Showing posts with label melange books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label melange books. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Falling with Grace Under Pressure by Jody Vitek



Please join me in welcoming Jody Vitek as our guest Rose today. Jody will be drawing two lucky readers to receive an eBook of Florida Heat. Thanks, Jody!
I’d like to thank The Roses for letting this water lily pop in for a visit. I’m so excited to announce the release of my third book, Texas Two Step, by Melange Books. Texas Two Step is a follow-up to my debut release Florida Heat. You first met Chad and Chloe in Florida, but now you get to read their story. This is a stand-alone book and has nothing to do with dancing.
My journey to publication for this book wasn’t my usual trek. Generally, I write at my own pace and submit the book to my publisher when it’s finished, but this time I was looking for a little help to pick up my slow writing pace. I wanted another book released by the end of 2015, so I contacted my publisher, Nancy, to see what it would take to light the fire under my butt.
The fire quickly turned into a bonfire and the panic set in.
Nancy had an opening available for a late November 2014 release in their new Satin Romance line. She asked if she should send a contract.
Holy Smokes!
I’d never written under pressure before. Although I had some of the story written, the completed manuscript would need to be turned in by August first to be released at the slated time. Could I finish a manuscript worthy to send to the editor within the next ... how many months? I had four and a half months to finish writing the book.
Contract signed, it was time to look at how I was going to actually finish by the deadline. I took my goal word count of 60,000 and subtracted the number of words I already had written. Then I printed the next four months of our family’s calendar and crossed out days I could not write, including weekends, and counted the number of days, for two out of the four months, I planned on as writing days. I took the word count number I needed to achieve, divided by the number of days devoted to writing and I had to write a minimum of 500 words per writing day. The other two months would be devoted to editing time to polish the manuscript. I could do this! My minimum daily word count was basically two pages.
Although the story had been started and I basically knew how it was going to end, I didn’t have the ‘in-betweens’ planned out. So I brainstormed the remainder of the book and got to work on writing. The story took off and I was exceeding my daily word count by the hundreds. Having rewards, such as delicious chocolates, for meeting daily goals helps. The manuscript was completed, turned into Nancy ahead of schedule and Texas Two Step is scheduled to release on November 6.
To
Bio
Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody has remained close to home living with her husband of twenty plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews’ the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. Today her tastes run across the board in fiction and non-fiction, in all genres.
She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching her son’s soccer games, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.
Contacts and Links
Twitter: @JodyVitek
Buy Links for Florida Heat:
Amazon  Melange Books  Barnes and Noble
Watch for the Florida Heat special from Oct. 25 through Nov. 1 - $3.99 at Amazon, B&N and Smashwords. 

Texas Two Step Blurb
Old family ties broken, childhood pain healed and true love revealed—one step at a time.
One phone call sends Chad Rogers back to the one place he’s been avoiding—home. Being at his mother’s side after she was shot, he faces the younger brother who tormented him during childhood and his ex-lover, Chloe Atwood. The reality of his feelings for her is stronger than ever and he confesses his love to Chloe.
Chloe Atwood is engaged to marry a family childhood friend. Chad Rogers steps back into her world, spinning it off its axis. His presence has her seeing her fiancé in a different light, leaving her to question their future life together. (Check Jody's Web site for where you can get Texas Two Step on November 6)
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Monday, November 25, 2013

Writing Paranormal by guest JoAnne Myers


Join The Roses in welcoming our guest, JoAnne Myers today!

When it comes to fiction writing, almost anything goes. That is why I love writing paranormal and fantasy stories. The author can go completely over the edge and make something unbelievable seem believable. When it comes to ghost stories, I get a lot of my inspiration from real life experiences. Not necessarily my own either. I watch television programs that partake of the supernatural and paranormal flare. Programs from ordinary people who claim they experienced either an afterlife experience, or a haunting. 
Some of my stories from my upcoming release “Wicked Intentions” is based on actual hauntings. Some stories I read about in the newspaper, and others I watched on true life experience programs. So the next time you get “writer’s block” try switching on the television. You might find something to jolt your inspiration.

