Welcome Author Gerri Brousseau

Please welcome, Gerri Brousseau, a friend and fellow member of the CTRWA, author of A PIRATE’S RANSOM and the newly released ACCORDING TO LEGEND. Take it away, Gerri!

Thank you, Paula, for inviting me to the Scribes today. I’m thrilled to be here and to meet your readers.

PJ: Please tell us about your current release.

Gerri: ACCORDING TO LEGEND is a time-travel story with a prophecy, a quest, a love triangle and a quirky wolf. The premise of the story is according to legend, when the spirit of the tribal princess is born again and she holds the enchanted stone in her hands, the lovers will be reunited … even through time.

PJ: It sounds like a great read! What inspired you to write this book?

Gerri: ACCORDING TO LEGEND came to me one night in a very vivid dream. When I woke up I started to write madly so as not to forget a single detail. The more I wrote, the more the story seemed to pour out of me. Don’t you love it when that happens?

PJ: I do! I had the same experience with HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES. What kind of research did you have to do for LEGEND?

Gerri: ACCORDING TO LEGEND takes place up at Kent Falls. Of course, I changed the name of the area and falls in the book. I researched the local tribe and actually spent a lovely afternoon whittling at the central fire pit at the reservation talking to the real Tribal Princess. It was quite a journey and I’m glad I took the time to make it.

PJ: That sounds awesome. I love the research part of being a writer. How do you combat the doubt monster?

Gerri: I must confess that I have had my fair share of bouts with that evil fellow, but I find the best thing to do is to keep writing. I wonder if he will ever leave me alone. Somehow I doubt it, but much to his credit, all his constant complaining causes me to edit and in the long run he makes me a better writer. Still, he’s not my favorite individual.

PJ: Mine either! What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Gerri: I don’t know if it’s all that interesting or that much of a quirk, but I like to read my work aloud. You would be surprised at how quickly you hear your errors when you do this.

PJ: That is so true! I sometimes forget to do that during the revision stage. Thanks for the reminder. If you had to be something other than a writer, what would you be?

Gerri: A chef. Cooking is my second passion in life and I really enjoy creating a meal that gets rave reviews from my family.

PJ: You sound like my husband. He would definitely be a chef in another life. Is there anything you’d like to share with readers that they might not know about you?

Gerri: Let’s see … they already know I’m a retired skydiver, that I’m a new grandmother, and that I have two pugs. But, I wonder if they know that I have played piano since I was 7 years old. It’s been a while now, but they say it’s like riding a bike … you never forget.

PJ: I had no idea! That is so cool. I bet you’d pick it right back up! Thanks so much for being here and sharing your time with us. If anyone has any questions for Gerri, or comments about her books, her writing tips or her pugs, please feel free to do so.

Here’s a short excerpt from ACCORDING TO LEGEND:
“According to the legend, the enchantment of the stone was originally activated by the depth of their love. It is said that their love created a very powerful magic. According to legend, the power of the stone would be set in motion once more when the spirit of the Indian Princess was born again and she held the stone in her hand. Then, the spirit of the lovers would awaken and they would be reunited, even through time.” She sighed. “It is believed that only the true Tribal Princess would have the ability to seek out and find the other half of this stone and access its full enchantment.”

For more information on Gerri and her writing, please visit her website at www.gerribrousseau.com and if you would like to read ACCORDING TO LEGEND, it’s available at Amazon for Kindle.

Imposter Syndrome

Happy Friday everyone. Casey here. If you have a moment, please stop by my blog. I’m hosting another Goodreads giveaway to celebrate the paperback release of The Undead Space Initiative.

In case you hadn’t yet heard the news, Mystic Storm will be published in 2013. And while this is my third published novel, I still feel like a giant imposter.

Like someone is going to single me out and yell – “Fake! Fraud! She’s not a real writer!”

I know that sounds totally ridiculous but I know I’m not the only one who sometimes feels this way. I have heard an established NY Times bestselling author admit to having the same feeling - that no matter how many novels you write and sell that this one might be your last.

