Win Prizes with Dauntless Authors Giveaway!

Join The Dauntless Authors for a giveaway for 2 $25 Amazon Giftcards during the week of January 13. Throughout the week they'll also be giving away TONS of ebooks at their Facebook Party!

Team Dauntless:

Kate Avery Ellison 

Nancy S Thompson

Wendy Knight

Amber Argyle

RaShelle Workman

Elle Strauss

Megg Jensen

Angela Corbett

Cindy Hogan

Christy Dorrity

Rachel Morgan

Shantal Hiatt

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Check out Clark Public Library's Author Meet & Greet

 

Clark Public Library will be hosting an Author Meet & Greet on Saturday, October 26 from 2-4pm.

This relaxed, casual setting will offer readers, fans and book lovers alike time to meet and greet some of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania’s very own authors.

Grab a snack, a drink and chat all things books. Delve into the mind of an author who may just become a new favorite!

Authors range in all genres from YA to Adult.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. The authors will have signed books for sale so be sure to bring cash if you’d like to purchase one. Attendees will have a chance to win prize packs containing books and bookmarks.

Please Register >>here<<

Authors attending:

Adult Authors

Jill Prand

Melissa Collins

Stephanie Lehmann

S. J. Pajonas

Eric Nierstedt

Steven Donahue & Dawn M. Donahue

Mary A Wasowski

T.H. Snyder

Alice Montalvo-Tribue

Melinda Sutherland

Milly Taiden

Young Adult Authors

Amy Evans

Nadège Richards

Lisa Amowitz

Charlotte Bennardo 

Kim Purcell

Kit Grindstaff

Christy Sloat

BJ Sheldon

Where: Clark Public Library

               303 Westfield Ave.

              Clark, NJ 07065

              732-388-5999

When:  Saturday, October 26 from 2-4 pm

Please send any questions to the event organizer at lthorne@clarklibrary.org

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clark-Public-Library/133919253304008

Clarklibrary.org

Introducing Mystical Press Services

Greetings and Salutations!

Many thanks to Dawn for hosting us on her blog today! We’ve got some really exciting news to share with everyone so grab that cuppa and let the blogging begin!

September 1-15^th marks the official

Grand Opening of Mystical Press Services!!!

This means 50% Off all our classes

and services through September 15^th!

http://mysticalpress.com

In case you haven’t yet heard about our website, allow me to introduce you to a place where you just might find the fulfillment of your dreams. That’s right! The talented folks at Mystical Press want to help you reach your publishing goals!

How do we do that? I’m glad you asked!

Mystical Press is the culmination of an idea that came from two authors and professionally trained editors—Arial Burnz and AJ Nuest—where we help authors bridge the gap between the form rejection letter and publication. In fact, we believe in this venture so passionately, our tagline is “Helping authors achieve their dreams.”

At Mystical Press our primary goal is to help writers. As authors, we understand the frustration of not receiving constructive and useful feedback, the aggravation of navigating the murky depths of the publishing industry and that, sometimes, authors just need a place to vent. Well, we’re here to tell you, the insanity can end!

Like-minded individuals can gather online at Mystical Press to work one-on-one with professional editors who help authors prepare their manuscripts for submission. Whether you are looking for a Manuscript Evaluation, Submission Evaluation, or a full story edit, we will give you honest, encouraging feedback and work diligently with you on your story to make sure it’s ready to land on an editor’s desk. No project is too big or too small and all receive the same precise attention to detail.

 Perhaps your submission is ready but you need assistance with smaller editing projects like a query letter and synopsis? Have no fear! Mystical Press is here! We offer a full edit of query letters and synopses with comments and suggestions that come directly from AN EDITOR! TAH-DAH!

And don’t worry! If your goal is to write your very own dynamite synopsis, at Mystical Press we believe in “teaching a man to fish”. Our Power Class, How to Write a WINNING Synopsis, is designed to easily guide you through the process of crafting your very own synopsis! Yes, that’s right. I used “easily” and “synopsis” in the same sentence!

 The self-paced course curriculum at Mystical Press can assist in tackling those pesky problem areas as well (e.g., show vs. tell, POV shifts, realistic character and story development, etc.). If you’ve read books, articles and/or taken workshops and are still in search of that elusive contract offer, perhaps Mystical Press can help. Take one class or take a whole series—our online classes are designed to meet each writer’s individual needs.

Is your next project of the self-publishing variety? Mystical Press has a selection of pre-made covers we guarantee will only be used once! No one will have the same cover! Or, if you’d like, we can design a cover specifically tailored to your vision—you will work one-on-one with our talented cover artists! We are also happy to edit your baby and can even format the document to meet the specifications of most popular self-publishing platforms.

Remember to mention Mystical Press to all your friends and fellow writing pals – here’s why. Mystical Press offers a free Referral Program. Just register on the site and we will assign you a Referral ID. If anyone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a referral fee! Whether you choose cash or a credit for products or services on the site, consider this our thank you for helping us spread the word. 

 Oh! And before I forget…we offer a wide range of gift certificates designed specifically with the writer in mind. Tired of searching for the “write” present for your author pals? Maybe that next birthday calls for an eGift from Mystical Press!

So now that you know all about us, please tell us all about you! Head on over to Mystical Press and register free on the site. Everyone who does will be entered into our drawing for fabulous gifts and prizes! Join our celebration and together we will strive to get your voice heard!

Top Ten Books I am dying to read

Ok, I figure I need to do a segment every month on the top ten books-print and e-books-I am dying to read. I have such an extensive list that it is hard to round it to ten so please forgive me if I don't mention your book, authors. I would be here till doomsday and then some. *grins* Now onto book goodness.....

*~*~*~*

10) Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep (Book 3 in Elemental Assassin Series)

Release date: April 26th, 2011

Available for pre-order at Amazon

Genre: Urban Fantasy

 

I just got Venom and need my Gin fix. I so can not wait to see what happens next to this retired assassin and her crazy cast of friends/family.

*~*~*~*~*

9) Trust Me If You Dare by L. B. Gregg (Book 2 in Romano & Albright series)

Release date: December 2010 from Samhain Publishing

Genre: M/M Mystery

I loved, loved, loved Catch Me If You Can and can not wait for this one. I need my Romano & Albright fix desperately. Besides who doesn't like a hot, sexy M/M Mystery/suspense to keep you enthralled? I know I do.

*~*~*~*~*

8) Hunger by Jackie Kessler (Book 1 in Eternal Riders YA Series)

Release date: October 2010

Available at Amazon

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

I got to admit, I have heard nothing but good things about this newest series from Ms. Kessler and just have to read it. Maybe Sanata will be good and bring it to me for Christmas? *Pleading Gaze*

*~*~*~*~*~*

7) Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Chronicles of Nick/Dark Hunter Series YA)

Release date: February 2011. Available at Amazon for pre-release

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

I so need my Nick fix it isn't funny. Who knew Nick and the Dark Hunters were so amusing when he was a teenager? I am counting down the time till this comes out and I got my daughter hooked on Infinity, the first book so that she now asks when the second one is out. :)

*~*~*~*~*

6) The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin (The Fallen Kings Cycle Book 1)

Continuation of the Chronicles of the Necromancer Series

Release date: January 2011. Available for Pre-release at Amazon

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

When I first picked up the first book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer, Summoner, I literally fell in love with this author's writing and her cast of characters. If you  enjoy fantasy with a bit of adventure, mystery and romance, then I highly recommend this series. I am eager to grab this with my holiday gift cards in early January. *grins*

*~*~*~*~*

5) Master of the Abyss by Cherise Sinclair (Master of the Mountain Book 2)

Release date: October 26th, 2010

Available for Pre-order at Loose Id  Publishing

Genre: BDSM Suspense

I read the first book, Master of the Mountain, and loved it. I was thrilled to see Master Jake get his story told and Cherise Sinclair is a talented writer. If you haven't tried out her books, I highly recommend you do. Sensual, entertaining and delightful. Need I say more?

*~*~*~*~*

4) Men In Space Anthology (Three M/M Sci-fi Adventures)

Release date: November 2nd, 2010

 Samhain Publishing

Genre: M/M Sci-Fi/Futuristic Romance

I loved these in ebook format and was thrilled to see them all together in one print volume. Manlove in space....who could ask for anything better?

*~*~*~*~*

3) Pale Demon by Kim Harrison (The Hollows Series Book 9)

Release date: February 11th, 2010

Available for pre-order at Amazon

Genre: Urban Fantasy

The next Hollows book is almost here and I am anxious to see what mischief Rachel, Jenks, Ivy and all their friends get into next. 

*~*~*~*~*

2) Harvest  Hunting by Yasmine Galenorn (Book 8 in Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon Series)

Release date: October 26th, 2010

Available for pre-order at Amazon

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I love this series. Ms. Galenorn has a great writing style that keeps the reader glued to their seats and eager for  more when the last page is read.

*~*~*~*~*

And Number One is........

Truthseeker by C. E. Murphy (Book 1 in Worldwalker Duology)

Available now and at Amazon

Genre: Fantasy

I love C. E. Murphy's writing and was thrilled to see a new book out from her. This is the first book in a new duology series. It looks just as good as her other books and I am hinting rather loudly to DH on this one for Christmas.

*~*~*~*~*

Well this was just a taste of what I am looking forward to reading. Any you want to recommend?

The Power of Positive Reinforcement by TM Hunter

The Power of Positive Reinforcement
by T. M. Hunter

Anyone who follows my blog or has seen my various articles on the web would know that I’m a big proponent of setting goals as a means to get jump-started on your writing and to keep it flowing. There are those who see goal-setting as bringing far too much structure into what is considered a creative endeavor.  I see it differently, and have a feeling there are many would-be writers out there who struggle with getting words out on the page just as I have in the past. They feel disappointed in themselves for being unable to accomplish what they want to get done, and these negative feelings feed upon themselves, which only propagates the issue farther. Six or twelve months later, you’re still looking to get your first draft finished or maybe even  the first page of your novel.

In my own situation, thus was born the goal-setting life, and I have a feeling it will help any other struggling writer out there.

Of course, I’ve written other articles on setting goals, including tips on how to set them, but one thing to remember is that writing is primarily a mental activity. As such, it’s important that we should not only set our writing goals but we should give ourselves rewards when we complete them. Now this isn’t to say a person should set themselves up on a Caribbean cruise when they finish the first draft of their novel (although if anyone wants to buy me one for when I finish my third Aston novel, I won’t object). But as always, with anything there should be rules, and so your rewards for completing your goals should adhere to the following three guidelines:

1. Your reward should be something you don’t already receive on a regular basis

I’ve seen many people steer away from this precept when they reward themselves. In fact, while sitting down to write this article, a writer friend of mine told me to turn off Twitter until I finished. Although I did as he instructed, returning to Twitter won’t in fact be my reward, because ultimately (though I hope it will encourage me to finish) I’ll receive that ‘reward’ eventually whether I complete my task or not. The same goes for those who go out to dinner after they finish the first draft of a story or novel. Unless you never go out to dinner otherwise (which would be rare in this day and age), that isn’t really considered a true reward because you receive it other times when you aren’t accomplishing your goals.

Be inventive. What is something you never (or almost never) get to do? Set that up as your reward, and then bask in the glory of being able to do it when you’re finished.

2. Your reward should fit the goal that you completed

I mentioned before that a person shouldn’t set themselves up on a Caribbean cruise when they complete the first draft. Again, it seems fairly obvious, but the opposite can also be true. What if you finished the final draft of your latest novel and sent it off to your first batch of agents? That’s something that doesn’t happen all too often, so it deserves a larger reward than say, finishing your word count goal for the month. You wouldn’t want to go out to a fancy dinner alone (although maybe you never get to go out to dinner). The intensity of the reward is what’s important for tasks that are monumental, and usually rare, because it’s all about forming a habit. Finishing a short story, on the other hand, might just end up with a reward of a special ice cream treat (assuming you don’t go out for these all the time), since it’s something that can be accomplished fairly quickly and easily for most.

And of course, when you begin completing the same goal (a word count goal for the month, for example) over and over, it’s time to set your goal higher in order to receive the same reward. One  might ask why they couldn’t just scale back the reward, but the mind will begin having no incentive to reach the goal any longer, and the habit will begin to fade.

And of course, maybe you can book your (and my) Caribbean cruise once you sell the movie rights to your novel.

3. Your reward should be something positive

Yet one more obvious statement (it’s beginning to  form a trend), but one would be surprised how many people will use a negative consequence to spur them to complete a goal (such as removing yourself from  personal contact with friends and family until you’re finished with a story). Although punishing oneself until a task is completed may actually get the task at hand accomplished, the mind seeks to have positive sensations when forming and maintaining habits (which is why it’s so hard for addicts to quit). If your task was accomplished through negativity, your mind won’t form a lasting habit. Although it may serve as a start, and momentum will carry you for a while, ultimately the old habits (not accomplishing your goals) will return. So, make sure you earnestly seek out a positive reward and your habits will both form and last.

So there you have it, three solid guidelines for setting up rewards to go along with your writing goals. I hope they prove as useful for you as they have for me. Have a great time, everyone, and enjoy those rewards along the way.

***

T. M. Hunter has always had a fascination with interstellar travel, earning a B. S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas. Twice a top ten finisher in the P&E Readers Poll for his short stories (2007, 2009), his book HEROES DIE YOUNG earned Champagne Books’ Best-Selling Book of 2008 award. FRIENDS IN DEED is his latest novel. For more information, including links to his published short stories and novels, please visit AstonWest.com. You can also find T. M. Hunter on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace as well.

Meet "New to me" Author Salvatore Buttaci

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I fell into writing quite accidentally.  When I was nine, I wrote my first poem, one for my mother in honor of Mother’s Day. She read it and cried.  It was called “Mama” and in its silly rhymes I told her how much she meant to me.  My father read it next and pretending to be offended, he said, “I know it’s not Father’s Day yet, but would you write me an early poem called “Papa”?

My parents encouraged me right from the start that writing was my gift and the only way to thank God for it was to show I liked the gift by using it. 

Two or three years later I started writing short stories.  My father was a natural story teller.  If he wanted us kids to learn something important, he’d couch it in a kind of make-it-up-as-he-went-along parable.  Instead of “Don’t talk back,” he would say, “Once there was this boy, let’s call him Marco, who talked back to his mother so much one day she ran away from home.” 

In those early days I also read quite a few comic books.  They definitely taught young readers how to write a story!

Please tell us a bit about your latest/upcoming book(s). What inspired it? Is it part of a series?

Flashing My Shorts is the title of my newest book.  It’s a collection of 164 short-short stories about life, love, humor, horror, crime, science fiction--name it!  I wrote it because it’s the kind of book I myself enjoy reading.  In this modern day of rush and run, I am certain others love this kind of book as well.  They can read a story or two or three, put the book down, and come back to read some more new stories. Kind of like smorgasbord fare.  Tables and tables of one-bite foods to sample.  And judging from the many customer reviews at http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473  I would say lots of readers are particularly enjoying Flashing My Shorts.

I do intend to write more flash-fiction collections.  In fact, I’ve half-written the next one called Flashes of Memory. 

 
  Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?  

I am one of the blessed who has had more than a few who influenced me as a writer.  First and foremost, my parents.  To them I add three English teachers who helped remind me that one needs to learn the craft of writing to be a writer.  To do otherwise would be like a pilot taking off from the roof of a building without a plane!  He might get lucky and fly, but chances are he won’t make a safe landing.  In grade 6 it was Sister Rita Damien who encouraged her students to write and then read their stories in front of the class on rainy lunch hours.  My friend George Newman drew pictures to match my stories and while I read them, he’d hold up picture by picture so the class could squint and nod.

In high school it was Sister Marie Augusta whom we called “The Word” for two reasons: “My word!” was her favorite expression, and she loved the words of great literary classics which I pretended to hate so my stickball buddies wouldn’t think badly of me.  And lastly there was Dr. David Rogers, my creative-writing professor, who taught me that a writer who does not revise is not a writer at all.

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?  

A good story is like a well-baked cake: all the ingredients need to be present for it to taste good.  I feel the same way about stories.  If a writer has a fantastic plot but the characters are weak and indefinable, the plot falls on its face.  If the writer does not include foreshadowing early on in the story, often the ending is not acceptable.  Readers need to be given some tiny hint of the outcome or, like the ancient Greek playwrights, those writers will be accused of pulling a “deus ex machina,”  a contrived resolution nobody saw coming.   For a story to be worth reading, it must include the required ingrdients:  plot, a character or more, a problem to be resolved, suspense, setting of time and place, point of view, theme, and resolution.  A good story also contains a well-balanced mix of narration, dialogue, description, persuasion, and exposition.  Of course, all of these requirements become more demanding the shorter the short story. 

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters?

Because I believe in the need for a strong story opener, a hook to pull in readers right from the getgo, I first come up with a beginning.  One sentence.  Then I construct a problem from that one opening sentence and I express it as a problem.  For example, if the opening sentence I come up with is “The dawn rose without the usual ball of orange sun.”  Now I place that sentence into a genre--science fiction-- and express the problem perhaps this way:  “Will Gantry Ward break the code of the Sun Thief or will the new Earth perish too?” 

