideas that I hate, then morph into something I love? Sometimes it’s easier to arrive at what I want to write by telling other people what I absolutely don’t want to write. I’m contrary like that.

***I think this lady is ADORABLE. I can't wait to read this and seeing more from Ms. Alvarez.  And girl, I'd spray the people rather than take the plunge too! I met her from Carina. Where the great ebooks are. lol

Check her out and let her know Bonnie sent ya!  This was so great! Thanks again, Amanda. And good luck!  Hot cover too!

Following the Pied Piper...

If you look at most Blogger sites of other people (mine included), there's usually a follower gadget on the sidebar somewhere. This tells how many people are following that particular site. It does NOT show how many are anonymously following, how many have subscribed, how many are doing RSS feeds and who just stops by using a link or short cut to the site on a regular basis.

It also doesn't show who that person or persons follow(s).

I did happen across some fellow bloggers who have had the situation arise of follower limitations.  Apparently Google allows you to have no more than 300 blogs on your follow list. This is if you view your followers recent activity with your Dashboard.

I was using Dashboard when I followed about 70 blogs. Now I'm up to well over 300 and I use the handy-dandy Google Reader. I can subscribe, follow or RSS feed and it all goes into my reader.

There are files and folders and all kinds of ways to organize the reader. I love it. AND you can read the blog content in the reader without having to wait for the site to load. Ahhh. Even faster than broadband. Love it.

Which brings me to my main reason for this post.

How many do you follow and how many do you actually read?

I follow for a number of reasons.

1. I like the content.
2. I want to support the blogger.
3. I want to put my name out there.
4. I like the content.
5. I'm insatiably curious about what others are doing and blogs are a place where others tend to let it all hang out.
6. I'm always looking for new ideas.
7. I like the content.

I do read most of the content I follow. Do I always comment? Now that's another post.

Romance...

I write about romance. I also love to read it, watch and hear it.

This is absolutely fantabulous!



Can you guess what movie I will be watching for the 900th time today?  Crap, this probably means I am heading into a Jane Austen binge for the next week or so.

Ahhh. But then why not?

What can you do over and over when the mood strikes?

And the WINNER issssss......

Barbara Hightower!

Using the email you in your comments, I will send you your GC. 

Thank you everyone for entering.

Just so you know, I will be doing the next blog hop giveaway on April 1st! Same host I am a Reader Not a Writer!

This was so much fun and I love LOVE all the awesome Leprechaun names. Very great.

Have a safe and happy week.

***Winner name was generated using Random.org.

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!

CONTEST!!!!

It's the easiest contest ever.

Amazon Giftcard for $25. Comment on this post or the author interview below and name a leprechaun in your comment.  You must be a follower of this blog to enter. Don't forget to leave your email address with your name in the comments so I can find you after.  If you already follow, just state so in your comment and I will count it in the drawing.

Good luck!

Following the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop? Want to start?

Nicole North - Authursday

Nicole North

Genre(s): historical paranormal erotic romance

Titles: Laird of Darkness Releasing March 21, 2011

Laird of Darkness: Half-Fae Laird Duncan MacDougall is cursed. His nights are haunted by Otherworld creatures sent to kill him. The only way to stop them is to possess the magic bow currently in the hands of his enemy half-brother, Kinnon MacClaren. In desperation, Duncan plans to take MacClaren's bride-to-be hostage and exchange her for the bow.

Lady Alana Forbes has never met her intended, but she hopes he is handsome-and a good lover, for Alana is no innocent virgin. On her way to Castle Claren, Alana and her escorts are intercepted, and she is kidnapped by a man with extraordinary abilities-and every attribute she longs for in a mate.

Duncan didn't expect the woman he thought of as a mere pawn would be so beautiful, and so arousing. Alana is drawn to him as well-but Duncan still needs the bow, and Alana is betrothed to another. How far will Alana go to save the life of the man she's come to love?

