EVERLASTING ENCHANTMENT is in bookstores!

EVERLASTING ENCHANTMENT BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY – IN STORES DECEMBER 2013

Powerful Magic is Afoot …

Millicent Pantere has lived her entire life in the notorious London Underground. She cares nothing for the problems of the crown or the intrigues of society. But the ladies of the realm are acting strangely, and Millicent is coerced into tracking down the rumors of a mysterious man—a magic man who comes in the night and disappears at dawn.

And So the Hunt Begins…

Millicent's search leads her to one of Merlin's legendary relics and the seductive knight whose fate is bound up with it. Centuries ago, Sir Gareth Solimere made the mistake of seducing the wrong woman, and he has been trapped ever since by a diabolical curse. He's looking for the one who can break the enchantment—but in this world, there is no love without betrayal...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryne Kennedy is a critically acclaimed, bestselling, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives with her wonderful family in Glendale, Arizona. For more information and ongoing contests, please visit www.kathrynekennedy.com.

To Purchase Everlasting Enchantment:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-a-Million

Chapters/Indigo

IndieBound

iBookstore

Sourcebooks

Discover a New Love

Author Spotlight on Cara Marsi

A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS by Cara Marsi

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift. 

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.
 
Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge. 
 
But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed. 
 
Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

(This sensuous romance is like a Hallmark Christmas movie with some intense love scenes.) 

http://www.carolynmatkowsky.com/index.htm
 

Introducing Barbara White Daille

It is my pleasure to introduce Barbara White Daille and her new book.

Rancher at Risk - January 2014

 

A Fresh Start

 

After the loss of his family in a tragic accident, Ryan Malloy has been given one last chance to change his life. His boss sends him to Flagman's Folly, New Mexico, to run his ranch, but unfortunately, Ryan's troubled attitude lands him in hot water with the locals, especially the ranch's manager, Lianne Ward.

 

Deaf since birth, Lianne has never let her disability define who she is. But, she's yet to meet a man who treats her as an equal. Ryan seems different…that is, when they're not butting heads over the ranch's new school for disadvantaged boys.

 

Forced to work together, Lianne and Ryan discover an unexpected attraction beneath their quarreling. But will Ryan's painful past drive them apart…permanently?

You can learn more about Barbara at her website:

www.BarbaraWhiteDaille.com
http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraWhiteDaille
https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Court Me, Cowboy - reissued in e-book format - Oct 15th!
The Rodeo Man's Daughter - Book Buyers Best finalist
The next Flagman's Folly book - Rancher at Risk - January 2014

Desert Dreams Conference - Early Bird Sign-up Gets a Great Deal!

Sign-up is going on right now for the Desert Rose Conference. You can get a discounted price if you sign up before December 31st. 

I'm also honored to be speaking at the conference this year. I'll be talking about author platforms: Do you have one? How to get one and what is one? We'll be going over platforms for the current market. From web sites, and blogs to social media  and everything in between.

More info on Desert Rose's Conference is listed below or you can click here. Hope to see you there!

Carol Webb/H.D. Thomson

April 4-6, 2014

Tempe Mission Palms Resort

Tempe, Arizona

  

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

• NY Times Best Selling Author Christie Craig: Keynote
• NY Times Best Selling Author Sylvia Day
• Award-winning Author and speaker Mary Buckham
• NY Times Best Selling Author Allison Brennan
• NY Times Best Selling Author Karin Tabke
• And many more

This national bi-annual conference gives writers a chance to ready their manuscripts and pitch to sell them to big-name editors and agents. New York Times bestselling authors Christie Craig, Sylvia Day and Mary Buckham are just a few of the speakers who will keep the 200+ attendees’ creative juices flowing.

Powerhouse agents and editors—including editors and senior editors from Grand Central Publishing, Random House, Decadent Publishing and Boroughs Publishing, as well as agents from The Kristin Nelson Literary Agency, The Nancy Yost Literary Agency and The Bradford Literary Agency—will be on hand to give advice and present workshops. Agents and editors visiting the conference actively seek the high caliber of talent found among those who come to Desert Dreams.

Desert Dreams also offers a book signing open to the public on Saturday, April 5th from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Mission Palms Ballroom. To sign up early and pay the reduced price, just click on the Online Registration tab at the left side of the page. Member price is currently only $180, so sign up now, before the rates go up. Desert Dreams Writers’ Conference provides authors of all skill levels – from beginner to multi-published – with the tools necessary to take their writing to the next level. Session included general writing, career development, genre-specific, agent/publisher spotlights, as well as an agent/editor panel. Check out our roster of acquired editors and agents along with our keynote speakers and workshops. Did you miss the 2012, 2010, or 2008 conferences? Order workshop conference CDs and MP3s.

A Terrific Conference Coming Up

Time Out For Writers ANWA's 22nd Conference will be held at the Mesa Hilton from February 20 through February 22. Attendees can participate in a query/pitch workshop, attend two full days of classes with industry professionals, enter our "BOB" contest (Beginning of Book) and win fabulous prizes, and pitch their work to both national and local agents and editors.  Jon Samuel Lewis    Traditional Publishing, Self-Publishing or Both?   One major retail chain shuttered over 900 stores. Another announced an average of 20 closures per year for the next decade. And while total trade sales dipped 5% in Q1 of 2013, overall digital sales were up 3% to capture 27% of all trade sales. Add to that renegade authors like J.A. Konrath, Hugh Howey, Amanda Hocking and others selling hundreds of thousands of copies without going through a publisher and you have a recipe for hyper change. Self-published authors no longer need to wear a scarlet letter but major publishers are here to stay as well. So how do you pick between traditional publishing, self-publishing? Or does it need to be an either/or? The truth might surprise you. Book Marketing 101 With shrinking revenue, the publishing industry can't afford to promote all authors the same way. In fact, there are rumors that traditional publishers are looking to sign authors with large social media fan bases because those fans represent potential buyers. That means it doesn't matter if you publish traditionally or if you self-publish, the success of your marketing campaign falls squarely on your shoulders. Should you hire a PR agency? Line up your own book tour? What about Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms? This session will show you how to outperform your competition no matter their budget, and all for a fraction of the cost.  Jon Samuel Lewis is an American writer best known for the acclaimed Grey Griffins series published by Scholastic's Orchard Books. After selling nearly a million copies in the original trilogy, Lewis and his writing partner, Derek Benz teamed with Little Brown to publish the Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He is also the author of CHAOS Novels, a young adult urban science fiction series published by Thomas Nelson and has written for DC Comics. Lewis is also a marketing executive and content strategist who works with Fortune 500 companies on their digital marketing strategies. Arizona Educator Licensing "Time Out for Writers" offers Professional Development hours for Arizona Educator Licensing. Receive up to 17 Professional Developmental hours that can be applied toward the renewal of your Arizona Educator's License! Register Today! Thursday, Friday and Saturday February 20-22, 2014 Hilton Phoenix/East Mesa 1011 West Holmes Avenue Mesa,  Arizona   85210-4923

The Power of Positive Lingerie -
Mary Tate Engels, Boomer on the Web

Sometimes symbols or the mystique of something can influence our thoughts or behavior. The best storytellers seem to incorporate something that could possibly-maybe-perhaps become a reality in the world of the story. That's the beauty of fiction. Anything can happen, if you believe.

Recently at a U of A basketball game, a young woman sang the Star Spangled Banner acapella. Usually, we just listen to the band or group or whoever is singing this routine tune. But this woman's voice was so clear and beautiful that about half-way through, the crowd started singing with her. Spontaneously. From mystique (those of us who can't sing in tune) to reality. We all sang.

Research has shown that the photo of an old-fashioned light bulb makes us think of bright ideas or something new and creative. From image to action.

When I was in Ireland, I fell in love with the handmade Irish lace, so much so that I wanted to put it in a book. The local Irish shops set the reality stage for me – it's a hard sell.  These days, nobody is buying doilies, no matter how intricate and beautiful. One shop was putting snippets of the actual antique lace in note cards as décor. They weren't flying off the shelf, either.

But what if. . . (cue light bulb) I gave the lace some significance, a myth of magic going back generations? And what if... my characters put this beautiful magical lace on lingerie? And what if that affected people's lives? And so, the power of Amazing Lace took over. Claire, in Claire's Embrace, believed in the power because it originated from her long-deceased mother's hands. Claire's daughter, Brianna, was too modern to believe, until it happened in Secret Embrace. In Embraceable You the townsfolk of Haven's Point were quite doubtful until something magical happened - online. And that impossible-to-sell lace went viral!

Never underestimate the Power of Positive Lingerie - and a good old-fashioned topless style show!

What do you believe? Do you have a favorite shirt, religious symbol, or something special that someone gave you? Maybe from one who is no longer in your life? Or an item that your great-grandmother valued? Something that gives inspiration or encouragement or even… power. What takes you from mystique to reality?

Holiday Craft

If you are looking for a fun, quick craft idea, try these candy cane reindeer. I give them to kids and place on top of gifts. You can find colorful pom poms, wiggly eyes, and pipe cleaners at most craft stores. Hot glue the pom pom and eyes into place. Next, fold a pipe cleaner in half, twist it onto the candy cane, and then roll the ends around a pencil. Finally, hot glue the pipe cleaner into place.

Making a craft helps add to the holiday cheer. Afterwards, you can relax with a cup of hot cocoa and a great book.

