Put a Bounce in Your Writing

We’re writers, and the saying is ‘butt in chair and write.’ So, we sit down and write, sometimes for hours.

This is called a static unmoving situation and can translate into immobility of joints and tension on the muscles that support those joints.

I’m guilty of this and thought my stiffness was just part of getting old.

The biggest thing to help to prevent the stiffness is small breaks. I set a timer for every hour.  Then I get up and take a walk. You can also stretch, do a five minute workout, whatever works for you. as long as you're moving those joints.

This will help bring mobility back to the joints and stretch the muscles.

It’s also important to increase your activity when you finish writing; workout at the gym, take a yoga class or try Tai chi. These will help counter the time spent in one position, hunched over the computer.

You can also change the way you write. I know someone who uses a standing desk because of her back. There are other ergonomic desks you can try. Or use a fitness ball. It’s fairly inexpensive, helps with your core muscles and gets you moving a little more than a regular chair.

You can also buy fitness ball chairs. (Who knew?)

If you're using a ball, keep your feet flat on the floor and you should be at eye level with your computer screen.

Whatever works for you, but you still need to take those breaks.

I’m bouncing along as I write this blog. I prefer it to the standard chair. And my timer just went so I’m off for a short walk to get more coffee. Anyone want to join me?

Madison Michael's New Book and Tour

Madison Michael traded 28 years in Fortune 500 tech and management positions for a chance to spend her days with sassy heroines, sexy, rich heroes, and nothing but happy endings. Growing up the daughter of a librarian, she learned to love books, especially classics and romances, and spent winters cuddled under blankets losing herself in books.

Madison is the author of three novels in the Beguiling Bachelor series, as well as several short stories. She is a member of Romance Writers of America.

After living in the northeast, southeast and the west, Maddy returned to her Midwest roots. She lives in Evanston, IL with two feline editorial assistants and great views of Chicago’s famous skyline.

Character Interview

Interviewer: What’s your name?
Matthew: Matthew Herrington
Interviewer: Where did you grow up?
Matthew: Just outside San Francisco in the fabulous town of Burlingame CA.
Interviewer: During what time period does your story take place?
Matthew: This story takes place from 1950 to the present.
Interviewer: What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Matthew: I am really just your average guy, I have no idea why Madison thought I was worth a story. Well that is, until a special winter night in Chicago when my world went topsy-turvy. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you ever get a chance to experience a Thursday “Swing Night” at The Green Mill Lounge, don’t pass it up.
Interviewer: What’s your goal in this story?
Matthew: I have met a special girl, Patty Dennisen, and I want to win her heart. I would love to learn a few spiffy dance moves too.
Interviewer: What conflicts are you facing?
Matthew: Well, it’s as if Patty and I lived in two different worlds – literally. This is a huge obstacle for us to overcome.
Interviewer: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Matthew: Patty and I are trying to work things out but it doesn’t look good.
Interviewer: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Matthew: I always loved traveling, but when I became a consultant I discovered the lonely side of traveling for work. So be patient and kind if you meet someone traveling for business. Remember they are far from friends, family, and home.

Blurb from Our Love is Here to Stay:

Thirty-year old Matthew Herrington is weary of solo nights in strange cities. He is ready for a change. And that is exactly what he gets when he steps into Swing Night at The Green Mill and is instantly immersed in the sights and sounds of another era. Intrigued by the club’s authenticity, Matthew is enchanted when he meets Patty, a mixture of sexy and sweet who steals his heart.

Patty Dennison has never met a man like Matthew in all her twenty-one years. A sophisticated man, he stands out from the usual Swing Night crowd. He is self-assured, smart, charming, and handsome as hell, even if he is a lousy dancer. Once he takes her in his arms, Patty is more than willing to give him a few dance lessons along with her heart.

Repeated missed dates and unanswered phone calls strain the relationship and frustrate the pair. But unraveling their mystery exposes an impossible scenario, one that will torment their sanity and test their love.

How can they make their fairytale last? Can love transcend time?

Excerpt from Our Love is Here to Stay:

A waitress came to take it off his hands. “Another?” she queried, and he nodded agreement, placing a crumpled dollar on her tray. “Too much,” she told him shaking her head no. Matthew was surprised by her response, but the tray was covered with loose change, so he removed his bill and left the equivalent in quarters. Everything was so inexpensive, but the server still needed to make a decent living.

She gave him a grateful smile and turned to move to her next customer, carefully balancing her tray above the heads of the young people around her. In the process, she nudged Matthew slightly causing him to lose his footing and fall gently against another body. Turning to apologize he found himself staring into the clearest, lightest blue eyes he had ever seen. He couldn’t look away.

“Sorry,” he mumbled when he finally regained his composure.

“That’s okay,” she replied with a quick, bright smile. She was lovely, in a wholesome girl next door way. She had her blond hair pulled into a ponytail that curled like a hair product ad, clear-skinned cheeks that were pink with warmth and perhaps exertion, and a curvy body displayed under a bright red sweater and a flared plaid skirt.

Matthew felt his mouth go dry and his palms get sweaty. She did something to him, this fresh-faced woman that he found incredibly sexy. Her red lipstick was a slash of bright color mimicking the red of the sweater. Until this moment, bright red lipstick screamed “tough broad, stay away” to Matthew but on this girl it whispered “come hither.”

“Matthew,” he squeaked out, extending his hand to shake hers. Thinking twice about it, he retracted his arm, running his palm against his pants swiftly, and hopefully surreptitiously, before he extended his hand again.

“Patty,” she responded, placing her soft fingers in his large palm. She shook like a girl. After all the bone-breaking handshakes Matthew had endured across the globe, this limp, fingers-only shake surprised him. She looked athletic, not tough but toned, and not sickly pale like most Chicagoans in winter. The handshake didn’t match the image and normally would have bothered him. Nothing about Patty bothered him. Everything about her bothered him.

Buy Links for Our Love is Here to Stay:

Amazon | All other formats

 

 

Madison has some fabulous giveaways for this tour. Remember you may visit the other tour stops to increase your chances of winning. You may find those locations here

Romance and TimeTravel Prize Package #1: Includes  Books: Outlander, Time Traveler's Wife and Beyond the Highland Mist and  DVDs: Somewhere in Time, The Lake House, the eBook Our Love Is Here To Stay.

Romance and TimeTravel Prize Package #2: One of the books above and 1 of the DVDs plus the eBook for Our Love Is Here To Stay.
Romance and TimeTravel Prize Package #3: One of the books above or one DVD plus the eBooks Our Love Is Here To Stay.

You can contact Madison at:

Website | Madison's Blog | Maddy's Romance Madness | Facebook | Twitter

Check Out Mia London and her Latest Book

Mia loves to write!      

She’s been reading fiction for years and finally decided that the images and scenes floating around in her head needed to make it to paper.

She’s a huge fan of romance, highly optimistic, and wildly faithful to the HEA (happily ever after). She’s inspired by most anything around her. And her biggest obstacle is not having enough time to get it all down on paper (or computer, as the case may be).

Her goal is to create a fantasy you will enjoy with characters you could love.

She lives in Texas with her attentive, loving, super-model husband, and her perfectly behaved, brilliant children. Her produce never wilts, there are no weeds in her flowerbeds, and chocolate is her favorite food group.
And then she wakes up.

Interview with Brandon Morgan:
We are so pleased to have with us Brandon Morgan, president and chairman of Laurel Medical, Incorporated.
Press: Welcome. So glad you could take time from your busy schedule to chat with us.
Brandon: Thanks for having me.
Press: First, I’d like to start by asking about Laurel Medical. You recently took over the running the company from your father, yes?
Brandon: Yes, in a way. My father had a heart attack—
Press: I’m sorry to hear that.
Brandon: Thank you. As I was saying he had a heart attack. Prior to that my sisters and I were vice-presidents. My father had us work our way up in the company, learning all we could. Now, I have the title of president, but truly it’s a joint effort with my sisters.
Press: That’s impressive. You must get along well with your sisters to work side-by-side with them every day.
Brandon: [He grins.] We do get along for the most part.
Press: I read that you’ve recently acquired Corticelli Labs, based in Rome, Italy.
Brandon: That’s correct. We saw some great synergy between the two companies, not to mention gaining entree into the European market.
Press: This is the first acquisition for Laurel, yes?
Brandon: That’s correct. So far, the team is doing an excellent job of transitioning Corticelli into the Laurel fold. I expect no loss of jobs. Just some reassigning of roles in Italy.
Press: I’m sure they were happy to hear that.
Brandon: [He nods.] There are several trends in healthcare that Laurel and Corticelli are acutely aware of. Whether it’s artificial intelligence, Block Chain, which relates to the flow of health information, an aging population, or disease management. The success of Laurel depends on expansion and growth in ways that address these issues smartly.
Press: Excellent. So, let’s shift to your personal life. Tell us what we are most wanting to know. Are you seeing anyone? Miami Monthly named you most eligible bachelor last year. Nice compliment.
Brandon: [He smiles.] Thanks. I am seeing someone. It’s not always easy because I work a lot. Running a Fortune 1000 company is not for the faint of heart. Just in the short time we’ve been sitting here, my phone has buzzed four times.
I won’t talk too much about my girlfriend to protect her anonymity, but I will say this. She came into my life in an unexpected way. She threw me for a loop. She is kind, understanding, and beautiful- inside and out. I cannot keep my eyes off her. At first, I denied that we could have a relationship, but we do and it’s working. And I feel so tremendously blessed.
Press: Are there wedding bells in the future for you two?
Brandon: That remains to be seen.

About this book: I originally wrote this story to be part of a steamy anthology called Blame It On Fate. As I wrote, I fell in love with these characters and knew this had to be a series. Although Undeniable Fate has an HEA, I knew these characters were not done. I’m thrilled to announce Undeniable Love (book 2) is on pre-order now.
The story is about a man and woman (Brandon and Lily) who happen to meet on a plane ride to Rome, Italy. Later, the hotel in Rome accidentally double-books her room, and Brandon walks in. She was in the middle of something, and it doesn’t take Brandon to realize it. And so it begins.

Blurb for Undeniable Fate (Undeniable series book 1)

Was it fate that the hotel in Rome double-booked her room and he, of all people, walked through the door?

Project manager Lily Bennett dreads the trip to Italy for she suspects a pink slip awaits her return. Fate brings her fantasy man alive when Brandon enters her room by mistake. Kiss by kiss, he breaks down her insecurities making the next four days the best (and hottest) of her life. But when she dares to hope for more, he becomes distant. Now, to forget this man she knows so little about, who’s turned her world upside down.

Brandon Morgan is driven, successful, and wealthy. Handed his father’s company at thirty-six, he is not about to let his family, his employees, or Wall Street down. His company’s latest acquisition will prove he can handle anything thrown his way. He just hadn’t planned on the encounter of a lifetime with Lily. He craves for her like a heart needs to beat, but a relationship is absolutely out of the question.

Buy Links for Undeniable Fate:
AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2Aokhcr
        UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077WMSW3P
        AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B077WMSW3P
        CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B077WMSW3P
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/undeniable-fate
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/undeniable-fate-mia-london/1127632007?ean=9780983247425
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/undeniable-fate/id1325546901?mt=11

 

You can find Mia at:
https://mialondon.com/
www.facebook.com/MiaLondonAuthor
www.twitter.com/MiaLondonAuthor
https://www.amazon.com/Mia-London/e/B00MI216L0/

What is your preferred way of exposing your characters, their thoughts, and emotions?

Interesting and challenging topic this month. Considering viewpoints in writing (omniscient, ie. author's viewpoint, or first person, second person, or third person in character's viewpoint),what is your preferred way of exposing your characters, their thoughts, and emotions? How do you switch between characters viewpoint?
Thanks, Rhobin for making me really think. Personally, I find first person frustrating. I want a more comprehensive view of the story.

I prefer third person in character's viewpoint. I like to see what’s happening through when the character sees it. I write in third person so that’s probably one reason. But I like to be part of the scene and the action through the third person.

I switch from one characters POV with scene changes. Occasionally if I change POV mid-scene I do a break.

I’m interesting how other authors handle this.

 

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/ 

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Anne de Gruchy https://annedegruchy.co.uk/category/blog/

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-18Y
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Josie Riviera's New Book and an Unusual Recipe

Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and live in an old house forever needing renovations.
Have you ever tried something you were afraid to try because it mattered so much to you? I did, when I started writing. Take the chance, everyone, and just do something you love.

Sign up for her blog and subscribe to her newsletter for a free ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

And here’s a recipe you’ll want to try from her latest book, Seeking Fortune.

                                  Recipe for Roasted Hedgehog

According to Medieval experts, the hedgehog should have its throat cut, be singed and gutted, then trussed like a pullet, then pressed in a towel until very dry. Roast and eat with cameline sauce, or in a pasty with wild duck sauce. Note that if the hedgehog refuses to unroll, put it in hot water. The Rom would have dredged the hedgehog in black pepper after cooking.

Although I can’t personally verify the results, here’s the recipe modified from Medieval cookery:

Method:

Season the meat. Wrap it in long grass, first lengthways, and then tying more grass crossways to secure the green wrapping in place

Prepare your barbecue and place a large pot filled with water on it. Cook the meat for two hours. Once the meat has cooked, remove the grass, then place the meat back in the barbecue to sear. Carve and serve.

Nettle pudding can be boiled in the same pot and served as an accompaniment.

(Sorry, I don’t have a recipe for Nettle pudding.)
Enjoy!

Seeking Fortune A Regency Inspirational Romance

“There are lies more believable than the truth.”

Blurb for Seeking Fortune:

Losing his wife and daughter to influenza shook James Colchester’s faith in God. As another epidemic threatens, he’s torn between what’s best for his fragile son: fleeing to his Welsh homeland, or staying put. In a moment of weakness, the black-haired, green-eyed Gypsy’s delicate touch on his palm quells his fear…and her beauty ignites a warmth he hasn’t felt in years.

Desperate to return to her people, Valentina Rupa goes against every lesson her mother taught her to soothe the Englishman into a false sense of security. But as James’s quiet faith sparks a hunger to know it for herself, she realizes she’s made an unforgivable mistake. One that could rob James of his most precious gift—and destroy their chance for lifelong love.

Buy Links for Seeking Fortune

Ebook: http://a.co/4ywvum4
Paperback:https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Fortune-Josie-Riviera/dp/0999135651/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1513805253&sr=8-1
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtT2uvqppoQ

You can find Josie at:

twitter: @josieriviera https://twitter.com/Josieriviera
“Like” her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera
Connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010936808977
Follow her on Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/josie-riviera
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Josie-Riviera/e/B009POZLGU/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6587492.Josie_Riviera
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josie_riviera/

Goals for Social Media and Marketing

With all the changes in the last two years my writing has been affected.
It’s been slow plodding. I’ve managed two new books, but with minimal
advertising and blogs. I can barely keep up with this blog. But I’m looking
forward to this year. I have my goals and plans sort of in place and I’m
working on editing a book I hope to publish in a few months.
And I plan to write a novella. Never done one before.
I’ve signed up as a guest blog on a few other sites and I took out a BookTweeter two-month tweet.
I’m marking it on my calendar and hoping to post some of the loops more often
I’m looking at doing a couple of ads, maybe Facebook and Twitter and some
Goodreads Giveaways. I’m also researching other promotions. Any suggestions
are welcomed.
I’m looking at doing a newsletter because ‘everyone’ says you should have one.
I’m worried it might be a time suck, but I’d only do about 4 a year. What do you think?
Do you have goals for 2018?  Want to share them?

Stanalei Fletcher's January Blowout Sale Blog Tour

Stanalei’s love of writing romance stems from reading favorites such as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Barbara Cartland, and Alistair MacLean. She has over twenty years of training in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black belt, in Aikido.

After a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides near the beautiful Wasatch Mountain Range with her hero, who just happens to be her best friend and husband. Together they enjoy backcountry dirt trails on a RZR, visiting our National Parks, or exploring museums and ghost towns.

Stanalei: Thanks so much for having me today as part of my Blog Tour sponsored by Reviews by Crystal. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my writing world.

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
Stanalei: I’ve started my writing career in the Romantic Suspense genre. My enjoyment from reading Alistair McLean and Tom Clancy sort of determined that niche for me. However, I so enjoy reading small town romances and would like to try my hand at those as well.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Stanalei: There isn’t one single person who influenced me. In fact, unlike many writers, I’m not much of a storyteller in the verbal sense. I will say that my parents had an influence on me that encouraged me to do anything I wanted to put my mind to. That support from an early age led to the confidence I needed as I grew older.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Stanalei: A good movie or a good book will get my creative juices flowing. I love story, and when it’s well crafted, it’s exciting to be drawn into the world of those characters. However, when it comes time to sit and write, I don’t have a ritual or process. I work with determination to get the words on the page. The muse isn’t often kind to me and I have to work without her most of the time.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Stanalei: My favorite cartoon character is Johnny Quest. If that doesn’t reveal my age, than I’m not sure what would. Talk about a crush. But I have to say as I got a bit older, Race Bannon was much more appealing.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Stanalei: I would have loved to meet Tom Clancy. I would have loved to learn how he garnered the knowledge he shared in his books. The man was amazing. Next up, would be the duo of Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens. The research they do for their mainstream fiction rivals Clancy.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Stanalei: Unexpected free days are rare for me. But if it was just me, I’d probably sleep in, (later than I usually do), and watch a movie or TV series marathon. If the free day also came with free calories, it would include popcorn, TV dinners, and ice cream bars.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Stanalei: I’m currently finishing up that contemporary, small town romance I mentioned above. It’s planned as a two-book series. Now that the Northstar Security books are wrapped up (for now), I’m looking forward to a change of pace.
Stanalei: Thank so you so much for letting me visit today.

