Tuesday, February 28, 2017

4T Olio--More than Luck--$1600 in Amazon Gift Cards

Green background with white shamrock swirl designs. Horizontal format.

How much do we love our readers? We'd like to show you!

Enter to win $1620 in Amazon Gift Cards!

One simple entry will subscribe you to 81 Romance Author Newsletters. Plus, gain additional entries through bonus sign ups!

Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us.

Participating Authors:

A.G. Henley | Abbie Roads | Adele Hart | Ali Parker | Alyna Amorosi | Amanda Roberts | Amy Brent | Amy L Gale | Amy Lamont | Anabelle Bryant | Andie M. Long | Ann Omasta | Anna B. Madrise | Anna Rose Leigh | Anne Stone | Annie Anderson | AO Peart | Brandy Dorsch | Brandy L Rivers | Brinda Berry | Candace Knoebel | Christa Simpson | Colleen Charles | Debbie White | Demelza Carlton | Diana Quincy | DJ Bryce | Elisabeth Grace | Elizabeth Ellen Carter | Em Petrova | Emily Murdoch | Emma Nichols | Erica Reeder | Gina Drayer | Heather C. Myers | Holly Cortelyou | Jane Hinchey | Jennifer Rose McMahon | Jo Noelle | KB Jacobs | KB Winters | Kelli McCracken | Kelly Collins | Kennedy Morgan | Khardine Gray | Kira Blake | Laxmi Hariharan | Lena Bourne | Lexi James | Linda Joyce | Liz Gavin | Lizabeth Scott | M.M. Chabot | Mary Hughes | McKenna Jeffries | Melissa Pearl | Miranda Martin | MJ Summers | Piper Rayne | Rachel Star | Renea Mason | Rissa Blakeley | Ruby Snow | Ruth Anne Scott | S.M. Schmitz | Sammi Starlight | Sarah J. Stone | Scarlett Metal | Sheila Kell | Sidney Valentine | Simone Sowood | Skye Jordan | Skye Warren | Stephanie Witter | T.L Smith | Taige Crenshaw | Tia Lewis | Tracy Ellen | Vivienne Hunt | Ysa Arcangel | Zane Morrow Enter here: http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/more-than-luck-giveaway/

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

3T Writing Tidbit

Blurbs. We all hate 'em, but we gotta write 'em.

Some people are actually good at blurbs, even exceptional. I bow to all blurb writers, especially the one who whipped Passion Bites into shape. Here is what I sent in:

When a blond god blows into Alexis Byornsson’s emergency room and interrupts her treating a little girl, Alexis is furious. Or, not furious exactly, because Alexis is known as Dr. Frozen, but severely, finger-shakingly disapproving.  Then he kisses her breathless, and Alexis is stunned, her logical armor shaken, when what should be a nice release of endorphins breaks into a steamy tropical storm.

Luke Steel hasn’t felt passion since his wife died in a brutal attack three hundred years ago and he felt powerless to save her. Alexis shocks him by bringing good things to life in more ways than one. Mates are forever, so what the hell is going on?

Then an old frenemy takes off the gloves. With Alexis’s life at stake, all-consuming passion is the one thing neither Luke nor Alexis can afford, yet the one thing that will never let them go.

Here is what I got back:

Dr. Alexis Byornsson has her hands full in the ER when her patient’s uncle blows into the exam room. Stitching up a five-year-old’s cut is hard enough without a blond god distracting her all to hell.

To say she’s furious is putting it mildly—not that anyone would notice. Not with the legendary control that’s earned her the nickname “Dr. Frozen”.

Luke Steel never knew a woman chastising him could be so sexy. But for the first time in three hundred years, passion stirs in his gut—along with panic. Since his wife was taken before his eyes in a brutal attack, he’s sworn he’d never feel that powerless again.

Almost before either Luke or Alexis realize what’s happening, they’re sharing a blazing kiss that shatters her logical armor and unleashes his wholly unwanted mating instinct. And spurs a closer-than-skin enemy to put into motion a devastating plan for revenge.

 Let's look at some of the changes:
  • I started with the blond god. Blurb writer started with the main character's name and her situation.
  • I had "interrupts her treating a little girl". BW has Alexis's "hands full in the ER" and "stitching up a five-year-old" (interrupts vs. hands full and treating vs. stitching, each more active or descriptive).
  • I had Alexis furious at the interruption.  BW differentiated that it was the distraction from her work that made her furious, showing her to be conscientious, not contentious. 
  • BW kept my verb "blows into", noun "blond god", and nickname "Dr. Frozen".
  • I had the kiss as part of Alexis's paragraph. BW moved it down to the third paragraph (the couple's interaction paragraph).
  • I had a paragraph for Alexis, one for Luke, and one for their enemy. BW gave an intro to Alexis meeting Luke, a paragraph for Alexis's initial problem, a paragraph to Luke and his problem, and a paragraph to combining their romantic attraction and their enemy.
  • I had "Luke hadn't felt passion". BW punched that up to "For the first time in 300 years, passion stirs in his gut" and then yanks it 180 with the "--along with panic". True genius.
  • I had "frenemy". BW has "closer-than-skin enemy".

There's more, but I'll let you figure out the rest.

But as you can see, a good blurb is worth 200 words, but a good blurb writer is worth a helluva lot more.

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

2T Repeat Performance

In December, the lovely Magical Musings crew decided it was time to close down their blogging shop. I had three wonderful years with them. I thought you might be interested in seeing those posts now.

photo credit: Identity Photogr@phy via photopin cc

Playing Music in the Dark--originally posted April 30, 2014



Getting to know you. To dream the impossible dream. Favorite things. What do all these have in common? (Answer at the end.)

Speaking of getting to know you--I'd love to get to know you better. What's one of your favorite things?

In return, I'll share too. One little bit each month.

My favorite things #10--playing pit orchestra for musicals.

Sitting in the dark, watching the drama and fun and color of a musical unfolding onstage as an audience member is great. As part of the pit, you get to see so much more. The musical (for free), sure, but you're also privy to rehearsal bloopers and horrors (ask any community theater group what the show looked like the week before opening and prepare to laugh and cry) and the sometimes hilarious antics of brushup night.

My husband and I played pit for The Pirates of Penzance one summer. During the Croquet scene, one of the young ladies hit the ball too hard and my husband the cellist was beaned by a pool ball. So the next rehearsal he wore a hardhat.

In the Pit
A friend relates that, during The Wizard of Oz, Toto kept coming over to the pit to sniff the players. In our production, the cute doggy got bored in performance and decided to investigate himself! (My fictional heroine, pit musician Junior Steig, plays through a similar laugh-out-loud incident in Biting Oz.)

Another friend told of an old fog machine that got stuck during a performance. It produced great billowing gouts of the stuff. Stage fog is heavier than air, so when it gets to the pit it just falls right in. The string players' bows--haired in horsehair--went completely limp. No sound at all! My friend and the rest plucked their instruments like guitars just to get some sound. Plunk plink plunk.

Fun times aside, musicals speak to my heart. Who can't relate to young novitiate Maria in Sound of Music as she goes to her first job outside the convent, seeking the courage she lacks in "I Have Confidence"? Who doesn't feel the anticipation that tonight won't be just any night, shared by West Side Story lovers Tony and Maria in the duet "Tonight, Tonight"?

Getting to know you. To dream the impossible dream. Favorite things. What do all these have in common? They're all lines from hit musicals (The King and I, Man of LaMancha, Sound of Music), and they all speak to the heart.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Happily Ever Alpha: Falling for the Billionaire RELEASE DAY! Incl NY Times best-seller Opal Carew

99¢ special release day price and big party

20 Billionaires, 20 Sizzling Ways to Fall in Love.

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Google | iTunes | Kindle UK

Whether your fantasy is a prince or a self-made man, this set has all the hard-bodied, Alpha billionaires you can handle. Let our award-winning, best-selling authors take you on a trip filled with exotic locales, dizzying privilege and heart-warming happily ever after.

And be sure to sign up for our Facebook Party! Tons of giveaways, games, and fun. https://www.facebook.com/events/1093591607436785



We're 20 award-winning, best-selling authors who write billionaires from hard-bodied alphas to genius inventors to exotic princes--but who all love a good happily ever after. Includes Opal Carew, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, USA Today best selling author, Victoria Pinder, Margo Bond Collins, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, and so many more.

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Google | iTunes | Kindle UK

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

1T Status Update plus Billionaires, Billionaires, BILLIONAIRES!

20-Billionaire Set only 99 pennies, but not for much longer! More status-update news following the lovely billionaire pictures.
How do you like your billionaire served? Hot and spanky? Cool and in control (preferably in control of a black credit card and Lambo)? Rugged but loaded (in the wallet or other pant-stored things)?

I had a fun time pulling pics of billionaires for this awesome set, releasing just in time for Valentine's Day.  Amazon | Nook | KoboGoogleiTunesKindle UK

Whether your fantasy is a prince or a self-made man, this set has all the hard-bodied, Alpha billionaires you can handle. Let our award-winning, best-selling authors take you on a trip filled with exotic locales, dizzying privilege and heart-warming happily ever after.

$0.99 special preorder price--get yours today!

This set includes NY Times Best-Selling author Opal Carew, USA Today best selling author, Victoria Pinder, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Margo Bond Collins, and so many more. 99 pennies--but not for much longer!

Amazon | Nook | KoboGoogleiTunesKindle UK

STATUS UPDATE: When I first started writing fiction, I used imaginative names like Novel 1 and Novel 2. Later I updated to the always-scintillating "Vicky and Cliff" and "Glynnis".

But just because I couldn't name 'em didn't mean I couldn't write 'em. I needed to keep January open, waiting for my edits Night's Caress. So I took a romp through one of my earlier books (like, written 20-25 years ago earlier), a 180,000 word fantasy.

And I thought, "This is pretty good." I kept reading and kept seeing the possibilities. Now, I've learned a lot since then about pacing and plotting, but the characters are really nice and there are some intriguing twists going on.

Cut to the chase, I'm editing this story to become a serial novel, three sets of 9 short books each. More info as I get it, but I'm really excited to share the story of the lonely healer and the last wizard.