Meet Seelie Kay and Seizing Hope

Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink.

Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in 12 works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, and The President’s Daughter, as well as the romance anthology, Pieces of Us.
When not spinning her kinky tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

Seelie: I love writing romance primarily because I believe love plays such a vital role in our society. There are all sorts of love and all sorts of romance and that is delightful to observe, then weave into a story. However, I also love mysteries and thrillers, which is why I recently moved into writing romantic suspense. I think my fascination with Emma Peel in the old TV series, “The Avengers” is pushing me in that direction.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Seelie: My parents were teachers and from the moment I could hold a crayon, I was writing, whether it a letter of the alphabet, words, or eventually, a letter of complaint about a parental wrong (they saved them). My parents found opportunities to teach and learn in almost anything, and when they discovered a particular talent or interest, they encouraged it. That wasn’t easy with five kids, but they succeeded. I liked to write and read, and they made sure I had the opportunity to study the work of great writers and then encouraged me to put my own pen to paper. Growing up, being encouraged to do what you love, was a pretty amazing experience.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Seelie: (laughs) It doesn’t take much. I have a tough time shutting my mind off. It’s doesn’t take much to spark an idea for a story or character. I am inspired by a conversation, a news story, a memory, a photograph, a song, the laughter of a child, observing others…the list goes on.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Seelie: Winnie the Pooh. A.A. Milne created characters who traveled through life as sweet, somewhat confused but gentle beings, yet they were incredibly wise.
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
I probably quote Winnie the Pooh more than anyone else!
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person' and why?
Seelie: Hands down, Benjamin Franklin. I adore smart, creative men. I can imagine long, deep conversations about any and everything. I suspect I would be dazzled by his wit, overwhelmed by his brilliance, and charmed by his courtly manner. And then he’d destroy all that with an entirely inappropriate suggestion. (laughs)
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Seelie: Hit the road! Go explore a new place, a restaurant, museum, or shop I haven’t visited yet. The older I get, the more I realize that I don’t have time to slow down. I have too much that needs doing.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Seelie: I am finishing up the next book in my Feisty Lawyers series, “Cult.”

Blurb for Seizing Hope:

When four former law school classmates get kicked off the marriage train, they band together, put on their big girl panties, and fight back!

Former Northwestern Law School classmates Dina Willoughby, Miranda Mena, Leah Fraser, and Melody Harris are living the dream. Each had fantasized about the perfect husband while in law school and happily—for a time—that dream became a reality. Until Dina’s husband kicks her out two weeks before her prenuptial agreement kicks in, Miranda’s husband is arrested for securities fraud and flees the country with all of their money, Leah discovers that her royal husband misrepresented his feelings for her in order to get his hands on her money, and newly-pregnant Melody finally admits her artist husband is a sadistic, manipulative, jerk. Facing the loss of their husbands, and stripped of any financial support, the four women band together to fight back. Drawing on their unique legal skills and with the help of a few friends, including a hunky private investigator, a sexy law school professor, a determined cyber-security billionaire and the Queen of England, these four women not only take what’s theirs, they build the path to a new future, one filled with hope.

Excerpt for Seizing Hope:

“As he droned on about his golf game or the newest addition to his car collection or some gossipy tidbit among his fellow shallows, Dina was forced to drive her nails into her thighs just to stay awake. There she sat, the perfect debutante, a smile pasted onto her face, nodding in all the right places, nary a word embedding itself in her brain.
Oh, she wanted out. She needed to get out. Before George Donovan Willoughby the Third bored her to death. She squelched a sigh. Only two more weeks and she could be free. Sure, it wouldn’t be the many millions she had dreamed of, but it would still be seven figures, adequate compensation for five years of boredom.

Wearily, she tuned into his latest prattle. “And as I told my attorneys, there is no reason why we can’t end this amicably. After all, you must agree that this marriage was a mistake, and since our prenup settles a sufficient sum upon you should I pull the plug, you will continue to live comfortably, so what do you say? Let’s end this quickly and get on with our lives.”

Dina blinked, then she became outraged. Did George Donovan Willoughby the Third, the most boring man on the planet, just dump her? “Wait a minute. You want a divorce? From me?” She glared at George. “Surely you jest, darling.”

