Thursday, December 28, 2017

Class Flash ~ Upcoming Online Writing Classes Taught By Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Classes at Romance U, Writer University, and SINC taught by Laurie Schnebly Campbell, one of my all-time favorite instructors.

onlineNEW YEAR, NEW YOU
(Jan. 2-26, 2018)

tucsonrwa.org/online-classes/
    Whether it's the first rejection, the 50th-book slump, or just not getting the story you want, frustration is part of every writer's life. For some, it's a nuisance; for others, it's the end of a career. For anyone determined to make 2018 a Better Writing Year, this class offers both practical and psychological techniques for dealing with rejection, writer's block, frustration, motivation, and other issues that keep writers from loving their craft.


blogSERIOUSLY, SERIES?
(January 12)

 romanceuniversity.org
    If one book is already hard, how on earth can you keep a good story going?


onlineWRITING A SERIES
For Sinc Guppies(Jan 30-Feb 10) 

sinc-guppies.org/
For everyone  (Feb. 12-23)
 https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/WritingSeries/info
    It's one thing to write a stand-alone novel. It's another to write a sequel, a trilogy, a box set or an open-ended series that'll continue for as long as you want. While great storytelling is great storytelling no matter what the format, there are techniques to keep in mind when writing a series that will not only keep your readers on board through every story, but keep you from burning out while they're still waiting for more.


onlinePLOTTING VIA MOTIVATION
(March 5-30)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/classes
    Any of us could write a book in which characters get shipwrecked on an uncharted desert isle. We've seen what seven such characters would do…over and over and over again. But what would YOURS do? If you nail down any character's motivation, it doesn't matter whether the ship capsizes or lands safely three hours later. Your characters will create a plot from whatEVER happens, because you've got their motivation built in from the very beginning...and here's how to do it.





Friday, December 22, 2017

Mental Can Openers & Writer's Hash ~ The Writer's Gift


      Christmas, that time of year when we stop to consider what we cherish, and what we want to give.  I cherish words – words, and the stories they tell.  Stories were my refuge when I was young and hurting, so stories are what I want to give to others today.
      Words can communicate an idea.  But they can do more than that.  Words can stand up, grab a crowbar and lantern, then burst into someone’s darkened soul.  Words can make ideas sizzle like a branding iron, or words can draw out poison like carbolic salve on a wound. 
      Soft words can swaddle you in reassurance as tenderly as a mother wraps her wiggling nestling.  Action words can be harnessed like huskies, pulling the reader around each dark tree, over each new drift, and finally over the frozen water with an ominous snap.  Stories with ice-cracking plots, mercurial characters you love – or love to hate – quicksilver settings.  Wonderful.  But wonderful stories take crafting, and the artist’s skill.  Skill I did not start out with. 
      In the early 90's, I acquired rejections shoveling out stories like shoveling out a hen house.  Both products smelled the same.  A Christmas story that didn’t just fail, mind you; starving buzzards circled, descended, then left it untouched.  One manuscript regarding fishing sent maggots crawling away.  After a quick read, they took the coward’s way out, leaping into a bucket of Pinesol.  The EPA considered paying me not to write, to save clean-up super-funds. 
      After my writer’s soul had been scorched and kicked like an asbestos soccer ball in the satanic semi-finals, I came across a particular word I had initially ignored.  Crafting.  Sounding like some paint-pottery class, hope now sprang from this word.   How do those paid pros do it?
      Craft is a dance.  It looks effortless, but techniques and practice have gone ahead.  Words Box Step, rather than trip along.  Sentences that sashay, not wander.  Paragraphs waltz, describing marble-floor settings and characters cast chandelier-shadows, until the whole story magically picks you up like Cinderella arriving at the ball.  If the crafting is good, life’s ugly pumpkins suddenly transform into glorious carriages. 
      Craft is timing.  A story that pulls, choosing the magnetic word at that iron moment.  It doesn’t rush forward before the heart’s compass is ready; it doesn’t drag until the mind’s attraction fades.
      Craft is dialogue.  Not chat.  Not, “Good morning. How’s the dig coming?  Okay.  I broke my shovel.”  I want dialogue that forces the Sphinx to blink.  I want banter that reaches out and grabs your throat like a mummy.  “Tell me, Sullah.  Why would a righteous God allow his law to be buried in Egyptian sand?” 
      “He wishes to see who will seek the ark, Indy.  He notes who will dig.  But not with this broken shovel, my friend.”
      Craft is plotting. Events setting out on a wild sea hunt.  Turning points so sharp they harpoon the audience, drawing them into the chase.  Mystery that beckons like Ahab, bound to the pale prize itself. A climax that renders hearts to their essence, leaves mouths dry with Ahab’s thirst, and drives readers to pursue the elusive whale lurking below those crisp, white pages.
      But crafting, skill, and artistry alone can’t make this magic happen.  No matter how cleverly I weave words or stitch sentences together, I must rely on God’s Spirit to fashion the garment through me.  He must awaken the desire for the story.  It matters not how skillful the prophet’s parable if the people’s ears have become dull. 
      Authors, don’t leave your talent forgotten under your tree this year.  Give yourself the gift of crafting words.  There are excellent books, seminars, and classes full of advice and examples.  Topics abound, including how to hook plots, fashion characters, make a scene, time tension, and doctor dialogue. Challenging word exercises abound.  Make sure one (or more) of these grace your tree.  Feed your talent, so your talent can feed others for years to come. 
~ Brad




Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Guest Post by Peter Perrin & His Debut Book ~ Grace's Turmoil


Hello, L.A., Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog. 

A few years ago, my then fourteen-year-old granddaughter self-published two novels on Amazon. Inspired by this I thought I should have a go myself. After all they do say everyone has a book in them. I thought that at the very least it would be a good mental exercise for my then sixty-nine-year-old brain, and might help with my failing memory.

How much mental exercise it would entail I could never have imagined. Sadly, I’m not sure it has helped the memory much, but it has given me a new skill to learn and I’m told there’s a certain joie de vivre about me nowadays, so that must be good.

I believed the younger generation thought most people over the age of sixty had one foot in the grave, and were just killing time until the grim reaper claimed them. But, I knew that wasn’t the case for many people, so I looked for a way to write something to show them in a positive light.

The way I came up with was to write a romance with the hero and heroine being over sixty. I certainly managed that as I ended up with the heroine being aged sixty-eight and the hero even older, at seventy-one.

And, I came up with the idea of my characters being residents at a retirement village that was pretty much a private 5* hotel. My only concern was that the environment might prove restrictive to me as a writer or put readers off. But I found there was a lot of scope for activities and relationships and the idea seemed to work.

Unfortunately, I had virtually no previous writing experience or training and no idea about planning, outlining, plotting etc. It seems I am a natural ‘pantser’ i.e. I just let the book develop, rather than planning it out. So, the book started off as a series of conversations, and developed slowly from there. Sadly, my inexperience meant that a lot of what I wrote wasn’t very good, and I had to throw away quite a bit of material as the book developed and the story just didn’t work properly. This meant the book took a lot longer than I had initially expected it to.

I submitted a sample chapter to a publisher to see if it fitted with the sort of work they published, and it did. But, they said the chapters—at an average of 4,000 words each—were way too long. So, I chopped them all in half and started to tidy them up. After a year of rewriting and polishing the manuscript I submitted it and ten months ago I won a publishing contract. Now, at the age of seventy-three, my debut novel, ‘Grace’s Turmoil’ has recently been published as Book One of a series called ‘Not Too Old for Love.’ Initially, the deal with my publisher was just for an eBook, with the possibility of a paperback version if sales were good enough, quick enough. But now I know that once it is on Amazon—any day now—it will also be available from them in paperback form.