Blog Twitter Facebook
Country: US

First, thanks so much for allowing me to visit your blog!

Thank you for being here! Okay, let's get down to it. Do your characters have a “fate”? Or do they get to choose where their story goes? I like to think my characters choose where their story goes. In the case of my Carina Press release, Laird of Darkness, the story is based on an ancient Scottish legend. But I added a twist—the hero of my story was actually the villain in the original legend or fairy tale. Perhaps his fate would’ve been to be the villain and to die at the hand of his enemy half-brother, but the heroine, who has magical healing abilities, saves his life because she’s grown to love him despite the fact he’s taken her hostage. She sees beneath his dark and tormented surface to the real man beneath. And he isn’t so bad. He’s done what he’s had to for his own survival and that of his clan. Often in fairy tales, things are black or white, good or evil, but it can be much more satisfying to show the shades of gray. I think character choices play into that.

How do you do your research? I prefer hands-on research. Most of my stories are set in Scotland and since I’m in love with the country, it’s a real treat to get to visit Scotland and experience everything about the setting first-hand. I love visiting castles to get a real sense of what it would be like to live there. The scenery and landscapes are amazing. No amount of research-book-reading can replace actually touching what you’re writing about.

Is your “real life” comparable at all to the stories you write? Not really, since I’m a modern day American and a lot of my stories are set in 17th century Scotland. But I’ve always lived in the la-la land of my own imagination, and my paranormal Scottish stories fit in with this. Anything can happen in my stories. Heroes who shift from humans into animals? No problem. Heroes who become invisible and fly? Yes. All sorts of magical things become real. I enjoy making the world of make-believe totally believable. I’m sure a lot of my personality comes out in my stories. Sometimes I have a quirky sense of humor. Sometimes I like intense emotion and suspense.

Which character would you sit down and have a meal with? What would you have? What would they have? I would sit down with Duncan MacDougall (the infamous Laird of Darkness.) We would have normal Scottish foods. At one point in my story they eat oat bread, leek soup and grouse. Another time, venison stew. For dinner, we would have Cullen Skink, which I had recently on a trip to Scotland. Cullen Skink is chowder made of smoked haddock, potatoes, onion, bacon, etc. Delicious!

Do you have a spice or flavor that defines you? I love spices, especially cinnamon or ginger for sweet dishes. For savory dishes, I love chili peppers. My husband and I grow a few kinds of hot peppers every year. He loves hot peppers even more than I do. This applies to my writing in that my stories are spicy hot. :)

Would you rather do a reading of your work to a group of nudists you don’t know or read to your friends and family in the nude? Read my work to a group of nudists. LOL Not that I would enjoy doing that but the other option is definitely out.

Would you react the same way your character did to the plot? Yes, I think so. I mean if I was single, and if a gorgeous, hot, misunderstood Highland chief kidnapped me, I would likely do the same thing the heroine did. Once I saw he wasn’t as bad as his reputation painted him to be, I’d probably fall for him. :)

What is the weirdest place you’ve been at or thing you were doing where you came up with a book idea? I wouldn’t say it was weird but the most interesting place I was when I thought of a story idea was the Highland Games. I actually have two stories that begin at Highland Games. Devil in a Kilt and Kilted Lover. In Devil in a Kilt the what if question was what if a woman picked up this giant antique sword and it transported her back in time 400 years to the owner? I admit a fondness and admiration for caber tossers (you know those big muscular guys in kilts who flip logs) so in Kilted Lover, I created a hot, hunky caber tosser who feels compelled to rescue and protect a lass who is being robbed and attacked by two hoodlums.

How do you come up with ideas (don’t you hate this question?)? Many different ways. One way is to follow inspiration. I might read a bit of history or see something in a magazine and a light-bulb comes on. Sometimes in the past I’ve been listening to a song when a story idea along with characters in a scene will pop into my head. Another way is to think of a topic or theme, such as a holiday or fairy tale, and then challenge myself to come up with a story idea.

You’re sitting there and you’ve hit a writer’s wall… what food inspires you? Chocolate might inspire me. But usually I turn to other things for inspiration. Music works best. Or reading books by authors I enjoy. Watching certain kinds of movies might also inspire me.

Name the show/music that plays in the background while you write… No shows, but sometimes I listen to new age Celtic music while I’m writing Scottish stories. It has to be low so it doesn’t distract me.

Favorite color and why? Green. Why? I’m not sure. It is a soothing, refreshing color. I love to grow plants. The green of Scotland in summer (for instance at Glencoe or most anywhere in the Western Highlands, when the sun is shining) is the most vivid green I’ve seen anywhere. I tend to have a lot of green clothing. Not vivid green, but more muted tones such as olive.

Who is your biggest supporter? My husband. He has always believed I could make a career of writing even before I did. He supports and encourages me in every way. And he is the most amazing man.

Game of Would You Rather…

… be rich and famous and sell mediocre books or be average paid and a respected name that reviews acclaim? Be rich and famous because then I could spend as much time as I wanted in Scotland. LOL

… shake up a can of pop and open it in a group of people or go for a Polar Bear plunge? Shake up a can of pop in a crowd. I hate jumping into a normal temperature swimming pool. I know icy water would knock me out. LOL

… eat 10 pounds of raw carrots or half a pound of raw fish? Raw carrots.

… hug a stranger or slap a friend? Hug a stranger.

… pray in public or not at all? Pray in public.

… choose your own ideas for books or have someone assign them to you? Choose my own ideas.

Thank you, Bonnie!! It’s an honor to be on your blog!!

Thank you so much, Nicole. I think it works wonderfully that your interview correlates with my Lucky Leprecaun Blog Hop!

Nicole's book looks fantastic and yummy, I can't wait to queue it in my Kindle.

Website: http://www.nicolenorth.com/

If You Revise It - They Will Come.

Or will they?

Here is a nice easy set of Wednesday questions for you.

Why do you revise? Why do your editors suggest you revise? Your agent? Your critique partners?

Because they want you to do better - and better means readers, right?

What else do you revise?

I revise my riding style. My personal recipes. The raising of my children. Myself.

And of course... my writing.

For the Week!

Just an update for what to expect this week!

I am participating in a Blog Hop through I am a Reader, Not a Writer this Thursday through Sunday. 

I will be giving away a $25.00 Amazon gift card OR $25.00 of your choice gift card. I'll let the winner choose.

Also, on Thursday, I am interviewing the awesome author Nicole North. Wowser! Fun day. And you best be wearing a green!

So with that, I will have to forego the dirt biking post this week, but never fear, I will have a double-feature the next week. Yeah, baby. I will be interviewing an awesome dirt biker and have him guest posting as well. So fun!

I can't wait to see you for the Blog Hop. And if you're interested in participating, hop on over there and sign up. Should be fun times.

When Technology Only Causes Stress...

Oh for the love, peeps.

Thursday I was texting back and forth with a buddy/critique partner about potential blog posts. Half-way through our conversation, my phone flashed the "memory too low" message. I rolled my eyes and deleted the stash of messages. I text about 200 a day so this is normal.

But I forgot to reply to the last text so I had to scroll down through my contacts and message her. Well, in my phone it's set up like this (but not anymore)

Rachel

Rachelle

Raz

Yes, Rachelle is my agent... and Raz is the one I was texting. I was in the car waiting to drop off my daughter, zipping my son's coat, handing a toy to the baby and pushing play on the kids' DVD player. I pushed the down, but not enough times. I clicked on Rachelle. What? Nope, didn't notice it.