George gazed at her, his smile condescending. “As I said, darling, I am finding life with you rather boring. I need more stimulating companionship, and I have found it in Mimi Morrison.” His eyes brightened. “That woman is sweet, sassy, and sexy, and quite the firecracker in bed.” He sighed. “I married you because you were hot between the sheets, but once you had that ring on your finger, it rapidly became clear that we weren’t well-suited in other ways. It’s time to admit that marrying you was a mistake. Mother was right. Never marry beneath you.

“So, I think a quick and dirty divorce is for the best, don’t you? After all, we are adults and quite capable of civility. Perhaps Mexico on the ‘morrow?”

Dina stood, picked up her glass and dumped the well-aged bourbon onto George’s head. “This isn’t over until I say it’s over, dear George. Your timing sucks. In two more weeks, my property settlement increases by millions. I can’t believe you want to pull the plug and deprive me of the monies I am due. Being married to you was hard work, and I earned every penny of that settlement.”

Buy links for Seizing Hope:
eXtasy Books:  https://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-2349-0-seizing-hope/
Amazon: Coming soon
Barnes & Noble:  Coming soon
Smashwords: Coming soon
Kobo:  Coming soon

Seelie can be reached at:  

www.seeliekay.com
www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay https://twitter.com/SeelieKay
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Seelie-Kay/e/B074RDRWNZ/

Prior Books:

Check out http://www.extasybooks.com/

Setting Writing Goals With Kelli Wilkins

Setting Writing Goals for the Rest of the Year

By Author Kelli A. Wilkins

www.KelliWilkins.com

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

Remember a few weeks ago when you were talking about making changes and setting goals for the New Year? That was great! Then life happened. You had stuff to do and maybe your “fresh start” got pushed back a little. Don’t worry. It happened to me, too!

But now do you find yourself gazing at your new calendar, wondering, “How is it 2019? Where did January go? I had all those plans…”

If so, don’t stress out. Take some time to look back at what you achieved last year and start thinking about this year. Evaluating your writing goals and setting reasonable action steps now will help you get on target for the rest of 2019. Even if January is over, you still have eleven more months ahead of you and plenty of opportunities to make changes and meet your goals.

Perhaps you took time off from writing and want to get back in the swing of things. Maybe your writing muse went on vacation to Hawaii and hasn’t come back yet. That’s okay. It’s fine to take a break from writing for a while—but not too long. (If you rest too long, you’ll rust!) Writing exercises, journaling, and freewriting story ideas are great ways to revive your motivation.

Keep in mind that everyone’s writing career and writing goals are different. Think about what you want for you. Do you want to finish the novel you started last year (or haven’t started yet)? Send out a dozen short stories? Enter a contest?

If you write magazine articles, are there any major publications you’re targeting? Start brainstorming ideas now, make a list of places to send queries, and check out potential markets for their latest submission guidelines. (It’s also time to be thinking 3 to 6 months ahead and plan those spring and summer articles.)

 Write fiction? Have you found any new markets? Signed up for online market newsletters? If you’re published in one genre (say, romance or horror), are you going to expand your horizons and write a different type of story this year? 

Is the writing part going fine, but you need to develop (or enhance) your online profile and/or marketing? Explore writing-related websites and blogs, Yahoo Groups, social media groups, and advertising opportunities for your work. Are your blog, website, and author page(s) up-to-date? Should they get a refresh (or a major overhaul) for the new year? 

Make a list of all you want to accomplish in the next few weeks and months. Having a list of projects and priorities will help keep your writing objectives on track. For example, if you want to explore new markets for your short story, put “find new markets” on your list.

If you’re determined to write a new book, make a timeline for research, character development, plotting, etc. Give yourself a deadline for when you want to start writing and stick to it. Decide how many pages or chapters you want to finish each day/week/month. Little by little, your book will take shape, and you’ll be amazed at your progress.

No matter what your writing goals are, a little pre-planning will help you focus and allow you to flow from one writing project to another. Preparation also keeps you motivated and fends off writer’s block, because you always have “the next thing” to work on.