That you will never, ever write anything “good” again. Your career will be over!! You’ll be a “has been”, the equivalent of a dried up old spinster.

Eek! What’s a writer to do? Well, for starters, it’s time for a reality check.

By the power invested in me I say to you -  You’re a writer. A real, honest to goodness writer. Doesn’t matter if you’re unpublished, published big, published small, self-published, or any variation in between. If you’re dedicated to the craft of storytelling and you are actively putting words on a page, you’re a writer.

Feel better?

If not, and you’re still fretting,consider this:

1. Ignorance is bliss. Remember back in the early days of writing before you knew any of the “rules”? When it was a thrill just to type those words on the page and “publication” was some far off dream on a distant shore? If you find yourself traveling down the road of uncertainty, hark back to that earlier time. Too many “rules” equals zero fun. Ditch’em. Be that dreamer again. The completion of one book doesn’t mean you’re doomed to never write another good story again.

2. There are many paths to publication. Readers don’t care who published your novel. All they want are well-written, entertaining stories. I know I don’t go looking for books based on who published them. I just want to read something good and judge accordingly.

3. Tell the Doubt Monster to shut his (or her) gob. If you’re suffering from imposter syndrome, consider it a form of self-doubt. Cut it out.

And finally, square your shoulders, hold your head up high and be proud of your accomplishments (no matter how big or small they are that day, week or month).

Now say it with me – “I am writer, hear me roar!”

Time for the truth – who else has had imposter syndrome? And what are your suggestions for combatting it?

A Day in the Life of The Doubt Monster

Happy Friday everyone. Casey here. I’ve recently discovered evidence that the my sneaky adversary is up to no good. Look what I found!

To Do List:

5:10 am – wake up when Casey does. Whisper doubts in her ear about her WIP so she can’t fall back to sleep.

6:00 am – while Casey is doing her day job, read e-mail, catch up on latest DM news. Oh, look at the cute little puppy on Facebook!

8:30 am – Consider taking a class. “Character Assassination: 5 Quick and Easy Ways to Use Characters to Foster Doubt”. Or perhaps, “Your Author has been Published: New Fears and How to Foster Them.”

9:00 am – Decide to take both classes. More weapons in the arsenal of doubt are always a good thing.

12:00 pm – Lunch with fellow Doubt Monsters. Listen to endless complaints about how their authors have the delusion that authors and Doubt Monsters can be friends. Scoff at the idea. What is the world coming to?

2:00 pm – One more hour until Casey finishes the day job. Take opportunity to plant idea that time would be better spent on social media. And as a parting jab – remind her that she will never be free of the day job.

3:15 pm – Observe: Plan to steal Casey’s time with Facebook and lure of a higher Klout score appear to be working.

5:00 pm – Dinnertime. Torment Casey while she is cooking. Remind her that she’s been working on Mystic Storm since February. Ignore her counter argument that she wrote an entire book between May and June.

6:30 pm – Casey appears to be staring off into space. Her hands are on the keyboard but nothing is happening. Yes. Yes.

6:45 pm – Enlist aid of cat to distract her further. @#$@ Cat refuses to do my bidding.

7:00 pm – Uh. Oh. Casey finds my to do list. Yup. She’s making that super angry face. She flicks me away with rude gesture and bad words, then starts writing.Nooooo! Hey, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

9:00 pm - Am able to briefly tempt her away with a series of fun Facebook photos. But she soon returns to writing. Drat!

10:30 pm- Casey’s been productive despite my best efforts. Have no fear. Tomorrow is another day.

Yeah. Just bring it Doubt Monster. It’s on!

Anyone have a similar experience?

I am Not A-MUSEd!

Happy Friday everyone. Casey here. If you have a moment, I’m also blogging at my site today about – I’m so Pretty – The Beautiful Blogger Award.

Say the word muse and it means different things to different people. To an English teacher, it’s a verb that means: to think, dream, ponder or contemplate. Or it could bring to mind images of the nine gals from Greek mythology. And the word museum is derived from muse. There is even a band called Muse.

