Prize Winner and Terrific Review

Serious Reader wins the download of OUT OF THE BLUE, my paranormal time travel romantic suspense, In this story a woman from 1845 Ireland leaps off a cliff into the Atlantic, but lands beside the bass boat of a police detective in a Texas lake in 2010. It received 5 Siren Stones from Siren Reviews.

Speaking of reviews, I'm so happy to have received two terrific reviews this week for THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE, a western historical set in 1885 Texas.

Please let me share one of the reviews with you. Brenda Talley at The Romance Studio gave the book 5 Hearts and I quote: "...Ms Caroline Clemmons has written a book that was so good it was hard to put down. She had my attendtion from the first page, This gripping plot just kept getting better. The main characters were so differnt from each other. Each took their vows seriously. The suspense was evident throughout the manuscript including the surprising actions at the end of the book. There were myriad supporting characters which kept the story moving.

There were no down times in the book. The action was almost non-stop. Her writing style is good. I don't believe I've ever read her books before, but I certianly will look for her name in the future. The sensuality was well written. it wasn't over the top, but it was involved. The honour of Dallas, as well as the unpleasant attitudes of some others, gave the storyline a wonderful viewpoint. I recommend this book. It's certainly my favorite genre. You will be glad to read this book."

Isn't that a terrific review? If it interests you, the buy link is here. I hope you'll not only buy the book, I hope you'll love it as much as I do.

Sweerhearts Of The West Is A New Blog Launching Soon!



Who doesn't love a cowboy, whether
historical or contemporary?



Sweethearts of the West is a new blog launching on October 1st. Fourteen western authors of contemporary, historical, and time travel romances set in the American West teamed up to man—rather woman—this new blog. Puhhhleeeze, check the site out at http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/ and sign up as a follower.

Authors in the team are co-moderators (little ol'e moi) Caroline Clemmons and Celia Yeary, Amber Leigh Williams, Anna Jeffery/Sadie Callahan/Dixie Cash, Anna Kathryn Lanier, Ashley Kath-Bilsky, Cheryl Pierson, Jane Leopold Quinn, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Marin Thomas, Nicole McCaffrey, Paisley Kirkpatrick, Paty Jager, and Sandra Crowley. These range from newly contracted to USA Today Bestselling Authors.
As the photo caption states, who doesn't love a cowboy? But these authors cover more than cowboys: we write about miners, railroad men, Pinkerton agents, FBI agents, police detectives, doctors, hairdressers, and so many more interesting occupations and intriguing characters! Come join us October 1st and afterward.

Woohoo! Leave a comment here that you’ve followed Sweethearts of the West and be eligible to win an autographed copy of OUT OF THE BLUE, a paranormal time travel romantic suspense set in North Central Texas. This book received a 5 Siren Stone review from Siren. Remember—October 1st is the launch date. By the way, this giveaway is in addition to my weekly prize drawing. Free Loot!

Y’all come on back now, y’hear?

Welcome Author Nana Malone

Author Nana Malone

Readers, please help me welcome Nana Malone to the blog. Nana's first book has just been released and she's eager to share her story with you.

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

Nana:  I’ve always written, but as a child of strict Ghanaian parents, any career that wasn’t engineering, law, or medicine wasn’t a viable option. I didn’t have the courage to start writing with publication in mind until about ten years ago out of dissatisfaction with my PR job at the time. Who knew you had to be perky and love people in order to do PR? I still have a day job, but no more PR for me. I’m a software project manager by day.

Caroline: That's funny, Nana.  What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Nana:  An escape. I’ve always been a voracious reader. I was mostly a lonely kid, so books gave me an opportunity to escape into a little adventure.

Caroline: Oh, me, too. In what genres do you write? (If more than one, why?)

Nana: I write Romance and Young Adult. Well, Romance is for the hopeful romantic in me. I heart happily ever afters. As for young adult, inside me lives an angsty fourteen year old who wants her stories told, so I have to listen.

Caroline: Who are your favorite authors?

Nana: I’m so glad you asked me for more than one LOL It would have taken way too long to pick just one. I could show you my crazy over-organized side and give them to you by genre, but I’ll spare you and just give you a couple. Misty Evans, Kimberly Kaye Terry, Eve Vaughn, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Sandra Brown. I’ll pretty much buy anything of theirs without reading the back cover.

Caroline: A couple of those are my faves, too. Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Nana: Total hyper plotter. I usually do a couple of outlines, using several techniques I leaned over the years, plotting by motivation, plotting with mythic structure, the W Diagram. Then I do a fast draft, giving myself less than a month to complete the first draft, then it’s on to the dreaded edits. So many times the characters laugh at my hyper plotting and just do what they like, so I spend a good deal of time making sure my threads are tied off.

Caroline: Do you have a writing schedule?

Nana: Ha! I wish. I used to have this gorgeous color coded schedule by book series, length, time to write etc….then I had a baby. So now I squeeze in writing at work on my lunch break or when the little nugget goes to bed and hubby is occupied with basketball on the tube.

Caroline: Nana, you sound very organized. Are you attending any conferences this year or scheduled as a speaker? Blog tours or other promotions?

Nana: Yes. Lot’s going on. I’m doing several blog spots, Interviews and giveaways. You can check them all out on my website: http://www.nanamalone.com

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

Nana: Well, I got a million of ‘em, but not too many I’m willing to expose. Lol. The ones I will share: I just can’t help it, I get sucked into reality TV shows. Don’t judge me. I love Bryna Nicole handbags, though they can be murder on my budget. And, yes, I will buy books before I buy food. This became a real problem in college. Now I have DH to remind me that he needs to eat.

Caroline: When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax?

Nana: I read, read, and read some more. I also tickle the little nugget’s belly just to listen to her giggle. That really is the best sound.

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

Nana: Write, learn, and stay focused on your goals. Sounds simple doesn’t it? All kinds of things will act as obstacles. But if this is your dream you won’t let anything stand in the way of it.

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

Nana: I’ve lived all over the world but my family is originally from Ghana. Growing up, I was always itchy for new adventures and slamming my nose in a book was the easiest, safest way I could manage it. It was during one of my less successful adventures in New York that I decided to actually do something about my writing hobby and aim for publication. It took me eleven years, 3 completed manuscripts, and more rejections than I care to count but I’m finally here with the release of  GAME, SET, MATCH.

Caroline: Tell us about your latest release.

Nana: GAME, SET, MATCH is a contemporary romance set in Los Angeles. It’s story of lost and reacquainted love. In a world of flash and not much substance, Jason is looking to find meaning in his life again, while Izzy is struggling to keep her family together while building her career. Both characters need to overcome their self doubt, trust barriers and the pains of the past to find their way back to each other.

Blurb:

Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright’s playboy image is taking a public beating. On the court, he’s down forty-love. A knee injury is shutting down his game, and the paparazzi are splashing his love life on every magazine. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs to save his faltering career is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago.

While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn’t the star he appears to be. Although his charm and good looks haven’t dimmed since he broke her heart, all she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle.

Can Izzy put the past behind her and help Jason get his game, and his image, back on track? Or will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart?

Caroline: I've read it and it's intriguing. Would you give us an excerpt?
Nana: Here's one rated PG:

Dark glasses masked his eyes, but Izzy knew behind them, she’d find intense heat able to strip her to the soul. His tousled blond hair just as she remembered it, a little unkempt, as if he hadn’t bothered with it. He was every bit the Hollywood playboy portrayed in the press. And that devil-may-care sexiness was going to be the death of her.

Before she could say anything else, his strong arms and a warm musky scent enveloped her. Involuntarily, her body stilled like an ice sculpture as her breasts came into contact with the hard planes of his chest. Unable to process the situation, she heard a faint clatter as his sunglasses fell to the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to think of the last time she’d seen him, the last time he’d abandoned her for Sabrina.

“Damn, Izzy, you look amazing.” He set her down, but kept hold of one of her hands. Whiskey eyes poured warm amber over every inch of her body. “How’ve you been?”

The source of her greatest humiliation wanted to know how she’d been, as if they were old buddies. She reminded herself they, for all intents and purposes, were old buddies, until she’d made the mistake of pegging him as her first lover.

Behind Jason, his companion, with his rugged dark good looks and infectious smile, saved her from having to speak. Not that she could have. “Did I miss something, Jase? You two know each other?”

Jason’s smile flashed, making her want to do all manner of inappropriate things. Smash his head in with a frying pan? Strip him bare and see if he still looked as good as he promised? Launch a full TET offensive on him with her lips?

Not necessarily in that order.

Caroline: Great excerpt! Where can readers find your book?
Nana: At my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, at Amazon, and at my website

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?

Nana: Readers can check me out on my website: http://www.nanamalone.com

Caroline: Nana, thank you so much for sharing your time with us today. Best of luck in your writing career, and give your baby girl and extra tickle from me.

Readers, please leave your email in your comments to be entered in my drawing for a free book.

Irish Travelers in Fact and Fiction, Plus A Prize Winner

First, let me announce that rbooth43 won my download of THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE. RBooth, you have 48 hours to email me at caroline@carolineclemmons.com with your email address so I can send you this book in PDF format. After that time, if I haven't heard from you, I'll choose someone else.

In my September book, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, the heroine, Cenora Rose O’Neill, and her family were among those turned off their land by an English landlord. This was all too common during the 1800’s and before. Rather than starve, they joined a band of Irish Travelers. For this reason, I wanted to impart a bit of history to familiarize readers with the ethnic group.

Irish Travelers are descended from medieval minstrels and poets who traveled Ireland telling myths and stories. At that time, they were respected and learned. Travelers have their own language, Sheldroo, which is linked to the ancient Irish oral language that existed well before a written Irish language. At the time of English occupation, many Irish families were turned out of their homes as were the O’Neill family in my book. During that period, it was illegal for Irish to learn to read and write—only the English could attend schools and universities. How were uneducated people to support themselves? Those who could read and write began teaching others in what were called "hedge-row schools" because there was no other site available. Few could attend, though, because they had to scrabble for food. Many men worked for a penny a day building walls around large estates. Bread was a penny-and-a-half a loaf, so children had to help to support their families. The walls are now refered to as "penny walls."

Some homeless Irish families drifted in with the traveling minstrels and eventually became the bands of Irish Travelers. At first, they camped in fields and hedge rows. Later they acquired tents, then the colorful wagons that resemble gypsy wagons—as seen below left in a photo from Bunratty Folk Park, Ireland.

They are not gypsies, though. Gypsies are Roms and originated in India before they spread across most of the world. Travelers are purely of Irish origin, although they have now spread throughout the Western world. I saw examples of their wagons in museums in both Ireland and in Scotland. I was amazed how much storage space was inside the colorful wagons like those at left in Bunratty Folk Park. Lots of drawers and cabinets painted in cheerful colors and bunks resemble a sailing ship captain's quarters. Very efficient use of space. The doors may be left open for ventilation or closed for warmth and privacy. You see the wagon on the left has the top half of the doors open. This is the back of the wagon. A seat on the front allowed the driver to sit in front of a closed door, or open the door to converse with the someone inside. However, men not driving a wagon and children walked alongside the wagons. The strings of ponies which they traded usually would be led by young men. More on this group is available online from the University of Liverpool library.

Legislation in Ireland has set aside special camping places for the Travelers. The controversy reminds me of  Ireland's version of America's Native Indians. There is much controversy there over whether the Travelers' children should be forced to attend school or allowed to remain uneducated and speak Sheldroo in keeping with their culture. How far do parents' rights extend if it condemns the children to poverty? I suspect even Solomon couldn’t answer that one.

In the U.S., Traveler children are supposed to attend school. There’s a large base of Irish Travelers in White Settlement, Texas and another in Los Angeles, California and smaller groups in Appalachia and elsewhere. In White Settlement, many families live in RV’s or mobile homes at a park owned by one of the Travelers. The children don’t attend school, or if they go, it’s only sporadically. Most of the families are Roman Catholic and the wives attend mass. They were/are also called Tinkers because there was usually one among them who repaired pots, pans, and metalware. I remember the character named Tinker in several of Louis L’ Amour’s books.

My first introduction to modern Irish Travelers, also called Tinkers, came one January day when a terrible accident happened on the Interstate just west of Fort Worth, Texas. A group of boys had been driving the new, red, double-cab pickup one received as a Christmas gift and were headed west to visit their uncle a small distance past Weatherford in the next county. The five boys—all related—were going so fast when the driver lost control that the pickup actually became airborne, sailed across a median, and landed atop another pickup traveling east. All six people died. Two were brothers, cousins to the other three brothers, plus the innocent man minding his own business while driving to Fort Worth.

Highway patrol, sheriff’s deputies, and police officers were so moved by the deaths of these young men from one extended family that many of them attended the funeral in White Settlement. As they read the bulletin each person was given, officers learned these young men were all underage--their drivers licenses were fake. The ages were from 13 to 16, not 16 to 21 as the ID’s had indicated, and the driver was underage. Sadly, fake ideas are not uncommon for modern Irish Travelers. This accident sparked several in-depth columns about Irish Travelers in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The photo above right is of a modern Irish Traveler selling various items at a roadside park in Scotland. The woman is the Traveler. You're right, she looks nothing the picture top right that I chose as Cenora O'Neill. But then, Cenora is not an Irish Traveler--her folks just travel with them. Thanks to Beth Trissel for letting me use the photo.

Several times a year, Irish Travelers stop by our rural home and offer to pave our drive or repair our roof. The men are usually medium height and have startlingly clear blue eyes that truly look so innocent and sweet. If we were gullible enough—as one of our friends was—to let them resurface our driveway with asphalt, they would use a mixture of fluid which might resemble thin asphalt, but actually would be oil that washed away in a hard rain. Another common ploy is to get a 50% deposit for roofing, then disappear.

I am definitely not bashing Irish people! That would be stupid since I’m of mostly Scot-Irish descent and love anything to do with Ireland, Scotland and the UK. I’m simply identifying a stereotype. I’m sure there are some good people from the sub-ethnic group, Irish Travelers. As with so many other subjects, we only hear about the bad ones. For a couple hundred years, Irish Travelers have been thought of as con men and their wives as beggars. Some make good money. Others live hand to mouth. They’re accused of selling their daughters at a young age to marry much older men. Is that true? I don’t know.

They’ve made national news because of their shoplifting rings. Are there honest Travelers? Of course there must be, just as there are honest and dishonest people, good parents and bad parents, from any group. I took the photo above left on our second trip to Ireland. Sorry, but I can't remember where. We were near the end of a three-week tour when I took this photo and things had become a bit muddled together in my mind by then. I still loved the tour, by the way, and would go back at the drop of a hat!

How did Cenora O’Neill’s family and the band of Irish Travelers end up sailing across the Atlantic complete with their wagons and then trekking across the U.S. into Central Texas? Great question! You’ll have to read the book to learn the answer.

See, it was a trick question. Authors have no shame when it comes to getting you to read their books.

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing for the next book giveaway!

Writing the West

I’m still excited about the release yesterday of my western historical set in 1885, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE.

In this book, Dallas McClintock is a handsome young man of mixed heritage, half Scottish and half Cherokee. All his life he has faced prejudice because of his mixed heritage. At the death of his parents, he came to live with his aunt and uncle, who treated him like their son. Dallas’ two cousins treated him as their brother. They are a close-knit family, but now Dallas has his own ranch and is gaining a reputation as a talented horse trainer and breeder. He also raises cattle and sheep. Yep, on the same ranch. The house is a large place situated on a hill overlooking the river.

Cenora O’Neill and her family were tossed off their rented farm in Ireland with no more than they could carry. She and her parents and two brothers, Finn and Mac, wandered helplessly for a few weeks until a band of Irish Travelers befriended them. Soon, the Travelers moved from tents to wooden wagons in colorful colors. Never totally a part of the Travelers, but with no where else to go, the O’Neill family played music while Cenora danced and sang for coins whenever they passed through a town. By a chance you have to read the book to discover, the entire band of Travelers, their wagons, and their horses came to the United States to escape the prejudice they’d faced in Ireland. Here they found no more welcome and moved West hoping to find acceptance and—perhaps—free land they could claim.

This story is set in the Central Texas Hill Country near Bandera. I love Texas history and Irish history, and this book combines them. Mostly, it’s about people who struggle for acceptance and for a home. There’s skullduggery in it, of course. I love writing villains that readers can hate and could never write a romance with no crime in it.

THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE ia available from The Wild Rose Press, Digi Books Cafe and other online stores. Print is $14.99 and e-download is $7.00.

Don't forget to comment to be entered in the Saturday drawing for a PDF download of this book.And while you're reading blogs, slip over to the Prairie Chicks blog and see my post there today.

Launch Day for THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE!

Today is the official launch of my latest book, a western historical set in 1885, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, from The Wild Rose Press in e-book and in print. How exciting, well, at least it is for me! I've been not-so-patiently awaiting the release. This cover is by far my favorite of any I’ve ever had, and was designed by Nicola Martinez at The Wild Rose Press. To celebrate the book’s release, I’ll be giving away a PDF download of THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE to one person who comments before midnight Saturday.

I love Texas history and especially love this time period. The story is set in Central Texas near Bandera and Medina, and also the Lost Maples State Natural Area. That area appeals to me and is the location of lots of real ranches and some fairly famous dude ranches. Years ago, my family and I stayed at the Mayan Dude Ranch and loved it. But I’ll discuss that trip another day.

For today, let me just say that I am very excited about the release of this book.  Click here to buy a copy, from The Wild Rose Press, or go to one of the other online stores. Here’s the blurb:

Cenora Rose O’Neill knows her father somehow arranged the trap for Dallas, but she agrees to wed the handsome stranger. She’d do anything to protect her family, and she wants to save herself from the Irish Travelers' brutish leaser, Tom Williams. A fine settled man like Dallas will rid himself of her soon enough, but at least she and her family will be safely away from Tom Williams.

Texas rancher Dallas McClintock has no plans to wed for several years. Right now, he’s trying to establish himself as a successful horse breeder. Severely wounded rescuing Cenora from kidnappers, Dallas is taken to her family’s gypsy-like Irish Traveler’s wagon to be tended. He is trapped into marrying Cenora, but he is not a man who goes back on his word. His new wife has a silly superstition for everything, but passion-filled nights with her make up for everything—but what is he supposed to do with her wild Irish family?

Blog Tour Prize Basket Winner and Blogger Appreciation Award

Today's blog is filled with Prizes and more prizes. First, the winner of the book GOODBYE TO ALL THAT from Margo Candela is Debbie. I'll email Debbie to make sure she knows she's won.

August's Wild Rose Blog Tour featuring ten authors whose books are published by The Wild Rose Press is at an end. The tour was lots of fun, lots of work, and I learned fascinating new facts about my fellow authors. I especially want to thank Rae Summers for organizing the tour, and the other participants for including me. Although that fun has come to an end, now we can reveal the Big Prize Basket winner! Yippee! The Marketing Director of The Wild Rose Press, Lisa Dawn, was kind enough to draw a name from all those who commented on any of the ten blogs on any of the four Wednesdays in August. Lots of names, right? Drum roll, please. . . The winner of the Prize Basket of 10 PDF book downloads, a banner from Aileen Harkwood, and the privilege of choosing the name of a character in Rae Summers next novel IS Judy Croome! But wait, there's more! Thanks to Lisa Dawn, The Wild Rose Press has donated two gift certificates! Rebecca Booth has won a $10.00 gift certificate from http://www.thewildrosepress.com/. Shelly Munro has won a $10.00 gift certificate from the Wilder catalog. Rae Summers/Romy Schneider will be contacting the gift certificate winners and Judy will receive her books and other prizes from each author participating. Congratulations, ladies!

Whew, that was exciting, but onward, ever onward. It's not too late to win other prizes. I have a weekly giveaway on my blog and many other authors also have contests. Just leave a comment on my blog to enter for the next drawing! A follow counts as a second entry. Please leave your email in your comment. Don't forget to read the giveaways in my little mini-screen from Givaway Scout on the right sidebar of this blog for other prizes each month.

My oldest daughter, Darling 1, who helps me with the technical aspects of being a writer (hey, no one told me there'd be math or technoloy involved in writing a book), told me about The Blogger Appreicaion Award. The website blog, 3BoysandaDog, suggested that each blogger send a thank you to those blogs that have sent visitors his or her way for the seemingly long distant month of July. Can you believe it's now September? Well, it is and I want to thank those who've sent traffic my blog's way.Most of my traffic comes from sites, not other blogs, but here are those people I wish to thank for their help spreading the word:

Maya Blake

Terry Spear

Amber Leigh Williams

Reviews By Martha's Booksherlf by Marth E of eTreasures Publishing

Catherine Bybee

Book Lover and Procrastinator

Mervi H

Jeanmarie Hamilton

Information Central

Seduced By History, blog of Hearts Through History RWA online chapter

Where would we be without our friends, without networking, and online groups? Lonely, that's where. While I like to sit in my pink cave writing my heart out, it does no good unless people know I've done so and know to go buy my marvelous books. (Of course, I believe they're marvelous and hope you agree.) So, thanks to anyone who has recommended my books or my blog to another person. Bless you!

Thanks for stopping by.

Guest Post by Margo Candela: "Why Writers Take Breaks" and Book Giveaway

I don’t smoke, I don’t drink coffee and I don’t have anyone to gossip with a couple cubicles over, but I still make a point getting away from my desk at regular intervals during my writing day. (These breaks mirror the longer ones I take from a manuscript between drafts and revising.) For me, a little distance is a good thing and taking breaks from what I’m writing is essential to maintaining my sanity.

I could lie and say I do fabulous things when I’m away from my desk. That I inoculate orphans, read to seniors or even arrange flowers, but what I do is vacuum. Our dog, a sweet but rather dumb creature, is so used to it, she seems rather put out when I don’t wake her up from a nap with a nudge from the Dyson. By the way, it’s all about the vacuum. I sincerely doubt I’d have a thing for vacuuming if I didn’t have such an awesome machine to push around.

Before I took up with my Dyson I used to sew. My mother-in-law presented me with a Singer sewing machine one Christmas and I can honestly say it’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten. I used to make tote bags, one right after another, and wound up with way too many and too little things to carry in them. After a while, family and friends were less than happy to accept a present of one of my creations so I had to find a new hobby. I got a label maker and labeled anything and everything I could until my husband hid it from me.

Then the Dyson arrived into my life and I’ve been hooked on the thing ever since. I’m itching to upgrade to a DC25 Animal, but won’t do so until something really special happens. Like selling another novel or getting my screenplay optioned. I want my vacuuming to mean something more than just, you know, vacuuming.

My vacuum breaks might morph into something else, but for now nothing makes me happier than hearing my vacuum rev up…even if the dog isn’t impressed by it anymore.

One lucky commenter today will receive a copy of GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, Margo Candela's latest release. Please include your email with your comment.

Book Review: GOODBYE TO ALL THAT by Margo Candela

Before I give my book review, let me announce that Beth Trissel has won my weekly prize drawing. Beth, I'll contact you to see which of my books you choose.

Now for Margo Candela's GOODBYE TO ALL THAT.

Raquel Azorian has worked her way from temp to executive assistant and is this close to a promotion to junior marketing exec at Belmore Corporation, the midia behemoh she's devoted herself to. She's learned to play the Hollywood game--navigate office politics, schmooze the right people, avoid the wrong ones, and maintain a sense of decorum even in the craziest of times. All she needs is for her boss to sign her promotion memo. Instead of putting pen to paper, he suffers a very public meltdown that puts not only his professional future but Raquel's on the line.

Getting to the next rung on the Belmore ladder will require every ounce of focus, but that's not going to be easy. Raquel's mom has decided to leave her husband and move into Raquel's apartment, and her older brother seems to be sinking deeper and deeper into depression. Raquel has to keep her job, stop her parents from divorcing, and save her brother. In the chaos of juggling so much, she finally reaches the breaking point: there's just not enough time for everything or for everyone. She's going to have to choose--success at work or happiness at home. But then a chance encounter at a bookstore cafe leads Raquel to start planning her own Hollywood ending . . . on her own terms.
                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raquel learned early on that being a pretty girl in town of pretty girls only qualified her for a hostess job at a local restaurant. She made certain she stood out in a sea of frumpy that qualified her to corporate success at Belmore, where company politics are a blood sport. Life keeps knocking her down, but she plays like a champ. Her mom moves in and her parents and her brother depend too heavily on her to solve their problems. Her boss counts on her until the chips are down. Raquel is not perfect, but she is too good for the job she's given her life to. Only a terrible crisis shows her where her heart and her future lie. She makes the right decisions to launch herself in a more reasonable life.

Margo Candela tells a wonderful story. Her characterization is faultless, and I liked Raquel immediately. If you've ever had a job that consumed you, ever been speared by office politics. or ever had your heart broken, you'll sympathize with Raquel. Even if you've experienced none of these tragedies, you'll find this story speaks to you on some level.  I recommend it to every reader.

Please join me on the 31st for a post by Margo Candela and the chance to win a copy of her new release, GOODBYE TO ALL THAT.

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes! Last Day for Big LASR Nook Hunt

We all want an e-reader, right? Get moving then! Check out the authors participating in the Great Anniversary Celebration at Long and Short Reviews for a chance to win one of THREE Nook e-readers, each of which will come loaded with books from participating authors. Win, win. Mine is easy to find. Some are harder. Totally worth searching for, though--unless you already have an e-reader.

As they say on TV commercials, "But Wait! That's not all!" Right. Comment by tonight and I'll enter you in my weekly drawing for a book. Yeah, one book. Makes that LASR contest look better and better, doesn't it? (Okay, but my book, OUT OF THE BLUE, is a great one, really it is. You'll love it--all my friends and family did. LOL And Siren Reviews gave me 5 Siren Stones in their review! )

The winner of Aileen Harkwood's free download of WOLF'S DEN is Cienna. Aileen will be contacting you, Cienna, to email you your copy of her book. You're still in the running for the Big Prize Basket from our Wild Rose Authors Blog Tour. That winner will be announced on August 31st. Lisa Dawn, marketing director for The Wild Rose Press, will draw the winner's name from the list of all those who commented on the August blog tour.

Is that all there is on blogs--prizes? No, I have great content with author interviews, book reviews, research information, writing tips, and miscellaneous drivel, um, I mean great stuff going on in my life. Next week I'll be reviewing Margo Candela's new book, GOOD-BYE TO ALL THAT followed the next day with a blog post by Margo. Great book, so come back to learn more about the book and learn what she has to say about writing.

This week has been a mess for me. Darling 2's oldest dog, Findley, has had cancer, and surgery to remove the tumor has left his shoulder and leg a mess. With Darling 2 hydrating the wound and doing massage three times a day and twice weekly visits to our vet, Findley's leg has been saved and he is recovering. However, she is in education and couldn't get off to take him yesterday for his vet visit--rescheduled because the vet was going out of town. So, Hero and I took care of the little guy overnight and then took him in for his visit. It's harrowing---like keeping a sick child for someone. We are worried he'd hurt himself, or get worse, or something on our watch. Very traumatic. No, Findley was fine; we were the nervous ones.  That's not Findley above right. It's Webster, the black Shih Tzu to whom Hero and I belong. I didn't want to show poor poor little Findley's photo as he looks now. However, Findley is also a black Shih Tzu and his gentle, sweet nature is the reason Hero and I got Webster from a rescue agency. Webster's photos always make him look like a little black alien, but he is actually a sweet, loving, and handsome dog. But on with my story.

Because my glasses broke and I have to have them to do little things like see anything, I had to get my eyes checked. I had scheduled a chat at Coffee Time Romance's karenfindoutaboutbooks' yahoo loop for four. Or so I thought. Turns out it was on the erotic chat loop, karendevinkaren. I don't write erotic romance, just sensual and sweet. Can't figure out how I wound up on that erotic loop, but never mind. When I learned it was at 4 EST instead of CST, I was going to cancel my eye exam. Nope, the big chip in my unbreakable lens made it necessary I see the doctor ASAP. So, Darling 1 filled in for me for half an hour or so until I rushed home in a tizzy because I'd missed part of the chat.

Things were fine for a while and I enjoyed chatting a couple of hours with those who showed up. Time moved along pretty fast, that is--yep, until my server went down an hour before the chat was supposed to end. By this time, let me tell you, my nerves were frazzled--taut as bowstrings. Again, Darling 1 took over to tell the other chatters what happened and bid them adieu for me.

While I was waiting, hoping my server would somehow revive itself, I read an email that said I had messed up payment for a cover contest I'd entered. Yikes? What was wrong with me? Was I going nuts? I was in a deep purple funk. My mom used to say she was "blue" when she was loney or upset. A deep purple funk is even more upsetting than being blue. LOL This was just one of those days when I figured nothing I did was right and my life was NOT under my control!

Here's where Hero stepped in and took me out for Mexican food and a large margarita. See why I call him Hero? He always knows the perfect thing to help me recover from any situation. Not that I get myself into um, situations all that often. (Yeah, right. I'm sure you believe that. If so, would you like to buy this great bridge in Brooklyn?)

I hope you don't have days like mine was yesterday, or if you do that you handle it better than I did. I suspect everyone has days like that one occasionally. Seems life is either feast or famine--nothing happening OR way too much happening at once. You've probably heard that Chinese curse: "May you live in interestng times." Yep, sometimes boring would be nice.

Interview of Author Aileen Harkwood--Last Day To Enter Big Prize Giveaway

Please welcome our guest, Aileen Harkwood. Aileen lives in the Southern Rockies with her family, their passive-aggressive cat and fetch-addicted chocolate Labrador. She writes paranormal romance and romantic suspense and is always on the lookout for an unexpected twist or touch to add to her stories. Alpha males are her favorite heroes to write, though in real life she loves a hero who doesn't always realize he's an alpha until his heroine is threatened. Aileen is graciously giving away a copy of WOLF'S DEN to one lucky commenter today, and that person will still be entered in the Big Prize Basket give away mentioned at the end of today's post.

Caroline: Thanks for coming, Aileen. Readers love to get to know authors. Please tell us about growing up.

Aileen: I grew up in a rare part of Los Angeles that had bridal trails and streams, as well as a mountain summer camp just fifteen minutes away. As you might guess I could never get enough of nature. As a kid I was always outdoors, whether in my grandmother’s huge garden with its persimmon tree and wild roses, or making crafts at camp with leaves and pinecones, or “fishing” for pet guppies in the local stream, using sandwich bags weighted with rocks.

Animals were a huge draw for me, and at one time I had over twenty birds, including a myna, parakeets, and finches. After a while I couldn’t stand to see birds in cages—we didn’t have the means to build a proper aviary for them—so I stopped adopting them. I think that’s one thing I’d love to have as an adult, a huge indoor aviary filled with happy birds, flitting around and enjoying themselves. Don’t know how that would work out with our two cats, Raven and Sparrow, however. On second thought, maybe not.

Caroline: Oh, don't think our cats would share with birds, although my friend Jeanmarie Hamilton has a cat, dog, and a cockatoo who coexist. Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

Aileen: I’m a fairly eclectic reader. Of course I love romance and have probably read close to or more than 500 books in the genre over the last several years. Paranormal, mainstream romantic suspense, historicals (particularly Victoriana) are all huge with me. I love Amanda Quick’s Arcane Society series. I’ve read every one of Jane Austen’s novels several times over, as well as most of the British classics. One of my favorite reads lately isn’t a novel, The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger, about the last days of a group of men who went out to sea in a fishing trawler off North America and were never heard from again. It was fascinating, tragic, and heroic all at the same time, superbly written.