When you write down your goals, start your sentences with a positive statement, such as: “I will finish the rough draft of my novel by June 1” or “I will submit six articles to magazines.” After you’ve made the list, note what you need to do to get started. This could include setting aside specific times to write each day, getting writer’s guidelines, or sending out query letters. Then, pick one project (the most time-sensitive one, or your personal favorite), and get to work. Spend time targeting your goals now, and you’ll be on your way to success!

But keep a balance. Don’t let yourself become so goal oriented that you burn yourself out, stress yourself half to death, and let the writing life take the place of your real life. (Believe me, I’ve been there and I’ve learned.)

Family, friends, pets, neighbors, and having fun are all important parts of being alive. Make time for your writing, but also make time for yourself and those you love. (Yes, it’s perfectly okay to leave the husband parked in front of a movie and go write for two hours. But make sure when you turn the computer off, you focus on the present moment.)

Every new day is bursting with hope, possibilities, and opportunities to make this year really great. Set goals for yourself. Write as much as you need to (or want to), and then sit in the yard and watch the world go by for an hour. You’re worth it!

If you are interested in learning more about the writing process and want expert tips and writing advice, why not check out my online writing course? Fiction Writing for Beginners is designed for anyone who is interested in writing and needs practical advice on how to get started, PLUS motivation and encouragement to keep writing. (And even better, it’s on sale for a limited time!)

Thirteen easy-to-follow classes cover the writing process from start to finish. You’ll learn where writers get ideas, how to create characters, get expert tips on writing your story, and find out how to submit it for publication. Everything you need to know to start writing is wrapped up in this comprehensive and fun course.

Each class is self-contained and self-directed. This way, you can learn about a specific topic at your own pace, and not worry about completing the class by a certain deadline. Short writing exercises at the end of each class highlight the subject matter and get you writing.

 

If you’ve always wanted to write, Fiction Writing for Beginners gives you all the tools you need.

Visit the course page and learn more here: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/

Don’t miss the limited time sale. Enroll today and start writing tomorrow!

Happy Reading… and Writing!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers with her horror stories.

In January 2019 Kelli released the second half of her flash fiction series, Cupid’s Schemes. These two volumes of lighthearted mini-romances are perfect reads for a quick lunchtime escape or an after-work indulgence.

She also authored her first online writing course, Fiction Writing for Beginners, through Teachable. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/ for more details.

Kelli’s historical romance, Redemption from a Dark Past, was published in 2018. This full-length Gothic novel is set in the kingdom of Hungary in 1723 and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense.

If you like horror fiction, don’t miss her latest novella, Nightmare in the North.

Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.

Visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com and blog http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/to learn more about all of her writings.

CATCH UP WITH KELLI

Website: http://www.KelliWilkins.com

Blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/
 
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kelliwilkins

Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins

Facebook Historical Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/

Facebook Contemporary Romances: https://www.facebook.com/Contemporary-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1965702023664339/

Facebook Gay Romances: https://www.facebook.com/GayRomancesbyKelliAWilkins/

FREE READS: http://www.manicreaders.com/KelliAWilkins/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelliwilkins2/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelli-a-wilkins

Books2Read: https://www.books2read.com/ap/nkvddR/Kelli-A-Wilkins

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/KWilkinsAuthor/

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb
Teachable Online Writing Course: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/

Canada's New Food Guide with Recipe

 

Everyone should be eating healthy, including writers.
The Canadian Government just put out their new Food Guide. I think it compares to the American Food Guide.

Since I’m Canadian I’’ll discuss the Canadian Food Guide. Previously the Guide recommended specific amounts of each food group per day. This one appears to be very different from their previous one.  It appears to be more health oriented, more in line with ow people are eating today.

It emphasizes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, protein, choosing whole grain foods and making water your drink of choice. Makes sense to me.

