Tuesday, December 20, 2011

This Magic Moment Releases




Zack Graham, CEO of Scrumbles Snack Cakes and Crandall Drake, CEO of Pretzelcious Pretzels  are workaholics. Mike Kramer and Gretta Fishman, who work for each CEO respectively, are not. What’s worse, Mike and Gretta are lovers who can’t spend time with each other due to their boss’ OCD work habits. But they have a plan: ask Maxwell Magic, the magnanimous, magical, mystery matchmaker, to solve their problem by getting their two bosses to stop working and start loving in a match that lasts forever.
Zack and Crandall are in for a crazy ride, because Maxwell knows all and he will design a plan that is infallible; but, in the process they will have long-hidden secrets exposed and will be forced to sacrifice more than they thought possible to gain what they never though could come true.
But it can, because it’s magic-This Magic Moment!

Now available exclusively at Amazon

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Ræliksen

Here's a great read for the season from friend and fellow writer, Renee Voncent!


Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, was raised to believe the men of the North are heathens - murderous pagans without a moral bone in their bodies. Despite warnings of the Northmen's raids, and the growing threat of another incursion, Mara is continually drawn to her favorite place - the River Shannon.

Dægan Ræliksen, a wealthy chieftain from Norway's frozen fjords, secretly discovers Mara at the water's edge. He is charmed by her beauty and sensuous grace. As the days pass, his contentment with simply watching her grows thin. He can no longer deny his unabated desire for the young maiden. His search for a wife has ended.

However, Mara and Dægan come face-to-face in a time when Ireland is in turmoil - when every Irishman is being called up to fight against the Nordic foreigners. In these times of upheaval, how can Dægan make peace with Mara's father and acquire the woman he treasures? Furthermore, can Mara move past her fears and find the noble man within the savage?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Sunday, June 5, 2011

New Cover!

The Book of the Beginning series comes out in early 2012. I think I've already shown you my Honey Blood and the Collector cover, debuting from Turquoise Morning Press in February, 2012, but here it is again:


Now, drum roll, here is the cover for Book 2, Sign of the Green Comet:


What do you guys think?

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

How about Something Demented?

My short story, A Terrible Thing to Waste came out in one of L&L Dreamspell's anthologies, Dreamspell Demented, Volume 1. Here are the cover and a trailer. The buy links are also included.




All Romance EBooks

Kindle

In the Mood for Something a Little Naughty?

Try my wicked little witch in this short story. All sorts of things can become bewitched.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Frozen Assets makes appearances

There have been quite a few Frozen Assets spottings during the past week, so I hope some of my readers will take the time to check out just where it's been. It's now on the headlines at www.theromancereviews.com and also on the front page of www.manicreaders.com. Last week, it made a debut with the book trailer at Kindle Author and again as an author being interviewed on Sunday at Kindle Author.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Frozen Assets Featured on Kindle Author

Go check it out at http://kindle-author.blogspot.com
Frozen Assets is also on sale this month for $.99!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

New Indie Published Books Go Live!

Finally, both Millicent and Frozen Assets have gone live! For now they're up at Smashwords. Frozen Assets is up on Amazon and Millicent will probably be there tomorrow. Here are the links as they stand now--please note I have included a coupon code for Millicent on Smashwords. Use it if you buy it there (all formats but Kindle/mobi/prc, and get the book for $1.00).


Smashwords
Coupon Code at Checkout (for it discounted to $1.00): RW33Q
Amazon Kindle




Amazon Kindle
Smashwords

Find out more about the new series at www.TheCashChroniclesSeries.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Interview with Stormy Knight


Stormy Knight is an author of erotic romance and erotica. Her newest work, Red Hot Lightning, a Dirty Bits short story, is available from Sapphire Nights Books. This is my first erotica author on the blog. She is a longtime friend who also writes as herself in another genre.

How did you come up with the title of your book?
Having sex during a thunderstorm has always excited me. I also heard a Mystic Moods song one time that had the thunder in the background while moans can be heard from two lovers in the throes of passion. Of course, it didn’t hurt something similar happened to me a long time ago, so, I can say there’s a kernel of truth in this story.

What is Red Hot Lightning about?
It’s about a woman who has had bad luck in relationships and now has gone a long time without sex. Spurred on by the relentless heat and spiraling tension, she decides to do something about it. She remembers a man has recently given her an invitation to visit, and she doesn’t think he wants her over for tea.