Until next week,
happy reading and writing.
Tina Swayzee McCright

Spotlighting: RT Reviewers' Choice Nominee Dawn Atkins

Click Here to Buy

 by Connie Flynn

I opened my copy of Romantic Times a short time ago and saw that my friend Dawn Atkins was up for a Reviewers' Choice Award. That was so cool and I immediately invited her to be my December spotlight guest.

Welcome, Dawn, and tell us a little about your award nominated Superomance . . . 

---

I’m thrilled to be a guest on Cheaper Than Therapy to talk about how thrilled I was to have my 2013 Harlequin SuperRomance BACK WHERE SHE BELONGS nominated by Romantic Times Book Club for a Reviewer’s Choice Award. The honor is especially sweet because, after publishing 30-some books, I can say that—so far—this was the most difficult book I’ve ever written.

It tells the story of a woman returning to the small town named after her family, which she escaped after high school, to investigate the car accident that killed her father and put her sister in a coma, aided—and occasionally opposed--by her high school flame.

Why was this book so tough? The plot flummoxed me, for one, because it involved technical issues I had to research like crazy—electric cars, batteries, factory functions, brain injuries, recovering from a coma, car accident reconstruction, and on and on. On top of that, the characters remained murky to me far too long. I have to say that by the time I finished the extra revisions on the book, I was sorry to say farewell to Tara and Dylan, who’d become as dear to me as family (well, not quite, but you get the idea….

Dawn Atkins

There is always a burning fear when I write a book that I’ve chosen too difficult a path for the story and the people in it, that I’ve stretched beyond my capacity to convey their journey in a compelling, satisfying and believable way. When it works out, when I reach that satisfying conclusion, the elation is worth every sweated-out word, especially when readers tell me how much the story meant to them. That’s why I do what I do. By the way, the book is still available as an ebook. You can nab it via my website, www.dawnatkins.com or for your Kindle, iPad or Nook.

Sharing this with you has motivated to get back to my next book—A COP IN HER HEART for SuperRomance, about a female cop from a cop family who must investigate the murder of her roommate, shot with Julie’s gun. Sound complicated? Believe me, it is. Here I go again with the agony and the ecstasy of writing it.

Thanks again for allowing me to visit!

---

Your are so welcome, Dawn, and it was inspiring to read about your process. Not enough writers share this information openly these days and I know readers are very interested in the insider details. So thanks for your generosity. There's probably some aspiring writer out there struggling with their characters' challenging path that will be encouraged by reading how you overcame your challenges.
Till later,
--Connie

CONTACT DAWN:
Via email:  dawn@dawnatkins.com
Website: http://www.dawnatkins.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DawnAtkinsAuthor
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/dawnatkins 

Knowing When to Say Enough

I'll be the first to admit it—I'm a bit of a research junkie. I love knowledge. I love knowing things. So when I recently decided to start writing a new series of romances set during World War I, I basically started drooling. All those books. And I could buy them all.  Ahem, my husband says I cannot buy them all. Just the ones I need.

But how do you know what you need to know?

Some folks would have a general idea going into researching an era. This would be the, um, sane approach. Yet how do you know what you need to know? There are the obvious—clothes, landscape, house design and layout, transportation, and ranks of nobility.

And these are great starting places.

Yet, to bring the time period alive, you need the little details that remain elusive in facts. That's why I love diaries and books that include letters and personal accounts. For Ghost of a Chance, I had this one fact about buttons. Buttons. We take them for granted, but my poor Victorian heroine had to snip off the buttons of one skirt and sew it on another skirt/blouse to wear the next morning. Buttons. That one act said so much about how little money she had and her self respect.

So I'm constantly searching for those little details to add a realistic layer to my books—something so humanizing that I won't ever forget my characters.

Still I have a hard time deciding when I've researched enough. Which to be frank will probably never happen. I have 50 more books to go (hey, there's lots of books that are out of copywrite and are available for free—which is my kind of crack). I'm pretty sure, I'm pursuing a PhD in the World War I era, but I think it's safe for me to start writing the series.

Especially since I've started arguing with the books I've been reading about facts they've left out:D

Happy researching, er, writing. Yeah, writing.

Author Spotlight: Erin Kellison, by Caris Roane

Hi, Everyone!  Today, I'm spotlighting fellow paranormal romance author, Erin Kellison. 

ABOUT ERIN...

Erin Kellison is the author of the dark fantasy romance Shadow, Shadow Touch, and Shadow Kissed series. Stories have always been a central part of Erin's life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and she still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction.

FUN FACTS ~ ~ ~
       Erin...

