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Showing posts from 2017

Whoa! Last IWSG of the year.

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Thank you, thank you to my marvelous crit partner, Jennifer Lane , who gave me the reminder that today's the final 2017 meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group . Since I'm scrambling, I'll go right into the optional IWSG day question: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently? Hmm, I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, I didn't get a heck of a lot written this year, so I wish I'd set myself some firmer, more clearly defined goals from the get-go. On the other hand, I enjoyed separating from my writer-self and seeing that I'm still a whole person without it. It was a good 2017, so in the end, I guess I wouldn't go back and change a thing.  One thing I've learned though... When I 'm in the throes of writing, I always feel guilty that I'm not getting as much done around the house as I should - the cleaning, the cooking, the blah blah blah. I used to b...

Happy NaNooing! #IWSG

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HI, everyone! I've been absent from blogland, so I look forward to getting around today to see what's up with y'all. Since I'm using NaNo to get back into the swing of writing, the first half of this month's optional IWSG question is perfect for me: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project?  Wellllll, I do NaNo a bit differently. Rather than a word goal, I have a minimum-writing-time-per-day goal. That's worked better for me in the past, so I'm doing it again. And it's definitely gotten me full-on back into writing mode by the end of the month, which is what I'll count as a finish. Look at me talking all big on day one of NaNo. I think hopping around IWSG will be the perfect thing to get me inspired to rejoin you all in writing world. This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as  Insecure Writer's Support Group , founded by the one and clonely  Alex J. Cavanaugh . Click below to join the group! Co-H...

Insecure Writers Support Group - October Edition #IWSG

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Hi, gang! I hope your Octobers are off to a good start. I sorta blew it on a pact I made with myself during IWSG earlier this year---to finish the first draft of my manuscript by the end of September. I'm not even close to finished, folks, not even close. Nor have I had much of an inkling to seriously dive in. The weird thing is...I'm totally okay with that. A year ago, I think I probably would've freaked out hearing myself say that. But the beauty of not making any real money at writing fiction is that I don't feel beholden to it. And right now, I'm truly appreciating the things I do when I'm not writing---more so than I did before I dove into writing, I think. Here's a picture of one of the things I'm appreciating more. It's a restored prairie across the street from where I live. It's the greatest place to walk and walk and walk whilst I catch up on listening to my favorite podcasts. Since I feel as if I should talk about something...

The Truth Behind CARRY ME HOME, a new release by @JessicaTherrien

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Congrats to Jessica Therrien on the release of CARRY ME HOME ! Every book is special to its author, but read Jessica's answer to this one-question interview to learn why this new release is especially meaningful to her. Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads CARRY ME HOME is a fictional novel inspired by the true story of a teenage girl’s involvement in several Mexican gangs in San Jose and Los Angeles. The members of her crew call her, Guera, Spanish for “white girl” and it doesn’t take long for her to get lost in their world of guns and drugs. The question: If you had to choose one song that best captures the essence of CARRY ME HOME, what song would you choose and why? Jessica's answer: CARRY ME HOME is my sister’s story. Although I turned it into a fictional novel, most of it is true. One song that sticks out to me is "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Not because it inspired me to write the novel, but because I remember my mom listening to it when w...

A Pretty Cool Distraction + Good Behavior

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Ay caramba! I totally missed last month's meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. You know how when you have something big coming up and everything you do is geared toward that big thing and you don't really think past it? Well, that's what happened. At the end of July, I took off to Cusco, Peru to meet up with my daughter who'd spent the summer there. After enjoying a few days in Incan splendor, we took off to explore more corners of that wonderful country (you can see pictures of these other destinations  in my latest author newsletter - I've left the free book download open until September 30, if you'd like to partake). I returned to the States on the August date of the IWSG...and proceeded to sleep for 14 hours straight. I've been whining at IWSG about not making any progress on my writing, and that's because instead of plotting and researching my manuscript, I was consumed with plotting and researching this trip. I'm more t...

How Pink Eye Saved the Day #IWSG

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Welcome to the July 2017  meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group , a time to vent your writerly frustrations and/or offer encouragement. July 27 is the #IWSGPit event, so get ready to pitch your completed & polished manuscripts. Get the details here . It's going to be a great opportunity for writers, and I hope you all get marvelous leads from it. I myself have nothing to pitch. You see, to have a new completed & polished manuscript, one needs to actually sit down and pound out some new words first. But don't worry. That's not a lame attempt at an answer to this month's optional IWSG question: What is one valuable lesson you've learned since you started writing? Step away and take a deep breath. That's my answer. It can be useful at many different stages during the writing (and publishing) process, but today I specifically apply it to that moment when you receive feedback from your editor. If you're like me, your first instinct ...

The Smallest Thread of Hope, an interview with Feather Stone #Forbidden

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I'm thrilled to be taking part in the tour for this wonderful, wonderful novel. You can click on the graphic below to read my five-star review at Goodreads. For my part of the tour, I asked Feather to answer one question:  If you had to pick one song that best captures the essence of Forbidden, which song would you choose and why? Feather Stone: What an honor to be a guest on the blog of my mentor. Thank you, Nicki. Forbidden required that I unleash my very best writing skill to expose Forbidden’s characters’ unforgiveable worst, deepest sorrow, most twisted truth. Hopelessness permeated the plot. I gave Forbidden’s protagonist characters the smallest thread of hope. Together Captain Sharif and Eliza discovered something that has no form, not bound by rules, and is without corruption. It is more powerful than weapons or armor. It is the power of love. Only through love did Hashim Sharif and Eliza MacKay discover the truth about their past and move be...

Let's hug it out. #Giveaway

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For the first time ever, all three books in THE IT SERIES are priced at only 99c each! FOR A LIMITED TIME Let's follow up that hug with a kiss, eh? Below are three short "first kiss" excerpts from each of The It Series novels. When It Hits You  - First Kiss “Do you really, truly, honestly believe an electronic device can replace having a man in your life?” He watched her with the same intensity she remembered from Indiana, the look she hadn’t been able to decipher when they’d been boiling corn at the farm. Now she thought she might understand where it came from. “Afraid you might be replaceable?” she asked. “I would be if I thought it was in any way possible—which it’s not.” “I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on that.” She looked down at her bottle, swirling it. “Do you want the rest of this? I’m not in a mood to drink tonight.” Hayden shrugged and took the bottle, tilting it for a long pull before he set it next to the empty near his feet. Whe...

I Quit! #IWSG

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Welcome to the June 2017 edition of IWSG. We're just trucking through the year, eh? I love this month's optional Question: Did you ever say “I quit”? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing? Yes, I did intend to quit writing once. But I wasn't shouting it with a big exclamation point. I was whispering it to myself. It happened just a few months after I discovered my passion for writing fiction - when I'd learned how much time writing takes away from everything else. I had young kids at the time and a thousand-and-one other responsibilities  I told myself I had to stop. That decision made me very, very sad. It didn't feel right, but while I was still trying to convince myself to stop, this song came on the radio. I'd heard the song a hundred times before, but this time every single word zinged straight to my heart. The song was giving me permission to release my inhibitions and write my own story - figuratively as well as literally - r...

Prepare for The Resurrection of Dylan McAthie

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The Resurrection of Dylan McAthie by Nancee Cain Series : Pine Bluff, #1 Genre : Contemporary Romance Cover Designer :  Shannon Lumetta Release Date : June 1, 2017 At seventeen, music legend Dylan McAthie ran away from his Alabama home to chase his dreams. Years later, he’s forced to return—coming full circle to escape the nightmare his life has become. Hounded by paparazzi and plagued by the aftermath of personal and professional loss, Dylan craves some quiet anonymity so he can regroup and sort out what lies ahead. Hired by his estranged brother, Jennifer Adams knows exactly who Dylan is. She grew up next door to his family and has followed his career. But the surly, overbearing man she’s caring for as a private-duty nurse is far from the charming boy she remembers. Nevertheless, she’s determined to be professional, do a good job—and not fail at her first time getting away from home. As her patient heals, his demeanor softens, and their interactions gr...

A HERO LOST Playlist #BookTour #Anthology

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Yay! I'm so excited that I got to ask my favorite authorly question to a whole bunch of the fabulous authors with stories in the brand new  Hero Lost anthology. Here is your awesome Hero Lost playlist: The Question: If you had to pick one song that best captures the essence of your story in the Hero Lost anthology, what song would you choose and why? Jen Chandler The song I would pick that best sums up the essence of my story would have to be Sarah McLaughlin's song "Building a Mystery" . When I first got the idea for "Mysteries of Death and Life", that song crept into my mind and never left. Honestly, the story that came to me was a lot darker than the one I wrote. I'd love to really dive deep one day, find the darker essence of my characters and their stories. Alas, word counts require condensing. Perhaps there's a novella here waiting to be written one day? Renee Cheung “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas is probably a good embodiment of “Me...

Insecure Writers Unite! #IWSG #amwriting

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Hey, fellow insecure writers. How's it going? My writing lately is mostly for the quarterly newsletter I write for my day job - but hey, writing is writing, right? And since space in the newsletter is limited and I have a LOT to cover in it, I get great practice at making every single word count. But it keeps me too busy, so this month I'll move right into the optional IWSG question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story? Well, if you've read the blurb for my latest release , I ... uh ... yeaaah, forget that one. I'm gonna go in a different direction here. I'd say the weirdest research I've done for a story was to identify a tasteless poison that could be easily disguised on something like, oh, say ... Smarties. Want one?   This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as  Insecure Writer's Support Group , founded by the one and clonely  Alex J. Cavanaugh . Click below to join the grou...

Rain Rain Go Away #Giveaway Hop

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Welcome to the latest giveaway hop hosted by The Mommy Island & The Kids Did It . What's a great way to spend a rainy day? Why, curled up with a good book, of course! So the giveaway at my blog today is a $5 Amazon gift card. You'll find lots of great books there. ;) From now until Friday, April 21, you can download my chick lit/romance When It Hits You absolutely FREE at Amazon . What is it about rain that sparks the imagination? I'm not usually flowery with my writing, but while pulling excerpts from my newest series , I noticed that introducing rain into a scene seems to inspire fantasy-like imagery. Below are three excerpts to show you what I mean: Rainy Day Excerpt from WHEN IT HITS YOU Lyssa lay on the high, overstuffed bed with the blankets clutched to her chin, her heart thudding against her ribs. Pounding rain had started twenty minutes earlier, waking her from a light sleep. Every few minutes, an electric show of lights glittere...

Insecure Writers' Support Group #IWSG

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The Insecure Writers Support Group has started a Book Club at Goodreads! The club is all about honing our craft as writers, so visit the page to learn more and join. The 2017 A to Z Challenge is on - good luck to all of those participating!  This month's optional question for the IWSG is:  Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results? I'm not participating in A to Z this year since I knew I couldn't commit to daily blog visits, but I've had great fun completing the challenge in the past. I have to be honest and say that I've never looked at A to Z as a marketing opportunity for my books or even as publicity to increase my blog following. I just did it because it was fun. I usually think it's a blessing to not take myself too seriously, but the flip side of that is I often don't take myself seriously enough, and I know that holds me back from achieving all that...

March Madness #250 #Giveaway

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  Score Big during the $250 March Madness Cash giveaway where you have the option of choosing between $250 PayPal Cash OR an Amazon E-Gift Card! This event was organized by The Kids Did It & The Mommy Island and sponsored by the awesome bloggers, authors, and Etsy shop owners listed below! Give some love to the March Madness sponsors and follow them on social media: March Madness Sponsors: The Kids Did It The Mommy Island Zombie Parenting Healthy Happy Thrifty Family   Parenting Healthy   Easy Enter Sweepstakes   Savvy Sweeper's Tidbits   Mom To Grandma   Home Jobs By Mom   Krazy Kat Freebies   PaulaMS' Giveaways,  Reviews, & Freebies   bookroomreviews   MajorLeagueMommy   Author Mary Ting   Misadventures with Andi   Nicki Elson's Not-so-deep Thoughts   Miss Molly Says Confessions of a Frugal Mind   Hip Mama's Place   FROG Reviews and Rambli...