AMANDA BERRY - Guest Author

My guest today is the amazingly talented Amanda Berry. My friendship with Amanda is case in point of how small the world really is - thanks to the internet. We first met on YIM as sprinting partners. As we talked we found out she and my husband grew up in the same small town. She was my rock and confident when my daughter's world fell apart... offering advice and a meet-up if I needed it. Oh yes.. and discovering we seem to crave chocolate when there isn't a bite to be found in the house anywhere!

I was ecstatic when Amanda sold her first book, L.A. Cinderella. It was her Nano book that first year we met. If you've not read it, you might want to add it to your cart when you pick up her new release... Father By Choice. Two different books that show her writing ability. 

Thanks for stopping by to meet... Amanda Berry!


You’re readers have waited three years for a new book from you. Father By Choice is nothing like L.A. Cinderella. Why veer from your first book?

L.A. Cinderella was more of a fantasy. A true Cinderella story. Father By Choice is more of a dramatic family story. I love the fantasy aspect of L.A. Cinderella, but family drama is something I have firsthand experience with ;) I grew up in a small town as well, so it speaks more to what I grew up with.

It sounds as if Amber may have captured Brady Ward’s heart. What is it with little girls and their daddy’s? And did you draw on a bit of personal experience for their relationship?

I think all little girls have their daddy wrapped around their finger. My own daughter is in awe of her father and while she won’t do something if I ask, if daddy asks she’s all over it. I think what makes their relationship more intense is that Maggie didn’t have that same experience with her father and it’s what she always wanted from her father.

You have a great premise for Father By Choice. What makes this story unique compared to similar plots?

The premise of the secret baby has been done over and over. What makes mine a little different is that Brady goes out of the country shortly after and leaves on bad terms with his brother. When his brother finds out about Maggie’s pregnancy, he “takes care of it” by sending money every month. Maggie is left believing that Brady is no better than her own father, which is easy for her to believe.

You and your family have moved in the past year. Is your awesome new location sparking future stories?

I’m surrounded by Live Oaks dripping with Spanish Moss, mosquitoes  the size of small birds, and palmetto bugs (a nice way to say cockroaches with wings). I love my new office and am trying to get back into a regular schedule for writing. No easy feat having moved for the first time in ten years from our house and we’had lived in St. Louis for twenty years. It’s a lot to adapt to, but we are coming up on a year of being here in August. There are stories hiding in the cedars out where we live and I’m sure that it will inspire many books in the future.

What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your books?

I hope that they come away fulfilled and happy with the book. I love when I read a romance and come away feeling filled with that love shared between the hero and heroine. 

Here's an excerpt from Father By Choice:

"I heard about your mom." Sam rubbed the back of his neck. His nervousness was starting to make her worry. What if something had happened to Brady? "I'm real sorry to hear she passed."

"It was the end of a long battle," Maggie said automatically. Even though it had been a different cancer that had taken Mrs. Ward, Maggie knew that in this respect Sam and she had something in common. Her gut clenched momentarily.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. He looked around as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. The feeling was mutual. "I really need to.. " She gestured to the screen door.

He hesitantly stepped on the first step. Apparently, he wasn't going to leave until he'd had his say. "Would you mind if I came in? I need to talk to you."

She stared him down, trying to determine whether she was willing to listen to anything a Ward had to say. But he seemed open and sincere.

She shrugged and opened the screen door. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. Fine as far as I know." Sam followed her into the small living room. Out of habit, she gestured to one of the worn recliners. Her furniture may be worn but it was clean and paid for.

"Would you like something to drink?" Manners won out over the burn of anger. Why now? After eight years of silence, why was Sam here? Was he coming to tell her that Brady was through sending money? She'd have to put in more hours as secretary at the furniture store if that were the case.

"No, thanks." He sat on the edge of the chair, leaned his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. Then he sat upright and half stood. He gestured to the chair opposite. "This would be easier if you sat."

Her stomach knotted. She moved toward the chair but didn't sit. What would be easier?

"I've done some stupid things in the past, Maggie." Sam seemed to think she was in the mood for confessions.

"I'm sure you have, but I have work to do—"

"Sit down, Maggie Brown." His stern expression had her lowering to the edge of the seat. Obviously remembering where he was, he added, "Please."

"You have a lot of nerve—"

"Yes, I do." Sam ran a shaking hand through his shaggy hair. "You have no idea how much nerve I have." She crossed her arms over her chest and waited. "I've done some really stupid things—"

"You said that part already."

He looked up to the ceiling before returning his gaze to her. His eyes softened. "I know Amber is Brady's." She flushed and started to rise.

"But Brady doesn't."

About Amanda Berry:
After an exciting life as a CPA, Amanda Berry returned to writing when her husband swept the family off to England to live for a year. Now she's hooked, and since returning to the states spends her writing days concocting spicy contemporary romances while her cats try in vain to pry her hands off the keyboard. Her Marlene award-winning contemporary romance, L.A. Cinderella, debuted from Silhouette Special Edition in June 2010. One thing she requires of all her books is a happily ever after. Amanda grew up in the Midwest, but recently moved to the Southeast with her husband and two children. For more information, please visit www.amanda-berry.com.

You'll find Father By Choice where all your favorite romances are sold including this direct link:  Amazon.com

COMING UP FOR AIR

I have to admit, and I've said it before, fiction has not been my focus of late. My life for the first four months of 2013 has been all about music, mostly in the Texas music field. Last week, however I entered a different world. I took the opportunity to attend the symphony at the Arkansas Philharmonic at the Arend Center in Bentonville AR. I went for a multitude of reasons.

1) I'd always wanted to attend the symphony but felt I wouldn't fit in. I'm not the high-maintenance kind of person. Don't get me wrong... I love to dress up and do the Cinderella-going-to-the-ball/ enchanted evening trip.

2) I KNEW I'd fit in this time. How could I not when Maestro Steven Byess as well as two of the musicians (Katie Bowden and Dr. Dan Ross) are all my friends.

3) A writer's well of experiences should never run dry. We should empower ourselves by trying new things... even if they mean stepping out of our comfort zone.

4) I LOVE music of all styles, but classic instrumentals nurture the soul. Beautiful Instrumentals has become my favorite DirectTV Sirus channel as background music for just about anything I'm doing unless I need a specific theme for my current WIP.

Part of the experience last week set up all types of scenarios for future stories. There was the frustrating attempt at trying to find THE dress. Having never been to a symphony before, and being friends of the conductor, I was so afraid that what I'd choose would not be 'right'. The last thing I wanted to do was to embarrass my friends. Though deep down I KNOW this would never have been an issue with them. They are genuine and sweet people. But isn't it amazing the way our minds can blow things out of proportion? If you're ever stuck in your novel, have your character over-react to something and see what happens.

And trying something new always stirs up emotions that can apply to various situations such as fear, anxiety, doubt, frustration, not to mention the passion that floods your soul once the music begins.  My favorite piece was the opening... Night on Bald Mountain... which you can hear either by following the Arkansas Philharmonic link above or Here.

Try something new! Enjoy the experience! Live the writing life!
All my best
Angela

USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PROMOTIONAL AVENUE - with Annette Beecher

When you visit Annette Beecher's website - Jar O' Marbles - you are greeted with this important fact: 

Once upon a time, writers shut themselves in their offices, churned out their manuscripts and turned them in. Then, leaving the business of sales and publicity to their publishing houses, they went on to write their next masterpiece with nothing but the occasional book tour or store signing to pull them away from their creative process.Those times are long gone.

Another fact is that whether you go the traditional publishing route or choose to indie, the promotion sits on your shoulders even BEFORE you publish.

"But fear not. I'm Annette, your personal Virtual Author Assistant! I have a big jar o' marbles to share ­ so you can keep yours, and spend more of your time doing what you do best. Write!"

Annette is here today to share The Top Five Things Authors Should Know about Promo & Social Media


 Don’t be a telemarketer:  I see so many authors that spend all of their time sending out links to their books, newsletters, etc.  No one wants to deal with telemarketers on the phone, so don’t be one online either.  It’s important to be a real person online.  Talk about your day, your writing process, your dog, the song that you can’t get of your head, etc.  Promotional links should be only 30 – 40% of what you post.

 Plan Ahead:  If you know you have a book coming out, start thinking about the best way to promote it.  Giveaways seem to be really popular right now. Blog Tours are also popular; though pick the blogs or the tour company carefully. Once the book is out, post your favorite book lines with links to where readers can purchase.  It’s important to use a variety of lines, not the same one over and over.

 Do Your Research:  This could probably be 2.1.  The internet is an ever-changing environment. Blog hops, blog tours and newsletters are really “hot” right now, but in a month or two, there will be something else to come along.  So get online and do your homework, figure out what is working for other authors and pick promo ideas that work for you.  

 Mysterious does not work for authors: Readers, reviewers and bloggers are going to want to contact you.  Don’t make them hunt for your contact info.  Make sure there is an easy to find way to contact you whether it’s a contact form or email address on your website or blog. 

 The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Or, don’t be “That” author.  If you get bad reviews, don’t go all medieval on the reviewer.  It just makes you look bad.  Books like music and art are a subjective medium.  Not everyone is going to love what you do.  If reading bad reviews bothers you that much, hire an assistant to read reviews for you and only send you the good ones.  This should be common sense, but don’t trash other authors, or your agent or anyone online.  The internet is like an elephant, its memory lasts forever.

Great tips!  Annette offers a variety of promotional assistance packages to choose from. Please stop by her website and have a look around. She is very approachable and personable so if you have questions, feel free to contact her. 

Links:

http://www.jaromarbles.com/

https://twitter.com/JarOMarbles

https://www.facebook.com/JarOMarbles

About Annette Beecher: 

Chihuahua minion, gamer, foodie, whovian, anglophile, book obsessed, slightly crazy person who also works as a virtual assistant to authors.

AMBER LEA EASTON - Spotlight Author

Today, it is my great pleasure to introduce Amber Lea Easton. I know I'm going to make her blush when I say I think she is an amazing person. I don't know if I could go through some of the things she has endured and come out with a smile on her face as show left. But I also hope I make her smile when I say she is an extremely talented author, crafting stories you'll want on your keeper shelf and characters you'll both love and identify with. 

Please take time to leave love here and to drop by her website to check out her books. http://www.amberleaeaston.com/


What draws you to writing Romantic Suspense?
I’ve always loved a page-turner and that’s what romantic suspense is for me.  I began reading Nora Roberts years ago.  She truly turned me on to the genre.  I love the elements of a great love story up against great adversity--often life and death scenarios.  The intensity is both fun to write and read.  

I’ve heard we put a bit of ourselves into our characters. I have also read Riptides has a powerful emotional connection with you. What do you draw from yourself when creating your characters?  And how did you work past the really deep stuff without losing the realism?

Good question.  I pour my emotion into the characters, which usually means becoming vulnerable myself.  I believe all good characters are flawed and raw.  I’ve been lucky (or unlucky depending on your perspective) to have lived a full life so far.  I’ve taken risks that have resulted in heartbreak, trauma, despair, wonderment, bliss and love.  When I think of a character, though, I don’t consciously say “this is me”; rather, I see the character and pull whatever emotion I’ve experienced that mimics his/hers into their hearts.  It makes them more human.  Yes, Lauren Biltmore, the heroine of Riptide, is more like me than any other I’ve written to this point, but she isn’t me.  She is both the best and worst of me...but is innately her own creation.  

It’s true that I experienced some pretty dark things in my life.  The key, for me, was distancing myself through time before attempting to adapt any of it into fiction.  When going through a traumatic experience, it’s hard to gain perspective so any writing about it--outside of a journal--becomes riddled with pain and a distorted viewpoint.  By allowing myself time to heal before attempting to wrestle the experience into a fictional format, I’m able to write about it from a genuine place that is both observation and compassion.  

You have a knack for getting to the core of your characters’ conflicts and emotions more than anyone I’ve read. I think you’re doing it again with your next book. Can you tell us about Reckless Endangerment? And do you have a projected release date?

First, let me say that I’m humbled by your compliment.  It means a lot.  I love emotional stories.  

Reckless Endangerment is one of the most emotional yet.  I cried not only when writing some of the scenes, but during revisions as well.  Don’t let that deter anyone, though!  Michael and Hope are some of the most profound characters you’ll ever know.  

Colonel Michael Cedars is a wounded marine returning home from Afghanistan.  He’s partially paralyzed with his left leg, unsure how to fit into civilian life again after being career military and questions whether or not he’s fit to be married to his wife, Hope. 

Hope Shane is a natural wild child.  She met the Colonel while working as a war correspondent, watched him get blown up and returned to Denver, Colorado to bring him home. She’s working as an investigative reporter in Denver and becomes tangled up in a human trafficking story.  As far as Michael wanting a divorce and giving up on life, she’s not one to surrender the fight. That goes for the helpless victims in the story she’s chasing...nothing will stop her until she has truth and justice.  

As the danger of Hope’s story intensifies, Michael is tested more than he ever imagined.  Is he capable of being the husband she needs?  Will he hold her back or, worse yet, get her killed?  Is Hope and her penchant for finding trouble a liability he can’t risk? Or is he still the hero she claims him to be?  

Heroes come in many forms and range from the woman trying to hold her marriage together to the marine battling even after he’s come home.  That’s what the story is about...heroes.  Heroes and love--with a whole lot of danger, both emotional and physical, thrown in for fun. (I’m sadistic, aren’t I?)  

It will be out by June of this year.  

You have given great advice to writers (go HERE to see links to other interviews with Amber). What is the most helpful piece of writing advice you ever received and how has it helped you?

To know when to compromise and when to stand firm.  There needs to be give and take without losing your own vision.  I visualize a palm tree that stands firm in its roots against a storm but bends with the wind so it doesn’t break.  I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error that there are people out there who know more than me and I’m grateful to learn from them.  I take what works for me and disregard the rest.  That’s probably why I value editors so much.  I do appreciate another perspective, am open to listen, but I never lose sight of my purpose.  

From the place you live to your dream place to retire… they are so different. What do you find may be their common factor in attracting you?

Tranquility.  I live in the mountains above Denver and long to be near the sea.  Both places are peaceful to me.  I love nature, always have.  Although I enjoy the mountains, it’s a hard existence in regards to snow and summer forest fires.  I’ll be old one day, even if I don’t act like it.  My dream is to simplify...walk along the beach every night and every morning, soaking up tranquility. 

You can unwrap a Starburst with your tongue, you love seafood and make a killer omelet. What is the one thing a GUY could cook for you that would melt your heart?

I’m impressed with your research.  Ha! You know what?  A guy who can cook anything melts my heart. My late husband was an excellent chef and I miss chilling out in the kitchen with a glass of wine while watching the man work his magic.  I’m easy.  If he can cook, laugh, kiss, and hold a great conversation, I’m IN!  

A brief blurb about Riptide:

Attraction sizzles beneath Caribbean sunshine on an island masking betrayal and murder beneath its swaying palm trees. Noah Reynolds and Lauren Biltmore, two loners scarred by their not-so-sweet pasts, discover that together is better than solo when being caught up in a riptide of deception. 

Brief excerpt of Riptide:

He braced his hands over her head. The only thing he wanted to do was kiss her slowly and make her beg for more. He looked into her eyes. “You’re making me forget all of the reasons this is a mistake.”

“A sexy mistake.” Her fingers touched his chest in a feather-like caress. She licked her lips. 

“Good point.” He smiled. “We’re headed into the danger zone.”

“You have no idea how dangerous.” She tugged on the towel, a wicked grin in her eyes. 

Oh, he had an idea about the level of danger. He’d thought of nothing else for the past forty-eight hours and ranked this situation a solid Level Red. Despite that, all he could think about was how good it would feel to have her long legs wrapped around his hips while her nails clawed against his back. He needed to pull the emergency brake. Slow, he reminded himself. Slow.

