REVIEW OF MILLICENT, BY DARYN CROSS

Daryn Cross

Today I’m reviewing my friend Daryn Cross' novella MILLICENT, now available from Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.

Daryn is a Southern Belle now isolated in the cotton fields of West Texas. What a culture shock! She is surviving by writing a gazillion words a day and turning out books like crazy. Hmm, there must be something to be said for being stranded in the middle of nowhere with only a chololate lab for companionship. LOL On with the review of MILLICENT.

Millicent Robinson began life as the daughter of an abusive father whose drunken anger horrified her. Imagine the terror of a child whose mercurial parent routinely beats everyone in the house without cause. As the story opens, we see her cowering in hiding, crooning to her doll while Mr. Robinson beats her brother. All the while, her father yells at her that she’s next and he is going to beat her with his belt. Millicent falls back on her weak-willed mother’s training to overcome frightening situations.


“Think summer and the lake is there, not cold but warm and inviting. We’re taking a boat ride, Mil. Don’t you see the birds in the air?”

Available Now!

This time, even Mil’s imagination cannot disguise the situation. Her father’s abuse kills Millicent’s brother and begins beating her mother. Finally, her mother defends herself and kills the father. Life is better for Mil for a while, until her mother remarries and has additional children. Her new siblings are much favored by Mil’s stepfather and her mother is no stronger with this husband than the first.
 Eventually a marriage is arranged for Millicent with William Davis. Neither Mil nor William wants the marriage. He intends the union to be chaste because he is in love with Julia Cash, a woman below his station who he is not allowed to wed.

Millicent is a woman scorned when she learns the reason William does not want to be intimate with her. She plots her revenge and oh, she excels in her task.


William and Millicent have much to learn about themselves, one another, and the future. Don't miss this prelude to the CASH CHRONICLES series. This is a saga fantasy and steampunk sci-fi fans will not want to miss!

MILLICENT is available from Smashwords and Amazon Kindle.

As for the rest of the story, here is Daryn Cross’ description of her series:

First of the Chronicles

"The Cash Chronicles is a series of books that tell the story of subsequent generations of the Cash family, starting with William Davis and Millicent, his wife. William, though not a Cash, is Caleb Cash's father, and it is because of William and his diabolical wife, Millicent, that the Cashes are faced with centuries of trials and tribulations to steady the plight of man and establish peace throughout the planet.


Please note this is not a timeline, for time is not linear but a spiral. The Cash Chronicles transcend time.


There are gaps--on purpose. For some stories need to be told in longer works than novellas. I'll let readers tell me which parts deserve to be highlighted. These will be released as ebooks, but later packaged in print."

Watch the great video:

April 1-2

No April Fool's Day tricks here! Instead, a genuine treat awaits you. Please return Friday, April 1st, for the FOOL FOR BOOKS GIVEAWAY HOP when over 200 blogs will be offering prizes drawn from the names of those who comment on each host's blog. The FOOL FOR BOOKS GIVEAWAY HOP is sponsored by the blogs Book Snobs and I'm a Reader Not A Writer.

I’ll be giving away a copy of my new release, SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME, a western historical from The Wild Rose Press. SAVE YOUR HEART FOR ME is very special to me, and has received a 5 HEART review from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews.

MYSTERY HAPPENS WITH BOBBYE TERRY

Bobbye Terry, Author

I'm so pleased to have my friend Bobbye Terry as a guest today. Bobbye is a genuine Southern belle, transplanted to the dry cotton fields of West Texas. I used to live near those fields--talk about culture shock for Bobbye!  But she is doing quite well, thank you very much, and turning out so many good books you'd think she had three arms and two keyboards. Nope, just one very determined author who has the discipline to work hard. Please help me welcome Bobbye.

Caroline: How did you get into writing as a career?

