A Love Never Lost

A Love Never Lost is my longest book to date. I enjoyed writing this book. It covers romance, suspense, mystery and horses. Who doesn’t like a cowboy romance with a twist?

It’s available on Amazon, Smashwords.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Diesel, Apple, Allromanceebooks.com, Google Play and Sony. Check it out. It’s available in paperback and ebook.

Hope everyone has a great 4th of July and a safe one.

As always, great writing and May God Bless you…

Sneek Peek Friday…

I’m super excited that my 2nd book in the “Lean On Him” series is almost completed. The cover is almost completely ready. I’ll do a cover reveal on Monday, which I can’t wait to do. It’s so simple but yet says it all.

This series is my Christian Romance series and it covers emotions and life changing experiences. The difference is every experience is handled with Faith in God. It shows how faith can waver and give you pause. The books are meant to inspire and hopefully raise you to a new level of spiritual awakening.

Here is an excerpt from “Faith Through The Tears”, Hope you like it 🙂

The first night she was admitted into the hospital this time she told him to tell Amanda to come see her. She needed stationary and a pen. He was a little confused because they had a will. But he called Amanda and she came in fifteen minutes later.

She grabbed Rachel’s hand and smiled. “Hello my friend. How are you tonight?” It tore Amanda’s heart just watching her friend suffering. Rachel had become a great friend since her marriage to Luke. Since Randy and Luke worked the same shift, Amanda spent a lot of time with Rachel and the girls.

“I’m not good Amanda. I know the Lord is getting ready to call me home.” A tear slipped from her eye as she tried to be strong. This was so hard, not the dying but the knowledge that her little girls would not have a mommy.

Amanda put her hand to her mouth to stifle the sob that surged forward. “Rachel, don’t talk like that. You’re strong and I know you’re going to beat this again.” Rachel closed her eyes and squeezed her hand.

“Not this time. He came to me in a dream and told me to get things prepared. I’m not afraid. I’ve been ready since the day I gave my heart to Him.” She got quiet for a moment and then took a deep breath. “I need you to help me do something special for the girls.”

“Anything, I will do anything you need me to do.” She pulled the chair up to the side of the bed.

“Did you bring the items I asked for?”

Pulling them from her purse, she handed them to Rachel. “I had some really pretty stationary with roses on it. It made me think of your rose garden at the back of the house.”

“Will you help me write letters to the girls? I need you to write them as my hand shakes too badly. I would’ve asked Randy, but you know his handwriting. The girls would have never figured it out.” She tried to laugh, but she wound up coughing instead.

“Just tell me what to write.” Her heart was so heavy. To think this poor mother was having to compose a goodbye letter to her two precious girls. This was almost too much to bear. She had asked Luke last night why God was taking such a precious person when she had so much to live for. He’d held her as she’d cried and he told her something that she knew but refused to admit. The Lord has His reasons and it’s not for us to ask why.

Slowly Rachel recited the letters to Amanda. She stopped several times to get her composure. Amanda wiped at her eyes constantly. The letters were so sweet. She’d written three for each of the girls. One letter was for after the funeral, one was for the day they graduated from school and the third was for the day they got married. She’d thought of everything.

When she was done, she smiled and seemed to relax. “Now I can be there with my girls for their big days. One more thing I need to ask of you. Will you make sure that they know about girlie things like dance class and dolls. I know Randy will do his best, but you’ve seen how their hair looks after he gets through with it.” She managed a good hearty laugh then. It was good to hear that laugh. Amanda held it locked inside for future daydreams.

“The girls will carry you in their hearts as long as they live. I will definitely be a part of their lives and make sure they have matching clothes and ballerina classes. Don’t worry. They will be well taken care of.” She reached over and hugged her close. This was hard losing a close friend.

Well, that’s just a snippet. I can tell you this, I’ve gone through a lot of tissues while writing this one. It’s been emotionally draining, but it’s also satisfying. The words have flowed as quickly as the tears, but most of the tears are of joy.

I’ll keep everyone updated on the release and Monday will be the cover release…

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

How do you take it?

Take what? Well as I fixed my first cup of coffee this morning I had a thought. We’re all different. Some like their coffee high octane, completely black with no cream or sugar just straight coffee. Some like artificial sweetners and cream. Some like real sugar and no cream. As for me, I take it with one pack of Splenda and a little french vanilla creamer. That’s what it takes to get me going…

It’s the same with reading. As a writer I’ve come to know so many different types of writing. It’s amazing how many genres of writing there is. In romance you can find so many genres. I sat and tried to figure them all out. What’s hard is to figure out which one your work fits in.

I’ve had to learn what heat levels meant. That was fun. I’ve had to learn what tags were and how they relate to your work. Some readers only read certain heat levels or from certain tags. It’s always interesting to look at the percentages.

I had a reviewer tell me one of my books would have been better if it would have been given some tequila and heated up. She gave me a great review, but thought it needed more heated scenes. As you know, I write my books on a lower heat level.

My editor laughs when I see a new genre come out and I have to go what’s that. Especially if it’s a abreviation. Sometimes I’m sorry I ask the meaning 🙂 But my opinion is this. Everyone needs something different and that’s what makes the writing world go round. If we all wrote in the same genre and heat level, it would get really boring and we’d be out of business really quick.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday night writing…

Monday is always crazy in my office. Today was no exception. I worked a little later than usual and then did my 4-1/2 mile walk. Now I’m sitting down finally and getting ready to work on the last part of my latest manuscript.

It’s funny how you need more than 24 hours in a day. Especially if you’re a writer. Sometimes I’m just getting into my good writing mode when everyone else is heading to bed. When I was younger I could easily pull an all nighter, but the older I get that doesn’t seem as apealing.

Since I have a couple of deadlines regarding my writing, I guess I’ll be put in some midnight oil. It’s going to be a great writing evening. My hubby and son went fishing and left me alone for a couple of hours. I can usually write through anything going on around me. It’s as though I get into a world of my own.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Here’s to good writing and May God Bless You…

Location…Where is your book based?

One of the difficult things in writing is decide where the books characters and the story takes place. Is it in the US or maybe the UK? Is the story based in a place covered in snow or in the desert? Sometimes when the story comes easily it’s not always clear the location. Your brain tells you what the character is doing but not where it is.

An important point to remember is to make sure you stick with the location you start with. Also if you’re basing your book in a place you’ve never been you might better do your homework. What I mean is the you don’t want to have your character going through the desert in Boston. Just wouldn’t go well. You might receive some interesting reviews 🙂

If your character is going snow skiing, you might want to make sure the place has snow. So, as you work on the outline of your story make sure you write down the location and keep it straight.

This was just a quickie post for Thursday evening. Hope all is well and just think, tomorrow is Friday…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

“All Author Blog Blitz” : Author: Melanie Cusick-Jones

This is my second post in the Goodreads “All Author Blog Blitz”. I’ll be featuring Melanie Cusick-Jones.

After graduating from The University of Sheffield with an English Literature Masters in 2003, Melanie has been writing fiction – time permitting – ever since.

The Ambrosia Sequence (started in 2008) and The Elementals (begun in 2004) are both ongoing, extended projects each containing several novels, aimed primarily at young adults and hover somewhere in the middle of sci-fi, futuristic and fantasy genres.

‘Hope’s Daughter’, released in January 2012, is her debut novel and the first of The Ambrosia Sequence; the companion book ‘The Rainbow Maker’s Tale’ is due in 2013, with the sequel ‘Outlanders’ coming in late 2013.
due after that.

When she’s not writing Melanie enjoys the wet weather of the north of England with her dogs or disappearing into a book for a few hours (no surprise there then). Unfortunately, all too often the ‘day job’ gets in the way of the nicer things in life!

Rainbow Maker’s Tale – Synopsis

“I wasted no time looking around the bland plastic space I had lived in all my life. There were no real memories here for me, no cherished moments or things to reminisce over: all that had stopped when I was eight years old and learned that life on the SS Hope was built on lies.”

Outwardly, Balik is an obedient member of society on Space Station Hope: he follows The Council’s systems, excels at school and seems happy to follow in his parents footsteps…

Balik’s real life is filled with secrets he can share with no one. As he follows his suspicions about the space station into ever more dangerous territory it seems like his whole world will unravel around him. But, he doesn’t understand everything: things are wrong, he is sure of that, he just doesn’t know why.

When Cassie unexpectedly comes into his life, Balik struggles to find his balance. For years he’s investigated the oddities of the world he lives in, but Cassie makes him question things in a different way… Can he believe in this girl who seems so much a part of the system he distrusts? Would she put a stop to his plans to break out if she knew what he was really up to? Balik can’t be sure of anything – except the fact that he can’t leave her alone.

(Note: The Rainbow Maker’s Tale can be read before, or after, the counterpart novel Hope’s Daughter).

Find the author:

Website – http://cusick-jones.com

Blog – http://melcj.com and http://asidefromwriting.com

Twitter @melabupa

Books available at: iBooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and Goodreads

“All Authors Blog Blitz” – Author: Mariana Llanos

This is a “All Authors Blog Blitz” day from Goodreads. I’ve been given two authors to blog about today. It’s fun getting to know authors from all over the world and in different genres.

My first guest today is Mariana Llanos.

Blog Blitz featuring Mariana Llanos author of Tristan Wolf

Where do you live?

I live in the beautiful State of Oklahoma. I’ve lived here for eleven years but I’m original from Lima, Peru.

How long have you been a writer?

I write since I was very young. I started writing poetry and soon started doing school plays. I loved to adapt classic plays like Faust or Romeo and Juliet and turn them into comical skits. Then I moved on to short stories, some fantastic, some poetic-romantic, some others humorous. Writing has always been a part of me…but I decided to publish just a couple of years ago when I had the story of Tristan Wolf in my hands and I knew that it had to be printed and it had to be shared.