Author Bio: 
      Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published fiction and nonfiction author. For twenty years, she's worked in the fields of journalism and advertising with a brief detour into the financial industry.  Although she holds a BA in Communications & Journalism, she is a perpetual student of life who enjoys taking classes on a wide variety of subjects when time allows.
       Smart is sexy, according to Easton, which is why she writes about strong female characters who have their flaws and challenges but ultimately persevere.  She currently has two romantic suspense novels out in the world, Kiss Me Slowly and Riptide, with four more slated for publication in 2013.
         In addition to fiction writing, Easton also edits and freelances and speaks on subjects ranging from writing to widowhood.  Current radio appearances are linked via this site and her blog Kisses, Caresses & Whispers in the Night.
      Easton currently lives with her two teenagers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where she gives thanks daily for the gorgeous view outside her window. She finds inspiration from traveling, the people she meets, nature and life’s twists and turns. At the end of the day, as long as she's writing, she considers herself to be simply "a lucky lady liv'n the dream."

Amber Lea Easton’s novels are available through Bookstrand, iTunes, Amazon, AmazonUK and Barnes and Noble.  All of the links are available on her website, http://www.amberleaeaston.com 

WRITERS TIP Thursday

Thanks again to Gae-Lynn Woods guesting for us last week. If you failed to email me a request for a copy of her Excel Sheet, please do so.... AngelaDrake (at) webname (dot) com  She has put a lot of thought into it both from a CPA perspective and a writer's needs.

Our Tip for today is:


BUSINESS: Log Everything.
Keep track of your time spent writing, research, networking
Expenses such as conference, travel, meals (if more than 50 miles
from home) hotels.

I keep a 5x7 spiral next to my mouse pad. Whatever I do that is writing related, I write it down. This not only lets me know if I've taken care of something or not, but at the end of the day, if I've spent all day at the computer, I better have something to show for it. This is a BUSINESS, after all.

The Expenses part gets a bit trickier. I'm following Gae-Lyn's guidelines for keeping receipts. I know that not ALL of my meals are deductible. Neither are ALL my book purchases (darn-it) unless I can directly link them to a project I'm working on. So I make note of WHAT I bought and WHY in my little notebook so I have the documentation should the IRS ever have questions about a deduction. 

My tax preparer Ian Atkins, (Atkins Tax Service) gave me a mileage log book that isn't as big as a check register and fits in my wallet. I can write down Odometer Readings to and from, purpose, parking, etc. Easy Peasy to transfer to my log sheet at the end of the month (year) hehe.

If in doubt, write it down and keep the receipt. 

And that's your Writers Tip Thursday!

Angela

ARKANSAS WRITERS CONFERENCE - and contest

I'm getting back on track with this week's Wednesday post about Conferences and Contests. The Arkansas Writers Conference offers both.

Held May 31 - June 1, 2013 in Little Rock Arkansas, this conference is celebrating it's 69th year. Arkansas Writers was founded and is hosted by The Arkansas Pioneer Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. Thanks to the generosity of benefactors, patrons and sponsors,  AW is able to provide top quality speakers and a wide variety of contest categories.

Although I've not been able to attend the conference yet, I have entered the competitions over the past several years. I know when I enter these contests I am up against some of the best writers in the country. I also know sometimes I win (last year I placed in two money categories), sometimes I take a couple of Honorable Mentions (as I did in 2008 and 2009) and other years I don't place at all. That's just how it works.

Contest Categories (scroll down to Literary Contests) are divided into three categories:
#1-#5 categories are limited to those who will be attending AT LEAST one day of the conference.
#6- #28 categories are open to anyone
#29-#40 are limited to Arkansas Residents only.

So if you take out the first 5 categories and the final 11 categories, that leaves you with 23 contests you can enter.... ALL FOR ONE $15 Entry Fee! And ALL offer Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place entries.

PLEASE read the guidelines carefully. One thing I see as a contest judge with other contests is entrants being so focused on the Perfect Entry they fail to follow the guidelines... resulting in their hard work being disqualified.

I have looked over the Speakers for this year and the roster is one of the best I've seen that matches MY particular interests. For now it's all about time and cash flow for me. But I'm still thinking on it. If anyone is going and would like a roomie, it might move my marker to the GOING side of the line a little closer.

In the mean time, I have some entries to start working on!
Happy Writing!
Angela

J.D. FAVER - Guest Author

Today, my guest is my friend, J.D. Faver.

You will want to read her post all the way through for a special FREE GIFT especially for my readers. Thanks J.D.!


