Category Archives: WIld Rose Press AUthor

May 28, 2016 · 11:57 am

Words….

Everyone who knows me knows I lovelovelove words. My favorite Christmas present when I was a kid? A dictionary. When I’m writing, that old tried and true tome is never far from my side. I know it’s easier to look things up in an on-line dictionary, but in this one case, I am a purist.

words

Words give meaning and purpose to my life. When I come up with a dynamite sentence filled with words that just sing to me – one that even I sit back and say “Well done” to – I am in word-writing nirvana.

I think my first favorite word ever came to me when I was 5 years old.   Motivation.

The reason motivation was my first favorite word was because it was the theme in my very first favorite book The Little Engine that Could. That little train was so determined to get up and over the mountain he let nothing stop him. I realize he was self-motivated, but to me it’s the same thing!engine

Skip ahead a few years and I’m now 11 and reading Pride and Prejudice for the first of 45 times – and that’s a true statement. I’ve read it every year since I was 11 so that makes me….you figure it out. Anyway, the next favorite word was: Universally, as in “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Love that word because it is all–encompassing. When you read the word you feel a sense of commonality and connection with, well, everyone else! It’s…universal.

p&p

The teenage years brought with it new aspects of favorite words – many of them body parts and therefore unmentionable here – but two of my all time favorites were individualistic and oxymoron. Oxymoron, meaning contradictory terms appearing in conjunction, and Individualistic as in independent and self-reliant. As a writer, these two words spawn so many wonderful plot lines and character traits. Jumbo shrimp, clearly misunderstood, deafening silence, dull roar, small crowd. These are some of my favorite oxymorons. And the best part? Most people say them and don’t even realize what they are saying. Love that!

A few decades later and my favorite words are now mother and love. The mother one is easy: I became one and there has been no greater joy in my life. The Love one is also relatively easy: I write contemporary romance. The end product of every romance is a happily ever after ending with LOVE as its dominant force. So, DUH!  Of course it’s my fav.

Any words you particularly like or use often? Come on… share. I love learning new words.

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And if you’re looking for some new words to read, here’s a book filled with good ones!
THE VOICES OF ANGELS

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Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Buy Links: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook

If you need to find me, you can:  Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//

 

 

 

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May 26, 2016 · 9:06 am

Summertime, goals, and reading lists…

It’s hard to believe summer is almost officially here. Especially where I live, because it’s still so damn cold most nights.

Anyway, Memorial Day is commonly seen as the unofficial start of summer and since it’s this weekend, I thought it was time to get my summer lists ready.

What are my summer lists, you ask? Well, I’m so glad you did. Back in the day when I was still in school ( or as my daughter calls my time in higher learning – the olden times!) I was given a summer reading list every May, instructed to finish the books listed by the time school started up in the fall, and to write 2-3 book reports about the books I’d read.

summerreadinglst

Now, an enterprising person would see this, think I needed to read only 2-3 books because I only had to hand in that amount of reports. You would be so wrong. We needed to complete all the books because we were tested on a sample of them when we were back in class and we never knew which books were going to be chosen. So, you see, they all had to be dealt with.

I am no longer in school – although I’d debate that just living day to day and dealing with people some days feels like I’m still in middle school and surrounded by drama – but I still have a summer reading list I make every year for my own personal growth and enjoyment.

I typically fill the list with a wide variety of books from autobiographies, to writing handbooks, to fiction novels I’ve been dying to read and couldn’t find the time for, even  a few technical books when I want to learn something new.

Last summer I had a list of 25 books and managed to complete 23.  Not bad.

summer2

This year, because I am on a writing deadline for a new series of books, I’ve pared my list down to just 15. That seems do-able to me. Now this list doesn’t include the books I’ve preordered that I want to read by my favorite authors. I slip those in because publication times sometimes overlap or go longer, and I need to read my favs as soon as they come out.

I know: a little obsessive, but hey. That’s me.

