GOALS CHECK: January 2016

Last year, I wrote out all my goals and then didn't look back on them until it was time to write new ones. This year, I want to hold myself more accountable, so the last day of each month, I'm going to do a Goals Check post to see how I'm doing. I'm pretty sure no one but me actually cares about this, but writing it down publicly makes me more likely to follow through with what I said I was going to do. So, here goes...


Goal: Finish Book 2 of The Hayden Falls Saga (the sequel to Death of a Waterfall)
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Finish Book 3 of The Hayden Falls Saga
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Finish Tainted: The Georgia Corbins, Book 3
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Finish Savage Passion
Status: On Hold -- This was originally a planned book 2 of a series that I was rewriting to become book 1 of a new series. However, I recently had rights reverted to book 1 so now I'm going to revert Savage Passion back to book 2 IF book 1 sells. I'm happy to say the full of book 1 is with another editor at a publisher that I would love to work with. So, fingers crossed!! As soon as I get word on book 1, I'll revisit this goal an see what I want / need to do with Savage Passion.

Goal: Finish Warped Remains
Status: On Hold -- Due to my co-authors current schedule, we've decided to wait on this project until we're both ready to give it the time it deserves. He's very busy with college classes, which is super important so I'm really okay with this choice.

Goal: Finish Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1)
Status: Half-Finished -- When I added this to my goals list, I was sitting at 35k words. I'm now at 57k words :) I also: outlined the rest of the book so I know exactly where it's going, created an agent query list, wrote the query letter and synopsis.

Goal: Finish Eternally Bound (The Restani Clan, Book 1)
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Finish The First Snowfall
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Finish Resistance (the sequel to Inferno)
Status: Still Unfinished

Goal: Get Creative and come up with some new ideas for my agent
Status: On-going -- I have come up with TWO new ideas. One is a romantic suspense series that will follow the same couple through two (maybe three) books and deals with WITSEC (the federal witness protection program). The other idea is a collaboration with Jody Holford (my co-author of Dangerous Love and Jaded Love).  This is a contemporary romance that I'm SO excited about. I promise more details will come soon.

Goal: Do one or more things every day to promote me and my books.
Status: On-going -- I haven't done something every single day, but I have been much better about sharing my books. Plus, with a new release on the horizon, I am getting out there more.

Goal: Find and join a new writers group.
Status: Half-finished! I located a local writers group that meets once a month. I have not attended a meeting yet. My daughter has been visiting from NY, so my time has been better spent with her. But I will check things out in February.

Goal: Keep bloggin'
Status: On-going -- I have been pretty good about posting weekly this month, and I hope I can continue throughout the year. In an effort to motivate myself, I even joined the A to Z Blogging Challenge!


I know it seems as though I haven't done much work toward my goals, but I have been busy. I completed two freelance jobs this month, read three manuscripts for developmental edits, along with helping fellow writer, Tiffany Hoffman, get her new writing contest organized and running. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons (good reasons), I am no longer involved with the contest.

Here's to wishing everyone a successful and productive February! 

New Year's Goals: 2016

It's that time of year again! GOALS TIME! I actually really look forward to this every year. I love setting goals. It gives me direction and keeps me accountable. I'm declaring 2016 the year of finishing unfinished projects. And I don't necessarily mean writing subsequent books to complete a series, but rather finishing books that are only half-finished. Trust me, I have a LOT of them!

So, without further ado, here are my 2016 goals...

WRITE, WRITE, and WRITE SOME MORE!

1.  Finish writing book 2 of The Hayden Falls Saga (the sequel to Death of a Waterfall) -- I'm currently 30k into this, and I'm aiming for a word count of 75 or 80k. Then I'm going to send it to my publisher and hopefully release it sometime in 2016.

2.  Finish writing book 3 of The Hayden Falls Saga -- I have a very rough draft of this that's about 20k. It needs a lot of work, but I'm confident once I get book 2 finished, book 3 will come easily. Then I'll send it to my publisher and hopefully release it sometime in 2016.

3. Finish Tainted: The Georgia Corbins, Book 3 -- At this point, my plan is to self-publish this series, but as with even the best laid plans, things happen. However, I'm intent on finishing this series and getting it back out into the world. 

4. Finish Savage Passion and get it sent to my agent -- This is the first in a new planned series. It's an intense, highly erotic romantic suspense that's my personal nod to a couple of my favorite authors: Lora Leigh and Julie Ann Walker. I should add that I have a complete 60k draft of this book. So I only need to smooth out the edges and write the ending. 

5. Finish Warped Remains -- a YA thriller that I'm co-writing with David Jemal. We have less than 10k to finish this up, and then we plan to begin querying agents with it. 

6. Finish Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1) -- This is a paranormal YA that currently has 35k words. Once finished, I *think* I'm going to try querying agents with it. My lovely agent, sadly, doesn't sell much YA. I would love to place it with her as I trust her, but I'm grateful she was honest with me about her abilities to sell or not sell certain genres. 

7. Finish Eternally Bound (The Restani Clan, Book 1) -- This is an adult paranormal (vampires) that has 29k words. 

8. Finish The First Snowfall -- This is an erotic thriller / horror novella that currently has 19k words.

9. Finish Resistance (the sequel to Inferno) -- Considering Inferno and its prequel, Dominick, are due out later in 2016, David and I really need to get crackin' on finishing book 2. Thankfully, we've already got a good start on it. 

**SIDE NOTE** You're probably wondering why I've got so many unfinished projects. I often wonder the same thing myself. Here's the reason: I come up with an idea and I get really excited and immediately start writing it. I get anywhere between 25 - 35K written, and then I'm hit with a new idea that won't get out of my head. So, I put one project aside and start in on the new one. And then the process repeats itself. It's a viscous cycle. lol. 

You're also probably wondering how on earth I'm going to finish all of these in a mere 12 months. Honestly, I'm wondering the same thing! Just seeing this list is daunting, but if I can even accomplish half this list, I'll be more than happy. 

GET CREATIVE!

I want to come up with some new book ideas. (I know, like I need anymore. lol) Lately, a majority of my ideas seem to be within the YA category, which is great. I love writing YA. Unfortunately, my agent signed me for ADULT books, and therefore I'd like to brainstorm some ideas for a few new adult romances that I can write for her eventually. 

BEG PEOPLE TO LIKE ME!

Okay, so I'm not going to actually beg people to like me or be my friend, but I do need to work on my self promotion....

1. Do one (or more) things every single day to promote myself and my books, both in person and online. 

2.  Find and join a local writers group. I have a fantastic online support group, but there's nothing like being able to meet real people in real life and talk writing with them, to exchange work and ideas. 

KEEP ON BLOGGIN'

I swear, this is on my goals list every year. This year, my goal is one quality blog post a month, probably on Mondays so I can utilize the #MondayBlogs hashtag on Twitter. (That's a great tag. You should really check it out!) I would also like to do a #TeaserTuesday every week. With all those half finished books I'll be working on, I'll certainly have enough material to share!

What are your goals for 2016? Share in the comments or link to your own blog post about it! I love to see what everyone is aiming to accomplish :) 

Looking Back on 2015...

As 2015 comes to an end and the world prepares to welcome 2016, it's once again time to look back on the year and see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2015. To read my full 2015 goals post, click HERE!

My 2015 Goals Included:

1. Revise the sequel to The Georgia Corbins. 

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: I've been able to revise this sequel and even get it beta read, so it's in good shape and is now awaiting a new home. I'd also like to note that I completely renamed the entire series as follows:
Torn: The Georgia Corbins, Book 1
Tempted: The Georgia Corbins, Book 2
Tainted: The Georgia Corbins, Book 3

2. Revise Fiery Lotus, the sequel to Deadly Orchid

Status: GOAL NOT MET 

My thoughts: In a long, complicated turn of events, I've decided to completely rework this novel and make it the first book in a new series. The new title is now Savage Passion, and I'll be finishing it up and sending it to my agent in early 2016. This will be an adult romantic suspense series with erotic elements.

3. Outline the third book in the Georgia Corbins series. 

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts; Although I didn't get an outline written, I did start writing it, so that's something! I have a very loose idea of where the story is going.

4. Outline a new YA paranormal with an entirely new species of characters.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: Not only did I get this book outline, I created a full series bible for it with really badly drawn maps and family trees. Additionally, I started writing it!! I'm 35,000 words into it, and I've titled it: Hallowed Ground (Graves Barren, Book 1)

5. Outline an epic romance that will break all the rules of the genre. 

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I'll be honest, I've completely lost steam on this book and have decided to shelf this idea for the time being. Maybe I'll revisit it in a few years when I finish some other things.

6. Outline a YA paranormal with angels and demons. 

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: Like the project in #5, I've decided to shelf this idea as well for the time being.

7. Outline Broken Love, the third book in the Mending Hearts Series that I'm co-writing with Jody Holford.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I think this is the hardest one to admit I didn't accomplish, and not because it was something I didn't do, but rather because Jody and I have decided not to write this book together. I assure you, it has nothing to do with our friendship or with our publisher, but rather with the fact that we're both in such different places now than we were two years ago when we started writing together, and unfortunately, other deadlines and commitments have made it so neither of us have time to write this book. It's very sad :( Maybe sometime in the future, we can write together again.

8. Outline Blood Blossom, the third book to Deadly Orchid.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts; Due to my choice to rework this series (see #2 above), I haven't even touched this book.

9. Write Resistance, the sequel to Inferno.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: Okay, so my co-author, David Jemal, and I hit a little snag with this series. It was originally set to release in July 2015, but due to creative differences with the publisher, we had to step back and regroup. We've recently found a new publisher for it, and will hopefully see it in print in 2016. I am happy to say we did manage to write close to 25,000 words on this sequel. AND, we wrote a 28,000 prequel as well. So, this is a "win" in my book.

10. Write Jaded Love, the spin off to Dangerous Love.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: Woo hoo!!!! I'm happy to say this book is done and set to release in February 2016!

11. Write a prequel to The Georgia Corbins.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: When I originally set this goal, I estimated a word count of approximately 24,000 words. I didn't quite hit that goal, but it came in right around 20k, so I'm happy with that.

12. Blog more.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: Even though I didn't stick to any regular posting schedule, I did post a lot more quality content this year, and so I'm counting that as a win!

12.  Read and Review one book a month.

Status: GOAL KINDA MET

My thoughts: Although I didn't review many books, I did manage to read for pleasure a lot more. Some of my favorites this year:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

13. Attend RWA in NYC.

Status: GOAL NOT MET

My thoughts: I was so looking forward to attending this conference. Unfortunately, due to some big life changes (see below), I just wasn't able to make this happen.

14. Build a Successful Freelance Business.

Status: GOAL MET!

My thoughts: I'm not actively advertising my editorial services, but I do edit for people who need it. I've managed to build a decent sized client list simply by word of mouth, which is great! So, if you or someone you know needs editing, send me an email: karaleighmiller(at)gmail(dot)com


Out of 14 goals, I only achieved 6 and a half of them. To most, that probably seems like I failed more than I succeeded, but I don't see it that way. Failing to meet goals isn't always a bad thing because this failure taught me a few things about myself:

First, I can fail and not wallow in an endless pit of self-hatred. Sometimes, it's okay to fail. The world isn't going to end, and I can simply try again.

Secondly, I'm very clearly not a plotter. lol. I had good intentions to get all these books outlined so when I was ready to write them, I could breeze through them. This doesn't mean I'm going to totally give up the idea of plotting because when I can actually do it, it helps me tremendously.

Third, even though I failed to meet a lot of my goals, I accomplished a lot of other things that weren't on my goals list.

• I wrote a contemporary NA romance titled Tempting Tanner that is currently out on submission. This is the first in the planned Grayson Brothers Series.
• I attended two conferences this year: The Michigan Writers Workshop and The Florida Writers Association Conference
• I moved to a new state! I know to some this might not seem like a big deal. I mean, people move all the time, right? But it is a big deal for me because I have lived in the same small town in Upstate, NY my entire life. And now I don't. 
• I sold Deadly Orchid (a Christian romantic suspense) to Anaiah Press and it's slated for a March 2016 release.
• I did a (regretfully) short stint as a literary agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. And even though my time there was brief, I learned SO much. 
• I made some wonderful new writer friends that I cherish.

Overall, it was a very productive and exciting year. I look forward to what 2016 will bring.

So, tell me, how did you do meeting your goals in 2015??

{TEASER TUESDAY}: Death of a Waterfall 2

"What're they doing over there?" Annabelle asked.

"I don't know." Teghan walked toward them. That's when she saw him. He was leaning on the hood of a royal blue Aston Martin One-77, arms crossed over his chest, one ankle crossed over the other. He was gorgeous. No, he went beyond gorgeous. He was magnificent. So was his car. At least, she guessed it was his car.

"Wow!" Annabelle whispered.

"I know," Teghan said. But she didn't know. Was Annabelle talking about the two million dollar car or the guy? Not that it really mattered. Teghan couldn't take her eyes off him.

        Dressed in navy blue dress pants and a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he was the poster boy for California--tall, athletic, slim yet beautifully muscular with biceps the size of coconuts and a six pack to make Coca-Cola envious. He had naturally short blond hair with a hint of a spike to it, blue eyes deeper than the sea, but just as dangerous. A tiny gold hoop earring graced the corner of his right eyebrow, and his skin looked as though it had been kissed by the sun, tanned to perfection. A bronzed image of a Greek God--that's what he was.

"Stop drooling." Harmonie laughed.

Teghan shook her head and forced herself to look away, but as she did, she locked eyes with that guy. He smiled. Oh sweet Jesus have mercy on her. She wondered if it was bad manners to melt into a puddle at his feet.

**Copyright Kara Leigh Miller 2015**

Getting Back to my Writerly Roots

Back in 2010 when I first started writing, I was blissfully ignorant. I didn't know anything about the "rules" of certain genres or what is and isn't acceptable in romance. I had no skills when it came to dialogue, and I used cringe-worthy phrases such as "explosion of love" and "stiff manhood." Yeah, yeah, I know... It's hard to read those early novels now because all I do is cringe and giggle. None of my characters knew what contractions were. And I, as an author, had no grasp on the concept of point-of-view. Holy head hopping! 

I wrote two full length novels and one partial within a year and a half totaling over 260,000 words. I lived, breathed, ate, and slept those stories. I'd stay up into the early morning hours writing. I'd get up early to sneak in words before my family obligations took my attention. These books were the epitome of word vomit. The ideas poured out of me and onto the computer screen. I was on such a high, consumed with telling these stories. 

