Dream a Little Dream of Me

Everyone dreams. You might not remember them, or may be superstitious and hesitate to tell your dreams before breakfast for fear the revelation will bring you bad luck, but everyone dreams.

I do my best dreaming in the hour before I wake. The minute I open my eyes, the dreams evaporate. All memory of the dream fades, too. I tried keeping a notepad and pen beside my bed, but I couldn't write fast enough and the dreams still fled.

What about the other dreams? The kind you dream when you're awake? I've lived long enough I can safely say all my dreams have now come true. How about yours?

Restored Dreams

In Restored Dreams, my latest eBook release from Desert Breeze Publishing, Treasure Montgomery dreams of fixing her leaky roof, of remodeling her hundred-year-old kitchen, of someday opening a home for abused and unwanted boys on her property. She owns four-hundred acres, room for each boy to raise a colt of his own, but doesn't have money to pay for the needed repairs to her house.

Like so many other homeowners, Treasure is house poor. Her teacher's salary barely covers her property taxes and monthly expenses. Try as she may, she can't save enough money to put a new roof on the century-old Victorian house she inherited from the great aunt who raised her.

Treasure may have an empty bank account, but she has a heart big as all outdoors. She gives free equine therapy classes to abused children, and holds a story hour for children hospitalized with leukemia. On the drive home she dreams of restoring the original beauty of her house. Winning the lottery would be a big help.

Then Bradley Harrington Coleman the Third arrives in town. He prefers the name Buck. This retired rodeo champion has dreams, too. He dreams of making a difference in the lives of the residents of Lakeview, hopes to right some of the wrongs suffered because of his grandfather nefarious deeds. Buck inherited a fortune from his ruthless father, money he refuses to spend on himself, and soon becomes the Bill Gates of the rural community, spreading his millions around where the money will do the most good.

After putting a new roof on a Lakeview church and the community center, Buck sets his sights on Treasure's repairs. The penniless middle-school teacher needs a contractor to replace the water-damaged floor in her upstairs bathroom and Buck, a licensed craftsman, offers to do the job.

Poor Treasure hasn't saved enough to do the repairs right. Yes, she's fully aware her roof still leaks and the next rain might damage the new bathroom floor, and no, much as she'd like to, she won't take Buck up on his offer to replace her roof at no cost. Too proud for her own good, she insists on paying her own way, refuses to accept charity, and rejects outright Buck's offer of an interest-free loan.

Just when it looks like Treasure won't be getting her roof repaired before the next rain she gets an unexpected windfall and tells Buck to go-ahead with the roof. He mistakenly thinks Treasure gave the okay to put on a new roof, promptly buys the shingles and sets to work.

Weeks later, after the new roof is in place and Treasure has fallen in love with Buck, she learns the truth. Her dream turns into a nightmare. Because he overspent, she doesn't have enough money set aside to pay Buck back and she fears he will take her house.

How could he do this to her?

Buck dreams of making Treasure his wife, then helping her establish the home for abused and unwanted boys she dreams of on her property until Treasure angrily confronts him about the cost of her new roof. He never dreamed she'd be so furious with him she'd sell her favorite antique to settle his bill, then order him out of her life.

Can he make amends?

Dreams come to us when we least expect them, teasing and tempting us with tantalizing certainty. My fervent dream is I've tempted you to download and read Restored Dreams. Enjoy.

Restored Dreams Blurb:

Her roof leaks, the plumbing, too, but on a teacher's salary Treasure Montgomery can barely pay the taxes on her property, so the list of needed repairs to the grand Victorian house she inherited from the aunt who raised her continues to grow.

Treasure surrounds herself with other people's children, seeking some fulfillment in an otherwise empty life until she meets Buck. A retired rodeo rider turned philanthropist, Buck willingly donates his labor to anyone who needs a helping hand, spending his father's ill-gotten fortune to make amends for his father's bad deeds, but Treasure wants no part of his charity.

            Buck persists. Treasure resists, and he turns to subterfuge to get around the obstacles she throws in his path. She learns the truth and fears she might lose her house to Buck. How wrong can a woman be about the man with whom she's fallen in love?

 

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You can find Toni on Twitter ~ @ToniNoelWriter

Toni’s Bio

From Toni’s Website

Toni Noel

             While growing up in the South and completing seventh grade Toni Noel, writing under another name, laboriously typed each copy of the newspaper she published and circulated at church.
            When she was fourteen Toni began an autobiography, but after only three chapters realized she had not lived long enough to give her life story an arc.  She concluded her effort in the fourth chapter by giving her heroine an incurable disease.
            She later edited her high school paper and one of her editorials earned her membership in Quill and Scroll.  She also wrote a weekly fishing column, perhaps her first published work of fiction, for at that time she had never held a fishing pole.
            For two of those high school years a weekly column about the happenings of her high school friends earned Toni a byline in a Scripps-Howard daily newspaper and a neighborhood weekly, the first income earned from her writing, money her father faithfully set aside for her to attend college.
            Toni thrived on spending time in the library, loved to do research and write term papers.  She would finish her theme well ahead of the due date so she could type the papers of classmates, a lucrative way to add to her college fund.
            She met her husband of fifty-nine years her first week on campus and at the end of her freshman year gave up her dream of teaching to marry the first-year teacher who had captured her heart.  He retired in 2010 , ending a sixty year teaching career.
            The couple later moved to San Diego, where Toni became a Girl Scouts leader and troop organizer while actively working to secure a library for her neighborhood and earning an Honorary Membership in the PTA.
            When her last child left for college, Toni resumed her college education, earning a business degree with special emphasis in System Analysis from SDSU.  Hired by a government contractor specializing in research and development of underwater vehicles, she supervised the accounting department software and payroll until the company closed and she retired to write romance.
            Toni continues to hone her writing skills by attending Romance Writers of America national conferences and local RWA-SD meetings.  She loves to take on-line classes and reads every book she can get her hands on, regardless of genre, now reading them on her NOOK.  Currently Toni devotes her time to writing stories like the novels she loves best, books about finding safe havens for the heart.
            With the release of Lawbreakers and Love Makers by Toni Noel from Desert Breeze Publishing, Temp To Permanent and her latest release, Decisive Moments, a dark romance, you have three opportunities to download her novels and lose yourself in a safe haven for the heart novel, too.

From Desert Breeze Publishing’s Website

Since the day my mother started reading The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew to the four of us books have been an important part of my life. As a small child I couldn't wait to learn to read, and in school I devoured every printed page I could get my hands on. Summers in Birmingham I rode my bicycle three miles to the local drug store to check out Zane Grey novels which I shared with my father, a tireless breadwinner and avid reader. As a young wife and mother I started church libraries in two small Tennessee towns. Later, when the Bookmobile no longer satisfied the needs of my growing daughters, with the encouragement of my husband, I appeared before the San Diego City Council and City Planning Commission, urging them to purchase property for a library in our fast-growing subdivision before the preferred sites were snapped up by service stations. I bugged city officials so much I was later invited to assist the Mayor at the ground-breaking ceremony for the promised library. Although that library now needs expansion, it is my fondest dream that they'll save room on those crowded shelves for the romance novels I write.

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Lynn Crain's Indie Book

            I had never intended to become an indie author but when the opportunity presented itself, I thought why not? I had the rights revert back to me from a publisher for an anthology and that story needed a new home. It really wasn’t something too exciting or new, so I decided to revamp it by totally rewriting it, get it a cover, hire an editor and a copy editor then put it up on all the major ebook sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

            I really wasn’t new to publishing in this way. In the past, when I had owned a print shop, I had my own speculative fiction magazine. I knew about editing and how to format things. I knew how to put an ebook into PDF format but not the new formats like epub. Furthermore, I didn’t have the required software. While I knew I could do this if I spent some big bucks, I decided to hire someone to actually do the formatting. All I had to do was provide a clean Word copy and another more intricately formatted version for the PDF.

            Once the edit was complete for the book and it was returned to me all shiny and new, I sat on it. I drug my feet and rethought my decision. I’d heard many varying stories on how authors were either wildly successful or disappointingly failed. I’d heard that some of the traditional publisher would never even look at a book of mine again if they knew I’d self-published. For me the point was that I’d never get all my stories published if I didn’t do a variety of things, both traditional and non-traditional.

            When all the arguments were worked out in my head, I plunged forward as the holiday season was fast approaching and it needed to be there for that. On December 22nd, 2011, I published my story A Lover for Rachel with Smashwords who made it available in every format as well as on Kobo and Diesel. I had decided to use a book aggregator for the other places (Amazon, B&N, Sony and Apple) and uploaded to them as well. It was soon available at Amazon and the rest have come filtering in since it was submitted.

            I had done it. I had published my own story and while it was a lot of work, it wasn’t as traumatic as I had expected. From the moment it was up, I started to promote as much as I could. I had certain ideas in mind. One of the things I knew is the fact that most indie books take up to six months to really start selling. Yes, that’s right, I said six months. While that is a long time to see any return on my investment, it gives me time to really promote the book as well as decide what stories will be next in this part of my publishing adventure.

            If any of you are interested in self-publishing, just let me know and I’ll answer any question you may have. It isn’t for everyone and it certainly isn’t the only thing I’m going to do with my publishing career. For me it’s just another avenue to get my work in front of more people. It will also, hopefully, give me more income so that I can continue to live my dream of being a full time writer.

Lynn



The Magic of Love comes to everyone.

Rachel Hamilton comes to Stonehenge to celebrate her birthday on Summer Solstice, only to find herself trapped beneath the massive rhyolite bluestones with sexy wizard, Dewin Kingston, who convinces her that she is the key to their escape.

Excerpt:

A Lover For Rachel

“Come on, we’re going to be late! You’re the one who wanted to go to this thing. Besides, it’s the dead of night, so who’s going to see us?”

Rachel frowned at her best friend, Samantha Andrews, again. Yes, she was the one who wanted to go to the summer solstice celebration at Stonehenge. Who wouldn’t if their birthday fell on June twenty-first and they happened to be in the area? Last time they’d come to England in June, they avoided the place because of the massive crowds attending the event. This time there was no way she would miss the opportunity.

“I’m almost done.” She sighed. This was the best it would get. She glanced at herself in the mirror of the bathroom in the luxurious bed-and-breakfast that had been their home for the past week. Everyone told her she’d gone from frumpy to svelte in the last year, but she couldn’t see what they meant.

“You’d think you’re meeting a lover or something.” Samantha stood in the doorway and tapped her foot impatiently. “Come on, Rach, you look beautiful. I envy your curves.”

Rachel smiled at her in the mirror. “You’re only saying that because you love me.” She wiggled her eyebrows and the women burst into laughter.

“No really, you are. You’ve changed so much this past year. Still, we need to leave if we’re ever going to get there and through the gates before the sun rises. Do you have the tickets?”

They had applied to get special passes to participate with the group performing ancient celebrations at the site. The members of the large group were as close to Druids as anyone could be, considering that not much was left in the way of their history. And from everything she’d read about the ceremony, it was a very special and personal event.

She nodded, straightened her shoulders, and brushed her hair away from her face, determined not to worry about her appearance. “I do, and I know what you’re talking about. I have changed. I just feel weird about it, that’s all. Especially when someone calls me beautiful. I’ve just never seen myself that way.”

Samantha clutched her arm, smiling at her reflection. “Come on, how many people can say their birthday is on summer solstice? So what? You have baggage. I do too, now let’s get going before we miss the whole celebration.”

 “I know you’re right. I’m just not going to participate in the getting naked part. Okay?” She was relieved when her friend nodded her agreement. One more glance in the mirror and she pulled the steely reserve around herself that she normally used in the courtroom. Today was the day to have fun and no worries. Today was her day; she wasn’t going to let the past cloud it in any way. Smiling, she grabbed her backpack from the bed and headed for the door. “Let’s go.”

Their drive through the English countryside was always an adventure from start to finish. First, they had to drive on the wrong side of the road. The narrow roads barely managed two compact cars, let alone anything bigger. Rachel and Samantha dodged the predawn traffic racing along the Salisbury Plains to get to their destination. Thank God, they only had a short distance to go through the darkness of the night. The only thing piercing the shadows were the stars that shone bright in the night sky.

Lynn Crain realized at an early age she wanted to write. She took the long way to being published by doing a variety of things like nursing assistant, geologist, technical writer and computer manager all of which have added to her detail-oriented stories. Now she’s a full-time storyteller and weaves fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal tales, as well as erotic stories for various publishers. She normally lives in the very hot southwest with her husband, son, two dogs, three cats, and she’s gotten rid of her snakes. Don’t ask. Other members of her clan live nearby and include another son, daughter-in-law, and two grandsons, plus various long-time friends. She is a past national board member of the RWA; founding president of Las Vegas Romance Writers Chapter of RWA; has held the positions of president, vice-president, secretary and contest chair of EPIC. Her latest adventure has taken her to Vienna, Austria with her husband as he works for a UN-affiliated organization. You can find her hanging out at A Writer In Vienna Blog (www.awriterinvienna.blogspot.com) and various other places on the net (www.theloglineblog.blogspot.com; www.twitter.com/oddlynn3; www.lynncrain.blogspot.com ). Still, the thing she loves most of all is hearing from her readers at lynncrain@cox.net.

Transcend

Today we have the wonderful West Thornhill with us. She brings us an excerpt of her book, Transcend. You can find her at her blog http://wthornhillauthor.blogspot.com. Transcend is published by Silver Publishing and you can purchase it here https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/transcend-ebook-p-719

 Excerpt:

Gael looked at himself one last time before dropping the towel held tightly in his hands and leaving the bathroom. They were coming to pick him up and take him to his new home in Richmond. At least it was only an hour away from Rick's home in Williamsburg. If things didn't work out, he could always call Rick to come and get him. He stopped when he heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"So, where is he? I'm surprised you're ready to give him up." There was a teasing note in the melodious voice.

"You're so funny, Tink. He'll be down in a few minutes." Gael could hear the warmth and concern in Rick's voice. "This is a big deal for him."

"Fine. I'll behave for now."

Gael could hear the teasing in her laugh. A laugh that reminded him of the wind chimes in Hawaii.

Gael sighed and slowly edged away from the wall he'd been leaning against. Determined not to trip over his own feet, he strode into the kitchen feigning confidence. Nervous as hell, he wasn't prepared for his first view of Jason and it stopped him dead in his tracks. Jason had the longest legs he'd ever seen. They were encased in well-worn black denim that hugged them perfectly. Gael's eyes traveled up over the fitted black T-shirt to the strong, square jaw. He gasped. It felt like the air he sucked in couldn't reach his lungs, making him lightheaded and dizzy. He'd known from listening to Rick that Jason was good looking but he wasn't prepared for breathtaking. On any other man Jason's slightly tilted, hooded eyes, full lips, high cheek bones, and square jaw would just be wrong. But on him it was perfect; like the Titan god Prometheus had sculpted him out of the earth to be a living testament of male beauty. His cock hardened just looking at the man.

Gael took a deep breath before continuing, trying to control his awakened libido. He knew Rick had picked up on his presence even though no one would have seen him standing in the hall. Rick, being an awesome empath, was always aware when someone was nearby, and he didn't want to see the teasing gleam in Rick's eye because of his reaction to Jason.

"Tink, your wait is over." Rick nodded to the doorway just as Gael stepped through.

Gael forced himself to smile as he walked toward them. He spoke softly. "Hey."

About West

In 2003 I decided I was going back to college and finish my degree. Three years later I graduated from a small woman's college (R-MWC) that has since become coed with a degree in Classics and a minor in British and American Lit. It wasn't until five years after graduating that I finished and submitted my first novel, Transcend. The characters in this story have been on a wild rollercoaster ride for those five years. Yes, it took me five years to get Gael's story where is needed to be. I'm hoping for things to move a little faster for the sequel.

I have always been a avid reader and thanks to my Classics background I discovered an admiration for Ovid and Hesiod. I also think Latin and Greek are awesomely fun. Yes, I am a geek and an otaku girl. I love Yaoi manga and anime as well as Bleach and Death Note. My all-time favorite Yaoi series is Junjo Romantica.

I am also a single mom. My demon child is light of my life and he was diagnosed with Autism at the age of six. Luckily, he's on the higher end of the spectrum and currently a pre-teen handful. He has taught me a lot about how to see people and the world in general. Life is never boring and I am asked some crazy questions. I should probably brush up on my American History. LOL!

Using Your Life to Jump Start Your Research

Today we have the wonderful Julie Eberhart Painter giving us research tips. Help me in welcoming her to the MFRW Authors' Blog.

            Anna Quindlen, former journalist turned novelist, said: “Each of us has one hundred stories, then we must write on the news.” This applies to romance writers also. One advantage that we have over journalists is that few of us will write 100 novels. But even for the less prolific, research is a major factor. It's also our responsibility.

            To write accurate scenes and dialogue that resonate with readers, we must know our stuff. The more  involved/empathetic our readers are with our stories, the more likely they are to buy and read our books―again and again.

            Writers are readers. We select favorite authors not just for their stories, but because we trust the information contained within their stories.  We don't have to wonder if the town we knew as rural and quiet really did have a subway that we were unaware of. When we see that red flag of error, we know we're in the  hands of an unreliable storyteller.

            Two excellent examples of trustworthy authors are Wilbur Smith, with more than 33 books in print after a long career, and Nora Roberts.  Smith is not as prolific as Ms. Roberts, with more than 100 published works, but like her, the details in his novels are accurate because they have been well researched and are sprinkled with the atmosphere and flavor of their venues. In other words, they take you there.

            Mr. Smith lived for many years on a private island in the Seychelles at 1500 miles east of Madagascar  off the coast of the eastern Africa. Isolated as he was he found time to research through travel, visiting libraries, studying history, and when available via the Internet. Ms. Roberts used her Irish background and frequent visits to her environmental roots to gather her research.

            What makes Smith and Roberts alike is not the subject matter or depth of their research; we don't read their works as we would textbooks. The similarities lay in their use of their own life experiences among  assimilated facts. The collected emotions: tactile, visual and auditory generate emotional accuracy. Use your life experiences to make readers feel what your characters are feeling.

            I write romantic suspense. My background is that of an adopted woman, raised in eastern Pennsylvania,  relocated to parts of the Midwest and eventually transplanted to the South.  I've been exposed to a diverse group of people in these locales. My work history, from interior design, duplicate bridge directing for the national organization (ACBL), nursing home and  community ombudsman volunteering, and eventually acting as a co-counselor in bereavement groups for a local hospice  provided me with the voices, emotions, situations and living examples of the people I write about. 

            I would be remiss if I didn't double check my facts, the correct spellings of towns', street maps, historical works, plus the literature, art and  music contemporary to the time-frame of my stories.  Even the choices of names is important to specific locales and the generations.

            The devil may be in the details, but the proof is in the authors' works.

Julie Eberhart Painter's latest books: Mortal Coil, Tangled Web and Kill Fee are now available in Amazon’s Kindle Store and in print from lulu.com or the publisher, www.champagnebooks.com.

The Scarred Heir

Happy New Year! Welcome to day 2 of 2012. What, you say? Day 2? *nodding* Yep, day 2 of MY New Year. Having a birthday in January for me has always meant that the New Year doesn't start for me until that day. And, since my birthday was Monday. . .well, you get my drift. So, Happy New Year!

And a good year it promises to be. Last year at this time, I was having unexplained dizzy spells. They weren't bad, but I didn't like the fact that the room would shift without warning when I was walking. Unfortunately, it was the busiest time of the year for me, so I made a doctor's appointment for the middle of March. By the end of January, the spells had stopped, but I went to the appointment in March anyway. After some tests and a variety of appointments, I had surgery in July. I suppose if there was such a thing as 'routine' brain surgery, I had it. I went into the hospital on Friday and was released on Monday. Of course, I spent the next month at home recuperating.

In the meantime, my daughter got engaged in June. At first she and her fiancé considered a September date. Thankfully, they didn't think I'd be up to it (and they were right), so the date was moved out to December. Needless to say, that ended the year on a high note. Not even Christmas compared to the wedding. It was beautiful, and my daughter was as happy as I'd ever seen her.