What made you decide to write erotica?
Can I say it was because I hadn’t done it? (grins) I’ve written all types of romance but not this one. I heard Sapphire Nights Books, www.sapphirenightsbooks.com, had an open call for submissions and thought, why not? I’m a male/female erotica kind of girl and don’t think I’ll never get too kinky with my writing, but I believe readers will find it extremely hot.

What are your current projects?
I just finished a novella, All for Lust, the first in what I hope will be a series of three(or maybe more, because I really want to bring back the man who is the love interest in book one). Here’s hoping my editor likes it.

I’ve also submitted another Dirty Bits short story.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Making sure there’s enough sex and it’s varied. I have had a very eventful “dating” life in my past, so I’m no angel. But, I’m still learning about all sorts of things I never tried. Who knew?

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Make sure you really know how to write and practice your craft a lot before you try to submit anything. Don’t think you can throw a lot of sex at the public without a story to hold it together. Did I mention your characters have to be well-developed?

Can you share a blurb with us (G-rated, please)?
Skye Miller is so tense, not even a full set of tennis can unwind her tight muscles—her tension heightened by a raging summer storm that grips the town. But a hot and sweaty set of tennis is not the physical exercise she craves, nor will the pounding rain erase her pain. Thank the sex gods above she remembers a possible remedy just up the street. And he’s already posed the invitation.



Available at:

Smashwords
AllRomance Ebooks
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook

Follow me at http://twitter.com/steamystormy
At my website: www.stormyknight.net
And my blog: http://steamystormyknight.Blogspot.com

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Broken Hearts Blogfest


Sorry folks, late today. Here is my post from It's Magic. It's now available in print and online at lost retailers. After you read and/or comment go on to the next blog in the hop by clicking the button in the right sidebar.:

There are many ways in which dogs are superior to their male owners. In previous chapters, I have touched on some of these traits.

Now we will discuss the most important way in which dogs excel: they cannot tell a lie.

A dog hates to admit the truth, especially when it might get him in trouble, but who doesn’t? The real difference between man and his dog is the dog can’t tell a lie.

His body language tells the truth. His tail tucks between his legs. His ears flatten to the sides of his head. His jaw droops. He refuses to look you in the eye, not wanting to see disapproval or disappointment there.

The dog is smart.

Men on the other hand, can be dishonest. They can and do look you in the eye and lie without a trace of remorse. They have become virtuosos of the falsehood.

Here are several of the ways they disguise their deceit:

1. Act like he doesn’t know anything about what happened. This is very effective when they’ve ruined something you own. Say, heaven forbid, you let them near the laundry and they shrink your angora sweater. A man’s response? “How was I supposed to know? It was in the bag next to the washer.” The fact the bag is marked ‘Dry-cleaning’ is not considered relevant.

2. Change the subject when you ask a question. To be fair, this isn’t lying, just not telling the truth. This is what I call “a dishonest omission.”

3. Take the offensive. When you aggressively pursue the truth, the man will turn on you, finding that one kink in your armor and attack. The hoped for result is making you feel guilty.

4. Some men swear they’re telling the truth, while you know they’re lying. These men could be caught naked in bed with a woman and would declare the bedmate was suffering from hypothermia, and he was doing his best to keep her alive. Should you point out that it’s ninety degrees outside, they will attack claiming you’re selfish and don’t care if the woman dies. These men should be avoided at all costs. You’ll never be sure when what they said is reality or well-crafted dishonesty.


After saving her manuscript, Kasey closed the document on her computer. No question about it, she could kick herself for allowing herself to have dreams of what could be fill her mind, and then have them smashed, dashed, and crushed, to bring an acidic bite back to her writing.

Thank God, the book was back on track. Rising from her chair, she ambled from her office and down the front hall. Now, if only she regained control of her life.
Without thinking, she headed for the one place that never disappointed her--the kitchen. With soup spoon in hand, she opened the freezer. Retrieving the half-gallon of Rocky Road ice cream, she prayed she’d left enough from last night’s binge to satisfy tonight’s depression.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Complementary or Opplementary


Please welcome guest blogger, Kat Duncan, who graciously has joined us today to share a writing tip from her upcoming class at Savvy Authors.

A story needs people (characters). The story people need something to do (premise). Which comes first the premise or the people?

Well, my grandfather used to say, "If we had some tea, we could have tea and toast. If we had the toast."

I like to go opposite to the crowd. Most writers start with the premise. Let's try starting with people. We need at least one main character (protagonist). Two is good, since this is probably a romance novel. By the way three is not a crowd in romance. Three is either the antagonist (villain) or a ménage.

The story people have to interact. So you have to decide: are these people complementary or opplementary? Do they complement each other the way Jack Sprat and his wife did? (y'know the you eat fat and I eat lean folks). Complementary characters get along, share common goals and generally help each other.

Or are the characters opplementary? Opplementary people don't get along. They don't see eye to eye. Like Jack and the Giant (y'know the beanstalk guys). This applies to antagonists too. Just because a character is the villain, doesn't mean he can't get along with the protagonist. The scariest villains are characters the protagonist trusts - or thinks he trusts.

Once you decide whether the characters are complementary or opplementary, then you need a premise for them to tangle with. The premise puts the characters in a stressful situation. Stress is good. No stressful situation. No story. The stress can be mild or strong. You don't need to invent wild, mystical places (though it's great if you can) or have lots of shootouts, murders and disasters (though that's fine, too). Statistical analysis of the top ten stressors in life are:

1. Spouse’s death
2. Divorce
3. Marriage separation
4. Jail term
5. Death of a close relative
6. Injury or illness
7. Marriage
8. Fired from job
9. Marriage reconciliation
10. Retirement

So you can start there if you have no other ideas. Any character exposed to these stressors will react by changing behavior. Notice that these stressors are all external happenings. Mental stress goes with the premise, but it rarely works as the premise itself.

Your next job is to decide what is making the character behave that way (the way he's reacting to the stress). Is this the usual way the character behaves, or is it different? Think about who they are and what might make them react this way. For example how would your character react to being fired from a job? Would he be angry, relieved, fearful?

Next, have a look at what the character was expecting to happen versus what did happen. Again, complementary and opplementary can help you out here. If what they were expecting was opplementary, then it was unexpected and they don't like it. If what they were expecting was complementary, then it was unexpected and they do like it.

Notice the unexpected part. We don't want predictable things happening to characters.
Now you've got the proper ingredients for a story:

Complementary or opplementary people reacting to some kind of unexpected stressful situation.

Here are the four parts you need:
1. Complementary or opplementary characters
2. Reacting to
3. an unexpected
4. Stressful Situation

Thanks for stopping by. Share your comments here today and check out my year-long novel writing course that begins in May at Savvy Authors. You can also find me on the web at http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kat Duncan obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and German from Regis College in Weston, MA. She is a Fulbright Scholar who spent a year in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. She recently obtained her Master's Degree in Special Education from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She is a full-time tutor to students from elementary through college and beyond in reading, writing and math. An active member of the New England Chapter of RWA, and RWA-PRO, she has written a series of popular newsletter articles on grammar and style. She has presented a grammar and writing workshops for beginning writers both locally and online. With seven completed manuscripts and numerous short stories she uses a spreadsheet to keep track of her multiple submissions to agents and editors. Her debut book, a romantic suspense novella, titled Fifty-eight Faces, is due out January 12, 2011 from The Wild Rose Press.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Is Time Travel Sci-fi?


Not too long ago, the owner of one of my listservs asked this question: is time travel classified as science fiction? There were mixed answers, but many proclaiming to be science fiction purists said "no." This, to me, makes no sense. I mean, even Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is considered a sci-fi fantasy. So why would so many proclaim it as not of the genre? This is my conclusion: time travel in fiction is more than sci-fi. It is cross-genre and anything that can't be easily classified as one thing is shunned as fitting at all.

I have a new book, make that old book totally re-edited and now a debut book at Black Opal Books. Craigs' Legacy was co-written with Linda Campbell under our pen name, Terry Campbell. It is the story of a modern day financial whiz who is pushed back through time by the ghost of a Confederate Colonel to save his life against three Union deserters. Is it possible? Not that we know of. Was techologically advanced equipment not yet known to man used? No,he pushed her back into an old wardrobe. But, did her body actually pass through a wormhole or cosmic string? Who knows? We may find out one day it can be done.

However, the story itself, though demonstrating how changes in our past can influence the present and the future, is a romance, is an historically-accurate account of times as they existed in 1864 Virginia, is a fantasy in that a woman can find her true love and hold on to it through time.

I am pleased it can be offered as a book that crosses four distinct genres.

Buy links:

Amazon

All Romance Ebooks

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Interview with Author, Denise Verrico


Denise Verrico is an author of urban fantasy. Her newest work Twilight of the Gods, Book Two of the Immortyl revolution is available from L&L Dreamspell.

How did you come up with the title?
It’s an allusion to the Norse idea of the Ragnorak. In Norse mythology, Loki is the “mischief maker” and is foretold to bring on the Ragnorak.

What is Twilight of the Gods about?
In book one, Cara Mia, vampires Mia Disantini and Kurt Eisen have done the unthinkable and rebelled against their elder, Brovik, who was funding research on vampire immortality. In addition, the lovers have stolen data that proves that Immortyls are mere biological mutations of human beings. In their culture, to even suggest this is punishable by death.
Mia and Kurt’s motivation is to find a cure for their condition, a rival elder, Gaius, is trying to harness the power of immortality for profit. Kurt builds a force among bands of cast-off teenaged and child vampires called sewer rats to battle Gaius. They give Kurt the nickname Loki. This soon inspires a worldwide revolutionary movement.

Meanwhile, Mia, his strong and independent partner, dislikes being shunted into the background in the “man’s world” of Immortyl politics. To add insult to injury for her, Kurt has formed a romantic attachment to Arturo, an Immortyl who saved his life. She is forced to make a difficult choice for the good of the revolution and her relationship to Kurt.

What books have most influenced your life most?
In my genre, I have to give credit to Anne Rice. I love her dark romanticism. I’m not against books like Twilight, but I do prefer a darker vampire. My next biggest influence would have to be historical fiction authors Mary Renault and Robert Graves. I love the accessible first person narratives in books like The Persian Boy and I Claudius. Court intrigue and politics fascinate me. I also loved Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’d have to say that my next book in the series, My Fearful Symmetry, owes a lot to Renault’s The Persian Boy. Renault’s book is told from the POV of Bogoas the companion to Alexander The Great. The tone of Renault’s writing is very conversational. I like that all of this history is happening around the characters, but that personal stories are so accessible.

I loved the idea of writing about a male courtesan, only mine is a vampire and he’s a temple artist in service to the Goddess Kali. His name is Cedric MacKinnon. He’s a nineteen-year-old Scot. Cedric is funny and irreverent; a modern teenager who wants more than anything to be a rock star, but life has dumped him at the bottom of the heap. A chance encounter with a mysterious Indian gentleman leads him to the chief elder’s court and lands him in the middle of a hotbed of political intrigue. I really wanted a character that sees Kurt’s revolution from the inside of the ruling class, but I didn’t want that POV entirely opposed to the idea. Cedric sees and experiences terrible things and does a lot of growing as a character. In a nutshell, the book is about a boy who becomes a vampire and fights to become a man.


What are your current projects?
I’m working on the fourth Immortyl Revolution novel, Ratopia, and a magic-based urban fantasy with a variety of paranormal characters.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I find it hard to do things fast. I don’t know how some authors can get books done so quickly. The research and world building takes time, and I work a full time job. I come from the theatre and dialogue is easy for me. Usually, I write it first. The trick is in balancing how much narrative detail is needed against the dialogue arc of the scene. That’s where the art comes into the craft, and that is where those extra pairs of eyes from writer’s groups come in handy.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Join a critique group if you haven’t. My groups help me so much. Also, strive to be original. Even though I like Anne Rice, I knew I wanted to write something very different. With the glut of vampire books out there, one of the most gratifying things I hear in reviews is that my books are very unique in the genre.



Blurb

Twilight of the Gods, Book Two of the Immortyl Revolution

Narrowly escaping the implosion of Genpath laboratories, vampires Mia Disantini and Kurt Eisen are on the run from Gaius Lupus their rival in the Forbidden Science. When Kurt is captured by their enemy and rescued with the aid of feral vampire kids known as sewer rats, Mia witnesses first hand the charismatic spell her lover casts over these would-be revolutionaries. Setting up base in Manhattan, Kurt builds his forces to face off with Gaius, while independent-minded Mia navigates the minefield of sewer rat politics, which she finds very much a man’s world. The lovers’ deep bond is put to the test by both the beautiful Arturo and Kurt’s followers, who see Mia as standing between them and their beloved “Loki.” Matters are further complicated when the chief elder, Kalidasa, arrives from India to investigate rumors of heresy and revolution. With the threat of war with Gaius drawing ever closer, Mia ands Kurt prepare to meet the biggest challenge of their lives.

Excerpt
Twilight of the Gods, Book Two of the Immortyl Revolution

Virginia 2001

“Mee-ya? Darling, it’s past nine.”

The kerosene lamp beside the old four-poster bed sputtered. My eyes opened on Kurt’s in the flickering light. Paul Newman in his prime on a really good day couldn’t compete with those big blues. “Hello, gorgeous.”

He chuckled and eased his slender body over mine, lips searching my throat for the landmarks, while something warm, hard, and smooth begged for entrance below.

“I dreamed about Ethan.”

He paused in his delicious pursuit to scowl. “Again?”

“I still chose you.”

A smile fluttered over his alarmingly pale mouth. “I must go out tonight to meet Carol.” He gestured to a plastic bag filled with red liquid sitting in a bath of warm water. “Only a pint left.”

“You take it. I had two last night.” I stroked the warmth poised to enter me. “Amazed you still manage. Better wait.” His lower lip pouted. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He pulled away sighing and sat up, stretching and running his fingers through tangled golden curls, a marble angel with a single blemish, inky and obscene on his left forearm, a vestige of his captivity long ago in Dachau. He lifted the plastic bag out of the basin and inserted a straw, drinking it down. The white linen napkin he used to wipe his mouth came away smeared with red. “I’ll take the bike.”

“I’d feel better if you took the car.”

Brushing damp hair back from my eyes, he kissed me. “The wind feels like freedom.” He pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Despite the late August temperatures of Northern Virginia, it was necessary for him to conceal the tattoo. People might not take too kindly to what looked to be a boy in his late teens making an apparent mockery of others’ misery. Unfortunately for Kurt the misery was all too real and personal. I rolled over on the huge bed, sheets sticking to my skin. “We really need an air-conditioner.”

Kurt frowned as he buttoned his shirt. “We been through this—no electricity—no noise.”

“I’m tired of tepid baths. I’m dying for a hot shower. Jesus, even Ethan believed in hot running water.”

“Darling, no one must know we’re camping out here. I don’t like it, either. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer. Carol says she has a meeting with the Justice Department next week about a safe house.”

“Yeah, real safe—level four maximum security.”

“We simply won’t agree to it. We’ll figure out something.” He lifted my chin to kiss me.

His lips were chilly. He needed lots more than the pint he’d just consumed. “Back in half an hour.”

“Be careful. Take a gun.”

He patted a slight bulge under his shirt in the vicinity of his hip. “Don’t worry.”

Kurt left the room. Moments later, gravel crunched as he walked Ethan’s motorcycle down the long drive and through the gate to the road. The bike growled and then buzzed into the distance. I worried about Kurt out there where our enemies might be lying in wait. Where did he get off becoming so annoyingly male and protective on me? He wasn’t trained to fight. He was small and slight and against a bigger, stronger vampire he was no match. I was a better shot than he, and I’d already saved his life once.

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Rise of the Novella--cream to the top?

The novella has been around for centuries, yet until recent years has been shunned by many print publishers as not quite good enough,mostly because of length. After all, the novella is really too short to publish in print by itself, and publishers didn't believe anyone would buy a collection from an unknown author. So, rarely would you see a bundled set of novellas which wasn't tied to already established and/or rising star authors the publisher was pushing, those who had a series that most likely would be associated with the shorter stories.

Then there was the whole discussion regarding length. What length was a novella? Did it have to be, as purists defined it, between 17,500 and 40,000 words? Or could it be, say 12,000 to 45,000 words? Where were the minimums and maximums?

Thankfully, as the digital age has expanded in its glory, these obstacles have been removed. Though print publishers still hold steadfast to their old model, digital and indie publishers are embracing the new shorter form of fiction. It doesn't matter the length of the story, really, for on an ereader one won't know where one page starts and another begins. Word count is only a nebulous indication of length.