Say it to a writer and you’ll hear about a fully fledged being. You know who I mean - The Muse. The supposed source of inspiration. The force that helps us write.

Originally, the Muse was said to be the mouth-piece of the artist, who would call upon the Muses (the aforementioned nine) to aid them in their artistic endeavors. Over time, at least in the writing world, the Muse has developed a life of her own (yes, I prefer to think of the Muse as a female).

Before I started writing, I used to associate a Muse with a lover. A Muse was standard issue for all great artists. They had mistresses whom they claimed “inspired” them. I think, for some of these people, it was an excuse to mess around on their spouses.

When I hear writers talk about the Muse, I often wonder what they really mean. Is the Muse controlling your story or is he or she just there to inspire writing?

I have to confess, I don’t have a Muse. At least not one I’ve noticed. I’ve already got a Doubt Monster and Author Goddess rattling around upstairs. Maybe I don’t have room for anyone else in the old noggin??

I frequently read writer’s blogs and have learned all kinds of interesting things about her.

• My Muse isn’t cooperating with me today (or this week, month or year – take your pick). I can’t write a thing without her.
• My Muse is fussy and won’t appear unless I drink coffee, consume the highest grade chocolate, and have scented candles burning.
• My Muse is super productive and won’t leave me alone. She’s dumping a hundred ideas into my head and I can’t work on them all.
• My Muse wants me to write an epic about shape-shifting sheep herders in Nepal, but I know I won’t be able to sell it.

Honestly, she sounds like a complete diva. And as writers, we should not sit around waiting for her to grace us with her presence. It’s not like she corporeal. She can’t actually type your manuscript for you. So, it’s up to you to do all the heavy lifting.

Writing is work. Some days (or weeks or months), it’s a knock-down, drag-out slobberknocker. And no matter what you do, inspiration won’t come. It happens. And will continue to happen. That’s just how it is for us creative folk.  Kind of like, the only way to lose weight is to cut back on calories and move more. The same thing holds true for writing. The only cure is to keep at it.

If you want to give the Muse credit for your creativity, by all means do so. I’m sure she would appreciate it. Along with chocolate, fine wine and a foot massage.

As for me, I seriously suspect the Doubt Monster ate my Muse. Or the Author Goddess kicked her butt because there can only be one diva in my brain.

What about you? Do you have a Muse? Does she (or he) have a personality of their own? What inspires you to work?

Interview: Donna Shields – Secrets of Jenkins Bridge

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here. Please welcome my fellow Soul Mate sister – Donna Shields. She’s here to answer our favorite questions and tell us about her latest book – SECRETS OF JENKINS BRIDGE.

How do you battle the doubt monster?

The only way I can get past the doubt monster is a good two to three day break from writing. I’ll read a book instead. When I come back to the story, my mind is refreshed, and I can move on.

Have you thought about writing something that is completely different for you? Perhaps writing in a new genre or just taking a story someplace that you haven’t done before.

Oh yeah. I really want to write a steampunk one and maybe one day I’ll start one. I have a couple ideas kicking around.

What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

First, I’d cry. I couldn’t imagine not being a writer. But, if I couldn’t I’d go back to college to become a nurse.

They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere. What is yours? What is it about? What makes it terrible? Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

Yes, I actually have a couple. I don’t think there’s really anything terrible about the stories. I’m stuck where they have been left at. One is about a woman and a child in hiding from her now ex abusive husband and he’s on the hunt for her. He hired a PI (my hero) whom doesn’t know why this man is really looking for her. Slowly it comes out and all he wants now is to protect her. I will eventually finish this story because I believe it will be one awesome romantic suspense story to tell.

Author Jane Haddam says that anyone who seriously annoys her gets bumped off in her next book. How do you incorporate your real-life experiences into your stories?

Well, just between you, me and your entire readership (LOL), when my husband and I were having some serious marital issues I’d just begun writing Boneknapper (one I’m currently working on). I felt the need to punish my husband through my poor hero who has a deadly Voodoo curse placed against him. Let’s just say it’s wonderful therapy.

Your first book, THE SWAN COVE MURDERS is a novella. Is writing a shorter story, easier or harder? And is your new book – SECRETS OF JENKINS BRIDGE also a novella? And please tell us about your new book.

I think it’s easier to write a novella. With a novella you only have a short amount of words and I find I write with ease being direct. With a novel, you have to meet a minimum word count and I don’t even come close.

With Secrets of Jenkins Bridge, I just barely made the 50K word count needed to be considered a novel. Secrets of Jenkins Bridge is Katherine and Mitchell’s story. They used to be high school sweethearts until tragedy struck and Mitchell abruptly left Addison, unknown to him that Katherine was pregnant. Years later, he returns chasing down a mob boss who is a partner is his father’s company and to clear Mitchell’s deceased best friend of murder. Katherine has been run off the road, and her and Mitchell’s daughter has been kidnapped. They race against time to find their daughter and discover they still love one another.

Here’s the blurb:

Hunting down a dangerous mob boss has brought FBI agent Mitchell Donovan home, reawakening an old flame, resurrecting a dead best friend, and discovering fatherhood. As if those aren’t enough, his new case will push everything else aside: finding the kidnappers who took the daughter he never knew he had.

Katherine Delaney never forgot the heartbreak Mitchell had caused with his abrupt departure all those years ago. With her dead ex-husband accused of murder and her daughter kidnapped, she will place her trust in the one man who could trample her heart again if she gets too close. But, will the resurrection of Katherine’s ex-husband and Mitchell’s chase for a killer destroy their second chance at love and happiness?

This is your second book with Soul Mate Publishing. Please tell us about working with a smaller, digital press. How has the experience been for you? And what led you to go with a smaller press?

Since I’ve never worked with a big press, I can only assume. I get more one on one with my editor with quick responses to my concerns and questions. I feel like it’s more of a personal relationship. The experience has been great. I absolutely love my editor and am so excited to be starting my career with Soul Mate Publishing as they are beginning this great voyage into the publishing world.

What is your junk food of choice?

Why chocolate of course

What is your guilty pleasure? 

 I would have to say Ben and Jerry’s ice cream or Pizza Hut’s cheese stuffed crusted meat lovers pizza.

Excerpt:

They followed the paramedic toward the ambulance while Gladys and the other woman continued to talk.

He’d had a nightmare in the early hours before Gladys’ call had awakened him. The Camaro from his dream sat in the same exact spot. Aidan pointed out the car and told Mitchell he had to save ‘her’, whoever that might be. He figured he was about to find out. If, in fact, he wasn’t losing his marbles.

As they rounded the corner to the back of the ambulance, Gladys stopped short causing Mitchell to nearly colliding into her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he croaked, and then cleared his raw throat. “What’s the victim’s name?”

The paramedic shook her head, blonde ponytail swishing. “We don’t know. Haven’t found any ID yet, and she’s a little confused. Has a nasty bump to the head.”

He let Gladys climb aboard. Her upward movement stopped in midair, one leg dangling a little too close to Mitchell’s jewels. He jumped back as she whipped around, almost losing her balance. In a barely audible tone, she said, “I know her.”

“You know practically the entire town.” Mitchell gestured toward the victim. “Say something. Who is she?”

Her gaze stared off in the distance above his head. “It’s just so weird. It’s the widow whose husband drove off that bridge.” She pointed toward Jenkins Bridge, the old wooden-covered overpass in the distance.

An icy chill ran up his spine. Gladys moved aside, giving him full view of Katherine Delaney. She may be battered and bloody, but Mitchell could never forget her face, her high cheekbones, or the tiny, turned up nose. S**t.

Their eyes met, and his chest instantly tightened, his throat constricting. Something was wrong. She seemed to stare through him. Surely, she recognized him. He hadn’t changed that much. He managed to find his voice. “Hello.”

Katherine closed her dazzling emerald eyes. “What happened?”

He put his trembling hands behind his back interlocking them. “You were in an accident. What’s your name?”

She shook her head, the confusion apparent..

“It’s all right. This is Detective Freeman and I’m Detective Donovan.” Would the name register?

If it did, she didn’t react. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from them.

The paramedic announced, “Gonna have to finish this at the hospital after the doctor examines her.”

Mitchell reluctantly backed away allowing Gladys to jump down. Once the ambulance left, Mitchell said, “She didn’t recognize me.” Hundreds of miles apart and fifteen years later, and none of that mattered anymore. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her. What was her life like now? Did she still live on the ranch with Aidan’s mother? Or did she have another whole life somewhere else?

Would she be okay? What if something happened to her? He couldn’t think like that. He wouldn’t.

“You know her?”

Of course he had. When he left Addison, he had been running from the hurt they’d caused one another. And his mother’s death. And his own demons.. “You keep forgetting. I grew up in this town.”

“What’s your connection?”

He didn’t want to get into his and Katherine’s complicated past at the moment. “We went to school together. Her husband, Aidan, and I were best friends.”

Gladys’ milk chocolate eyes grew large. “Oh wow. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. That was a long time ago.” Life goes on.

About Donna:

Donna Shields grew up on romance and scary stories. With her love for suspense and the slightly unusual, she enjoys tying these elements together to create stories full of love, danger and the paranormal.

She lives in the beautiful upstate of South Carolina with her husband, her children, and some great haunts. She’s a mom, a ‘gramma’, a wife, a friend, an avid reader and writer. When she’s not occupied with all that, she loves traveling to Playa del Carmen and Jamaica.

You can find me:

At my blog: http://donna-realworldwriting.blogspot.com
On facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/shieldsdonna
On Twitter: @Donna_Shields
On SMP’s Author Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
You can buy Secrets of Jenkins Bridge at: http://soulmatepublishing.com
Coming soon to Amazon and Barnes and Noble also.

Thanks Donna!

Since we Scribes love secrets – who’s got one to share with Donna? Which do you prefer long novels or shorter novellas?

Getting to Know Jennifer Ashley…

Hello, Scribes fans. Today I have the great pleasure of bringing you one of my favorite authors.( Be prepared for unprofessional gushing.) I know her as Jennifer Ashley, New York Times bestselling author of steamy historical romances. Some of you might know her as  Allyson James writer of action packed urban fantasy and parnormal romance. And some of you may know her as Ashley Gardner author of Regency era mysterious. And if you don’t know her at all… What’s the matter of you?!  This lady can write. She is the author of over thirty books and you can check them out HERE.  In part one of her interview Jennifer talks about , pleasing publishers, writing in different genres and venturing into indie publishing. Now enough from me. Enjoy!

How do you battle the doubt monster?  Doubt Monster: the nagging feeling while writing, that your prose is terrible, you plot is silly, your characters are insipid and no-one in their right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

Oh, that doubt monster. I am lucky now that I have many published books under my belt, and I realize that no matter how much the doubt monster pounded at me while I was writing, I finished the book, turned it in, and readers liked it.

Doubt is always going to be there, but I think it’s is a good thing. The complacent writer, who thinks her prose is gold and her storytelling impeccable, is going to be sloppy and lazy and start losing readers. Doubt makes me go back through the ms. as many times as possible to make it as good as I possibly can.

I never have enough time to go through the book as many times as I’d like, but I’ve learned to do my best with what I have.

You write in many genres, under many pen names. Do you have a favorite genre? If so what makes it your favorite?

I go back and forth. I love writing mysteries, because they seem to flow out of my fingers. Possibly because I read so many–it’s my favorite pleasure reading genre. Romance I struggle with a little more, because I want to tell a good relationship story and I want there to be a lot to it. Nothing is more dissatisfying to me than a romance where you find nothing when you scratch the surface. I want to know all about these people, and I like complicated relationships. So much more satisfying when they come together at last!

I also love writing urban fantasy, because there’s plenty of action, mystery, and romance rolled into one.

What story haven’t you told yet that you want to tell?  What is holding you back?

