What Lies Beneath? You don’t want to know about this suspense! by Rolynn Anderson

My hairdryer led me into the abyss.  Fairly new, with all ‘ionic’ features, whatever that means, the ding-dang dryer was acting up.  It would blow hot hair, then cold; it would produce lots of air, then very little.  First thought: I’d bought a lemon; second thought: Is there a problem with the air vents?  Are they obstructed?  

Were they ever!  I took a tweezers to those layers of dust.  Gone!  Result: the hairdryer operated as good as new.

I walk by the refrigerator.  A yellow indicator light draws my attention and I squint to read the information.  “Clean coils!”  What?  More dust and more havoc to deal with?  On my knees, then flattened on my side, I shine the flashlight into a place no one ought to have to look.  Horrors!  Globs of dust everywhere.

Now where do I find a brush narrow enough and long enough to clean out those coils?  And how important is this task?  I use the longest brush cleaner I have; I even stick a wood lefse turner into the dark reaches, hoping I’ll gather up some dust.  I bring out globs of the stuff, but more remains, unreachable.  Yet, the indicator light goes out.  Success!

Later I think: I should have turned off the power on the refrigerator while I dug around those dark places.  I won’t forget to add that safety feature next time.

Here’s the thing.  Our kitchen refrigerator has stood in place for about 20 years.  We ‘owned’ it when we bought the house in 2000.  I swear, no one has ever cleaned those coils.  Did you know there’s a pan for collecting water down there?  How gross does yours look compared to mine?

Worse, we brought a very old refrigerator to this house to provide coolness to my chardonnay wine collection.  Forty years of chill-time?  Have I ever cleaned its coils?  Of course not!  But now I’m thinking I better, even if I don’t want to. 

Lesson to self:  One obstruction leads to another.

Question for my readers: What else have we forgotten to clean out after all these years?

Speaking of obstructions, every character in FEAR LAND confronts a barrier to their happiness.  If these people don’t solve their problems, anxiety, instead of joy, will take over their lives.  Watch how a soldier, a psychiatrist and a boy deal with trauma in this suspense novel, spiked with romance!

http://amzn.com/B012JE75ES

http://rolynnanderson.com

The Amazing, Ever-Expanding Spectrum of Genres by Rolynn Anderson

I thought I was a limber writer, moving among the suspense, mystery and thriller genres, usually setting my novels in modern times.   Some of my stories come with a touch of paranormal, so pedestrian and not far-fetched, I call them ‘normal paranormal.’   I always thought I was an eclectic reader as well…until I read the list of plots Carina Press was looking for.  Wow!  I’m amazed at what the readers are craving…and how inept I’d be at writing most of the following ‘types’ of books! 

So I ask you, which of the following genres (quoted directly from Carina Press) would you read, and how many could/would you write?

“Although we (Carina Press) remain open to all submissions that meet our guidelines, we’re looking to acquire full- and novella-length manuscripts in these 6 subgenres in particular. This call is open-ended; there’s no closing date or submission deadline:

1.       Paranormals and urban fantasy: Other publishers are saying no to paranormals—not us! While we’ll consider manuscripts across the genre, here are some things we’re seeking in particular: great sexual tension, high heat levels, male/male protagonists, series featuring shifters, unique twist on old paranormal tropes and elements, band of brother/alpha heroes, paranormal with suspense elements, and stories that delve into clan politics.

2.       Male/male romance: Though we acquire across LGBTQ, we have the most success with male/male. Right now we’re especially interested in paranormal, sexy contemporary/erotic, stepbrother romance, romances that tackle unlikely pairings or more “taboo” subjects, suspense/mystery, and scifi/fantasy series.

3.       Sexy sci fi romance: We’re looking for the fun, the unusual, the sexy, the silly, and even the over-the-top. Maybe the hero or heroine is an alien—a true alien. Or maybe it’s set on different worlds, has a Firefly-esque space opera feel, or features space pirates or space cowboys.

4.       Erotic romance: We’d like to sign someone who can write a series that’s extremely erotic (maybe even filthy). We’d love to see ménage or more, BDSM that’s not set in a club, darker erotic romance and…there’s that word taboo again.

5.       Capers, heists, jewel thieves, etc. Books, characters and setups that are sexy and possibly cross-genre. You could have an anti-hero (or heroine), or maybe hero/heroine are on opposite sides, or maybe they’re both thieves, moving from friends to lovers. Give us fast-paced adventure and a fun duo facing off or teaming up!

6.       Cowboys and contemporary westerns. We’re looking to add to our list! There are so many possibilities here— give it a unique twist, make it a foreign locale. Or it can be high tension, high stakes American-set contemporary cowboy romance.”

As you ponder what you’d read and/or write from the list above, here’s my latest novel, FEAR LAND, a romantic suspense, slightly paranormal ;-)...and finalist for a Rone Award.  Yippee!  

http://amzn.com/B012JE75ES

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/587797

http://rolynnanderson.com

“Rolynn Anderson’s writing is tight and stays on point, always following the plot through

to the nail-biting climax.” –Melissa Snark

FEAR LAND

Tally hates to hear rants from people’s brains.  What does she do when those mind-screams threaten the man she loves?

****

Tally Rosella, an acclaimed psychiatrist who helps children fraught with anxiety, avoids adults because their brains rant at her.  But the chance to start a second child study and connect her findings to PTSD, sets her squarely among devious colleagues at a big California university.

Army Major Cole Messer, Tally’s new neighbor, won’t admit that trauma from combat tours in Afghanistan, destroyed his marriage and hampered his ability to lead.  As a teacher of college ROTC and single parent, he’s focused on enrolling his highly anxious son in Tally’s study and getting back to active duty.

Someone is dead set against Tally’s presence at the university, and blowback from her battles with co-workers put Cole and his son in jeopardy.  Watch what happens when people struggling with shades of anxiety collide with corrupt, revengeful foes.

Memorial Day - 2016 by Diane Burton

Sometimes we take federal holidays for granted or only think about how great it is to have a day off work. We forget the reason behind designating a particular day a holiday. Memorial Day's origin goes back to 1868. The purpose was for the nation to decorate the graves of those soldiers who died in the Civil War. Since, it’s expanded to include all service people who died defending us.

This picture, originally posted on Facebook, really touched me. It’s a vivid reminder of the families who have suffered a loss that only those who have suffered a similar loss can fully understand. I haven’t, but my heart hurts for those who have. Spouses, parents, children of our fallen heroes gave a sacrifice as great as the soldier who died. Maybe greater. They live with the heartache every day while the soldier has gone to his/her reward.

My dad and his brothers fought in WWII, one of my grandfathers in WWI, a great-great grandfather in the Civil War, and a multi-great grandfather in the Revolutionary War. An uncle and a good friend were police officers. Their service ensured that we are still a country of freedoms. Freedoms we often take for granted, forgetting that many people in this world don't have them.

Post-apocalyptic movies and books show us what happens when society breaks down. Law and order is gone. Chaos reigns. Those with the power and weapons rule. Might makes right. Heaven help the rest. While I love movies and books, those that show the disintegration of civilization make me so uncomfortable I can’t watch or read them. The reality is too horrifying to contemplate.

While we enjoy our three-day weekend, have our picnics, kick off the beginning of summer, maybe we can take a moment and thank those who died protecting our freedoms.

Diane Burton writes romantic suspense, mysteries, and science fiction romance. She blogs here on the 30th of the month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays.