THE WRITER'S NEST - Daisy Knox

 Good morning, everyone!

I look forward to The Writer's Nest posts. These Friday entries give me the opportunity to be inspired by where other authors create the stories we love to read. 

Like previous posts from Daisy Knox, we get a look at her unique writing space and learn a bit more about her.

Thank you for having us in your space, Daisy.

Describe your writing nest? 

This may sound odd, but my nest is portable, it’s really just my tools. I have a couple of favorite bags that fit my laptop, throw in some notebooks and pens, then I’m all set. I write anywhere and everywhere that I can so that may be on my couch, at my desk at day job, in the passenger seat on road trips, anywhere I go. Much of the time that’s in my backyard in a comfy chair or hammock next to the creek but when I’m lucky, it’ll be at the beach or somewhere fun far from home.

What is it about this space that inspires you? 

I have a short attention span so I need quiet and no distractions to concentrate. That’s not easy to achieve with a family and job and other responsibilities, so I decided to go portable. I love to be outside so setting up a little workspace in the yard is a must, too.

Has finding your space been an evolving journey? How so? 

It was. I’d make a space somewhere but then there would always be distractions so I need to be able to adapt. And by adapt, I mean move, whenever possible.

Anything you would change? 

Not at all. I love having a dedicated office space but at the same time, that’s not always where I’m productive so my go-bag is everything. 

Thank you for sharing your space with us!

Daisy's book, GO FOR BROKE is available through the following links:

AMAZON   KOBO   B & N   SMASHWORDS

You will find Daisy Knox by clicking on any of the links below:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM

I'm back to regular posting schedule next week! yay!

All my best

~Angela

WRITER'S TIP THURSDAY - Daisy Knox

Good morning, everyone.

Today's tip comes from this week's guest, Daisy Knox

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

Find ideas out in the world but don’t be afraid to try something different to see what works for you. You might be surprised where you end up.

 Please check out the following links for Daisy's Books & Social Media:

You can purchase your copy of GO FOR BROKE via the following links:

AMAZON   KOBO   B & N   SMASHWORDS

You will find Daisy Knox by clicking on any of the links below:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM

 

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Daisy Knox

  Good morning, everyone!

I'm way behind on posting. Between Bob being home, company his first few days then being 'off my feed' the last few days he was home... I just haven't done much. In fact, yesterday was the first day in months I actually dressed in 'office' clothes and focused on work.

So today...

Today, I'm shining the spotlight on a new Boroughs author - Daisy Knox. She has come out of the chute with a bang, but we'll get to her book in a moment.

Here's a bit about Daisy Knox:

Reading is a lifelong passion and mysteries have always been the holy grail. It began with Trixie Belden and the Hardy Boys, graduating to JD Robb and Greg Iles. From the whimsical antics of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum to the grit and shock of Dennis Lebane’s Kenie & Gennaro series, I love them all, and everything in between.

Daisy’s addicted to music and all her books have soundtracks because everything in her head happens to music. Her first novel, Go For Broke, is coming September 2021 from Boroughs Publishing. She’s also addicted to podcasts and hopes to one day write the scene where Cady is interviewed by Nick and the Captain because True Crime Garage is her favorite.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son and the world’s derpiest but most lovable dog and is counting the days until the world meets Cady and her friends.

Well, the day is here. Go For Broke released on September 9th with 3.5 stars (Only 11 reviews so far). Daisy shouldn't worry about that number. As more people read/ review Go For Broke, those stars will light up!

(ONLY 11 REVIEWS SO FAR). Daisy shouldn't worry about that number. As more people read/ review Go For Broke, those stars will light up!

GO FOR BROKE is a romantic suspense sure to please the reader. I can't offer a review. For some reason Kindle and I are arguing at the moment. But you can be sure when the kink is worked out, I'll be curling up with this one.

Here's the blurb:

Cady Blackwell is a victim of her own bad judgment: dating the biggest losers, attracting a stalker, and unknowingly accepting a job that's gotta be illegal.