It seems that over recent years more and more readers of romance have become frustrated that all the heroines they read about were aged about twenty, whilst they themselves were on average at least ten years older. Now it seems that there are a growing number of authors writing for this new market, which seems to be being referred to as Seasoned Romance, Second Chance Romance, and the like. I’m proud to be a part of that growing band of authors trying to respond to this demand.

Blurb:
Divorced and emotionally damaged, artist Grace Stollery wants nothing more than to spend her semi-retirement painting and let time heal her emotional scars.

But when dashing widower Alfred Nobel moves into her retirement village he turns her life upside down and her heart inside out by awakening feelings she wants to keep dormant.

Alfred quickly sets out to woo Grace and slowly she warms to him. But the village’s resident femme fatale wants him for herself. Will she succeed in driving a wedge between Alfred and Grace?

Buy: 

Bio:
Peter Perrin writes sweet, seasoned romances involving larger-than-life mature characters who will make you rethink your views on older people in a positive way. His characters are mature in age but not necessarily in their behaviour. They may not be in the first flush of youth but that doesn’t stop some of them acting like hormonal teenagers.

Peter was born in Romford, in the county of Essex, near London, England. For nearly twenty years he has lived with his wife of almost forty years in a quiet suburb of Swindon, in the county of Wiltshire, in England. He is a father and grandfather.
He is a former member of The Royal Air Force who has served in the UK, and in Madagascar, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. He was also stationed for two years in Aden—which nowadays is part of Yemen.

For almost fifteen-years’ service in The Royal Air Force, Peter worked in Engineering, Quality Control, and Procurement Management, not to mention myriad smaller jobs in between those careers.

Now retired Peter’s interests are Writing, Carp Fishing, and (despite being in his early seventies) PC and PlayStation games.

His favourite quote is “Youth passes, but with luck, immaturity can last a lifetime.”

Find Peter:






Monday, December 18, 2017

Take Five and Meet Author M.S. Spencer & The Penhallow Train Incident


Welcome to An Indie Adventure, M. S.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book The Penhallow Train Incident?

Hi, L.A., thanks for hosting me on your blog.

The first year my family vacationed in the town on which Penhallow is modeled, we took a ride on the Belfast & Moosehead Lake train, which had been built to connect to the Maine Central Railroad. Now reduced to excursions, it traveled alongside the Passagassawaukeag River, ending at the tiny Brooks station. There we were treated to a mock train robbery, complete with cowboys and a sheriff. The kids loved it.  I took it as the starting point of my novel but thoughtfully added a dead body. Were the fake cowboys the culprits? You’d have to read the book to find out.

How do you use setting to further your story?

Actually, the setting is usually the catalyst for my stories. I have books set in Old Town Alexandria, Sarasota, Maine and the Middle East. I’ll want to set a story in a place, then wait for something—an event or fact—to trigger the plot.

Penhallow is based on a town where my family spent its summers. Due to its being off the tourist routes, it has maintained an old Maine feel, mixed rather ingeniously with a large contingent of recovering hippies. The term “laid-back” fits it perfectly. We like it.

A small town can be a microcosm of life. So it is with Penhallow. Most people have lived there for generations, and refer to anyone who moves to Maine from elsewhere as “from away.” Our heroine Rachel Tinker and her hero Griffin Tate are both “from away,” and are unprepared for the complexities of village gossip and scandal.

How do you construct your characters?

Most of the time they don’t let me. As I said, I start with a setting, and the characters tend to arise naturally from that setting. After the first few drafts, they settle down and start to define themselves and their relationships. They don’t even let me name them, preferring to choose their own and then forcing my unwilling fingers to tap out the keys.

In my current WIP Flotsam & Jetsam: the Amelia Island Affair, for the first time the hero took over as protagonist. Despite my best efforts, he stuck to his guns and I had to learn to write romance and mystery from a male POV.

How is your main character completely different than you?

She isn’t really. Perhaps a little softer around the edges, but she is an academic like me, a no-nonsense romantic like me, a listener like me. Of course, she has a completely different name.