The post suggestion was about waiting. I'd been waiting to hear from my husband about plans for the week - needed to get back to some people who'd invited us for stuff, waiting to hear from my mom if she made it back in time from Hawaii (this was near the Japan earthquake, was a little worried), waiting to get kids out the door to school, waiting to hear from my boss (Rachel) if she needed me to cover a doctor, waiting for my CP to let me know if there was anything else I could do for her, waiting for my agent who has a ton of other clients too to deal with, waiting for myself to get done with my WIP and edit (oh, how I hate to edit), etc. Get the picture?

So, the blog post suggestion was "Do you like the waiting? waiting 2 get done, waiting on agents, publishers, editors, release... ugh!"

This curt, stupid text message went to my agent, people. Yeah. Without context. Can you imagine my horror FRIDAY afternoon when I found out?

I hate technology.  But what I hate even worse is when I'm lax with it. I know better than to send off a text message without double checking the addressee (you can bet I'll be double checking even more now). This has happened to me in the past but with family.

And then, I have a MS with my agent and she probably thought I was being rude and pushy. Which the text sounded like. But actually couldn't be further from the truth. I like the waiting, I really do. You know why? Because when I have the MS with my agent, I'm free to ignore that MS and not worry about it, at least while it's in her hands. I'm free to work on the next one and to just write. That's what she told me in the beginning, too. She does the business end and I do the writing end. And that works great for me. I love it!

And here I wrote a text about a blog post and sent it to her on accident. What a great way to tell my agent how much I appreciate her. For the love.

But I learned a lesson. Well a couple actually.

1. I'm human. I knew this before, but it really slammed home with this one.
2. Technology can be and is taken for granted, and I need to be more careful.
3. My stomach and heart can trade places in less than a second! This neat trick happened when I saw who the message had gone to.

Now, if for some really cool reason, Rachelle didn't get the aforementioned text, I'd like to disclaim the above and say that this didn't happen. okay? You guys will back me up, right?

Yes, I am an idiot and yes, I've been stressing out about this all weekend. It's not like I could call her on her cell in the middle of a conference and tell her I'm an idiot.  She knows that already.

And yay, now so do you! At least it was another post idea.

Have you done anything completely and irreversibly idiotic and swore you were going to die because of the outcome? Please share, because I desperately need to know I'm not alone here. : )

Dirtbiker? Or Blogfest... Hmmm.

And why can't I do both? *grin*

This is what's on your bucketlist and the fest is organized by Mo @SwimWriteRun.

My bucket list:

Compete at some level in dirtbiking
Get published
Have kids
Meet and Marry Mr. Right
Write enough it can support me and my family
Sing one song in front of people - well
Do enough service people know I love them
Have friends
Find my 1965 Nova again and fix it up
Ballroom dance with love of life
Get a writing award
Meet my agent (in person)
Have my own section at B&N - like Nora Roberts or Linda Lael Miller
Own enough Dirt Bikes, friends and family that visit can ride by themselves

What's on your list?

Wendy Soliman is BACK!

Wendy Soliman (historical)

W. Soliman (contemporary)

Genre(s): Regency historical romance; Contemporary marine crime and general women's fiction

Titles:Of Dukes and Deceptions – Carina Press

Scandalous Propositions – Carina Press

Unfinished Business – Carina Press (W. Soliman – Marine crime)

Topspin – Aspen Mountain Press (W. Soliman – Contemporary fiction)

Lady Hartley's Inheritance – Aurora Regency

Lady Hartley's Inheritance – Robert Hale and Thorpe

Duty's Destiny – Robert Hale and Thorpe

The Social Outcast – Robert Hale and Thorpe

The Carstairs Conspiracy – Robert Hale and Thorpe

A Bittersweet Proposal – Robert Hale and Thorpe

A Reason to Rebel - Samhain

http://www.wendysoliman.com/

http://www.wsoliman.com/

Blog: Carina Press, Aspen Mountain Press, Romancing the Past

Goodreads Linkedin

Twitter: wendyswriter

Facebook: Wendy Soliman - Author

State/Country you live: Andorra and West Florida

Favorite book ever read: Daphne deMaurier's Frenchman's Creek. Goes to my love of history, I guess. I admire her wild and reckless French pirate and the heroine's willingness to risk losing her family and her life to save the man she loves. It doesn't have a happy ending in the way we'd expect nowadays. They don't ride off into the sunset together but it's all the more poignant because of that.