She can’t quit until she finds a way to protect herself from being framed for her bosses' crimes, plus she wants to stay alive and out of prison.

But nothing’s easy when she’s distracted by a charming financier and a f-boy detective. She's in way over her head, and she's fighting for her life.

Her only chance for survival is to put her faith in the instincts she stopped trusting long ago.

It’s time to go for broke, which will either save her or cost her everything.

You can purchase your copy of GO FOR BROKE via the following links:

AMAZON   KOBO   B & N   SMASHWORDS

You will find Daisy Knox by clicking on any of the links below:

WEBSITE   BLOG   FACEBOOK   TWITTER   INSTAGRAM

We'll be back here on Thursday with a writing tip from this new author then Friday, we'll take a peek at the space where she is inspired!

All my best

~Angela

GUEST AUTHOR- Marilyn Baxter

I am pleased to have Marilyn Baxter as my guest today. Marilyn and I met when she searched for other 'finalists' in the "What's In A Name?" competition through Boroughs Publishing Group almost a year ago. I am blessed by her initiative. 

Marilyn's novella, BETTER AS A MEMORY releases TODAY! And she's here to celebrate with us. 

Welcome, Marilyn!

1. Better As A Memory is due out today with Boroughs Publishing as a result of a contest your novella was a finalist in last summer. We were to be inspired by a song title. What about this song inspired the story?
The story was originally titled Seduction with Style, and it was going nowhere.  I was stuck.  Then a friend who writes for Harlequin Desire (a big shout-out to Kristi Gold!) was helping me brainstorm and she uttered the magic words, “Have you ever listened to ‘Better as a Memory’ by Kenny Chesney?”  I had not, but I’ve listened to it repeatedly since then and that’s when the story began to really move forward.  The line “I’m better as a memory than as your man” nagged at me until I realized it was the motivation for the heroe’s actions when he and the heroine were in college together. Then later he comes to understand the mistakes he made are better as a memory than something keeping the two of them apart.

2. What do you hope your readers take from Better As A Memory?
This is a reunion romance about second chances and happily ever after.  I hope readers will see the healing power of love whether it be romantic, familial or platonic love. Love does conquer all.

3.  I know you love tea and enjoyed the availability of quality tea on your trip. What types of tea do you enjoy and do they change with your mood or just ‘this sounds good’?
Black teas are my favorite, and for the last year or so, I’ve been drinking a brand called Builder’s Tea. I can’t buy it in my town but it’s available at a store where my son lives.  So when I visit him I usually buy several boxes. I like it because it brews in 20 seconds, and that’s often all the time I have, especially when I’m trying to get up and at ’em in the morning. But I also like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas and I found some Welsh tea in a shop recently that’s good as well. When I was in London last fall I bought and shipped home a lot of tea. And I mean a LOT! It had names like Jubilee (in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne) and Afternoon Blend (great for an afternoon tea party). And I bought a spice blend that was terrific on cold wintry nights.

I’m not so sure my tea choices change with my mood, but I sure do buy some because “this sounds good!”

4. What is the best advice you have ever received about the publishing journey and how have the words of wisdom helped you?
A very wise women (cough Roxanne St.Claire cough) once told me to forget about the rules while writing the first draft because that can suck the joy right out of writing.  That’s what had happened to me.  When I first started writing, I had no idea about rules.  I had no clue about POV or GMC or any other letters of the alphabet except the ones spelling the words of my story.  Then I began to go to workshops and read books on the craft of writing, and I became so bogged down with trying to follow all those rules that the story almost became an afterthought.  By following my friend’s advice and just writing through the first draft, I could concentrate on my characters and getting the bones of the story on paper.  Once that was done I could go back and make sure I’d followed the rules.

5. You made a trip across the pond last fall. Having read your interview at Paula Millhouse’s blog, was your new project inspired on your visit? 
Absolutely!  And in case anyone didn’t see the interview at Paula’s blog, here’s what the new project is about.

