WRITER TIP THURSDAY - Diane Callahan

 Good morning, Friends!

I'm sharing a video today from Diane Callahan. She is a writer as well as a book editor. Check out her webpage for some great content.

Wait... not yet!  In this video she offers up great advice on writing every day:

All my best

~Angela

THE WRITER'S NEST - A. E. Chewning

 

I love meeting new people. When I read on Instagram how excited A. E. Chewning was for her newest release and talked about her new writing space I knew we all needed a closer look. 

Describe your writing nest? 

My writing nest is always evolving, but as of this moment it’s a clean space that I’m happy with for now. We moved into our 1902 Victorian in Athens Alabama this past December and I have big, big plans for a space out in our garage. I believe it was the old boiler room, but not 100% sure of the actual original purpose. I just know that the vibes I get from it are great for the creative process. 

What is it about this space that inspires you? 

The nest that I have right now I find to be inspirational because it’s tucked into a little corner of our historic home. Next to my desk is one of the original fireplaces and as I sit there writing, I think about all the other people that have cozied up there, wondering what their lives were like. It’s a comforting space that I can createin and escape to when I want to go to a different world with my characters. I love being in here now that it’s clean and organized. 

Has finding your space been an evolving journey? 

Ha! I responded that it was evolving in the first question without reading this one. Yes, it is always evolving. How so? I think because as a creative, you are always getting inspired by different things. Each book seems to bring out a different perspective and I see that reflected in my space. 

Anything you would change? 

 Yes, I’d love to have a view of the ocean, but for now I’ll settle for some prints from an artist from Hawaii. I’ll eventually hang them up in front of my desk where I can escape into a daydream when the time allows. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to build their own nest? 

Make your nest something that gives you peace. Build it into something that helps you be creative and inspires you. Your nest has to be a place of refuge where your muse can be heard and your mind can escape into different worlds.

A.E. Chewning's newest release is:

AMAZON

Blurb:

Henri and Detra Ann have poured their hearts into making their dream a reality--Devecheaux Antiques is open for business. But managing this kind of shop will require more than a business degree and a good eye for hard to find items. Haunted things have a nasty habit of making their way to this paranormal landmark. 

Trying to escape the shadows of the past, Detra Ann finds herself immersed in a paranormal investigation, but this time it’s different. She can't run from the supernatural. Detra Ann must take a stand and allow the dead to speak. 

The Devecheauxs' new assistant, Mary Agnes Kelly--she prefers Aggie, is the one that’s hiding secrets. When a curious object in the shop goes missing, Aggie's abilities are exposed and she is thrust into a world of vengeance, murder and the afterlife. The college student will have to muster all her courage to face down the ghosts of Devecheaux Antiques--and her own demons. Opening the door to the paranormal, Aggie comes face to face with a spirit close to Detra Ann’s heart, leading them both to reveal what happened in the past and help the unhappy ghost rest in peace. Will Detra Ann and Aggie be able to expose the truth or will all be lost in the shadows of history? 

Find out in A Cup of Shadows by authors M.L. Bullock and A.E. Chewning. A Cup of Shadows in Book One in their new series Devecheaux Antiques and Haunted Things. If you love Seven Sisters, Idlewood and Haunted Gracefield, you'll enjoy reading A Cup of Shadows.

You'll find A. E. Chewning in the following Social Media streams. I hope you'll follow, subscribe and all that fun stuff!

WEBSITE   BLOG   INSTAGRAM   FACEBOOK   AMAZON

All my best

~Angela

WRITER TIP THURSDAY - Lee Child

 Good morning, friends!

How many of you are over 40 and decided you are finally going to write that book? I found this short gem from Lee Child to share with you today.

Do you have your favorite beverage? Let's click the video!

All my best

~Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Adam

AMAZON

NOTE: Released in 2017

Fall in love with seven sexy and irresistible soldiers who find their courage and heart tested like never before in the battle for love! This multi-author collaborative series of contemporary romance novels is brought to you by bestselling authors Barbara Freethy, Roxanne St. Claire, Christie Ridgway, Lynn Raye  Harris, Julia London, Cristin Harber and Samantha Chase. You won't want to miss a single one!

BLURB: (from Amazon)

Adam Tucker is a man on a mission. After failing to save a troubled teen from drowning, Adam traded being a Coast Guard rescue swimmer for the dream of starting a youth adventure camp in his hometown. Adam is willing to do whatever it takes to help other kids navigate the deep, dangerous waters of adulthood. He’s even bet his twin brother that he can finish the transformation of a boathouse into camp living quarters before the summer season puts their watersports business in full swing. But when the key to winning that bet turns out to be an interior designer who is as enigmatic as she is gorgeous, things get complicated for Adam.

With its soaring mountains and rushing river, Eagle’s Ridge is the perfect place for Jadyn McAllister to stay “off the grid” until things settle down in Miami. No one from her old life would expect her to hide out in a small town, working for cash and keeping her real name—Jane—a secret, but that’s exactly what the FBI told her to do. They also told her to trust absolutely no one, which isn’t a problem until she meets Adam. From the first moment, sparks fly and temperatures rise every time they're together. She’s determined to keep him at arm’s length and in the dark…but the more time they spend together, the more she longs to wrap her arms around him and hold him close all night long.

~ ~ ~

I really enjoyed Adam’s story. Intrigue is a strong venue for Ms. St Claire and she put us in the thick of the whole plot from the very beginning. 

Another thing I loved were that we knew immediately what Adam’s internal conflict was while holding off on Jane’s until the point where the information was pertinent for us to know. A lot of authors tend to dump everything ... leaving us without much of a ride to the finish. 

While this entire series was released in 2017, they are still great reads, proving that a well-written story will stand the test of time.  I encourage you to pick up this series and come along for the journey these talented authors have in store for us. Also, purchase any of their books - back list or current - I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Author Roxanne St. Claire

You can purchase your copy on AMAZON.

You'll find Roxanne St. Claire and info about all of her books by following the links profided below.

 WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   IG   AUDIO   GOOGLE PLAY

APPLE BOOKS   B & N  BOOKBUB

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Roxanne St. Claire

 Good morning, everyone! 

Today, we are shining the spotlight on author, Roxanne St. Claire

I'd not read Roxanne's books in a very long time so was thrilled to see this one pop up in the 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers series, putting her on my reading radar.

Let's shine the spotlight on  Roxanne:

A bit about Roxanne from her webpage:

I’ve written around sixty books for many different publishers, have won the Romance Writers of America’s coveted RITA Award once (and been nominated for that honor a whopping ten times!), and have had multiple titles reach the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.

Full Version: http://www.roxannestclaire.com/media-kit/

Roxanne St. Claire has a new book releasing April 23, 2021, Faux Paws  - Book 8 in The Dogmother's series.

Be sure to check out her Amazon Author Page as well as following social media links. 

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   IG   AUDIO   GOOGLE PLAY

APPLE BOOKS   B & N  BOOKBUB

I'll see you back here tomorrow for my review of Book 2 in the 7 Brides for 7 Soldier's series.

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 3-15-21

 

The time has come to really dig in my heels and get back to business. 

Covid wasn't really an issue for me. I just got lazy. I didn't write, I didn't do much of anything I should have been doing.  I spent time with Bob when he was home. When he was gone, I did 'this and that' - nothing that really mattered.

How do you determine 'what matters'? How do I choose my Top 3.

Alexis Giostra (Alexis aka Miss Trenchcoat all across the internet) says that is the first step in determining what needs to be done... figure out what your priorities are. I'm posting her video at the end of this post.

For me, the blog posts are important. They keep my name out there in a cycle while helping to keep me focused on what I NEED to do rather than the nap I'd really like to take. hehe Curling up with a book some days just sounds much more fun.  Curling up with the book is one of my motivations for the Author Spotlight and Wednesday Reviews.

Next on my priority list is the writing. If I don't write, there won't be any more books and no supplemental income for when Bob retires. I have to find a time that lets my words flow efficiently while not sacrificing time with Bob. Nights work best for me. I also know that once supper is out of the way, all I want to do is spend the rest of the evening with him. 

Before I move on to the last item, let me stress that Bob is extremely supportive. If I tell him I need to write for a couple of hours, he totally gets it. I just live with the constant thought that if something ever happens to him, I don't want my lifelong memory to be that I didn't spend the time with him. Those are moments I can't get back. 

Last on my list is to clean out the office corner. 

The desk and the printer table are clean and I can be productive. However, it's the office island in serious need of a deep sorting. Once that is done, I can be more productive in the area. My planners and notebooks will be at hand, rather than moved from whatever 'mobile' site I've relocated to on any given day. 

We had this office/ art studio built so that I could be more productive... yet I'm not using the space efficiently. 

I've made some small changes to the clutter in the rest of the studio but I still have a long way to go. Every day that he is on the boat brings me closer to finding 'space peace'.

Here is Alexis' video: 

I'm hoping to share her CEO Strategy Planner for Creative Entrepreneurs soon. Alexis will be going through the planner om Saturday March 20th at 2 p.m. EST. Here's a link to her CHANNEL   If you've been looking for the planner to help get you on track, I hope you'll join us!

This week I'll be shining the spotlight on author, Roxanne St. Clair then reviewing her contribution to the 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers series. Adam is Book 2. If you ready Ryder's story (Book 1), you'll know that Adam is one of Bailey's (heroine) twin brothers.  My review will post on Wednesday.

Writer Tip Thursday comes from Lee Child then A. E. Chewing takes us inside her new Writer's Nest on Friday.

I hope you'll join me!

All my best

~Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO - k9 Veteran's Day

 

Today we celebrate National K9 Veteran's day. These dogs work hard and put themselves in harm's way for the good and protection of their handlers. I don't believe they are recognized enough.  I thnk that is one of the things I enjoyed so much about June Faver's upcoming book DREAMING OF A COWBOY. I know that one of her previous books featured a retired K9 reunited with a Zach in Cowboy Christmas Homecoming. Zach's wife, Stephanie, comes to the rescue once again in the soon-to-be-released book.

I am also introducing a German Shepherd in Book 2 - An Ozarks Soldier's Homecoming. I'm hoping to donate a percentage to a K9 Veteran organization. 

Do you have a K9 in your stories?  I will be featuring another author in the 7-Brides for 7-Soldiers series who loves dogs and it shows in her writing and marketing, so stay tuned!

Question of the Day -

Are you a dog lover and if so, share your favorite breed both here and on social media in honor of these heroes!

All my best

~Angela

WRITER TIP THURSDAY - Alexa Donne

 Good morning, friends!

Today I'm sharing sage advice from one of my favorite AuthorTubers, Alexa Donne.

Some days she is a bit over the top for me but she's fun and will wake you up!  I love her enthusiasm and wanting to help newbie writers:

Pour the drink, take a few deep breaths and open your mind, heart and soul...

All my best

~Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Ryder

 

AMAZON

Fall in love with seven sexy and irresistible soldiers who find their courage and heart tested like never before in the battle for love! This multi-author collaborative series of contemporary romance novels is brought to you by bestselling authors Barbara Freethy, Roxanne St. Claire, Christie Ridgway, Lynn Raye Harris, Julia London, Cristin Harber and Samantha Chase. You won't want to miss a single one!

NOTE: Published in 2017

BLURB:

When Navy pilot Ryder Westbrook is shot down, his only thought is making it home—to the place he left behind a long time ago. But dreaming about the small town of Eagle's Ridge and going back are two very different things, and upon arrival Ryder finds himself in the middle of another battlefield—an old family feud between the Westbrooks and the Tuckers. To complicate matters, he needs disputed land to start his second career at the local airfield. He decides to enlist the help of beautiful Bailey Tucker, but the chef soon has his senses spinning in another direction…

The last person Bailey is interested in helping is golden boy Ryder Westbrook. After a painful personal betrayal, irresistible attraction to another man, who is probably too good to be true, seems like a terrible idea. But she also needs something from the Westbrooks, a chance to start over and build the restaurant of her dreams.

Ryder and Bailey make a simple plan—work together to get what they both want, but what happens when they find out what they really want is each other?

~ ~ ~ 

This book was the perfect introduction to the series. Author, Barbara Freethy introduces us to the seven soldiers without sounding like a attendance roster. The first thing I noticed about the cover (after reading the story) is that the models portray the characters accurately. Bailey Tucker has long blond hair that she often pulls into a pony tail before she starts anything in the kitchen... a trait my mom taught me at a very early age and to this day I hate my hair down around my face!  Ryder Westbrook is all male with that perfect jaw line and eyes that will melt you like butter on the spot.

Ryder & Bailey's story is a modern day Hatfield & McCoy's/ Romeo & Juliett that you can't put down. Trust me, I know. I read this book from start to finish! I think my eyes would have been less tired if I'd had a printed copy but then I might have put the hard copy down at some point. I this case, the finger-swipe was the way to go. 

If this book is precursor to what the remaining six books have in store - or any other books by these talented authors, I'm in for lots of reading time and tired eyes.

I'm giving RYDER:

Author Barbara Freethy

You can purchase your copy on AMAZON

You'll fince Barbara Freethy and info about other books from her by following the links below.

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Barbara Freethy

 Good morning, everyone!

Today, we kick off our 7 BRIDES for 7 SOLDIERS series with the first author in the line-up... Barbara Freethy 

Let's shine the spotlight...

Here's a bit about Barbara condensed from her ABOUT ME page on her website.

I wrote my first novel in my late twenties and was lucky enough to have it published two years later. A career in traditional publishing followed as I published books with Harper Collins, Penguin, Simon and Schuster and Harlequin.

In 2011 I decided it was time to start publishing my own books. The digital revolution had made that possible with retailers like Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Google and Kobo opening their doors to authors. I formed Fog City Publishing and became my own publisher. It’s been a thrilling ride since then. I've sold over 8 million books since going out on my own. I hit #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List  with my novel Summer Secrets and since then twenty-five other titles have hit both the NYT and USA Today Bestseller Lists. In July 2014, I was named the Amazon KDP Bestselling Author of All Time!

When I’m not writing, which is almost never, I’m enjoying my family, playing some tennis, participating in my new favorite workout – Aqua Fitness, and reading!  A native Californian, I’ve lived at both ends of the state, and while I sometimes miss the hot summer nights of Southern California, I love the beautiful bays and hillsides of Northern California and the intriguing city of San Francisco, one of my favorite settings.

Be sure to check out her Amazon Author Page to stay up to date on current releases. 

Please check out the social media links below:

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM   YOUTUBE   GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

TOP 3 3-8-21

 

Good morning, everyone!

After accomplishing very little last week, I'm healthy, energized and ready to work this morning. Let's begin a brand new week with lots of positivity!

First off, I finished the beta reading/ edits for June Faver's future book (2022 ?) ...  DREAMING OF A COWBOY. Excellent book! Probably one of the best in the Garrett family line to date.I fall more and more in love with Big Jim with every book I read. Her most recent book, FOREVER  MY COWBOY, came out in January. I reviewed the book HERE. You'll also find June's social media links on that post.

This week begins a 7-week series for the Author Spotlight and Wednesday Review. We'll be taking a closer look at the seven authors who wrote the 7 BRIDES for 7 SOLDIER'S series. The previous link will take you to Amazon where you can pick up all seven books rather than purchasing individually.

Tomorrow, I'll shine the spotlight on author, Barbara Freethy then Wednesday I'll review the first book in the series, written by Barbara, Ryder.  I'm looking forward to delving in to the entire series and getting to know the authors behind these seven soldier heroes.

In the mean time, here is the list we'll be reading:

Ryder (#1) - Barbara Freethy

Adam (#2) - Roxanne St. Claire

Zane (#3) - Christie Ridgway

Wyatt (#4) - Lynn Raye Harris

Jack (#5) - Julia London

Noah (#6) - Cristin Harber

Ford (#7) - Samantha Chase

After I finished the edits for June last week, I wound up with a stomach bug that took me out the rest of the week. I'm planning to get back in to Book 2 tonight. To further encourage me (accountability) and so you can see how things are going, I'm going to add a word count widgit to my side bar.  All I have to do is remember to update, which I will probably do on Mondays. That way when you see my week ahead, you'll also be able to see how I did word-count wise on the previous week.

Remember, we also have the Writer Tip Thursdays with our new video series. I don't know how many I can schedule ahead on blogger but I have them lined up for the next several weeks.

One more thing, I am speaking on BLOGGING as an author platform at the 54th Annual Ozark Creative Writers conference October 7, 8, 9 this year. I'll be talking about making the most of a blog (both as opposed to and in conjunction with a website) as well as the social media marketing required to make it viable. If you want more information about the conference just click on the button on the sidebar. I hope you'll join us for this fabulous conference!

All my best!

~Angela

WRITER TIP THURSDAY - Stephen King

 Good morning, friends.

For the next few weeks I'm putting a spin on the Writer Tip Thursday posts. I'll be sharing YouTube videos on the subject. You'll hear from writers, editors, and fellow youtubers - all sharing sage advice. Pour your favorite beverage, click on the video and listen.  I've tried to select short videos so you're not taking away from precious writing time.

I'm kicking off the new series with one of the best writers to grace us with words - Stephen King.

All my best

~Angela

WEDNESDAY REVIEW - Like You Love Me

 

Good afternoon, friends!

Sorry this review is coming in late. I needed to finish this book and I've been doing a Beta read for author, June Faver. Been a bit busy. 

Feels like spring here in the Ozarks so I've been trying to get a jump on seasonal cleaning, too

I loved this book by Adriana Locke. Very well written, lots of humor and you can really get into the story next to the character.

Adriana has crafted this story by going back and forth between the hero and heroine, giving each their own chapter. The uniqueness, and what I feel really keeps you in for the ride, is that they are told in first person. I don't normally care for first person but Adriana does the style very well.

I shared the blurb HERE in yesterday's post.

I'm giving LIKE YOU LOVE ME ...

you can catch up with Adriana by clicking on any of the following links:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FB   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

GOODREADS   AUDIO   BOOK BUB   PINTEREST  

All my best

~Angela

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Adriana Locke

 

Good morning, friends.

Have you noticed more and more authors are going with avatars such as the one Adriana uses here? I'm not sure I understand the purpose so if someone wants to enlighten me in the comments, please do. 

I clipped this bio from her webpage - 

I’m a USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author of contemporary romance. I like to say I show ordinary people finding extraordinary love. That sounds lovely, doesn’t it? I’m also married to my high school sweetheart and the mother to four chaotic, sticky, adorable boys. (I might be a little biased. Ha!) Welcome to my page.  (click the link to be taken to her page) Feel free to take a look around and make yourself at home. And, while you’re at it, make sure to grab your free ebook from me just for being awesome. xo, Addy

Her most recent book released on February 16th...

AMAZON

This is the first book in her Honey Creek series. I have to wonder, will I find this one set in Texas as well? 

Here is the book blurb:

To save her Tennessee bed-and-breakfast, Sophie Bates needs a fast-cash miracle. Holden McKenzie, her childhood best friend, needs to prove to a prospective employer that he’s a committed man. Their fortunes on the line, Holden proposes…a solution.

He’ll take care of Sophie’s bills if she agrees to a temporary marriage of convenience. And why not? They’re comfortable together, they have fun, and they trust each other. It’s as simple as saying “I do.” But the off-the-cuff wedding has all of Honey Creek talking—and Sophie and Holden realizing that their perfect arrangement is working too well. If they’re not careful, this marriage could turn into a love story.

You can find out more about the book on Adriana's Blog Post about the release.

I seem to be on a book buying spree. I purchased this one and hope to have a review up for you tomorrow.

In the mean time, you can catch up with Adriana by clicking on any of the following links:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FB   AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE   

GOODREADS   AUDIO   BOOK BUB   PINTEREST  

Speaking of Honey Creek, Jodi Thomas has a new book in her Honey Creek series. Picnic in Someday Valley releases April 27th.  I'll be sharing lots of promos for the book over the next several weeks as well as posting a review on April 21st. 

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 3-1-21

 Good morning, everyone!

Can I just say that having my husband home four weeks is both a blessing and a curse. Well, not a curse exactly but an interruption for sure. 

I've been asked how I will manage my time when he retires. That answer is simple, really. He will be home all the time. I won't feel like I need to squeeze a life time into twenty-one days. One of the reasons Bob and I've been married thirty-seven years is because we communicate with one another. We talk about everything and we don't keep secrets except when it comes to gifts. 

He knows that if my writing and crafting are going to be supplemental income for us then I will have to work a schedule. I need all day Sunday and Monday a couple of times a month to get blog posts done ahead of time.  I will also need a power writing day as well as a couple of hours every evening. 

I don't know if it has to be with my OCD or squirrel syndrome but once I'm in a project, I need to plow through. When I stop at some point before the end then I need to almost go back to the beginning and walk my way through til I get to where I left off. That is an exhausting journey. 

Writing, for instance, is something I can do in short spurts without that return to the beginning time of activity... as long as I finish a scene or at the very least a POV (point of view) then I can pick up where I left off next time. 

Having multiple projects in the same creative vein is also something I do not do well. I wind up with a mess that is a definite creative buzz kill. Let me finish this project, clear the decks then move on to the next. I'm working on that. 

My word for 2021 is CONTROL. I have to take control of my life, my house, my businesses or I'll be stuck in quick sand and accomplish nothing.  That's why I set a TOP 3 every week.  Actually, I set a Top 3 for my writing and another for my creativity. 

So here's my Top 3 for this week:

Getting as many of the March blog posts scheduled helps free up a lot of time as well as letting me work on one main project.  

#2 kind of goes along with #3. I still want to launch my AuthorTube. I want to share what I'm learning from Sarra Cannon as well as Alexis aka Miss Trenchcoat. I also know I'm not alone on this indie-publishing path. Watching videos from established indie authors is great but I also feel there needs to be a discussion with newbies. There is something empowering in knowing you are not alone. As the traditional pubs begin to become fewer and fewer, more and more smaller publishers are coming into the light. There are those of us who are individual small publishers... meaning we publish our own books and no one else. 

Regardless of the chosen path, this journey is not for the faint of heart. Let's hold each other up and reach our goals... whatever they may be. 

I'm often reminded of a scene from Pretty Woman where the guy says "Welcome to Hollywood. What's Your Dream?" (of all the Pretty Woman gifs out there, I couldn't find one of him and I think his single line is the most poignant of the entire film).

So tell me, What's YOUR Dream? Then set your Top 3.

All my best

~Angela