Buy links for Wicked Intentions:
Blurbs for Wicked Intentions-available now
 
BLOOD TIES- word count 15, 902
 
After the mysterious disappearance of twenty-six year old wife and mother Lisa Smalley, her twin, Attorney Audra Roper, begins having dark and disturbing visions of Lisa’s disappearance. Trying to survive while looking for Lisa, Audra’s life becomes a roller coaster of risks, heartbreak, and intrigue.
 
 
THE HAUNTING OF BARB MARIE- word count 9,845
 
Even as a child, Barb Marie saw dead people. This took an unhealthy toil on her throughout her childhood and young adulthood.
 
SUMMER WIND-word count 13,039
When twenty-nine year old Ginger discovers the old mansion Summer Wind, she is mysteriously drawn to it.  Immediately, the haunting’s have a negative and profound effect on the family.
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LIES-laying the Norfolk ghost to rest
Solving the brutal murder of American born Ruthie Geil becomes a gauntlet of attacks and more murders for Federal Police Inspector Ian Christian. Between the victims family, ex-lovers, and ghostly occurrences on Norfolk Island, the killer is closer than anyone realizes.
 
 
THE LEGEND OF LAKE MANOR-word count 8,297
 
For the young psychic Cassandra Lopez, coming to the infamous and haunted mansion Lake Manor, was more like a mission.
THE APARTMENT-word count 5,188
When young newlyweds Bill and Gayle move into their new apartment, their lives are plagued with sightings of evil ghosts that threaten their marriage and lives.
DARK VISIONS-word count 5,170
When Carrie Reynold’s starts having nightmares on her twenty-sixth birthday, she believes her “dark visions” can solve the twenty year disappearance of her father.
Also available:
“Murder Most Foul,” available here: www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/MMF.html
Here is the link to buy it directly from LULU:
BLURB: When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.
The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.
Other books soon available:
"LOVES', MYTHS' AND MONSTERS'," a fantasy anthology due out January 2014
“FLAGITIOUS,” a crime and paranormal novella collection due out 2014
"THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY," a biography true-crime available January 30, 2013
"TWISTED LOVE," a true-crime anthology due out 2014

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Memories of a Farm Inspire a Novel by Jody Vitek


Roses and Readers, join me in welcoming Jody Vitek to our site today.
Thank you, Brenda and fellow Roses, for having me here today. It’s great to be back to share my latest release, Rescue Me, a contemporary romance set in Minnesota.
The idea of this book came from wonderful childhood memories of visiting my great aunt and uncle, my second cousins and their grandparents. Grandma and grandpa, as my brother and I called them, lived on the farm in a small separate home a few steps from the old farm house. They had cows and chickens, and if memory serves me correctly, pigs too, and farmed acres of land.
Farmland is being eaten up by new housing developments throughout the state and it saddens me because where else will we get our crops. But, most children don’t know what a farm smells or looks like other than what they see in pictures. My great aunt still owns some of the farm, and I have taken my children to see where I spent some of my time as a youth. Unfortunately, the barn and farm house have been condemned for safety reasons, but they enjoyed seeing it all. They were a bit envious that I got to experience the farm and they didn’t.
At the Minnesota Zoo, visitors can experience and learn more about farming and farm life, but it’s not the same as living it. Okay, so I didn’t truly live a farmer’s life but more so than my kids ever will. There’s nothing better than smelling the pungent odor of manure or hay bales in the hay loft. So maybe there are other, better smells than those but they always remind me of my childhood and bring a smile to my face.
Do you have a childhood smell or memory that makes you smile? Leave a comment, with your email, for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
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At this time, Rescue Me is only available through the publisher, Melange Books, LLC. Look for it later at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other sites.
You can find Jody on Facebook: Jody Vitek Author, on Twitter: @JodyVitek and you can email her at: info@jodyvitek.com
Bio:
Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home, living with her husband of more than twenty years as well as three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews' Dollanganger series, S.E. Hinton and Stephen King to name a few.
She’s traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching soccer games, scrapbooking and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.
Excerpt:
Sunday morning Catherine strolled to the barn. Opening the red wooden door, the strong smell of fresh hay engulfed her. Her senses came to life. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The memory of children’s laughter played in her mind. Eyes opened to see the rope hanging from the rafters where they would swing and drop into the hay piles.
Eyes down now, shuffling along the floor, she remembered the trap door that led into the stalls below. The well-worn iron ring was cold to the touch. She lifted the heavy door by the ring, letting it fall back with a thud on to the wood floor. Peering through the opening to the cement floor below, she missed the sounds of cows, pigs and chickens. Nothing but emptiness now.
Despite the silence, she heard something. And it wasn’t her imagination.
Mewing from the haystacks. At the edge of the stacks, straining to hear for a sense of what direction to look, she climbed and moved to the left. There they were—a litter of kittens. She guessed them to be at least four weeks old. Mama cat wasn’t around, probably out hunting for food. Catherine wouldn’t intrude on the small family; however, she would periodically check on them.
Outside, she hopped down over the wood retaining wall where the slope was, as the barn was built into a hill. Although there were no cows, the aroma of manure was present when she strolled through the lower level of the barn. Her hand ran along the round metal gates of the cow stalls. This would’ve been the horses’ new home. Saddened by the thought, she exited the barn.
She hustled up the slight incline, approached the swing and yanked the heavy ropes to test them. A little weight on the seat and a tight grip on the side ropes, in case the seat failed, she kicked out and set the swing in motion.
The old school bus parked by the shed caught her attention. She and the foster kids had played school in the thing for hours on end and take turns being the bus driver. Catherine smiled at the memory. They all loved pretending to drive and pull the lever to open the door, which would make the Stop sign pop out from the side.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Poems Come From Life by JoAnne Myers

Please welcome today's guest to The Roses of Prose, JoAnne Myers.

Thank you for having me. My newly released poetry collection, "Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between" is a poetry collection that provides a glimpse into my heart, mind and soul. The book is a heartwarming read, written with love and respect for others. Some poems were written in times of sorrow, while other poems were written in times of joyous celebration. Life is like that.



Here are two poems from my book.
 
I WAS

I was afraid to grow up.
Afraid of life.
I worried myself to death.
It was hard to breathe.
Like a fish out of water.
Like having asthma.
High school was hell-crazy wild.
My only plan.
Just get up and go.
Cant be like mom.
She always had a plan.
Living her life without any man.
Cant think that far.
Felt out of place.
Like dust floating in space.
Scared out of my mind.
Of what I might or might not find.
Cant hack relationships.
More drama.
Why waste the time.
Still confused, but still craving knowledge.
I need to do what I want-for myself.
Even if its just me who cares.
Even if no ones there.
It was a long hard road.
To get my act together.
All bad choices, solely I sowed.
Working for nickels and dimes.
Like a newborn.
Taking one step at a time.
 
SCARED

A new wife and mother.
Scared of life.
Scared to grow up.
Worry myself sick.
Never thought of a plan.
Didn't want to be like the others.
Living my life according to my mother.
My life seemed over, before it began.
Cant think or feel.
Cant plan ahead.
Like a foolish child wanting to be a woman.
Some days to hard, just cant deal.
To confused to understand.
That growing up comes with demands.
Married badly, blamed myself.
Got out fast, and never looked back.
I covered myself in chaos.
All out of faith, money, and time.
Need to step back and take deep breaths,
and take one step at a time.
I cornered myself in chaos,
in false love, self loathing and lies.
Writing my future off as a loss.
Nothing left but sorrow, despair and good-byes.
Feeling helpless, lost and alone,
I felt I could accomplish nothing on my own.
I retreated to a place called the dark.
To contemplate my choices,
before my life’s journey embarked.
My only failures were the ones I created.
My bad choices were thorns all around.
It took years to find happiness and evolve.
My will to succeed is my solid ground.

About JoAnne:
I hail from the famous Hocking Hills region of southeastern Ohio. I have worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I also canvass paint. 

When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine and Scooter, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams.

“Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between,” is available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/147837022x

My upcoming novels from Melange Books are:
“MURDER MOST FOUL,” a crime/detective book due out July 2013
"WICKED INTENTIONS" a paranormal/mystery anthology due out September 2013
"LOVES', MYTHS' AND MONSTERS'," a fantasy anthology due out January 2014
“FLAGITIOUS,” a crime and paranormal novella collection
Other books soon available:
"THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY," a biography true-crime
"TWISTED LOVE," a true-crime anthology