ExcerpTuesday - Eryn Grace

Eryn Grace shares an excerpt of her new release Hearts of Compassion. It comes out December 3 from Red Rose Publishing.

Blurb:
Rylee Fitz, lonely daughter of a millionaire, is forced to work at a homeless shelter in up-state New York as a team building exercise for her job. Since her goal is to get her immediate boss' job, she jumps at the chance. Ben Colson, the homeless shelter's lawyer who was fired when he was been working for Rylee's father, is bitter from having to start over again. He also wants to move on with his life, but no woman ever fits the bill.To her horror, Ben makes Rylee do manual labor and teaches her that brooms don't need to be plugged in to work. When he takes the time to actually treat her like a human being, Rylee finds herself falling for him. She just hopes he finds it in his heart to deal with her problems, and can forgive her family for treating him badly.

Excerpt:

She turned and faced a man in a sweatshirt and jeans, certain he was homeless, too. His chin was covered in stubble and he looked exhausted. He was muscular and sexy, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and strong facial features. But he was lower class, in her mind, because she was sure he was homeless.

Rylee raised her nose slightly, in her mother's upper class snottiness. "I'm fine. I think you belong over there…with your kind."

"My kind?" He raised one eyebrow, almost chuckling while he crossed his arms. "What kind would that be?"

"The homeless." She pointed ahead of her. "Over there."

He raked his eyes down over her, almost in cruel judgment. "No one wears dresses here…or heels. Are you lost?"

"No, we've been assigned here from the city. I'm with Grahame Designs, but you probably don't know anything about that." She waved him off, ignoring him.

"Is that right?" He chuckled, his arms still crossed. "I organized your trip here, and I'm going to be your boss for the next week."

"You? Who are you?"

He reached out to shake her hand. "Ben Colson. I'm the lawyer for the Guardian Home for the Needy."

She shook his hand, feeling confused. "I don't know your name. I thought you were a homeless"

He leaned closer, and she realized he didn't smell like the rest of the room. He'd showered recently, the scent of the soap filling her nose. "We call them clients. They're people, too."

Thanks to Eryn Grace for stopping by today.

Authorsday - Sandra Sookoo

A big hello to Sandra Sookoo who has agreed to answer my questions today.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I knew when I kept running out of library books at an early age then it was driven home to me later in life when I’d wait anxiously for another book to be released from a favorite author, but mostly the first time I put a pen to paper and created my own worlds and characters.
Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I’ve done the “just site down and write” thing and sometimes it works for me, sometimes it doesn’t. Lately, I write out a loose outline of the book then outlines of scenes that give me problems and go from there. It gives me something to look back on and keeps me from getting lost—however it doesn’t always prevent me from wandering around lost in the manuscript.

What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it?
That’s funny! I couldn’t even begin to try and remember what the title was! I wrote it in the sixth grade about some neighbor kids in a fantasy world. And heck no, I didn’t try to publish it! In fact, several years after that, it was literally burned in the backyard as a symbolic gesture of “Moving On”. Besides, it was total garbage.
What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?
This business is hard and it’s cruel. Just because you “wrote a book” doesn’t mean you wrote a book. If you want to be a published author bad enough, you’re gonna have to work for it—hard. Oh, and that you won’t be instantly rich LOL In fact, starving artist takes on a whole new meaning once you become “published.” LOL

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
Never give up and be true to yourself while you write. Some said write what you’re comfortable with and go from there. Don’t follow the trends and write the story of your heart. So far, it’s worked.
What was the worst? Did you know it at the time?
Ah, the worst piece of advice. A published author, after I asked her for advice on how to get started in the biz, once told me that I’d destroy my career before it ever took off if I published with e-presses. I spent many sleepless nights and restless days pondering over this and then ultimately decided to start making a name for myself in the e-publishing world. What I’d say to her if I had the chance? “How’d you like me now?” J
What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?
I think I’m pretty good at descriptive writing and writing sexual tension—most of the time. Secondary characters seem to be a strength as well.
What do you consider your weaknesses?
Writing an ending. I always end up rewriting them twice—and that’s before edits. Another weakness? Love scenes, although I’m considerably less uncomfortable about writing them than I once was.
What’s your favorite quote?
I have two: “Writing is the only profession where no one considers you ridiculous if you earn no money.” – Jules Renard
"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney
What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
The early 1900s—1920s America. This was just an awesome time in history and the nation was in flux. Women were just coming into an awareness of the power they could weild and inventions abounded. And the music. Oh Lord the music and women’s fashions. Sigh. I guess that’s why, if I write a historical novel, it’s centered in this time period.



Author Bio Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, and paranormal romances and she’ll sometimes blend genres.

After catching the writing bug at the young age of ten, she’s gone on to grow her unique writing style. She’s a regular contributor for the Paranormal Romantic’s blog and has just agreed to blog bi-monthly with a great group of women at the Embrace the Shadows blog.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true, and that suits her just fine.

Writing is her ultimate dream job.


Book Blurbs:


BLURB FOR EXILES FROM CHRISTMAS

Santa’s nephews have come to Crystal Falls to run a cookie business. If they fail, they’ll have to go back to the North Pole and fill their uncle’s black boots when he retires. But sick of toys, elves, and the North Pole’s influence, that’s the last thing Landon and Aaron want. They’re looking for love.
Jayne isn’t much for sentimental family holidays and she certainly doesn’t believe in magic. Working in the Crystal Falls post office, she is mystified when she handles mail bearing a North Pole postal mark.
When Landon and Jayne meet, their attraction for each other is undeniable, but will the truth about Landon’s life make Jayne a believer, or will it be his love that finally melts her heart?
BLURB FOR NOT JUST MAKE BELIEVE

Andrea Peterchef never thought her job would include a nine-year-old Piper and vomit. Then she meets Max, a workaholic stockbroker with a voice like melted chocolate and she vows to help her charge and him reconnect as a family.

Maxwell Gildenthall is haunted by the 9/11 deaths of his girlfriend and his cousin—Piper’s dad. Deadlines and data define his life—not baby dolls and dress-up. When Andrea cajoles him into playing the part of dad, the benefits of spending time with the plus-size au pair are a bonus, but he can’t ditch the guilt.

It’ll take more than a spoonful of sugar and a dose of Christmas magic to mend the broken family. It’ll take the power of love.

Thanks for answering my questions Sandra!

ExcerpTuesday - Rachel Brady

Rachel Brady shares an excerpt today from her novel Final Approach.

Jeannie found me in the ladies room, standing in mountain pose, trying to breathe like my yoga teacher.
“Jesus, Emily. Look at you.” She smelled floral and cheerful but sounded grim.
I didn’t have to look in the mirror to know why. My mascara had been wiped away and I knew my eyes would still be pink and glassy. I closed them and took another three-part breath.
“Richard’s in the lobby,” I said. “Don’t make me talk about it.”
“He can’t see you like this.”
Inhale. “Then fix me, please.”
Exhale. “And bring me some of that perfume.”
I opened my eyes in time to see her give what was meant to be a reassuring smile and pull open the door.
“Be right back,” she said.
As her Guccis tapped down the hallway, I realized what her smile actually said: “Sucks to be you”.

Bio: A graduate of Wright State University and The Ohio State University, Rachel enjoys a career in biomedical engineering in addition to the time she spends writing mystery and suspense fiction. Her interests include health and fitness, acoustic guitar, and books of all kinds. She lives outside of Houston, Texas, with her husband and their three children. Final Approach is her debut novel. Visit Rachel on-line at www.rachelbrady.net.

Thank you for stopping by Rachel.

Wendy Ely visits

Wendy Ely is my guest blogger today. She's going to share an excerpt from her book Confessions. Please give a warm blog welcome to Wendy.

I always feel weird when writing a post for another person’s blog. I’m grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to blog but don’t know what the readers expect. I worry that I won’t get any comments since a lot of people don’t like change and here comes another author posting something totally random. But often I get to meet a variety of new people. Being a guest blogger opens up the opportunity for new connections I didn’t already have. This is one of the many joys of being an author. I get to meet so many different types of people. Who would’ve thought ann eighteen year old guy would read Jesse’s Brother (my first novel) and send me fan mail? I certainly didn’t but loved getting to know him.

So setting up a blog tour was the first thing I did in my preparations of my new release. So, dear readers, take a peek at the Confessions excerpt and let’s chat on here for a bit. Or you can send me an email (wendy_ely@wendyely.info).

Excerpt from Confessions:

Jordan sat down on the couch and patted the floor in front of him. “Sit down. Let me get those knots out.”
She took a few steps in his direction, stopping out of his reach, afraid to let him touch her. If he touched her, then she’d fall madly in love with him all over again. That couldn’t happen.
She watched as he leaned forward far enough to grab her by the hand. He pulled her to him.
“Are you sure you want to?”
“Yes,” he said. He guided her down to the floor between his legs. Before leaning back, she slipped her t-shirt off, revealing the navy tank top. His strong hands slid over her skin and she sunk back against him. She’d forgotten how strong he was, how needy she felt when he touched her. As if by magic, her body slowly began to relax underneath his touch. He kneaded her skin with the palms of his hands. The more he touched her, the more she felt at ease. She leaned forward a bit, making his legs embrace the rest of her body. His hands trailed down the length of her back toward the top of her jeans. A small moan escaped her lips. If only he would go lower.
“Feel good?” The words floated through the air like music from a past dream.
“Mm hm.”
He rubbed the small of her back, his hands working every muscle imaginable. “Remember when I would rub your feet each night after work?”
“The best part of the whole day.” His hands. His voice. He had cast a spell over her.
“I loved those times with you, Chels.”
Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, breaking up her intoxicated sensation. Chels? He used to call her that when they were teenagers. He was the only person who’d ever had a pet name for her.
“Me, too,” she mumbled.
“That’s what has gotten me through until now. Those memories of us from before you disappeared.” His hands stilled, but she could feel their heat against her.
Damn it! Tears welled in her eyes. He couldn’t see them, she wouldn’t allow him to. She scooted away him his touch, far enough away so she could stand up on her own without using his assistance.
“I’m sorry, Jordan. We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“What are you talking about, Chelsea?” He tried to grab her by the hand again but this time she walked away from him. She went over to the windows, dried her eyes and then turned around.
“I told you everything, so now I should go.” She walked past him toward the stairs.
“No, you won’t.” The words were ice cold. It seemed like his massage had been some sort of dream.
She froze. “What do you mean, I won’t?”
“Let’s get something clear. Okay?”
She slowly turned around. She had never heard this tone from Jordan in the whole time she had known him. It scared her.
“What?”
He stood up from the couch and walked over to her. His hands jammed into his jean pockets. “There’s a choice to be made here,” he said. “You either stay here to help me locate my daughter or I contact the authorities.”

***

If you’d like to read more, you can find Confessions at www.lyricalpress.com/wendy_ely

Thanks for stopping by Wendy.

Authorsday - Sally Odgers

Tasmanian-born author Sally Odgers joins me today. She graciously answers my questions. I think you'll find her very interesting.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing seriously when I was eleven, which is forty years ago.

How did you pick the genre you write in?
I write in lots of genres… in fact, I’ve probably written almost everything except literary fiction. I seldom write sports stories or political thrillers… but I have done now and again. My favourite genres are fantasy, science fiction and historical, all because I can craft my own version of reality.

Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I plot things in quite a lot of detail, although sometimes I depart from the plan and have to return to the drawing board.

What do you know now that you are published that you didn’t know pre-published that you wish you knew?
I know I should NOT have spent hours typing things that were inherently unpublishable. I have been typing for forty years, and have had tendonitis in both hands for the last ten. If I hadn’t written all those unpublished mss my hands mightn’t hurt now. On the plus side, I have self-published some of those ms!

How many rejections have you received?
Their name is Legion. I’ve had about 280 books published, and at least as many rejections. I suspect I’m Tasmania’s most published living author… by book count, at least.

What was the best writing advice someone gave you?
None, really. In fact, a lot of advice I’ve been given has been counter-productive or just plain incorrect. See below!

What was the worst? Did you know it at the time?
One of the most misleading is, “Write from the heart”. It sounds lovely, but it leads to more rejections than usual. Another misleading piece is, “Write what you know”. What I knew was all about Tasmanian rural life. That’s precisely what no one wanted to read about! I use very much modified versions of these two precepts. One is, “Write FROM the HEART if you want to, but don’t expect to get it published. To get published, write FOR the MARKET.” The other is, “Know what you Write”. In other words, get your research done! And no, I didn’t know how misleading these were. I found out by experience. I wish they were true.

Tell me one thing about yourself that very few people know?
I was diagnosed as an insomniac as a child, and prescribed with sleeping tablets. It wasn’t until I grew up I discovered I had never had insomnia at all. It was just that my body clock is askew. My natural go-to-sleep time is about 2 a.m., and I wake (naturally) at about 10 a.m. No wonder I used to lie awake for hours when I was sent to bed at what was, to my clock, the middle of the afternoon! Being self-employed has saved me from hours of nocturnal and morning misery.

What do you consider your weaknesses?
A deep desire to write what I want rather than what the market wants.

What do you do when you are not writing?
I run a small manuscript assessment business. I also do a lot of walking with my husband and/or our dogs. I read, either in the usual way or via audio-books. I listen to music, play Scrabble and mess about with my websites. I like gardening. I used to enjoy free form embroidery until the tendonitis put a stop to the small fine movements. I spend a fair bit of time with various family members, either actually (parents, sister, daughter, husband) or virtually (son and daughter-in-law).


Author Bio:
Sally Odgers was born in Latrobe, Tasmania, in the 1950s. She went to school there in the 1960s, married there in the 1970s, had children there in the 1980s, began her manuscript assessment business there in the 1990s and continues to live there in the 2000s. Along the way she has written books. Sample titles include, Her Kingdom for a Pony (first book-length publication, 1970s) Dreadful David (first picture book publication, 1980s) Translations in Celadon, Shadowdancers and Trinity Street, (long fantasies, 1990s), Candle Iron (long fantasy, 2000), Replay (2007) the Jack Russell; Dog Detective series (co-written with Darrel Odgers) 2005-9.

Book Blurb:

REPLAY
A love song, a mystery, a waltz through history. Aelfthryth and Harry were born in 11th Century Kent, so what are they doing in Sydney a thousand years later? Two girls in a locked room. One schnauzer dog desperate to find them. They all have secrets...

ExcerpTuesday - Vicki Delany

Here's an excerpt from Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delaney.

Set-up. Molly Smith is a young, enthusiastic Constable with the Trafalgar City Police. She reported that she had seen a fireplace at a scene in question. Unfortunately she didn't notice that it was a gas fireplace, and her Sergeant, John Winters, arrived with a full forensic team and backup all ready to search through the ashes. They have driven back to the police station in silence. Winters prepares to get out of the car.


“I need to go back to the B&B and ask very politely if I can check Williams’ room. That will now be somewhat awkward. Ron Gavin came out on his day off because he’s a good officer. Also because he owes me one. We’ll both consider that debt to have been paid. The Horseman who followed Ray will make sure everyone back at the station gets a good laugh hearing about how I screwed up.” Horseman, Smith knew, meant a Mountie. Winters opened the car door. Unfortunately he wasn’t finished. “And this will be my screw up, Constable Smith. Eventually to become a story spread far and wide for the amusement of police officers everywhere. I’ll wear it, because I will not embarrass myself, or the Trafalgar City Police, by trying to set the story straight.”

She ground her teeth and fought back tears. Shut the door. Just shut up and shut the door.

“I will, however, be required to give a full, and honest, report to the Chief Constable.”
The door slammed shut.

Vicki Delany’s newest novel, Winter of Secrets, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which said, “she uses…artistry as sturdy and restrained as a Shaker chair.” Vicki writes everything from standalone novels of suspense (Burden of Memory) to the Constable Molly Smith series, a traditional village/police procedural series set in the B.C. Interior (In the Shadow of the Glacier, Winter of Secrets), to a light-hearted historical series (Gold Digger) set in the raucous heyday of the Klondike Gold Rush. Vicki lives in rural Prince Edward County, Ontario, where she rarely wears a watch. Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com. She blogs with five other mystery writers at http://typem4murder.blogspot.com and about the writing life, as she lives it, at http://klondikeandtrafalgar.blogspot.com

.

Virtual Tour - Tracey Cramer Kelly

Tracey Cramer Kelly makes a stop her today on her virtual book tour. Welcome Tracey. She graciously offered to answer a few questions.

Let's see what Tracey has to say.

Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants?
For me, it starts with one scene—often from a dream. It grows from there until I have the makings of a story or novel in my head. I’ve tried making an outline but find that my characters sometimes take me in a different direction. I’ve learned not to fight that, but it means I usually write more than I need and end up cutting (on the up side, I have several additional stories I could work on!).
What drew you to the subject of Last Chance Rescue?
My writing is heavily influenced by the time I spent in the military and by the medical training I received there. When I became a helicopter pilot, it opened new relationships with some amazing people—and Last Chance really came together after I did some ride-alongs with medevac and search-and-rescue.
Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?
I self-published Last Chance Rescue for several reasons. First, I’m not very patient, and second, I’m a bit of a control freak. :-) I had heard the writer had to do her own marketing even if/when she did find a publisher, and I had heard all the horror stories about editors’ changes, so I wasn’t exactly driven to go that route. But perhaps more important, when I wrote Last Chance Rescue, I had no writing ‘credentials’ to speak of. I didn’t feel that an agent would take my query seriously without some sort of writing experience or background. (Next time around I may do it differently, especially since Last Chance Rescue was nominated a Finalist in the Indie Awards.)
If you have a day job, what is it?
My husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business (http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/), and it’s my job to run it. Our products are high-end, chrome mounting kits for electronics (GPS, iPod/MP3, phone, camera, satellite radio, etc) and drink holders. We also manufacture rain guards (“Desert Dawgs”) that slip onto the engine guard bar and keep legs and feet warm and dry.

Describe your book.
Last Chance Rescue is about two people who must fight their own defenses to finally let down the walls that will allow them to rescue each other. It is a story about breath-taking search-and-rescue action and adventurous lives—and the heart that is behind it all.
What’s your favorite quote?
“Great imaginations are apt to work from hints and suggestions, and a single moment of emotion is sometimes sufficient to create a masterpiece.” – Margaret Sackville
What is your favorite word?
Actually, I have two favorite words: ‘discombobulated’ and ‘caddywampus’ (and you would have laughed to hear them as some of my childrens’ first words!).
What place haven’t you visited that you would like to go?
Alaska. Baja, Mexico. Sea kayak the Santa Barbara Islands. Heli-ski the Canadian mountains. Raft the Grand Canyon. There’s a lot of river I’d like to raft someday…
What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
I would like to have been alive (preferably male) during the gold rush period in the American ‘wild west.’ I have a fascination with old mining towns.
What’s your favorite thing about your book?
The girl gets to be the hero! :-)
What do you do when you are not writing?
I am wife and mother to two young children (2 and 6) and they keep me busy (!). I own and operate a motorcycle accessories business, http://www.leadermotorcycle.com/ (and I ride my Kawasaki Vulcan as often as I can). I just started taking lessons for my fixed-wing pilot license (an ‘add-on’ to my helicopter license). I play the taiko drums every Saturday morning and sing with my friend’s band when I can. When I can get away, I enjoy skiing (all kinds) and white-water rafting/kayaking.

Author Bio
Tracey’s first novel, Last Chance Rescue, was a finalist in the 2009 Indie Awards. Her writing draws extensively from her experience as an Army Reserve paramedic and helicopter pilot. When not managing the family business, Leader Motorcycle Accessories, she enjoys taiko drumming, motorcycling and outdoor activities with her husband and two young children. Her writing and blog can be found at http://www.lastchancerescuebook.com/.
Book Blurb
When Brad runs into Jessie at his high school reunion, little does he know how much it will change his life. When his high powered advertising career fizzles, he falls into a most unlikely career opportunity—becoming a search-and-rescue team member.
Through dangerous rescues and personal trials, Brad and Jessie become friends. When one of their rescue victims turns out to be a fellow soldier from Jessie’s Iraq War days, Brad almost loses her to old demons. But then Brad nearly dies in a training accident, and Jessie nurses him back to health. And when she goes missing one night, Brad realizes just how important she has become to him.
Brad and Jessie must fight their own defenses to finally let down the walls that will allow them to rescue each other. This is a story about breath-taking action and adventurous lives—and the heart that is behind it all.