What is the weirdest place you’ve been at or thing you were doing where you came up with a book idea? Riding pillion on my husband's Harley Davidson across the middle of Spain. A great place to plot because no one can talk to you, phones don't ring and, since you're not the one driving, your mind's free to wander. At Andre's request I've stopped sitting bolt upright in the middle of the night and shouting, “that's it!” when a solution to an especially thorny plot issue occurs to me but it didn't complain too much when I wiggled about in excitement on the back of the bike.

Describe your office in three words or less…  Organized.

One word that defines you. Passionate!

How did you become a writer?  It kind of chose me. I can't remember a time when I didn't make up stories in my head. That's what everyone does, isn't it? I wrote my first full length novel at fifteen. All about horses, as you'd expect from a girl of that age. Kids showing that kind of promise nowadays get sent on courses. I got sent to my room and told to go and do my homework. As well, I guess I was born too early.

My second novel came about when I was in my twenties. I found it about eight years ago, (and I'm not admitting how many years on that is!), read it through and it set me off again. I guess I was settled enough in my life by then to give it a serious go. It helps that I don't need to make a living from it! Anyway, that book I wrote in my twenties forms the basis of my third published novel with Hale, The Social Outcast, about the illegitimate daughter of a rich man in the Regency era.

Who is your biggest supporter?  Andre – my husband. But he also resents the amount of time I spend in cloud cuckoo land, often bemoaning the fact that he's lost me to a lover he can't compete with.

If you could plug one author beside yourself, who would it be? Judith McNaught. She manages to write across the contemporary and historical genres, always about the wealthy, (who needs reality!). I aspire to be like her.

I have to agree with this choice - Something Wonderful and Whitney, My Love are two titles that are well worn in my house.

Is there anything off-the-wall you think no one should know? Come on, now you have to tell!

Okay, just so long as you promise not to spread it about. When I married Andre he had what was, even then, a car that was getting on a bit. (All right, it was his precious Porsche 911). I joked that if he had to choose between us then I knew where the suitcases were. I didn't realize those words would be put to the test until I accidentally reversed the old Jeep I kept to ferry horse feed around straight into his beloved car.

He forgave me. Eventually. And we've now been together for 26 years.

List three things you want to do or accomplish in the next three years.

Having decided to concentrate solely upon e-publishing, I want to improve my social networking skills, get my name out there and even make a bit of money out of it. Most of all though, I crave recognition for what I do, something tangible to show for the many hours spent bashing away at a keyboard.

Game of Would You Rather…

… be rich and famous and sell mediocre books or be average paid and a respected name that reviews acclaim? Respected, without a doubt. See answer above. There ARE more important things than merely selling books, (so I'm told!). After years of trying I lost quite a bit of weight last year and if I had to choose between regaining that weight and getting a three-book deal with a leading publisher or staying as I am, I'd really have to give it some thought.

… shake up a can of pop and open it in a group of people or go for a Polar Bear plunge? You wouldn't want to print my answer to that one!

… eat 10 pounds of raw carrots or half a pound of raw fish? Fish. I like sushi.

… hug a stranger or slap a friend? Depends what the stranger looks like.

… pray in public or not at all? Oh, not at all.

... choose your own ideas for books or have someone assign them to you? Can't be restricted by ideas, especially other people's.

Of Dukes and Deceptions is a Regency romp due to be released by Carina Press on March 14th in which a haughty duke more than meets his match in a humble poor relation.

When Nicholas Buchanan, the Duke of Dorchester, accepts an invitation to visit a country stud farm, he counters his boredom by striking a wager with his henchman that he'll bed the poor relation, Alicia Woodley, before the end of his stay. But he reckons without Alicia's disdain. She's disgusted by Nick's cavalier attitude, unimpressed by his grandeur and wants as little as possible to do with him.

Between her newfound role as family charity case and fending off the attentions of both her clueless cousin and the arrogant Nick, Alicia has quite enough to contend with. But when her life is endangered, it's Nick who seems determined to ensure her safety. As they conspire to uncover secrets her family wants to keep hidden at all costs, they discover a passion that surpasses all obstacles.

I want to thank Wendy for coming back to the site.  I have this in my queue to read and can't wait!  Thank you so much, Wendy and I look forward to seeing you around the web.  I would REALLY enjoy seeing you in Europe, but funds demand I stay Stateside. sigh.

Celebrating My CPs

What is the writer's best tool? Mine are my Critique Partners.

Maggie Fechner

Cathy West

Tracey Garza

Each one helps me in a different but VALUABLE way.

Cathy has me helping her with brainstorming right now and I have to say, working through her plot line is making me really think about mine. She's going to have a great book when all is said and done. Yesterday's Tomorrow comes out next week!  (Check back, I review and interview her not too long after!)

Maggie pushes me. We "race" to word counts to switch and then follow up with line edits and plot holes, etc. She's a ton of fun and very VERY thorough. Growing Up Gracie is out and I suggest you pick it up.

Tracey is not yet published, but she's working hard that way. 

And I belong to a pretty amazing critique group we call the Sassy Scribes.  Six (to be seven soon) ladies with fun, light hearted moves of critiquing.

Who is your CP and what do they mean to you? Post their website/blog and I'll check them out!

Full on 90210 Drama this Monday!

I will rant and get it off my chest.

All four kids have been coping with this terrible flu that has invaded the Northwest. Kids get the first round and then a week after getting better they get it harder for a second round.

My kids are stagger started and this has created - so far - a 10 day period of hell for them. I don't care about me. I signed up for nights of no-sleep, cleaning up vomit, diarrhea, etc. No big deal. I'm a mom for crying out loud.

What I can't stand is when their little bodies are racked and twisted with the strain of throwing up. Red faced and bent over, gagging. Dark shadows under their large blue eyes. Little bones sticking out - ribs, shoulder joints, collar bones. 

All of my kids are 6 or younger. My 4 year old clammered to the bathroom this morning. I followed in a stumble, but made it there. He has the biggest eyes of them all.  He turned his gaze to me and said, "Mommy, I'm sick of this."

I had to give a little laugh, because if he had seen my tears I bit back, it would have made him feel worse. I hugged him and we washed our hands together - I had just cleaned up the baby's throwup in the other room while I was still half-asleep.

After a second I grabbed a bunch of blankets and his pillow and set him up a small bed in the hallway. He can make it to the bathroom and watch Mommy work when she gets up. And then I looked at the clock. Hm. 1:30 already. I decided not to even get back into bed.

The older two, 5 and 6 year old daughter and son, ran into the hall and checked on him a second ago while I was holding his shoulders and he threw up into his bucket.  Before I could start my mantra, they cut me off.

"Don't fight it, Weez. Just breathe." Bubs, the oldest, so sweet.

"It's okay, Weez. We're here." Sis, the girl, already a nurturer.

"Thanks guys," I nodded.  Those are my babies and they rally around each other, even when vomitous fumes fill the air.

Wherever you are, I hope you're safe from this flu. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Not even Tommy McGill from my first grade class who used to kick dirt on me at recess.

Thanks for listening.

Prophylaxis Maintenance for the Bike and Writing



dirtbikedoctor.com



This principle can be applied to just about anything, but today we will show the significance in riding and writing.

My favorite part of riding is actually getting on that seat, thrumming the throttle and going for it. The twists and turns and hills and jumps - the toppings on already delicious ice cream.