West Texas Cotton Field

Bobbye: A fluke or series of them. Maybe it was fate. They could be the same thing. The first time I was consulting in a feast or famine situation when I thought about writing a novel and realized I didn’t know how to write anything but nonfiction. Then I found VRW, Virginia Romance Writers, an RWA chapter. The rest is history.


Caroline: It must have been fate. No one could write as well or as fast as you unless you were destined to become a writer. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Bobbye: Fun, imagination, lively upbeat characters, good development, realistic dialogue and a sound plot. I want readers to remember me.

Caroline: Your characters are fun and I think all your readers will remember you. In what genres do you write? Why more than one?

Bobbye: I love to read many different kinds of writing and so I write them as well ( not just fiction but nonfiction, many types, and poetry). I started in romantic comedy writing with a cowriter as Terry Campbell. To this day, I find it difficult to write anything without humor. I also write fantasy and sci-fi as Daryn Cross and suspense and women’s fiction under my real name, Bobbye Terry.

 Caroline: You do have a gift for comedy, even in your fantasy and sci-fi. Who are your favorite authors?

Bobbye: Too many to name, I do have a lot of Caroline Clemmons books. I love Dean Koontz and grew up with many of the icons of sci fi. In mystery/thriller, how about James Patterson? Love cozies, so add Nancy Cohen’s Bad Hair Day Mysteries. I adore Cindy Sample’s DYING FOR A DATE. On a different mystery note, before I forget, watch out for Tina Whittle. She has a touch of genius with her first release, THE DANGEROUS EDGE OF THINGS. I haven’t even touched the surface regarding authors.

Caroline: Thanks very much for the promo! I have you to thank for telling me about Cindy Sample's DYING FOR A DATE, which I loved. I was already a fan of Nancy Cohen's books. Now I'll have to check out Tina Whittle's book.  Oops, back to the interview. Describe yourself in three words.

Bobbye: Determined, loyal and genuine. Like me or not, I am what I am, so are my friends—and if you don’t like it, too bad. I’ll prove to you I can do whatever I set out to do and take my buddies with me.


Caroline: Yes, those words describe you perfectly! Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Bobbye: I am a pantzer (panzer, whatever) with moderate plotting interruptions. In other words, I can’t know how I’m going to get there because it ruins it, just like knowing the ending of a book I read; but, I think I know where I’ll end up—though sometimes that changes. How do you like that for a circuitous answer?


Caroline: The truth is always a good answer. You’re a prolific writer. Do you have a writing schedule?



Bobbye Terry's photo of a Texas sunrise

 Bobbye: Absolutely—sun up to sun down.  Okay, I usually start at 7:30-8:00 a.m. and stop at 6 or so in the evening for dinner with frequent interruptions and errands. But I have written until ten or beyond. It just depends on the muse and the deadline, the latter usually self-imposed.


Caroline: Oh, yes, when the muse is with us, we don't dare stop writing, do we? Are you attending any conferences this year or scheduled as a speaker? Blog tours or other promotions?


Bobbye: No conferences right now but I am always blogging, do a regular stint twice a month for Writers Fun Zone and The Mojito Literary Society. I even have folks asking me to blog which is a great honor. I promote in a variety of ways from promos on websites to contests. Just check me out at Mystery Happens, http://bobbyeterry.blogspot.com/

Caroline: Any guilty pleasures or vices you’d care to share?

Bobbye: Red wine, dark chocolate and a great cup of coffee. Can I add handsome men? That used to work great, but frankly, they don’t work half as well as good books do anymore. Now if the right one came along in a few years…maybe.


Caroline: I hope the right one for you comes along. When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax?


Bobbye: Gee, not sure I know how to completely relax. My mind works 24/7 Now here’s a surprising one: I read, EVERYTHING. I even read the tabloids in the grocery line, the backs of boxes, candy wrappers, anything I can get my hands on. Nothing to read? I’ve been known to write out points for a plot on a scrap of paper from my purse.


Caroline: That sounds like my husband and me. We HAVE to read something. What advice would you give to unpublished authors?


Bobbye: BICHOK—Butt in chair, hands on keyboard. It’s the only thing that works when you’re trying to get published. The more you write the better you get at it. Of course, you have to read about the right way to craft a novel, all the fine nuances. Learn from those who walked that way before.


Caroline: BICHOK works! Tell us about your latest release, BURIED IN BRINY BAY. I read it and really enjoyed it. Your surprise near the end caught me off guard.


Available Now!





Bobbye: Here's the blurb:

Roxie Turner finds herself up to her neck in trouble when her lifelong nemesis, Georgia Collins, is discovered buried in the town’s landfill. To make matters worse, with her characteristic Southern sass, Roxie has been saying she’d kill Georgia for more than twenty years. In fact, she listed the ways to do the woman in, constantly reminding prominent citizens of her intent. It was all a joke, or so she thought. But the joke turns on her as, suddenly, other dead bodies begin to pile up, all murdered with a technique from Roxie’s list.

Enlisting the assistance of handsome hunk, PI Greg Norris, Roxie’s sister, Trixie Frye, comes to her aid, bent on uncovering the killer and the truth. Can they find out both before Roxie goes to the big house?

Caroline: The sisters, Roxie and Trixie, are fun characters and I liked Greg a lot, too. Can you give us an excerpt?


Bobbye: Certainly. Here’s an excerpt:

Trixie groaned as she flopped on her living room sofa. “I’d never have guessed our town’s detectives could be so downright unpleasant.”


“Make that shitty.” Roxie sat in a side chair and crossed her arms. “I can’t believe our own brother took us in. And you were just about as bad. Thanks for getting us dragged in for two hours.”


“Look.” Trixie waved her finger in the air. “I was dragged in with you. It’s no fun being related to a cold-blooded killer.”


“I am not a killer.” Roxie voice quivered on the last word.


“Sorry.” Trixie kicked off her shoes. “I told you the detectives surprised me with how good they are—at the end, they even had me convinced.”


Roxie sagged against the chair back. “Sure I’ve thought of ways to kill Georgia for nigh on twenty years, but I could have done a lot better than dumping her in the landfill. Even throwing her in the Pamlico Sound like I suggested once. That would have been better. There’ve been a lot of bodies they’ve never found out there. It’s just a matter of watching the tide and the moon phase. Then there’s that area, you know the one off the point with all the sharp jutting rocks and the deep drop-off…”


“Roxie, too much information. Remember, Georgia’s dead with a capital ‘D.’” Trixie rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Who else would the police think did it? You had cause, that’s for sure, and you’ve even told the mayor how you planned to kill her. Everyone thought you were joshing, but now that someone’s actually murdered her, well, thinking you did it is a natural conclusion.”


“So how do we convince them otherwise, Trix? I don’t look good in yellow or stripes.”

Caroline: Such a fun pair. Where can readers find your books?

Bobbye: Just about everywhere: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, Koby, Sony, Apple. Look, you’ll probably find them.

Caroline: And there are a lot of books to find if you include the Terry Campbell books. How can readers learn more about you?

Bobbye: I already told you about one of my blogs. I’m also at http://daryncross-fantasy.blogspotcom/ and on my websites at http://www.bobbyeterry-mysteryhappens.com/ and www.DarynCross.com

Caroline: Thanks for being a guest, Bobbye. Best wishes for lots of sales of your books.

Bobbye: Thanks for having me.

BOBBYE TERRY'S DUAL PERSONALITY!

Bobbye Terry and
Daryn Cross

She has a dual personality, but she's not bipolar. Like many authors she has two names. Please welcome my friend, Bobbye Terry, who writes mysteries under her name, and all her new fantasies as Daryn Cross. Bobbye is an eclectic and very talented writer who is multi-published on her own as Bobbye Terry, as Daryn Cross, and with a cowriter.