So, what are you going to be reading this summer? ( Hopefully, something by me!!) Need ideas? here’s my newest to add to your list:

THE VOICES OF ANGELS

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Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Buy Links: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook

If you need to find me, you can:  Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//

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Filed under Alpha Male, Author, Characters, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, Literary characters, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Romance Books, Strong Women, The Voices of Angels, The Wild Rose Press, WIld Rose Press AUthor

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May 23, 2016 · 2:58 pm

Gym Shame…

So, I want to put a disclaimer in this before we begin: I am a judgmental person. Anyone who knows me, knows this.

BUT...I never express my judginess to people I don’t know, and I never do it in public. Plus, my judgmental expressions are usually only about really stupid people, their actions, and prejudice.

ALSO… I freely admit that I am a reality show junkie when it comes to Bravo and E! Shows.

Okay, so….

Today at Planet Fitness ( and they should really start paying me for all the free publicity I give them!) I was on a treadmill  watching last night’s episode of KEEPING UP THE KARDASHIANS ( don’t judge me!), on my Ipad, minding my own business, ear plugs in place, and trying to burn off some of the delicious calories I took in over the weekend at the Angela James Conference/Workshop in Nashua. The show is 45 minutes long, which is a great treadmill workout for me because I can walk 3.5 miles in that time. Halfway through the program I happened to notice two women  talking who were….older… than me – and by older I really mean they were around my age, maybe a year or two younger/older, give or take – and very much…larger ( and you know what I mean by that!). They had stretched-to-the max-sweatpants on their more than ample backsides and concert t-shirts from a band that disbanded 40 years ago on their jiggly, un-toned, tops.  Anyway.

I happened to see one of them point to me and overheard her say “… stupid, mindless shit.”

My ears went up like Scooby Doo’s do when he hears the words Scooby Snack.

scooby

Surreptitiously,  I lowered the volume on the Ipad and eavesdropped.  Keeping my eyes on the screen, here’s what I heard (they didn’t know I was listening!)

#1. “How anybody can watch that crap is beyond me.”

#2. “You know who she is, right?” Lowers her voice when she says this and doesn’t understand the gym is like a wind tunnel. You can hear a whisper from across the room.
***I’ll omit the next part where #2 tells #1 who I am and who I’m married to.

#1.”She writes those trashy, sex books, right? I saw it listed in the  paper when she did an appearance at the Toadstool.”

#2. “Yeah. Probably why she watches that crap.” **** I figured this meant what I was watching on my Ipad. **** “Probably gets her ideas from those kinds of shows.”

Now, those of you who know me personally can guess what I wanted to do. Would it surprise you to know I didn’t stop my treadmill, turn, and rip them each a new one?? What I did do surprised even me.

I turned the volume back up and kept walking until I timed out. Then, when I dismounted, I turned to them, looked each of them squarely in the un-made-up lots of crow-feeted eyes, gave them each a shit eating grin, said, “Enjoy your workout.”

I know: So NOT ME! I must be maturing as I age.

You’d figure I’d be fat-shamed at the gym – not reality tv shamed! The lesson I took away from this ( aside from the fact these two were mindless, judgemental, bimbos): take the high road. I know what I write aren’t trashy sex novels. It’s obvious neither one of these women had ever read anything by me – that’s assuming they have the I.Q.s to be able to read – or they’d know that.

The motto and branding of Planet Fitness is, NO JUDGMENT ZONE.

planetfitnesslogo

Thing 1 and Thing 2 obviously didn’t realize that when they signed up.

‘Nuff Said for today.