Unfortunately, no writing has been done since I came home from the hospital. It was fortunate, then, that I had one book already contracted, and had finished the book I was working on -- sending it off just the day before my surgery.

So, now it's a new year and I'm looking forward to learning and writing more and, of course, reading lots of great books. Are you looking forward to a year of good books to read? I hope you will consider trying one of mine.

Denise

Website: http://www.denisepatrickauthor.com/

Blog: http://denisesden.blogspot.com/

The Scarred Heir

Buy from Samhain Publishing: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/scarred-heir-p-6611.html

Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Scarred-Heir-ebook/dp/B006IX7F0G/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326171308&sr=1-8

Buy from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-scarred-heir-denise-patrick/1107899144

He stood abruptly. “We will finish this discussion upstairs.” If Dodson hadn’t gotten rid of her uncle, he might yet have no other choice, but he would not have this discussion here, in public, where someone might overhear. 

Minutes later he ushered her into a blessedly empty sitting room. Dropping her pelisse and reticule into a chair, she crossed to her room and checked inside. He did the same for his room, noting that his trunk sat open beside the bed. Neither servant was present. 

Sarah stood in the center of the room, her features pale. Uncertainty hung over her like a cloud. He tried, unsuccessfully, to steel himself. She had to see that marrying him was wrong for now. He had no idea what the future might bring, but at this time it was the wrong choice. 

Large blue eyes watched him as he crossed the carpet toward her. He meant to stop before her, far enough away so he couldn’t touch her, but he couldn’t resist the lost look in her eyes. Before he knew it, he was holding her, enjoying the soft curves pressed close, the sweet smell of flowers in her hair. 

She trembled and pressed her face into his shirtfront, sliding her hands beneath his coat and around his waist. 

“Why?” The question was whisper soft. 

“Because I can’t. I cannot allow you to make such a choice out of fear.” 

She raised her head. “It wouldn’t be fear. I understand what I’m asking.” 

“Do you?” His lips quirked. “Have you thought about all the possibilities? What if we find your father alive? You will have taken the step unnecessarily.” 

She sighed. “Perhaps, but if my uncle were to have forced me to it, I would still be married, and whether my father was alive or not wouldn’t matter.” 

He sighed. “You are right, but your uncle will not force you—and neither will I.”

She huffed and stepped back. “You wouldn’t be forcing me—” 

The door opened and Dodson entered, followed by Annie. Sarah gasped in horror at the sight of the maid’s face. There was a large bruise marring her features and her lip was swollen. 

“Annie. Oh Annie, what happened?” 

“I tol’ him I didn’t know where you was, an’ he hit me. Said he didn’t believe me.” 

Sarah hurried over to the maid and took her in her arms. 

Dodson looked at Max. “I started packing. The uncle said he’d be back with a magistrate. I figured you didn’t still want ta be here.” 

“Heavens no,” Sarah interrupted. She looked at Annie. “Come, I’ll help you finish my packing.” 

Thirty minutes later they were pulling away from the Pulteney and Sarah began to relax. She was thankful her order from Mme. Marchand had arrived and they were able to pack it as well. Yet she wouldn’t have quibbled at leaving it behind had it been necessary. 

While she and Annie packed, she’d replayed the conversation over luncheon in her head. She remembered the moment she realized she wanted to marry him. It was the same moment he’d admitted he would be nothing more than a fortune hunter. It was also the moment she realized she’d fallen in love. 

She turned her face to the window, sightlessly watching the streets of London roll by. For now, she’d have to let him have his way. His promise to take her to France was driving him at the moment. Maybe when they reached Calderbrooke, before the information from the solicitor arrived, she’d talk to him again. 

Regardless, she’d bring him around. He cared for her. His refusal to consider marrying her for financial reasons told her that. But her dowry was substantial. Would that make her off-limits to him forever? 

Love Me For Me

A dear friend of mine told me about an encounter she had with a reader. The woman said she loved a good love story but asked if my friend, a writer of love stories, could write a story about a “fat woman” – tearfully she questioned, “Why can’t we be loved for who we are?”

As a woman that my mother always tactfully described as “zoftig”, I understood this poignant plea. I have often felt blessed that my husband has always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world even though fashion designers and modeling agents would surely scoff.

Our heads are filled with stereotypes, women and men who are “fit and trim” with appealing curves and strong biceps. Years ago when I first contemplated writing in the romance genre I received a list of guidelines from one of the “more respected” romance publishers of the time. Some of the suggestions included: he should be self sufficient and usually financially set; she should be attractive and usually innocent; he should have more experience than her; he should be strong; she can be a leader in business with an innate desire to be domestic…

I rebelled. When I wrote the original manuscript for my romantic suspense Courage of the Heart in the late 90’s, I created a hero that was damaged and insecure. Adam Sherman was wrongfully sent to prison as a teen and suffered abuses that left him filled with doubt and shame. Along came Davie (Davida) Prescott, an innocent girl who Adam was finally able to open up to and who accepted him for “who he was”. Because of their love, he was able to face and stare down many of his demons.

