What's in a name? by Barbara Edwards

Do you struggle to find the right name for your hero or heroine? I’m going to tell you some of the things I use to find the perfect name, OR MAYBE NOT.

I’m not thinking name when the plot jumps into my head. I might start with an anonymous he/she but I quickly find that doesn’t work.

So what have I learned?

I’m going to share a big secret. You character’s name should emphasize him, his attributes and personality.

For example: I name my hero Leo. 

Lets take a look at Leo.

For my story, Leo is the CEO of his own company. He clawed his way up through the corporate jungle to the top.

Leo has golden hair, thick and a little untamed.

Hie eyes are a golden brown that glow when he focuses on his enemy or his Love interest.

Leo is strong, build along the lines of a powerful predator,.

He stalks through the world.

Have you noticed what I’ve been doing?

Every descriptive emphasizes his connection to a lion.

Look up the meaning of your hero’s name and make a note so you can stay on target.

This can be fashioned to fit each character.

What other words can describe Leo?

Snarl

growl

snap

prey

hunt

devour

slink

This can be fun, but the biggest benefit is keeping your hero in character. He doesn’t speak, he growls, snarls, purrs. 

When he licks her skin, his tongue is rough and raspy.

His personality must always show his feline side. 

Remember cats can be playful even the big ones. 

i’ve been using this myself.

In Ancient Blood, my hero Cole has black hair and dark eyes and turns into a black werewolf. 

Ancient Blood (Finding Rhodes End Book 2) 

by Barbara Edwards 

Link: https://amzn.com/B0052NUR12

Lily Alban escapes her murderous stalker after his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Only he’s right behind her. Denying her growing desire, she turns to Cole Benedict for help but discovers the man she loves is not a man at all. 

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. He’s a botanist researching the healing herbs for a cure for Lycanthropy. He’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself when in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes. 

They must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he can kill her, but revealing their secrets can destroy their growing love or save them both.

“Lily?” His strong hands gently cupped her shoulders.

“Don’t, please don’t.”

She pulled away, fully intending to flee. Her resistance shattered, and she turned into his embrace. It was too late to escape. Pressing against his strength, she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. His erection prodded her stomach, and she moaned. A heavy groan filled his throat as he lifted her from her feet. He kicked the bag aside as he sat her on the counter.

“I can’t wait,” he growled. His flaring aura spiraled with colors she couldn’t name. She caught her breath. One hand burrowed through her hair, keeping her still as he stepped between her thighs. “You’re all I could think about all day.”

Clasping her bottom, he slid her to the edge of the counter. With his lips claiming her mouth, he unbuttoned her slacks, than lifted her slightly to push them down and off.

The cold surface only made her more aware of his scorching heat. His rough denim pants scraped her inner thighs in contrast with the silky hair under her palms. Her pulse leaped, and she gasped. His male scent mixed with hints of the wild forest filled her nostrils. When his fingertip explored the heated moisture gathering at her juncture, she tightened her thighs around his hips.

Ancient Blood (Finding Rhodes End Book 2) 

by Barbara Edwards 

Buy Link: https://amzn.com/B0052NUR12

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HISTORY WITH A SIDE OF ICE CREAM

                                 Ice Cream with a history lesson topping.   

The summer sun is pounding down. Heat is shimmering off asphalt that's so soft the tar sticks to the bottom of your shoes. Add four hot, sweaty, and cranky kids to the mix. 

What are the parents to do but toss them in the car and head to Dairy Queen. The other three kids in the back of the station wagon, and me in the front between Mom and Dad. I got the best spot, this coveted spot, away from the pointy elbows of my siblings because I got car sick. Wink. Wink. 

This is where we learned the fine art of dealing with brain freeze as we gobbling down ice cream before it melted into a sticky mess.

To keep the air circulating in the non-air conditioned car, Dad would drive us around town. There were two places we always wanted to see. One was 'The Castle' overlooking Shoal Creek

 and the other was Bonnie & Clyde's hideout. 