For those of you who know I don’t write trashy sex stuff(!) here’s the latest:

THE VOICES OF ANGELS

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Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Buy Links: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook

If you need to find me, you can:  Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//

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May 18, 2016 · 8:49 am

A visit from Joanne Guidoccio

Last year I had the privilege to “meet” author Joanne Guidoccio through our mutual publisher The Wild Rose Press. Since then we have become social media besties – sharing each other’s Tweets, and supporting each other’s blogs and books. Today, Joanne is visiting me and giving us all a lesson is how to relieve and prevent the anxiety each of us as writers experiences. Her lessons and suggestions are not only timely – they work!!! Here’s my buddy, Joanne:

 

Anxiety Antidotes for Writers

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For many writers, worry is a habit. Our minds whirl as we over-analyze and over-think each situation.

  • Is the manuscript good enough?
  • Why isn’t the agent or publisher responding to my query? What if my sales numbers are dismal?
  • What if I get more negative reviews than positive ones?

It’s easy to become overwhelmed and/or blocked as we ruminate about past events or worry about the future. To improve the quality of our lives, we need to find and implement appropriate anxiety antidotes.

  1. Breathe. Whenever you are anxious, deeply and calmly breathe in and out. As you draw your next breath, focus on the rise of your abdomen on the in-breath and feel the sensation of the air as it fills your lungs and leaves through your nostrils.
  2. Journal. Set aside ten minutes each day to write about your feelings, relationships, triggers, and goals. Write quickly and do not linger over each page. As time progresses, you will notice changes in your writing style and content. Solutions may emerge and help improve your present situation.
  3. Take regular breaks away from social media and your devices. Use those pockets of time to meditate, stretch, soak in a bubble bath, complete a crossword puzzle, flip through a travel brochure, or read the first chapter in a book that has been sitting on your nightstand.
  4. Take a brisk walk in the evening with a friend or spouse. The exercise will increase blood flow to your heart and brain. You will also have an opportunity to talk about your day and share your frustrations.
  5. Surround yourself with inspiration. Follow the advice that Blake Mycoskie gave in his book, Start Something That Matters (2012). In the early days of the TOMS start-up, the young entrepreneur experienced many scary moments. His line of credit was often fully drawn, and his credit cards were maxed out. Lacking a board of directors who could advise and motivate him, Mycoskie surrounded himself with inspirational quotations and read the biographies of successful people.
  6. Display your trophies. It is easy to overlook your accomplishments when you allow them to be overshadowed by negative thoughts. Instead, surround yourself with evidence of past successes by keeping awards, publishers’ checks, and congratulatory notes on display in your home. If space is at a premium, take pictures of the memorabilia and organize them in a scrapbook.
  1. Listen to music. According to studies cited in Trends in Cognitive Science, you can improve your mood, relieve anxiety and depression, and activate the parts of the brain involved in movement, memory, planning, and attention.
  2. Take up a sport or hobby that forces you to pay attention. When you play tennis, you must be aware of everything that is happening. You do not have time to worry about the shot you missed because another one is coming right back at you. Similarly, you must concentrate when you play bridge or poker. If your attention strays, you risk losing the game.
  3. Play an instrument. Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital claim that regular instrument playing boosts the brain’s executive function, which includes problem-solving skills and the ability to focus.
  4. Clean out your purse or wallet at the end of each day. You may be surrounded by chaos and uncertainty, but this small task can help you psychologically declutter and feel more in control of your day.

Do you have an anxiety antidote to share?

A SEASON FOR KILLING BLONDES

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Hours before the opening of her career counseling practice, Gilda Greco discovers the dead body of golden girl Carrie Ann Godfrey, neatly arranged in the dumpster outside her office. Gilda’s life and budding career are stalled as Detective Carlo Fantin, her former high school crush, conducts the investigation.

When three more dead blondes turn up all brutally strangled and deposited near Gilda’s favorite haunts, she is pegged as a prime suspect for the murders. Frustrated by Carlo’s chilly detective persona and the mean girl antics of Carrie Ann’s meddling relatives, Gilda decides to launch her own investigation. She discovers a gaggle of suspects, among them a yoga instructor in need of anger management training, a lecherous photographer, and fourteen ex-boyfriends. As the puzzle pieces fall into place, shocking revelations emerge, forcing Gilda to confront the envy and deceit she has long overlooked.