Of course, I've come a long way as a writer since then. I know more. Write cleaner. Now I can break the rules and not have it be from ignorance. And that's great! It's led to several publications and snagging an agent. I've accomplished a lot more since I took the steps to truly learn my craft, something I will never regret doing. It's something every author should do. 

Unfortunately, doing so has cost me. Now that I'm packing all this knowledge, I've lost that high. I've lost the rush of writing whatever pops into my mind and being mildly happy with it. I can no longer write as much or as quickly as I could before. I don't have the all-consuming drive to focus on just one story. I criticize every word I write as I write it. My characters have stopped talking to me. 

I've lost my passion, my zest for writing.

Lately, I've been doing a lot of self-reflection and soul-searching. My dream has always been to be a writer. Sure, I'd like to make a decent living wage doing so, but if I don't, that's okay, too, because when I first started on this journey, it was purely for myself. I wrote the story I wanted to read / tell. Nothing else mattered. Somewhere along the way, that tidbit of knowledge was cast aside. I began to write for the market, write for trends, write for fans, write whatever I thought had a good chance to sell. All very bad things to do, by the way. 

In an effort to get back to that point in my writing career -- the passion and excitement, not the I-know-nothing part -- I've gone back to my roots. And I can't tell you how much it has helped! I'm excited to be a writer again. I can't wait to get up and write in the morning. I can't wait until my kids go to bed at night so I can write some more.

So, how did I do it? 

1. I started by updating my website / blog. I created a spiffy Press Kit and in doing so, I had to go back and read all my blurbs, sort through reviews to include as praise. That alone was exciting. Knowing I wrote something that someone read and enjoyed -- that's why I started writing in the first place. Because it was FUN! This process made me realize something: I wanted more books to add to my website! Talk about a great motivator ;) 

2. I forced myself to go back and read those early novels. It was my Hayden Falls Saga. Book 1, Death of a Waterfall, was published back in June 2013. I picked up my print copy and read it cover-to-cover, which is something I NEVER do. Once my book is published, I don't look at it again. But I did. And you know what? It was quite good! lol. Sure, there are things I'd change now, but back then, it's what I knew and how I wrote, and I stand by that proudly. 

Then I opened up those long forgotten Word docs of books two and three. And I cringed my way through them. Laughing at myself for some of the things I did and the cheesy dialogue my characters spoke. It wasn't easy, and I'm super grateful I never rushed to publish them. What did this self-inflicted torture show me? 

My passion! As awful as those unedited manuscripts are, there is one thing they have that my recent work doesn't -- raw, undiluted, no holds barred passion. As I read them, I could vividly remember exactly where I was sitting when I wrote them and what I was feeling when I wrote certain scenes. I knew when I'd cried and when I'd laughed during the writing process. And if I can feel it, you bet your butt readers will be able to as well. At the end of the day, isn't that what I owe myself and my readers? A fun, emotionally fulfilling experience?

3. I dusted off the draft of book two and began the pain-staking process of weeding through it, keeping the scenes that are salvageable, cutting those that aren't, rewriting parts that desperately need it, and writing new parts. I'm happy to say I'm now almost 30,000 (good) words into the Death of a Waterfall sequel, and I hope to have it out sometime next year. 

Returning to this world and these characters has been liberating. I'm finding myself typing faster, spewing more and more ideas... having fun again! And now that I'm back here, I don't plan to leave or lose sight of why I do this in the first place. 

Have you ever lost your passion? What did you do to get it back? 

Teaser Tuesday and Book Sale!

Wow, it has been a long time since I've done a Teaser Tuesday here on the blog, but I think it's about time to start up again, don't you?

But before I tease you, allow me to offer you a book sale...

DEATH OF A WATERFALL -- ONLY $0.99 for a limited time

Twenty year old, college freshman, Teghan Jacobs didn’t think anything could be worse than learning she’s pregnant by a man she’s been dating less than six months. Boy, was she wrong. Her mother, whose drowning in the river of denial, refuses to take a side on the issue. Her overbearing, manipulative father threatens to disown her and cut her off from her trust fund if she doesn’t have an abortion.

Donnie Marks couldn’t be happier. The woman he loves, the woman he fought so hard to be with, is going to have his baby. Life has never been better. But when she shows up in his dorm, sobbing and heartbroken, he learns the horrible truth of what happened. He vows to get revenge on the man who's responsible: Teghan's father.

BUY IT EXCLUSIVELY ON AMAZON!

And now, teaser time... Today's sneak peek comes from book two of The Hayden Falls Saga (Death of a Waterfall 2) which is currently untitled....

She fumbled in her purse for her bottle of aspirin, oblivious to the fact she was being watched by him. She had no idea when the headache hit her, but it was fierce enough to make her want to throw up. Or maybe it was the alcohol that made her feel nauseous. Either way, she felt like total shit and really just wanted to go home.

"Damn it," she muttered, "where are they?" Teghan's heel caught on a crack in the road, and she tripped. A string of curses erupted from her mouth.

"Whoa, easy there." His voice was a velvety rasp. Deep, seductive, and so damn masculine it should be illegal. Her gaze met his, amusement danced behind his blue irises. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and almost choked on it.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

His hand clutched her elbow, steadying her. It sent a shiver through her body and for the first time in months, she could feel her libido clawing its way to the surface; scraping at her insides, making her raw with desire.

Teghan straightened and smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." He released her arm, and she forced herself not to sigh like a lovelorn teenager.

"Good." He stepped back and resumed his leaning position on the hood of the Aston Martin, arms crossed, muscles bulging.

Teghan eyed him. What's his deal? "Nice car."

"Thanks."

"I bet Daddy is real proud of it, too."

He gave her a sexy half smile and raised an eyebrow. "This is all mine, sweetheart." He patted the roof.

"I'm sure it is." Teghan turned to walk back to the club. What a joke. Who the hell comes to a club to stand outside and show off his daddy's car? It was obvious this guy had more money than brains. And that spelled trouble with a capital T. She didn't need any more of that.

"You realize I don't care if you believe me or not, right?" he called after her.

Teghan stopped and turned around. His air of self-confidence bordered on smugness, which caught her off guard. She didn't know if she should smile or be ticked off. "And your little playboy act doesn't work on me."

"Playboy act?" He laughed.

"Oh please," she huffed, trying to ignore the way his laugh made her insides tingle. "An Aston Martin, Armani pants, silk tie, a shirt whose sole purpose is to show off your muscles, Louis Vuitton shoes, a Rolex." Teghan rolled her eyes. "You're a hot shot sucking on the parental teat, using your trust fund to pick up women. It's pathetic."

"You're obviously well versed in the trust fund life yourself." He said it so calmly it stunned her into silence. Or maybe it was the way his gaze raked over her body in a slow caress.

Teghan stared at him, dumbfounded. It takes one to know one. She turned to walk away again but then stopped. No, she wasn't going to leave just yet. She was having too much fun. Not to mention, if she went back inside, she'd have to deal with Donnie pawing at her again. "Okay, hot shot," she sauntered up to him, "take me for a ride."

"What?"

"Better yet, let me drive," she said with a wicked grin.

And The Winners Are...

As you all know, my blog tour for Death of a Waterfall my birthday blitz giveaway has officially ended-- which means there are a LOT of winners to announce!

So, without further ado...

 

 

WINNERS: eBook copy of Death of a Waterfall 

Cassie Polla

Susan Platt

Corinne Alexander

Holly Letson

Dawn Bush

Laura Mendez

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

WINNERS: Death of a Waterfall Swag Pack

Stephanie Jacob

Mary Jo Toth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINNER: Kara's Birthday Blitz Grand Prize

Erin Koiso

 

WINNER: Kara's Birthday Blitz -- Signed Book w/ Magnet

Jessica Martin

 

WINNER: Kara's Birthday Blitz -- eBook Copy

Mary Preston

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!

All winners MUST contact me via email (karaleighmiller@yahoo.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com/KaraLeighMiller) or Twitter (www.twitter/KaraLeighMille1) within 48 hours to claim your prize. If I do not hear from winners by 5 p.m. (EST) on Monday, new winners will be chosen. Winners who have won ebooks will need to provide me with their email address and winners who have won signed books or swag packs will need to provide me with your mailing address.

Thank you to all who've participated =) 

 



Where in the World Wide Web is Kara Leigh Miller??

Today is release day!!!

Needless to say, I'm VERY excited.

Both The Georgia Corbins & Death of a Waterfall are now on sale =) Buy links are below.

Today is also the kickoff of a month long blog tour for both books. I'm going to be everywhere talking about everything. So, to help keep you up-to-date about where I'm going to be, every Monday for the month of June I'll be posting a Where in the World Wide Web is Kara Leigh Miller. It's a post that will list my stops for the upcoming week along with any special events and/or giveaways.

THE GEORGIA CORBINS:

Monday, June 10

  Willa's Ramblings (Book Spotlight)

http://willasramblings.wordpress.com/

 

Leanne Tyler's Blog (Guest Post: Never Judge a Book by its cover)

http://leannetyler.com/

 

Rally the Readers (Book Spotlight)

http://www.rallythereaders.com/

 

Kayla's Reads & Reviews (Book Spotlight)

http://kaylasreadsandreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Serena Zane's Blog (Guest Post: Finding Your Voice)

http://serenazane.com/

 

Write in the Moment (Book Spotlight & Interview)

http://dianesloftis.wordpress.com/

 

Bodacious Bookaholic (Book Spotlight & Review)

http://bodaciousbookaholic.blogspot.com.au/

 

Tuesday, June 11

Katie L. Thompson's Blog (Guest Post: One Thing Every Writer Needs)
http://katielthompson.blogspot.com.au/

ST Bende's Blog (Character Interview: Ali chats about small town life)
http://stbende.blogspot.com.au/

Wednesday, June 12

House of A La Mode (Book Spotlight)
http://alamodefabric.blogspot.com.au/

Rantings of a Closet Vamp Princess (Interview)
http://denisewyant.wordpress.com/

 

Thursday, June 13

 

Tina's Book Reviews (Guest Post: The Music Behind The Georgia Corbins)

http://www.tinasbookreviews.com/

 



Unforgettable Books (Guest Post: A Day in the life of Kara Leigh Miller)
http://unforgetablebooks.blogspot.com.au/

 

Friday, June 14

Pretty in Fiction (Guest Post: Top 5 Most Gut-Wrenching Love Triangles)
http://www.prettyinfiction.com/

Tiffany Talks Books (Book Spotlight)
http://tiffanytalksbooks.com/

 

Saturday, June 15

Stephanie Ryan's Blog (Interview)
http://stephanieryanauthor.blogspot.com.au/

Melinda Dozier's Blog (Tucker vs Levi - Jeopardy Style Competition)
http://melindadozier.blogspot.com.au/

 

Sunday, June 16

Willing to See Less (Guest Post: Favorite Fictional Couples)
http://willingtoseeless.blogspot.com.au/

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon        (More to come soon)

 

 

Death of a Waterfall

 

Monday, June 10
 

Book Crush Book Reviews (Guest Post: The Five W's of Blogging)

http://bookcrushbookreviews.com/

Romance Lives Forever (Interview)

http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/

 

Tuesday, June 11

Emily Glossner Johnson's Blog (Guest Post: Blurring the Genre Lines)
http://emilyglossnerjohnson.blogspot.com/


Wednesday, June 12

Natasha Knight's Blog (Guest Post: Sexual Experimentation)
www.natasha-knight.com

Write Stuff (Bonus Scene: On the Witness Stand -- Rob vs. Donnie) 
http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/

 Love, Romance, Passion
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

 

 

Thursday, June 13

Sharon Kleve's Romantic Ramblings (Guest Post: Reacting to Reviews)
http://authorsharonkleve.blogspot.com/

You Gotta Read Reviews (Interview)
http://www.yougottareadreviews.com/


Friday, June 14

Jenn Nixon's Blog
http://www.jennafern.blogspot.com/

Sable Grey's Blog

 http://www.sablegrey.net/

Saturday, June 15

Sassy Vixens
http://www.sassyvixenpublishing.com/

 

 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon     Barnes & Noble   All Romance eBooks    Rogue Phoenix Press   Paperback Version

It's an aberration I tell ya!

Welcome to the Aberration Blog Hop!

Hosted by the wonderful Lisa Regan!

 

In celebration of the release of her second novel, Aberration, Lisa Regan is hosting The Aberration Blog Hop:  Finding the Most Aberrant Characters. 

In Aberration, FBI profiler, Kassidy Bishop is on the hunt for serial killer who is an aberration—a freak—even among serial killers. 

Before we get started, let’s take a look at the definition of aberration:

ab·er·ra·tion

Definition of ABERRATION

1 : the fact or an instance of deviating or being aberrant especially from a moral standard or normal state

2 : unsoundness or disorder of the mind

3 : an aberrant individual

From the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

For the purposes of this hop,  I'm going to share the most aberrant character I've ever had the pleasure (or displeasure) of writing:

Robert Jacobs.

He's the villain in Death of a Waterfall. He's also Teghan's father.

What makes him so aberrant, you ask? His questionable morals and his complete lack of a conscience.

Allow me to share with you...

          Rob paced in his den, his stomach in knots over what he was about to do, but he knew he had no other choice. His back was against the wall. "Jim, its Rob. I need your help," he said before Jim even had a chance to say hello.

"You sound worried. What's going on?" Jim asked.

"I don't want to get into it, but I need you to find me a doctor."

"A doctor? What the hell for?"

"It's not for me. It's for Teghan."

"Is she okay?"

Rob sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, that Jim would ask a hundred questions. "She's fine."

"So why does she need a doctor?"

"Look, Jim, I can't explain it. In fact, the less you know the better. I just need you to find me a doctor who's willing to do something a little..." he paused searching for the right word, "questionable."

Hop on over to these other blogs to find out about more aberrant characters lurking around!

Leave a comment below telling me who you think the most aberrant character is and why. One lucky commenter will receive a FREE PDF copy of Death of a Waterfall.

 

 

TEASER TUESDAY {4/30}: Exciting Things are Happening!

I thought I'd do something a little different for this weeks Teaser Tuesday. Instead of focusing on just one thing, I'm going to give you a sneak peek at a bunch of different things--exciting things that are going to be happening!

1. JUNE 10th -- Release Day for DEATH OF A WATERFALL

 

2. JUNE 10th -- Release day for THE GEORGIA CORBINS

3. Don't forget to enter for a chance to win an eCopy of THE GEORGIA CORBINS. Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


4. ALI & THE CORBIN BOYS: A PREQUEL TO THE GEORGIA CORBINS -- This is a short story I wrote that shows how it all started between Ali and the Corbin boys. It will be available exclusively from Entranced Publishing for FREE! That's right, it's FREE! I don't have a release date yet, but, stay tuned. As soon as I have it, you'll have it =)

5. My first ever collaboration project. I'm working with the uber talented Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Ana Blaze on a book entitled LOVE AND OTHER GAMES. It's a collection of Olympic themed romance stories. My personal story contribution is entitled ICE GOLD. It's about an arrogant hocky player and the photographer who loves to hate him...or maybe she hates to love him...I don't know. I'm still working on that ;-) Stay tuned for more details as the project progresses.

6. I'm attending my first ever writers conference. The In Your Write Mind Workshop is being held June 27th - 30th. I'll be taking a lot of different seminars by a lot of talented writers and industry professionals. Friday night I'll be participating in a book signing event. I will definitely have print copies of THE GEORGIA CORBINS available, and if all goes well, I'll have copies of DEATH OF A WATERFALL, too. Saturday night I'll be attending a costume ball--how fun is that? Anyway, during the entire conference I will be blogging, Facebooking, and Tweeting all about it, so stay tuned.

TEASER TUESDAY {3/19}: Death of a Waterfall Cover Reveal

DEATH OF A WATERFALL, book one of THE HAYDEN FALLS SAGA is scheduled to be released June 10, 2013 by Rogue Phoenix Press.

 

Without further ado....here is the cover!!

 

Cover art by: Rebecca Sterling

 



BLURB:

Teghan Jacobs didn’t think anything could be worse than learning she’s pregnant by a man she’s been dating less than six months. Boy was she wrong. Her mother, whose drowning in the river of denial, refuses to take a side on the issue. Her overbearing, manipulative father threatens to disown her and cut her off from her trust fund if she doesn’t have an abortion.

Donnie Marks couldn’t be happier. The woman he loves, the woman he fought so hard to be with, is going to have his baby. Life has never been better. But when she shows up in his dorm, sobbing and heartbroken, he learns the horrible truth of what happened. He vows to get revenge on the man who's responsible: Teghan's father.



 

TEASER TUESDAY {11/6}: Death of a Waterfall

I'm starting a new thing here on my blog called "Teaser Tuesday". Every Tuesday from now on I'll share a small teaser of one of my books.  Teasers can (and will) be anything from blurbs to excerpts to character sketches.

For the first installment of Teaser Tuesday I'm going to give you the blurb for my newest novel, Death of a Waterfall, that is set to be released sometime in 2013.

Twenty year old, college freshman, Teghan Jacobs didn’t think anything could be worse than learning she’s pregnant by a man she’s been dating less than six months. Boy was she wrong. Her mother, whose drowning in the river of denial, refuses to take a side on the issue. Teghan is lying to all of her friends for fear of being ostracized by them. And her overbearing, manipulative father threatens to disown her and cut her off from her trust fund if she doesn’t have an abortion.

Donnie Marks couldn’t be happier. The woman he loves, the woman he fought so hard to be with, is going to have his baby. For him, life has never been better. But when Teghan shows up in his dorm room, sobbing and heartbroken, he learns the horrible truth of what happened to her and their child. He vows to get revenge by killing the one man whose responsible: Teghan's father.

It's All About Perception

The best way to become a better writer is to read, read, and read some more. I've always been an avid reader, but I was the type of reader who would only read a specific author or genre. I was afraid to leave my comfort zone. However, once I started writing, I realized I had to expand my horizons. So lately, I've been reading a lot of different styles and genres by a lot of different authors. And I've learned something...

It's all about perception.

I recently read a book that was a great concept with very interesting characters, but the book was awful. I know that sounds like a complete contradiction so allow me to explain. As writers we have to decide how to tell the story-whose point of view will we let our readers see the story from. At first you might think, Well that's a no-brainer. Your main character, duh! Okay, now do you tell it from a third person perspective (he/she) or a first person (I/me)? Third person POV allows more freedom because we can jump from character to character and see things from different perspectives. First person, however, is much more personal. It's also very limiting in that we can only see things from one perspective.

That single decision can make or break a story.

The one I read that was awful had been written in a way so that the reader wasn't in anyone's mind and in everyones. It was like I was a fly on the wall observing everything from a neutral position. Now I'm sure that works in certain styles of writing, but I felt so disconnected from the story and I couldn't get emotionally attached to any of the characters because I didn't know what they were think or feeling.

Well, I've decided to challenge myself and experiment a little. I'm writing a series right now that's told in the third person and it's been fun. There is one scene in particular that I love and I've been able to show it through both the heroine and hero's POV. I'm going to share them with you here and pay attention to how the same exact situation can be perceived differently.

A little background first: Teghan gets into a sexy strangers car and takes a little joyride with him. They've never met before and they don't know each other's names.