Tell us something about yourself we might not expect!

I have horrible stage fright. I was asked to do a radio show (I have the face for it) and was too terrified even to let my voice be public. In my undergraduate and even graduate career I deftly managed to choose courses that didn’t require an oral presentation, which is a pretty remarkable achievement if I may say so. Others may disagree.

Also, I have studied but not mastered eight languages, including English.

Give us a brief summary of the Penhallow Train Incident:
The Wild Rose Press
Murder Mystery/Romantic Suspense
334 pp.

Blurb:
In the sleepy coastal Maine town of Penhallow, a stranger dies on a train, drawing Historical Society Director, Rachel Tinker, and curmudgeonly retired professor, Griffin Tate, into a spider’s web of archaeological obsession and greed. 

With the help of the victim’s rival, they set out to locate the Queen of Sheba’s tomb. Their plans are stymied when a war erupts between the sheriff and a state police detective who want to arrest the same man for different crimes. It’s up to Rachel to solve a mystery that includes two more murders before she can unlock the soft heart that beats under Griffin’s hard crust.

To Buy:

Bio:
Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents, the last thirty years were spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, U. S. Senate committee staff member, speechwriter, Dept. of the Interior staff, copy editor, birdwatcher, non-profit director, and parent. She holds a BA from Vassar College, a diploma in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and Masters in Anthropology and in Library Science from the University of Chicago.  

All of this tends to insinuate itself into her works.
Ms. Spencer has published eleven romantic suspense or murder mystery novels. She has two fabulous grown children and an incredible granddaughter. She divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.

Find M.S.:


Friday, December 15, 2017

Five Secrets from Joss Avaton, A Character in Kayelle Allen's Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

Hi Guys, This post is a bit different, today we learn Five Secrets from a character.  
Sounds fun, can't wait to read on.  

I'm Joss Avaton, and among my people, I'm known as a Master Telepath. They have no idea how truly powerful I am. I could walk around inside anyone's mind as if it were my own house, slamming doors, clomping about opening every cupboard and drawer without them being the wiser.

I also have a finely honed sense of honor which prevents me from doing such a thing. I've never forced my thoughts onto another, although the ability is tempting. I'm not tall by my people's standards, but at 6'10", I tower over humans. I'm two inches shorter than Pietas, whom Kayelle calls the hero of this book. The word fits him. What else... Oh, yes. I have blond hair like Pietas, but mine is yellow-gold and his is platinum white. I have blue eyes. His are turquoise. I love those little button-size candies coated in different colors, and being on a planet without chocolate is one of the worst parts of my exile. Our exile! 

Oh, I should tell you about that. How much space do I have? Let's see. We've been marooned on a planet called Sempervia, which means ever-living and we have no means of leaving. It's a beautiful world, but I miss the comforts of home. There are half a million of us on this planet, but there will never be anymore. We cannot bear children. Although there were two born like human children, Pietas and his twin sister. I'm back to talking about Pietas again. Let's do the secrets part, all right?

Hi, Joss, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire or you, but will after today!

1) I'm the same age as the mother of my hero in Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, which makes me 390 years older than Pietas, my hero. We met when he was only sixteen, but we didn't become lovers until many years later. I'm a master telepath, meaning I can hear anyone's thoughts, including those of humans.

2) The moment I met Pietas, I knew he was destined for greatness. Although I was immediately drawn to him, I maintained a strict distance. He was young and impressionable. There was no way I would ever take advantage of that.

3) His mother, Helia, and I were best friends. When I met Pietas, I hadn't seen her in years and didn't know she'd had children. She'd disappeared, which worried me, since I knew she'd fallen in love with a scientist who had a reputation for conducting experiments on people. Having heard nothing from her for almost twenty years, it was a shock to finally hear her voice. Imagine my surprise at discovering she'd given birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Our kind, Ultras, are unable to conceive. Her husband had discovered a way to circumvent the inability. As far as I know, it only worked once.

4) Though Pietas would later become known as the greatest warrior among Ultras, when I met him, he was a teenager who had never fought on any type of team and he could not find work as a warrior. The Ultra squads wanted people with specialized backgrounds. Pietas had an eidetic memory--he could forget nothing--but that counted for little without experience. Since I designed weapons, I hired him to test them. Over the next few years, I imparted as much of my own skill as I could. His ability with weapons soon made him legendary. By the time he was twenty, warriors were fighting to be hired into his squad.

5) At the beginning of our story, our people had been betrayed and captured, then shipped across the galaxy to the planet Sempervia. During the landing, Pietas was separated from the rest of us. While we were all in cryo-sleep, frozen and un-dreaming, he was being killed by slow degrees, trapped in an unpowered lifepod with no means of escape. Six, the human who had helped capture him, had also been tasked with guarding him during the voyage. 

When he realized Pietas had not been put into cryosleep and was being cruelly confined, he did everything he could to free him. Unfortunately, he was unable to effect a rescue, but he remained at the side of Pietas's pod night and day, singing, whistling, and talking to him. According to Pietas, Six was all that kept him sane. Ironically, Six had been genetically enhanced to enable him to kill Ultras, yet he is probably Pietas's mosted trusted companion. I think that's enough secrets for today, but I'd love to come back some time and tell you more.

Tell us a bit about: Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

What if you were marooned on an undeveloped world?
What if you had no food and few survival tools? What if you'd been genetically engineered and no matter how agonizing the wound, you'd survive. No matter how you died, you'd come back.

It could be worse. You could be here alone. But that's the problem. You're not.

On one hand, there's a tribe of sentient panthers who protect you. Although you hate humans, the one who was dumped on this planet with you has become a trusted friend. The beautiful telepathic warrior you've loved since forever is at your side.

On the other hand, half a million people who depend on you are trapped inside stasis pods, waiting for you to save them. It wouldn't be so bad if you could wake up a few at a time. But the traitors who abandoned you and your followers set the timers to release all half million.
At the same time.

You're facing an ecological disaster and over five hundred thousand hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals.

Worse still, before you can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a government, you must take back command from a ruthless enemy you've fought for centuries.

Your brutal, merciless father.

Talk about being forged in fire...
Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever.

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire has no profanity or explicit content, but lots of angst, a little humor, some sweet romance, and a ton of betrayal with plenty of vengeance. Oh, and let's not forget--one ginormous black "kitty".

Buy:

Find Kayelle:

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Take Five and Meet Valerie Ullmer & Unwrapped (A Unexpected Novella)


Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Valerie.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book Unwrapped (A Unexpected Novella)?

Thanks for having me on your blog, L.A.

I loved the idea of friends who knew the ins and outs of each-others lives and fell in love but still struggled with their identity and the relationship.  That is where Jack and Adam’s story came from

Have you been a lifelong reader of Romance?  What are some the first books you remember reading?

Yes.  I first started devouring Harlequin Romances.  Diana Palmer was and still is my favorite author.

What do you do to rev your creative juices?

I get excited by developing my ideas into books.  From taking a thought about a character and turning that character into a realistic, relatable person to myself and hopefully my readers.

To you what makes a great romance hero or heroine?

Strength of Character.  I don’t like weak characters for the sake of the story.  I love both heroes and heroines to be strong and their strength comes out in their actions throughout the story.

You’re having a dinner party.  What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up?     Why?

I can’t say that I would exclude any of them.  All of the secondary characters in my book are so different from one another that when they get together, it’s always fun.

Give us a brief summary of  Unwrapped (A Unexpected Novella)
Friends to lovers.

Jack had done what he’d always done to protect himself.  He allowed fear to take over and as a result, he pushed Adam away. When Adam finally left, Jack understood that if he loved Adam as much as he claimed, he needed to change before Adam could risk his heart again.

Lovers to forever.

Adam understood why Jack kept his feelings secret, but after being ignored one too many times, he left. But Jack won’t give up and when he proves to Adam how much he wants their relationship to work, can Adam risk his heart to the one man he’s loved all over again?

Will Jack and Adam find their happily-ever-after during the season of miracles?

Buy:



Bio:  Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary M/F and M/M erotic romances. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character-driven romances.

Find Valerie:





Friday, December 8, 2017

Take Five and Meet Author Christine Young & Her New Anthology ~ Once Upon A Christmas Moon

 

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Christine.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book, Once Upon a Christmas Moon?

This is an Anthology. We are a group of writers who have been writing for almost twenty years. We like to write holiday anthologies and enjoy getting together, planning and focusing on a project.

When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?

Because there are three of us we focus on a theme. Sometimes we have a common thread we weave through all three stories. Once Upon a Christmas Moon doesn't have a common thread. The three of us plot differently. Personally, my stories are character driven.

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?

Conflict is the most difficult to write because we want to cut to the chase and write our happy ending.

What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?

Write the first scene. Actually write character arcs, and sometimes when they are chatting away in my head, that's where I keep them.

If you were a TV, film or book character, apart from one you've created, who would you be?  And why?

Well there are three of us so it's hard to say. Perhaps a character who has superpowers.

Give us a brief summary of Once Upon a Christmas Moon:

TWELVE DAYS TO LOVE
When Archer Steele shows up at Calanthe Durand's failing plantation with an alligator over his shoulder, Cali thinks she's never seen a more handsome man. 

During the war, she had to defend herself and her servants from both union and confederate soldiers. Independent and self-sufficient, she vows to never marry. But Archer Steele has different ideas. 

The first time Archer sees Cali in town, he feels an instant attraction. He decides he will do everything and anything to convince the beautiful Miss Durand he is worthy of her love. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, he gives her twelve gifts in hopes she will fall in love with him.

BOOTS AND BLADES
An ancient evil from the old country has arrived in the high desert of
Oregon. Gnome children are vanishing then re-appearing, showing various
stages of traumatization. Tiamoon, warrior gnome, will put her skills to
use alongside Killian, a handsome warrior, also in need of a cause.

CHRISTMAS PAWSIBILITIES
With their world destroyed and their space ship malfunctioning, the
dogizens of Planet Canid have little choice but to crash land on Earth.
They face tortuous experiments at the hands of the Geeks in Green...or
they can trust an eccentric inventor and his zany family to deliver the
Canine Queen's puppies and help them celebrate new lives.

Buy: 

Bios:
Christine Young
Born in Medford, Oregon, novelist Christine Young has lived in Oregon all of her life. After graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in science, she spent another year at Southern Oregon State University working on her teaching certificate, and a few years later received her Master's degree in secondary education and counseling. 

Now the long, hot days of summer provide the perfect setting for creating romance. She sold her first book, Dakota's Bride, the summer of 1998 and her second book, My Angel to Kensington. Each fall, Christine returns to the classroom as a high school math teacher. 

Her teaching and writing careers have intertwined with raising three children. Christine's newest venture is the creation of Rogue Phoenix Press. Christine is the founder, editor and co-owner with her husband. They live in Salem, Oregon.

C. L. Kraemer
C. L. Kraemer is a wanderer, a way of life started when her father served in the U.S. Marine Corp. She’s carried on the tradition seeing most of the continental United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska. 

Three contemporary romance novels written under the nom de plume, Celia Cooper: Old Enough to Know Better; Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Mazatlan; and If Only were gifts from the writing gods. A fourth novel, Cats in the Cradle of Civilization, written as C. L. Kraemer is her first venture into the mystery genre. Wings ePress, Inc. is the publisher of these four offerings.

Healthy Homicide, the October 2008 launch book for a new publishing house, RoguePhoenixPress, picks up the torch again in the mystery world. In February 2010, she contributed writings to two Valentine’s Anthologies at RoguePhoenixPress: A Valentine Anthology, with The Lending Library and A Different Kind of Valentine with The Prize.

She completed the base story in a Dragon fantasy series, Dragons Among Us, for RoguePhoenix Press. The second in the series, Dragons Among the Eagles, was released June 2011.

Meadows of Gold, another faerie story, was released March 2011 as part of A St Patrick’s Day Tale. A novel based on one of the first mass shootings, which took place in Salem, Oregon in 1981, Shattered Tomorrows, was released August 2011. Currently in the works for publication is a commuter book featuring a motorcycle poker run, Joker’s Wild, and the third in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Ice.

Genie Gabriel

I went through the expected motions of marriage, kids, divorce, and career, but usually out of step with most of the human population. This proved to be an advantage in developing an independence and a curiosity about things most people don’t even consider.

A minor health issue led to energy healing and becoming a master level Reiki practitioner. Working at the local animal shelter flipped on the switch to communicating with animals. Each dog I adopted showed miraculous changes most people couldn’t believe.

As a writer, I explored the mysteries of why people behave as they do, and also became fascinated by science, especially quantum physics. But perhaps my favorite way of writing stories is to ask the question, What if?” and dive into those imagined worlds—surrounded by my beloved furbabies, of course!



Find Christine, C.L. and Genie: 
Christine Young
Website | Blog | Facebook |Twitter | Pinterest | BookBub | Instagram |Google+
   
C. L. Kraemer
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Genie Gabriel




Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Five Secrets From Alanna Lucas and Her Latest Book ~ Only A Hero Will Do


A little bit about Alanna before she shares her secrets: Thanks for having me as a guest, L.A.

Hi! I’m Alanna Lucas and I write historical romance. Although I didn’t start writing (at least fun stuff like romance!) until I was an adult, I would make up bedtime stories for myself every evening as a child. Fast forward many years, a couple of career changes, and two kids later, I put pen to paper and wrote my first romance novel (which is tucked under the virtual bed kept company by virtual dust bunnies). Only A Hero Will Do is my 11th book!

Welcome, Alanna, please tell us Five Secrets we may not know about Only A Hero Will Do or you, but will after today!

1) It’s no secret that Only A Hero Will Do is one of nine books- by nine different authors- in The Heart of a Hero series, but do you know which superhero inspired the hero in my story? I’ll give you a hint- carries a shield and was frozen for 70 years. The research was really tough ;-)

2) When I was five years old I went to a taping of the TV show Happy Days and got a kiss on the cheek from the Fonz! My first kiss :-)

3) I can count on one hand how many guys I’ve dated. I started dating my husband shortly after my 17th birthday and was/still am absolutely smitten.

4) Although I normally write historical romance, an idea for a contemporary romance kept pestering me. So, earlier this year, I gave into the Tessa and Rex, and wrote their story in a month.

5) I am terrible with names! Before I was published I tried a pen name, but I couldn’t remember it!  To keep names straight while writing, I have a cheat sheet with all the names (from dukes to servants, horses to dogs, and even estate names) I’ve ever used. Sometimes that doesn’t even help and I find myself combining two previously used names ;-)

Blurb :
Defender of the realm…and his wary heart…
Captain Grant Alexander is an enigma in London society. Dashing and handsome, he coldly eschews marriage. But the ton knows nothing of his role in the Legion: to bring Typhon, the traitor who seeks to destroy the British monarchy, to justice.

When Grant is thrown together with fellow Legion member Elizabeth Atwell, he’s instantly beguiled yet exasperated by this beautiful viscount’s daughter. She has little interest in combing the marriage mart for a well-bred, well-heeled husband, but is adept at code-breaking and handling a bow and arrow. She also refuses to do as she is told, insisting she accompany Grant on his mission.

As Typhon continues to evade capture and dark forces are at work, Grant realizes he must act, not only to protect the realm but Elizabeth too…not to mention his heart, which is in danger of thawing every time she comes close.

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