Midweek Tease: Fox Hunt

I haven’t been able to do much over the summer, but school is back in and I’m back at the computer full time. Just in time for a MidweekTease. To celebrate Fox Hunt, book 2 in the Saving Grace Saga, going to print I’ve pulled a scene between Dilly and Mike. These two werewolves are getting comfortable and relaxing with a video game. Enjoy!

Fox Hunt snippet:

   Nudging his shoulder with her own, Dilly confidently said, “We’re gonna get it this time.” The level started over, and both Dilly and Mike were completely lost in it. Waving her hands about as she raced the game, Dilly didn’t even realize her shoulder was still pressed to Mike’s. When Dilly’s game character blew up into a large bubble after smacking a wall of thorns, Dilly let out an aggravated growl, dropped her controller into her lap, and turned to encourage the man sitting next to her. “Come on, Mike. You can get it.”

   Cheering him on as he raced through the last part of the level, Dilly tensed up in anticipation. A rush of triumph filled her as the little character jumped at the crystal and smashed it. Throwing her hands up, Dilly screamed, “You did it!”

   “Heck, yeah,” Mike said, dropping his controller. Before he could say anything else, Dilly found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. It was rushed, and Dilly quickly pulled back with a big smile on her face, which disappeared when she realized what she’d done. She’d been so happy about beating that stupid level, she’d made a move on Mike.

   Mike, the strange male wolf who had wondered into town looking for his mate. Mike, the guy Dilly had tried to convince to leave her alone. Mike, the man who sat beside her with a big Cheshire cat grin on his face.

That’s the snippet. Hope it intrigued. Follow the link below to find out more about Fox Hunt and don’t forget to hop over to the other great blogs to find more great authors and stories!

Fox Hunt

Living a nomadic lifestyle, Dilly is accustomed to being on the move, but the Federal Witch Hunters are after more than broken wands. Now they’re hunting for wolf pelts, and Dilly and her family are in their sights. Dilly must choose to charge to her family’s rescue or rely on a man she just met.

Leader of his werewolf bloodline, Mike travels across the country in search of a family traveling through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Finding his mate in the headstrong Dilly, Mike is faced with the possibility of war with not only the burners but his own mate.


Find it on Amazon!

Writing Madness: Journey through Publishing

From small presses to Amazon's Kindle Platform and beyond, I've spent the last decade teaching myself and following an uncut path through the publishing world. It's been a rough ride, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. This world has become my home and I'd like to share a few of the things I've learned.

When Witch Hunt was finally finished it was sent out to publishers and I waited and waited. It was submitted to a few larger publishing houses and with each rejection letter I took a breath, did some revisions and after a little time submitted it to the next publisher. Finally Witch Hunt, and later Fox Hunt and Fire Hunt, found a home at Cobblestone Press. The contract offer shocked me. My husband had to read the email for me. By that point the rejections had become heartbreaking and I was really questioning if I should even write at all.

Then the real work started. Cobblestone is a small press and while they offer everything a larger publisher does, they taught me the importance of marketing on the author's end. In this day and age the author has to market too. It's a must. The publisher can't do it all anymore. So, once I cut my editing teeth I was on to learning the craft of marketing.

Mistakes were made. Lessons learned and in the end I wish I could have done a lot of it differently. Even now, I have issues finding what tactics work to bring readers to my books. It's an ever changing pursuit that every author learns at some point.

All that marketing research and what have you, led me to the wonderful world of self-publishing. Not my favorite way to publish, but also not the horrid beast it was once made out to be. With Lost Relic I learned that there aren't many publishers willing to touch an interactive romance novel. I didn't find any to be honest. So, self-publishing was the way to go.

In this new world I had to learn a lot more than just marketing. It was time to find a trusted editor and a book cover design. All of this was done on a pathetically small budget, but reaching back into my art student history I managed to teach myself graphic design. (At least enough to create a cover I loved.) That saved some money. Biting the bullet and hiring an editor was and will always be a must.

Just Beyond Daybreak followed the self-published path some time later. I tried traditional publishers first and a few wanted changes I wasn't willing to make. That's something an author needs to consider. Are the changes a publisher wants worth it? Is it going to change the story more than you want? Think about these things carefully. Every author will have different answers to those questions.

More recently I've dipped my toes into finding homes for short stories. I've talked about PenPee, a short story website. It's still the early stages of learning this platform, but I'm hopeful. Short stories can be posted onto the site and authors earn a little every time someone reads a chapter. I can't hire an editor to read through my short stories. It's just not economical at this point. Instead my beta reader gives a story a once over and I use Hemmingway Editor. This website is awesome. Paste in the story, let Hemmingway do it's work and bam, basic edit suggestions.

These different publishing paths all have their pros and cons. There are people who scoff at me for having nothing published through a big publishing house. That's fine. I haven't given up those large publishers, but I understand there's more than one way to put a book out.

My journey is still going and there are lots of paths in the road ahead. The best advice I can honestly offer to any fellow writers looking to publish is simple: Do what works best for you. Take the bull by the horns and learn what you need to learn to make it.

Peace and Love!

A Thought on Summer Reading

Summer is great. It's warm enough for swimming. The kids are out of school. Life seems hectic, but still fun. One of my favorite things to do during the summer is read outside. Whether its in a hammock, a lounge chair or carefully floating in the water, summer reading is just awesome. Of course, kids don't see it that way all the time.

Children are the future and I'm a firm believer that a child that loves to read is a child that loves to learn. Local libraries across the country have summer reading programs that encourage and reward reading. My daughter has taken part in this program for years. She hasn't always completed the challenge, but she always tries.

Last year was the first year we had a real loss of interest. I get it. I do. It's summer. She doesn't want to have to read. She wants to play and be lazy when she can. There are still chores and lots of extra stuff to help keep her mind active. Reading just didn't seem to be interesting anymore.

This year I've tried something different. While traditional chapter books are available for her, I've added a number of other reads. Starting with Stan Lee's graphic novel set, The Zodiac Legacy. This series does have a traditional novel counterpart, but Lil Miss really got into the graphic novels. Those were added to her shelf over the school year. She ate them up.

Next I added a few magazines. Wild Kratts was a big win. She loves animals and learning more about them without having to worry about a thick book made it easier for her to pick up on her own. I also let her pick out a few magazines on her own.

Last, I added a manga. Manga is a lot like comics and graphic novels, but they are Asian and have a much broader range of genres. I added Vol. 1 of an anime that she and I enjoyed watching together. It took her having to wait for me to finish the Vol. before she really grabbed it up, but she did and it's earned her points towards her summer reading. She's currently waiting for Vol. 2.

The school has put out a list of summer reading books that Lil Miss is welcome to choose from as well, but this year she's refused to even look at the list. So, my intention is to just keep her reading. As long as she is reading I'm happy.

Its important to let a child find their own interests and give them a path to learn about those things. As they get older we don't have to hold their hands through learning. I've found if we offer the right incentives and pathways they'll happily skip along.

Peace and Love!

Midweek Tease: July 4th

It's a Midweek Tease and I'm back with another tease from Caught by Nightfall. The sexy magical tracker, Malcolme Blackwood, just keeps begging for attention and his lovely Meredith is willing to play a little cat and mouse. Enjoy and remember to hop over to the other great blogs on the list!

Malcolm asked, “Would you be more comfortable on the bed?”

Smirking, Meredith glanced down at the carpeted floor. “It might save me from rug burn.”

Nodding, Malcolm gave her a knowing look, and loosened his arms. Giving her one last quick kiss, he said, “Then you best hurry, little mouse, or I might pounce on you no matter where I catch you.”

Meredith pulled away from his arms and flashed him a “come and get me” look over her shoulder before hurrying for the door. She tugged her shirt off as she made her way through her apartment and knew that Malcolm was close behind when he tossed his own shirt ahead to the couch.  

The light touch of Malcolm’s fingers on her side made Meredith turn and side step to avoid him. Smiling back at him, she quickened her pace and hurried to the bedroom. Letting out a joyful laugh, he teased, “I almost caught you, Babe.”

This the tease for this week. If you loved it you can find it in print of digital at Amazon!

If you liked the cover of Caught by Nightfall, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com!

 

Click to Vote! 

Camp NaNoWriMo: July Round Up

It's time for camp again. This month I'm going rouge and working on three short stories instead of one longer piece. I've tried this once before... kinda, but it didn't work out so much. So, this time I'm focusing on short stories instead of a bigger project. Ready to hear about them?

Of course!

To celebrate the release of The Saving Grace Saga coming to print I've been working on a few short stories to give readers a peek into the world after the end of the trilogy. Last summer I wrote Smoke Hunt and this Fall it'll be released. Hopefully I'll also be releasing two additional stories to go along with it. Blood Hunt and Wild Hunt are currently in the works and just like the original trilogy, these stories will each feature a different couple.

In Smoke Hunt Dilly's sister, Lizzy and a former trail angel, Rodney, come together to save a native tribe of skinwalkers.

With Blood Hunt readers get to meet two new witches and find out how their lives have changed after the Saving Grace Act was abolished.

Finally, in Wild Hunt a lost child comes home to roost. Vera, the estranged granddaughter of the late pack shaman, shows up on pack lands and Cullen gets the job of keeping an eye on her.

The last short story I'm working on this month is a surprise. It's a super short one though. With a word count limit of just 5k, I'm hoping it'll go smoothly and not run away with me.


So that's the round up!
Peace and Love!

 

Find out more about the Saving Grace Saga or get your copies 

@

CobbleStone Press or on my Amazon Author Page

WekWriWa: #8Sunday Sentances from Just Beyond Daybreak

  It's not just release day, it's also #8Sunday! While I'd love to share some more from Caught by Nightfall, I feel a little break might be in order. So instead I'm going to tempt everyone with 10 sentences from Just Beyond Daybreak, the first book in the Star Crossed Series.

Enjoy and remember to hop on over to the other great blogs!



Just Beyond Daybreak:

Instead of repeating herself, Meredith crossed her arms over her chest and waited. His lack of a response only stood as a reminder of why she couldn’t stand him. She was convinced that Malcolm Blackwood was incapable of rational thought. Instead he shoved aside conventional courtesies and handled everything with an air of lazy negligence.

“I’m not interested,” he said, breaking eye contact and launching himself up to his feet. His shirt hung open, exposing a long line of his chest and well-toned abs. Meredith’s gaze trailed downward just beyond his belly button to the natural v-shape of his hips. Snapping her eyes back up, Meredith watched him start buttoning the shirt.

“Enjoying the view, Sweetheart?” he said with a light chuckle.

“I need your help, Malcolm,” she answered, ignoring the urge to retrace the path down the front of his shirt.

Tempting? Hope so! Read on to find out more about Just Beyond Daybreak and the squeal, Caught by Nightfall.

Just Beyond Daybreak

When the source of her family’s magical energy and life force is stolen, Meredith Blackburn is left with little choice, but to search out the best magical tracker she knows. Unfortunately Malcolm Blackwood is more than just a tracker, he is also a man who captivates Meredith’s thoughts.

She strolled into Malcolm’s life with a job that he didn’t want, but instantly he regretted turning her away. Now, with his own family relics in danger, Malcolm finds himself unable to leave Meredith behind.

Can they save the Blackburn bloodline? Or will family ties tear them apart?


Find it in ebook or print on Amazon

Caught by Nightfall

Meredith Blackburn finds herself between a rock and a hard place now that her relationship with Malcolm has led her to magical breaking and entering. Someone is playing around with the rivers of magic that flow over the planet and the oldest library around expects her to figure out who.

All Malcolm Blackwood wanted was a handful of new tracking spells. What he got was an angry lover, a conflicting revelation from his brother and some old kook trying to start a war. Now it’s up to him and Meredith to set things right.

Will they save the day? Or will family get in the way?


Released today on Amazon!




That's it for now. Have a great day everyone and make sure to visit Weekend Writing Warriors for a list of the other blogs and authors sharing some great teases today!

Peace and Love!