Trailer

Buy Links  Amazon    The Wild Rose Press  B&N

 A Season for Killing Blondes is on sale for $0.99 May 6 – May 20

Bio

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In 2008, Joanne took advantage of early retirement and decided to launch a second career that would tap into her creative side and utilize her well-honed organizational skills. Slowly, a writing practice emerged. Her articles and book reviews were published in newspapers, magazines, and online. When she tried her hand at fiction, she made reinvention a recurring theme in her novels and short stories. A member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and Romance Writers of America, Joanne writes paranormal romance, cozy mysteries, and inspirational literature from her home base of Guelph, Ontario.

Where to find Joanne…

Website:  // Twitter:  //Facebook: //LinkedIn: // Pinterest: //  Goodreads:

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May 17, 2016 · 10:22 am

Milestones…

I think it’s fair to admit that I like pretty things. I tell you this, because I was away on a trip for the  past few days and when I got home, this was waiting in the mailbox for me:

rwapin

What you are looking at is a milestone pin from RWA, for romance authors who have achieved book, well….milestones! 5, 10, 15, 20, etc books published in the romance genre. I had 5 published from March 2015-May 2016, so, hence, the 5 book pin.

Yes, I did have to order it, it didn’t come automatically from RWA, but who cares??! To me, having this pin is a real – pretty! – symbol of a dream that not only came true for me last year, but that continues to thrive, grow, and flourish. I simply can not wait until I can apply for a 10 book pin, then a 20 book pin, then… you get the idea!

And yes, I know this can be perceived as vain or stuck up or conceited. I realize some writers think it is vainglorious to tout one’s accomplishments because we should be writing for the simple love of writing, yada yada yada, but you know what? I don’t really care. I’m going to be 56 years old in a few days and this – THIS!!!  – was a nice pre-birthday present to myself.

So, planning ahead, I’ve got 2 more books coming out this year and then 2-3 more planned for next year. I may make the 10 pin pretty quickly!!

And did I mention I like pretty things??? LOL

If you need to find me, you can:  Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me//Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//

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May 12, 2016 · 10:33 am

Saying goodbye…

I’m usually not sentimental when it comes to leaving something or someplace. I’m not one of those people who take forever to say goodbye at gatherings. You know the kind I mean: just like that character from the old Saturday Night live routine The Thing That Wouldn’t leave!! So not me. When I say my goodbyes, I leave. Exit, stage right. Follow to the Egress. Jaeger, out!

vontrapp

But lately, it’s been a little more difficult to say goodbye to my characters when I’ve typed THE END in a manuscript. I’ve been living and breathing with them for several months and I’ve become devoted to them on so many levels, it’s maybe a little creepy. Well, maybe not creepy, but certainly unusual.  They are, after all, characters, not real people I’ve forged attachments to. But I’ve been in their heads,( okay, a little creepy!) showing their emotions, giving their dialogue a platform on the page to express themselves. I’ve been their mentor, creator, best friend, bon-vivant, encourager,  and chief comforter. And now they have left me…. I feel sad and restless and like an empty nester all over again.

Yeah, okay, I’ll admit it does sound like I need to get out more and be around real, live, people.  You’ve got me, there.

But hear me out. These characters, my babies for lack of a better word, are as close to me right now than my actual loved ones  are – maybe even closer – because I see the world through their eyes, hear their voices through my ears, and experience their crush of emotions through my limbic system. In the purest sense of  written form, they are me and I am they.

Okay, so now creepy and a little too science-fictiony for my sanity. But I think all the writers out there know what I mean. Here are a few pretty literary types explaining it much better than I am.