Caroline: Readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up. Siblings? Locale? Were you the shy kid or the tomboy? Share anything that lets readers get to know the real you. Pets? Spouse?


Bobbye: My dad was a college professor and we moved a lot so he could keep going back to school for another degree. He had to teach in between to pay for more years of education. I think all the moves taught me how to make friends easily. My sister is fourteen years younger than I am, so I grew up essentially as an only-child. My upbringing wasn’t remarkable, wonderfully normal, and I was a studious kid. In high school, I planned to be a chemist, and won all sorts of science awards. Then I went to college, and decided that was not for me. I double-majored in Religion and Sociology with the equivalent of a minor in Psychology (my college didn’t recognize minors). I had one dog growing up, a collie named Bootsie, and have had three precious Labs during the years of my marriage. Number three is alive and well, three years old and a full-grown puppy. I am married to a cantankerous yet loveable Vietnam Vet with the heart of a hippie. Thus, we live in the country.

Caroline:  I’m married to a cantakerous but lovable aerospace electrical engineer with the heart of a hermit and that’s why we live in the country. LOL Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?


Bobbye: I have very eclectic tastes. I grew up reading a lot of sci-fi. Now I primarily read romance and fantasy but also love nonfiction. Authors: Caroline Clemmons (of course!) Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lori Wilde, Christie Craig, Nalini Singh, Annette McCleave (a relative newcomer, but, oh so good), Linnea Sinclair. There are so many, how do I name them all?

Caroline: Thank you for including me in your list! How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?

From Crescent Moon Press

Bobbye: I used to read at least two to three a week. Now, I’m fortunate to read one a week. I’m all about Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard (BICHOK).

Caroline: Writing does interfere with our reading, doesn't it? When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?


Bobbye: I read or spend time outside with a little meditation. I also like to fish, though I refuse to take my own fish off the hook. That’s what husbands are for.

Caroline: I love riding in the boat, but hate fishing. Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed our muse?


Bobbye: Red wine, dark chocolate and old romance movies. And then there are massages…

Caroline: Massages...Sigh...Wait, where was I? Oh, yes, back to our interview. Share some unusual things readers may not know about you.


Bobbye: I used to play competitive amateur tennis and won a few awards, mostly in team tennis. I have a CTM in Toastmasters and love to speak in public (Very unusual, so I’m told). I interned in a state psychiatric hospital which gave me a lot of insight into the human psyche, also often discovering the relatives of the patients were far more unstable.

Caroline: No wonder your characters are so fleshed out. How long have you been writing?


Bobbye: Seriously for fifteen years though I’ve written pieces since I was in high school.

Caroline: Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?


Bobbye: I always write in my office which is part of a spare bedroom looking outside a window over the open fields of the country. I don’t usually play music, which is odd, because I used to have either a T.V. or stereo on when I was in college. Times change. My writing is done totally on laptop, and I have a mobile modem, so I could move if I wanted to.

Caroline: Your books are very complex. Are you a plotter or a panzer?


Bobbye: I’m a hybrid, but a higher percentage would have to go to panzer. I prefer character profiles and major plot points only. Then I fly and usually put in all my story twists to ramp up the tension as I go.

Caroline: Some people are calling that a plotzer. Do you use real events or persons in your stories?

From iUniverse

Bobbye: Not usually, though I use pieces of real events to craft mine. Exceptions would be CRAIG LEGACY where Linda and I set the story against the backdrop of the Civil War and the one I’m plotting now that would send my hero and heroine to late 1963 America just after the assassination of President Kennedy.

Caroline: Do you research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?


Bobbye: Oh, heavens yes. Readers are amazingly perceptive and sometimes a bit OCD. I don’t want my facts to be wrong. Once, a reader wrote Linda Campbell (my co-writer for my current book using the pen name, L.J. DeLeon) and me and told us that one of our scenes was wrong because there wasn’t a full moon on that day in 1864. Won’t do that again. IT’S MAGIC didn’t require a lot of  research because it takes place primarily in Richmond, Virginia were I lived for fifteen years. However I did research the make of Tom’s car and also the snake he purchases. Some books/series take a lot longer, such as the series premise I just dreamed up. It’s already taken two full days of research, and I’m not even writing it until two books from now.

