What more?

I'd like to thank Brian for hosting this amazing month long blog festival, showcasing writers and their talent. It wasn't easy to come up with a final post to end this amazing extravaganza...until it hit me when I asked myself...

WHAT MORE?

Those two words alone sound awkward but if we add a few words to make a longer sentence we end up with...

What more than respect can an author expect who has spent months/years penning their passion onto paper in the hopes of an agent or publisher accepting his work. Respect you ask? Yes! Are writers just numbers nowadays in the writing world? Is it or is it not true that without writers a publishing house would not exist? So yes, writers demand respect and respect is offered by acknowledging them as a crucial part of the writing world. 

But let's not get carried away here...respect is a two-way street just the way it is in our general lives. You walk down the street and accidentally bump into someone...first reaction should be to turn around and apologize to that person. Yet I have seen people do the opposite, point the finger and blame the victim for not watching where they were going. Now how does this compare to the 'respect' in the writing world?

Seeing how the epublishing world has grown, all or most of the transactions are done online now, so how you communicate your message is important, for example:

EXAMPLE 1:

Just wondering if you finally got off your butt and actually figured out when my cover art will be done. Thanks, I won't hold my breath waiting for a response but in the off-shoot you do reply to me I'll have the ambulance waiting to revive me from my shock.

This wasn't a word for word but an exaggeration of something I did receive and it wasn't from one of our contracted authors. It has been changed around but the gist of the sarcasm and rudeness is there. I laughed at this, believe it or not, found it to be a clever way to get my attention and I responded, although my gut told me this author would not be a good mix with the family we have so far, I couldn't resist. My gut was right. That email warned me the type of person this author finally turned out to be. So in this case, the 'respect' factor came from the publisher, not the author.

EXAMPLE 2:

Hi, Lea, hope this email finds you well. I was just wondering if there's any way possible to have my book ready by such and such a date because I have an opportunity to attend the XYZ Conference and they are more than happy to have me rent a table and showcase my book.

This example has no pushiness, no demand, just the facts of an important upcoming event, if the possibility is there to have the book ready. This isn't as much 'respect' yet it is...the author isn't demanding but asking because either (A) the author knows the deadlines and work needed to finalize a book and rushing isn't an option, or (B) the author has no clue the behind-the-scenes details and work by editors, cover artists, publisher, but in both cases the 'respect' of how the request was asked is there. So when the mutual respect of how a request is penned a publisher will try to accommodate if at all possible.

What it all boils down to once again is publishers and agents having an understanding that writers are crucial to their survival. To me, at least, this is an important factor that plays a big role how I interact with the authors. When authors know the publisher appreciates their work these same authors, as you have witnessed this month, will showcase and proudly promote their work.

So what more than a mutual respect of each other's (writer and publisher/agent) dedicated workload and appreciation of time and energy put forth by both parties can there be? That one word alone sums up what a house needs in order to ascertain their authors feel at home.

Thank you, Brian, for this blog and for the month long theme you hosted.

Everybody Loves a Wedding....and Murder

**UPDATE - A Wedding To Die For by Heather Haven is now an EPIC 2012 eBook award finalist** 


A Wedding To Die For

By

Heather Haven

A groom arrested for murder can put a crimp in anybody’s nuptial, no matter who designed the wedding gown. So when the wedding of Lee’s best friend is threatened by the arrest of the groom for murder, thirty-four-year old Lee Alvarez -- a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum - heads south of the border in search of the real killer. With the help of the rest of the Alvarez Family, Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day blueblood mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez; brother and computer genius, Richard; favorite uncle, “Tío” Mateo; and Tugger, her energetic orange and white cat, this half Latina, half WASP, and 100% detective is thrown into the well-organized world of plundered Mesoamerican antiquities. Then, while eating the best tasting tamales ever, Lee stumbles across the man of her dreams. But is he too good to be true? Probably. Lee tries to follow her own sage advice, ‘when Cupid’s wings start flapping, take cover.’
A Wedding To Die For is the second novel in a series of humorous murder mysteries involving the Alvarez Family, owners of Silicon Valley’s successful Discretionary Inquiries.

I Love to Cry At Weddings

(excerpt)

Dragging out a dog-eared, worn sheet of legal- size yellow paper, I read it carefully. “Wow! I don’t think there’s much more.” I giggled with relief. “I signed the contract with the two bands yesterday. One is an eleven-piece mariachi band that our very own Richard plays guitar with now and then. He’s agreed to play a set with them. I thought that was a nice touch. The alternating band is a three-piece jazz combo. Something for everyone.”
“Indeed,” Mom responded.
“Allied Arts is renting us the restaurant for the reception, including the outside patios, from five-thirty to eleven-thirty p.m. Do you think ten cases of champagne, plus five cases each of Chardonnay and a Napa cab are enough?”
“That sounds more than sufficient. What else?”
I started counting off items on my fingers. “Bridal shower, next week. Richard is in charge of the bachelor party. The tuxes are ordered. The gowns arrive this afternoon, and I have two seamstresses set up for the fittings. I haven’t seen a picture or rendering of the designs yet, but I’ll bet they’re incredible. Mr. McFadden designed them himself, something he hasn’t done for years. He said he chose a ‘theme,’ which reminds me, I’ll have to get samples of the fabric to the florist. Don’t you own one or two of Warren McFadden’s dresses?”
“No. I find him a little avant-garde, Liana,” Mom said.
“I think they call it cutting-edge now, Mom,” I corrected.
“If you say so.” She smiled and changed the subject. “Did you find a photographer?”
“Yes, finally. I thought I was going to have to buy a camera and take pictures, myself.”
“Who is it?”
“Did you know the reason the wedding got canceled that was supposed to take place at Mem Chu was because the bride came out of the closet and is now living in San Francisco with her lover, Charlene?”
“Get to the point, dear.”
“I thought you might be interested in hearing the lead-in.”
“No.”
“Oh. Well, anyway, this guy was supposed to be their photographer, so he was available. I’ve seen his portfolio. He’s good.”
“That sounds fine,” Lila said, somewhat mollified. “What about the rehearsal dinner? Didn’t John offer to take care of that part of the festivities?”
“Originally, but he had to bow out due to a heavy work schedule.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yes,” I said and nothing more. My latest love had been pulling back big-time on a lot of things, but I didn’t want to admit it or deal with it yet. “However, Carlos took over and got us a private room at the new Japanese steakhouse for after we go through our paces.” I looked at the tattered list again with all the checkmarks indicating completion and would have done cartwheels around the room if I hadn’t been so tired.
“Mom, I think I’ve done it. After I order the flowers and take care of the fittings, I’m done,” I said with pride. “This wedding is completely done and Good-to-Go.”
Five hours later, I stood in front of a mirror, enveloped in what felt like eighty yards of a chartreuse moiré taffeta laughingly called “Whipped Lime.” Between the starched crinoline underskirt, ruffled hem of the overskirt, and tufted bodice, all in a hideous yellow-green, I looked like a New Year’s Eve float depicting baby poo.
I ripped open the other boxes to find matching gowns in different odious colors sporting the names of “Pineapple Fizz,” “Mango Madness,” “Orange Frappe,” and “Passion Fruit Frazzle.” Mr. McFadden had created a theme, all right. Jamba Juice Rejects. And in moiré taffeta. When Mom called his work avant-garde, she was being kind.
The phone rang, but I was afraid to move. On top of how I looked, any movement sounded like leaves trapped in a wind tunnel. No wonder no one wore taffeta anymore, I thought. Noise pollution. One of the seamstresses answered the phone and slapped it into my frozen hand.
“Hello?” I said.
“Lee, it’s me. We need your help,” Mira said. Her voice sounded frantic and as if she’d been crying.
“Mira? Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not,” she sobbed. “Carlos is being arrested for murder.”
“What?” I said, sinking straight to the floor, buried in a mound of taffeta. “Carlos is being arrested for murder?”
“Yes, they say he murdered the thief who broke into our apartment last night. They’re taking him away,” she wailed.
“Wait a minute. What thief? What murder? Mira, what’s going on?” She tried to tell me, but between the hysteria, coughing, and wheezing, I couldn’t understand her.
“Never mind,” I interrupted. “Hold tight. I’ll be right there.” I struggled to my feet and thought, with the groom arrested for murder maybe this Good-to-Go wedding just Got Up and Went.
_ _ _

Heather is a story teller by nature and loves the written word. In her career, she’s written short stories, novels, comedy acts, plays, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and even ghost-wrote a book.
One of her first jobs as a writer was given to her by her then agent. It was that of writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. She had a deadline of one week and then promptly came down with the flu. She wrote "The Sands of Time" with a temperature of 102 and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. Later on, she wrote short comedy skits for nightclub acts and ad copy for such places as No Soap Radio, where her love for comedy blossomed. Many of her short stories have been seen in various publications, as well as 2 one-act plays produced in Manhattan.