It’s at this stage I turn to character building.  Gantry Ward.  In my head I imagine what this man of the 26^th Century looks like.  Considering evolution, I see him as close to eight feet tall, broad in the chest and shoulders.  Like all Earthlings, he is bald.  The language he speaks is a kind of stilted English in a commanding voice.  What are his strong points?  What is his main weakness?  I imagine what he would wear, how he walks, what’s important to him, etc.  Then I look to invent the antagonist whom I call “the sun thief.”  What is his appearance?  What are his strong points?  What is his weakness?  Is there a love interest here?  If so, I invent the woman Gantry loves or the sun thief loves or both love.  Okay, maybe it’s not a woman at all.  After all, it’s the 26^th Century.  Maybe one or both are in love with some robotic contraption.  I try to see the entire story develop in my mind before I continue past the first sentence.  When the story is done, I read it through, read it to my wife for feedback, then it’s back to my computer to tighten the story.  I get rid of all unnecessary words, uninteresting or excessive description, change dull unrealistic dialogue.  I try to do as much a hatchet job as possible.  When I feel it’s my best, I give it a file name, save it in my 2010.STORIES folder, and then look for a market to which I can submit it.

Who has been your favorite character to write?

I have the first draft of a novel I wrote called Carmelu the Sicilian, which I am in the process of editing towards a final draft.  I love the guy!  He starts off evil as hell and we watch him change through the book--a kind of St. Augustine of Hippo!--until he reaches saintly proportion.  What he shows us by way of honor and true respect teaches us that we can all become better persons.  We can all learn to see what life should really mean to us.

The most challenging?  

The ScienKing, Donnelly Noonan, in my working novel Denver-under-Dome, is my most challenging character because he is so self-absorbed and maniacal, he is able to persuade survivors of post-bellum Denver (on an parallel world) that nothing exists, nothing matters, except science according to what he allows science to be.  It’s hard to write about a character who possesses no redeeming qualities, one whose end we anxiously await and perhaps applaud.

Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on

Right now I am working to promote the sale of my new book Flashing My Shorts.  I just know if folks ordered and read a copy, they would thank me.  It’s worth the read.  My publisher Phil Harris at All Things That Matter Press published it because he believed in it as much as I did.  And he worked with me so that what’s between the book’s covers pleases both of us.  Oh, if all publishers treated their authors like Phil Harris at ATTMP!

I am also editing my novel Carmelu the Sicilian.  It is the story of a man who does what no other man has been able to do: end the media’s rampant bias against Italian Americans.  And he does it without violence but rather within the law. 

When the book is ready, I intend to promote it to those Italian American organizations who have already expressed a desire to publish it or finance its publication.  As a member of the Italian American One Voice Coaltion, I have worked hard with people like Dr. Manny Alfano and Unico National President Andre DeMino to oppose TV horror shows like Jersey Shore and The Sopranos.  My book will be one more voice in that struggle

To end the media’s ethnic bias against Italian Americans.

 what can readers expect to see in the coming months?  

If they do a search of “Salvatore Buttaci,” they’ll see many of my published poems and stories.  I write daily and I promote my work as much as I can.  I am the Editor of The Poem Factory at   http://sambpoet.webs.com/   I post my “Poems of the Week” there and forward them to members of the site.  I also invite poets to submit to our two annual issues, summer and winter. 

Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?  

Readers can also check out my site at http://salvatorebuttaci.wordpress.com

or e-mail me at sambpoet@yahoo.com

I also hope readers will order a copy of Flashing My Shorts at the publisher’s site:

http://www.allthingsthatmatterpress.com/buynow.htm

Or at

http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473

Do you have a strict writing schedule?

I wake up each morning between 8:30 and 9:00.  I get to the computer about 10:00 a.m. and after checking e-mails and replying to them, I write for about three or four hours.  Later on in the day I will do some more writing for about another two hours.  Often, while watching TV, I’ll do a crossword puzzle, then write some more for about an hour.

How do you balance your personal and writing time?

I’ve been retired from teaching since July 2007, which allows me more time than in the old days when I wrote at 5 in the a.m. and again in the evening for a couple of hours.

I keep a notepad in my shirt pocket, so you might say I am always writing!

Everything needs limits, even writing, so I try not to overdo my time away from my wife.

It’s not fair to her to share little time together.  I love writing but I love Sharon more.

Who or what has been your biggest support?    

Sharon.  I thank God He got us both to meet and commit to a lifetime together.  Though she herself does not write, she is an avid--no, voracious--reader and a darn good critic.  I never write anything without reading it to her.  She has been my biggest support and my biggest inspiration.  Did I mention I have written over one thousand poems to her during our thirteen years together?

Which author(s) is your favorite?

My favorite poets are Stephen Crane, Edwin Arlington Robinson, John Keats, Leonard Cohen, and Langston Hughes.  Cohen is my favorite poet.

My favorite novelists:  William Goldman, Ernest Hemingway, Leon Uris, Ray Bradbury, and Frederic Brown.   William Goldman is my favorite novelist.