Cartoonist Berkely Breathed put it this way: “I will go to my grave in a state of abject endless fascination that we all have the capacity to become emotionally involved with a personality that doesn’t exist.”  Writer Teresa Mummert  says, “Sometimes I scare myself at how easily I slip inside my mind and live vicariously through these characters.”  But my favorite quote is from G.K. Chesterton: “I wish we could sometimes love the characters in real life as we love the characters in romances. There are a great many human souls whom we should accept more kindly, and even appreciate more clearly, if we simply thought of them as people in a story.”

So, that’s my rant for today. I’ll deal with saying my goodbyes to my most current characters much as Scarlett O’Hara did: “I’ll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.”

scarlett

The newest characters I’ve had to say goodbye to live in THE VOICES OF ANGELS, available from The Wild Rose Press and my local Toadstool Bookstore.

THE VOICES OF ANGELS

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Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.

Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.

Available here: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook

If you need to find me, you can:  Tweet Me// Read Me// Visit Me// Picture Me //Pin Me//Friend Me//Google+Me//

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May 7, 2016 · 10:17 am

Where ideas for stories REALLY come from!!

I need to share a recent  Facebook page status  with you all as a preface to today’s blog:

planetfitnesslogo

“Okay, so remember the other day when I told you about almost passing out at the gym because I hadn’t eaten anything before going? Well, here’s today’s Planet Fitness nightmare.

I’m on the treadmill, my iPod blasting in my ears and a really fast tune comes on, so I jack up the treadmill speed to match the beat of the music. Now I’m going fast and loving it. Then I remember that I should be moving my arms to the music as well so that I get a full body workout, so I start to pump my fists to the beat and I am in heaven. Well…

All of a sudden my fist connects with the earpiece string and – like a karate chop because I’m pumping my arms – I swipe it, the iPod jumps off the treadmill ledge, disconnects from the ear piece and hits the guy on the treadmill next to mine square in the center of his chest, and bounces. And I mean bounces. The universe couldn’t have seen fit to put some overweight out of shape slob like me next to me. No. I had to have Captain America next to me, all toned, and tan and hard bodied.

So, the iPod bounces of his substantially ripped chest and flies forward to land under the treadmill in front of his that has a girl running at a marathon rate on it.

So now I’ve not only maimed the guy next to me, but I have to ask the girl running like her life depended on it to stop so I can retrieve my iPod from under her machine.

I think this is the universe’s way of telling me I shouldn’t be going to the gym so I’m going to take a nap now. I just wanted to give you that I Love Lucy update before I lie down.”

ilovelucy

I garnered sososososo many comments from people telling me that this is the way my hero and heroine should meet in my next book that I’ve finally relinquished and am going to write it.

So, the title of today’s blog – Where ideas for stories really come from!!  – yeah, everyday life, people. Everyday life.

I have now answered that question for the last time EVAH!!!!

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May 1, 2016 · 1:12 pm

A necessary Evil…Reviews

As a writer,  just like any artist, you can live or die by the reviews of your work. I’ve had 5 books published since March 2015 and many reviews. Nearly all of them have been positive, but there have been a few that have stopped me in my tracks.

First, a disclaimer: I’m going to be honest and tell you I really don’t care all that much about reviews. I know you’re probably thinking I sound conceited or snobby or even elitist, but when all is said and done, I write stories for myself. I’ve said before if I’d never been published I would have been fine because I still would have written down all the stories in my head, despite the fact no one would ever see them but me. I write for me.  Me. The fact that other people like reading what I write is a humongous bonus to my ego, but in the end, I’m my biggest fan and critic.

Okay, that really does sound conceited, but I don’t mean it to!

So, on to the clunkers.

My Valentine’s Day book 3 WISHES was a simple boy meets girl-misunderstanding story. Chloe thinks Matt is taken and, to boot, has a baby on the way. A miscommunication that drives the story. Part of the plot included the issue of Chloe’s father’s affair with a much younger woman. One reviewer gave me a one ( 1) star rating because she said I wrote the wrong story. I should have centered the plot on the affair and not on Chloe and Matt and that it detracted from the story I wanted to write. Okaaaaaaaaay. How dumb does that sound? The book was a ROMANCE, not a woman’s fiction novel about infidelity. Now, a one star rating sucks, no mistaking that. But the real issue was the statement I’d written the wrong story. That one made me mad. It was my story. I wrote it the way I wanted. If this reviewer wanted a story about a cheating husband, SHE should have written one.

