Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Writing Wednesday: Writing Goals and Procrastination, er, I mean Life

My goal was to have Son of a Mermaid Book 3 available this summer. It says so on my website. I've talked about it on my blog.

Today is the last day of August. The book is not finished. In fact, it's only about one third of the way complete because I needed to go back and fix a few things near the beginning, and well, then rewrite everything after that point.

Earlier in the summer, I was shooting for September. September on Cape Cod is when the natives actually get to enjoy the beaches and sidewalks without the crowds. Yes, the water is still warm and the skies are still blue and it's actually nicer than August.... no wait, I'm not supposed to give away that secret!  Well, anyway... looking at my September calendar of getting child #2 off to college - my publishing plans may not stay on track.

Life gets in the way.

Now the question is whether to put the book out in the fall, or for Christmas, or wait until next spring/summer? Hmmmm. Maybe I need to actually finish writing before making that kind of decision. I know what I want to write. It's a matter of finding the time for BICHOK: Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard. Well, this keyboard and not my day-job keyboard sitting next to it on my desk. That one gets far too much use.

I need a better plan. I need a better way to allocate my time. I'm hoping once child #2 is out of the house, I'll have more room to think. And write. Funny how an 18 year old can occupy almost as much brain space as a toddler. Different issues, of course, and without the diapers. No less worries.

In the meantime, I have a SHOCKING REVELATION to share with my mermaid fans. It's not anything I planned, I can assure you - the characters did this on their own, and I'm still hoping it's only a temporary thing.... I wrote my first break up scene earlier this summer.... Read on for a sneak peek - it's a tease, I know, but I need to share....

Excerpt from Deception:



Kae blinked, overwhelmed by the anger and hate she saw on Shea’s handsome face. The hard line of his jaw looked like it was carved from the same marble as the library table. The green eyes she loved so much were hard glittering rocks, devoid of any warmth or laughter. Devoid of caring or love.
She pushed back from the table, trying to add distance between them as she considered his question and the anger behind it. Before she formulated an answer, he barreled on, his tone clipped and harsh. “You need to stop visiting the dungeons. You need to stop visiting him. I forbid it.”
Her insides froze. He’d never spoken this way, not to her. Ordering her around, treating her as less than an equal. Treating her like a servant.
Like the servant she was.
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “As you wish, my Prince.”
His features immediately softened and he reached for her hand, his whisper more of a low growl that rippled along her bare arms. “Kae, that’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m not ordering you because I’m your prince. I’m asking you to listen to me because you’re my girlfriend and I… care about you. The guy is bad news. He’s manipulating you with his evil magick.”
“Not all magick is bad,” she countered, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. Panic fluttered in her belly like a swarm of angry bees. If he thought magick was truly evil, what would he think when he found out about hers? She’d been keeping this secret for far too long already. About her new abilities. About the changes Hailey experienced. All caused by magick. All caused by Zan.
“What has the sorcerer been telling you, Kae? I’m gonna bet he’s filling your head with fairytales and nonsense. Don’t ever forget he’s Demyan’s henchman, a mere lowly servant. He does what Demyan tells him to do.”
His words cut deep. The way he said “servant” felt like a physical slap. She took a deep breath and slid her hand from under his. “I guess I also need to remember that you are the master, my Prince. I was also born a mere lowly servant to your royal family, and perhaps would do best to remember my place.”
He recoiled from the table, his eyes wide with shock. He forgot to keep his voice down, drawing attention from the librarians. “That’s not what I meant at all! You know I don’t think that way! How can you even say stuff like that?”
A blue-haired librarian appeared beside the table in an instant. “I must ask the two of you to keep your voices down or leave the library at once. This is a place of study, not for argument.” The mermaid stared daggers at Kae before turning her glare on Shea. Recognition lit her face which immediately turned red with embarrassment. “Oh my Prince, I did not realize it was you. I apologize for the interruption.” She bowed deeply before swimming away as quickly as she’d arrived.
Kae flung her hands in the air. “See what I mean? You. Are. A. Prince. You can’t help it, it’s who you are. Me? I’m nobody special. Royal blood means everything around here.”
“Kae, I don’t think…”
Tears filled her eyes. “No, that’s the problem. You don’t think. But I should know better. I’m the one who was raised in the castle, I’m the one who should know the rules when it comes to royals.”
Shea stared at her, confusion on his face and his jaw hanging slightly open. “Where is this coming from? After everything we’ve been through over the last few months, why now? I thought you and I were, you know, good.”
Her eyes closed tight, squeezing the extra water out into the current. “If things were good, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You wouldn’t be ordering me not to talk with my friend. And the entire University wouldn’t be taking bets on when you’ll find a new girlfriend. Not if, Shea. When.” She opened her eyes and stared deeply into his. “You are the heir to the throne. When it comes time for you to marry, you have to marry a princess. Everyone seems to know this except you.”
He ran both hands through his hair again and again, sending it every which way, a now familiar gesture she knew meant he was deep in thought. It tugged at her heartstrings to see him distraught, but this time she knew she was right. Her father had said it months ago, but she’d been too wrapped up in the moment to listen to his words. Too wrapped up in Shea’s kisses and hugs to realize what an impossible dream she lived. Especially now, with Zan’s magick coursing through her veins. Once Shea found out about the magick, his whole attitude would change. He would never look at her the same, and she didn’t want to wait around for that day to arrive. Better to put distance between them now.
Time to wake up. Time to get out while her heart was still – somewhat – intact.
Kae took another deep breath. “We will always be friends, my Prince. And I will always cherish the memories of our time together. But this?” She gestured back and forth across the table. “This will never work. It’s better to realize that and end it.”
Shea cleared his throat, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “So you’re breaking up with me? Because of him?”
“No, Shea.” She took one of his strong, calloused hands in both of hers and squeezed, holding tight as if she might disappear without the connection. “We’re breaking up because we must. I will never care for anyone else the way I feel about you. And I will always be your friend.”
His laughter sounded hollow. “Friend? Now I know how Julius Caesar must have felt when Brutus stabbed him in the back. And here I thought we were more like a modern Romeo and Juliet.”
“I’ve read Shakespeare, you know. They didn’t have a happy ending either,” Kae said, her smile wry as she rubbed her thumb along his palm. She would miss this intimacy, this casual banter. But in the end, her father was right. Falling in love with a prince was only for fairytales.