FROM TEGHAN'S POV:
     Shutting off the engine he climbed out of the car and walked to the opposite side. He opened Teghan's door. "Come on," he said, offering her his hand.
     Teghan felt a chill work down her spine as she took his hand and got out of the car. Was he going to leave her out here on the side of the highway? He stood in front of her, blocking her from moving. His hands rested on the roof of the car on either side of her head and his face was inches from hers. She wasn't terrified though. In fact, she felt perfectly at ease. Somehow, she knew he wasn't going to hurt her.
     "It's your lucky night," he said, his eyes bearing into hers.
     She held his gaze while fighting the urge to kiss him. His lips were fit for an angel. They were lips meant to be kissed. Plump. Delectable. And totally forbidden. Oh what she wouldn't do for a taste of them. Just one small taste. She wouldn't even use her tongue. It couldn't be considering cheating then, could it? Teghan licked the desire from her own lips. "Why do you say that?"
     He brought one of his hands to her mouth and traced her lips with his index finger. "Because a lessor man would take what he wanted, what you were teasing with in the car."
     His body pressed against hers and she swore she could feel his erection poking her belly. Teghan let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Maybe it was an invitation," she said. She squeezed her legs together, fighting the throbbing between her thighs.
     Their lips were a breath widths apart. God she ached for him to kiss her. She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him under her lashes. There was desire burning in her blue eyes. She could see it, feel it in his gaze.
     He quickly tugged her lip from her teeth and pushed himself away from her. "Lucky for you I'm a gentleman."

FROM BRADLEY'S POV:
     Shutting off the engine he climbed out of the car and walked to the opposite side. He opened Teghan's door. "Come on," he said, offering her his hand. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before taking his hand and getting out of the car. He waited until she was fully out of the car and standing before he put his hands on either side of her head, his palms flat on the roof of the car. Instinctively, he put his face only inches from hers.
     His heart felt like a freight train about to derail. What the hell was he doing? "It's your lucky night," he said. Is that the best line you've got? Moron! She stared up at him with an innocence that had him fighting every male urge in his body.
     "Why do you say that?" she asked.
     And then she licked her lips. Fucking Christ! He couldn't stop himself. He brought one of his hands to his mouth and traced her lips with his index finger. "Because a lessor man would take what he wanted, what you were teasing with in the car." Never in his life had he wanted to be one of those lessor men than he did right this second.
     He knew it was a mistake, but he did it anyway, and pressed his body against hers. She blew out a breath and her body trembled against him. It was like she pushed a button and voila! Instant erection. That was a first for him.
     "Maybe it was an invitation." She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him under her lashes.
     That look she was giving him was a clear cut, no questions asked, fuck me look. He groaned inwardly. God must be punishing him for something he'd done in another life. It was decision time. Do the right thing and take her back to the club or do the wrong thing, albeit fun, but wrong, and take her right here on the side of the highway?
     He quickly tugged her lip from her teeth and pushed himself away from her. "Lucky for you I'm a gentleman."

So, which perspective do you like better?
    

It only took me 32 years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life!

Death of a Waterfall

Chapter 4: When the Parents are Away, the Children will Play (*)

She walked up to her brother and stood inches from his face. “I swear to God if you tell Alex about this I’ll tell dad you’re planning on dropping out of law school,” she whispered vehemently.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In high school we were subjected to those long winded, and in my opinion, useless personality profiles that were supposed to help guide us into the right career path. I always fell into two categories: creative and scientific. Now, I know where my creativity comes from. I come from a long line of writers and I have inherited this love. Ida Tarbell proudly holds a branch on my family tree. My great Aunt Betty--she's been published. I've had several cousins published. An uncle. And my mom, she writes like it's nobody's business. Although she hasn't been published, she writes.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm one of those people that has to see it to believe it. And any time someone tells me something that seems absurd, my response is always, "Prove it." So, naturally, I went to college for science. I was going to be a veternarian! (I'm not, by the way.)

  That dream lasted exactly one and a half semesters.

   I decided it was time to re-group. I took some time off, worked retail for a while, had a baby, got married then realized I wanted to go back to school. But for what? I quickly realized that law was my new calling. I attended a two year community college and got my degree in Criminal Justice.  I didn't stop there. I went to a business college and got my degree in Paralegal studies. Upon graduating, I landed a job in a law firm.

That job lasted exactly seven months.

I was very disappointed and more than a little disillusioned to realize that the law isn't nearly as exciting as it's portrayed on television. There are no death penatly cases or smoking guns or defendants cracking on the stand and confessing their true crimes. So, I gave up the working world to be a stay-at-home mom.

Talk about culture shock. Being a stay-at-mom is twice the work as actually working nine to five. But, I digress....

During my years at home, I realized that I'd learned only one very valuable lesson: find something you're passionate about and then find a way to make money doing it.

And so I finally began to pursue my lifelong dream: to become a published author. Of course, at first I had delusions of grandeur. I was going to be the next Nora Robets or Danielle Steel. But I pulled my head out of the clouds and decided that I'd be happy if I could just publish one book before I die.

The fact that it only took me 32 years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life isn't too bad.....is it?