• Has had an ongoing science fiction epic in her head since childhood
• Is scared of the dark
• Storyboards scenes already written, but not what is to come
• Seventh of eight kids (lucky seven! must mean something)
• Wanted to be the Empress in The Neverending Story so she could wear the pearl on her forehead
• Decorates to the nines at Christmas
• Is still waiting for super powers to kick in
• Would be villain if ever written into a book

Her Latest Book:  SOUL KISSED!!!

While the world slumbers in Shadow, a fatal plague has swept through magekind. No one is immune to its ravages, and now that her father is dead, Cari Dolan must wield the fearful magic of her House to save innocent lives. 

At the mage Council's bidding, dangerous outsider Mason Stray joins forces with Cari to hunt down the fiend responsible. But can he trust the daughter of wealth and privilege, especially when his own son is at risk? 

The princess will always welcome to her bed the warrior, even if one must pay the ultimate price...

I hope you enjoyed this quick look at the fabulous Erin Kellison and her Shadow Kissed Series!  

To learn more about Erin:   CLICK HERE!!!

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!

A Fiction Writers Lifesaver: Scene Progress List

by Connie Flynn     

Every time I write a book, the experience is different. I'm always trying to find a structure to rely on for all time. One that gets me primed to write a rousing start that grabs my reader by the collar and glues the nose to the page. (OK, that was a bit manic but you know what I mean.) What's more. I want a structure that guarantees each chapter I write will have the same zip as the opener.

Delusional, that's what I am, but I have come up with a few systems that actually work most of the time. One of my favorites is the scene progress list.

This is something you compose after you're done writing for the day. As you may have guessed, It's a running list of the scenes  you write. This is not the same as an outline or list of scenes you are planning to write--which we all know are valuable--but a record of what you have already written. You will probably compile and maintain this list on the computer, but you might also want to print it out periodically so you can make notes on it as you're moving through your book.

These are the elements an effective scene list must include:

• Identify the point of view character.
• The beginning & ending page numbers of the scene.
• Identify the scene goal (both yours as the writer and the character's)
• Make note of the progress toward the goal.
• Record other major character's in the scene.
• Identify the character's state of mind at the end of the scene (story movement).

These are elements you may want to add:

• Whether the scene is an action scene or whether it's summary.
• What the character is wearing.
• Location.
• Complications that might arise from scene event.
• Loose ends that must be tied up later.
• How you, the author, feel about the scene.

Include anything else you think is important, but keep it short. There’s no need to include all items in every entry. Just use the key events..  Don’t make the notes elaborate or worry about writing the entries well. They are just for your use as a quick reference guide to where you've been.

This list will be used in several ways, the most obvious one is that you’ll no longer have to thumb through your entire manuscript in search of small but important details that have slipped your mind.

When you reach the revision part of your novel, a quick tour through your list will immediately alert you to repetitive scenes and to scenes you didn't feel good about from the beginning.  You'll be reminded that Carolyn left her sweater at Mark's and it must be mentioned later. Notes of unfinished character goals and on character/reader concerns will help you stay focused on what's important to get on the page. And one of the most helpful notes is the one on how you feel about the scene. It not only  helps you gain confidence in your instincts about your daily writing quality, it lets you relax while you write ther first draft, confident you won't forget that those weak scenes need revising.

And, worth mentioning for sure, is that the list gives you a record of what you've accomplished. Your novel is a long project and it's easy to forget where you've been when you take a look at how far you still have to go. Reviewing your past progress can give you a much needed reward that lets you push through a sloggy part of your book.

I have other tools. The pre-list, for instance, where you list what things you will include in your scene just before you write it and the notebook, where you keep all your research and story doodles. But the scene list is enough for one day.

What about you?  Do you follow some structures or rituals that ease your journey?  Would other writers benefit by knowing them? If so, I invite you to share.

In the meantime, remember we live in interesting times.  Till later,
--Connie

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Click Here to Buy

Boxed Set Includes Two Full-Length Novels: 

SHADOW OF THE WOLF:   A grieving shaman drags the fallen werewolf queen back to face judgment for the murder of his wife, then finds he's lost his taste for vengeance. But she's again brought danger to his village. Where the queen goes, werewolves follow . . . and someone's blood will spill. (Sequel to Shadow on the Moon.)

THE FIRE OPAL: A Cajun woman, destined to be the Guardian of the Fire Opal, returns to the treacherous swamps she ran from as a teenager to reclaim the stolen gem and defeat the dark entity that will use it to spread destruction throughout the world.

PLUS, a bonus 6000 word short suspense story: OLD BONES:  All she wants is to remodel her home, but a Chicago psychologist's courage and determination is put to the test when bones from the past are discovered on her property. Soon she is racing for her life against an unknown assailant through one of the most famous museums in the world. 

 Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ConnieFlynnAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ConnieFlynn
Email: connieflynn@yahoo.com
Website: http://connieflynn.com