Though my parents were quite young (7 & 9) when the Barrow gang came to town, they certainly remembered hearing all about the ruckus. These ice cream and history afternoons began my fascination with Bonnie & Clyde

(I compiled the following from the Joplin Historical Pages and Wikipedia. Note: It is because of this bust that the famous picture of Bonnie smoking a cigar and wielding a rifle became public.) 
      

                  Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow Hideout in
                                               Joplin MO
 
In April of 1933 the infamous outlaw lovers, along with other gang members: Clyde's brother, Buck, his wife Blanche, and William Daniel Jones, rented an apartment over a garage in Joplin, MO. Their plan was to use the place as a hideout after a series of robberies in the area. 

It wasn't too long until their furtive behavior aroused suspicions in the neighborhood and the local police were called. The cops,  suspecting bootleggers had taken over the apartment, were surprised to find the Barrow gang. A shootout ensued with the Barrow gang narrowly escaping. They left Police Detective Harry McGinnis dead and Newton Country Constable Wes Harryman fatally wounded.

Because the gang fled in such a hurry, they left behind many personal items. Though a large arsenal of weapons was confiscated, a camera may have been the most important and significant find. After the film was developed and released, the public got their first, intimate look at the couple.

These pictures thrust the outlaws into  national focus and fame.

Bonnie reputedly hated the picture of her smoking a cigar and was offended when newspapers dubbed her a 'Cigar Smoking Gun Moll.' It is said she regretted the gag picture so much, she once requested a hostage inform the press she didn't smoke cigars. 

The apartment survived the massive tornado that destroyed much of Joplin in 2011. Though it has been well preserved it is not open to the public.

REMullins



Amazon:
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE


It's been a rough couple of years for Cailey Kantor. Facing her first Christmas alone and bad financial news, she prays for an angel to fix her problems. Instead, a sadistic, sociopathic vampire, with the goal of starting a vampire war, attacks her and forces her to drink blood stolen from the Nosferatu Gabriel Blautsauger.
Gabe must complete Cailey's turning or she will die. In doing so he risks losing his yet unfound soulmate. But something about the lovely mortal speaks to his heart. Once her transformation is complete, he and Cailey find themselves embroiled in a battle that could cost them all they hold dear.
Faced with lies, abduction, and betrayal Cailey wonders if the vampire she is falling fangs over heart for is in it for love or if she's just a means to stop a war.

VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS   

Rafe Blautsauger, vampire and enforcer, must put his feelings for the mortal
Morgan Maquire aside. The Nosferatu council who employs Rafe strictly forbids
their love. But he can't stay away from the beautiful woman who causes his blood
to beat with new life.Yet, she hides a secret, one he must expose in order to
protect her.
                            
Morgan keeps her unique gift of magic under wraps due to a spell gone horribly
wrong when she was young.  She is haunted by a nightmare where two malevolent
glowing red eyes stalk her. Can she trust the arrogant but oh-so-handsome Rafe
with her secret as well as her heart? Can he help her regain her power in
time to save the world of the living and the undead?
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Vampire Metta Blautsauger is known as the family airhead and she works hard to keep up the façade. It’s the perfect cover as she goes from dispensing her own brand of justice as a vigilante to an agent for Orcus, the Nosferatu shadow agency.

Captured, tortured, and left for dead, she is forced to leave both the agency and Lucas O’Cuinn, the mentor she’s grown to love.

For the last century she’s struggled with regret and boredom. Then her life is given new meaning when four mortal ministers ask her help in stopping a human trafficking ring. If Orcus discovers her unsanctioned involvement, they will brand her as a rogue. The penalty is death. It’s only a matter of time before Lucas arrives—stake in hand.

Lucas O’Cuinn has waited ninety-eight years for Metta’s return and he’s run out of patience. It’s time she remembers she belongs to him.

Also may be purchased at The Wild Rose Press:
The Blautsaugers of Amber Heights Series 
IT'S A WONDERFUL UNDEAD LIFE
VAMPIRE IN THE SCRYING GLASS
A VAMPIRE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Kobo


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Brave or Stupid? You Decide... by Jannine Gallant

So, I was out walking Ginger, trying to decide what to write for this month's post, when my (brave or stupid -- you decide) dog nearly gave me a heart attack. We were coming back through the meadow when Ginger took off like a bat out of hell. I was thinking squirrel, since she routinely chases them up the nearest tree. No, such luck. Good old Wile E. was high-tailing it toward the woods with my brainless mutt in hot pursuit. Of course I had to chase both of them even thought I couldn't possibly catch up, screaming my head off. Yeah, funny. I hope you at least got a smile out of the mental picture. Believe me, this isn't the first time we've enacted this scene. I doubt it'll be the last since coyotes are thick around here.

But, it gets better. A couple of days ago, my husband came back from a walk and said Ginger had chased a bear. Until the bear stopped. Apparently she had enough sense to stop, too...and have a stare-off...before Pat's yelling finally sunk into her thick head and she retreated. Probably the same bear we met on the field at the rec center across the street one morning about a month ago. The bear was minding it's own business when Ginger ran up to within five feet of it. No barking or growling from either party. They just stared at each other. I was the only one making any noise as I begged my mentally challenged mongrel to "Come here this minute!" (Are you seeing a trend here?) She ignored me, of course. When the bear moved another five feet away, I sucked up my (courage or stupidity -- you decide) and ran up to Ginger to drag her away. After I got home, my husband pointed out the bear could have killed me, too. Uh, you think?

So, I'm not sure who's a bigger idiot, me or Ginger. You decide. I know who's braver. LOL I was trying to relate these experiences to writing, and I recalled seeing a post on Facebook not long ago from an author who'd published her first book and had decided to quit her job so she could spend more time writing. All the comments were congratulations, but all I could think was, "You, poor, deluded fool. I hope you don't need the money." Is this woman's optimism an example of Ginger-chasing-a-coyote-or-bear stupidity? Or bravery? I think we all make choices in our writing careers that take (bravery or stupidity). Many of us left the safety of a small press where acceptance was pretty much a given after a few books to pursue either self-publishing or big presses. It took guts to break out of that safety zone. In some instances, the move worked out. Sometimes, not so much. I had an agent, and I fired her. Maybe a smart move. Maybe not. The jury's still out on that one. I was shaking a little when I sent her the email. Almost as much as when I grabbed Ginger's collar right next to the bear who kept his eyes on me the whole time...

So, have you made any questionable calls in life or in your writing career? Feel free to share.

By the way, Every Move She Makes is still on sale for 99 cents until the end of the month. For that price, you definitely aren't making a risky purchase. Buy it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or, visit my Website for info on my other books.

YOU'RE FIRED! by Betsy Ashton

This is not a political statement, even though it sounds like one. For those of us who spent many, many years in corporate America working for great bosses and less than great bosses, having sometimes weird people working for us, we harbored dreams of walking into an employee’s office, pointing a finger at him and exclaiming, “You’re fired.” Alas, laws prevented us from indulging these fantasies. What we had to do was go “through the process” to get rid of a non-performer or a true problem child who would not the job.

Now, as a writer, I wield much more power. I can hire and fire characters at my whim. I can mess with their heads, turn them into pretzels and do with them what I want. Or that’s what I thought when I began writing. It didn’t take long for me to knuckle down and realize my characters control me, not the other way around. So when I found I’ve written myself into a corner on a novella I’ve been playing with, I couldn’t decide what to do. Here’s the problem.

My main character fell in love with an inappropriate but very sexy man. I liked him, because he was multi-dimensional. He could be kind or mean, sweet or nasty, smart or incredibly stupid. I was having fun playing with the disparate facets of his personality. Not being able to put him in a box or make him color between the lines was what drew my female protagonist to him. She liked his bad boy persona. So did I.

When the relationship progressed beyond employer/employee (he worked for her) and closed in on a romantic moment, the story went into the dumpster big time. He wanted to go for the deep, wet kiss. She wanted the first kiss to be sweet and gentle, promising that more would be delivered later. He wanted to play tonsil-hockey. She wanted caresses. He wanted sex.

I took the boy out behind the barn and whupped the crap out of him. I read him the riot act on how he should behave with a real woman. I told him he had to romance her, not attack her. He said he understood.

I put the two back in the story. Once again he pounced, grabbed her in an almost painful embrace. She pulled back; he pulled harder. He went for the close. She went for his lips. And bit him. At that point, I didn’t see a way to pull back from the abyss without a total rewrite. What was I to do? Could I write him in such a way she’d give in to his pursuit without compromising her stature in the firm? Could he learn to treat a woman like something to cherish instead of a notch on his headboard?

I gave him one last chance before I ran out of clichés. If anything, he was worse the final time. So, I booted him up this morning before I booted him off the island. I pulled his chapter up and wrote in screaming capital letters, YOU’RE FIRED! OMG, that felt good.

Have you ever fired a character? You might try it. It just felt right to me.

###

Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max, Unintended Consequences, and Uncharted Territory, A Mad Max Mystery, now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I'm really excited that the trade paper edition of Uncharted Territory was released this week. Please follow me on my website, on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Indulging by Donna Michaels

Hello, It's Donna Michaels, and coming off of back-to-back conferences, then right into back-to-back deadlines, it's time for a quick break. What am I going to indulge in once my book is uploaded Friday? Sleep! lol 

My daughter's cat Franco pretty much sums up what I look like at the moment. :-)

After the sleep, there's some family stuff to do, then right back to work mode with creating a cover for my upcoming contribution to Sable Hunter's Hell Yeah Kindle World coming out in August. Such an honor to be asked to join her world. After creating the cover, I have two weeks to write the story, because come July, I have a new adult story to write that will be released in a collection with Mary Frame and Paige Tyler in September. Very excited to dive into a new genre with such great authors!

With my schedule becoming increasingly insane, it's important for me to indulge in a little treat after completing a book. Whether it's to read a book, watch a movie, or go to dinner, I make it a point to chill, even for a few hours before jumping into next foray. 

What about you? What it is you do to indulge? Maybe you have a suggestion for me for my next time to indulge? And if you have any tips for managing my time, I'd sure appreciate it. My summer writing schedule includes more than the two stories I mentioned above, so I thank you in advance for your management and/or indulging suggestions . <3

Releasing this coming Tuesday, June 21st, is HER INDULGENT COWBOY Harland County/Book 7/Jesse

Blurb:

When Lacey Turner’s father contracted AIDs from a transfusion when she was five, her rough childhood made her strong and self-sufficient, so butting heads with the guy her brother leaves in charge of the ranch while he’s away is as inevitable as her attraction to the hot cowboy.

Jesse Briscoe’s word is his bond. Too bad he agreed to watch over his friend’s ranch and sister while his buddy was away. The hellcat is as spoiled and self-serving as she is beautiful. But he’d witnessed firsthand what a woman like that can do to a man when his mother decided she no longer wanted to be a wife and mother and left when he was nine.

Worn down by a desire too strong to ignore, the two give in to their heated attraction, but will they give up control long enough to discover the truth behind their attitudes?

Available for Pre-Order Here:

Amazon |  iTunes | Kobo | B&N

I hope you enjoy the rest of your June!

Thanks so much for reading,
~Donna

How to Find Your Readers by Alison Henderson

I know you're hoping I have the answer to that perplexing writer's conundrum and am preparing to spill the beans. No such luck. Believe me, if I knew I would definitely share. Instead, I'm hoping for a give and take brainstorming session here.

I've been thinking about this topic lately because I have a book coming out this fall that will be the second in my female bodyguard agency series. I'd like to do more targeted marketing instead of my usual scattershot approach. A significant number of readers enjoyed the first book in the series (note: I said enjoyed, not purchased. Big distinction). I'd like to get the word out to them about the second book on the off-chance they might actually buy a copy. 

Like you, I've read innumerable articles about book marketing that advise, "find your readers and market to them where they hang out." Great! But you have to figure out who they are first, and that's no easy task. Very few of us are lucky enough to have well-attended booksignings or participate in large reader events where dozens of readers come up and tell us about themselves. So how do we identify them? The members of my mother's book clubs always enjoy my books, but does that mean my readers are largely in their eighties? Possibly, but I doubt it.

I've received a few emails from readers over the years, but not enough to give me much insight. I decided to turn to my reviews--might as well get something useful out of them. Since almost 20K people downloaded UNWRITTEN RULES during its free days three years ago, I was lucky enough to get a large number of reviews. I decided to read back through them looking for any useful data. Most of the reviews said basically the same things. Here are some common threads:

1. Enjoyable, fast read; good pacing
2. Appreciated the lack of off-color language and graphic sex
3. Successful suspense plot
4. Fun and enjoyable characters

To me, these suggest busy, fairly conventional people looking primarily to be entertained. I can definitely relate to that.

Two reviews stood out for me for different reasons:

"Absolutely brilliant book. Lost myself in it for hours. Hope there are,ore like this in the pipe line. We'll done for a really riveting read."

"This is a fast pasted novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I started reading and could not put it down. I ended up reading threw the nite and my shift was a 15 hr one."

The first review is from a man. I was very surprised by the number of men who read this book and enjoyed it--probably due to the legs on the cover. This might mean I should look beyond the romance community for more general readers. Book Bub would be the answer there, if I'm able to get the book accepted.

I think the second review may define "my reader"--someone who works hard and is looking for a diversion to lighten her load. If I can help someone else get through a 15-hour night shift, I've done all I set out do as a writer. 

But where do these readers hang out online? My best guess would be Facebook. They also might get emails from bargain book recommendation sites. I'm not young and hip, and I doubt my readers are either, so I'd be surprised to find them mainly on Twitter or Instagram. For this new book, I'm considering trying a sponsored Facebook ad or two. Does anyone have experience with them? Ditto for FB readers groups--any positive experience there? If so, which ones? What other venues have you tried?

Remember, we're all in this together, and I'd do it for you. 

Alison

www.alisonhenderson.com

Two More Days, by Christine DePetrillo

It’s finally HERE! That magical time of the year for teachers! The final countdown!

In just two short days, I will be officially in full-time writer mode for the rest of June, all of July, and most of August. I will not only pretend to be an author. I will eat, sleep, breathe writing. Every day. All day.

In tank tops and shorts and bare feet.

The Outdoor Writing Office will be in full swing, my favorite Adirondack chair getting used on a regular basis and carrying me from page to page in my latest manuscript. Birds will cheer me on, butterflies will applaud my ideas, and squirrels… well, they might try to steal my ideas, but The Werewolf won’t let them. He's always on the lookout.

I. Can’t. Wait.

Like, I’m seriously giddy. No more sitting down to my laptop at 7:00 p.m. after a day of teaching and trying to squeeze in at least four pages before bed time. No more chewing up writing time with schoolwork that has to get done. No more falling asleep while staring at the blinking cursor as it mocks my tired brain. No more having to pass on reading great books because I’ve only got so much time to write my own.

Just two more days…

In three days, I’ll bound out of bed at a time of my choosing, most likely 8:30-9:00 a.m. I’ll slip into comfortable summer attire. I’ll throw my unruly hair into a ponytail and forgo the makeup regimen. Maybe I won’t even put on deodorant or brush my teeth. Who knows how crazy I’ll get?

All I do know is that the number one item on my agenda for the first day of Summer Vacation (yes, both of those words deserve capital letters) is to write. Anything else I accomplish is frosting on the cake, peeps. Frosting on the cake.

I’ll of course have other Summer Vacation plans, such as traveling, hanging out with my pals, landscaping/gardening, bicycling (just bought new bikes and a bike dog leash that The Werewolf LOVES), going to concerts (got tickets to Lindsey Stirling in July which I’m psyched about), household chores, reading book after book from my favorite authors, and a boatload of preparing-for-the-next-school-year work especially because I’ll be teaching reading and science, which I haven’t taught in years.

But writing is top priority—my summer job. One I absolutely love.

What are your Summer plans?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, Books One through Six, available now! Book One, More Than Pancakes, is always FREE in ebook!