Best motto for writers:
It’s only a book.   Your life doesn’t depend on it.  I read this in a writing book ages ago.  When you find yourself getting caught up in all the stress and insecurity that goes with writing, take a step back and know that, if nothing else, you can always write another one.  Don’t take yourself too seriously.  Perfection is not possible.  It’s only a book.  Tape that on your monitor.

Best overall advice for writers:
Write about something you love and something that you are passionate about.  Write a story you would want to read.  Your passion will come through in your work.  Don’t be afraid to take chances.  See motto above.  It’s only a book.  Start it and finish it.

Best Books about Writing:
I love On Writing by Stephen King simply because I related so much to his journey as a writer. You can’t go wrong with books by Gary Provost, Dwight Swain or Lawrence Block. They will help you master the craft.

Best ergonomic tools for writers:
Imak wrist pads.  They are made from ergo beads and provide very comfortable support for the wrists.  I bought mine at Staples. Never bend your wrists to type or use the mouse. Carpal tunnel syndrome is no fun.

Anti-Glare filters.  They will help save your eyes.  Need I say more?

Adjustable Foot Rest.   Another must have.

Logitech Soft-Grip Mouse.  Love the design.  Fits the hand perfectly.

Best way to get to The End:
Develop a writing schedule that works for you and stick to it.  1 page a day, 7 days a week.   10 pages,  2 days a week.  2 hours every night.  Doesn’t matter how much or how often. All that matters is you maintain it until you reached The End.

Everything His Heart Desires

The man most likely to drive her crazy…

Growing up in Lafayette Falls, senator’s daughter Natalie Layton hid her sorrows behind a bright smile that charmed everyone in high school—except Brett Harris. Hardworking and highly motivated, Brett dismissed Natalie as a slacker. Instead, she’s become an acclaimed photographer. And when Brett, now a successful cardiologist, needs her family’s help to secure a coveted position, Natalie’s more than happy to prescribe a little payback…

Hailing from the wrong side of the tracks, Brett believed he could never win the school’s popular princess. Now he’s intrigued by the complex and compassionate woman Natalie’s become. Gaining her grandmother’s goodwill is the key to becoming chief cardiologist—and Natalie has no intention of making it easy. But as mutual mistrust gives way to pure chemistry, there’s more at stake than either ever expected—and much more to learn about matters of the heart…

Short Excerpt:

Natalie strolled into the parlor. She stopped across from him at the center table. The pier mirror behind her gave him an excellent view of her bare back and the red bow at her waist. He had this wild desire to run his hand over her shoulder blades and down her spine. Maybe fool with that red bow.

Despite having a modest front, the dress radiated sex appeal. “That’s a hot dress.”

She flushed slightly and smoothed the slim skirt. “Elvis thought so.”

“Elvis who?”

“The Elvis. The King,” she answered. “Of course, he didn’t say it was a hot dress, but he liked it.”

Brett cocked his head, and she said, “Don’t look at me like I’m crazy. This dress is from the nineteen sixties. I found it in the attic. After my dad sold our house a few years ago, he brought a lot of stuff over here and stored it for me.

“The dress belonged to my mother’s mother. When she was in her twenties, she worked as a backup singer for some studios in Nashville and Memphis. According to the note I found with this dress, she wore it to party at Graceland, and Elvis was very impressed.”

“I bet he was.” I bet he got a hold of that red bow.

Buy Links:  Amazon   Nook   Kobo  Google Play  iTunes

About the Author

Patricia Preston loves writing single-title women’s fiction with picturesque settings and a host of unforgettable characters whose lives entwine in feel-good stories about life, love and finding happiness. She also writes short stories and historicals. She won the William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction, the Lone Star Writing Competition for Historical Romance, and Harlequin’s World’s Best Romances Short Story Competition. She is repped by the Seymour Agency and working on a women’s fiction/mainstream romance series for Kensington’s Lyrical Shine imprint.

Besides writing, she’s also worked as a librarian, medical office manager, and in a cosmetic department where she played with makeup all day. Her favorite place to hang out is her writing cave where must-haves are iced tea and epic music. She also enjoys photography, movies, and research trips to New Orleans.

For info on new releases and contests, sign up for her newsletter

Check out her Blog  Follow her on Twitter  Facebook  Amazon Author Page

UPDATE: The winner is Debra G!

* * * * *

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Delilah!

Readers of science-fiction romance, futuristic time travel, or fans of strong heroines may enjoy my new book, In The Court Of Love And Loss.  I’ll be giving away a free e-copy at the end of this blog post!

What inspired this story? When I was young, I always wanted to be an astronaut. I mean, how cool would it be to travel in space, discovering new things? Unfortunately, it turns out I get sick on a simple roller coaster, so the idea of being nauseous in the weightlessness of space was not exactly appealing. (And NASA probably wouldn’t have accepted me into its astronaut program anyway…) The solution? I became a science fiction romance author!

The best part about writing science fiction or futuristic romance is being able to build an entire world from your imagination. There are no rules, except the ones you create. My most recent book, In The Court Of Love And Loss, is set on a planet I call Sirene.

Here’s a little synopsis:

As Mistress of Justice on Sirene, Kyrie is able to judge an accused person’s guilt or innocence with a mere touch. Her unique gift makes her invaluable to the planet’s dictatorial leader, Galen, but Kyrie is dying. Abandoned as a child by her people, the Ouri, when they mysteriously fled Sirene, she’s grown up among the planet’s “other” race. Now, at age twenty-five, she must find an Ourian to mate with or die. Except there are no Ourians on Sirene.

Proteus is sent back to Sirene to rescue a five-year-old child accidentally left behind when he and all the Ouri fled the threat of uprising. But through a trick of time, what he finds instead on his return is an Ourian woman he is forbidden by law to mate with, even if it means saving her life. And when the autocratic Galen forces Proteus to sexually service Kyrie, Proteus uses every trick at his disposal to keep her alive, all while plotting their escape.

Galen and Proteus are desperate to save Kyrie for very different reasons–but they both know the fate of the planet depends on her survival.

This novel is full of secrets and lies, surprising twists and unexpected revelations, with a strong heroine whose fierce loyalty to her sense of right and wrong forces her to make hard sacrifices for the good of her world. And they are choices which affect her own life in profoundly shattering ways.

If you are a fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, you will enjoy this book!

Here’s a brief excerpt:

“I can’t leave here, Proteus.”

“What?” Proteus crossed the short distance to where Kyrie was sitting.

She looked up at him, a plea in her eyes. “I appreciate that you were sent back here to rescue me. After twenty years of wondering why I’d been abandoned when the Ouri fled, it is a relief to know I was not intentionally left behind. But if I can save even one innocent person from Galen’s false accusations—from his wrath—then this is my purpose. My destiny. I help these people, Proteus. I can’t leave here.”

“Kyrie, you are Sirene’s princess, the future of this planet. And now the woman I love. It is my fault you were left behind during the Ourian evacuation, and it is my duty to return you to your people. But there is still much you don’t know. About Galen. About your own people. You must come with me.”

“I made a promise to Galen that I would not leave Sirene.”

Proteus smiled. “You won’t have to leave Sirene to be reunited with the Ouri, Princess, because they are still here.”

“What? No one has seen an Ourian on Sirene for the last two decades!”

“Exactly,” Proteus agreed. “And the reason for that involves a trick of time.  Let me explain.”

*~*~* 

Sound interesting? If you’d like to read more, In The Court Of Love And Loss is available at:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N63TY5Z/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1479256852&sr=8-4&keywords=jenna+ives
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-court-of-love-and-loss-jenna-ives/1125150547?ean=9781682522592
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/in-the-court-of-love-and-loss/id1176691132?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/in-the-court-of-love-and-loss
LooseId Publishing: https://www.loose-id.com/in-the-court-of-love-and-loss.html?___SID=U

Contest

For a chance to win an e-copy of the book, answer this question: What is the name of the antagonist of In The Court Of Love And Lost? (The answer can be found in my synopsis.) Leave your email address with your answer in the Comments section J One winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

A little about me:

I’m an award-winning author who writes for several publishers under a variety of names, but mainly it’s to protect my poor sainted mother (who used to read sweet Harlequin novels) from discovering how sexy modern romances have become! I love to tango, travel and I’m obsessed with the Rolling Stones, travelling to different cities and countries around the world to see them play. You can visit my website at www.jennaives.com or my blog at https://www.fierceromance.blogspot.com. Or connect with me on Twitter @JennaIvesAuthor or on Facebook, Goodreads or Pinterest.

Thanks again for hosting me today, Delilah!

Jenna Ives

I like the idea of having magical powers of some sort. If I could choose, I think I’d like to be able to fly…and be able to blast power out of my hands…you know, point at something and kaboom! Obliterated.

Each of my Huntresses have their own special powers that are ignited by the bite of their wolves or mark of their Hunters (and sometimes both). They are all in various stages of combat fighting and weapons training depending on what side they are fighting on as well as how indoctrinated into the world of the beasts they are. I thought I’d share with you the roster of Huntresses from the pack that you’ll meet in my newest release, Beast Rising,  and all the amazing things they can do.

Darcy Wells (Cursed): She’s gifted with spell casting and she’s probably the most powerful and most under trained of all of the Huntresses. Sometimes her power is so out of control that her hands glow with an iridescent light…not too helpful when it comes to battle but her strike definitely packs a punch…especially if one of her pack is threatened.

Memorable quote: “It’s not breaking the rules if no one finds out about it.”

Aubrey Devlin (Wolf Slayer): Is a healer. Her touch alone is able to pull the wolves out of near death experiences and keep herself from bleeding out when she’s on the hunt for the feral beasts. She’s a tough fighter and a no-nonsense kind of girl but she’s got a big heart and loyalty that never falters.

Memorable quote: “Huntresses hunt, whether you like it or not, got it, big boy?”

Summer Sinclair (Spell Weaver): Her power is to etch magical symbols onto things. With this ability she has been able to not only protect the boundaries of the wolves’ territory but she has also been known to use them to heal and sometimes locate things that are lost…including her mate. She’s a tattoo artist by trade and a fierce fighter for everything she loves, even when it’s a stubborn werewolf.

Memorable quote: “If you want it badly enough, your powers will work just as you need them to. Trust your instinct, it’ll never steer you wrong.”

Hannah Lane (Mayhem): Is an empath and is able to amplify emotions, using them to amp up or tone down all sorts of passions. She uses her powers to unite the pack as well as to keep the wolves tempers under control. She sweet but tough and a redhead so you definitely don’t want to piss her off.

Memorable quote: “Grounded? That kiss has me flying.”

You’ll meet all of these Huntresses and more in Beast Rising and get to know their strengths, weaknesses, fears and goals. No matter where they are in the training, all of my Huntresses are brave, loyal, and can totally kick some serious ass.

Angela Addams
Website: https://www.angelaaddams.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Angela.Addams/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaAddams
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4801196.Angela_Addams
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angela-Addams/e/B005JOTBPM/
Samhain: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5850/beast-rising
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/no/book/beast-rising/id1183596013?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/beast-rising/9781619236370-item.html
B&N:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beast-rising-angela-addams/1125294362?ean=9781619236370

On Tuesday, this cowboy story releases. It’s a “new-old” story—one I wrote way back when, and which was published with a now-defunct publisher. You may not know of its existence, so it’s “new”! 🙂 Pre-order now so you don’t forget! Then play along with me.

If you’d like to win a free story from my current cowboy series, Cowboys on the Edge, find the answers to the following questions and send the answers in an email to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com. DO NOT SHARE YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! This contest will run through Tuesday, and I’ll select two winners!

Here are the questions. Some are general knowledge. Some are specific to my series, and the answers can be found by simply reading the short descriptions of the books. Just so you don’t have to surf too far, here’s the Cowboys on the Edge page.

Name the following!

1. leather “sleeves” worn by cowboys to protect their legs
2. a loop of rope intended for capture and restraint
3. famous brand of cowboy hats that starts with “s”
4. the state where the Cowboys on the Edge series is set
5. last name of the fire chief in Caldera, Texas
6. someone who sets fires for personal gratification (use word in story blurb!)
7. first name of lawman who saves a mobster’s girlfriend
8. title of the latest story in the series
9. a cowboy’s seat on a horse
10. a cowboy’s shiniest accessory
11. device placed in a horse’s mouth
12. loop that holds the feet of a rider
13. a deep cleft in the earth

So, was that fun? A pain-in-the-ass? Would you like to see more scavenger hunts?

Enjoy your weekend! ~DD

First, thank you Delilah and Delilah readers for receiving me on this blog.

I am not one to make resolutions.  Like so many, in the past, I firmly declared my goals in the first month of the year and promptly forgot them by the third month.  But this year a Facebook friend posed the question: How will you grow this year?  This question goes beyond resolutions, although I realize that part of the reasons people make resolutions is to inspire some personal growth.  But this question challenged me to think about how I will fundamentally change who I am so that I can be a better me.

I have been wrestling with this question because growth requires you to change, to leave things behind and let stuff go.  I don’t like change or letting things go (not old emails, old receipts, old manuscripts, old grudges).  It also requires you to be brave enough to accept your new strengths as well as the challenges and responsibilities those new strengths inspire, like a superhero whose presence invites villains.  You just know that if you become more patient, a slew of people are going to stand in line to try your nerves.  So, growth isn’t easy and trying to grow demands that you work at it consistently.

How will I grow in 2017?

As a writer, I have not always shown up to the page.  Being a mother, a teacher and a writer has been a balancing act that has not always resulted in every aspect of me getting a fair amount of time.  More often than not, the writer in me has gotten the shaft.  In this new year, I am going to commit to showing up to the page, writing something every day.  Ok, let’s be more realistic—five days out of seven.  (This is a good start as there were some weeks when I didn’t write at all.)  I feel best, when at the end of the day, I have created. So I will work to produce and create.  I will show up to the page!

I will also commit to stretching my reading and writing genres.  I love to read, but I tend to select the same types of stories to enjoy. (I am in love with the paranormal!) I will expand my reading to include new, varied genres.  Maybe a historical romance and definitely a thriller.  I am open to any suggestions people might have for good books to try.

As my reading expands, I am sure my writing will, too.  I commit to trying new genres of writing.  Actually, my short story “Vivify” in Delilah Devlin’s Sex Objects was the result of an earlier attempt to try a new genre.  I had never written erotica before, but I found in exploring my character Cecelia’s sexual re-awakening, that this is a genre that is fun and fulfilling to write within.

I’m sure I will have to let go of something although I don’t know what yet.  I know that it is true that you can’t do the same things and not get the same results.  Maybe I will have to learn to say “no” when people ask me to be on this committee or do that project for them.  Saying “no” will be hard. Maybe I will have to give up my slightly obsessive need to watch everything that comes on television.  Letting TV go will definitely be hard.  We will see what this effort toward growth will bring.  While I am not sure of the challenges that will come, one thing I am sure of is that by implementing these new practices into my life, I will grow as a writer.

How will you do to grow this year?  Let me know.

https://www.facebook.com/RaShell-Smith-Spears-Writer-1390560764495274/
https://www.Pinterest.com/writerlee

Cashmere S. Jackson

Check out Cashmere S. Jackson’s “Vivify” in Sex Objects!

We get to have fun as writers, creating other worlds and fantastical beings. My new release, Gideon: Heavenly Fall, has been pure joy to write.

Most people know me as a Navy SEAL writer. And I still love those boys, and probably will write them until the cows come home. But I also love paranormal, for the sheer fun of writing about special powers and unearthly situations and body parts.

I have a secondary character in Gideon, who is an inventor. He makes robots, or “bots” as we call them in the book. Pleasure bots, animal bots, and an army of doll warrior bots. I wanted to write him because I have a futuristic book I’m working on that would also have a bot factory.

Here’s a little excerpt from Gideon as the three main characters arrive to meet the clockmaker for the first time:

“This guy have a sense of humor?” Gideon frowned at his Guardian friend.

            “I doubt it. He’s not that way.”

            “So what’s with the ‘Out Of Time’ sign?”

            “I’ve never thought about that. I’ll ask him.” Francis opened his door. “I think I’ll approach with your Guardian, while you wait in the truck, if you don’t mind.”

            “As if I have a choice.”

            “Your funeral. We have to handle this guy with kid gloves.” Frances squinted and then peered up to the windows above the shop. “He’s kinda weird. Hard to think what goes on in that mind of his. I’m guessing he has a lot of moving parts that look something like this.” Francis pointed to a flock of mechanical birds flying inside the window in loose formation.

            “Are those real?” Persephone noticed a cloud of small buzzing insects hovering over the archway of the front door on the outside of the building.

            “Yup. Real bots.” Francis grinned at Gideon, rain soaking his right shoulder and running down his front. “They’re as real as the real ones, just made up of different material, that’s all. The guy’s a genius.”

*~*~*

I hope you will stop by and give Gideon some love. We’re working on the audio book starting next week. Join me as I explore some of my Far Side.

WWW.sharonhamiltonauthor.com