Caroline: Oh, I love reading, too, and I love Amanda Quick’s Arcane Society book. What are you reading now?

Aileen: I’m re-reading a lot of Nora Roberts’ early work. I recommend it highly. Studying her books can teach you a lot about writing romance, especially if you aspire to write mainstream romance. Her three sisters trilogy is not only romantic, but inspiring because the women in the novels are strong, independent, go-getters.

Caroline: Nora Roberts is another favorite of mine, too. When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?

Aileen: I’m a total photo geek and love everything about photography from studying the techniques used during the dawn of photography, to collecting and using vintage cameras, to manipulating digital images in Photoshop. I can easily spend 10 hours at a session working in front of my computer or in a darkroom and not even realize the time has passed.

Caroline: I’m jealous. I collect vintage family photos. Wish I had Photoshop and knew how to use it. Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?

Aileen: I like to get in the car, drive to a cozy restaurant, find a booth by the window and order tea and a huge plate of fries with BBQ sauce or anything chocolate. I’ll sit there for an hour, thinking, planning my stories or writing in my laptop. I feel guilty because I used to wait tables and it seems like I’m “renting” the booth without buying much, so I’m always sure to leave a good tip.

Caroline: My friends and I do that—up the tip commensurate with time spent. How long have you been writing?

Aileen: Since I was in the second grade. Needless to say my early stories needed improvement.

Caroline:  wow, you got an early start. Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

Aileen: Solitude, definitely. I’m a laptop writer, who flips open her MacBook several times a day to add a few lines or rewrite a passage whenever I have a spare moment. Big writing chunks usually get done in the middle of the night when the house is quiet and everyone is asleep.

Caroline: Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Aileen: A little of both. Though I always need a plan of some sort, knowledge of a story’s beginning, middle, and end, what would be the fun of writing if I knew everything that was going to happen?

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

Aileen: Almost never. Like a lot of writers I’m a people watcher and I might take characteristics from several people and combine them, but that’s it.

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

Aileen: The beauty of WiFi and Google is that you can do your research on the fly. A lot of times I’ll create a story based on a topic about which I’m already familiar, but for all the little facts needed to go into a story, a quick pause for a web search is magic.

Caroline: Do you write full time or do you have a day job?

Aileen: Two day jobs, actually. I own an online business selling vintage electronics (weird for a girl, I know, but better paying in this economy than the antiques I used to sell), plus I’m a photographer.

Caroline: Ooh, my youngest daughter and I used to sell antiques until the market crashed, and my eldest daughter is a photographer. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Aileen: Pure enjoyment. That’s what I want when I pick up a book to read.

Caroline: Me, too. What advice would you give to pre-published authors?

Aileen: Read as many books as you can in the genre or subgenre you’d like to write. Study them. outline them. Write notes in the margins (except library books!). Notice how your favorite authors handle the different aspects of writing: setting, plot, dialogue, transitions, opening and closing lines, love scenes, action, etc. Pretend you’re taking a college course about romance writing and the instructor insists you compare the approaches of several different novelists. It’s work, I know, but it will really help you when you write yourself into a corner and don’t know how to get out of it.

Caroline: Great advice, Aileen. Tell us about your latest release.

Aileen: WOLF'S DEN is the first in a series, The Legacy of the White Wolf, about a mythic female shapeshifter, who died centuries ago, but who forever changes the lives of the hero and heroine in the books. The stories revolve around the pack alphas of the Kith, werewolves inhabiting remote wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest and Rockies in the U.S. and Canada. What the legacy gives to or exacts from you is different for each person and a mystery only you can solve.

Caroline: Readers love series and this one definitely has a unique twist. Can you share a blurb?

Aileen: I'd love to.

Waking with amnesia in a body made for sin, Luka is a woman with an identity crisis. Not only doesn't she know her last name, why can't she remember the intense stranger with wolfen eyes who makes her want to howl with sexual hunger? Why has he accused her of a gruesome murder she knows she didn't commit?

Griffin is a wolf in mourning, sworn to bring his mate's killer to justice. His beloved Anya has just died of the bloodsong, a ritual magic forbidden among his people, in which the wolf can be called out in anyone, even humans such as Anya, who can't survive the transformation. How is it, then, that when he looks into her killer's eyes he sees not a murderess, but his own mysterious destiny?

Caroline: Sounds intriguing. What about an excerpt?

Aileen: This excerpt is rated R

“Dangerous. Why?

Do you think I can’t take every delicious inch of you? Do you think I can’t handle you?”

He blinked, astonished by this statement and apparently at a loss for words. It was, she had to admit, the single cheesiest thing she’d ever said aloud. She watched him trying to figure out how best to react, while at the same time maintaining that stern, “we aren’t going to have sex, no-way, no-how” attitude.

The longer they looked at one another without saying anything, the harder it was to keep a straight face. She couldn’t say who broke under pressure first, but suddenly both of them were laughing uncontrollably. She collapsed forward in hysterics, her forehead dropping against his chest.

A few seconds later, she realized he’d gone completely still.

He pounced.

Caroline: Ooh, you got me. Where can readers find your books?

Aileen: You can purchase WOLF'S DEN on The Wild Rose Press website at:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wolfs-den-p-4120.html

Or on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Wolfs-Den-ebook/dp/B003V4B6HS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1282019424&sr=1-1

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?

Aileen: Visit me at my blog, http://aileenharkwood.blogspot.com

Caroline: Thanks so much for stopping by, Aileen.

Aileen: Thanks for having me, Caroline.

This is the last day to comment to be entered in a drawing for our big gift basket including ten book downloads. The winner wil be announced August 31st.

Prize Winner and Editing Our Work

Congratulations to Pink Panther, winner of the weekly drawing! No not the Peter Sellers Pink Panther. This is someone who likes Pink Panther and uses it as an email address. I'll email her and let her know she won a PDF download of either OUT OF THE BLUE or NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES.

We edit our writing for several reasons: To check for typos; to eliminate unnecessary words and phrases; and to tighten writing and increase the pace. When I worked for a newspaper, we were not allowed to proof our own final work. We knew what we meant to say, which made catching errors difficult. Writers don't have co-workers helping read final drafts. We do have  critique partners, friends, and family members who can help read our final draft.

Checking for typos is not as easy as you'd imagine. Certainly Spell Check has helped all writers, but it will not highlight a wrong word or a homonym. If we type "red" for "read," for instance, our error sails past Spell Check because "red" is spelled correctly.

Eliminating unnecessary words. A writer friend needed to cut words to meet her publisher's word count. Deleting unnecessary conjunctions, "the," and "that" reduced her word count sufficiently. For instance, "The man who stood on the deck" would be "He stood on deck."  Connected prepositional phrases can create an unwieldy sentence. For instance, "He stood on the deck in the dark with the fog that was around him" could be "Swirling fog surrounded him on the dark deck." Better to eliminate the final prepositional phrase too, but I'm in a hurry this morning or I'll be late for church. LOL

Tightening text by rewriting and deleting are well worth our time. Tighter text equals faster pace. Fast pace keeps readers engaged.

Thanks for stopping. Please leave a comment.

English Author Maya Blake Interviewed and Great Giveaway Prizes

Please welcome fellow The Wild Rose Press author, Maya Blake. Maya, please introduce yourself to readers.

Hi, I’m Maya Blake, I’m a thirty-something romance writer whose life-long dream of writing finally came to true last year when my debut novel HOSTAGE TO LOVE was published by The Wild Rose Press. I’m the fourth of five siblings and I live in Kent, England with my husband and two adorable (in my opinion, lol) kids.

CC: Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

MB: Since romance is my first love when it comes to reading, most of my favorite authors are romance writers. Michelle Reid, Lucy Monroe, Penny Jordan are a few of my Harlequin Presents favorites, but last year I discovered Anna Campbell, a historical romance writer, who blew me completely away and is now a firm favorite. I also enjoy reading crime thrillers, so authors like Deaver, Baldacci and Grisham are on my auto-buy list.

CC: Good choices. How many books do you read a month? What are you reading now?

MB: Since becoming a “serious” writer, my reading has taken an enormous hit. Where I used to read about six books a month, I’ve had to cut down to two or three, which is a shame since reading is a passion of mine. Just like my writing to tend to flit from book to book, which means I could be reading about three books at the same time, so to answer your question, right now I’m reading The Brunelli Baby Bargain by Kim Lawrence, Pure Princess, Bartered Bride by Caitlin Crews and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, lol!

CC: When you’re not writing, what’s your favorite way to relax and recharge? Hobbies?

MB: Reading is my go-to hobby. I always have books stashed in various parts of the house just in case I get a minute, but for the ultimate relaxation, it’s my hammock, a book and a glass of wine. A very close second is watching movies with my husband. I love my kids immeasurably, but I wouldn’t call them a hobby, no way!

CC: Kids are definitely a full-time job, aren’t they? Would you like to share any guilty pleasures that feed your muse?

MB: Oh dear, my muse is as flighty as I am, unfortunately! One day it could be music, other days it could be chocolate or complete silence. She arrives, makes demands and I simply have to accommodate her!

CC: My muse always responds to chocolate. LOL  How long have you been writing?

MB: I started writing when I was thirteen, but the usual angst-ridden teenage life got in the way, followed by “real life”, I guess. It wasn’t until I was on maternity leave with my second child five years ago that I picked up the pen again. My first manuscript was completed a month after I went back to work.

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

MB: I can write pretty much anywhere and I don’t really mind background noise as long as it’s IN the background. My preferred place to write, though, is in bed, laptop on my lapdesk and my iPod and a cold drink close by; writing is thirsty work!

CC: Yes, it is. Are you a plotter or a pantzer?

MB: When I started writing I was a complete pantzer, but I’ve had to learn to plot for the sake of contests and proposals. My crit partners and I now have awesome Skype sessions where we get together to plot stories. That said, sometimes I will deviate from a plot just to see where the characters and the muse take me.

CC: A plot is really just a road map, and it’s nice to take detours along the way. Do you use real events or persons in your stories?

MB: Not really. I may have used a name or an observation in the past in a story, for example, I saw girl with a spider tattoo on her foot and it sparked the idea of writing a story with an arachnophobic heroine.

CC: Great! Do you do your research before you begin a new project, or as you go along?

MB: Once the story is fully formed in my head or sketched roughly on paper, I just tend to run with it and research later. I think most writers come to a point when the words don’t quite flow as rapidly as we’d like and I use times like those to do my research. Often, it helps the story unfold quicker.

CC: Research does spark ideas. Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you set goals? Do you write daily?

MB: I’d love to say I set goals and keep to them or that I write daily. Unfortunately, holding down a full time job and the demands of family means that I can only write when I have or make the time. My husband is very good at taking the kids off my hands when he knows I have a self-imposed deadline and that helps a lot. Generally I try and write after my kids are in bed and the home settled down for the night.

CC: With a full-time job away from home plus children and a husband, I think you must be very efficient to find time for writing books. What is your day job?

MB: I hold down a full-time job at a law firm in the City of London.

CC: Sigh, I love visiting the City of London. What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

MB: My aim is bring to readers what I myself look for in books – heartfelt warmth, affinity with three-dimensional characters and a hard-fought-for but very well deserved happy ending. If there’s a neat twist thrown in there somewhere, even better!

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

MB: Never give up. A rejection letter from another publisher only fuelled my desire to be published and led to HOSTAGE TO LOVE being accepted by The Wild Rose Press six weeks later.

CC: Perseverance is the key. Tell us about your latest release.

MB: Here’s a blurb:

Crushed by betrayal, Belle Winkworth-Jones flees the shambles of her short-lived marriage, only to be kidnapped by a vicious rebel soldier determined to keep her for himself. Nick Andreakos mounts a ruthless rescue to save the wife who walked away from him, even though he's resentful Belle could dismiss their marriage so easily

MB: And here’s an excerpt: (PG)

Belle jerked awake as a loud blast ripped through the cave, her eyes unprepared for the blinding, strobe flashes of light that lit up the dark cavern a second later. Squinting, she saw the flashes continue intermittently for several seconds, then stop. She lurched from her position propped up against the wall and wondered for a moment if she was still dreaming.

The screams from a few feet away told her she wasn’t.

She’d stayed awake long after the rebel leader retired behind his curtain, unable to sleep for fear he might vent his anger on Father Tom.