I sent the manuscript to one of the two leading romance houses – and it was turned down. The editor gave me the courtesy of an actual response. She complimented me on my writing and said that the story was definitely intriguing and well-plotted. However Adam was not the “typical hero” because of his past - so my story, even though well-written, was not considered saleable.

The world is not made up of “beautiful, perfect people” as oft described in society pages. There have been a few stories I’ve read where heroines and heroes have “imperfections”, but especially a decade ago, those were truly rare. As my friend  questioned, “What about the greater population who make up our world; people in wheelchairs, ones who need walkers or braces on legs or arms?”

The world is not made up of stereotypes.

Excerpt from Courage of the Heart:

Adam had never felt so frustrated about a relationship before, at least not since he got out of that little Pennsylvania town he grew up in. His teen-age years were filled with memories he wished he didn't have; so long as he could remember that time, though, he'd never be any good for someone as pure as Davie. He had been with a lot of women and he never made any secret of his appetite or his lack of emotional commitment. Adam had told himself that his unusual interest in Davie as a person and not just a sex partner was only a sign of his "growing up", at twenty-five it was bound to happen…eventually. He shook his head, because it was Davie and not his age that was playing havoc with his libido.

Adam stared at the clock on the wall and decided that he had to get close to Davie somehow. He had no idea how to get beyond his dilemma, but he knew he had to try to mend fences with her. Red roses were Davie's favorite, he had learned that during one of their relaxing conversations. He had enjoyed listening to her talk about just about any subject, he was always interested in everything that made her smile, or pause. A quick phone call to the florist gave him a touch of hope.

Forty-five minutes later he felt a little cocky as he walked down the hall to Customer Service.

The door was ajar and Adam peeked in. Only one of the desks was occupied.

"Oh, hi Mr. Sherman. Are you looking for Davie?" Agnes, one of the other girls in Customer Service, was holding down the fort by herself. Since he had not made any secret of his interest in Davie, it was a natural assumption why he was there. "She's already gone for the day."

Checking his watch, he frowned. "Isn't it a little bit early?"

"To be honest, I don’t think she was feeling too well." Agnes shrugged. "And then she got some flowers delivered and it must've really started her allergies or something…'cause her eyes got all red and she had to get out of here."

"Flowers were delivered?" Good, then she got his note.

"Yeah. They were really pretty. She took them with her."

"She did?" Maybe there was a reason to feel optimistic after all.

Adam thanked Agnes and left the office. It was only when he passed the garbage chute that he lost his newfound hope. On the floor was a rose; a piece of green fern was sticking out from the side of the bin where it had gotten stuck when the bouquet was thrown out.

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Chelle has come a long way since first joining the Vanilla Heart Publishing queue of authors nearly two years ago with her first novel, Bartlett’s Rule. Now with nine novels on the market, she has solidified her standing as a Romantic Suspense author (7 romantic suspense & 2 mysteries.) She also has short stories in the VHP anthology With Arms Wide Open, Mandimam’s Press anthology Forever Friends, the VHP anthology Nature’s Gifts, VHP anthology Passionate Hearts and Mandimam Press anthology Forever Travels.

Bartlett’s Rule was named one of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Top Ten Reads for 2009; Final Sin was a 2009 Pushcart Nominee; and Hostage Heart, Final Sin and A Chaunce of Riches were nominated in the 2009 Preditors’ and Readers’ poll and had top-ten finishes. Chelle Cordero was recently featured as one of the authors in “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” published by The Author’s Show in 2010.

Chelle also authors a weekly Amazon Kindle Blog featuring weekly writing lessons. Vanilla Heart publishing recently published two books based on that blog, Living, Breathing, Writing: A Lesson A Day, Volumes 1 and 2. And all of Chelle’s novels are available in both print and ebook editions for every reading device, through online retailers and in select bookstores around the world.

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Please use only what you wish...

My website:

Welcome to Chelle's World

http://chellecordero.com/

My blog:

Chelle Cordero, Author

http://chellecordero.blogspot.com/

My Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChelleCordero

My Twitter page:

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My Amazon author page:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BMBFAE

 My Smashwords Profile page (for multiple ebook formats)

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/chellecordero

and to download a FREE 2011 Sampler of my work:

http://bit.ly/s9WgU7

Cover Me

Any writer will tell you—covers are always an occasion for stress. In my case, I never know exactly what to expect, but I usually have an idea of what I don’t want. Fortunately, the cover artists for my Konigsburg books, Natalie Winters and Valerie Tibbs, always come up with something that works.

Julie Ortolon did a nice rundown on the history of romance covers from clenches to objects to cartoons. She includes the “headless horsemen,” guys whose heads are missing but whose abs are prominent featured, but she didn’t include one more category that I know of—torso girls. These are the covers featuring nude or partially nude women clutching their breasts or crossing their arms across their bosoms to hide the nipples. I had a torso girl on the very first version of Venus In Blue Jeans and wasn’t happy with it. Neither was my editor. You can see the version we finally ended up with here. I love it, but it took a while to get there.

