5 SECRETS (WHAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT MY BOOK)

Our guest author today is Martha O'Sullivan, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.

Martha O'Sullivan has loved reading romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing her own novels is the realization of a lifelong dream for this stay-at-home mom. Martha writes contemporary and erotic romances with traditional couples and happily ever after endings. She is the author of the Chances trilogy from Red Sage Publishing. Her current work-in-progress in a sweet and steamy Christmas novel set in Costa Careyes, Mexico. A native Chicagoan, she lives her own happy ending in Tampa with her husband and two daughters.

Second Chance

1. It took me almost five years to write Second Chance, the Chances trilogy opener. I can honestly say that I revised it 100 times. Before I sold it! Granted, I had started writing Chance Encounter during that time. But every time Second Chance was rejected by a publisher or lost a contest, I’d go back and rewrite based on the feedback. And as disheartening as that was, it made me a better writer in the end. Conversely, I wrote Last Chance in four months while editing the two previous installments of the trilogy.

2. All the characters in my books are based on someone in my life, including myself. There’s some of me in each of the three heroines in the trilogy, but I’m most like one of them. Both of my friends whom Lindsay Foster and Delaney Richards are based on figured out who they were right away.

3. All the facts about Lake Tahoe and San Francisco in the books are true. The architecture, geography, lingo, history, cultural events, streets, etc. are real. Of course there are also fictional places and things in the book to move the story along.

4. I changed the title of my first book four times before I finally went back to Second Chance, which was the original title. It will always be the book of my heart.

5. There is one phrase that the hero in each book says to the heroine. It’s something my husband says to me. Identify it in my upcoming contest and be entered into a drawing to win an Amazon gift card. Stay tuned to my web site at  marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan for details.

 

Blurb from Second Chance

Lindsay Foster has convinced herself that marrying lifelong Paul Webster is the right thing to do. But an inadvertent reunion with Brian Rembrandt rekindles the unfinished business between them. And Lindsay finds herself torn between the life she's always wanted and the man she'll always love.

Brian's up for that fight; he's used to getting what he wants. And he still wants Lindsay.

 

But this love triangle has an extra side. Lindsay's best friend Moira Brody has a game-changing secret.  And she's not the only one.  Even Brian is no match for what happens next. The chain of events set in motion on the tranquil shores of Lake Tahoe come to an astonishing end on a foggy San Francisco night. And alter the course of four lives forever. 

 

To Buy Second Chance go to

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Chances-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00EX631GM/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378129953&sr=1-17&keywords=red+sage+publishing
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chance-martha-o-x2019-sullivan/1116810263?ean=2940148803621 
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Second-Chance/book-hXS7TbFdaEGFhDCk_FflBQ/page1.html?s=VxhxFGbPAk2KnfFXUA1Iag&r=6
http://www.bookstand.com/second-chance-5
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-secondchance-1278782-356.htm
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chance-martha-o-x2019-sullivan/1116810263?ean=2940148803621
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Second-Chance/book-hXS7TbFdaEGFhDCk_FflBQ/page1.html?s=VxhxFGbPAk2KnfFXUA1Iag&r=6
http://www.bookstrand.com/second-chance-5
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-secondchance-1278782-356.htm

You can find Martha on these links

 

https://www.facebook.com/martha.osullivan.50 https://twitter.com/@m_osullivan26                                       http://www.pinterest.com/ mfrworg/erotic-contemporary-romance/marthaosullivan.blogspot.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7254612.Martha_O_Sullivan    

website marthaosullivan26.wix.com/marthaosullivan

Thanks for checking out Martha and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Martha will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book.

My New Cover

I'm not posting a new blog today, because I did the Baton Blog Hop yesterday.
So if you didn't read it - check it out.

However, I did get my new cover for A Murder to Forget. It's the second in the series.
I mentioned it yesterday, but in the middle of the blog so I'm posting it again today.

And here's the cover from book one.

I'd love to hear what you think about my new one, A Murder to Forget..