* * * * *

Ready for more? Have you read this series from the beginning? Catch the first two books in the series on Amazon:


 

Monday, August 29, 2016

Monday Book Review: LORD BACHELOR, by Tammy L. Bailey



Lord Bachelor, by Tammy L. Bailey
Published December 2015 by The Wild Rose Press

About the Book:
Edmund Rushwood is a single English lord in possession of a great fortune who is in desperate need of a rich wife. In accordance with his father’s will, Edmund has until he turns twenty-six to find a wealthy bride or lose his vast inheritance. To retain his selfish lifestyle, he agrees to join an American dating game show to find the woman who can save him. He doesn’t bargain on meeting Abby Forester, an impoverished, spirited American woman who is content to live out her father’s dreams in his vintage record shop.

With covert intervention from an unlikely source, Abby lands on the dating game show as one of Edmund’s potential brides. As their worlds entangle and love begins to bloom, Abby discovers Edmund cannot marry her and retain his wealth at the same time. Will love keep them together, or will greed triumph and tear them apart?
My Take:

This was a fun romp of a contemporary romance from start to finish, and I enjoyed every minute of it. A blend of fairy tale and Jane Austen sensibility, Lord Bachelor is an enjoyable lighthearted summer read.

Blend sprinkles of Cinderella and her evil stepmother with Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Add in a selfish English prince, a la Beauty and the Beast, and a poor shopgirl from Oregon with a heart of gold who can save him with her love. Mix in a touch of fairy godmother magic, and blend it all up in a reality television series... And you have a summer beach book that will keep you smiling as the pages fly by.

Derivative in a fun, modern way, the story line has an egotistical English Lord desperate to marry a blue blood before his next birthday or risk losing his title and inheritance. Not interested in love but unwilling to lose his fortune, Lord Edmund Rushwood agrees to be the eligible bachelor on a reality t.v. show and allow the audience to choose his bride.

In a mix-up of epic proportions, Abby Forester becomes one of the contestants, and despite the sparks that fly between them, Edmund knows his ultimate choice can't be Abby or he will lose everything he holds dear. But as they get to know each other, his priorities begin to shift as his heart opens, leaving the television audience to wonder how it will all end?

I'm not a big fan of reality t.v., but I wish there had been more first person descriptions of the on-screen antics described so briefly in the book. I also loved the secondary characters and wish they'd been a little more fleshed out. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this modern fairy tale and look forward to reading more from this author! Totally recommend this for your late summer reading pleasure, and think it would make an excellent choice to toss into your Labor Day beach bag.

Grab your copy on AMAZON

Friday, August 26, 2016

Friday Feature: New Release from J.L. Sheppard - FATE FORGOTTEN




Fate Forgotten, Fated Immortals II
By: J.L. Sheppard
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance

About the Book:

Valerie Matlock’s life revolves around her coven. Young and naïve, she knows little about the immortal war brewing until the night her coven is attacked. In the blink of an eye, the family she loves is gone. Devastated, she lays eyes on the angry demon warrior, Jacob Rhodes. A Guardian, he means her no harm, but she fears him as deeply as she craves him. She has to stay away. She just doesn’t know if she can.

The pain of Jacob’s losses have hardened him. He lives for revenge and uses anger like a shield, keeping everyone at arm’s length. He can’t risk losing more. Tragedy strikes, again, and he’s left caring for his four-year-old niece, Annie. The bright girl deserves better than him. But he can’t give her up, not ever. When he sets his eyes on his fated mate, the powerful witch, Valerie, his life gets twice as complicated. Will she accept him, a demon she fears and his adopted child?


Excerpt:

A beautiful stranger sleeping on his couch.

His heart pounded faster. His chest heaved. Rubbing his sweaty palms against his jeans, a growl escaped his lips. A sense of possessiveness overwhelmed him.

Taking a step closer, he pulled in a breath. Shivers ran through his body. Holding back a groan, his jaw clenched. 

Breathtaking.

Fascinating.

Marvelous.

And it was no longer a mystery. The haunting scent was hers.

And it wasn’t just her scent, it was her. Striking, everything about her drew him in. His body pulsed, desire to hold her, comfort her, protect her welled inside him. Powerful, confounding, and indescribable. Even now, staring at her he was drawn inexplicably. He couldn’t put it into words, but he couldn’t ignore it. He knew what it was and why he couldn’t control it.

She was his fated mate, the woman granted to him above all others, his other half. There was no question.

He couldn’t help what he did next. Ever so slowly, he drew closer. A mere few feet away, he held his hand over her face, craving with every fiber in his being to feel the softness of her skin against his.
Before he could, her eyes snapped open. Painful jolts shot through him. The pain so unbearable it brought him, a demon, to his knees. The current gone a moment later, but the pain hadn’t faded. Every joint, every muscle ached.

And still, all he could think: her eyes were the perfect shade—honey.

Purchase Fate Forgotten
Links:


About the Author:

J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband and son.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.


Other Books by J.L. Sheppard:
Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters I: January 2013
Burdened by Desire, Elemental Sisters II: January 2014
Heavenly Desire, Elemental Sisters III: September 2014
Running Wild, Hell Ryders I: June 2016

Contact: