Monday, 2 December 2013

Teri Riggs Visits My Blog


Hi Terri, I love the sound of your book, Resolutions and look forward to reading it.

Thanks! It was a fun book to research and write.
Please describe Resolutions in twenty words.  A strong-willed DEA agent and the Alpha male she once loved are thrown together in a race for their lives.
What is your writing process from inspiration, editing, to feeling your book is ready for publication? 
Inspiration for my books can come from many places. Songs, TV shows, movies, news clips...you get the picture. I’ve got plots tucked away in notebooks, on my computer, and on scraps of paper shoved in drawers. I even have a few dozen store receipts and napkins covered with scribbled ideas. Once I pick the idea I’m going to use, I think about the story for a while before I actually start putting words down on paper. I prefer to start with an outline. I spend less time staring mindlessly at my WIP when I have a plan to follow. Which of course I never seem to actually follow. Once I’m well into the book, my characters have a tendency to push me in other directions. They obviously don’t know who is in charge! I guess I’m a plotter/pantser crossbreed. I have a tendency to read through and edit what I wrote the day before. It slows me down, but I can’t seem to kick the habit. Once I finish the manuscript, I have a few people read through it to look for obvious story flaws. I get their input and read through the MS a few times to tighten it. When I think it’s ready, I start submitting it to publishers.
Where did you get your ideas for the storyline in your book? 
I really can’t remember where the idea for Resolutions came from.  
What research did you do for your book and did you enjoy it? 
I enjoy doing the research. It’s always fun to learn new things. I did a lot of research on the internet. I looked up countries where the drug trade is out of control. I researched types of drugs and how they are transported to buyers. The DEA and Homeland Security probably have my computer flagged. I did a full two weeks looking at helicopters and finding two model types that would work with my storyline. I also interviewed a helicopter pilot who is a currently serving in the Italian Army. I researched guns until I thought I had more information than I’d need for fifty books.
Do you have a favourite writing place, or writing routine? 
I have an office at the building where our family business is located. My room has a great view of a wooded area and pond. I spend a few hours in the morning doing boring housewife stuff. Afterwards, I head to my office and get down to the business of romance, murder, and all things fiction. I spend five to eight hours working. I try to keep the amount of time I work on promotions and social media to 1-2 hours. Sometimes, if the mood hits, I write at home after dinner. I’ve been known to write in bed while the rest of the world sleeps.
What do you think is the most important thing that every writer should know, or have? 
A strong backbone. Rejection is not easy. You have to be able to pick yourself up and move on to the next submission. If you’re not careful, a bad review can ruin a perfectly good day. It stings when you realize not everyone is going to love your writing.
What are your writing dreams for the future?  
To work more efficiently and put out multiple books a year. I’d like to continue to learn everything I can about the art of writing fiction.


Press Kit ~ Resolutions


DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions’ operative and former lover, Dillon “Mac” McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she’s captured and comes face to face with her mortality…

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he’s tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he’s so terrified of losing…

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

About the Author


Teri Riggs was destined to be a writer.  As a small girl she didn’t read bedtime stories, she made up her own.  Who needed Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs when there were so many great tales bouncing around in her head?  When she grew up and became a mother to three little girls, she continued the tradition of making up bedtime stories.  On the occasions she chose to tell conventional fairytales, Teri usually gave them a bit of tweaking here and there or added a new ending.  Her girls loved it.

After her daughters had the nerve to actually grow up and leave home, Teri discovered she had a passion for writing and jumped right in.  It came as no surprise she chose to write mysteries and happily-ever-after’s since that’s the genres she loves to read.

Teri lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, one of her daughters and two dogs that seem to think they rule the world.  And some days Teri thinks maybe they do.
Teri still frequently tells herself stories as she falls asleep.  The only difference now is she wakes up the next morning and turns her bedtime stories into books.

Author Links


Twitter - @TeriLRiggs https://twitter.com/TeriLRiggs

Welcoming Julie Ryan

I'm delighted to welcome Julie Ryan, author of Jenna's Journey, here to my blog today.
 
Welcome, Julie,

Please describe your book in twenty words.

A romantic mystery, a journey of discovery, where Sliding Doors meets Shirley Valentine.

What is your writing process from inspiration, editing, to feeling your book is ready for publication?

I start with a couple of characters and a setting and only a brief outline of the plot in my head. Writing is such a creative process that I never know where it will end up. It’s only after a lot of changes as I go along that I have a story. Then comes the hard work of editing. I try not to edit and write at the same time but it’s impossible for me. Every time I re-read what I’ve written, I have to change something. When the book is as good as I can get it grammatically, I send it to a select few Beta readers. Their help has been invaluable and after their input, the book looks very different to my first draft. Then it’s more editing. To be honest, I never feel that a book is ready for publication but there has to be a cut-off point so when I’m happy that the book doesn’t have any glaring errors, it’s time to format and publish.

Where did you get your ideas for the storyline in your book?

I lived in Greece during the 1980s and have always felt an attraction for the country so it was no surprise that it should figure largely in my books. The idea for ‘Jenna’s Journey’ came one winter morning when I was gazing out of my window at the dismally gloomy day and started to wonder what I would be doing if I’d stayed in Greece. From there the story just developed a life of its own.

What research did you do for your book and did you enjoy it?

I did some research into Greek customs as it had been a long time since I lived there but the rest was based on my time in Greece. If I’ve made any errors then it’s probably down to my faulty memory. I enjoyed doing the research as it brought back so many memories.

Do you have a favourite writing place, or writing routine?

I write when I can but find mornings are usually best for me. I run our local village post office as well as teaching part-time and looking after our young son so by the evening I’m usually too tired to write. I find that if I haven’t checked my emails and all the other social media stuff by 10.10am then not much writing gets done. I usually write on the kitchen table even though I have a gorgeous brand new desk which is still in the packaging!

What do you think is the most important thing that every writer should know, or have?

Determination and self-belief! It’s a hard journey but you have to have the determination to finish and the self-belief that you can write. Don’t expect to become rich but hope for some positive feedback.

What are your writing dreams for the future?

To become rich! No, seriously, I am enjoying the fact that total strangers have been able to read my book and have enjoyed it. That’s all a writer can ask. I published the book myself because I didn’t have the self-confidence to approach publishers. I’m hoping though that one day I’ll feel the time is right to do that. Now, if my book were ever to be turned into a film, that would be a dream come true!

What is the most important piece of advice you’d give someone who was thinking about writing a book?

Write it! A lot of people want to write but find the process daunting. My advice is just to write from the heart and then you’ll have something to edit. After all you can’t edit a blank piece of paper.
 
Thanks, Julie.


Author Biography —Julie Ryan

 


Julie was born and brought up in a mining village near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. She graduated with a BA (hons) in French Language and Literature from Hull University. Since then she has lived and worked as a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language in France, Greece, Poland and Thailand. She now lives in rural Gloucestershire with her husband, son and a dippy cat with half a tail.  She is so passionate about books that her collection is now threatening to outgrow her house, much to her husband’s annoyance! “Jenna’s Journey” is her début novel set in Greece, a country to which she has a strong attachment. She is now working on a second novel in the series, “Sophia’s Story.”
 
You can buy Jenna's Journey here, find out more about Julie  and her writing on her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Friday, 22 November 2013

Merry Chick Lit Celebrate the Season - Six Sassy Shorts

Christmas is coming and what a better way to celebrate than to read a great chick lit holiday romance compilation book while supporting a charity! Merry Chick Lit celebrate the Season with Six Sassy Shorts and it's published today.

This compilation book is available for 99 cents on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble and will soon be available in paperback from. However you can buy it now at amazon and Barnes & Noble 

The book was created to benefit the charity Rocking the Road for A Cure, a NY based breast cancer charity that sends out volunteers to help women with breast cancer with their everyday actives such as shopping, errands, laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. All proceeds for the book will go to this charity.

BOOK BLURB:
Merry Chick Lit Celebrate the Season with Six Sassy Shorts

In the spirit of giving, six chick-lit authors "present" a charming collection of seasonal shorts sure to inspire holiday cheer-plus love and hope throughout the year, with all proceeds donated to Rocking the Road for a Cure!  Featured authors & stories include: 

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson 
In "Santa's Gift," journalist Jessica thinks Santa's just a silly myth for children, so when he asks what she most wants for Christmas she tells him the one thing she knows he can't deliver--true love. Or can he...? 

Sarah Hitchcock 
In "The Christmas Lights," one competition pits two families against each other...who will win this war? 

Francine LaSala 
Pretty Izzy knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: hunky sales manager Jake Harrington wrapped up with a shiny silver bow--and nothing else. Except Santa may have other plans in "Carol of the Belles." 

Nikki Mahood 
In "Spinster Christmas," Cara's looking forward to spending Christmas alone until she learns her old--and she believes very gay--crush needs a place to stay. Though it soon becomes clear that while still hot, Ronan isn't gay after all... 

Holly Martin 
Ella's dreams of making a better life for her and her daughter seem further away than ever in "Iced Dreams." But as Christmas approaches, and she wishes for a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand to fix her life, things begin to change in ways she never imagined! 

K.C. Wilder 
In "The Mermaid," Allie's content to spend Christmas by herself at a vacant beach house to make good on a promise made to her true love lost, Jeff. Until Jeff's gorgeous college roommate Tim crashes in on her with his own promise to keep...
Information on the charity:
Rocking the Road for a Cure

                       

Rocking The Road For A Cure is tickled PINK to be selected as the recipient of proceeds from your purchase of Merry Chick Lit.

We are a growing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the New York City/Long Island area, dedicated to improving the quality of life of people undergoing the often energy-depleting and emotionally draining treatments for breast cancer.

Our name came from our founder and President, Dawn Frey, a musician, who learned through personal experience that “it takes a village” to get through the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and not every individual has the support network they need.  Rocking The Road For A Cure provides free, in-home housekeeping, health and wellness services to restore strength and confidence, and to rebuild spiritual, emotional and physical well-being.

So, when you settle back and relax to enjoy reading Merry Chick Lit, please know that you have helped us help a breast cancer patient to also settle back and relax…and heal.

Rocking The Road For A Cure   http://www.rockingtheroadforacure.org

Here's their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/merrychicklitbook and website at http://merrychicklit.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Interview With Janet G Ross



I'm thrilled to be chatting to Janet G Ross, author of Jumping Ship. 

Welcome to my blog, Janice. Please can you describe Jumping Ship in twenty words?

Thanks for interviewing me, Georgina. Jumping Ship is a novella that sets the framework for a journey of romance, mystery, and culture throughout the Caribbean.

What is your writing process, are you a plotter, or do you start with an idea and see where the story takes you as you write?

I typically start out with an idea and take it from there. This was not entirely the case with Jumping Ship or several other stories that I’ve been working on. As my writing gets more complex and I venture into mysteries, I am forced to become a plotter. With Jumping Ship, there are twists, turns and details that needed to be as precise as possible. This novella takes place at different times and different countries even. That is just a sample of what is to come, as I continue on in the series. But this method is enjoyable for me.

Jumping Ship is a pre-release novella to the Island Hopping Series, I presume based in the Caribbean, an incredibly beautiful part of the world that I was lucky enough to visit last year. What is your favourite place that you’ve used for a scene in this book?

The most beautiful place that I’ve used so far in the series is the Seawalls of Guyana. One day, as I was out shopping, I heard a worker rambling on and on about her home country. I didn’t immediately know the country that she was referring to; however, she started referring to a place that she went to “fly kite” during Easter time. She spoke about the wind and the feel of the breeze. I smiled and had a hunch. I went up to this woman and asked what country she was referring to in her lament. Her response was, “Only the most beautiful country in the world, Guyana.” I felt pride and love for my place of birth and my beautiful Seawalls. It’s more that just a physical love, it’s a permanent connection with the land.

How many books will there be in the series?

There are 7 additional books: Island Hopping Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua and Guyana.

The book is based in nineteen seventy-five, why did you choose to set Jumping Ship at that time?

Actually, the Island Hopping series will travel as far back as the 40s through the late 90s. As for Jumping Ship, I had a decision to make about how much detail to give and what time period would be most crucial. Two of the main characters, Pet and Mikey, embark on their journey in 1975. I wanted to feel a connection to their brief time together in Guyana. This was the year after I was born and, although I was an infant at the time, I feel like I existed during their encounter.

Can you tell us a little about your journey to being a published author?

The journey of being a published author has been an unimaginable experience. As naïve as this might sound, I never thought about the marketing and relationship building that would be necessary ahead of time. I just knew that my number one priority would be to write and publish. What an eye opener! But in all honesty. I’ve met and developed some remarkable relationships, gathered as much knowledge as I can, extended myself to others, and continue to grow. Being a published author has developed into a way of life for me.

What’s the most important advice you would give to someone who might be considering writing their own book?

The best advice that I can offer to someone that is considering publishing a book is to be committed. There will be days that they might get frustrated, feel depressed, and want to give up when things don’t appear to be taking off they way that they’d expected. When that happens, try not to focus on everything that is not going their way. Look for opportunities to build relationships with others and support each other. It will not only take their mind off of the problems, it will help to refocus and place them in the presence of like-minded people.

What are you working on at the moment?

Currently, I am finalizing my Damaged Girls series and fine tuning the details in Island Hopping: Trinidad & Tobago.


Jumping Ship is currently available through Amazon:




Press Kit
Jumping Ship



A pre-release novella to the Island Hopping Series
66 pages

The year was nineteen seventy-five. Pregnant seamstress, Petrina Dugal, became a runaway at the age of twenty-six. She ran away from a brutish husband, Roger, and a well-loved South American home in Georgetown, Guyana; at the heart of her rebellion – an enigmatic lover named Michael Chen. Pet and Mikey allowed love to blossom in front of her police officer husband and an intrusive community. Were they not aware of the dangers? Or did the pursuit of love trump obligations?

Pet and Mikey’s journey to their new life took them through a multitude of the Caribbean’s treasure trove of islands – Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, and Saint Lucia. More than a month later their voyage landed them at JFK airport, in New York USA. And they disappeared, as though their existence was a myth. During this time, barren couple, Pearl and Edward Bailey stumbled upon a newborn baby girl. Her cries could only be heard by a true mother, which Pearl immediately became. Bundled up with their new child, they discovered a parcel of artifacts and a scribbled note that read: Sakkara.
Sakkara Riley grew up with two loving parents – adoptive parents to be exact. She never knew the circumstances surrounding her discovery, until the age of sixteen. The personal artifacts that were handed over had haunted her from that point on. After eight more years, including much research and probing, she was given the opportunity to begin her journey of self-discovery.
“Jumping Ship” provides the introduction to Sakkara’s attempts to commune with her true heritage.

About the Author

Janice was born in Guyana, South America and migrated to the USA in 1980. Although her citizenship certificate now reads the United States of America, she considers herself a citizen of the world. Sure she has not physically been around the world and back, she’s travelled in her mind and dreams.

Janice is an author. She enjoys writing about social issues and personal experiences. Her latest release, Jumping Ship is a dedication to her country of birth and an introductory novella to the Island Hopping Series – due out in 2014. It’s poised to be a colorful and emotional experience of life, love and family.

Janice enjoys reading. And is drawn to stories with distinct characters that she can love or hate - characters she can form alliances with or characters that she can swear off and despise. She is also weak for a good cultural tale, preferably in the form of historical fiction - whether present day or in the past. Janice love to be taken off guard by clever language or settings.

Janice is also a devout supporter and promoter of other authors through social media. She hosts a weekly show, Cultural Cocktails, on the largest social radio network, Blog Talk Radio.
Links



The giveaway on this tour is 1 x $50/£30 Amazon Gift Card plus 5 ecopies of Jumping Ship.

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Monday, 11 November 2013

Tilly Tennant Asks...

What if your crush crushed back?
 
Like many teenage girls during the brief but brilliant chart reign of Norwegian popsters, A-ha, I wondered what it would be like to date lead singer, Morten Harket.  Eyes like the crystal clear waters of the fjords, cheekbones cut from Nordic glaciers and hair that seemed to defy gravity, from the moment he reached out of that comic book during the video to Take on Me, I was lost. The first concert I ever went to see was A-ha at the BIC in Bournemouth. My dear old Granddad steadfastly waited outside in his car the whole time, refusing to leave the venue until he had got me safe back with him.  I can still remember leaving at the end of the night, feeling like something very important had happened on that stage, and that I would never be the same girl again.
 
I often laugh with old friends now about those times, but it was these events that sparked the original idea for Hopelessly Devoted. What if you had this crazy, debilitating crush now, as a much older woman with a normal job and a family to raise?  And what if you didn’t just have a crush on your pop idol, what if you met him? What if he actually liked you too? Where could it go?  Bonnie, the heroine of Hopelessly Devoted, is just that: an ordinary thirty-something woman with a teenage daughter and a mundane shop job who finds herself slap bang in the middle of a very strange turn of events when her daughter, Paige, wins a radio contest to meet the members of the boy band, Every Which Way. Paige has a huge crush on one of the members, Holden. The trouble is, so does Bonnie. 
  
Hopelessly Devoted
 
There’s only one man for Bonnie, and that’s Holden Finn. The problem is, Holden Finn a twenty-something pop megastar with his boy band, Every Which Way, who doesn’t even know she exists. Not only that, but half the women of the world want to be Mrs Finn, including Bonnie’s teenage daughter, Paige. But the real men in Bonnie’s life only let her down, and a man you can never have can never let you down… right?  When Paige wins a radio competition to meet Holden and his band, it seems all that is set to change. Bonnie is about to find out that you should be careful what you wish for, and that happiness can come in the most unexpected shape…
 
Hopelessly Devoted  is due for release December 2013 but you can get your hands on a free copy by entering the Hopelessly Devoted blog giveaway. Not only that, but you’ll also win an exclusive unreleased Christmas novella, Mishaps and Mistletoe, which is only available by entering the draw.
 
About Tilly:
 
Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset but now lives in Staffordshire with her slightly nutty family. Tilly is married to Mr Tennant (not that one, though a girl can dream). After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by enrolling on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote her first novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books while getting paid for it.
 
Tilly Tennant on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter
Tilly’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant
Follow Tilly’s blog http://tillytennant.com/
 
The giveaway is 3 ecopies of Hopelessly Devoted plus 3 ecopies of an exclusive Christmas novella, Mishaps and Mistletoe.  This novella is not available to buy this year! The Rafflecopter has actions to follow you via Twitter so hopefully you will gain followers.  This is the Rafflecopter code:
 
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Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Inspiration for The Blog Affair by Alissa Baxter

I'm thrilled to welcome Alissa Baxter, author of The Blog Affair to my book blog. Alissa has popped by to tell us about her inspiration for The Blog Affair. Over to you, Alissa...

I moved from Durban to Cape Town as a single woman, and the experience of living alone in one of the most beautiful cities in South Africa inspired my novel, The Blog Affair. A lot of the situations in the novel are based on things that really happened to me. For instance, when I arrived in Cape Town, I decided it would be nice to join a tour of the city, as I wanted to explore all the sites without having to find them by myself.

Like my main character, Emma Bradshaw, I don’t have a particularly good sense of direction. So I phoned up a tour company and booked myself on a tour. The tour operator told me that they picked up tourists from their hotels, so I asked them to pick me up from a hotel in Sea Point. I drove there from my house in the suburbs, only to discover to my horror that I was the only person on the tour that day. My hope of fading into the background, while enjoying the tourist sites came crashing down and I spent the whole day having to talk to the tour guide who was old enough to be my father. I felt self-conscious as it looked as if I was on some sort of date with a man thirty years my senior. I slotted this scene into my book as it was great comedic material, although it didn’t feel so at the time!
The Cape dating scene also gave me lots of interesting fodder for my book, and I soon realised that it would be an ideal location to set a chick lit novel. In The Blog Affair twenty-something Emma has a pattern of falling for unsuitable men and writes a blog about these so-called “serial datists”.  When an anonymous male reader of Emma’s blog challenges her on her ideas about men, Emma realises she must confront her past before love can blossom again in her future.

I’m excited about the format of the book which combines blogs and instant messaging, and illustrates how technology has changed the way we communicate with each other. On the one hand, social media is a very open platform where people often reveal intimate details of their lives. There is also a more secretive side to online communication, however, where people can post their innermost thoughts anonymously. It was exciting to examine this brave new world in which we are living and to create a fun story centred on it.

AUTHOR BIO:
Alissa Baxter was born in South Africa, and grew up with her nose in a book on a poultry and cattle farm. After school and university, where she majored in Political Science and French, she published her first novel, The Dashing Debutante. Alissa travelled to London, England, and did an odd assortment of jobs while researching her second novel, Lord Fenmore’s Wager, which she wrote after she moved back to South Africa and settled in Durban. Alissa then relocated to Cape Town where she wrote her third novel, Send and Receive, before moving to Johannesburg, where she currently lives with her husband and son.


SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:




Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1146980.Alissa_Baxter


 You can buy The Blog Affair at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
Thanks, Alissa.