Much more important, I believe, are the content and quality of the writing. One author, Cheryl Anne Gardner, on her shared blog, POD People (http://podpeep.blogspot.com/2009/06/thoughts-on-craft-cannegardner_11.html ) wrote about theme and thesis being critical to the novella, saying, Theme is the subject, and the thesis is the particular philosophy being argued with regard to the subject. Novellas tend to focus on a single suspenseful event, situation, or conflict. She goes on to mention that these should be expressed early in the novella, preferably in the first chapter.


In writing my recent work, Millicent, 13,000-words (short story or novella? You be the judge), the main character of this work and villainess in the first book of my science fiction series, The Cash Chronicles , is introduced as a seven-year old abused child who seeks security. Throughout the work you see the theme of security. However, the thesis unfolds as this: when does the need for secutiy cross over to the desire for power?

I feel fortunate to be able to publish such a work at this time and would love to hear about other folks' short works and their plans for digital publication.

Millicent will be released in mid-March as a digital work on Kindle and in other formats on Smashwords. The Cash Chronicles will debut with Frozen Assets, Book 1, in April.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Winner of the Drawing!

I arbitrarily assigned numbers to all commenters and had a friend choose a number. And the winner of the drawing, drum roll please, is:

Karina!

Congratulations! I see you mentioned Craigs' Legacy as your book of choice. Please get in touch so I can make that happen. Send the e-mail to Daryn@DarynCross.com

To everyone else, thanks so much for commenting and being interested in my works and the other wonderful fiction titles. I hope you'll consider choosing one or more to read. Come back! This isn't my first and won't be my last drawing for a free download read.

Daryn aka Bobbye

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day Blog Hop

Once Upon a Twilight
This is a Valentine's Day Blog Hop hosted by Good Choice Reading and Once Upon a Twilight. The purpose is for all you readers out there to have the opportunity to get some good reads you may not otherwise know about. Here are a couple for you to consider.

First choice is Paramour by Margaret Ethridge. It is her deput novel. Here is the cover and an excerpt from a review at BookingIt, www.BookingIt.net:


Paramour is that story prolific readers search for that only happens once every now and then. Ms. Ethridge made something completely magical and I feel thrilled and humbled to read something as great as this story. Frank, Cam and Brad’s story sang to me in such a way that I lost myself for awhile in the imaginary world and characters of Paramour. I laughed with them, I cried with them, and my stomach flip-flopped with them because I understood these characters in so much depth that I felt they were real.

Simply put: Paramour blows the roof off the house! I believe this new author is someone to watch. She’s going to make waves, especially if she can continually produce stories like Paramour.

Read. This. Book!


In the mood for romantic suspense? Get three books in one and enter for a chance to win a Kindle 3 Wi-Fi ereader and other goodies (more info at http://www.lldreamspell.com/Contests.htm) Specially priced now at AllRomance Ebooks.


I also included my two Valentine's releases. You may have a download of either one you wish if you enter the drawing by leaving a comment and win. Good luck!

www.BlackOpalBooks.com




www.TurquoiseMorningPress.com, on sale for a week (see coupons): http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs006/1102610362441/archive/1104512082161.html


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Historical Romance Buffs, What About Sci-Fi?


I have a lot of friends who read historical romance. So do I, though I have to say that most are time travels these days. Whether it be Timeless, that just came out from Alexandra Monir last month or The Time Traveler's Wife, a popular YA, or even one of mine, Craigs' Legacy, co-written with Linda Campbell as Terry Campbell (just out for Valentine's Day). All of these, like the traditional historical, give us a taste of something we yearn for, the glamour of an era gone by or the excitement of experiencing life as different than we know it. It got me to thinking.

Why do historical romance readers seldom seem to try reading a science fiction novel? Okay some do, like Moi and others who have eclectic tastes. But, I've heard many of my friends say, "Science fiction just isn't my cup of tea." Now, I've always been that way about vampire novels, just couldn't understand a woman getting excited about a man drawing her blood (I sure hate to give a sample at the doctor's office *big grins*). That beings said, I ran across a book just a week to ten days ago called Eden's Hell by Dawné Dominique and loved it. So my motto is "Never say never."

I am now in the process of writing a series of technically classified science fiction novels, all with some romance. The first is really a time travel and also a cyberpunk, in that the hero and heroine wake up from being cryogenically frozen in the year 2145 and the world of the future is a dystopian one with a lot of high technology. But the hero and heroine are from 1918. How they got there is part of the book. The way they speak and act is from a time gone by. The villainess, who was also cryoed and then cloned, is from the same time period as our travelers.