Caroline: You are so correct about readers catching the tiniest error. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?


Bobbye: I normally start around eight in the morning and usually write throughout the day until at least six at night, though I have written well into the night hours. Writing anywhere from fifteen hundred to five thousand words in a day, I try to at least average eighteen hundred. I do edit as I go—can’t stop with just getting it on paper. There are some days I just can’t write, but thankfully they’re few and far between. Belonging to one particular group where I report my numbers daily helps keep me honest, and I also participate on regular scrimmages and boot camps on Savvy Authors. Those are not for the weak of heart, but I get a lot done.

Caroline: I know you’re not working outside the home right now. Will you remain a full-time writer? 


Bobbye: Right now I’m laid off from my job so I’m writing fulltime; however, I need a job if I want to eat much longer. Now, if three of my books go for big bucks to a major publisher…

Caroline: Fingers crossed for you! I believe you'll make your goal. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?


Bobbye: Pleasure, escapism, a smile. Even my books that have thriller scenes also contain a huge amount of humor, so I hope I make readers laugh.

Caroline: What advice would you give to pre-published authors?


Bobbye: First, I would strongly suggest they not call themselves pre-published unless they have a contract and are awaiting publication of their first fiction title. I know many use it loosely these days, but, in my opinion, our trade is one that is learned through the old journeyman model. That should be honored by the newcomer and the old timer as well. Each needs to share what they have. You apprentice when you first begin to learn your craft and how to construct a rudimentary novel, then actually write it, gaining PRO status (for those who are not familiar with the vernacular, that’s a Romance Writers of America designation for romance writers requiring certain standards, including a finished book). Then once, you are contracted you’re pre-published and have made journeyman. Once published several times, you may gain master craftsman status. Now, I’ll get off my soap-box.

Further, I suggest you take advantage of all opportunities to learn from writers who have been working at their craft for many years. They have knowledge you don’t, and even if you consider their skills to be inferior to yours, realize what you don’t know and be humble. Their history alone can help open doors for you.

Finally, never verbally accept a contract or sign one without seeking assistance. If the publishing house is a large one, for crying out loud, send out that information to a handful of agents and see if one won’t represent you.

Caroline: Very good advice. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?

Bobbye: Gee, let’s see…I like to dance and can do a great shag and jitterbug (no flips, please). For those who haven’t the foggiest what a shag is, it’s similar to the jitterbug and was very prominent in the Carolinas during the original beach music craze. Once I mentioned the shag to my hairdresser and she thought I was talking about a haircut. I’m also an amateur photographer and have formerly won a best in category and best in show for the same shot. Due to my day jobs over the years, I can interpret federal and state legislation and regulation extremely well, especially in healthcare.

Texas sunrise photo by Bobbye

Caroline: I’m glad you mentioned your photography. I love the sunrise and the moon photos you gave me. Tell us about your latest release.


Bobbye: IT’S MAGIC is a romantic fantasy. Santa Claus, operating under his real name, Maxwell Magic, works off-season. Each year, he pairs two lonely people in a love-match that will last forever. Magic has an assistant who intervenes from time-to-time to make sure the two have every opportunity to fall deeply in love.

Blurb:


Can true love exist between a man who believes a woman is capable of sticking a shive in his heart while making love and a woman who is convinced men think with only one head? Maxwell Magic, an eccentric mysterious matchmaker swears it can and he’s the man to provide the stimulus to make it happen. Kasey Bell, feminist writer, and Guy McLane, radio’s famous chauvinistic psychiatrist, are his targets. Even with carefully executed plans, the road to true love is strewn with mishaps, mirth and money-hungry nighttime talk show hosts. Will Kasey and Guy risk their reputations by exposing secrets buried beneath layers of shame and self-doubt for a desperately needed big money pay-off? Or, will they claim what has evaded them their entire lives—a love that lasts forever?

Excerpt, PG Rating:


As Kasey followed the stagehand, Guy grimaced. Damn. Why’d she have to have sea-green eyes and be a natural, sun-streaked blonde? He was a sucker for natural blondes, and she appeared to be one. Unlike his ex, Helen, he suspected Kasey Bell’s blonde hair wasn’t found just on her head.


His gaze took in her tight ass and long legs. God, what legs Some men were turned-on by big breasts. Others by asses. Not him. He was a leg man through and through.


And Kasey had the best set he’d seen in years.


Her dress clung in all the right places and was designed to make a man forget his own name. Not that it had a chance with him.


Guy studied her the way a connoisseur would a fine wine. Vintage seventy-three. He took another long, slow perusal and shook his head. He was wrong. The body on this Cabernet Sauvignon came from a perfect year. More likely a seventy-eight or if he were lucky, a classic seventy-five.


He grinned as she smoothed the sides of her dress while continuing to cross the stage on her perfectly toned legs.


Definitely still corked. She hadn’t had a chance to breathe, yet. He inhaled sharply. There was no mistaking a good mellow grape when he saw one. And when squeezed just right, the grape was memorable. One to be savored, never gulped.


No question about it, Ms. Kasey Bell was premium sipping quality. First, he’d give her time to breathe. Then he’d taste her, a little at a time, a gentle swirl over the tongue, a teasing of the taste buds.


As he continued to examine her, Guy swallowed hard. From the way her dress moved and the lack of lines, she wore a thong and thigh-high hose. Her derriere was the perfect size for his hands to cup each cheek as he pulled her flush against him. He could feel her long legs wrapping around him. And then there were her delicate ankles. They were so slim his fingers could circle them.


The whole package was enough to bring a grown man to his knees. Especially one like him who’d been alone for last three years. God, help him. Because if He didn’t, Guy knew there was no way he’d maintain his cool while seated next to her on stage.


“Dr. McLane?”


Guy snapped to attention. Standing before him were two lanky young men. “Yes.”


“I’m Josh Bell. This is my younger brother Jacob.”


Guy thrust out his hand and greeted each boy. “I understand you want to take some photos.”


“Yes, sir,” Josh answered.


“You’re our hero.”


Jacob frowned at Josh’s sharp jab to his ribs and Guy laughed. “What does your mother think of that?” He grinned as the two boys looked at each other, shrugged, then turned back to him.


“She hates it,” they said together.


“Dr. McLane, you’ve got two minutes.”


“Thanks, Al.” He turned to the boys. “We’d better get those photos taken.”


Guy started to move, then grimaced, again. Damn. He hadn’t reacted to a female this rapidly since adolescence. Back then, much to his embarrassment, all it’d taken was a slight breeze to get a reaction out of him. And at thirty-eight, the last thing he wanted was to look like a coat rack in some kids’ photos. “Both of you stand here,” he said, positioning the boys in front of him.


As Al Mack took more than a dozen photos, Guy wondered what it was about Kasey Bell that rang his chimes. They’d never met, yet he’d swear he’d seen her before.


Ah, well, he’d remember eventually. He never forgot a pair of legs, especially ones as spectacular as Kasey’s.

Full Moon by Bobbye Terry

Caroline: What a great excerpt. Where can readers find your books?


Bobbye: They can buy them though the usual avenues including Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?


Bobbye: They can take their pick of locations.
Websites at http://www.daryncross.com/, http://www.crossanddeleon.com/, http://www.terrycampbell.com/
Blogs at http://www.daryncross.blogspot.com/, http://www.bobbyeterry.blogspot.com/ (the last one being my suspense novel blog).

Thanks so much for being with us today, Bobbye. Best of luck in the future.