No Time For Hate

by Jena Galifany

Hate is an emotion I'd rather not think about. The negativity can destroy lives. I have better things to do with my life than think about hating someone or something. Even in my writing, I've not focused on the hate emotion. It is there but I don't focus on it.

In ShadowsForge 1: Three Times a Hero, Alexis is running from her abusive boy friend. She's scared and trying to be brave about her situation but focuses on the new man in her life, Ty Synclair.

In ShadowsForge 2: Trials on Tour, there is a hater. He wants the band dead because his woman was with one of the band members. I focused more on his inability to fulfill his purpose.

In ShadowsForge 3: Retaking America, there is a conflict between two of the band members over an obvious issue: a woman. I focused on the competition.

In ShadowsForge 4: The Long Way Home, we find out about Brian's history and conflict in his teen years due to hate. The story shows how much a bad history can make a mess of a current situation.

Shyanne's Secret has a case of hate that costs a man his life, so to speak. (I don't want to spoil the story). Most of the story is about the recovery of the girl who lost her mind due to her father's hate.

Okay, so I guess I have spend some time with the hate factor. But, how can we know the joy of love without knowing the pain of hate? It is relative. (Thank you, Mr. Einstein.)

I must confess, I hate inactivity. I hate writer's block. I hate waiting for something to get done and usually jump in and do it myself, just so it is finished. I hate a lack of writing time when I have a new story knocking around in my brain. I also hate the fact that I let my group down by forgetting to post last month. =(  Sorry!

I feel better now. I can go on and live my life without hate...unless it needs to rear its ugly head in a new novel. I guess that would be alright.

For more information and excerpts from the ShadowsForge Series and Shyanne's Secret, stop by Whiskey Creek Press and read the first chapter of each book for free.

Hope your Valentine's Day was wonderful. I know mine was.

Cheers,
Jena

Who Loves 80's Rock? by Jannine Gallant

Why did I write three books for the Class of '85 series, you ask? The series title hooked me. Okay, so I didn't graduate from high school in 1985, but I graduated from college in 1984. Those four years hold some wonderful memories. Times spent with good friends - carefree and happy, before the grown-up worries of a mortgage and how to pay for my kids' braces intruded.

June 18th through the 22nd, five books from this terrific series are free, including the first one I wrote, Lonely Road To You. To celebrate, I'm taking a trip back to the past and reliving those years. Today, let's talk music!

What music memories are conjured up when you think of the early 80's. For me, it's skipping through the halls of my dorm, singing Foreigner's Urgent and the Cars' Shake It Up really loud as a stress release before finals. I went to a couple of Pat Benatar concerts, and Hit Me With Your Best Shot was my favorite on Karaoke night. We listened to a lot of pop-rock back then. (Was it as crappy as the stuff the kids listen to now?) Do you remember hits by Yes, Quarterflash, and REO Speedwagon? If you're my age, I bet you do. And my all-time favorite song from that era, Stevie Nicks' Leather and Lace.

My hero in Lonely Road To You is an ex rock star looking for some forgiveness at his high school reunion for a youth spent with a love 'em and leave 'em attitude. Instead, he finds a love he never expected.

As I mentioned, five books from the series are free. Just click on the titles to be taken directly to the Amazon download link!

Lonely Road To You by Jannine Gallant
To Be, Or Not by Margo Hoornstra
Promises, Promises by Silver James
Embraceable You by Kat Henry Doran
Something More by Keena Kincaid

For more 80's nostalgia, follow me on my mini blog tour where I'll be talking about 80's fashion (shudder), the TV shows and movies that held us enthralled, and how life back then was different for kids than it is today. Find me at these places:

Vintage Vonnie June 19th
Keri Neal June 20th
JM Stewart June 21st
Kathy Wheeler June 22nd

So, what were some of your favorite songs from the early 80's? Let's immerse ourselves in nostalgia!

For information on my other books, including two more in the Class of '85 series, check out my website.