Guest Post: The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb

Hey guys! Today I have a fun guest post for you guys from Jessie Hilb, discussing the most influential books she read while writing her own book. And I know I don't post a lot about contemporary books, but if you love contemporaries, then this is definitely for you!

Blog Tour- Guest Post: The Legacy by Melissa Delport

Hello my lovelies :) Today I have a very special post outlining the characters of Melissa Delport's The Legacy! Chek it out! This book sounds pretty awesome! ;)

Guest Post- Character Dream Cast: Starlight Saga by Sherry Soule

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She will be publishing a brand new Upper YA/Sci-Fi romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance on June 26, 2014. I am SO excited because this book sounds totally AMAZING! Check it out!

Guest Post + Giveaway: Nicole Pouchet

Writing Romance: 3 Simple Tips that Actually Work

Are you trying to figure out how to start writing your great masterpiece of a novel? There are as many writing tips out there as there are writers, like these, these, and even this snowflake model.

A former co-worker used to have a scrap of paper taped to her cubicle wall: “Begin, the rest is easy.” A confirmed procrastinator, that fortune cookie note resonated with me back in 2008. I took several writing classes online, filled journals with ideas, and finally began the process of writing for publication.

After you BEGIN, here are three tried and true writing tips that have worked to get my procrastinating, mother of two small boys, business-owing, undisciplined self published.

Reconsider the Outline

Yes, the dreaded outline is the first tip. If you’ve done a modicum of research on professional writing, you’ve heard of the importance of creating the outline. Before you write one creative word, outlining helps you plan the course of your novel. And, it feels so professional to get the outline done.

But, outlines are so boring, right? The secret is that you don’t have to write your high school outline here. This isn’t a test; this is a document just for you. So, put “she falls in love, blah, blah” in for item number four if it suits you.

Break up your action into three comedic acts or 452 character beats. Write in outline form or tack index cards to the wall. Whatever you do, the key is to organize your story in a way that works for you. During the first draft, outlining keeps you on track.

Embrace the Shitty First Draft

Now that you’ve got an outline, start writing. But, that’s so easily said. As writers, we crave perfection. And, when our writing isn’t good enough, warning bells go off in our heads. “That sentence could use better structure.” “Why am I starting every sentence with ‘she?’” We tend to hate 75% of everything we first write.

And that’s normal. It’s ok. The brilliant Anne Lamott termed the phrase “shitty first draft,” and when I start writing a novel, that shitty first draft is my best friend. The idea is to get the story written. No one cares how poor your writing style appears. Get the plot and character actions on paper.

The shitty first draft kills writers’ block. There have been plenty of times when I’ve sat with pen and paper only to start writing “I have no idea what Layla thinks. She’s supposed to do xyz. How do I get her there and what’s her motivation?” With those questions and with that set-up—plus I know what she’s supposed to do because I outlined it!—I’m able to get through a chapter.

Be Ruthless with Revisions

As mentioned, I write the first draft of my romance novels with pen and paper. I may be old-fashioned, or just plain old and set in my ways. But, one good reason I keep doing this is that I’m forced to write a second draft when I finally type the story into my laptop.

When you’ve written a shitty first draft, major revisions are sometimes necessary to get the work presentable for the review of writing partners. And, comments from writing partners are critical, sometimes pointing out implausible responses or plot twists that I hadn’t noticed. (It’s also a heck of a lot more frugal than working with a full-scale editor!)

After getting comments and letting the second draft sit for a while, make another revision of the novel. Be ruthless with your edits. You may think it’s cute that your main character goes fishing alone in chapter three, but does that bit add anything to the story? Is every scene pushing the plot and character arc forward? If the answer is no, you’ve got to cut or rewrite.

Then, revise again. And, when you’re finally sick of looking at your story, send it to a professional editor for a final line edit (less expensive than an editor who does plot/character driven edits).

Reconsider the outline. Embrace the shitty first draft. And, be ruthless with revision. These three steps have been mentioned repeatedly in different forms by many writers. There’s a reason for that. They are crucial to successful writing… at least they are for me. This is what I do, what works for me.

Bonus tip: I love being frugal as much as the next mom, so I try to save where I can with

You have to figure out what works for you. In any case, if you’re thinking about writing the next Hunger Games or 50 Shades of Gray (hey, it sold!), the most important tip anyone can give you is to BEGIN.

Layla's Gale, A Paranormal Romance (Elemental Myths #1)

Life is finally on track for fledgling stage actress Layla Cohen until she realizes her gorgeous new director, Sebastian, is the star of the erotic dreams which she’s been having for months. She could handle the uncomfortable work situation if not for the further evidence she’s losing her mind: The wind suddenly whooshes at her command; memories of a past life emerge; and she’s sure someone is trying to kill her.

Meanwhile, director Sebastian Tawanti is steering his small D.C. theater company into the big-time with his Incan mythology-based play. The culmination of his life’s work, he won’t let anything stand in the way of his play's success--not his mother's objections, not the inappropriate heat he feels for Layla, and not even the mysterious, empathic symptoms he's experienced since meeting her.

LAYLA’S GALE is Book 1 of the four-book, paranormal romance / urban fantasy ELEMENTAL MYTHS romance series. Similar in subject matter, it is a lighter, more carefree read than Deborah Harness’ All Souls Trilogy. This paranormal romance series is sure to entice readers of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series and Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele series. ELEMENTAL MYTHS follows four couples as they bond together in steamy romance, supernatural powers, and predestined battle to save modern mankind from the mysterious demise of the vanished Incan Empire.

As Layla and Sebastian struggle with new love and burgeoning power, a sinister force unravels to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Will they learn the truth behind the Incan script in time to save their lives, the love they’re destined to share, and the future of humanity?

About the Author

Still amazed to be an adult, Nicole Pouchet co-owns a marketing agency and writes paranormal romance novels. She has managed to center her life around raising her two small sons and being true to her family, and is happiest near the water. She lives in Leesburg, Virginia with her husband and two small sons.

Nicole’s paranormal romance series, Elemental Myths, began with Ceiba’s Grace, A Paranormal Romance Novella, published in December 2013. Book one of the series, Layla’s Gale, A Paranormal Romance, will be released on April 1, 2014. Publishers Weekly said Nicole Pouchet “provides an intriguing blend of the earthly and supernatural worlds with emotional telepathy, reincarnation, superhero-like powers, and explosive carnal energy.” http://nicolepouchet.com/

Nicole is giving away a free copy of Layla’s Gale. Enter the contest on Facebook.

Find the Elemental Myths series on Amazon!

You can keep up with Nicole and her Elemental Myths world on Facebook, on Twitter, and on her author website.

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Let us know what you think about the post! And check out Nicole's book! :D

Blog Tour- Guest Post + Giveaway: Eve Hallows and the Book of Shivers (The Nightmare Series #3) by Robert Gray

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Book of Shivers blog tour! Today I have a very special guest post for you from Eve Hallows herself! Seriously love that girl :) And make sure you enter the giveaway at the end! Enjoy!

Blurb:

So far, Eve's summer vacation has been uneventful, but when her grandparents—traveling all the way from the monster world known as Gravesville—appear at her doorstep, she learns that the URNS Director has gone missing. Worse, a new director, bent on destroying humans, has taken over URNS.

Eve and her family are no longer safe in the human world, and as they race to escape this new threat, Eve stumbles into a trap, which forces her back to Gravesville along with her family and friends. But once there, everything goes adorably wrong, and her best chance to get out of this mess is to seek out The Book of Shivers and the elusive author Sedrick Creach—the only creature who knows the secrets of the Nightmare Books. Unfortunately for Eve, searching for Sedrick and the next book in the series will reveal uncomfortable details about her own murky past.

Once again, Eve and her friends find themselves on an incredible adventure—one that involves underground battles with bloodthirsty creatures, a lightning-fueled train, and some unexpected new allies.

Hilarious and bone-chilling, this third book continues the story of an unlikely hero trying to save not one, but two worlds... This time around, though, Eve's not sure she can even save herself.

Find Eve Hallows and the Book of Shivers here: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight- Cake: A Fairy Tale by Dina Keratsis

Title: Cake: A Fairy Tale

Author: Dina Keratsis

Publication date: July 24, 2013

Published by: Dina Keratsis

Genre: Fantasy | Romance

Blurb: She has nothing left to lose... When Breena stumbles into the enchanted borderland of Cake, she is given the choice to return to her world or face the unknown. Unable to bear returning to her empty life, she embraces the challenge, much to the annoyance of the handsome, brooding Rune. He wants redemption... Long ago, Rune failed in his duty to guard the Queen Likely and vowed never again to let desire rule him. Then he meets Breena, the last Likely, and least likely, to succeed. Sworn to protect her from the killer who seeks to destroy Cake, Rune is forced to face his awakening desire for the one woman he can never have. Together, they embark on a magical journey to save Cake and while Rune abandons his heart, Breena discovers that she has everything to lose.