And who has most influenced you work?  

The Canadian poet Leonard Cohen.  When I sometimes feel empty of words, unable to write, I pick up one of his collections and by the time I’ve read ten or eleven, I am off to writing ten or eleven of my own!

Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements? 

Character-driven.  I  like to get inside my characters, show readers what makes them tick or explode or just sit there in the bus depot waiting for their train to come in.  It’s like being a people-maker, bringing characters to life who never lived before except in my head.  Plot is important.  Without it you have no story, but characters carry the plot and solve the story’s problem.

Hollywood came calling for one of your books and offered you the choice of picking which book they would make into a movie, what one would you choose and who do you see playing your characters? 

I should be so lucky!  Well, I would pick Carmelu the Sicilian.  I don’t know which actors I would want to play Carmelu or any of the other characters, but I do know which actors I would not choose: those Italian American actors who performed in films that denigrated Italian Americans!  

 

Here are two of the 164 elections from Flashing My Shorts.

Book can be ordered from the publisher at the publisher’s site:

http://www.allthingsthatmatterpress.com/buynow.htm

Or at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Flashing-My-Shorts-Salvatore-Buttaci/dp/0984259473

                                                At the Miramar Café

            Till dark I riveted my eyes on Maria and the dream-like flair of her red skirt as she tangoed with Carlos.  Accompanying my pounding heart were the whining pangs in my belly from all the crisp-skinned sardines and the fresh oysters I had ingested beyond count.
            Miramar Café was a haunt of mine since first I saw Maria and though we so far met, something in me was certain if I could not somehow pry her from the clutches of suave and debonair Carlos very soon, I would go tango-mad, be driven perhaps

to unleash my alter ego, a not-so-amicable American from Paducah, Kentucky.
            I poured the rest of my Malbec, tossing the wine down as if it were Kentucky scotch, and then stood slowly to my wobbly feet.
            “Garçon!” I called.  My waiter lifted the corner of his thin lip the way folks do when they’re exasperated; I knew he preferred ‘Señor,’ but if I could summon the waiters in Paducah with ‘Garçon,’ sure as hell some faggy oil-haired Buenos Aires pretty boy  could skip to the loo and respond to any name I damn well chose.
            “Si, Señor, more wine?”

            I nodded, sat down again, gave him back my own sneering lip.  When he asked if the clean plate of sardines and oysters needed replenishing, I let my mouth crumble into a drunk man’s frown, my heavy head falling chin to chest for a sleep-hungry moment.
            When I looked up, Garçon was swishing towards the bar, Maria and Carlos had vanished, and San Cristóbal was just a barrio of loud diners and foul-mouthed drinkers, so I threw down an undeserved tip of eight pesos and headed out the door pretending Maria was tugging my arm towards the Hotel San Cristobal.
                                                          #

                                                War Hero

            “Crazy Joe” Devlin was a war hero, but to neighborhood kids like me, he was free entertainment.  If wisdom was mine back then at thirteen years old, I would’ve praised Joe, thanked him for his military sacrifices at Normandy Beach.  Certainly I would not have been party to the verbal abuse we heaped on shell-shocked Joe just for laughs.

            One late July afternoon Johnny Reichling lit a firecracker and tossed it in the air.  Two things simultaneously happened: (1)  “Crazy Joe” dove into Mrs. Minogue’s hedges; and (2) my father was walking towards me on his way back from work at the bakery.

            “Follow me,” Papa ordered.  He yanked my arm.  I followed.

            “What’re you doing?” he asked, his dark-brown eyes squinting in anger.  “That man got hurt bad in Europe, protecting our freedom over here.  And you treat him that way?  Make a fool of him and of me too?”

            Papa grounded me for a week.  He made me write an apology letter to give Devlin.

            “Back up this letter by respecting Joe from now on,” Papa said.  “Your friends.  Let them be stupid, but you’re my son.”

            When my one-week “house arrest” ended, I sought out Joe Devlin and handed him my letter.  Basically, it said I was sorry, that I would never be cruel again.

            Joe read the letter.  I watched his eyes dart from line to line, his hands tremble.  Then Joe said, “Sir, half my men died on the beach.  The wounded need a medic quick.  I’ll take that gunner out myself.”

            He shoved my letter into his shirt pocket and saluted me.  He stood at attention, waiting.  Hardly breathing or blinking.  Finally I saluted back.  The war hero nodded.

                                                                        #

Talking with Author April Ash

National Tell a Story Day – Make Mine a Romance!