Her first two novels of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, Murder is a Family Business, and A Wedding To Die For were published by MuseItUp Publishing. The 3rd of the series, Death Runs in the Family, will be out in May 2012. Heather says they are a joy to write. She gets to be all the characters, including the cat! She lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and, yes, two cats.

You can find the first chapter of book two, A Wedding to Die For, in its entirety and book one, Murder is a Family Business, on my website: http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/
For some other internet things,
HTTP://Twitter.com/HeatherHaven
Follow Heather's blog at: http://tinyurl.com/4nensnp
A Wedding to Die For Youtube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE5dfVzMRzA
Follow Lee's daily Twitters at: http://twitter.com/PILeeAlvarez

Writing Historical Fiction

Historical fiction embraces different periods.

Prehistory, ancient civilisations such as Egyptian and Indian, Classical (mainly Greek and Roman, Biblical, From the 1st century to the 20th century, Multi-period, Timeslip, Historical Fantasy, Alternative History, Children and Young Adult.

Historical Fiction can also be divided into different genres.

Fiction based on the lives of people who lived in the past.

Adventure, Romance, Crime, Thrillers and Whodunits, Mysteries and Military

These can be further divided into subgenres.

Arthurian, Mediaeval, Tudor, Elizabethan, Stuart, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, 1st World War, 2nd World War, Sagas, Psychological Thrillers, Gothic (and Horror), Colonial U.S.A., Colonial, Civil War, American and its subgenre Native American Frontier, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Pirate and Naval.

More classifications can be found in Sarah Johnson’s Historical Fiction, A Guide to the Genre in which a chapter on sagas she includes authors from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and many others.

Whichever period a historical novelist chooses to write about, research is vital. I am writing novels set in different periods and have several bookcases crammed with books that I have bought new and second hand. I also visit places of historical interest, consult librarians, record useful programmes, collect the DVDs about and use the World Wide Web.

What do the readers expect from a historical novel? They want to be drawn into the world through different eyes and learn about life in a different era. They hope to experience what it was like to live in periods such as Moorish Spain of Lisa Yarde’s excellent novels, Sultana and Sultana’s Legacy, the superbly described mediaeval world of Elizabeth Chadwick and that of the Napoleonic Wars in which Bernard Cornwall’s hero, Sharpe, features. The reader needs to experience the sights, sounds and smells, visualise costume and places.

Social customs change but emotions remain the same whether the characters are pagans in the dark ages, early Christians, mediaeval knights or peasants or they are live on the pages of the novel between the mediaeval era and the Second World War. The reader needs to be wrapped up in the ups and downs of their lives and experience their despair, fears, hatreds, loves, hopes, envy, sorrow and triumph. Although there are people from different classes of society all of them share emotion, and emotion helps to make a novel a compelling read.

I don’t think any historical novelist can get every detail about life in the past correct but she or he can research conscientiously and, without drowning the reader in facts, convey past times as accurately as possible. Failure to do this means the reader loses faith in the author. There are examples which caused me to lose faith.

In the first example, the author referred to a tea gown spread over a crinoline in the Victorian era. The Victorians did not wear gowns called tea gowns over crinolines. Tea gowns were worn by Edwardians and were not spread over crinolines.

In the second example, in the days when mediaeval castles and keeps had arrow slits instead of windows a knight in full armour (instead of chain mail)scaled the castle walls, (how did he find footholds?) to the turret where his lady was imprisoned. After he climbed in through the window (arrow-slit), the lady greeted him with smile and asked. ‘Would you like a nice cup of tea and some eggs and bacon?’ Well, she might have been referring to herb tea and I’m daresay they ate eggs with bacon but it seemed much too modern.

Over the years, reading and writing historical fiction has given me great pleasure and it is a privilege to share my thoughts about writing it.

My advice to anyone who wants to write a historical novel is to study history and find an inspirational plot and theme.

Tangled Love was the result of my reading about James II and the oath of allegiance noblemen swore to him. Most of them did not like him, they did not like his politics, they abhorred him for being a Roman Catholic and were delighted when he was forced to leave the country and first his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange ascended to the throne. However, honourable noblemen’s consciences did not allow them to swear an oath of allegiance to the new king and queen, and subsequently to Mary’s sister, Anne when she became queen. This is the dilemma which triggered my imagination.

In conclusion, if you want to write historical fiction my advice is to find a compelling plot and theme,

All the best,

Rosemary Morris
Historical Novelist
http://www.rosemarymorris.blogspot.com/

Forthcoming releases from MuseItUp Publishing

Tangled Love set in England in Queen Anne’s era 1702-1714. 27.01.2012
Sunday’s Child set in Regency England 06.2012

How Do I Feel About Being A Museitup Fantasy Author?

Hi Brian,

I am thrilled to be part of your Month long blog about Museitup authors. Museitup Publishing has just released the first book in the Chronicles of Caleath, an epic Sci Fi Fantasy series. Exiled : Autumn’s Peril will be followed by Exiled: Winter’s Curse in Oct.

Part of being a Museitup author is promotion. I was lucky enough to be the ‘Featured Author’ this month in an Ezine produced by Wendy Laharnar, author of The Unhewn Stone, released in August by Museitup. There is so much work in promotion and becoming known as an author, I would like to focus for a moment on what it means to be included in an ezine that is publishedonline each month.

Wendy has a group of dedicated readers from thirty countries around the globe. Authors are able to contribute to her ezine in various types of ways. We try to deliver good quality articles, reviews, quizzes, travel guides and author interviews, to entice more readers to the fold. To be the featured author is a thrill... I am guaranteed a great audience. I have included my post here, but to see the original article in all its splendour, just visit Wendy Laharnar's website and subscribe for yourself!! There is so much more to read each month.

So, here is a little insight to how do I feel about being a Museitup Fantasy author...Compulsive? Obsessive? Fantasy?

Imagine being able to travel to any time and place in your imagination. With no restrictions on world size, character numbers or physical laws. Take your pick of character traits, cultures, hierarchy, and villains, throw in a heroine or two, add a hero worth following to the ends of a dozen worlds. Bring with your imagination a set of circumstances that might give your troupe of heroes a little grief, a chance to shine, grow, fail, succeed, discover, teach, learn, and love.

Sound like fun?

Take care though. This daydreaming of other worlds, creating details, forming climates, cultural differences, standards and religions can be compelling. The danger lies in becoming obsessed. I speak as one who has been there. When you find each day spent in reality clashes with the moments you are able to retreat back into the world of your creation, it’s time to write. Write, and keep on writing.

Eight books later, the story is down, the conflict resolved, the characters are finally quiet. For now. There are rumblings, still. The danger doesn’t dissolve. It remains in the shadows, in the quiet moments when imagination can run amok. Editing, promoting, marketing, writing blurbs, blogs and websites, finding cover models, photographers and critique partners, takes concentration. Still the danger lurks ever present… Even when a rejection slip enters your inbox, the voices, the freedom the adventure still drives you. When you find acceptance, the obsession becomes a dignified career. Or so your compulsion allows you to believe.
With Exiled: Autumn’s Peril released this month to the reading world, my compulsion feels justified. Internal voices shout hurrah, obsessive characters rejoice.