Baton Blog Hop

I’m blogging today as part of the Baton Blog Hop. Sandy Parks is the one responsible for my doing this. Sandy and I are both members of the Kiss of Death Chapter of RWA. As a pilot of recreational aircrafts and traveler Sandy uses her background to write her novels. Her latest, REPOSSESSED is an action/adventure thriller involving a business jet. Check it out at http://www.sandyparksauthor.com/ or http://sandyparks.wordpress.com/
 

Now the way this Baton Blog hop works is I answer the following questions and then pass the baton on to three other authors. We hope it doesn’t get dropped along the way. You know – you’ve seen it happen in relay races.

First question – what am I working on?

I’m working on A Murder to Forget. It’s the second book in the Holly Devine, Assistant PI series. I just got the cover. What do you think?

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

My heroine comes from a wealthy family. She was raised in Miami. Her family was killed, murdered actually, by a family friend and business partner, who also embezzled most of the family fortune. She is now working as an Assistant PI. With no experience she was hired because she has an in with wealthy and can get invited to fancy parties and country club affairs.  She’s working on a relationship with an INTERPOL agent, but it’s a little rocky. Another difference is her friend has early Alzheimer’s.  

Why do I write what I do?

Because I love to kill people? No, not really, but it can be fun. I’ve been writing as long as I can remember and even in school I used to write mystery suspense. Remember all those locked room murders? I loved figuring out how it was done and writing my own. I tried to write a straight romance once, but kept throwing in murders and clues.  I love to read romantic suspense and murder mysteries and that’s’ what I write.

How does your writing process work?

I’m not sure how to answer this one. I usually think of a plot. I work on that in my head, or write notes, then I start to think about what characters would work in this situation. Then I try to work out a character sketch for my hero/heroine and maybe the villain. It’s pretty sketchy. I’m more of a pantser, but I write about one line of plot: pov and goal of scene for each scene. Then I start writing and I write the first rough draft – very draft. Then I go back and read and revise and edit.

But that’s enough about me; it’s time to pass the baton to these authors. They’ll be blogging next Monday, March 31^st, so make a note and make sure you check them out.

M.J. Flournoy is a friend for many years through KOD. I love her stories. She is an author of erotic romance. She writes stories laced with suspense, paranormal adventure, love, lust and sensual details. Her stories are steamy, emotional, suspenseful and gripping. She enjoys travel and has visited Austria, Greece, Italy, France and Spain. Check out her latest book, A MATTER OF TRUST at https://authormjflournoy.wordpress.com/about/

 

Mary Marvella is also a personal friend I’ve known for many years through RWA. She was born in Augusta, Georgia to two eighteen-year olds. Her daddy, a Mississippi man, was stationed at Camp Gordon and fell in love with a young girl selling flowers. Look for details in her blogs. Mary has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember.  
 
Mary graduated from Mercer University and taught language arts for 15 years. Now she tutors, teaches, writes, and edits. Her daughter is her cover artist now. Danielle was raised in the photography business. She hasn’t read any of Mary’s books. Something about TMI. Check out Mary’s latest book, THE GIFT, a woman’s fiction romance at  http://marymarvella.wordpress.com/about/

Reggi Allder studied screen writing and creative writing at UCLA. She is an author of and romantic suspense and contemporary novels. She likes tales of love lost and then found or stories of heroes and heroines who discover love but wonder if they’ll live long enough to enjoy it. Her main characters cope with longings, secrets, lies and betrayals. They control their panic and manage their passion as each fight to discover a hidden strength. It’s a strain for them to remain motivated as the world offers temptations and puts them in untenable situations.

 

She writes great contemporary novels you should definitely check out.  Her latest book MONEY, POWER AND POISON can be found http://reggiallder.com/index.html Check it out.

 

Don't forget to check out these three authors next Monday, March 31st.

Villains - Love'em or Leave'em?

Welcome back to our monthly Round Rhobin blog. I enjoy this one, especially checking out everyone else's opinions. I read them and go "Oh, that's a good point. I never thought of that."
Hopefully you do the same.
Our group topic this month is villains. Do you need them?