Writing has those bites of pleasure as well. Sitting down, letting the words flow, you find out your hero really is into Barry White even though you took him for a Metallica fan, your heroine knows how to change a tire even though you figured she was more concerned with her nails than getting off that shoulder of the road. 

The great parts are the fun parts, the reasons why we do the not-so-fun things.

What are those you ask? Well, peeps, let me tell you.

In dirtbiking, in order to get out there on that hill and ride, you need to have a fairly well maintained machine under you. Things to take in hand are changing the oil regularly, cleaning the air filter (Hubs does this after EVERY ride), checking the spark plugs, tire pressure, chain appearance, and gas. This is messy and time consuming but necessary, oh sooooo necessary. One time I didn't check the gas and our next ride was short because I didn't have any fuel. Yeah, I still hear about that one.

In writing it's much the same way. We need to know what genre we're writing in - research, learn our characters, know the basics of grammar, research the industry, check and recheck the quality of the writing. When I wrote my first novel, I didn't even know what genre I wanted to be in.  I wrote, what I thought, was an adorable YA novel. I sent it out - without having it critiqued first or even looking at it a second time and obviously got rejections. I recieved some requests too, but usually when they saw how unpolished the MS was, I was rejected. I would've rejected me too, to be honest.  I finally realized my genre is romance, but it took three years to figure this out.

I wasn't ready then. Heck, I don't know if I'm ready now.

In biking I'm capable of handling the basics, oil, etc. But I would never attempt a rebuild.  And in writing, the basics and even some of the more intermediate things I can handle, but I would never presume (at least not again now that I know) that I don't need rewrites or critiquing.  Even the Romance Queen, Nora Roberts, has said she still gets edit requests and she's well into 180 books in the romance genre alone.

I showed how green I really was back in the day, but now I am humbled by how much I really DO NOT know in a lot of aspects of my life.

What steps do you take in the things you approach? And what areas to you need more work?

Dineen Miller's Winning Him Without Words

I know, it's supposed to be an Authursday! But I had the great Wendy Soliman in yesterday for a terrific blog post on epubbing and she'll be back next week.

Since I have the great honor of having Ms. Dineen Miller answering some questions here on March 31, I thought I would get a jump on it and review her (and Lynn Donovan's) book.

BECAUSE I could not put it down.

Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage. I read the title and thought "Okay, this will be a good read. I don't need it, because Hubs and I are on the same path religiously/spiritually, but let's see what Dineen has to offer." And I was planning on reading it because I like her and wanted to offer some sort of support.  

I opened it up and Whoa, was I surprised.

The very FIRST thing I learned was that this book would be great for couples even spiritually matched.  Because bringing Jesus further into your marriage can only benefit everyone in the long run.

Let's look at it from my perspective. I'm married to the man of my eternal dreams and we will be hitting the awesome 10 year mark this summer for marriage, 13 years of being together. We have four beautiful children who we are trying to bring up in this forsaken world. We attend church regularly, participate in volunteering in said-church, read scriptures, do family home evening, family prayer, have a picture of Jesus up in the house, you get the idea.

I'm thinking, yeah, on the road, right? But in this book it helps explain some steps in a very important relationship I took for granted - mine and hubs. It points out Seasons of a Marriage. Sacrificial Battles, Believing your Marriage is Blessed, Forgiveness, Grace.  And while my Hubs and I are best friends, we could do well to put some of these aspects a little more consistently into our marriage.

There are scripture references, prayers, devotionals, personal experiences, Study Group questions/suggestions (which I think will be great for just a husband and wife to pursue together), Discovery questions, and so much more.

I just love this book. More than I thought I would. It's a great starter to getting marriage back where it needs to be, in the center of God, Christ and world importance. Focusing on fixing marriage focuses on returning our children to homes of comfort and safety. And lead them to following the examples of providing a Jesus centered home for their own children.

Well done, Dineen and Ms. Donovan. This was a well-thought out plan that, with your easy steps, will be very easy to put into action.  Thank you for the read and we will see Ms. Miller here in a few weeks.