There are still dangers to face. Once publication looms doubts become formidable. Obsessive editing, blogging, promoting, are the daemons now. These daemons are not your creation. Unlike the lovable villains in Fantasy these monsters are out of your control. Fear resides as a permanent shadow in your thoughts. Will your story live up to the fantasy you obsessed about for so long? Will your readers feel the compulsion to turn every page? Will your world building skills, your plot manipulation, and your beloved characters meet their approval?

Writing Fantasy is not a choice. Never was a choice, it has been a wonderful compulsion. There was never a moment when I thought of putting down the pen. Half a million words later, the pressure from readers allows the obsession to thrive. Thank goodness.

To those who have demanded more… Thank you.

Without your urging, the Chronicles of Caleath would still be gathering dust. The worlds, the characters would still be wielding their powers over my imagination. So powerful is the obsession that every sunset, inspires. Even a cup of tea, a taste, a smell, a chance encounter adds fuel to the colour of Caleath’s world. A science article read, a whale watching trip experienced, a near death moment survived, a broken relationship shared, grief, life, love, not a moment of life escapes as trivial. Every experience becomes a resource for my novels.
That’s the freedom Fantasy allows. The obsessive Fantasy writer must incorporate their endless research, their version of reality, while keeping things believable. Doing this with skill and finesse, well that’s the writer’s task. Getting readers to empathise with the world you create, that’s the benchmark of successful Fantasy writing.

The Chronicles of Caleath check them out at Museitup Publishing... see for yourself how my compulsive obsessive Fantasy writing has taken on a life of its own. I am forever grateful to Museitup Publishing for making my dreams come true.

And thanks for staying with me! Thanks Brian for having me on your blog today!
Find me at rosalieskinner.com
Or Ramblings from Lady Rosalie

Please drop in and enter our “Balls of A Hairy Goat and Adder’s Spit” contest, it’s on now!!! Last month every entrant won a prize. Don’t miss out.

Going from Writer to Author in One Minute!

When I wrote my YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor I had hopes it would be published. Each year my birthday wish for five years was please let my book be published. I queried, sent my chapters, revised the manuscript and kept trying. I knew someday someone would want to publish it. I even took a whole year after the last rejection to ignore it. I put it away and I was about to give up, though the spark, like the tiny ember that remains when you put out the fire, refused to go out. I kept believing that somehow I’d find a publisher. I got tempted by the self-publishing route,, but lucky for me I didn’t have the money to do it properly. So I left it on my computer sitting there resting until last October when I went to the Online Writer’s Conference headed by our esteemed leader, Lea Schizas.

Unknown to me, Lea had seen the first line of my novel when I had been at the conference the year before and she was interested in seeing more of my story! I went to the conference as I do every year, and with the energy of the conference in me I decided to pitch my novel. Seeing MuseItUp was accepting YA subs I signed up to pitch for them. I went through the stressful pitch process thinking this would be ending the same way as every other process had ended. I had sent manuscripts by snail mail and email and had waited for months only to be greeted by a form letter much of the time or the words, “Your book is too much of a problem novel.” Or: “I don’t like your character’s voice.” Or really impersonal, “We are not interested in this at this time. Please feel free to send any new work you might have.”

These experiences left me in tears and I tucked the letters away, wanting to crush them into dust, but saving them. So I was ready for the usual tearful, ice cream eating experience again. But this time it was different, because that same day I received notice that Muse wanted to see my entire manuscript! I sent it and crossed my fingers for days until I had cramped hands. My friends did the same and some even prayed for me.:) Finally after about two weeks I received the best email of my life so far!! Muse was accepting my story and they loved it!!! I had to read the words over a number of times and then though the rest of my family was in bed I jumped up and screamed at the top of my lungs: “MY BOOK IS BEING PUBLISHED!!!! MY BOOK IS BEING PUBLISHED!!” I jumped around like a little kid so excited that after five years of trying my words and characters were finally going to be read by everyone!! The feeling has never fully gone away, because on bad days I go back to that amazing moment and remember the joy. Signing the contract, a formality, took me only a minute, but it brought me from writer to author. I now can proudly say, “I am an author”

If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor

Carolyn Samuels’ freshman year becomes a series of lies to cover Jennifer Taylor’s terrible secret in return for popularity.

Carolyn Samuels is obsessed with the idea of being popular. She is convinced that the only thing keeping her from happiness is her too heavy for fashion body and not being a cheerleader. Hyperventilating when she gets nervous doesn’t help. When she is paired for a Math project with the girl who tormented her in middle school, Jennifer Taylor, she is sure it is going to be another year of pain.With Carolyn’s crush on Jennifer’s hunky Junior quarterback Brad her freshman year in high school looks like a rerun of middle school. After Jennifer’s the only student who knows why she fell in gym class, Carolyn is blackmailed into doing her math homework in return for Jennifer’s silence. Jennifer takes on Carolyn as a pity project since she can’t be seen with someone who dresses in jeans and sweatshirts. When Jennifer invites Carolyn to sleep over to make her over and teach her to tumble, Carolyn learns Jennifer’s secret and lies to her own friends to cover it up. Will Carolyn become a cheerleader and become popular? Does she continue to keep Jennifer’s secret? Or will she be a target of this mean girl again?

Look for If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor in the Muse Bookstore, and everywhere you can find quality e-books.

Barbara, a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Reading and Writing K-12 and seventeen years of teaching experience lives with her family in Stamford, Connecticut. When she received her Masters degree she began writing seriously. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Barbara’s first YA novel, was inspired by Paula Danziger. Barbara is a NY Literature Examiner for Examiner.com with several articles for them. Her blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/, is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She hosts Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages on Blog Talk Radio every 4th Thursday. In addition, her children's story, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” and an adult story, “Out on a Ledge” are published online She writes book reviews for Authorlink.com. and several of her reviews have been on Acewriters and Celebrity Café. She is a member of SCBWI. Writing is her life!

Also, I write a blog, Barbara’s Meanderings:

http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/

I have a radio show on Blog Talk Radio: RRWL Tales from the Pages every 4th Thursday of the month at 3PM Central Time, 4PM EST:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/search/rrwl-tales/

What Can You Learn From Excerpts And Blurbs?

Author Mike Arsuaga delivers information about his earlier release - My Life As A Dog. He delivers a complete package of promotional information here with a book trailer, excerpt and blurb. We can learn a lot without being told to much.

“MY LIFE AS A DOG”:Drake Martin is a unique shape shifter. Instead of transforming into a ferocious animal, he morphs into an eight pound Yorkshire terrier. Six year old Kady Hartley rescued him from an animal shelter. As "Precious" he was her "bestest friend" for twelve years, leaving when she started college. Ten years later they cross paths. He’s a PI; she’s FBI. Continuing to keep his abilities secret from her, he follows Kady as she pursues a case. Accompany them on an odyssey to New Orleans investigating human traffickers and watch the fur fly. To protect Kady, Drake remains in the shadows. For her sake he puts aside his loner life and accepts protection and assistance of the local shifter pack under its leader, the Sufi. The pack and Drake soon discover they have a common cause, leading to a bloody confrontation with the Russian human traffickers.

During the adventure, will Drake and Kady rekindle their loving friendship or will it become much more?

Excerpt: “Mommy, Daddy, can we get him,” the six-year-old girl exclaimed, pointing at me, the caged mess of matted tan and silver fur with beady black eyes. I returned her gaze with my best guileless, head cocked to one side expression, as if asking a question. The mother moved a plump cheeky face toward me for a closer look.
“Oh, he’s so scruffy,” she said. “I thought you wanted a big dog, one you could play with.”
The father’s arm remained around the girl’s narrow shoulders. “Honey, Mom’s right. You said you wanted a Lab like your friend Tommy has. This little guy won’t run around in the yard with you.” Then, turning to the shelter volunteer he asked, “What kind of dog is it, anyway?”
“He’s a Yorkie, a Yorkshire terrier, purebred too. Clean him up and he will be beautiful.” Unhitching a leash from the wall, she lifted me from the cage to the floor. “Yorkies are a popular breed and live a long time. Your daughter will be able to grow up with him.” Winking at me, because I had her eating out of my paw since Monday, she added, “See how he prances around. Yorkies are so full of spirit. I just love him to pieces. I’d take him home myself but we already have two cats and two dogs. My husband would leave me if I brought home another pet.”
Four feet tall, sandy hair, blue eyes, and a breath smelling of lemon drops nodded, making up her mind. “He’s the one I want.”
That’s how my life changed in a split second. I’m Drake Martin, part-time hit man, most of the time private eye, lover, and shape shifter. This is the story of my life as a dog and the little girl named Kady Hartley who changed it forever.