A pregnant American woman walks into a Dublin pub looking for the man with whom she had a fling several months before.  After that?  Not sure yet.  The idea is still percolating.

And it’s still percolating.  LOL!  I have another idea about a woman who inherits her grandmother’s home in Ireland and the handyman who helps her fix it up to sell.  There’s a matchmaking neighbor who’s afraid the cottage will be torn down to make way for some sort of ghastly newfangled house, too.

I fell in love with Ireland, especially the town of Killarney, which is where the second idea is set.  I’d love to visit again, but at least I can visit vicariously with writing.  And it gives me a good reason to look at my photos again and again and again.

6. Will you share a bit from BETTER THAN A MEMORY with us?
Sure!

BLURB: 
Looking at her potential client, Atlanta image consultant Victoria Sharpe is convinced the job will be a cross between What Not to Wear and Man vs. Wild. She’d love to turn down the offer, but refusing it—not to mention the referrals it could generate—just might break the bank. Yet, agreeing to make over this man’s image might also break her heart. Again. 


Max Brown will tolerate anything to gain access to his trust fund. Returning to work in the family business, even submitting to his mother’s demands to trade his comfortable flannel for Armani is worthwhile if he can get the money necessary to start a camp for at-risk boys. But then he sees he’ll be working with Victoria Sharpe, his college girlfriend, the one who got away. Or, really, the one he left. The impression he makes here will be the most important of his life, and the person most as risk is himself.

EXCERPT:
“You certainly are set for the next trip through the Donner Pass,” she said. One corner of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.

“Come along with me and I promise I won’t eat you up,” he replied without thinking of the double meaning his words might have. “I’ll protect you.” He grunted and pounded his fists against his chest.

“If you think you’re getting out of our shopping trip by sweet talking me, think again, wild man.”

“Sweet talking? Me?” The easy banter between them felt good. It felt right. Just like it had before he’d decided he couldn’t live in Tripp’s shadow anymore. “That wasn’t sweet talk, but I can turn it on if you like.”

I could turn you on, too, just like you’ve done to me. The rogue thought sped through his mind.

Just then, Victoria knelt, and when she rose, his underwear hung from her index finger. 
“I see you weren’t joking about black silk boxers.” She swung them back and forth like a red cape in front of a bull.


He grabbed her hand to still it and took the garment from her. “Sweetheart, I never joke about anything black or silk.”

Thank you for joining us today, Marilyn and good luck with sales for this wonderful story!

You can find Marilyn Baxter:

Website: MarilynBaxter

FB: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.baxter.372

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marilyn_baxter

BETTER THAN A MEMORY

Boroughs Publishing 

Amazon

 as well as her previously released

TEA FOR TWO 

Boroughs Publishing 

                                            Amazon

THE WEEK AHEAD - Nano Looms!

Happy Monday, Everyone!

There's a nip in the air, the leaves are changing colors, the birds are feasting heavily at my feeders. Those are all sure signs of.....

NANOWRIMO!

You thought I was going to say fall, didn't you? Until ten years ago, I would have. But then I got bit by the Nano bug and my autumn's have never been the same.

Have no clue what I'm talking about? The greatest writing challenge EVER!
National Novel Writing Month  aka NanoWriMo challenges you to write 50,000 words of a NEW novel in 30 days. To sit down and write that book you've always said you wanted to write but never made time to do. November IS THE TIME!

Yeah, November is crazy with holiday preparations, mid-terms looming... blah blah blah But when else are you going to find so many like minds in one place to cheer you on - or commiserate with? Okay, there are other times (I'll be telling you about those as they become available) but nothing like NANO!

I've made some amazing friends through NanoWriMo and my novella under contract with Boroughs Publishing Grp, Somewhere Down the Line, was written during the 2012 challenge.