I thought to myself, wouldn't it be interesting if I did a long short story, bordering on short novella, a $.99 special on Kindle, and other formats,that showed how she got to be so vile? All of it would be historical, yet it shows the obvious:
Listen up historical readers! the future will be history one day.They're connected. What you love is the glamour of a different time. So, for crying out loud, try a science fiction novel. It may be what your future will look like.


An ebook slated for debut in late March by Daryn Cross.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

New Blog Award--Thanks to Angelina Rain


Angelina http://angelinarain.blogspot.com gave me this award almost two weeks ago--sorry for taking so long to post.

I am very proud--this is my second award for this site. I am supposed to say seven things about myself as a taggie and then pass the award along to fifteen bloggers whom I've recently discovered. So here goes:

1) I've won two *paying* awards for inspirational poetry.
2) I won a city-wide cooking contest and a team tennis title for the tri-state championship in the 70s.
2) I was selected as one of the top ten Discharge Planners in the country in the 80s.
3) I was nominated for Home Care Administrator of the Year in the National Association for Home Care in the 90s.
4) With Linda Campbell, writing as Terry Campbell, we were finalists in the Booksellers' Best Award in consecutive years in the 2000s.
5) I've been a solo finalist in two RWA-sponsored contests in the 2010s.
6) I will debut my first fiction book as Bobbye Terry this year.
7) I hope to win an award for one of my new novels soon.

Now on to choosing some great bloggers to receive this same Stylish Blogger Award:
1) Caroline at http://CarolineClemmons.Blogspot.com
2) Melinda at http://writingnotwhining.blogspot.com
3) Gail at http://tickettoanywhere.net
4) Beth at http://www.bethfishreads.com
5) http://www.thebookcellarx.com
6) http://theromancestudio.blogspot.com
7) http://turquoisemorningpressblog.blogspot.com
8) http://cymlowell.blogspot.com
9) http://wwwgeraldineevanscom.blogspot.com
10) Kati at http://klearsreviews.blogspot.com/
11) http://rabid-reads.blogspot.com
12) http://readingbud.blogspot.com
13) http://crazy-bookworm.blogspot.com
14) Yvonne at http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com
15) http://www.Sugarbeatsbooks.com

Great sites folks! Congrats one and all.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Angels: The Vampires of 2011


I usually manage to hit a trend before it comes. Note, that when I originally wrote with Linda Campbell as Terry Campbell, romantic comedy wasn’t “in,” yet just a year after we released our books, all the editors were asking us, “Why didn’t you submit to us?” (this happened, honestly) Then we had a time-travel set in the civil war period. Two no-nos. Guess what? Time-travel is now on the upsurge. Yay! This time the book re-releases as a debut book from Black Opal Books on February 11th. Check out Craigs’ Legacy (book cover at the end of this blog).

But, right now, I want to talk about angels. We should have known they were going to be a trend. I mean, vampires are always in black—angels in white, right? So the pendulum swings…There is a twist. People seem drawn to the fallen angel, the one who wants redemption.

Daryn Cross has a book, Walk Right In, coming out from L&L Dreamspell in October and its sequel Walk Right Back, in January 2012. I mentioned this once before in an interview and everyone asked me about these books more than the one I was writing about. There is interest. As usual, my angels are a bit comedic and bungling. But the demons are menacing and the risks real. I do have a fallen angel as well who needs to redeem himself. He’s dropped in to a human’s body and they’re living quite a dual life.

Let me know what you see regarding the trend of angels. I know Nalini Singh has a series going on. Where else do you see this trend, and what do you think of it?

Craigs' Legacy debuting February 11, 2011, electronic formats--print to follow.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Terry Campbell backlist on Kindle








Most of my current readers know I wrote for many years with a co-writer as Terry Campbell. Our backlist of romantic comedies is now available on Kindle for $2.99 each. Want to laugh? I think that's worth $2.99. Check them out. The best way to find them is at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/37wj3t2

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Best of 2010 Blogfest

I decided to celebrate the accomplishments of 2010 a little differently. I hope you enjoy...
Daryn, aka Bobbye Terry and Terry Campbell