What genre do you like to write in?

I write fiction, generally short stories and I love writing for children. There’s something about their eyes, when you read to them. They believe you, but they will challenge you with limitless questions too.

Where do you like to go to write?

Since I have 3 young children I don’t have much of a place to hide (J)…but I’ve found out that if I wait until everyone is asleep (husband included) I can find a small window of opportunity to write, before sleep and exhaustion kick in. So I just grab my laptop and go to bed to write.

What was the inspiration for your book?

“Tristan Wolf” is a book that I wanted to write for my two boys. We’ve always enjoyed reading together, but I wanted to read to them something of my own. Tristan came to me one afternoon and he literally possessed me and made me tell his story. When I started with the phrase “Tristan was a loner…” I really didn’t know where I was going. But he knew and took me there.

What’s your favorite part of being a writer?

I love the look in people’s faces when I tell them that I have a book out. People really get excited about new writers and their enthusiasm warms my heart. I enjoy the many possibilities that writing gives me, not only to write books, but also essays, blog posts, book reviews, etc. It’s an awesome creative outlet. But my most favorite part is that my kids are proud of me. That alone suffices.

Do you have any books in the works?

I am working on a second story for Tristan Wolf. I have many ideas for a new series for middle graders and also a book for my little baby girl. I do have some stories in Spanish that I’d like to translate to English. I’m also trying to work in the bilingual version of Tristan Wolf. I just have to find the time to do it.

Let’s keep in touch!

Website: www.marianallanos.com

Blog: http://marianallanosauthor.blogspot.com

Twitter: @marianallanos

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tristanwolfofficial

Bio: http://about.me/marianallanos

Here’s where you can find Tristan Wolf:

http://www.amazon.com/Tristan-Wolf-Mariana-Llanos/dp/148205308X/ref=la_B00CFVV3P8_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370843197&sr=1-1

Bio: Mariana Llanos is a Peruvian writer who lives in the United States for more than a decade. Married and mother of three, Mariana finds inspiration in her children and in her own childhood. She writes poetry and short stories since she was about 7 years old. In her native Lima, Peru, she dedicated herself to the theater and performing arts. Currently she works with young children at a preschool, where she likes to motivate them through music and the arts.

Tristan Wolf is available on Amazon.com and Full Circle Bookstore of Oklahoma City.

How do you contain yourself?

As a writer you have to have some patience. Unfortunately when a story is pressing in on you patience is hard to find. When a story pops into my brain it normally comes in with a vengeance. It presses on my brain until I start writing it. I have to relieve the pressure of getting it started. Usually I get the story outlined before I forget what needs to be said.

When I start writing the story I get excited and can’t hardly wait to see how the middle and end unfold. I have to contain myself and not just jump through the story and leave out some important information. Sometimes I tend to want to see how it ends before it even begins. That’s kind of like reading a book and skipping to the end because you just have to know how it ends.

Remember if you do an outline, which is very important to me to keep me in line 🙂 then you need to stick with the outline. If you just have to skip ahead, then mark where you stopped and go back to fill in the important elements needed to make the story flourish.

Hope this helps. Remember you’ve got to be patient and let the story flow out. It’s hard, but if you practice you can do it.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

“Embracing The Flames” : By Candace Knoebel

The Stone of Immortality has always been kept under the watch of the Draconta. That is, until the betrayal of a Fate. Now everything is about to change.

Aurora Megalos accepted her destiny without blinking-even if it meant succumbing to her dragon side. Deemed the Progeny, she left the ordinary life she knew and has done everything in her power to learn the ways of her new realm and what it means to be part dragon. But when her mentor, Astral, suddenly disappears, she is forced to take the reins.

With war on the brink, she sets out on an epic journey to not only find her mentor, but to stop her Arch Enemy, Zordon, from obtaining the Stone of Immortality. But what she discovers about him along the way is far worse than she could’ve ever imagined. She will be tested and pushed to the limit. Lives will be lost, love will be questioned, and a battle will begin.

This is the 2nd book in the “Born In Flames” Trilogy by my friend and author Candace Knoebel. The official release date is June 17th. Also check out Book one “Born In Flames”. Good luck Candace…

Candace Knoebel is the award-winning author of Born in Flames (a young adult fantasy trilogy).

Published by 48fourteen in 2012, Born in Flames went on to win Turning the Pages Book of the Year award in February of 2013. Embracing the Flames, the second in the trilogy, is scheduled for release in the summer of 2013.

Candace Knoebel discovered through lunch breaks and late nights after putting her kids to bed, a world where she could escape the ever-pressing days of an eight to five Purgatory. Since then, she crawled out of Purgatory and has devoted her time to writing and sometimes heelying.

Available on:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

KOBO

As always good writing and May God Bless You…