Series Blurb:

Northstar Security Firm is an elite private security agency whose mission statement: GUIDED BY THE TRUTH, is the guiding principle to provide justice for those who have been wronged. Founded by former CIA agents Byron O’Neal, Katherine O’Neal, and Sean Malone, Northstar Security has a ninety-nine percent success rate. That one percent is a still open case involving Katherine’s murder and Sean Malone’s career-ending gunshot wound. Nothing is a hundred percent guaranteed, and angst over one unsolved case doesn’t stop good men and women from fulfilling their duty.

Proving Ground

Northstar Security Series Book #1 

A screw-up, a wild fire, and a bio-terrorist. What could go wrong?

 

Proving Ground introduces the high stakes world of The Northstar Security Firm. Caitlin Malone’s only hope of saving her town, maybe even the entire country, is pinned on the one man who broke her heart.

Screw-ups don’t get second chances. That’s what Caitlin Malone believes when she returns to Oregon after failing her first Northstar Security assignment. When she inadvertently stumbles across a plot to steal deadly pathogens from the bio-lab near her hometown, she sees a chance at redemption.

USDA Forest Ranger, John ‘Mac’ MacAlistair, doesn’t want to babysit the motorcycle club holding their annual rally in his national forest. To make matters worse, Caitlin is attending the rally with Mac’s estranged uncle. Having her home again brings up feelings that are better left buried.

It’s early September. Any spark will send the dry timber into a raging fire. The terrorists are counting on that distraction to work in their favor. When Caitlin is trapped by the wildfire, her only hope of rescue is pinned on Mac, the man she's tried two years to forget. Before they can share their feelings, Mac and Caitlin must first escape the burning forest and stop the terrorists from releasing the deadly pathogens.

Buy Links:

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Dead Reckoning
Northstar Security Series Book #2
 

Byron O’Neal, Northstar Security Firm’s director didn’t always run an elite private investigation firm. His early CIA years were spent chasing Soviet spies. Now his past is catching up, and Kellee, Bryon’s daughter is caught in the middle of a game of Russian Roulette. Northstar agent and former Navy SEAL, Egan Maddox, is tasked to save Kellee from the Russian mafia before it’s too late, a task that puts not only his life, but his heart on the line.

Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Beyond Duty

 Northstar Security Series Book #3

When Northstar Security Firm investigates the blackmail of a U.S. Senator, agents Riley O'Neal and Mary "Chip" Anderson don the unwelcome cover of newlyweds to find two kidnapped women and stop the blackmail - and posing as newlyweds to avert a national security crisis is a lot harder than it seems.

Buy Links:
Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

Breaking the Honor Code Northstar Security Series Book #4

Cyber-terrorism brings even the most powerful companies to their knees. When Northstar Security Firm discovers a breach inside their computer firewall, agent Sloan Cartland will do anything to help the firm's brilliant computer tech, Allison Richards, find the culprit—even after he learns that all evidence of the hack points back to Allison.

Buy Links:

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press

                           Tell It Like It Is

              Northstar Security Series Book #5

FBI agent, Nelson Kane's Aunt Rosalee has a story to tell. Someone wants her stopped. When Northstar Security's unconventional bodyguard, Justine Shelby, is assigned as Aunt Rosalee's protection, Shelby learns she's as welcome as a wiretap at the annual J. Edgar Hoover Christmas party. Ornaments start to fly when Shelby informs by-the-book, Agent Kane to stay out of the way while she helps his aunt complete her tell-all memoirs.

Buy Links:

Amazon | The Wild Rose Press 


You may visit Stanalei at:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads |  Newsletter | Amazon | Pinterest| Google | LinkedIn | Instagram

GiveAway: Stanalei is offering some fabulous prizes during this tour. One Lucky winner will have the chance to choose an ebook from her backlist, another lucky winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate, and one lucky winner will have the chance to choose a print book from Stanalei's backlist. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember to follow along with the tour to increase your chances of winning. You may find the other tour locations here.

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