Mike Arsuaga Bio: Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Mike completed careers in the United States Navy Submarine Force and the Transportation Security Administration. He lives in Orlando Florida with wife and Editor in Chief Cynthia, daughter Jennifer, six year old granddaughter Larrna and partner in crime Thumper, a Yorkshire terrier.

Mike’s extensive travels in the Navy took him throughout the US, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, providing accurate and vivid settings for his stories.

Subspecies, Subspecies, Inc., Children of Subspecies, and Tenth Legion are scheduled for release in May, September, December 2011, and February 2012 from Muse It Hot Publishing.

Websites: Catch trailers and long excerpts of all works.
http://www.mikearsuaga.weebly.com
http://www.cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home_top
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mike.arsuaga1
BUY link: http://secretcravingspublishing.mybigcommerce.com/products/My-Life-As-A-Dog.html

In Killarney's Shoes

Hello! My name is Killarney Sheffield (pronounced key-lar-knee). I write mostly historical romance for MuseItUp Publishing. My journey as a writer has been pretty amazing, scary and complicated at times but I honestly would not trade it for the world! For those of you who don't know me I am one of those eager beavers who is game to jump into anything and either sink or swim LOL, an honestly, I am not known for my swimming abilities! I guess what I would like to do today is give you a little glimpse along the road I traveled to get where I am today. Someday maybe I'll write a book about the adventure I call my life...

As a preteen I wrote little stories about horses and cowboys on my mom's old type writer. The e and g keys stuck so I remember having to hit them so hard I had callouses on my fingers. Yup, those were the days...I penned my first novel at age 13 called simply 'Buck'. It was the story of a buckskin color mustang, living wild and free in the Canadian Rockies. Sometimes I wonder in Disney spied on me to come up with their tale 'Spirit' as the stories are remarkably similar. Though mine was penned 15yrs earlier. LOL!

Just before my 14th birthday I ended up in a foster home due to an abusive stepfather. Writing carried me through that scary time thanks to a supportive LA teacher who encourage me to continue and even entered some of my work in some teen writing contests. I never won anything but did place many times.

My world brightened one day when my grandmother took me to live with her. Granny Key was my world, we had always had a strong connection and living with her was the best time in my childhood. I remember sipping tea together, looking at the old photo albums and my favorite, hearing tales of my aunts and uncle. Life was almost perfect for a while until she sent me back into foster care with only the explanation that she was too old to look after a teenager. She died less than a year later of cancer and I was devastated. It turns out she didn't want to tell me she was dying.

I kept plugging away, getting mediocre grades, focusing on a career as Equine Vet but life threw me another curb ball. Two months before high school graduation I was diagnosed with Dyslexia. That would explain all the struggles with math, spelling and science, though strangely I never had trouble reading. (I read everything I could get my hands on as a kid. My favs were Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew and the Black Stallion series.) As a foster kid there was no money for college education and I struggled too much in school to keep a part time job and attend classes at the same time so my dream of being a vet collapsed. Since I loved horses and already worked in a stable cleaning stalls, feeding and grooming it was just logic that propelled me to get my level 1 coaching degree in both English and Western disciplines. After that I took my Equine Massage Therapy degree, my Farriers degree and finally my Natural Horsemanship certificate as a colt starter. Between all those things I married a Dairy Herdsman and had 5 amazing kids who drive me crazy! During all this there were two constants in my life, horses and writing. Despite long dairy hours, showing horses, keeping house, training horses and the kids I still managed to find time to write. Why? Something in me just had to.

After years of stress and long hours my husband and I walked away from dairy and switched to beef. The kids were all in school by then and life slowed down. Stuck in a position where our employer and housing did not allow me working with horses I once again turned to writing to fill my days.

I wrote a few articles for a local paper and was surprised at the response I received from the editor. He liked my work and encouraged me to write a novel someday. I got a good giggle out of that one as at the time I had 4 complete novels sitting in my computer where they were hidden from ridiculing eyes. Well, I took a deep breath and subbed to 2 of the biggest romance publishers in the world. BAM! Rejection was short, swift and vague. I have since learned that 'author bio' does not mean your life story, it means what have you had published before? Chances are good the publishers never even read the actual manuscript. Luckily I met a few author friends along the way who showed me where I went wrong. They encouraged me to sub to small publishers as they are more likely to take a newbie author and show you the ropes of publishing unlike the bigger ones who don't have the time. So again, I screwed up my courage and subbed to 3 small presses, one of which was MuseItUp Publishing. I was shocked to receive not one but 3 acceptances! I choose MuseItUp for 2 reasons, 1 was the fact the company is Canadian and 2 because her reputation for guiding newbie writers like myself is known far and wide. I can never thank MuseItUp enough for the chance to swim in the rough waters of the publishing world and only hope that I can do her faith in me justice as I learn, grow and my writers voice matures. Well, that is how this enthusiastic, persistent, (and often wet noodled), Irish Libra got here.

I have 9 titles coming out with MuseItUp over the next couple of years.
Guilty Kisses- historical romance- released June/2011 the trailer featuring Lawrence Gowan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4qLNKjrQA
Stand & Deliver Your Heart- historical romance- released Sept/16th/2011
The Horseguard's Lady- historical romance- releasing Dec/2011
A Courtesan's Desires- historical romance- releasing March/2012
Inventing Love- steampunk/historical romance releasing June/2012
Love's Deception- historical romance- releasing Nov/2012
Marie- historical romance- releasing tba

Chained- a soft erotica short set in 1974- releasing Oct/2011 by alter ego Kelli Key
Larger Than Life- part of the Lacey's Lamp series- a soft erotica short- releasing May 2012
by alter ego Kelli Key

You can find me at: http://killarneysheffield.blogspot.com
http://romanceauthorkillarneysheffield.yolasite.com
killarneysheffield@gmail.com
http://www.museituppublishing.com

What Does An Editor Look for in a Submission?

First and foremost, I look to see if the writer can actually write. Of course, everyone has the ability to string words together and put them on paper. However, not all authors who submit their work have learned the finer points of the craft.

An important thing to watch for is the length of your sentences. If the whole first paragraph on the opening page is one long, comma spliced sentence it raises a red flag. Proper sentence structure is an important basic skill which must be mastered in order to achieve success.

Another thing I look for is the use of passive language. If the manuscript is peppered with the words that, was, had, had been, and there was, even if the story is brilliant, it is fairly certain I will ask for a revision before saying accept. This is part of honing your craft, a successful author uses active language to show a reader the actions and reveal the story. A passive voice tells the reader what happened in the past, it does not invite the person to climb into the character’s head to participate in the experience with them.
An example of this would be:

Passive
Sam clung to the rock wall. He had made the mistake of taking his eyes off the heights, then looking down into the valley below. His head spun with vertigo and he closed his eyes for a moment.

Active
Sam dug the tips of his fingers into small fissures in the unforgiving rock wall. His gaze slipped downward to find a purchase for his dangling foot. The world tilted in all directions and his stomach rolled with the waves of dizziness which engulfed him. The blow to his head must be worse than he thought. Heights didn’t usually give him vertigo.

I have imparted the same information in the two paragraphs, however the second takes you inside Sam’s head, you see what he sees, feel what he feels. In the first instance, the view is from outside Sam’s persona. The reader views his actions from afar and is not really engaged with the character.

Still in the realm of sentence structure is the use of the words: and, and then. I have read some submissions which are full of:

He picked up his gauntlet, then moved to his horse, or She ran up the stairs, and then skipped down the hall.