This week I'll take time to put together my SMASH book for my Nano2013 Project, Heart on the Line. I do better with more than an idea to play with. I need to know who my characters are, what they want and what's going to get in their way. That's all I started with last year and I wrote the rough in 18 days! I have no notion of doing that this year, but I do plan to get the rough written.

So come on! Join the FUN!

A FOOT IN THE DOOR - Boroughs Publishing Group results

Aside from the myriad of activities, parties, workshops and fabulous speakers (so I've heard about through #RWA13 on twitter), there was one open house I would like to have attended... the Boroughs Publishing Group event. On Friday night, they revealed the winners of the "What's in a Name?" competition. There were actually two winners - one by popular vote from the finalists and one by Editorial Staff pick. Both of these wins provided the opportunity to work with them to publish a FULL LENGTH manuscript. I only have one of those. Ozark Angel is finished, has been through an editing service, been submitted twice. One of those submissions resulted in The Call... only to have the editor drop the ball. Odd thing is, I've submitted first chapters in competitions since then with less than stellar (not bad) scores. So I really need to go back through that story again before moving forward.

What does all this mean for me? How do I have a 'foot in the door'?
Well, for starters, the people at Boroughs Publishing Group have had my name in front of them multiple times over the past eight weeks. I have signed with them to be a ARC reviewer (putting my name in their sights repeatedly), I'm on their newsletter mailing list and I comment on their monthly blog. (though I really wish they would take that off 'moderated'. Really?)

But one thing I failed to publicize before is that ALL FINALISTS will be offered a contract for their contest novella, with editorial assistance to make the book shine!  So in the coming months you may see five great stories available in digital format - Somewhere Down the Line included!

I also want to take a moment to congratulate Marilyn Puett. She was also one of the finalists and the story I mentioned in an earlier post that I really liked. Marilyn googled my song title + Boroughs publishing and found me. I was the only one out of four other contestants she was able to find. She emailed me, wishing me luck. We now keep each other company on FB, twitter and you'll see her link on my sidebar. So if you have a minute, please pop over to her site and congratulate her. She's pretty cool and very talented.

On to the next phase and the next project. I have twelve days to finish up my submission for the WETA Nichols competition. The chapter is with my crit partner and I should have his input tomorrow. If nothing else, I'm learning to work with deadlines LOL

Happy Writing & Reading!
Angela

I'M IN THE FINALS!

I had the most joyous call from a writer friend last night... about a quarter to midnight. She simply said, "I voted for you."  Several seconds later my heart stopped with the realization of what she meant. My novella, Somewhere Down the Line made the finals in the Boroughs Publishing Group, "What's In A Name?" competition! I could hear the happy in her voice. You have to love that kind of support that only another writer would truly understand.

So where do we go from here? I'm back to asking for votes. Yep, your votes stand between the Final Round and possible CONTRACT

For the next week I'm asking friends and family to step up one more time... okay 7 more times... and VOTE! Please! and SHARE on your FB, Twitter and other social media accounts.

http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/content/whats-name-voting

You may vote 1x per day every day through Sunday July 14th. The winner will be announced via their website, social media sites and at their Open House at RWA Nationals - which I will not be attending. :-(

While you are all voting and sharing, I'll keep reminding you and working on a second book to offer them.
Blessings!
Angela

BACK ON TRACK

After having my granddaughters for five weeks, which cut into my internet time more than I could have ever imagined, and then my modem crashing I am finally back on line. There is a hope and a prayer I will remain connected to all of you for a very long time. I've increased my internet package to the largest HughesNet offers and installed a shiny new G4 modem.

As I write this I am waiting for Boroughs Publishing to post the results of Round 2 of 'What's In A Name?' competition. There are three of us in the contemporary category and dare I say, one entry I am impressed with - and it isn't mine. Don't get me wrong... I have all the faith in Trey and Ali's story in Somewhere Down the Line. The fact I had an email this morning from the man who inspired Trey is a definitive boost to my confidence. But if another entry receives more votes than mine, I have my fingers crossed for the author and look forward to reading her story win or lose. I KNOW her story will see publication.

