I've got the music in me

I love music. I don't think there's anyone in the world who doesn't. The right song can pull you back in time. It can make you laugh, or make you cry. It can inspire you to be a better person.

I've listened to a variety of music over the years and as I've gotten older, my tastes have changed. As a child I listened to whatever my mom listened to (mostly Spanish performers, but for the life of me the only one I can remember isTrini Lopez, although it was actually an English language album). Then I started listening to whatever my oldest brother was listening to, which was what every teenager was listening to...The Beatles! I can still see him at the kitchen table with a box-sized radio, his ear against the tiny speaker, singing along.  Later, when he started buying their albums, he'd lounge beside the speaker of the console stereo system my mother bought. When I hit my pre-teen years I started listening to more of the "bubblegum" pop...Barry Manilow was my all-time favorite and I'm still a big fan. But, for the most part, my music choices were forged by whatever the adults in my family were listening to. Which meant I listened to a lot of country-western and Spanish music and the rock & roll of my older cousins.

Needless to say my music choices haven't changed much over the years. I still enjoy a wide variety of music, mainly because I have teenagers and they listen to what's popular now....and thankfull they aren't big fans of rap with the exception of Eminem....who I can tolerate to a point.  Of course, my kid's taste in music came from both me and my husband (who, being a musician, loves Rock, 'hair bands' and country). Our kids also like the "oldies" (anything before 1990 is an oldie to them.)  and they're also big Beatle fans, so I've done my job well teaching them about music. hah

This past weekend my husband and I took our girls to the Carrie Underwood concert. Hunter Hayes, a 21 year old newcomer, was her opening act and the main reason daughter number one wanted to go. While sitting there waiting for him to finish his set (I really don't see the appeal) I started thinking about the first concert I ever went to. It was.....you guessed it....Barry Manilow. He played in Carbondale, Illinois where my older sister and her now ex-husband, lived. They got the tickets and surprised me with them. Her Ex was a fan but my sister wasn't, she only went because we wanted to go. Of course, once the concert was over, she totally changed her mind about him...it was that good! Anyway, it was my first concert and my biggest idol so you can imagine how excited I was. I was literally like those girls you see on old footage of a Beatle's concert...in fact, the minute Barry stepped on stage I cried....seriously! I never make fun of those girls anymore. haha  I've since seen Barry four times and he's just as entertaining. Of course I don't cry with excitement like I did the first time, but I still get giddy like a school girl.

Call me Invisible

I hate marketing. And I'm not talking about going to Walmart. There is just so much I can do to get the word out about my books...some days I just want to give up. 

Bestselling authors become bestselling authors because of word of mouth....and the occasional write up with the New York Times. Bestselling authors also have help from their publishers who give them publicists to help get the word out. Small publishers, or Indies as they're called, don't always offer that kind of help, although Decadent did, which is probably why my book Forget Me Not was one of their top sellers. But, sadly it's not enough when it comes to my other published works. So, I'm left to do it myself...and as I said...I hate marketing. I'm just not the "look at me" kind of person and when I try I feel like I'm one of those annoying narcistic persons who just have to call attention to themselves. But, if I don't do it, then I stay invisible. Which I'm used to, so why complain.

Okay, now I'm just sounding whiny. Must be my lack of sleep.

So....let's pretend I like doing my own publicity. Today I'm blogging at Romancing the Genres, today...my monthly blog. Romancing the Genres: It's Not a Mystery Where Ideas Are Born:  Feel free to swing by. I even posted an excerpt of my newest release House of Cards...which is my best book to date, but no one will ever know it......okay, I should just go back to bed. :-/

Cuz, I Won't Give Up

It’s hard for me to believe that in less than a week I’ll be launching my new book, House of Cards. It took me  f o r- e -v e r  to complete this story...don’t ask why. Suffice it to say, I just got in my own way.  But, what’s really mind-boggling is that this will be my third published book in less than a year.  Of course, with electronic publishing, I guess that isn’t too hard to believe. Technology has made life so much easier...makes me glad I was born in the middle of the twentieth century. I mean, what would I do without my microwave popcorn?? 
 

Anyway, as I was saying, my new book will be out on Monday, October 15th....the same day my oldest child turns 25!! (Happy Birthday, Adam!) But, what’s different and crazy about this release is....I’m self-publishing it.  Why is that crazy? Because for the longest time, I’ve been against the whole self-publishing thing...mainly because I’m of the old school of thought...if you can’t get a publishing house to consider your work, then it’s not good enough. I even felt the same way about electronic publishers...until I published my novella Her Will His Way.  Of course, even after publishing that I still set my sights on the Big 6 (as they’re known) because I wanted the prestige and respect of the publishing world. But, as much as they gushed over my work, they didn’t believe it was good enough to warrant them printing it out and shipping it to retailers. So, on a whim, I sent my beloved novel, Forget Me Not, to a new online publisher....and, well....I welcome me to the twenty-first century.  I’m very pleased with those results. My novel became one of their highest sellers, especially considering how long it was (83K words as opposed to the 60K preferred by e-readers--according to demographics). So, with those numbers I decided to sell my next book, Dark Obsession, to another online publisher. Those sales didn’t do as well....which is not because the book isn’t good...it’s awesome!...but...well....I won’t go into that...let’s just say, I’m disappointed.  Anyway, despite that, I was still not so sure about doing the whole self-pubbed thing.  I had just finished House of Cards and I knew this novel was going to be my breakout book because it’s that good! I planned to start querying agents and editors, especially after the first chapter took third place in the TARA contest for best romantic suspense.

On the referral of another writer, I submitted it to the senior editor at Harlequin Intrigue. Thankfully, she rejected it. (Talk about a BIG SIGH OF RELIEF!!! I don’t really like their books and never wanted to write for them. Call it a lapse in judgment and desperation that I even submitted.) After that rejection, this same author suggested I self publish. He’d recently published one of his novels and was so very happy with the process he became a poster child for it. Hah  But, still, I wasn’t sure if that was the right move for me because I still had the doubts of self-publishing at the back of my mind.  Then I thought, did I really want to go through the whole submit and wait forever with the big six?  While I was in L.A for the RWA conference this past summer, I got interest from a couple of the editors there (although I doubt they’re sitting at their desk waiting for the email..haha). Then, I spoke to Jayne Ann Krentz (big fan!) during a book-signing and mentioned I was considering self-publishing. She told me it was one of the best moves she made---self-publishing her backlist---then she handed me her card with the name of the company she uses. So....I made up my mind. Self Publishing World....here I come!

Like with any release, I’m both excited and terrified! I know there will be many who love the book but there will also be those who hate it....such is the life of an author. This is my fourth published work so I’m not so neurotic about the critics anymore...to each his own. I will say if you base the book on its cover, you’re in for a thrill!  Special thank you to Robert Gregory Browne for the design!

And, because you’ve made it this far into my blog post, here’s a sneak peek at my book, House of Cards.

CHAPTER ONE 

The needle wavered at sixty-five miles per hour. The engine gunned and the car shuddered seconds before the tires left the pavement. Metal crunched against metal, sparks igniting across the highway. Jesse squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the impact. Her body bucked against the backseat as the car rolled, the seatbelt strap pinning her against the vinyl and cutting into her neck. Glass shattered against her skull as the car tumbled to a stop in a shallow ravine. Jesse struggled with her seatbelt, fighting to unclasp the latch.  The burning odor of gasoline stung her eyes. 

Outside a shadowed figure stepped forward and crouched beside her door.

“You should have left it alone,” the voice said.

Even through her petrified fear she heard the unmistakable scrape of a match. The figure took a step back and tossed the tiny stick into the car. 

 

Her scream woke her. 

Jesse bolted up on the sofa, her arms flailing, fighting the restraints of the chenille blanket tangled around her. The soft glow of light from the laptop on the coffee table caught her attention and it took her a moment to realize it had been a dream. She wasn’t that helpless child anymore. She wasn’t trapped in a burning car with her parents. She was at home, in her apartment where she’d lived for the past five years.

She shoved the blanket off and pressed the heel of her hands to her eyes to push back the burning tears. She was safe. She was fine. She was alive. She tried to repeat the mantra but the images from her nightmare continued to play in her head. 

“Damn it.”

After giving herself a moment to steady her pulse she slapped the computer closed and staggered into the kitchen. She didn’t need to look at the clock above the sink to know what time it was. Three o’clock in the morning. Same freaking time every night for the last two weeks.  With a frustrated sigh she yanked open the refrigerator and grabbed a water bottle.  She took a long drink, the cold liquid soothing the rawness of her throat.  Outside lightening flashed, followed by the sonic boom of thunder. She jolted, her heart slamming against her breastbone like a sledgehammer. The dream flashed in her mind. The car tumbling across the highway. Her mother’s terrified screams. The explosion that turned her parent’s flesh to bones and ash. 

Jesse closed her eyes and held her breath, counting against the thump of her pulse. After the accident the doctors had told her she’d lead a normal life; that her injuries, though life threatening at one time, wouldn’t keep her from doing whatever she wanted to do. She slowly exhaled and slid a look at the orange pill bottle on the window sill. They just didn’t say anything about her mind debilitating her.

She took another pull from the bottle, her gaze shifting to the blinking light on the old answering machine buried under a newspaper. The calls she’d ignored earlier. She mentally ran through a list of possible callers–her boss at the paper, a student from her computer research class wanting her notes again, or her friend Amy dying to tell her about her latest date. Most days she enjoyed living vicariously through Amy’s erotic encounters, since Jesse hadn’t had a serious relationship in over three years but, thanks to her nightmare, she was no longer in the mood.

“Whoever you are can wait.” She finished the bottle and tossed it in the recycle bin before leaving the room.

After a hot shower, where she stood for half an hour to let the beating spray massage the tension in her muscles, she poured herself a glass of wine then pressed play on the answering machine. A soft rustling sounded before a voice came on the line.

 “Jesse. Are you there? Pick up. I know you must hate me and I’m sorry. You were right. I should have believed you. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen. Please, pick up the phone. Mierda. Where are you?  I need you. Ay, dios mio, I don't know what to do. Please Jesse, you have to help me. I think he’s going to kill me.”

Look for the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, or ITunes beginning October 15th!

 

I also wanted to mention, from now until the end of October, I will donate $1.00 of every book sold to the Texas EquuSearch Organization. Just click on the link to learn more about them.

Q & A With Debut Author, Peter Salomon

Today I have a double treat for you. (1) I’m not going to bore you with my babble and (2) I have a very special guest visiting. My dear friend, Peter Salomon was kind enough to stop by BBE during his blog tour. Last week Peter launched his debut novel, Henry Franks, and it’s been getting some wonderful reviews. I had the pleasure of reading the first draft, and from page one I knew he had a hit on his hands.

Since Peter has been making the rounds on the blogosphere to promote his work, I thought I’d make this interview a bit fun. So...let’s get started.

Welcome Peter! I’m so glad you stopped. For those readers who don’t know who you are (gasp), let’s start with something simple. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was born and lived outside of New York City for the first 18 years of my life and with the exception of one year in Boston have lived in the south ever since. I was born in CT and raised in NJ and then moved to Atlanta for college and stayed in GA for a very long. Only recently have we been searching for a permanent place to live now that the kids are older. We did MA for a year and then New Orleans for three and now hope to stay for a very long time in Chapel Hill, NC. On the plus side, this has allowed the kids to see a great deal of the eastern US.
I had a brief flirtation in my early teens with being a doctor but that really didn't last all that long. I always wanted to be a writer, I just never really knew how to go about doing that so I've done a number of other jobs along the way. It's now much easier to find solid, helpful information to determine how to make a living through writing but when I was just starting out there was far less so I feel as though I had to stumble blindly for a very long time. Thankfully it seems to have worked out!

We’ve been friends for a long time and I’ve read a lot of your earlier works so I know what an amazing writer you are. Who would you say has most influenced you and your work?

At the top of the list would be my grandfather, Andre Scara Bialolenki, even though he was unpublished. He was a fantastic writer and wonderful man who encouraged and supported me so very much until he passed away. I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy novels, losing myself in the worlds they created. I have a great many fond memories of staying up all night
curled in a chair with Terry Brooks or Orson Scott Card or Frank Herbert. I was always one of those readers who would read anything but I definitely gravitated towards those two genres.

For a lot of people, the image of a writer is that of a recluse, hunched over their keyboard 24/7. Since we both know that’s not true, tell us what you do when you're not writing. Do you have any hobbies or interests?

With 3 kids? Seriously, though, my BA is in Theater and Film Studies so I have always had a soft spot for musical theater and films of any kind. I also enjoy photography even though I am not even half the photographer my father is.

As I mentioned, I’ve read Henry Franks and I have to say I was in awe at not only your imagination, but how detailed you were with the scientific end. For those who haven’t yet picked up the book, tell us more about it. What inspired you to write such an ‘out there’ book?

HENRY FRANKS is about a teenage boy who was in a car accident that killed his mother and left him horribly scarred, with no memory of his life before the accident. Everything he knows about himself is what his father has told him and, as the story progresses, he begins to wonder if his father has been telling him the truth. Plus there's a serial killer and a hurricane and a girl-next-door to keep things interesting.
I started writing the book from the father's point of view as he raised his son but quickly found that I was far more interested in the son's perspective so I started it again. I was drawn to the search for identity and wanted it to be a very small, almost claustrophobic sort of story, with very few characters and settings in order to amp up the 'creepiness' factor. It is YA Horror, after all.

You must be thrilled the book is out just in time for Halloween. Do you have any current projects you're excited about and can share with our readers?

At the moment I have been working on two new manuscripts (both YA) that I wrote while HENRY FRANKS was out on submission. Plus two (or three) picture books. The two YA manuscripts are both action/adventure type of stories that deal with similar identity issues as HENRY. Sort of.

For any new writers out there in need of advice, what would you tell them?

The best advice I ever received, from my grandfather, was just to keep writing. A blank page is pretty much useless (unless you're going for REALLY avant garde poetry...though I wouldn't recommend it). And learn to love revising...editing is your friend!

Well, I do like revising, so good advice. ;-) Now, open floor...is there anything else you’d like to say to my readers?

Just that I'm thrilled to be able to visit and can honestly say that I wouldn't be here, promoting the launch of my debut novel, without your help along the way in the editing/revising process.
Thanks!

It’s been my honor!
Thank you for stopping by.

To learn more about Peter and his work you can visit him at his website: http://www.peteradamsalomon.com/blog/
You can also catch him at Twitter and Facebook

Peter will also be stopping by for more questions, so feel free to ask him anything.
;-)

Wake Me Up When September Ends

I can't believe it's September already! Where did the time go?? These last few months have been crazy, to say the least! One minute it's June and we getting ready to go on vacation with the kids, and celebrate my birthday the next, school has started and I'm chauffeuring Manda back and forth to school. Sometimes it feels like I've just awoken from a very long sleep...yet I'm still a bit tired.

Have a seat, and I'll tell you all about it.

It all started when we got home from vacation at the end of June. We'd gone to Utah, up in the mountains, and I figured my exhaustion was due to that....have you ever been up in the mountains at 9000 feet? It takes your breath away....literally! So, anyway, after we got home I was feeling drained, but didn't pay much attention to it. July 4th was coming up, but we didn't really have anything planned so I was pretty much vegging at home and getting in some reading. Also, I had just finished my novel, House of Cards (which I'll tell you about later) and I was letting it 'gel'. Anyway...on the night of the 4th, I got a message on Facebook from an old friend who told me that she just saw on the local news (of my hometown) that my best friend's 27 year old son died in a drowning accident. I was devastated! I called her on her cell and spoke to her for a bit, then called my aunt and spoke with her. I wanted her to be there for Dani since I was 20 hours away. After I got off the phone I told my husband what happened and he told me to book a flight so I can be there in person. (Have I mentioned what an amazing man I married??) So I got to Port Arthur that Saturday...actually flew into Houston and drove to P.A. I was still feeling pretty crappy, but played it off as jet lag...it was a four hour flight because of layovers. I stayed in town for five days, staying at my cousin Michelle's house and spending as much time with Dani as I could. When I got home that Thursday I was still very exhausted and again, played it off as jet lag and lack of sleep the whole week I was gone. I thought I was coming down with something because I couldn't eat, or sleep and was just....blah! I tried to rest, lived on watermelon and cantaloupe because the were the only things that didn't taste like paste and tried to get my act together because I was leaving for California on the 23rd---ten days from when I got home---to attend the RWA conference. I was also in charge of setting up the literacy signing and still had a lot to do. So, the Saturday before I was to leave, I was feeling really awful and weak, so I asked my daughter if I could use her glucose meter to check my blood sugar. Let me just say, two months earlier my doctor told me I was borderline diabetic...borderline...which meant to me...I was close, but no cigar. But something told me I should just check my sugars....so I did....and, yeah...they were high. 535 to be exact! Being the queen of denial that I am, I checked again, than waited an hour to check again. In the meantime I was texting back and forth with my cousin, Michele, who's an RN. She told me to go to the ER and get checked out and get some insulin. So...after some hemming and hawing and waiting for the monsoon to die down, Manda and I went to the ER. (We were the only ones home and she didn't want to stay alone during the storm.). Needless to say, I was just as bad once I got to the ER as I was before I left the house. The doctors and nurses weren't too happy with me....for good reason. Manda has type 1 diabetes, so I should have been aware of the signs. They hooked me up to an IV

....and it took three nurses and 6 tries because I was so dehydrated! (picture, courtesy of my daughter because she was enjoying not being the one to get stabbed. haha)

Then they told me they were going to watch me for a couple of days until my sugars stabilized. Uh....no, I was going out of town in two days, they had to get me out within 24 hours.

So....bore you yet??? Suffice it to say, they kept me overnight. Now, to make the rest of this long story short.... I made it to California, still sick and taking pills for my sugar, spent 7 days there, got home, hopped a plane for Wisconsin for my niece's wedding, got home, sent Jeremy off to school and my husband off to Pittsburgh (something to do with his work), got the house as clean as possible and did some shopping because my sister and niece were flying in to spend ten days with us (yay!) and my sugars were still in the 400 range and now my blood pressure was dropping to 80/60. *sigh* So by the end of the week I made an appointment with my doctor and he put me on insulin shots, which I have to take once a day with the pills, which are twice a day. My sugars have pretty much stabilized and my BP is back to normal and I'm feeling human again. And, just in time too, as I am starting a new path in my career....new for me, that is.

In November I am going to be self-publishing my newest novel, House of Cards!! I'm very proud of this book because I feel it's my best work to date. It's definitely my best writing! Sometimes I even go in and read and think "Wow, this is good! Who wrote this??" hah

The book is a thriller, with the hint of a romance, and takes place in Brownsville, Texas. It's about Jesse Pena, a young woman who's trying to prove that her brother-in-law murdered her pregnant sister, but she's having a hard time getting anyone to believe her because she looks crazy half the time. And the brother-in-law has made it known to the press that Jesse and her sister are borderline schizophrenic. I recently had the cover done by a wonderful friend and fantastic author, Robert Gregory Browne, and I couldn't be more proud of how it turned out. I hope you'll look for it in November. =)

Do You Believe in Magic

This is a cross post from the Crimson Romance website.

How much do you believe in the supernatural? Do you check your horoscope on a regular basis? Have you ever had your cards thrown? Or had your palm read?

I think everyone has a sense of magic in them. But, by my definition, magic doesn’t mean having the power to cast spells or make yourself float in midair…to me magic is about emotion, how strong your heart is, how strong your bond with everyone and everything around you.I’ve always felt I’ve had a strong intuition and it’s gotten me out of some pretty hairy situations. I also used this intuition when I write.

When I was researching my novel Dark Obsession, I focused my search on Curanderismo, spirituality, and pretty much anything having to do with witchcraft and mysticism. The information I came across was all very interesting. I even had a chance to speak with a man in west Texas who did years of research on Curanderismo and his insight made for great conflict in my story (and future stories). My research also took me on a road trip with my aunt and cousin, to the Rio Grande Valley (in Texas). I went to get visuals (since it had been several years since I lived there) and they went to see family. While we were there, my aunt’s sister-in-law told me about a (healing) incident she witnessed with a colicky baby, a raw egg, and a glass of salt water. This particular healing (called a limpia) was written into my novel Dark Obsession.

Now, I wouldn’t say I’m a firm believer in what I researched, but I can admit there’s something there to consider. I’ll even admit I’ve done the occasional Tarot card reading…but the free ones you find online–although a lot of good they do me since I don’t ever quite understand the meaning. Plus, with the way my luck goes, I could use all the mystical insight I can get. But, really, don’t we all wish we could have just a little bit of magic ala Samantha Stevens?

I read an article several years back where a police officer investigating a homicide said, “You can’t be born or raised near Mexico without believing the possibility that the magic exists.”

So…are you a believer or non believer? And, where do you draw the line? (horoscopes, palm reading, runes?)

Don't Stop Believing

After 8 long years, countless revisions and the wonderful eye of my critique partners, Helen King, Marina Agostinelli and Kelly Anderson (whom I accidently called Kelly Armstrong in my acknowlegements--hah), my novel Dark Obsession is finally live and available at Amazon!!

This is the second book I wrote (two months after I wrote Forget Me Not) and I've been trying to get it sold since! Crimson Romance, a division of Adam's Media, bought it in January and I am one of 25 they've listed as their launch authors. I can't tell you how excited I am.

Some people would probably think I'm crazy for spending eight years on a book, and they're probably right. But, I was very determined to sell this story. I believed in it and I knew people would enjoy it. And so far, the reviews have been wonderful!

So, with this new book I'm hoping you'll all help promote me on your Facebook pages or Twitter pages...and that you can write a better 140 character blurb than me haha. I'm hoping to get into the top 100 bestselling e-books at Amazon.

I'm also having a contest that runs through June 17 (my birthday :D) and you can win a gift basket worth $50. To enter, just send me a photo of my book on your e-reader.

And, I promise not to take 8 years to publish the next book. haha

If you're looking for the answer to my TRR question it's : B-his father.

Cross posting...yes, again.

I posted my monthly post at Romancing the Genres:  Celebrating their one year anniversary...or birthday. The blog has been doing very well in a world where everyone and their dog blogs. So, if you get a chance, swing by....I've even treated you to an excerpt from my upcoming novel Dark Obsession.  (up for presale at Amazon.)

Fifty Shades of Grey- A Review - ish

I dont usually do reviews, but my husband said I should...and hey, it's getting me writing. haha

A few days ago I was playing Words With Friends with my cousin and she asked me if I'd read that much talked about book, Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James. I suspect she asked because I write romance novels and my love scenes are a bit sensual. But, I told her no. The book is too way over hyped for me (I really hate when people make a book bigger than it is) plus I hadn't heard nice things about how the book came about, meaning the premise was stolen from the Twilight books, and-although I never read the Twilight books because of (1) the over hype (2) the horrid writing (3) my daughter read them and she was like "meh" and (4) I saw the second movie of the series on TV and WANTED TO PUT MY FIST THROUGH THE BIG SCREEN!! it was sooooooo horrribly stupid!!!Anyway....she had the book in PDF and said she would send it to me, so I figured....sure.

I have to confess, I was pleasantly surprised. As a reader, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Ms. James does a wonderful job of bringing Ana to life so you feel like it's you. The story grabs you from the first chapter because it's so entertaining. This book wasn't the over-sexed BDSM that was hyped about. It was a coming of age story of a young woman's innocence and how she grows sexually. Sure, there was some BDSM, but it wasn't the over the top, cringing kind like Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty--written under a pseudonym I can't remember or pronounce..hah (I couldn't even get through half that book!) The way Ms. James' scenes are written, along with the characters, makes them very sensual and HOT, but they didn't have me wanting to wake my husband at 3:00 in the morning for wild kinky sex....well maybe a little. haha (sorry...TMI??)

 Now, as a writer, I had a few issues with the book. Namely, as everyone knows, the editing. Really? You write a book with all intents and purposes of getting a big contract or making loads of money and you can't take the time to edit properly??? And the "editor" who bought the book.....do you not know who Strunk & White are?? Or what the Chicago Manual of Style is??? Do you even know what an editor's job is?? Also, the formatting.....say it with me...for-matt-ing. Work on that too, would ya? Okay, sorry....probably shouldn't bitch about the editor---burn bridges and all---but it's not like they'll ever read this blog. haha

 Another issue for me is the language...meaning, Ana, who is something like 21, is from a very modest up-bringing and goes to Washington State (not an Ivy League school mind you) uses words in her every day language that I not only never heard before, but had to look up. Granted, she's supposedly smart---perfect GPA, but who uses loquacious when speaking to someone? There were many other instances when she used words I didn't know, but I don't feel like looking for them in the story. There were also times Ana didn't speak like someone born and bred in the U.S. I think Ms. James needs to learn the English language as Americans speak it.

 Issue three....tags. Why the hell does everyone murmur when they speak or why do they speak 'dryly'? Do these two things mean something different in England? Or does everyone murmur there?? It was very distracting for me...I'm reading, getting into the character's head then the dialogue is followed by... he/she murmured...just use SAID. Also (and this goes back to formatting) there would be an action/attribute then the next line would be dialogue, then an action and dialogue and it became very confusing as to who was speaking because there were no tags. Sometimes the two lines/paragraphs of dialogue would be from the same person. And the 'speaking dryly' thing....to me when someone is being 'dry' it's sort of like being sarcastic....when used in this story, the dialogue doesn't mesh.

Issue four, the end of Part One. I didn't like that it ended with unresolved issues. Although I think this was a brilliant move on the editor's part (at least he/she did something right) because it compels you buy the second book. And I suspect Part Two will do the same.

 I think there were a few other writing issues, but I can't remember now. :)

 All in all, if you've been hesitant to read the book for the same reason I was, welll....I'm here to tell ya, it's actually an entertaining read. I found myself smiling often as I watched Ana come into her own and discover a new side to Christian. And I was enamored by him (although I'd have preferred to see him in his early thirties as opposed to 27.) Ms. James has a fun, entertaining voice and I'm looking forward to part two.

ADDENDUM

Okay, so, I read books two and three and I stand by my original comments. I know it's totally wrong how Ms. James went about writing her book....taking the characters from Twilight and putting them in an alternate world and making them much older and less vampirey....but for me, it's a non-issue...maybe because I'm not a Twilight fan...who knows? I mean, no one is screaming foul at the zombie books featuring Jane Austen's characters.

In my opinion, Ms. James still has a great story (that could have been better crafted) and likeable characters.   Again, as a romance novelist and reader, I enjoyed the story. It was entertaining and had some fun moments (and I don't mean the sex).  I will say book three was over-written and there were several gratuitous sex scenes that she could have done without. And the epilogue was a waste of time as well.  But, all in all...a good read. Now as to whether it will make a good movie.....I don't think so....it's so much better in the imagination than to see it all live-ish.

So....what are your thoughts? Have you read it? Will you read it? And why not?

Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed.

I'm doing a cross post today (because I'm tooo lazy to write another blog..hah)

For the past few weeks I’ve been in ‘edit’ mode. I recently sold my paranormal romance, Dark Obsession, to Adam’s Media’s new imprint Crimson Romance. Because I will be one of the launch authors, I had to jump into my edits and revisions in a timely manner. Which, for me, is soooo much easier than writing a full book. However, this time around, doing revisions before the actual edits were a bit more difficult because I had to cut the story by about fifteen thousand words (in order to meet their word count). That’s not easy to do when you’re as married to your words as I tend to be.

It took me about a week to get my head into it. I couldn’t just go in and cut a scene here or a scene there, because every scene in my story had a purpose (as it should). So, revisions became a bit of a rewrite. I not only had to cut scenes, I also had to redesign them and restructure what came after so it made sense. Thanks to my wonderful critique partners, who gave me some terrific suggestions, I was able to get through it without the need of a transfusion. :)

I turned the book in two days early of my deadline (yay me) and I have to say I’m pleased with the results. This was the second novel I’d written (many years ago) and I was as determined to see it published. It’s a great story (if I should say so myself) and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you all.

The book comes out June 4. Here’s a quick summary of what it’s about.

Ramon (Ray) Chavez, a 33 year old farmer from the Rio Grande Valley doesn’t believe in visions or omens or the mysticism of his Mexican/Indian heritage. When he’s awakened by the spirit of this great-grandmother with a message that something is coming, Ray passes it off as a bad dream. But he may just reconsider his position when he finds Lexie Solis stranded on the edge of town, in search of a new life. Ray feels an instant attraction, as well as a connection, to the s ittish young woman, and he pursues a relationship with her. But what Lexie doesn’t tell Ray or his family, is that she is on the run from an abusive ex-boyfriend and he may be more powerful than even she wants to believe. When Lexie is assaulted by an unseen force, they learn that the man she is hiding from is a master of the dark arts and his obsession with Lexie goes beyond his need to control her; he wants to possess her soul as well. As their past lives parallel, Lexie’s only hope for salvation is in Ray’s hands. But can he accept his destiny in time to save the woman he loves as well as his own life?

Within the next few weeks I'll be searching out reviews, sending to the various review sites and other readers. This novel, like many others, was a labor of love for me. I really love the characters and their story....in fact, I'm working on a follow up 'staring' the sister of Ray, so stay tuned for that as well.

Romancing the Genres: Have a Little Faith in You

Once a month I blog at Romancing the Genres.

Here is the blog for this month.

Romancing the Genres: Have a Little Faith in You

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is the official day of LOVE. That day when stores are crazy busy with men looking for the perfect gift for their significant other at the very last second and settling for a card and heart-shaped box of chocolate (because the flowers have gone up 100% in price).

You know there are some people who actually hate this holiday....and it's not the can't-find-love types either. My friend Toni rants yearly about it...which just cracks me up. Personally, I've never given much thought to the day except for where my kids are concerned. When you have elementary students you have to do the whole Valentine's Day thing, which can be fun when the teachers make it creative--like decorating your container where the valentines go. When I was a kid we just had brown paper bags and the kids only gave valentines to their friends or "crushes"....needless to say, I didn't get many valentines (boo hoo).

Anyway, my kids are practically out of school but I still like to get them a little box of chocolate...and today I'll be one of those last minute shoppers because I kept putting it off. My husband and I don't really do anything special...usually just a card for each other and sometimes lunch or dinner (we do the same on our anniversay)....but I'm not the materialistic type and I'm a perpetual dieter, so no chocolate for me. I figure, if I want something, I'll just get it myself.

Anyway....however you celebrate the holiday, I hope it's a lovely time for you.

Romancing the Genres: LOVE OF A LIFETIME

I'm blogging at Romancing the Genres: LOVE OF A LIFETIME: In April my husband and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage. For some reason it doesn't seem like it's been that long ............
follow the link to read more

Contest Winners!!

I forgot to post this yesterday.

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of my contest!!

Kelly Anderson is the winner of the Kindle basket (and I'll post a picture of it soon)

Tammy Ramey is the winner of the Visa Gift card!!

Thank you both, ladies!!

I'll be posting another contest soon...so, stayed tuned. =)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Okay....that title is a little misleading because, although the neighborhoods are lit up with beautiful Christmas displays, it's hard to get into the spirit of the holidays when it's 80 degrees outside. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love the nice weather we have in Arizona this time of year...but I need just one day of freezing to get me into the holiday mood. I know I'll get there by the time Christmas arrives, even by the time I start my shopping....no, I haven't started shopping yet. My husband and I usually don't shop until the week of Christmas...mainly because of how the paychecks fall, but also because, it's easier to have to store large gifts for a few days as opposed to all month. Even though the kids are older we still don't set out gifts until after they go to bed on Christmas Eve. Anyway, waiting for the last minute to shop really isn't that bad because we get it all done in one day and that's because we have a list already made up of what we're getting and for whom.

Which reminds me, if you're having trouble thinking of a gift or maybe need something last minute, I have just the thing for you. From now until December 15th, I’m having a contest to help promote my novel Forget Me Not. To enter the contest you just have to email me the answer to this question:

In my novel Forget Me Not, Casey is on the phone with her sister-in-law. With Scott on the extension, Casey says something in Spanish to Jennifer. What does she say?

Again, email me the answer at TerriMo2 @ yahoo.com (remove the spaces) to be placed into the drawing to win one of two gift baskets. Basket one will contain a Kindle along with some chocolate and yummy home-baked snacks. Basket two will contain a $25 VISA gift card, a mouse pad, chocolate, and some yummy home-baked snacks. ;-)

The drawing will be held December 15 and the basket mailed out no later than December 18, just in time for Christmas!! So, get your answers in soon! And come back each week for another question. Also, for every 25 entries received, I'll throw in another $25 gift card. So tell your friends and family members to grab their copy and find the answer and get their entry in. (Please don't give the answer away to friends/family. Let them find the answer on their own.) =)

So, tell me, are you a last minute shopper or do you get it all done early?

Thank you all for your support!!

Happy First Weekend in November!

I can’t believe the year is almost over! I’m not complaining too much though because I love this time of the year…the weather is cooler, the holidays are just around the corner and much baking will ensue in my kitchen, which means the whole house is going to smell Heavenly!
Speaking of the holidays, if you’re in need of a last minute gift or maybe just want a gift for yourself, I have just want you need. From now until December 15th, I’m having a contest to help promote my novel Forget Me Not. To enter the contest you just have to email me the answer to this question:

In my novel Forget Me Not, Casey is on the phone with her sister-in-law. With Scott on the extension, Casey says something in Spanish to Jennifer. What does she say?

Again, email me the answer at TerriMo2 @ yahoo.com (remove the spaces) to be placed into the drawing to win one of two gift baskets. Basket one will contain a Kindle along with some chocolate and yummy home-baked snacks. Basket two will contain a $25 VISA gift card, a mouse pad, chocolate, and some yummy home-baked snacks. ;-)

The drawing will be held December 15 and the basket mailed out no later than December 18, just in time for Christmas!! So, get your answers in soon! And come back each week for another question. Also, for every 25 entries received, I'll throw in another $25 gift card. So tell your friends and family members to grab their copy and find the answer and get their entry in. (Please don't give the answer away to friends/family. Let them find the answer on their own.) =)

Thank you all for your support!!

All You Need is Love

I LOVE books! Which is part of why I’m a writer, because I can put my crazy stories down on paper and share them with whomever wants to enjoy them. I’ve been reading since first grade-- when I started learning how to read and I devoured whatever books I could get at the school library. During the summer I’d sign up for the summer reading program at the local library. My mother was an avid reader too, which is probably where I caught the bug, and she was a big Barbara Cartland fan. I never tried to sneak her books because I was a child at the time, and in my teenage years when I moved into the more “adult” books, I went for Mary Higgins Clark and John Saul (now my tastes vary).

When I decided to become an author I didn’t think about writing romance. Not that I didn’t enjoy them, I had become a big fan of Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz, but I just couldn’t see me knowing how to make people fall in love. But, as I wrote and the story progressed, so did the relationship between the characters. Before I realized it, I’d not only written the suspense I was going for, but I’d also written a romance.

Over the years I’ve learned not to dictate what or how my characters feel, because they tend to know better than I do. I might argue with them from time to time, because I’m just stubborn that way, but I don’t get in their way or try to stop them from falling in love, because it’s a natural progression between them. And if it doesn’t progress, then time to add a character who will be the love interest.
My recent release, Forget Me Not, went on sale on October 7th. I wrote this book eight years ago and it’s been a true labor of love for me. Not only did I believe there was an audience for this book, but I refused to believe there wasn’t. (did that make sense?) I found an agent right away, which was validation that I was right. Of course the agent left the agency and it took me a year to find another one. That didn’t quite work out, even after we had editor interest….but that’s all a long story I won’t bother to bore you with. Suffice it to say, I refused to give up on this book. I’m a perfectionist and when I do something I plan to do it right or die trying…(to quote Jack Reacher..hah). So, eight years and countless revisions later, my book sold to Decadent Publishing in electronic format. I can’t be more proud of this book and, although I’m not a well-known author, I’m confident this book will find it’s audience.

If you’re a fan of Catherine Coulter or Nora Roberts, and you’re looking for a great book to curl up with, this book is for you. But, don’t just take my word for it. Listen to NYT Bestselling author Michele Martinez, who said:

The romance is hot and the suspense high in Forget Me Not. Terri Molina has crafted characters you’ll care about from the very first page and a plot that will keep you guessing till the last. Don’t miss this delicious read.

You can find the book here and here

Time For Me to Fly

Figurative speaking that is.

On October 7, 2011 my novel Forget Me Not will officially hit the virtual bookshelf! I'm very excited....and terrified...to have this book out there for everyone to read. This book and I have gone through a lot together in the past eight years! Two agents, almost an editor and at least forty rejections from more agents and editors. But I couldn't give up on it, I wouldn't give up on it. I knew I had a great story and I was determined to prove it to whomever I needed to prove it to.

Last May, after seeking advice from the wonderfully talented and awesome friend Lauren Baratz Logsted, I dove back into the story and started fixing the things she said needed to be fixed. I then joined a critique group in my local RWA chapter (Desert Rose, Yay!) and we each set a goal to complete our novels by October. My critique partners pointed out more issues with the story that I hadn't seen....and being that I'd been reading this book for eight years, it was easy to glaze over certain inconsistencies. In November, I decided to forgo messing with editors and agents and submitted the book to an online publisher. A couple of weeks later they contacted me and said, we want to publish this. I was beyond thrilled! And so very impressed with their staff. Not only did they give me a kickass cover
they also went to work editing the story and finding more issues I didn't see. The book is so much better and stronger than it was eight years ago and I couldn't be more proud.

Now, it's time to get started on promotion...which I really don't do well with. But, in the upcoming weeks I'll be posting contests and information about the book launch part on this blog and other social networks I frequent. So, stay tuned and learn how to win some prizes!

Summer Daze

Wow, I can't believe we're almost at the end of August. You know, when you're a kid time seems to go by so slow...but once you hit 20 it flashes by in a blur! I turned 49 over the summer...June 17, to be exact...just one last hurdle before the big Five-O. I don't really feel that old though and as I think back to my aunts and uncles who've passed away, I wonder...did they? Growing up they seemed so old and wise and old. But now that I'm as old, it just doesn't feel old anymore. Even with my kids getting older, I feel like they're just catching up to me.

Of course, getting up in the years also makes me think about the day when I won't be here anymore. Who will take care of my children, especially Amanda? I know they'll be older and probably have their own kids by the time I kick the bucket, but it makes me sad sometimes to know I won't be here for them anymore.
Okay...that got a bit maudlin.

Anyway, I'm kinda working on the staying healthy so I can be here a while thing, I started doing Weight Watchers this month. I'm actually on day 10 and I'm already 5 pounds down (and a helluva long way to go to reach my goal weight). I've done all kinds of diets over the last 30 years. Some successful, some, not so much. Mainly because, once you get off a diet all the weight comes back on twofold. But, I think I'll do well with Weight Watchers not just because of the points programs but because of the vast selection of recipes! Usually when I'm dieting I cook two separate meals, one for me and one for my kids and husband....but now, I'm doing one meal and everyone eats the same thing. I'm buying more fruits and vegetables and no more junk...except popcorn...which isn't quite junk because of the fiber...and the kids are eating a little better. I'm hoping to knock of a majority of my weight before April and the writer's conference my RWA chapter has. But my real ulterior motive is to get to a healthy weight so I can get off my blood pressure and cholesterol medications. So, wish me luck!

Summer's Here

I'm sorry I haven't kept up with this blog as I said (a bazillion times) I would. Things just get so crazy busy here. These past few months have been busy with getting ready for Becca to graduate (and prom.) She and my niece Sierra (who came to visit for the whole month) looked stunning in their gowns! Then we had lots of family come in for graduation...well not lots, but there were fifteen people in my house for five days! It was a blast!

Now that all the fun is over it's time to start the summer routine...which means nothing really. The kids are free to do as they please (within reason, of course). Three of the four have jobs so they'll be working all the time while the youngest, who turns 16 in August, will just be trying to stay in shape. At the end of June I'll be going to RWA's national conference in New York. As a graduation/18th birthday gift I'm taking Becca and Sierra and their friend Ciera. We'll be there a week but will only have four days to sightsee...which is plenty. When we get home we'll get to work on Becca's career choice....she wants to be an actress, so we'll work on finding her auditions and stuff. She auditioned for a local commercial the other day, we'll see how that went next week. I'll also try to get back to writing. My muse just hasn't been with me in a while.....or it has but it's been too lazy to kick my butt and make me write. Not that I'm a complete sloth...I do have a book coming out sometime this year (still waiting on the line-edits) and I'm now president of my RWA chapter, which will keep me hopping...but it's the writing I wish to get back to....if I could just get over the doubts and do it.

Anyway....as blogs go, this was pretty boring. But, that's my life. hah

Hope you're summer plans are fun and exciting! Stay tuned for more info on my book. Oh, and here's the new cover