Then is not a co-ordinating conjunction, so the sentence should read: He picked up his gauntlet; then moved to his horse or He picked up his gauntlet, and then moved to his horse. Part of the source of this problem stems from the use of passive or telling language. The author is telling us what happens instead of showing by describing the action. They could have said:

The man bent to retrieve the fallen gauntlet before striding toward his horse.

The second sentence uses and then correctly, however constant use of this pair of words gets annoying really quickly. It is permissible occasionally, but please use it judiciously. Instead you could say:

The child scampered up the staircase and disappeared from view. The sound of her skipping feet echoed in the hall above him.

Or, if we are using the child’s point of view:

Essie scampered up the stairs, pausing as she reached the landing. Excitement drew a trill of laughter from her lips before she skipped across the polished floor to Nana’s bedroom door.

Another common error is the overuse of certain words. These words can be simple things like: he, she, like, or the words may be a character’s name, even a phrase which becomes repetitive. This can be very hard to detect in your own work and often takes a good writing partner or critique group to highlight it for an author. Once an author is aware of this it is easy to spot and correct, if the author is willing to keep an open mind on the subject.

This brings up another point to consider. Based on the cover letter and synopsis I attempt to get a feel of how open the author is to accepting constructive criticism and their ability to act on it. A good cover letter should introduce the author and let me know pertinent information regarding their writing experience and anything significant pertaining to the submitted manuscript. For example: The idea for this story came from my great uncle’s adventures as a pioneer farmer in northern Ontario during the Great Depression.

It is helpful to include any publication credits the author has, it is also important not to embroider the amount or outright lie. If a publication house is interested in the manuscript they will check to see if you are presenting yourself correctly.

I don’t want to hear the manuscript is better than (insert a best selling novel in the author’s genre here), tell me what you perceive the strengths of this manuscript to be and why I should consider it. It is permissible to say, Readers who loved (insert name of successful novel in author’s genre here) will also be drawn to this novel because….

Don’t shoot yourself in the foot before you get that foot in the door by having spelling mistakes in your synopsis and/or cover letter. This tells me your manuscript is full of them as well and I am wary before I read the first word of your work.

Please be concise with your synopsis. Unless a house guideline states they wish to see a detailed synopsis, please be brief. Give the basic outline of the plot, a little background on the main characters and highlight events which move your plot forward. Authors need to remember submission editors are not reading one submission, but many of them. The synopsis needs to grab my attention, not bash me into unconsciousness with information overload.

Be careful of a huge information dump on the first page. Don’t include a lot of back story before jumping into the action. If you bore me to tears with back story on the first few pages I may never get to the part on page seven where you are really brilliant. Your first few pages must be active and hook the reader immediately so they will want to read on and find out where the story is going. This is doubly important for submissions editors.

Finally, always be professional in your mannerisms and speech. The documents you submit should be clean, well formatted and free of errors. There will be times when an author’s opinion and an editor’s are polar opposites. When this occurs, and it will, do not rush to the nearest blog or social media and flame the editor or the publishing house. While this might relieve some of the angst the author is feeling and gain them some temporary fame, it is poison for their career. I will often search the internet for an author’s name and see what comes up. This practice can be quite enlightening, and not always in a good way. It is in your best interest to display a professional manner at all times.

Thanks to Brian for allowing me to appear on his blog. Best wishes to all the authors out there, keep honing your craft and continue submitting your work.

Nancy Bell is proud Albertan, horsewoman, wife, mother and grandmother. She lives on a farm near Balzac, Alberta with her husband, two horses, a pony, various dogs, cats and whatever else happens to wander into the yard. Nancy had her first poems and short stories published while still in grade school. She is a regular contributor to Earthsongs ezine. She enjoys writing poetry and stories, both long and short. Nancy is a Senior Content Editor with MuseItUp Publishing Inc.

Please visit her webpage http://www.nancymbell.ca
You can find her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/NancyMBell
Follow on twitter: @emilypikkasso

Pay It Forward....MuseItUp Style

Hello and thank you so much Brian for allowing me an opportunity to do what MuseItUp Publishing Authors do best…pay it forward. I’m blessed to have this platform to announce another special heart…Coffee Time Romance. A sponsor for a very special project for those in need. Check out the details below and please…get involved. All that’s needed is someone to step forward to nominate a family and give hope to someone who may need a helping hand in a time of need.

Thanksgiving Project

We need you to help us select a needy family this season.

Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings and holiday meals - for sharing and spreading happiness. A time to be thankful for the people, experiences, and gifts we receive in our lives. Unfortunately, there are some people who have a tougher situation than we do. Regardless of the hardship in their lives, whether it's a family crisis, lost job or other unforeseen circumstances, they are unable to truly celebrate the holidays because of their financial situation.

In hopes of helping these families share in the holidays, last year, Silver Publishing donated two $500 Gift Certificates to grocery stores local to two needy winners. The recipients were nominated by family, friends and coworkers who witnessed, first-hand, the hardship these families experiences day-to-day. They nominated each family via a forum post. It was heartbreaking to pick only two families, but we chose and they were able to join others in the holiday experience.

We want to expand that further this year and try to help more families during these difficult times so we’ve joined forces with other publishers, review sites, authors, and others in order to spread the holiday message and allow others to truly enjoy the season which would otherwise be too difficult to do on their own.

This year, Silver Publishing is going to repeat the project and offer another $1000 in gifts to needy families. Additionally, we are going to add a percentage of royalties earned during a special sales week to be announced. Others joining in the sponsorship will contribute other gifts of their choosing – whether it’s food, money, gift cards, or another gift, we are getting together in a joint effort to help more families during this special time.

If you’d like to help us, please nominate a family you feel needs a little help this Thanksgiving. Let us know ‘why’ you feel they should get a sponsorship. And don’t forget to let us know how to contact YOU, the nominator. This way, if the family mentioned is selected, the sponsor can contact you for more info on how best to send them their holiday gift.

We are accepting nominations July 1, 2011- October 31, 2011.
To nominate a family, please follow the link to complete the entry form.
ENTER NOW
Thank you.

Too Wordy and Other Musing by J.Q. Rose

Wordy is what I call it. Exaggerated exposition? Too much talk and not enough action. Too much description. Too many adverbs–ly words. The reader gets bogged down in it all, so she closes the book. Be careful. Choose strong verbs to move the story along. Find one word to knock out a long phrase. Write tight.

Hemingway said his first editor at the Kansas City Star gave him a style sheet: “Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative.” Hemingway said it was “the best rules I ever learned for the business of writing.”

Maybe we can use the rules from that style sheet to tighten up our writing and improve the stories.

Log line: Mysterious deaths upset the Florida retirement community interfering with their seasonal activities and turning up more than dead bodies.

Blurb:

Who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard? Follow Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds who annually migrate to Florida for warm sunshine, fun, and games in snow-free winters. However this season, Jim Hart, a volunteer First Responder in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge, is drawn into the investigation of the mysterious deaths. Even in the midst of the unfortunate demise of the residents on Sunshine Boulevard, the Harts try to enjoy the winter with friends. They don't realize that their friends are getting together for their own kinds of affairs with each other. The neighbors are in a dither over the deaths, but perhaps more intrigued by the gossip about the affairs and why the naked lady was found lying in the geranium bed

Excerpt:

“Jim, Jim!” Gloria threw her keys on the kitchen counter and then stashed her mat and barbells in the hallway closet.
“Jim!” She called louder. He was not in the Florida room. She gingerly stepped from the kitchen to the carport. She darted into the attached shed housing the laundry room with storage in the front and Jim’s workshop in back. She walked through the workshop and out the door to the neat little back yard and found him watering their garden plot.
“Did you hear about George McDonnell?” Gloria shook her auburn hair, compliments of her favorite brand of hair color #118. Her clear blue eyes filled with tears.
“Yes, I heard.” Jim kinked the hose to stop the water flow and dragged it to the faucet on the back of the house. He slowly turned the tap to cut off the stream of water and dropped the hose to the freshly cut grass.
“How sad that he died alone. Oh, Jim, he wasn’t discovered for so long his body just ro...” She couldn’t say it.
“Gloria, come in the house. I have to tell you something. I don’t want the neighbors listening in on this conversation.” Gloria knew her husband of thirty-five years well enough to realize something wasn’t right.
As they stepped into the bright kitchen, Jim turned to her. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “Royce called this morning. George’s death was peculiar. I guess, that’s what the Medical Examiner is saying.”
Jim was friends with the county M.E., Royce Williams. They worked together on investigations involving the First Responders Unit. Living in a retirement community, the Medical Examiner and medics were frequent visitors. An ambulance at a home was not a significant event at Citrus Ridge. It was part of life and death.
“Royce told us George’s body did not rot. It couldn’t have decomposed that quickly because Miss Lottie checked on him every day when she brought him the mail in the afternoon. She delivered it the day before he died. He was alert and talked about the weather.
“When Lottie called 9-1-1 at one o’clock yesterday, she was so upset she couldn’t even speak. They traced the call to her house. When the police arrived, she only pointed to George’s house.”
Jim stopped a minute. Gloria saw the anguish in his face. “They discovered George sitting in the living room in his recliner. His body was mustard yellow. His clothes were melted to his body. The odor was not a rotting smell, but rather like burning or scorching. In fact the fabric in the chair was charred. Ron was the first responder. He told me when he and the paramedics touched the body, it turned to powder.”
Gloria cried out in disbelief. She covered her face with her hands. “Dear God. What happened, Jim? What could have caused such a thing?”
“Ron arrived at the scene first. You know Ron. Always talking and telling greatstories.” Gloria remembered the usually fun-loving raucous Ron.
“Royce told me there was such a look of horror in Ron’s eyes. He was traumatized by what he saw. Ron told him he moved George’s wrist, and his hand fell making a pile of yellow ashes on the floor.”
“Dear God.” Gloria sat down at the dining room table feeling nauseous. Jim wiped his eyes. “I don’t know how Ron and Lottie will ever forget this nightmare.”

J. Q. Rose—Sunshine Boulevard

Email: jqrose01@gmail.com

J Q Rose Website: http://www.jqrose.webs.com\

J Q Rose Blog: http://www.jqroseauthor.blogspot.com

You Tube Book Trailer: http://tinyurl.com/64htcx8

The e-book is available at -
Muse It Up Publishing Bookstore: http://tinyurl.com/2c53noz
Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/4czwr6h
Barbes and Noble.com: http://tinyurl.com/4442b94
as well as at many online booksellers.

What If - A Look At Alternative History

Some argue that “Alternative History” is more grammatically correct, but “Alternate History” has emerged as the common name for an interesting sub-genre of fantasy fiction. The “what if” asked by so many authors has produced a wealth of thought-provoking tales.

What if the Roman Empire hadn’t fallen? What if the American Revolution had failed? What if Germany had won World War II, or if Russia had reached the moon first?

In The Story of Ireland, published in 1894, historian Standish O’Grady wrote:

If Ireland had been left to herself, a King of Ireland and a Royal Family of Ireland would have come up . . . just as out of . . . the Saxon nations of England the King of the English at last appeared.

What if Ireland had been left to herself?

I wondered about that long before I came across Mr. O’Grady’s work. As a second generation Irish American, I’ll never know what it is to be truly Irish. My childhood visions of Ireland were of magical legends and ancient kings, banshees and leprechauns, rebels and outlaw heroes. The first time I saw the real Emerald Isle, the palm trees astonished me—and that wasn’t the only jolt to my flawed concept of modern Ireland.

I longed for the Ireland I knew through song and story. Where were the ancient kings and queens, long gone but hardly forgotten? How could such great men and women simply vanish?

What if they were still around?

In 1002 A.D., the chieftain of an obscure Irish clan became High King of Ireland. Brian Boru united Ireland’s warring tribes under one leader for the first and only time in Irish history. A scholar as well as a warrior, King Brian rebuilt churches, encouraged education, repaired roads and bridges, and roused the country to rise against the Norse invaders who had ravaged Ireland for centuries. 

On Good Friday in 1014 A.D., Brian’s army challenged a host of Vikings and their allies on the plains of Clontarf. Though his troops were victorious, Brian’s son and grandson perished in the battle. Brian himself died as he prayed in his tent, murdered by fleeing Vikings who stumbled upon his camp. 

Many historians have said that Ireland would be a different place today if Brian Boru and his heirs had survived the Battle of Clontarf. Glancing Through the Glimmer offers one possible scenario.

So begins Glancing Through the Glimmer, my young adult action/adventure fantasy coming in November from MuseItUp Publishing. The descendants of Brian Boru still rule the Emerald Isle, and seventeen-year-old Prince Liam Boru finds himself an unlikely hero when the King of the Fairies kidnaps the American ambassador’s sixteen-year-old granddaughter.

Glancing Through the Glimmer is the young adult prequel to a grownup, action-packed trilogy featuring the indomitable Boru clan and a lovable cast of heroes and villains. Next year, MuseItUp will release A Band of Roses, Fiery Roses, and Salty Roses, each a fast-paced blend of adventure, intrigue, and romance sure to appeal to a wide range of readers.

When the time comes, I hope you’ll give them a try. What if you like them?

Bio: Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, Pat grew up in a family full of music and myths that have found their way into her stories. She is a member of The New Hampshire Writers' Project, Seacoast Writers' Association, Romance Writers of America, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. A frequent visitor to Ireland, she lives and writes in New Hampshire.

Pat’s Web Site: www.patmcdermott.net
Pat’s Blog: http://pat-mcdermott.blogspot.com
MuseItUp: Author Page


This excerpt from Glancing Through the Glimmer is set in Dublin's vibrant Temple Bar section, where Prince Liam, the King of Ireland's teenaged son, is breaching royal security by venturing out of the house in disguise with his hungry cousin, Kevin.

Flowers cascaded from windows and terraces. Fanciful murals adorned several walls. Traditional music oozed from brightly painted pubs and flew from the fingers of street musicians.
"There's at least six guards in the crowd," Kevin said.
Liam had already spotted the yellow jackets and visored black hats of the Dublin police. If anyone recognized him, the sharp-eyed gardaí would. Seeking to avoid them, the cousins crossed the street that led to the square.

They stopped at the corner near the ice cream shop. Before them, in the center of the bustling square, scores of bibliomaniacs rummaged though boxes of books set on tables. Liam couldn't wait to join them. "Which way is the Mexican restaurant, Kev?"
Kevin tilted his head to the left. "Over there. I've been craving their nachos all morning." He raised his eyes in ecstasy. "And they have the best chicken chili! Let's go."
Liam hopped over a puddle and turned—straight into a warm, solid object.
The crash knocked the breath from him. He didn't see who'd clobbered him. He only knew his royal arse was on the cobblestones.
"Li!" Kevin dropped beside him, inspecting him like a fussing mother hen. "Li, are you all right?"
Thankful he hadn't landed in the puddle, Liam heaved himself up on his elbows. He wanted to get away before a crowd gathered. "I'm fine," he said, raising his arm. "Give us a hand, Kev."
As Kevin pulled him to his feet, he noticed a girl his age sprawled on the ground nearby. Blond. Ponytail. Extremely good-looking, with high round cheeks that tapered to a charming chin. Before he could help her to her feet, a dark-haired miss did just that.

The second girl was clearly a friend. Pretty enough. A tad overweight. Glasses. Backpack. "Nice going, Jan," she said. "You did it again."
"I'm so sorry!" the blond named Jan blurted out. "Are you okay?"
Yanks, for sure. The brunette seemed amused, but the blond sounded desperate. Terrified. In need of immediate consolation.

Liam hatched his best smile.

MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD

Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.
by Marva Dasef
Website: http://marvadasef.com
Blog: http://mgddasef.blogspot.com

Back Cover:

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem...accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge’s henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn’t like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief’s office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Excerpt:

Salvadore didn’t recognize either of the men. The driver was in his forties, the passenger younger, maybe thirty. When they opened the pickup doors and stepped out, they hitched up their gun belts in unison.