Then it emphasizes being mindful of your eating habits, cooking at home more often, paying attention and enjoying your food and eating meals with others. It recommends you limit foods high in sodium, sugars or saturated fats, use food labels, and limit highly processed foods
Some suggestions if you eat highly processed foods, are to try to:
·                     eat them less often
·                     eat them in small amounts
·                     replace them with healthier options
You can:
·         replace sugary drinks with water
·         try not to keep highly processed foods at home
·         choose healthier menu options when eating out
          choose less processed foods, such as:
o    leftover baked chicken instead of deli meats
o    steel-cut oats instead of sweetened instant oats
·         make homemade versions of your favourite highly processed foods:
o    try a healthy muffin recipe to replace store-bought muffins
o    make your own frozen dinners by choosing a healthy recipe and freezing it in meal-sized portions
·         stock your kitchen with healthy snacks. Try quick and easy options like:
o    nuts
o    fruit
o    carrots
o    hard-boiled eggs
·         plan your meals and snacks in advance to include:
o    vegetables and fruit
o    whole grain foods
o    protein foods
·         limit the use of highly processed spreads and dressings in your meals and snacks
         use the food label when grocery shopping to make informed choices

Some processed foods can be part of a healthy eating pattern

Not all processed foods have added sodium, sugars or saturated fat. Some types of processing, like pasteurization, help create a safe and convenient food supply. Other types of processing can be used to help preserve food and retain nutrients. These techniques include: drying; canning and freezing.

What are your thoughts? How are your eating patterns? Next week I’m going to touch n the top three diets.

Here’s a recipe from the Canadian Food guide site https://food-guide.canada.ca/
Curried vegetable lentil stew Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients

10 mL (2 tsp) canola oil
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
60 mL (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro, divided
15 mL (1 tbsp) minced fresh ginger or 5 mL (1 tsp) ground ginger
30 mL (2 tbsp) mild curry paste or powder
5 mL (1 tsp) garam masala
30 mL (2 tbsp) all purpose flour
625 mL (2 1/2 cups) sodium reduced vegetable broth
2 yellow fleshed potatoes, diced (about 300 g/10 oz total)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
180 g (6 oz) fresh or frozen green beans, chopped
1 can (540 mL/19 oz) sodium reduced lentils, drained and rinsed

Directions

1.In a large shallow saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, half of the cilantro, ginger, curry paste and garam masala for about 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in flour until absorbed. Slowly pour in broth, stirring until combined.
2. Add potatoes, pepper, beans and lentils and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro before serving.

Enjoy.

Dreaming With Addison Brae

Addison Brae lives on the edge of downtown Dallas, Texas. She’s been writing since childhood and continues as an independent marketing consultant. She’s addicted to reading and enjoys jogging, sipping red wine, traveling the world, collecting interesting cocktail recipes, binge-watching TV series, vintage clothing, and hanging out with her artistic other half and their neurotic cat Lucy.

 
Dreaming and failing is better than never dreaming at all

People often ask if it’s always been my dream to be a writer. The answer’s no—to commercial writing, at least. It’s a job, one I enjoy, but still a job.

I started writing in college working for a record company. Then I continued my writing career working for a newspaper, corporations, and agencies. Today I’m a marketing and public relations consultant and write for clients every day.

Writing fiction is a whole ‘nother story, as we say in Texas. About 10 years ago I took a mini work sabbatical. The extra time motivated me to clean out boxes I had lugged with me for years. In one was my teenage diary I wrote when I lived in England. The diary contents sparked the idea for my first novel that I hope to revise and publish someday. I didn’t tell a soul until I had 30,000 words written. That’s when I realized I could finish a novel. That’s when my dream for other people to read my novel came to be.

Then there’s that little thing about believing in myself.

While growing up, no one encouraged me to think big. To dream. My destiny was to go work, get married, have kids, then retire. Me? I don’t think so. When the inspiration for my first novel hit, I realized I could do lots more than live the expected life. To cope, I was very selective about who I told I was writing a novel. That way, no one could discourage me. Squelch my dream.

I meet so many people who don’t reach for their dreams. They don’t believe in themselves either. Some are afraid of making mistakes and what people might think if they mess up along the way.

Missteps are a must-have. Without the mistakes hard-working inventors made, we wouldn’t have matches, artificial sweetener or penicillin. There would be no x-rays, microwave ovens, Play-doh, or brandy. Our lives would be vastly different. Cheers to messing up!

I’ve failed. Made plenty of mistakes. The first was a biggie, sending my first manuscript to J.K. Rowling’s agent as soon as I finished it. If he likes Ms. Rowling’s writing, he certainly would appreciate mine. His was the first of many rejection letters. With each rejection I improved my writing, learned the business. I wrote another novel, and then another. The rejections got much more constructive and encouraging. With input from agents and editors, I believed in my abilities more. The third manuscript, Becker Circle, was published last March. In it, Gillian, the heroine, dreams. She fails and learns, but you’ll have to read it to see if she achieves her dream. I thank Tirgearr Publishing and others who know who they are for believing in me.