My answer yes. A good villain is necessary to any story in my opinion. And I'm not talking just murder and suspense stories and their villains. Even a sweet romance needs a villain. He, or she, could be the third person in a love triangle. Or a mean mother-in-law trying to break up a marriage. Or the shifty used car dealer.
They are the villains that play foil to the hero or heroine, or both. They are smart, clever or crafty and they challenge the hero or heroine's weak points or interfere with the hero/heroine's reaching their goal. The hero or heroine have to use and improve on their own skills to triumph over the villain. When the heroine triumphs over the vixen who is trying to steal the hero - we all cheer. When the heroine captures the serial killers - we all cheer.
Even in Women's Fiction there may be internal self doubts or conflicts. That's the internal villain. And when the woman overcomes them - we all cheer.
Whatever villain you look at they need to be smart, intelligent and a challenge to the hero/heroine. They help the main characters overcome the challenges and reach their goals.
What do you think? Do you need villains in your story?

Check out the rest of the Round Rhobin blogging group and see what they have to say.
You can go to http://rhobinleecourtright.com next.

Or you can check out any of these other participants.
Anne Graham writing as Anne Stenhouse at http://wp.me/31Isq
Aimee writing as A.J. Maguire at http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/
Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca
Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com
Ginger Simpson at http://mizging.blogspot.com
Geeta Kakade at http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/

5 SECRETS (What No One Knows About My Book) with Cara Adams

Our guest author today is Cara Adams, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.

Cara Adams adores erotic romance, especially ménage, BDSM, and shape-shifters. One day, someone said to her, “Why don’t you put them all in one book?” So she did.                                                            

The Werewolves of Hanson Mall

1. How many werewolf stories have you read, where the pack owns and operates a multistory shopping mall?

Hanson Mall was built by the werewolves when the old Alpha realized that the farmlands could no longer provide for a growing pack. The people needed employment but they still needed to be connected to their pack lands. So they built the mall. It took several years, but now it’s both their home and it provides them with everything they need.

2. Where can a lonely werewolf go to find his true mate?

The mall of course. Hanson Mall has everything a human woman could possibly need, including an abundance of delicious men, er werewolves. A lonely wolf is certain to find the perfect mate there, if he looks for her.

3. What are the professional suites?

Customers think the tower of the professional suites is corporate offices and it is. But it’s the offices that the pack uses to run their pack and the mall. There’s also apartments for the wolves on the eighth floor, and the headquarters for the werewolf genealogy project.

4. But how safe can it be with thousands of people coming to the mall every day?

Werewolves are wise about security. There are some surprising and nifty tricks in the professional suites to keep their people safe. You see that elevator? Notice how it doesn’t have lights to tell you what floor it’s stopping at? And don’t try to press the button to make it move. It won’t go anywhere unless you have a special swipe card.

5. Some of these people have weird names.

Originally the pack was descended from Celtic immigrants. Werewolves from Ireland and Wales came to America to escape persecution several hundred years ago. Some of the Hanson Mall pack still have the old Celtic names as a link to their original heritage.

Blurb from The Werewolves of Hanson Mall

The first “Werewolves of Hanson Mall” story is out now, “Publicly Exhibited”.
Sisters Willow and Hawthorne Cunliffe are fleeing from Hawthorne’s ex-boyfriend, who thinks she’s insane and is trying to force her into a mental health institution because she saw a shape-shifter. They arrive at Hanson Mall not knowing it’s a shape-shifter community.

Cadfael Hanson, the Alpha of the pack, and his second-in-command, Rhion Jones, are instantly attracted to Willow, but telling her about their identity could send the women running away again. They offer the women safety and shelter and try to demonstrate their care for Willow while still trying to discover what made Hawthorne's ex want to lock her away.

The women begin to relax and make friends, but can they ever be safe while Hawthorne's ex is searching for them? And will they lose faith in the mall community once they learn some of the people are really wolves?
To Buy The Werewolves of Hanson Mall go to http://www.bookstrand.com/publicly-exhibited 

You can find Cara at http://caraadamsromance.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cara.adams.902 and http://www.bookstrand.com/cara-adams

Thanks for checking out Cara and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Cara will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book. 

 

You Laughed, You Cried But Did You Write?

You laughed, you cried but did you write a review. This is for both readers and writers. When you read a great book, you finish the last page, put it down with a sigh, maybe check out the author for any more books and then what?

I have to admit until this year I was one of those. I’d read a good book, maybe tell someone about it and that was it.  Than early this year someone posted that they wrote a review after they read the book.

Wow – what a great idea. The authors would certainly appreciate it and as an author, I would too.

But what do you say when you write a review? I’ve judged book contests, but I’ve never really written a review. With a little research here’s what I came up with, and I’d love to hear from others on their reviews.

I mention the title and the category – mystery, romantic suspense. Then I mention the hero and heroine a few characteristics or what I liked about them. I mention a little about the plot and what draws me to the story. And then I recommend people read it.

I’m still working on perfecting my reviews, but I figure a good review and a recommendation should make the author happy, even if it’s not a perfect review. I haven’t read a book I didn’t like yet, so I haven’t had that problem. And when I write a review I always post it to Amazon and Goodreads.

So what about you – do you write a review when you read a book? If you do, what do you say in your reviews?

5 Secrets (What No One Knows About My Book)

Our guest author today is Melissa Keir, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.

Melissa Keir has always wanted to be an author when she wasn’t hoping for a career as a race car driver.  Her love of books was instilled by her mother and grandparents who were avid readers. She’d often sneak books away from them so that she could fantasize about those strong alpha males and plucky heroines.  In middle school and high school, Melissa used to write sappy love poems and shared them with her friends and still has those poems today! In college her writing changed to sarcastic musings on life as well as poems with a modern twist on fairy tales and won awards for her writing. You can find many of these musings along with her latest releases on her website and blog. 
As a writer, Melissa likes to keep current on topics of interest in the world of writing.  She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America, Mid-Michigan RWA Chapter, and EPIC.  She is always interested in improving her writing through classes and seminars. 

Melissa doesn’t believe in down time.  She’s always keeping busy.  Melissa is a wife and mother, an elementary school teacher, a book reviewer, an editor for a publishing company as well as an author. Her home blends two families and is a lot like the Brady Bunch, without Alice- a large grocery bill, tons of dirty dishes and a mound of laundry. She loves to write stories that feature happy endings and is often seen plotting her next story.

CHALKBOARD ROMANCE

1. Back in the day (and some current) school districts required teachers to sign a morality clause. This would allow schools to fire teachers for simple things such as being seen out at the soda fountain with a single man yet without a chaperone.

Honestly, I’d have been in trouble. I’ve always had more male friends than female ones.

2. I used to own a leather teddy that was only straps. It was the hardest outfit to put on or take off for any adventures. I often had red chafe marks on my back and eventually got rid of it. So I had to write the horrible outfit into the story.

Not a very sexy look either as you try to get in and out of it! Can you say turn off?

3. I originally went to college for nursing because I never wanted children but after my own children came along, I quickly changed my mind. I’ve taught every grade from preschool through middle school for the last six years.

I don’t have a favorite grade level. There’s something about each that you fall in love with.

4. Chalkboards are pretty much non-exhistant in schools these days. White boards replaced chalkboards about fifteen years ago. The white boards use dry erase markers to write with. An eraser is still needed to get rid of the writing, however, simple water will do. The dry erase markers come in a variety of colors which makes writing more interesting. Now technology has taken over with the use of whiteboards and computer softwear will eliminate the dry-erase whiteboards over time.

However, unlike my previous teachers, I don’t end up with chalk dust handprints on my pants, just blue marker ink on my hands and sometimes clothes.

5. I married the father of one of my students. We didn’t date until the school year was over. While my school didn’t have a problem with it, other teachers in the district did. I sat through a horrible confrontation one afternoon that almost had me quit teaching forever.

The story was fiction but our relationship does show that it happens…probably more than we think about. In fact, we’re still married after eight years and he’s my perfect man.

Blurb from CHALKBOARD ROMANCE

Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wanted to feel sexy again, after her ex tossed her aside for a younger woman. Her teaching partner and best friend encouraged her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency.

Mac Thomas remained trapped in a marriage to a money grubbing socialite. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse.

Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing?

To Buy CHALKBOARD ROMANCE go to:
Secret Cravings Store
All Romance Ebooks
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

You can find Melissa on these links:

http://www.melissakeir.com
http://www.melissakeir.com/blog.html
http://www.facebook.com/melissaakeir
http://www.facebook.com/authormelissakeir
http://www.twitter.com/melissa_keir

Thanks for checking out Melissa and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Melissa will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book.     

WEBSITES, BLOGS, BOTH?

I started blogging last fall. I’d had the site for several years but ignored it. I had no idea what to blog. Everyone talks about how you should have a blog and post regularly. So I took plunge and started to blog and I came up with an idea for guest authors – 5 Secrets about their book.  I love having guest authors and finding out about their book and hearing what people have to say to the authors.  I try to blog at least twice a week.

As an author do you blog? How often? Does it affect you book sales?

As a reader, do you follow blogs? Which ones and why?

I also have a website. I’ve had that for years. I post my books, do some health tips and a little on my writing news. There are also links where you can find my books. It’s updated once a month.

As an author do you have a website? What information do you put on each?

As a reader – which do you check out first a blog or a website? Which do you go back to more often?

I love to hear from people on my blog. I find it interesting to hear from both readers and authors and I try to post things that might interest people. My website is more static. It doesn’t change that often and people don’t post comments to the website so I miss the interaction but it does give more information on my books. 

As a marketing format, which do you think works better? I’d say the blog, and guest blogs. Your thoughts?

5 SECRETS (What No One Knows About My Book)

Our guest author today is Berengaria Brown, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.

Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance: contemporary, paranormal (magic, ghosts, vampires, fairies, dragons, and werewolves), futuristic, medieval, and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men; two men/one woman; three men, two women/one man, three men/one woman…. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

Five little-known things about Captured Possession

1. Yellow is used as the main “clue” in New Thimphu. The secret entrances to the underground community are always associated with the color yellow. It might be a handle on a wall, a bucket hanging in a barn, or even a colored tile on the floor. But it will be yellow.

2. New Thimphu was originally established many years ago and instead of the underground tunnels (“roads”) having names, each was decorated in different patterns with colored tiles.
3. Because the community is underground, color and images are very important in the buildings. High on the walls at every corner is a horse. He’s always facing toward the town center. The horse near Anh’s house is galloping through a field, the wind making his mane fly out.
4. During “Captured Possession” Coulton goes looking for Chevaunne. She’s in the Grandparents’ Garden. All the plants here are either brightly colored, or highly scented to please the senses, and they’re planted in patterns, like the mosaics on the walls of the buildings. The garden was established in an earlier book and makes a cameo appearance in all the stories set in New Thimphu.
5. Pomegranate juice is a favorite drink in New Thimphu, but it’s very sweet, so Kenzie likes to add some water to her glass of juice.

Captured Possession Blurb:

I thought the “Possessive Passions” series was finished once Chevaunne, Shiloah, Kiri, and Anh had their very own happy endings. But Kenzie demanded that her story be told. So here it is.

For generations, the men of New Thimphu have kidnapped the woman of their choice, spent the night making love to her, and then demanded she marry them. Doms Ryker Volkov and Coulton Urquahart work together to capture the woman of their dreams, Kenzie Evans. But Kenzie doesn’t believe two Doms and one sub can possibly work, so she says no to their advances.

They punish her for rejecting them then take her to bed, determined to woo her with orgasms. At the end of the night she again refuses, believing that she can't satisfy two Doms for long. This time they leave her naked, chained to the bed. When Kenzie wakes up they’ve both gone to work, but she takes her situation as a challenge and uses the bedding to make herself a poncho and finds Coulton’s hidden computer to entertain herself with. The men again ask her to marry them, but she refuses. How will they convince her they love her?

Buy Link:
http://www.bookstrand.com/captured-possession 

 

You can find Berengaria Brown at:

http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
http://berengariabrown.com/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000055736290https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000055736290

https://twitter.com/#!/BerengariaBrown

Thanks for checking out Berengaria and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Berengaria will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book.