After we had this lovely picture of a smiling heroine, that seemed to set the pattern for the next three books about the Toleffson brothers. Two of them (Wedding Bell Blues and Long Time Gone) featured the heroines. One (Be My Baby) featured the hero. Of the three books with heroines, two have “headless horsemen” in the background, while one (Wedding Bell Blues) has a guy in a nice blue blazer since he’s heading for a wedding and can hardly show up semi-clothed (although that particular wedding might have been okay with it).

When the Toleffson stories were finished, we wanted the next covers to have a different feel to go along with the new storylines. So Brand New Me featured a couple looking at each other rather than a single character looking directly at the reader. There’s also a different color scheme and (love this part) a field of sunflowers to give the cover a sort of golden tone.



Which brings us to Don’t Forget Me, the latest Konigsburg book.

This is actually the first time I’ve gotten a cover where I looked at the people and said, “Yes! That’s Kit and Nando.” I frequently don’t have a firm picture of my hero or heroine in my mind as I write. I do the usual thing where you think of a movie star who’s sort of the same type and then associate your character with him/her (Kris Kristofferson for Cal, Steve McQueen for Tom Ames). But that was just a kind of mental crutch rather than a real picture of what my characters looked like. With the earlier covers, I came to believe that the people on the cover really looked like the people I wrote about (Docia in particular seemed true to life), but I didn’t start out feeling that way. This time, on the other hand the people on the cover were the people I’d envisioned—which is really sort of scary when you think about it.

So thanks, Valerie. It’s a beautiful cover. And it so looks like them!

Here’s the blurb:

Once they said goodbye forever. Now they want to walk it back.

Konigsburg, Texas, Book 6

Eighteen months ago, Kit Maldonado was so over Nando Avrogado, she left Konigsburg without a backward glance. With the family restaurant in San Antonio sold out from under her, though, she’s back to manage The Rose, an exclusive resort eatery outside town.Dealing with a stingy boss, an amorous head chef, an understaffed dining room and planning her aunt’s wedding should have kept her hands full. But she realizes she might not be as over Nando as she thought.As the town’s new assistant chief of police, Nando’s got enough trouble without sexy Kit fanning embers he thought had long ago turned to ashes. Every time he turns around, she’s there—and it doesn’t help that everyone in town wants to see them back together.One incendiary kiss, and there’s no denying the force of their attraction. But there’s a mysterious and oddly familiar burglar who’s been lurking around Konigsburg, someone who isn’t above a little mayhem—maybe even violence—to cover his tracks. 

And a buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/dont-forget-p-6561.html

Meg Benjamin is the author of the Konigsburg series for Samhain Publishing. Book #3, Be My Baby, won a 2011 EPIC Award for Contemporary Romance. Book #4, Long Time Gone, received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Indie Press Romance. Book #5, Brand New Me, was a Long and Short Reviews Best Book. Meg lives in Colorado with her DH and two rather large Maine coon kitties (well, partly Maine Coon anyway). Her Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com.  You can follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1), and Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1). Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

13 Tips for Characterization and Conflict

In writing, as in life, it's often the similarities of things that bring about the most conflict. Familiarity breeds contempt. Here are some ideas to use those similarities as well as differences to enhance characterization and conflict.

1. Is there a particular type of feud that underlies part of your character's background? For example, is her brother in the Army, and her hero's brother is in the Navy, and she meets her hero at halftime during the Army-Navy game? Imagine they are both wearing sweatshirts with Army or Navy on them, and end up stepping forward at the same time in the concession stand. Turns out they have the same order (beer and hot dogs), and even both want only mustard on their dogs. How might the similarities as well as the differences fuel the conflicts, yet bring them closer together?

2. Write a backstory for each major character, so he has a reason for being the way he/she is. Did your hero become an outlaw because he broke the law while saving someone's life, but he hides this? Why? Does he have a dark secret about his past? Who else knows about it? Could this come out at a worse time than now? What will he do to prevent it?

3. Create a barrier between your main characters that keeps them from communicating at a critical moment. Suppose one is telepathic, and the other can't shield thoughts. If something suddenly hampered that flow of thought, what would happen to their usual smooth dynamic? Would the one with telepathy think the other was hiding something? Would this cause a misunderstanding that might fuel conflict?

4. Give your hero/ine an idiosyncrasy. For example, does your heroine tap her chin when she's deep in thought? Perhaps this is how the hero realizes she's hiding something later in the story, and clues him in to make a critical decision. Make the odd habit enough of a part of the character for readers to recognize it too.

5. Create a list of things that your main character wants. Write down three conflicts for each one, and then figure out an unexpected solution. For example: WANT #1: to be a mom more than anything in the world. CONFLICT #1: She can't conceive because _____. CONFLICT #2: Because _____ happened in her past she doesn't trust men. CONFLICT #3: Because she works as a ________ she travels all over the world, so how can she even think about adopting? She's pretty much given up her dream, but it's still there, taunting her. UNEXPECTED SOLUTION: Her work puts her in a war torn area where an orphaned street kid's savvy enables him to save her life. How might saving this child lead to the loss of other things in her life? Career opportunities? Travel? Freedom of movement? How can she reconcile her desires against the child's very real needs, and the fact that she owes him her life? Now, throw in a hero who risks his life to help them both. How might this change her conflicts?

6. What event from your hero and/or heroine's lives changed them the most? How did it come about? What would they do if they could change it? How can you adapt that concept to the current story?

7. Don't be too kind. Let your favorite character suffer. Conflict is the lifeblood of a story. Readers want to see a happy ending that is well earned, so don't go easy on your character. Help them overcome it.

8. Don't be afraid to make your villain truly evil. No one fears a wimp. It's okay to be bad (at least in this case).

9. Consider what your main characters don't want. Is there something they would never do even under penalty of death? What is it, and why?

10. A character was forced into a compromising situation in which a lie seemed the best way out. Over the years, that lie became second nature, and almost seems like the truth. Now, the lie has been exposed. What will happen if the truth comes out? How does your character react? Will he/she try to cover it up? To what extent is he/she willing to go? What emotions go through the character's heart?

11. Create doubt for your character. Yes, we know that the good guy will win, and the bad guy will be defeated, at least for now. But at what point does your hero/ine look at a situation and think "How can I keep doing this? How can I go on?" No action movie is complete without a final showdown in which the hero/ine is so beat up and so close to defeat that you start to hold your breath and wonder "will he make it?"

Surrender Love
2010 EPIC Award Winner
Erotic SciFi Romance

12. Foreshadow conflict for your characters. In the book Surrender Love, the two heroes are generations apart. When a cousin points out the large age difference, the younger hero says, "The age of someone isn't something I think about." Later, it's discovered the younger hero isn't as old as he lets others think he is, and the older one isn't just older -- he's immortal. Each has a reason to hide his age, and part of that reason is a character flaw as well as a strength.

13. Make a list of ways your characters handle conflict, and stick to them -- until there's a reason to change. Does your heroine head for the bar, or chocolate? Does your hero stalk off in a huff, or go practice yoga? Does they both go to the shooting range and blow stuff up? At what point does your character talk to a friend and hash out the details? Is he too much of a loner to talk about emotional things? How might he handle conflict if there is no one to talk to but he is a talker? Does he pace? Does she keep a journal? What if that journal is found by the villain, who uses it against the hero? At what point does your character's usual handling of conflict backfire or fail to work? That can be the crux of a conflict all on its own.

Conflict and characterization go hand-in-hand. How your characters react to conflict is what makes them who they are. Write them with depth by knowing how they deal with life. Ask them questions, be willing to listen, and then use those reactions to beef up the story.

Cover Love

Never judge a book by its cover – that’s the old saying but I must admit, I for one will definitely take notice of a gorgeous cover, whereas one that doesn’t appeal to me, I might well not even pick up. Covers are so important, and authors on the whole don’t usually have a lot of input, although I have to say Penguin/Berkley were absolutely fabulous in taking my suggestions into consideration.

FORBIDDEN, book 1 in my ancient historical series, is set during the first century AD during the invasion of the Roman Legions into Cymru ~

Between a warrior and a princess comes an erotic passion as all-consuming as the hatred between their warring worlds…

The image I had in my mind for FORBIDDEN was deeply romantic, with the hero holding onto his heroine and with them both looking away from the “camera”. I had visions of them in a forest glade with a waterfall in the background. One thing I really wanted was for the hero to be dressed in his Roman regalia so it gave an instant visual of when the book was set and what it was about.

My editor loved my ideas but suggested it might have to be a bit sexier. So I thought I would end up with a half naked guy on the cover. Now don’t get me wrong – I love half naked heroes on covers! But I had this burning desire for the cover to show exactly what the book was about – and it’s about a Roman centurion, a Druid princess and a lot of the story takes place in the forests of ancient Wales. And yes, the waterfall has great significance!

When I saw the cover the art department came up with I just about fell off my chair. It was perfect. Just as I had imagined, but even better! I’m still in lust with Maximus’s biceps and Carys even has bi-colored eyes.

Trained in sensuality, a Druid priestess finds herself falling for the wrong man—the warrior who’s taken her prisoner… 

When we were discussing the cover for CAPTIVE, book 2 in the Forbidden series, I assumed it would be similar in design as the first book in the series. But Marketing wanted to go for a darker look and when I saw the cover for the first time I was completely blown away. Without even reading the book they had managed to convey Bren’s deeply ingrained sense of protectiveness and the overall feel was one of danger looming.

I showed a few writer friends and was amazed at the reaction. Several who write dark paranormal/fantasy said they would definitely pick CAPTIVE off the shelf – based entirely on the cover – whereas the FORBIDDEN cover didn’t appeal to them in the same way.

This really intrigued me because when I look at the FORBIDDEN cover I see the mist swirling around the forest and to me that gives a mysterious, mystical atmosphere. But the CAPTIVE cover does give a much stronger indication of the light fantasy element threaded throughout the book.

What is it about a cover that really grabs your attention? Do you prefer to see a gorgeous half naked hero on the cover of erotic romance? And what elements about either FORBIDDEN or CAPTIVE appeals (or doesn’t appeal) to you?

FORBIDDEN http://www.christinaphillips.com/forbidden_blurb.html

CAPTIVE   http://www.christinaphillips.com/captive_blurb.html

My Website: http://www.christinaphillips.com

My Blog:      http://christinaphillips.blogspot.com

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