May Showers Bring A Book Signing Event Give-a-way!

How is it the middle of May already? This year is flying by. I've been busy getting ready for my committed book signing events this year and it's been difficult to fit in some creativity time among all the travel plans and administrative tasks that seem to continually pop up. 

I'm very excited about the events I'm attending this year. I have one coming up on July 9th in East Peoria, IL. Writers on the River is going to be a blast. There is a great line up of authors and lots of fun to be had over the weekend.

I've been given two additional general admission tickets and created a fun Rafflecopter for a chance to win. I tried to make it fun with additional chances to win by making some trivia questions about some of my characters and worlds (HINT: The answers are all on my website, so it's really easy.) 

My other two events are Unmask the Romance Authors in Phoenixville, PA and Arch City Authors in Columbus, OH which are both in October. October is already a busy personal month for me so now it's going to be even busier! 

I'll have my debut novel Circle of Lies available at all of my signing events. I'm finishing up final edits as fast as my toddler is allowing me and started working on the second book in the series, Circle of Fantasies which I hope to have out this summer. 

Among all the planning activity I have to remind myself that it's okay to take a breather and get back into a creative frame of mind. 

Photo from depositphotos.com

April 19 2016 Romance Weekly

#LoveChatWrite

Welcome back for Romance Weekly. 

The hop is a short one this week. Make sure to check out Leslie Hachtel’s post when you are done here.

I came up with this week’s topic from reading The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.

Over the years of writing stories, I, like many writers, hear about the hero's or heroine's journey. As a part of the journey the main character runs into a Threshold Guardian that puts roadblocks or obstacles in their path to prevent forward movement. What Threshold Guardians have you, as an author, experienced in your hero's/heroine's journey to being an author?

I think there are several Threshold Guardians that authors run into at various points in their lives and careers. When I came up with this topic I was thinking about recent events that had been pushing me further and further behind on a self-editing project I desperately wanted to finish. Those events were a combination of what many of us experience with hectic jobs and family life, but also series of mild (and moderate) illness that occurred over several months.

I blame my toddler for these illness because if the todd came home sick I was guaranteed to get sick in a few days as well. (Your nodding your head if you’re a parent to little ones.) Unfortunately, as far as schedules went, the days I got sick were those dedicated to my writing and I was too miserable and tired to think clearly, let alone fix a broken plot and re-write the ending of a manuscript I had wanted to get off to an editor months before these said illnesses.

Funny as well (at least now that I’m not sick – I just knocked on some wood to make sure I don’t get sick this week) these illnesses also came with the change in season and seemed to last from October until April. So my Threshold Guardian was realllllyyyyy guarding the gate and I had a hell of a time kicking his butt to the curb. It’s a true test of an author to find the energy to push forward when energy is at an all time low. Throw holidays on top of this and it was like my writing and editing momentum came to a screeching halt.

I did make it passed this Threshold Guardian after realizing rest was necessary, a trip to the doctor for much needed medications, and that this too shall pass (eventually). I have since finished that manuscript and have moved onto the next one. I’m not saying I won’t be crabby the next time I catch a toddler bug (I’m past due), but at least I know this isn’t going to stop me from reaching my goal. Delays I can deal with (most of the time).

Thanks for stopping by. Hop on over to Jenna Da Sie’s post to find out what she’s experienced in her writer’s journey.

See you next week!

March 22 2016 Romance Weekly

#LoveChatWrite

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all … about our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

This week I asked our authors to list some insights into the psyche of their mind by learning about what movie or Network series that you LOVE to watch. What do you think the movie(s) or show(s) says about their creative personality?

Carrie Elks was before me in the hop today.

After reading my post, stop on by to see what movies or TV shows she watches obsessively.

Shows and series that I’m obsessed with in no particular order:

·      Walking Dead

·      Penny Dreadful

·      Billions

·      Lost

·      True Blood

·      Breaking Bad

·      Game of Thrones

I gravitate toward the weirder or supernatural themed shows. I’d probably watch more sci fi shows if I had cable, but I don’t. The ones listed are not necessarily horror. Penny Dreadful or True Blood could fall into the horror category, but really horror was just one aspect for both of those shows. I found Penny Dreadful to be more mystical and supernatural with an element of horror (it’s my latest obsession). There are so many layers to these shows and I think this is what I really like about them and the fact that on the outside someone would say this show is about X, but in fact there is more going on behind the scenes.

Another common theme I see in the shows I like is they are survival stories set in a time or place that isn’t as it seems. Nothing is normal.

Ironically, just the other day a friend of mine asked what is normal. I really don’t think there is a normal when it comes to people. We all have something unique about us that someone else could find very odd. Our TV show viewing habits, for instance.

I’m not sure what these shows say about me as a person or about my psyche. Maybe I like dark stories because it’s easy for me to find the light or some gleam of hope for the characters. I watch with that idea in the back of my mind hoping that the character is going to find their happily ever after even though if it’s not a romance they probably won’t. If a show give a happy ending when the series is finished then I write my version of it so that it does.

The other possibility is because I write about love I want to watch shows that aren’t’ necessarily about love as a balance for my inner state of mind.

Or maybe I just know what I like and that’s normal for me.

I’m excited to find out what other shows our authors are obsessed with. 

Brenda Margriet is next in the hop. Let’s find out what she watches.

See ya next week!