For several weeks I've been mulling over my next novella. Something else that might fit Boroughs Publishing. If I do land the contract with this competition, I want something else in the works to follow up with. In the event I don't, I would still like to work with Chris Keesler and his team so will need something else to submit.

In the wee hours of this morning while dreaming I hit upon a line I HAVE to work with.

"I've been doing promotion a lot longer than I've been chasing bad guys."

I hadn't planned on my next book being intrigue but maybe I need to think about the possibilities.
What do you do when you are presented with something that forces you to think outside the box?

Creative Blessings
~Angela

ON TO THE NEXT ROUND! - Somewhere Down the Line moves forward

WE DID IT!

My novella, Somewhere Down the Line has moved into the next round. Thank you all for voting many times for this story. Just as Alana and Trey deserved their chance, so does their story.

Now that the book is in Round Two at Boroughs Publishing What's In A Name contest, I'm back asking for your votes. Yeah, it's that 'American Idol' or 'TheVoice' thing. Without your continued support, Somewhere Down the Line may not see the digital recognition their story deserves.

Please go to... www.boroughspublishinggroup.com 
For Round Two, they have posted the first page of the novella. You can vote Once Per Day through July 7th.

Let's work together!
Love and Hugs
Angela

THE VOTING BEGINS!

I feel like a contestant on TheVoice of American Idol.

SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE is now in the hands of you - the voters. Without your love and support, my novella will not land in the top 25% and move on to the next round.

There are only fourteen entries and I have to say, I am up against some very good competition. Round Two (which begins on June 24th) will tighten the race when the first 300 words of each manuscript is revealed.

For you to read the first page of SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, I need your help. Please go to:
http://boroughspublishinggroup.com/content/whats-name-voting and vote for my novella.

Don't let the name T.G. Shepherd throw you. Remember, these entries had to share the name of a song title. Authors names are kept confidential in the early stages so they have listed the recording artist with the book title.

Next, please share the link with all your friends. Tweet it! Share it on FB and even on Pinterest and anything else you can think of. I PROMISE... when you need me to reciprocate in some form, I'll be there for you. Supporting each other is what we do!

And in the words of Bartles and James....

Thank you for your support!

Love and Hugs!
Angela

COMING OUT OF HIDING - Heavy Edits come to an end

About six weeks ago I found out about an amazing submission opportunity offered up by Boroughs Publishing Group, thanks to writer bud Mia Marlow.

Boroughs Publishing Group is looking for novella submissions inspired by song titles and must be reflected in the title of the book. Some of you may recall my Nano 2012 project - Unchained Hearts. Well, originally the manuscript was titled Somewhere Down the Line but I wasn't sure of the logistics of using an actual song title. The good folks at Boroughs Publishing Group have assured me this is not a problem. So Unchained Hearts has officially become Somewhere Down the Line... a song I fell in love with back in the mid 1980's when it was recorded by country recording artists, James & Michael Younger. You can hear the original version performed by T.G. Sheppard HERE.

Since then I have been in serious edit mode. I've taken my 55+k novel down to 40k. The story is better for it and I'm happy with the end result. As the deadline approaches on Thursday I have one task left... a 2 Paragraph Synopsis. I'm not worried about this. I never have problems with synopsis or back blurbs, which is essentially what they are asking for.

My husband has been a gem. In the past four days we've added our two granddaughters to my approaching deadline. He has helped with them almost constantly as I worked to perfect what has become the second book of my heart.

My other partner in crime, whom I could not have done this without is my Nano buddy of six years, Lar. With the book set in Texas, Lar has been my logistics person. I know the Texas music scene and can point you to the best honkytonks and food you'll ever want to experience. Having never been to Texas, it was nice having on-sight help from a local.

So tomorrow, I write the 2 paragraph synopsis, hit the send button and pray my synopsis is sparkly enough to put me in the running.

For now... I need sleep.