J.D. Faver lives near Houston, Texas. She writes steamy contemporary romance and romantic thrillers/mystery/suspense. She loves to kill people...on virtual paper, that is. Although she writes daily, she still finds time to enjoy family and friends. She is a foodie and an adventurous cook. Determined to preserve generations of family recipes, she is publishing a series of cookbooks entitled A Texan in the Kitchen.

Gardening is another passion (and linked to the food thing) since she has an orchard of fruit trees and berry bushes/vines in her back yard. Tomatoes and other veggies round out her kitchen garden. All other interests (painting, drawing, sewing, quilting, crocheting, weaving, stained glass and pottery) have taken a back seat since they require hands-on participation which is difficult if your fingers are always on the keyboard.

An active member of several Houston writer's organizations, she belongs to National RWA and is a member of Houston chapters. She is owned by two cats and a small, yappy rescue dog. As a former educator and healthcare professional, she is an advocate for children, animals and elderly/disabled individuals. She would rather be sailing or on a beach somewhere, but if not, you can probably find her with her fingers on a keyboard, pouring word images onto the virtual films playing in her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hi Angela! Thanks for inviting me to be your guest today.

I wanted to share some insights with your readers about my experience with writing series.

As a reader, I can remember waiting impatiently for Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich to turn loose of the next Kinsey Millhone or Stephanie Plum adventure.  Likewise, James Patterson was very pokey in cranking out Alex Cross mysteries.  I truly couldn’t understand why these authors were so maddeningly slow with their writing. Or so it seemed at the time.

When I finished writing my novel ON ICE, which wound up at 102 thousand words, I found myself feeling depressed. After the dark moment… after the villain had been vanquished…after good prevailed over evil….I realized I had to say goodbye to the characters I had grown so fond of. After all, they shared their deepest inner feelings with me. Their most intimate moments. And I was supposed to wave goodbye as they moseyed off to their happily ever after? Never to be heard from again?
The antidote was to write another book, and another after that…

Finally, when I wrote BAD MEDICINE, I figured it out and planned the next book in the series while writing the first.  Choosing the lower Gulf coast of Texas for my setting was like going home. I had spent quite a few years visiting there for catamaran regattas. I knew the setting so well, I could feel the fine sand under my feet, with gentle waves lapping at my toes. I could smell the tangy scent of the water and feel the offshore breezes lifting my hair.

The characters sprang into my brain fully fleshed out, with flaws and strong personalities. Indeed, they were born as a result of my first foray into the wonderful world of NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) I was a NaNo virgin. I read all the rules and signed up with an army of my writing buds. Being a Virgo, with a tad bit of OCD thrown in, I wanted to be sure I was prepared. I wrote an outline. I had character sketches and conflict guides. And on the stroke of midnight, Texas time, I flexed my fingers and wrote…an entirely different story.  Without benefit of outline or character sketches, these larger than life individuals came bounding into my brain and took over. Yes, possessed is probably the best explanation. I wrote like a mad woman and came out with a completed 56 thousand word novel in the first 18 days of NaNo. I was so hyper, and all my friends were still writing, so I found another partially written work and completed that one in the last 12 days. Wild woman writing.

Eventually, the 56 thousand words became 94 thousand and the story was revised, edited and polished. But, at the same time, the second in the series, BAD KARMA, was being written. I just couldn’t let go of those characters or leave that beautiful dark paradise behind. By the time BAD MEDICINE was published, I had BAD KARMA polished and was finishing the third one, BAD VIBES. Each of the books is a stand-alone, but they are linked in setting and characters.

What I’ve learned is that readers are just impatient for the next adventure in The Edge of Texas series as I was for my next Stephanie Plum fix. I treasure the emails and Facebook messages asking me what’s next. I do have a gift for your readers today, Angela. The second book in the series, BAD KARMA, is FREE on Amazon today, March 12 only. Here is the link to download it: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081SGPZW

THE EDGE OF TEXAS Series:
• Book 1-BAD MEDICINE
• Book 2-BAD KARMA
• Book 3-BAD VIBES
• Book 4-BAD DREAMS (coming soon)

Please visit me on my website at http://www.jdfaver.com/
Amazon author page:  http://www.amazon.com/J.D.-Faver/e/B0050KEWMM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/j-d-faver?store=allproducts&keyword=j.d.+faver