With a new year ahead, I encourage everyone to dust off a dream. Dream up a new one. Take one step and then another. Fail. Take five more steps. Enjoy learning and growing and messing up and achieving along the way. Why? Life without a dream isn’t worth living.  

Blurb for Becker’s Circle

My first and only boyfriend believed I was too gutless to leave. He was dead wrong. My name’s Gillian, and I graduated Harvard early and left his hot temper and everyone else behind for Dallas. Determined to make it on my own, I land a second job bartending at the neighborhood pub smack in drama central where most every jerk in the neighborhood hits on me—at a huge price.

A week into the job, the neighborhood’s very popular drug dealer falls to his death a few feet from the table I’m serving. The cops say suicide, but the hot guitar player in the house band and I suspect foul play, and I intend to prove it. We dig deeper, grow closer, and make a shocking discovery. We know the murderer. Watch the trailer.

Buy Links for Becker Circle
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo, and B&N Nook.

You can connect with Addison on her website, Tirgearr Publishing, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, BookBub, or YouTube.

 

Meet Dee S. Knight (and her giveaway)

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That's how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she's lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors. Contact Dee at dsknight@deesknight.com.

Character interview
Beverley: What is your name?
Daniel: Daniel Goodman
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Daniel: Lucky Strike, North Carolina (in this case, Lucky Strike refers to a strike of sapphires, not cigarettes)
Beverley:  During what time period does your story take place?
Daniel: Present day
Beverley:  What’s your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?
Daniel: I was born as one in a set of identical triplets. My family was pretty famous for a short time because of my brothers and me. But because my parents never married (they loved each other and us like nobody’s business but just never got around to making it legal) we were made fun of quite a bit growing up. My brother Mark—a bona fide genius—never seemed to mind because he turned to math and seemed unaware most of the time. Brother Jonah never let anything bother him. He either punched kids who annoyed him with taunts or laughed it off. I withdrew into books and set my personal academic goals high. Now I’m set to become headmaster at one of the most prestigious boys’ schools in America. Wouldn’t you just know that now, of all times, when everything I do and everything in my personal life is under scrutiny, my parents decide to get married? And it’s going to be nationally televised. What did I do to deserve this??
Beverley:  What’s your goal in this story?
Daniel: To become headmaster of Westover Academy and to marry a woman suitable to be the wife of the headmaster. 
Beverley:  What conflicts are you facing?
Daniel: There is a woman perfectly suitable for me to marry and her father has a great deal of influence at the school. But the woman I want—the woman I lust after like a kid lusts for chocolate—is a former stripper with a child she bore out of wedlock. She would never be accepted at Westover. Do I give up the girl or the dream?
Beverley:  Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Daniel: Eve and I decided to enjoy each other in secret. We know that anything long term won’t work but the attraction is too strong to ignore. That’s the plan and I’m sticking to it. Probably. Maybe. 
Beverley:  Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Daniel: Just that Dee (my author) has made this Book 1 of The Good Man Series. (It’s a play on my name, see? Goodman = Good Man? Dee’s so clever!) My bother Jonah’s story is coming soon. 

Excerpt from Only A Good Man Will Do:

“Daniel, am I talking to myself, here?”

“Oh, no, I’m…” He chuckled an amused admission. “Tell me what you said again.”

He could almost hear Eve smile. “I said, you called at four-thirty on Saturday and Sunday, so I took a wild leap that you would today, too.”

“Ah.” Smiling to the empty room, he squirmed to get into a more comfortable position. “A woman of logic.”

“Absolutely. You don’t want to play me in chess. I think five or six moves ahead.”

Buy links for Only A Good Man Will Do:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FnwnFh
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129630612?ean=2940161770603
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/898008
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/only-a-good-man-will-do
 
You can find Dee at:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN 

♥♥ GiveAway ♥♥

Dee is giving away an ebook of Naval Maneuvers and a $10 Amazon card to giveaway during the tour. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Remember you may enter every day for your chance to win. You may find the tour locations here https://goo.gl/PNbaF9