It wasn’t unusual for men to wear guns in these parts, so it didn’t worry him. Salvadore noted the rifle rack in the back window of the truck. Most likely hunters. Both wore their hair close-cropped and dressed in khaki camo trousers and black T-shirts. The outfits reminded him of uniforms. Tattoos covered the bigger one’s arms. Salvadore stared at the spread-winged eagle on his upper arm. It seemed familiar. “Howdy, fellas. Can I help you?”

The driver looked at the other man and smirked. “Anybody up here, old man?”

“What do you mean? I’m up here.”

“I meant any other people, old timer. We’re lookin’ for somebody. Thought he might have come up this way.”

A chill crawled up Salvadore’s crooked spine. “Nope. Haven’t seen nobody but you two.” He instantly regretted his too honest answer. Now they knew he was alone. He pointed north. “If you’re wantin’ the best place to hunt bighorn, you should head that way.”

The driver moved closer. Salvadore took a step back.

A dark mark on the man’s neck looked like a swastika. Pockmarks speckled his cheeks. He planted his boot on the first step with a thud and bared his teeth in a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.

Salvadore moved his hand to the left and gripped his shepherd’s crook. “Nothing here of value, boys.”

“We’re not planning to rob you, old man.”

Bio:

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.


MuseItUp Bookstore: http://tinyurl.com/28695g3
Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EN73FI
MuseItUp Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/Missing-Dasef
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZI_8LgOIb4
First Place Cover Win: http://yougottareadcovers.blogspot.com/2011/08/and-winners-are.html

Proofing Your Final Copy

Being able to proofread correctly and efficiently could mean the difference between receiving a request for more from an agent or editor or receiving a rejection letter. Proofreading should be done in several different ways to be sure to catch the most errors.

Basic Grammar Check

Write out a checklist for proofreading and correcting the mechanics of the paper. Include, at the least, the following items: spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar usage and sentence structure.

1. Check spelling by using spell check on the computer and using a dictionary for unfamiliar words. Watch for homonyms, those words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same.

2. Check for capitalization at the beginning of sentences and remember to look for proper nouns within sentences that also need to be capitalized.

3. Read up on comma rules as these are the most misused of all punctuation marks. Check each comma in the paper to see if its usage follows a rule.

4. Make sure that the paper conforms to proper grammar conventions. Check for subject-verb agreement and proper grammar.

5. Determine if sentences are complete thoughts or fragments. Watch for sentences beginning with “because,” “and,” “so,” and “then” as these usually signal a fragment.

Reading Out Loud

Read your manuscript out loud to be able to hear how one sentence flows into another sentence and one paragraph leads into another paragraph. This proofreading method also allows you to focus on grammar usage and punctuation marks such as commas. Use a ruler to highlight one line at a time by covering up the rest of the text. This prevents the brain from anticipating what is coming in the next line.

Listen to Your Manuscript

1. Listen to someone else read the manuscript out loud. This method allows the listener to focus on the words and content. Follow along on a separate copy of the text. Catch sentence structure and flow problems and reveal content weaknesses by silently reading the written text as it is read out loud.

2. Set the computer to read your manuscript by accessing the preference menu and choosing a voice. Not quite the same as a real person, it does allow you to hear the text if you are unable to find someone to read.

Reading Backwards

Start at the end of your manuscript to proofread for spelling and punctuation errors. Read backwards to eliminate the problem of reading what should be there and what is actually there. Focusing the brain to read the words on the printed page thus allowing you to spot misspelled words easier. Punctuation errors are also more evident when reading backwards. The flow of the text does not interfere with the proofreading like reading from the beginning would.

However, be forewarned: I found myself reading from the beginning of a line often, and I had to force myself to start again at the end of a line! While laborious, I was able to catch more errors this way.

Bottom to Top

Read the last 3 or 4 lines on the bottom of each page and continue to read through the first 3 or 4 lines on the top of the next page. While not as important at this stage of the editing process, this method will allow you to catch gallery errors where the publisher has inadvertently duplicated text.

Final Suggestions

With self-publishing becoming the option of choice for many authors, it is imperative that authors learn correct grammar and sentence structure. Readers as well as agents and editors require this. I have requested the first chapter of several self-published books from Amazon, and then deleted them because the grammar and sentence structure errors are not only annoying, but distracting. Don’t let that be your book. Your book is a reflection of you. Make it the best you can.

To that end, I recommend that writers pick up their own copy of Strunk and Whites’ The Elements of Style. Read it and learn it. Their presentation of basic grammar and punctuation rules is learner-friendly. Also presented are basic rules for composition, form, and style. Equally important is the section on the misuse of words and expressions. Ignoring the correct usage of words (i.e. then and than, among and between, effect and affect) immediately labels an author as an amateur.

Above all else, become best friends with a good dictionary. Professional writers do not rely on Spell Check alone.

If you have any doubts as to the importance of using words and employing correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation, then read Stephen’s King’s On Writing. The emphasis King places on these is evident throughout his book.

Bio: Cheryl Carpinello taught high school English for over 20 years. An avid fan of the King Arthur legend, she continues to marvel at the enduring fascination King Arthur holds over people. She enjoys exploring the implications of the legend in the modern world with her students and on her own. Through the use of the King Arthur Legend, she hopes to reach out to reluctant readers. She also continues to research ways to get reluctant readers involved in reading in the elementary grades.

Some of Cheryl’s favorite authors include Tolkien, Golding, T.H. White, Ludlum, and the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. When not reading fiction, she enjoys nonfiction like “Men of Salt” about the salt caravans across the Sahara.

Cheryl loves to travel and recently completed a two week visit to Egypt with her husband that included traveling by local train from one end of Egypt to the other.

Links to Cheryl:
http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com
http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com
http://www.outskirtspress.com/Guinevere
http://www.museituppublishing.com
http://www.bookbuzzer.com
http://www.polkadotbanner.com

Music: A Muse Builder

Have you ever tried writing while some good mood music plays in the background? I have, and it often helps me keep going when, otherwise, I might dawdle over some detail. I’m not talking pop music here. Each generation has its own favorites when it comes to pop stuff, but they often fade into the distant past within a few months or years.

What I’m talking about is ‘classical’ music; music for the ages. Just as each generation provides a handful of ‘classics’ that linger, so does the music of the masters. Only, with the masters, their music will be here for centuries, providing a continuum for music lovers worldwide. How will their music help you keep your muse amused? Let me show you what I mean.

For instance, say you’re a writer of romances. You have to write a love scene and you want it to be sensuous, but not blatantly graphic. There are two compositions I use at a time like this. The more sensual is Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, Movement Three; the slow movement. If you’ve heard it, I probably don’t need to embellish its languid seduction of the listener. If you haven’t, you owe it to yourself to find a recording and treat yourself to some of the most sensual sounds ever penned.

It begins with a poignant theme that will repeat over and over, but not monotonously. As it builds, you can almost see two lovers who kiss, separate, kiss again as they entwine themselves in a buildup to an irrepressible climax. Then they settle into a few moments where you can sense the lovers enjoy the afterglow of their activity, before they are overwhelmed with the need to couple again, this time more slowly but rising to an even higher peak than the first. Finally, the peaceful settling into the classic ‘love-death’.

A word of caution; if you listen to this for love scene inspiration, stop the recording immediately at the end, because the final movement begins with a bang.

The other piece mention is Gustav Mahler’s slow movement in his Fifth Symphony. It is less sensual than Rachmaninoff’s, but somewhat more extended. Also, it fires up the muse in a most romantic way. I’ve used both of these as I write the love scenes in my romances, and I highly recommend them to you. (Hint: They also are excellent to play in the background if you want to create a proper setting when romancing your own mate.)

Today, I have an excerpt from Sleeping with her Enemy, my Muse Publishing romantic suspense. While the story only includes one love scene, and it must be carried on in total silence because they are not alone in the house, it is one where I listened to Rachmaninoff’s music as I wrote it. Ana Henry is a widow who’s lost her son as well, and she finds a possible new beginning with Dan Morrison, a widower with a young daughter. They bond just before she discovers that he might be the driver who’d killed her son in a hit and run accident months earlier.

Set-up
You’re a woman approaching the big four-oh and you’re all alone. Again. You’d lost your fighter pilot husband to a stupid accident, but you sucked it up and took your young son to a new life in Colorado. Then he’s killed by a hit and run driver and your life turns maudlin. You’re a nurse with a good job in a hospital children’s ward, but your life has lost its meaning. How do you go on? Why do you go on?

Excerpt:
It was nearly midnight when Ana looked in on Sherry again. The girl was sleeping soundly but Dan stood by the window, staring out at the city. She said, “Beautiful out there, isn’t it?”
He spun at the sound of her voice. “Yes. I’ve never seen Fort Collins from this view. Very pretty.”
“Our patient seems to be comfortable. The last time I checked her temperature, it was holding at just over a hundred.”
“Is that good?”
“Yes, still high but better than it was. It isn’t readily apparent but a fierce battle is going on in her body right now. The good germs and the bad ones are locked in mortal combat. The good guys will win.”
“Good guys always win?” He smiled but she sensed a darker edge to his question.
“Not always. But in this case they will. By a knockout.”
“I sure hope so.” The resolve he’d shown earlier seemed to be sagging.
“You have to believe that, Dan. I can’t tell you how important it is to keep a positive mental attitude.”
“PMA, huh?”
“Yeah. Sounds corny but it works. Trust me.”
“I do.”
“Well, one more round and my shift is over. It’s good meeting you. No doubt, I’ll see you again before Sherry goes home.”
“Are you going home to your family?”
He could have had no idea how his question would rock her the way it did. She turned away so he couldn’t see tears flood her eyes. Without looking at him, she said, “Yes. I’ll be going home. But not to a family. I live alone.”
She headed for the door, calling back over her shoulder, “Goodnight, Dan. I’ll look in on your daughter tomorrow.” No disguising the pain in her voice.
Even knowing he must have realized his question had hurt her, she’d slammed the door on further conversation. She glanced back to see him sink into the recliner next to Sherry’s bed and put his hands over his fear-distorted face.

Like most good stories, this one gets worse before it gets better. Oh, but then I’d have to tell you it ends well, and I don’t want to do that. You can learn for yourself by logging onto www.patdalesblog.blogspot.com There, you can click on the cover of Sleeping with her Enemy and download your very own copy. I promise, it’s a most rewarding read, so enjoy, and thanks for dropping by today! Happy reading.

Bio: Pat Dale has been writing fiction novels and short stories for over twelve years. After a career as a professional musician and educator, Pat has turned to the pen to craft more than a dozen novels and novellas. A native Missourian, Pat traveled far and wide before settling near Kansas City to enjoy the scenic beauty of the heartland. Dale uses musical rhythms and values to write what some might call poetic prose.

Whether romance or suspense is your cup of tea, Pat's endearing (and sometimes frightening) characters will lead you into worlds you might otherwise never have visited. So sit back, pick up a Pat Dale novel, and whisk yourself away for a few hours of fantasy.

Two Names, One Author, Thousands of Stories

Hi, All, S.B. was kind enough to let me stop by to tell you a bit about White Savage, a historical western, sweet romance. The following is Poppin exclaiming to his deputy about the man they’re chasing. Sam, that he mentions, is a full blooded Indian tracker.

“The point I’m making is, the boy was white, born white anyway. He was taught to live like the Indians, and no way around it, the Indian way is savage. So Jim was savage. A white savage, if ya will.”
“How long would it take to turn a child?” Queens wondered aloud.
“Who knows, but it sure takes longer to unlearn than it takes to learn. That was ten years or so ago, and it don’t sound like he has yet.”
“Raping,” Queens said, shaking his head.
“An Indian takes what he wants.”
“Sam don’t.”
“Sam’s one of the smart ones. He sees which way the wind blows and knows the
Indian way of life is dead, so he’s got civilized. Which, don’t,” he added quickly, “mean
he’s forgot. He’d go back to it in a minute if he thought he could and survive.”

White Savage is my first release through Muse It Up Publishing. As Poppin says, Jim was rescued from the Indians. No one knew how old he was, how long he’d been with the Indians, or where they had taken him from. Jim couldn’t or wouldn’t tell them. McGee, the man who rescued him, and his sister were the only ones who thought he could readjust to living as a white. After an altercation with other boys, Jimmy disappeared. Ten years later, he comes back, or some think he has. That’s all I’m going to tell you of the story, but the next excerpt is when the two main characters first have a conversation.

“Why did you agree to stay?”
He answered instantly. “Because you’re frightened.”
Shocked that he’d seen so quickly what she worked so hard to conceal, she
recovered, smiling at him with mockery. “You care?”
“No one should be afraid of living,” he said, putting his cup down as he rose to
leave.
“No,” she cried, knowing the real fear sounded in her voice. Her gesture, reaching
out to detain him, carried an edge of panic to it. It shamed her, him seeing it. She
withdrew, bowing her head and crossing her hands in her lap. “I didn’t mean to insult
you,” she said softly, damning herself for being so bold. She had hoped he was different
than Henry and was a man who didn’t think it beneath him to speak to a woman as if
she had a mind of her own.
“Didn’t. Chores to do,” he said, carefully placing the chair under the table.
“Nothing that has to be done tonight. I have already fed the chickens.”
“Cow to be milked. Wood. Water,” he said, pointing to the near empty wood box
by the stove and empty bucket by the sink, all things Henry never did for her.
“I wish you were not so stingy with your words. You’re going to leave, aren’t you?
The least you can do is let me enjoy the sound of your voice tonight.”
His reaction to her words was startling. His face hardened, and he looked angry.
“Amuses you?” he asked tersely.
“No, it pleasures me. Your deep baritone and the soft way you have of saying your
words is…” She paused, searching for the way to express it. Embarrassed she finished
with, “soothing.”
She didn’t recognize his accent, but she thought he might be from the south. She
knew Southerners had a way of dropping off some of the hard sounding letters, only
Clay didn’t drop them. He just softened them. “Water” sounded more like “waher,”
only there was enough of the “T” sound to let you know it was there. Same with the
“D.” She’d only meant to compliment him. Instead she had made him angrier. She
could see it flash in his eyes as he turned his back to her and walked out. She clenched
her hands together and pressed her lips tight to keep from calling out to him. She forgot
her place again, forgot that women were to be seen not heard.
She sat there, biting her lip, clenching her hands, certain he was going to leave until
she heard an axe ringing as it struck wood. She flew from the chair to look out the door,
nearly tripping over the dog. Clay was there. Still, she sank in dejection.
“Wood, water, and milking. Then he will leave,” she told the dog. “I think I am too
lonely to even care. He is not a pleasant man.”
She shifted just enough to peer around the edge of the window frame. “But he is a
fine man to look upon.”

Is the man Jimmy, come back for revenge, or is he mistaken for the White Savage forced into proving any man pushed far enough can be brutal?

White Savage one of many historical, western, sweet romances under my pen of Larion Wills. Tarbet will be the next released, through Muse It Up Publishing, followed by Mark of the Sire. Others are available also through Swimming Kangaroo Books as well as contemporaries also by Larion Wills and science fiction/fantasy under an alternative pen of Larriane Wills. Stop by my site to see excerpts and blurbs from all. My links are below and all new friends and members are welcome.

Larion Wills, a multi-genre author, also writes under the name of Larriane Wills. From science fiction to western romances she holds up to her tag of ‘two names, one author, thousands of stories.’

Born in Oklahoma, but raised in Arizona she feels a native to the state and has settled in the high desert country. In a quiet, rural area with a family who tolerates her writer’s single-mindedness, she presents us with a series of unique westerns while still producing contemporary romances, many laced with paranormal settings, all with strong characterizations and suspenseful plots, capable of dragging you into a story in a genre you thought before you didn’t care for.

My Links:

Buy Page: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/
one and counting: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com with nine to choose from
Website: http://www.larriane.com
Blog: http://larionmusing.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Larriane-Wills/1535007230