Okay, rant over.

Another reviewer for the same book said that it wasn’t funny “at all.” I put that in quotes because that’s exactly what she said. Okay, I realize not everyone gets every joke, every innuendo, every nuance of a pun.  People’s funny bones are tickled by different things, I get that. But she’s the only one who mentioned the humor in a negative way. All the other reviewers stated it was  funny and filled with amusing moments and thoughts. I guess my humor just didn’t work for her.

It’s a good thing my skin is thick, my ego solid, because there’s no such thing as a perfect review for every book you write. I’ll admit that even some of my favorite authors have written books that I didn’t like, but I didn’t put up negative reviews about them, and second guess their talent or story telling. I simply held my tongue and continued reading their newest books when they were released. One very real fact of life my mother drilled into me growing up is that if  you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Keep your mouth shut and  your opinions to yourself. SHUT THE  **** UP, in other words.

Not everyone is like going to like everything you write. Fact of life as an artist. But do you really have to tell the world how much you didn’t like something? Have we become a society that just panders to the negative, degrading and insulting one another’s work?

I sure hope not.

Now, having gotten all that off my chest, I’m going to open my ego for another round of  – hopefully – nice comments and let you know that my newest book THE VOICES OF ANGELS, is a Netgalley offering this month. If you are a  Netgalley member you might want to check it out. Click here for the link.

And, please, if you do read and review it – be constructively kind, not maliciously cruel. My ego is intact, but it’s still fragile at times. Thanks for  listening to me b***h.

 

 

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April 29, 2016 · 8:58 am

Almost Showtime…

I bet you were thinking this was going to be another blog entry about Keene DANCING WITH THE STARS. Wrong!  The showtime I’m referring to in the title is my own showtime – or more specific – my new writing schedule.

Today is my last day of work AGAIN!!! and from 5 pm tonight onward I get to live my dream AGAIN!!! of being a full-time writer. You all know I retired last year, and within 4 months got asked to “fill in”  because the girl that took over my job…well, let’s just say she didn’t work out. Because I had designated 2016 as the year of “yes” (Thank you, Shonda Rimes and insert the sarcastic tone right here) I felt I couldn’t say  no to my old employer because, 1. it was the year of saying yes and not the knee-jerk no’s I always gave; 2. I didn’t want my former patients to suffer, 3. this is, after all my husband’s business and it didn’t feel right to say no, and 4. it was only supposed to be for a few weeks until they found a replacement.

Fast forward 4 MONTHS – yeah! 4 -freakin’-months – and I finally said “no more.” It was a little more forceful than that, and may have been peppered with an expletive or two…or ten… but today I am done. Finito. Basta. No more.

So, starting bright and early tomorrow morning ( and by that, I mean the middle of the night because I still suffer from that damn chronic insomnia) I get to spend the days, all the glorious days, writing once again. And thank you, Jesus, it’ just in time because I’ve got three deadlines for this year all lined up with actual DATES!! Heaven help me.

If you don’t hear from me for a while, don’t worry. I’m fine. Just chained – intentionally – to my desk, my fingers splayed across the laptop keys, my brow grooved into two lines resembling caterpillars on my forehead, deep, deep, in writing mode.

The zone is calling and 5 pm can not get here soon enough…

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April 17, 2016 · 4:31 pm

A visit with Joyce Holmes

On this beautiful April Sunday, I am very pleased to introduce you to  another of my Wild Rose Press sistahs, author Joyce Holmes.  Joyce hails from British Columbia and is living the writing dream. She recently “sat” down with me for an indepth interview and graciously gave me – and now you!  – a glimpse at her newest release, Visual Effects.

Here’s Joyce.

Joyce – The Writer Questions

  1. What drives you to write? I love telling a story – creating believable characters, giving them tough emotional issues to deal with and then helping them find their way to a happy place.
  1. What genre(s) of Romance do your write, and why? I write contemporary romance, partly because I enjoy dealing with real people in real-life situations, and partly because I’d have no clue how to write anything else.
  1. What genre(s) of Romance do you read, and why? I’m a voracious reader. I read all romantic genres and every type of other fiction, as well. I even occasionally read non-fiction. And cereal boxes, bus advertising…
  1. What’s your writing schedule? Do you write everyday? I don’t follow a schedule unless I’m under deadline. I’d love to write every day, but sometimes real life doesn’t let me. I do ‘writer stuff’ every day, though. Promotion, social media, research, whatever is the priority at the time.
  1. Give us a glimpse of the surroundings where you write. Separate room? In the kitchen? At the dining room table?Years ago, I converted my smallest bedroom into an office and that’s where I write. My laptop sits on an old desk and there’s a small table next to it, where I keep notes and research papers that aren’t on the computer. Two tall bookshelves, overflowing with books, and a filing cabinet take up most of the remaining space.
  1. Are you the kind of writer who needs total quiet to compose, or are you able to filter out the typical sounds of the day and use your tunnelvision? When I had kids at home, I was quite good at filtering out the noise, but I’m noticing more often now, noise distracts me and I need quiet, especially if the scene isn’t going well.
  1. Do you listen to music while you write, and if so, what kind? If not, why not? I listened to music on occasion when I first started writing, but not for some time now. Sadly, it’s become another noise that distracts me.
  1. How did you come up with the plotline/idea for your current WIP? I had just come back from a trip to LA, so I had the film industry on my mind, and that’s the backdrop for my story. As for the plot, it evolved as it went along. A few of the plotlines were taken from my life experiences and given their own twists.
  1. Which comes first for you – character or plot? And why? Usually the characters come first. I have to know them quite well before I can put them into any given situation, although their personalities sometimes make a bit of a transformation to suit the plot as it develops.
  1. What 3 words describes you, the writer? Slow, slow, and slow. Oh, that’s only one word? Okay, then, slow, methodical, and obsessive.

Joyce, The Person Questions:

  1. Tell us one unusual thing about yourself – not related to writing! I’ve climbed Grupo Nohoch Mul, a pyramid in Mexico. I have bad vertigo and it’s quite the climb, so it’s a proud accomplishment for me.
  2. Who was your first love and what age were you? His name was Guy James, and I was thirteen. It was only puppy love, but it lasted a long time. My first real love was my hubby, at age eighteen, and it’s lasted a lot longer.
  3. If you could relive one day, which one would it be? Think GROUNDHOG DAY, the movie for this one – you’ll have to live it over and over and…. My first date with Hubby. It could use a do-over or three
  4. Do you like a guy in boxers, briefs, or commando?Boxers, but not the baggy kind.
  5. If you had to give up one necessary-can’t-live-without-it beauty item, what would it be? This is going to sound weird, but I don’t use many beauty items. About the closest I could get is my facial cream.
  6. What three words describes you, the person? Tenacious, loyal, softhearted.
  7. If you could sing a song with Jimmy Fallon, what would it be? Something silly, like Call Me Maybe.
  8. If you could hang out with any literary character from any book penned at any time, who would it by, why, and what would you do together? I’ve read many great characters, but no particular one jumps readily to mind. So, at the risk of sounding narcissistic, I’d love to spend time with my current character, Jesse Devlin. I think he’d be a lot of fun to hang with. He could take me sightseeing in his vintage Porsche, stopping for a stroll along the Santa Monica Boardwalk; maybe go dancing…

Bonus round

I love the Actor’s Studio show on Bravo, so this is my version of it:

  1. Favorite sound: A child’s laughter
  2. Least favorite sound: Knuckles cracking
  3. Best song every written: Imagine by John Lennon
  4. Worst song ever written: All those rap songs full of swear words and nasty lyrics.
  5. Favorite actor and actress: Keanu Reeves (Because of his looks, not his acting) and Julia Roberts (Because she’s so real)
  6. Who would you want to be for 1 day and why? ( It can be anyone living or dead): My little dog. I’d love to know what she thinks and what she sees.
  7. What turns you on?: Tenderness
  8. What turns you off?: Negativism
  9. Give me the worst 5 words ever heard on a first date ( here’s mine: “Is that your real hair?”): “Sorry I’m late. I forgot.” (Needless to say, that first date was also our last.)
  10. What’s your version of a perfect day?: Getting all my kids and grandkids together with my hubby and me, and doing something fun. Hearing them laugh and watching them enjoy being with each other.

 

Blurb:

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Drey Winston is a fierce competitor who enjoys challenging her mind and body. But when it comes to her heart—no one ever gets close enough to compete for it. Having grown up believing she was an unwanted burden to her parents, she prefers to keep her feelings well hidden. Just when her hard-fought goals are finally within reach, the audacious Jesse Devlin comes along to breach her carefully guarded defenses.

After a disastrous marriage early in life, Jesse Devlin prefers strings-free relationships. Confident and outgoing, he gets along well with women, but his natural charm can’t seem to penetrate Drey Winston’s aloofness. While attempting to win her over, he’s the one who ends up losing his heart.

Can this commitment-phobic bachelor convince the stubbornly independent woman he loves that his feelings—and hers—are the real deal?

Excerpt:

Jesse leaned against a tree to draw in a few deep breaths. As he straightened, he plucked his ball cap off his head and wiped his forearm across his brow, then hooted a victory cheer. “Hard work’s over. Time for the reward.”

He dropped the cap onto the sand and emptied his pockets into it. Then he pulled his T-shirt over muscled shoulders, dropped it onto the sand on top of his cap, and made quick work of his footwear. Drey stared in disbelief as he beelined down the beach and ran straight into the low surf. When he was hip-deep in the water, he slipped smoothly beneath the surface. He reappeared several feet out and turned to wave.

“Join me,” he called. “The water’s great.”

“Not a chance. The ocean is cold in summer, I can only imagine how frigid it must be today.”

“Wuss,” he scoffed and splashed water in her direction.

Shivers that had nothing to do with feeling chilly shot through Drey as she watched him emerge from the water a few minutes later. Rivulets ran down his chest, following the ridges and planes of his brawny body. Wet shorts clung to muscular thighs.

He ran his hands over his face and then shook himself like a playful pup. “You don’t know what you missed. Nothing like a dip in the salt chuck to get the heart pumping. Well, almost nothing.” He stalked deliberately up the beach toward her, and the look on his face made her back away, but she didn’t react fast enough. He caught her up in his arms, laughing at her shrieks of protest.

“Lemme go, Jesse. You’re cold. Come on, Jesse, lemme go. You’re getting me all wet.”

“That’s the whole idea. Get you wet and me warm.”

She gave him a firm push in the wrong direction as she sprinted down the beach. “Not if you can’t catch me,” she threw over her shoulder as she went.

Buy Links:

Wild Rose Press      Amazon          B&N

 

Author Bio:

Holmes_Headshot

Joyce Holmes lives with her husband and very small dog in the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia. The award-winning author is happily living her dream of being a stay-at-home writer. Photography and blogging about her travels are two of her passions, along with visiting her kids and grandkids. When she’s not dreaming up stories in her head or planning her next great adventure, she’s off enjoying the great outdoors.

You can find Joyce here:

Website // Facebook // Twitter // Goodreads // Amazon 

 

 

 

 

 

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