Okay…so I stretched this a little. Actually, yesterday was National Tell a Story Day…but work with me on this!

As a child, I enjoyed books of adventure, and then as I grew, biographies caught my attention. In High School, I was fascinated by Shakespeare (no kidding!). I loved his “thee” and “thou” words, along with lines I sometimes couldn’t figure out. But, he intrigued me enough so that in college, I took 5 or 6 Shakespeare courses as electives.

Then, I discovered romance books and was hooked. I got started reading Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer books, and couldn’t find enough to keep me busy. From there I went on to read contemporaries and paranormals. Life is good as long as I have a romance book to read!

Tell me a story with a good plot to hold my interest, and a blossoming romance exploding with passion.  I want to “see” your story in my head, and “feel” the heroine’s emotions. I want to relate to her, no matter what her age is…or mine. Romance has no age boundaries.

Tell me a story of a hero and heroine who know each other already, or have just met. Unrequited love and the desire to have someone love you set the stage for many romance books. The chase is all part of the rocky road to love.

Tell me a story of an adversarial hero and heroine thrust upon each other because of some situation. That thin line between love and hate can be crossed, enough so that fighting ceases and lovemaking begins. Fighting a powerful attraction dissipates as passion takes control.

Tell me a story that has a “black moment”…that awful turn of events that split the hero and heroine, and their relationship appears to be doomed. Let me want to scream at them to settle their misunderstanding, mend broken hearts, and enjoy each other’s embrace once again.

Tell me a story of their first encounter/or having already met. Add what’s wedged between them to cause heartache, resolve their differences, and give me that “happily-ever-after” I want to read.

  

I pattern my books after these desires. I know what I want in a romance book, and use these elements in my books. In my two erotic romance books, I take the passion and lust to greater heights, adding graphic details of the hero and heroine’s journey to love.

Whatever your preference in reading…sweet, sensual, erotic, etc., romance books…choose books that tell YOU a story and transport you into the hero and heroine’s love affair!

Visit http://www.aprilash.net (erotic contemporary romance books)

“Sexy Games” available at: http://www.jasminejade.com/m-441-april-ash.aspx

5 HEARTS, reviewed by Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews, REVIEWER TOP PICK

“Strip Poker for Two” available at: http://www.jasminejade.com/m-441-april-ash.aspx

4.5 HEARTS, reviewed by Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews, REVIEWER TOP PICK

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Blogs: http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com and http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com

Photos: Flickr: Vanessa Pike-Russell, VB Library, and Sabrina Campagna’s photostreams

Talking with author Ed Williams

“When I Have A Godzillian Level Urge For Candy I Eat…”

…the following, and these are in order of preference. They be:

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups - Man, talk about heroin converted into candy form, I’ve craved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for years! Their texture is great, their chocolate is both kinda chunky and kinda creamy, and their peanut butter - if I could, I’d sneak into a Reese’s production facility, get buck naked, and then jump into a vat full of their peanut butter. I might end up getting covered up in it or even drown, but I’d be gobblin’ it down like a Linda Lovelace inspired turkey before my final chapter was written - Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups rock!

2. Atomic Fireballs - I love hot candies and I love cinnamon, so my addiction to Atomic Fireballs can only be deemed a natural. I first encountered them years ago in Juliette at my granddad’s general store (y’all have actually seen his store in the movies, it was used as the Whistle Stop Café in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes). Back then, you could get one for a couple of pennies and they were a lot bigger than they are now. So big, in fact, that you could barely get one in your mouth, and God when you did it would be hotter than a Times Square Rolex! Thing was, if you could get past that initial burst of hotness then it was all sugar the rest of the way. Today, their hotness technology has improved, so even though Atomic Fireballs are smaller they now have multiple layers of hot cinnamon built right into them so you get more of an “Atomic” experience as you’re happily consuming a fireball.

3. Sweet Tarts - I love sour candies too, and accordingly I’ve loved Sweet Tarts since day one. You can buy them in small or huge sizes, but one thing about Sweet Tarts really frustrates me. A few years ago I actually had some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans. They were the best jelly beans I’ve ever had in my life, y’all would not believe how good their flavor is! Unfortunately, I’ve discovered they’re pretty hard to find, so if anyone out there ever wants to suck up to me in a major way, then just get me some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans. The only thing that would make me happier than Sweet Tart Jelly Beans would be an Elvis concert, and we all know that can’t happen again. Sweet Tart Jelly Beans, however, can!

4. Sour Jelly Bellies - In line with my just professed love of sour candies is another fav, Sour Jelly Bellies! They are usually just a bit expensive, but believe me they’re worth every extra cent you’ll pay for ‘em. Whatever you do, don’t ever buy the store brand equivalents of these, because you’ll be even more disappointed than you’d be if you purchased store brand Captain Crunch. Sour Jelly Bellies taste good, and there are maybe six or seven flavors offered, so a hand full of them is a bit more focused than just regular Jelly Bellies. With regular Jelly Bellies there are just too many flavors, and some of them are grotesque. Cream soda? Chili mango? Dr. Pepper? Pomegranate? God, it makes my stomach spasm to even think about them, and even worse is the fact that you never quite know when you’re going to be biting into one of these pellets from hell. Stick to the sours and your glower will turn from dour to super powered!

5. Peppermint Life Savers - I love their taste, their consistency, and the fact that after you eat five or six of ‘em your mouth will be so cool that you’ll feel like you could use it for refrigeration purposes. They price ‘em reasonably and now they offer even bigger sizes, which is just all too cool (pun intended) with me. Eating a Peppermint Life Saver is kinda like having a Bachman-Turner Overdrive concert take place on your palate, and just how cool would that be if it were possible? Hmmmmm? (Don’t y’all like it when I get into abstract analogies that don’t make sense at all)?

So there y’all have it, my personal candy favs of all-time. But hey, this isn’t all about what my favorite commercial candy products are, I wanna know what y’all like, tell me about your own personal favs and why. That should start a really interesting conversational thread going here today. And, if anyone out there has any leads on where to get some Sweet Tart Jelly Beans, then please let me know if you’d like to have a new best friend for life! Now, with everything having been said, let’s talk candy, candy, and more candy below…..

"ChristmaSin'", my new Christmas novel, is now available for sale! Click this link below to order!

www.christmasinthebook.com

www.elwiii.gather.com
www.ed-williams.com
www.twitter.com/ELW3

It's Proposal Day with Author Marianne Stephens

It’s Proposal Day

Ah, love and romance. They meet. Fall in love. He proposes. Spring is coming and thoughts of single women now turn from “we’re just a couple” relationships to “I want it all”…that “Happily-Ever-After” ending of marriage.

Visions of a man getting down on one knee, lovingly looking up into the eyes of the woman he loves and asking her to marry him, fill the heads of little girls from childhood when we first play “Let’s Pretend” with a neighborhood boy. We want that fantasy wedding, white gown and veil, new life, our own family.

But first, you may have to kiss a lot of toads along the way. No one warns you that finding “Mr. Right” may take forever. And, the older you get, the younger a man wants his date/wife to be. Plus, the more set in your ways you become, just as a man does.

Where do you find that man who’ll propose? Night spots? Concerts? The Internet? Blind dates?

Some are lucky. They find the right man and seem to know it immediately. I remember meeting my husband and thinking “this is the kind of man I could take home to meet my mother”. A month after we met, we argued. Then, we “made up”.  We each said we loved the other. Then my husband said, “I guess we better go get a ring.” That was it. My proposal. Simple and to the point. No knee bending. We married six months later and are still married after almost 40 years.

Some aren’t so lucky. Their dates lead nowhere and they wallow through the muddy waters of the dating pool longer than desired. Are they being picky? Are the guys they date confirmed bachelors? Do women have a list of characteristics they want in a man that makes it impossible for anyone to live up to?  Do they keep dating the same type of “marriage phobic” men?

Do men actually go through the act of formally proposing? When one of my daughters got engaged, her husband proposed in front of the entire family…and got down on one knee. Very romantic. Sweet. Charming. They divorced two years later.

Proposals come in all types of encounters, acts, and conversations…and some are “surprise” proposals (like at a football game, live and on TV).  The knee bit is nice, but may not be what happens to everyone. Declaring love for each other and the realization that you want to spend the rest of your life with that loved one inspires a marriage proposal.

I think about my books, and I’ve never had my hero drop to a knee and propose. Declare his love and propose, yes. But I’ve never used the formal ritual. Does it take away something from the hero’s appeal? I don’t think so…not in my books or “real” life! In “Anything You Can Do”, my hero proposes in a special romantic way…you’ll have to read the book to find out how!

Has someone proposed to you? Have you proposed to someone? In these times, it’s not taboo for a woman to propose…just maybe out of the ordinary. What’s your story?

Visit http://www.mariannestephens.net (mainstream contemporary/paranormal romance books).

New ebook release, “Anything You Can Do”, is available at: http://www.breathlesspress.com.

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