Find Cake: A Fairy Tale here: Goodreads | Amazon (on sale for $0.99 on Kindle!) | Book Depository

Guest Post: A Time Of Once - Laura Briggs

I have a guest post today for you from author Laura Briggs! Enjoy! And make sure you check out these books...especially if you like fairy tale-type books!

Kickstarting a Series with Fan Feedback

This week, I’m excited to see the debut of something a little different in my writing career. My co-author S.E. Steinbrenner and I are launching two special edition prequels for a fantasy series set to debut in 2014. And we’re asking fans to help us write it.

The prequles–Once: The Series Beginnings and A Time of Once: The Series Prequel– are currently available for free via Smashwords and Amazon. These short volumes offer readers a glimpse of the series’ key characters and plotlines, while providing interactive ways for them to share feedback and get to know the series as it progresses.





What the Time of Once Series is Like

My co-author and I have previously done historical fairytale retellings, with First Bite: The Wicked Queen’s Tale and its companion books in THE DARK WOODS series.

A Time of Once, however, will be a contemporary setting, as reality begins to collide with the fairytale realm. It’s basically our own twist on the worlds created in TV shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time, with a healthy dose of the original fairytales we all know and love.

There will be an ordinary town and citizens that start to undergo changes, to transform beneath the shadow of the fairytale world. Certain characters­­–a mild-mannered sheriff, a tough female reporter, and a clever little girl–will be among the first to notice the darkness that’s coming. But will they be able to stop it before everything they know and love is caught up or destroyed in its wake?

A quote from the series’ character known as the Storyteller pretty much sums it up: “What's evil becomes evil. What's good becomes good. And what's in between, it gets caught up either way.”

How Readers Can Get Involved

From July 9th-13th, readers can grab a free copy of A Time of Once: The Series Prequel on Amazon.

Once: The Series Beginnings–which features completely different scenes–is currently free on Smashwords. The Smashwords volume will be available at other major retailers (B&N, Kobo, etc) within approximately three weeks.

Visit the series webpage. Here, readers can view a photo gallery, character bios, and leave their suggestions, questions, and comments concerning the series so far. More interactive features, such as a discussion forum, will be available soon.

Also, check out the Goodreads page.

Blog Tour: Reaper by L.S.Murphy Guest Post

The Sock Monkey Cap

Writers can be a curious lot. We have quirks, superstitions, and little curiosities that would drive most people insane.

Blog Tour: Eve Hallows Guest Post

Click for Official Tour Schedule

I am SO excited to be part of this blog tour! I am loving the Nightmare series, and Eve, and her whole world in general! So today, that one and only EVE is stopping by my blog with a guest post! Whooo! But first, a little about the books:

Guest Post and Excerpt: The City of the Mirage by Jerome Brooke

About the book: 

The Divine Astarte is one of the last of her race. Her kind seeded many worlds with life. One of these realms was the planet of the Warrior.

The City of the Mirage in a dark fantasy!

Astarte is feared, not loved by her people - she is the Destroyer of Worlds. She is served by a legion of shield maidens. These cruel warriors are feared by all. They commit all manner of atrocities, such as impalement.

The people of her empire are also terrorized by the Beast Men. They are the offspring of members of an alien race and the daughters of men. They feed on human flesh.

Astarte still rules in the City of the Mirage!

After Dark Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the After Dark blog tour! I am so happy to have the author, Emi Gayle, on my blog today! We have some awesome stuff for you, including a guest post by the author and a GIVEAWAY!

Guest Post + Giveaway - Keeping it Fresh: Reinventing Mythology By Maria Violante

I am very happy to have Maria Violante guest post on my blog today! She has an awesome post about mythology and how it inspired her De La Roca Chronicles. It's an awesome post! I do love mythology ;) Check it out! (And don't miss the giveaway at the end!)

Spellbound Blog Tour: Guest Post by Nikki Jefford + Spellbound #3 Teaser + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Spellbound Blog Tour! I am so happy to have Nikki Jefford guest post on my blog today...I'm a big fan of Entangled and am super excited to read Duplicity! But today we're going to be taking a look at the 3rd book in the series, titled Enchantment.

 

Unspent Time Launch Party!

Hi party people! I am happy to have author Graham Parke guest post on my blog today! He's got a lot of goodies for you, so check it out!

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