Post questions you'd like Ms. Miller to answer for the interview and I will pass them along with my own LARGE list.

Guest - Wendy Soliman - Of Dukes and Deceptions

Wendy Soliman is a British author, now dividing her time between Andorra, Spain and Florida. She talks here about her struggle to gain recognition in the traditional world of publishing and the reasons behind her decision to focus solely on the e-book market in future. She has five e-books due for release this year, with two more under consideration, so fervently hopes she's got it right!

I can't remember a time when I didn't invent stories in my head, making the world behave precisely as I thought it should. But when I picked up my pen eight years ago to commit those dreams to paper, little did I know what I was letting myself in for.

Even then, before e-pubishing had really taken off and nobody had heard the dreaded words 'credit crunch', everyone told me it was almost impossible to get an agent or publisher to look beyond the first page of a manuscript. But I was convinced I'd be the exception that proved the rule. After all, I no longer had to bash my thoughts out on a typewriter and had the added bonus of the internet at my fingertips to help with research. It didn't occur to me that the same rules applied to all the other would-be writers out there, producing a glut of material that enabled the publishing houses to be even more selective.

My accidental discovery of the English Romantic Novelists' Association played a vital role in my road to publication. I can't speak highly enough of their spirit of camaraderie. They have a scheme whereby unpublished authors can submit a manuscript for professional critique. My first Regency romance went through that process and was published by Robert Hale in London the following year. I was on my way and four more Regencies followed in quick succession.

But then what? I had a track record but it didn't seem to cut much ice with the gatekeepers for the bigger publishers. Unless you had an agent, they weren't prepared to offer you the time of day, especially since the credit crunch was now in full swing and they were becoming even more paranoid about giving new 'voices' a hearing. So what about this e-publishing business that was starting to get attention? Surely it wasn't something to be taken seriously? No one would want to read novels on computers or those gagety e-reader thingamajigs, would they? Still, what was to lose by giving them a bash? I mean, who'd have thought that we'd store photos on-line instead of keeping piles of albums gathering dust at the back of a cupboard? Times are a-changing and writers need to change with them.

And so I dipped my toe cautiously into this unreal world with A Reason to Rebel, published by Samhain as an e-book and in print. But I still hankered after that big break into 'proper' publishing. I submitted to a new publisher a year ago and after an agonising six-month wait was rejected at the final hurdle. Although I assured the publisher I was only a couple of hours away by plane, I suspect my geographical location counted against me. If it was between me and another author living in England, from the publisher's perspective it had to be a no-brainer.

That decided it for me and I now fully endorse the e-publishing phenomenon. My nomadic lifestyle is no impediment since I can do on-line promotion from wherever I happen to be. What's more, it's not an eighteen month wait for see one's 'baby' come to life but more like six. That has to count for something. And attitudes are changing. The other day I overheard (okay, I was eavesdropping!) a lady well into her sixties extolling the virtues of her Kindle to a group of her friends. Equally, a woman in her twenties asked me if she would be able to buy my books for her Sony reader.

I was able to tell her that I have two Regencies coming out with Carina Press this year. The first, Of Dukes and Deceptions, will be released on March 14 and Scandalous Propositions is due for publication in September. I also have the first of my Hale books, Lady Hartley's Inheritance being re-released as an e-book by Aurora Regency in August. Add to that my contemporary novel, Topspin, about a disparate group of individuals drawn together by their membership of a country club on the Isle of Wight due to be published by Aspen Mountain Press this year and the first of what I hope will be a series of marine crime mysteries, Unfinished Business, contracted to Carina and...well, I guess you can say that I have my hands full.

And I'm loving every minute of it!

Thank you for coming today, Wendy. Your site is beautiful and I cannot wait to get my hands on Of Dukes and Deceptions! (Ms. Soliman is returning next Thursday for a more in depth look into her mind. This author is one to watch!)

Wendy is also a Carina Author with me.