I have many stories I want to tell! However, the publishing industry is such that authors don’t simply get to write anything they want and the publisher will publish it.

Publishers have a vision of what they want to publish–and even more, of what “sells”. If your story doesn’t fit into that vision, they don’t want it, which, imho, is the number one reason books are rejected. So, if I pitch a series to my editor that’s off the wall from what has been successful for me and them, they’ll be inclined to say no, or have me change it so much it becomes something completely different (and then I no longer want to do it).

I’m thrilled with the advent of “indie” publishing, because now there’s a way I can write things that bricks and mortar publishers might not want. There might be a smaller audience for what I want to do, or no audience at all–who knows? But I don’t care. I’m not trying to be a superstar; I’m trying to write good books that might not fit the print market. I’ve already made inroads into indie publishing, and the response has been fantastic. I’m going to keep doing it!

What is the most surprising thing that has happened in your writing career?

Making the New York Times bestseller list, winning aRITA(RWA’s award for best romance novels), winning an RT award for best historical mystery. And being nominated for three more RITAs! All those came out of the blue.

What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

Be a musician or a professional dollhouse miniaturist (not sure I’d try to be an artisan myself or sell other artisan’s work; some very, very talented people in that field.)

They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere.  What is yours?  What is it about?  What makes it terrible?  Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

I completed or partially completed about 10 books before I was published. One finalled in the Golden Heart (RWA’s competition for unpubbed manuscripts), but I never submitted it.

Why? Well, all the books had problems, be it with structure, plotting, characterization, dialog, or just plain bad prose. They were my learning books. The Golden Heart one wasn’t so bad, but I doubt it would have been published as it was. Even then, I had a lot to learn before I was ready.

I have cannibalized plot points and ideas from those learning books for current books. There are two books, each with a courtesan heroine, that I would like to rewrite and get published. The heroes and heroines in those were particularly dear to me, and I’d like to see if I could do something with them.

But if most of those books never see the light of day, it might be a good thing! They weren’t good.

That’s it for part one, but please leave Jennifer a question, comment or just say hi! Be sure to join us this Wednesday for part two.

The Secrets on Forest Bend – Interview with Susan Muller

Happy Friday everyone. Casey Wyatt here!

Please welcome my fellow Soul Mate author Susan Muller! She’s here to share more about her book SECRETS ON FOREST BEND.

How do you battle the doubt monster? 

I battle the doubt monster every day, and he wins more often than I like to admit. Every time I think I have him licked, he comes around and bites me on the rear, just to let me know who’s the boss. I have to physically force myself to take that first step forward. Yet when I do, I discover it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I guess the answer is that I’m too stubborn to quit.

What is the most surprising thing that has happened in your writing career?

Getting published when so many good writer haven’t.  At first I just wanted to know if I could actually write a book. Then could I get an agent to ask for more pages or want to read the whole thing? Being published was almost too big to dream.

Author Jane Haddam says that anyone who seriously annoys her gets bumped off in her next book.  How do you incorporate your real-life experiences into your stories? 

I don’t intentionally put anything personal in my stories, yet somehow real life works its way in. I like Butter Pecan ice cream. My husband likes Rocky Road. In The Secrets on Forest Bend, Jillian and Adam disagree about ice cream; she likes Butter Pecan and he prefers Rocky Road. She likes basketball and he follows baseball.  In my house, I’m the one who likes baseball.

 Tell us about your latest novel. 

 In my novel, The Secrets on Forest Bend, Detective Adam Campbell is tracing a gun used in two homicides when he discovers that J. R. Whitmeyer, the last known owner of the weapon, is not at all what he expected.

     J. R.’s Guns and Firing Range backed up to a heavily wooded area with no other businesses in the vicinity. Several spotlights meant the area was well-lit at night. The building itself was old, but well maintained. The right side was two-stories and contained the gun shop. The other section had its own entrance, but was connected by an enclosed hall or breezeway. A freshly painted sign over the door read “Firing Range.”

      How could someone who took so much care with a building be negligent enough to lose a dangerous weapon? Where were the owner’s priorities? His good mood began to turn sour and a growl built up in his throat.