She’d also contemplated what she would do after nature ran its course. She’d bought them three days, four at the most. What would happen after that? Could she willingly let the loathsome man touch her for the sake of keeping one or all of them alive? And what guarantee did she have that he wouldn’t harm Father Tom?

The idea that perhaps they could overpower two of the soldiers, steal their weapons and make a run for it, she immediately discarded as foolish, and dangerous. She’d slumped, dejected, against the wall of the cave. That’s when she must’ve fallen asleep.

Dizzy and momentarily blinded by the flashes, she jumped as Edda screamed again. What was happening? Had the rebel leader decided they weren’t worth keeping and blasted the cave, burying them alive? Curiously though, the walls of the cave remained intact. She blinked a few times to dispel the blindness. Nothing happened.

A staccato burst of muffled gunfire sounded close by. But the gunfire was inside the cave, not outside. Which meant the rebels were still inside. Something brushed against her and she bit back a scream.

‘It’s all right lass, it’s me,’ Father Tom whispered close to her. ‘I told yer we’d be rescued today.’

Rescued! Why hadn’t she thought of that? Her spirits soared. Then plummeted.

CC: Wow, I’m intrigued. Where can readers find your books?

MB: My books are available from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Amazon Kindle, All Romance ebooks, Barnes & Noble, Fictionwise and MbaM, to name a few.

CC: How can readers learn more about you?

MB: Readers can stay in touch with me in various ways:

www.mayabauthor.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/mayablake

www.minxesofromance.blogspot.com

Buy Hostage To Love here

CC: Thank you, Maya, for sharing your life and your writing with us today.

MB: Thank you so much for having me here today, Caroline. Your blog is beautiful and I feel at home already!

Readers! Remember to post today and next Wednesday to be entered in the big Gift Basked Drawing on the 30th.

Comments today also will be entered in my weekly prize drawing for a PDF file of one of my books.
 
This is a win-win situation!

Progress and Solitude and Friends---and Prize Winner

The winer of her choice of download from my books is Loretta. I've emailed Loretta to ask which book she prefers.

Have you thought about the changes technology has made in our lives in just the past five years? Good things are the price of computers came down, the price of various e-readers came down, and cell phones improved tremendously. Those great television sets have decreased in price, too. There are thousands more books available as e-books to download to your e-reader or computer or phone. Life looks pretty good now, doesn't it? So what's bad about progress?

Many people count on their phones and computers to contact their friends, but spend far less face-to-face time with friends. Some people even text or talk on the phone when they're out to dinner with friends. Hero and I were in an Olive Garden recently. A family of five was seated near us. Four of the five spent most of the meal on the phone. Family togetherness? I think not. For one thing, if you are dining with me, don't talk on your phone. I subscribe to the theory of Tom Hanks' character in "Sleepless In Seattle." If you're not bleeding and no one has been kidnapped, the call can wait. Oops, there I go on another of my soap boxes.

Psychologists say that getting together with friends produces the best endorphins. We don't need to run to get a runner's high--we can go to a meeting or dine with friends and achieve the same benefit. Not only does it help that day, but the residual flows over for a couple of days. In other words, to be happy and well balanced, we need friends face-to-face.

Writing is a solitary profession. We sit facing the desktop or laptop computer for hours, even days at a time. If I didn't have Hero to keep me balanced, I'd probably only leave my cave when hunger struck or nature called or I keeled over to sleep for a few hours.

I remember a favorite scene in "Romancing The Stone" when Kathleen Turner's character--a single romance writer--finished her book. There were sticky notes throughout her apartment with reminders to buy food, buy tissues, etc. Sound familiar? The point of this diatribe is that friends are not just nice to have.

We need friends!

Join writers groups, church groups, civic groups, whatever. Don't let yourself become isolated. It's not healthy mentally or physically.

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Please leave your email in your comment to enter my weekly prize drawing. A follow counts as a second entry. Like me on Facebook for another entry. My Twitter name is CarolinClemmons with no E in Caroline due to space constrainst. This just goes on and on, doesn't it? Ahh, that's progress.

  

Prize Giveaways and Writing--What's the Connection?

The winner of my weekly prize giveaway for August 7th is FIONA CHAN. Fiona, please email me to tell me your email address. You have your choice of a PDF download of the Civil War anthology NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES in which my novella LONG WAY HOME appears, or my June release OUT OF THE BLUE, which is a time travel in which a woman travels from 1845 Ireland to modern Texas to help a police detective discover the murderer who shot him and killed his partner, framed him for a drug scandal, and almost succeeded in other murders.

This is a BIG month for giveaways. I'm participating in the Long and Short Reviews webiste owners big Third Anniversary "Long And Short Of It" Celebration. They're giving away THREE Nook e-readers in their scanvenger hunt which lasts from August 2-29th. You can check the rules and the sites involved at http://www.longandshortreviews.com/ Each of these Nooks comes loaded with ebooks from the participants and a fifty dollar gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.Wow!

August is also when some of The Wild Rose Press authors are having a Wednesday Blog Tour, at the end of which a lucky visitor will receive a gift basket of PDF books from participating authors plus a banner from Aileen Harkwood. Participating blogs are as follows: Aileen Harkwood, Amber Leigh Williams; Caroline Clemmons (here, but you guessed that, right?), Catherine Bybee, Christine De Petrillo (scan down the page past her books to find the interview), Lauri Robinson, Lilly Gayle, Maya Blake, Rae Summers, and Sandra Sookoo. We're trading blogs and will be rotating through various blogs on Wednesdays this month. Follow us if you can for a chance at this fabulous gift basket.

What do these prize giveaways have to do with writing? Good question. This is one way in which authors hope to attract readers to their blogs and websites. We hope that with this exposure, you will remember our names and buy our books. If you win a book, we hope you find you love our writing voice and style and will want to buy our future books. We take pleasure in the sharing of these characters who have become real to us. No, they aren't just mere names on a page to their creators. The people about whom we write--while we're writing their stories--become alive, friends or enemies whose tale we must relate. If you read a book you enjoy, let the author know! That's what we live for after all---the knowledge that a reader/readers loved our books.

Doesn't that empower you? You have the power to touch an author's heart.

Writers don't write for money. Of course, we don't turn it down. We are humans, after all, and love fat advances and fatter royalty checks. Few of us receive those, however. So what keeps us writing? Our primary purpose is to tell our stories and share them with readers.  With you! You keep us going!