      Adam strolled in slowly, not wishing to announce himself until he had time to look around. The sales room was large, with well-placed glass cabinets and wall displays. A hint of gun oil and Windex lingered in the air. Not a smudge or fingerprint was visible on any cabinet. The merchandise was easy to view and arranged in logical groupings. Definitely the nicest gun store he’d ever seen.

      When a display of SIG-Sauers caught his eye, he stopped to study them.

      A woman’s voice called from the back of the room. “I hope you’re here to replace that shoulder holster. It makes your jacket bunch up on one side. Not a good idea if you ever want to go undercover.”

      S**t. Barely in the door and he was already made. His cop mode took over as he studied her. Early thirties, tall and slim, dark hair worn in some type of spiky arrangement, not a speck of makeup­­­­—-why should she with that skin—-and eyes like melted chocolate.

      “Besides,” she went on, those eyes measuring him, “it has to be uncomfortable after a long day. You’re rather large through the chest, but I’ve got a Falco double magazine that would be a perfect fit for you. It’s not cheap, but we offer a standard fifteen percent discount to all military and law enforcement personnel.”

      “No, thanks, that’s not why I’m here.” She was rather large through the chest herself, he noticed. A dark brown tank top revealed arms that were toned and strong. She certainly looked tough enough to belong in a gun store. He wouldn’t be surprised to find she could chew nails and spit out thumbtacks.

      She nodded toward the case he’d been studying. “You’re not planning to switch to a SIG, are you?”

      “No, I’m happy with my Glock.” This conversation was not going the way he planned. Maybe I should go outside and start over. 

     “Good. I know the Coast Guard and Homeland Security are going with the SIG, and it has a certain sex appeal, but in my opinion you can’t beat the dependability of the Glock for someone in your profession. Now, I could upgrade you to a newer model if you’re interested.” She held his gaze and her eyes drew him in.

     Time to get this interview under control, although any woman who described a firearm as sexy had a definite appeal of her own. His ex-wife had never liked having a gun around, despite knowing what he did for a living when she married him. She claimed that was why she left him. He figured it had more to do with the lawyer she was seeing on the nights he worked late. Just one more in a long list of reasons to distrust attorneys.

     He held up his badge. “I’m Detective Adam Campbell, Homicide. I need to speak to J. R. Whitmeyer.”

     “I’m J. R. Whitmeyer.”

     “I’m looking for James Robert Whitmeyer, owner of this establishment. He’s listed in my records as a fifty-nine-year-old white male.”

     “That’s my father. He passed away about eighteen months ago.” A shadow crossed her face, but she blinked twice and it was gone. Adam knew instinctively she wouldn’t appreciate condolences.

     “I’m Jillian Rose Whitmeyer, the new owner.” She spread her arms, indicating the shop and merchandise. “What can I do to help you?”

      Plenty, but not while I’m on duty.

What’s the most dangerous or risky thing that you’ve done?

I have been on an African safari, traveled down the Amazon River, taken a helicopter to the top of a glacier in New Zealand, and snorkeled in the Galapagos Islands, but nothing was as dangerous as driving in Ireland. There is not a car in that entire country with both side view mirrors and tour bus drivers love to play chicken with little bitty cars.

What is your guilty pleasure? {Remember: this is a ‘G’ rated blog! }

I absolutely love to get a massage or a pedicure. I like to stay in bed on cold mornings and to stay up late reading a good book. And I never miss watching Jeopardy!

 Thanks for hosting me, Casey.  This was fun, and wow, did your questions make me stop and think!

 You can follow Susan at http://www.susancmuller.com

THE SECRETS ON FOREST BEND IS available from http://www.soulmatepublishing.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

Scribes fans – what secrets would you like to share? And if you have any questions for Susan – ask away!

Let’s Hear it for The Doubt Monster

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Today’s topic: My nemesis the Doubt Monster. He originally debuted on my blog (see original post here) back in June and he’s made his sneaky way over here to the Scribes’ site.He’s so prevalent that our guest bloggers Lynn Kurland and Kristan Higgins have both addressed him. I’ll get to their comments in a moment.

To recap my original post, here is how the Doubt Monster torments me.

• This story is dumb. Who will want to read it?
• There are so many other things I should have/could have done.
• I must be missing something like (fill in the blank).
• This story is so weird no one will buy it.

On and on it goes. The greedy Doubt Monster messing with my head and my confidence.

Any of this sound familiar? Let’s hear what the pros have to say:

Lynn Kurland’s take on the DM – “It also helps to point sternly toward the scary under-the-bed spot used by all creepy things and tell Doubty to get back there. Then write your book the way you like. If he doesn’t make too many noises you can let him back out to help you with the editing.”Fellow Scribe Katy Lee – “The Doubt Monster taunts me every time I sit in the chair to write. “Who said you could write? Huh?” Perhaps I’ll keep a club beside my chair to play whack-a-Mole with him when he pokes his head out from now on.”

To which J Monkeys enthusiastically proposed – “I think we need to find someone to create the Whack-a-Doubty app….”

But wait! There’s a voice of dissent here.

Kristan Higgins says of old Doubty – “I love and embrace the Doubt Monster. It took us a while to fall for each other, but because I am old and wise now, I’ve come to learn that the DM and I are actually meant to be together. He lets me know when I need to rethink a plot point or adjust a character, back off or tone down or beef up. That being said, I try to ignore the DM during the first draft. Experience has shown that while first draft may indeed suck, it doesn’t mean the final product will. So I try to barrel through that part of writing, then fling open the doors and let the Doubt Monster have at it.”

Hmm. I’m hearing some love, even admiration. Maybe I should re-consider. Maybe he’s like Darth Vader. A misunderstood villain who really has a soft, gooey middle.

Possibly.

The jury is still out with me. All I can say, is this – “Doubt Monster, I’ve got my eyes on you. Watch it buddy!”

What do you think? Have I been unfair to the Doubt Monster? Should I learn to live with him instead of playing whack-a-mole on his head?

How do you deal with the Doubt Monster?

We Give You Fever — Interview With Debut Author Joan Swan

Happy Thursday, Scribesters!  It’s an especially Happy Thursday for me, Suze, because after our freak October snowstorm and multi-day power outage, my neighborhood has been restored to full capacity. Thank you, O Great Electricity Goddess!  

Please welcome triple RWA Golden Heart finalist/double Daphne Du Maurier finalist Joan Swan, whose debut novel FEVER will release on February 28, 2012 from Kensington Brava.  Joan is generously giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift card to one lucky random commenter, and a handmade custom FEVER bookmark to five more.  (Check out that cover, romance lovers — you KNOW you want a bookmark!)  Contest ends Friday, November 4, at midnight EST.   Take it, Joan!

Temperature's Definitely Rising At The Scribes!

How do you battle the doubt monster?  Doubt Monster: the nagging feeling that your prose is terrible, your plot is silly, your characters are insipid and no one in their right mind would read this drivel, let alone buy it.

I respect the doubt monster.  It’s taken me a long time to get there, but I’ve learned that if that doubt is creeping in, my subconscious is trying to tell me something.  If it’s whispering, “Your plot is silly.” I take a harder look at my plot.  If it’s nagging, “Your characters are insipid.” I say, “Er…um…hold on, let me look that up…” *tick tock* *tick tock* *gasp*  Flat, dull and uninteresting?  I say, “How rude! Get out of my way. I need to smack a few characters into shape.”

Now, if it’s saying things like, “This is drivel, no one will buy it.”  Here’s how I approach that:

1)      Go to a movie

2)      Take a walk on the beach

3)      Buy myself something pretty

4)      Get a massage

5)      Generally kick myself in the ass, tell myself to take a pill, suck it up and get back to the freaking keyboard already

Have you thought about writing something that is completely different for you?  Perhaps writing in a new genre or just taking a story someplace that you haven’t done before?

Best Bookmark Ever!

Every story.  Every time I contemplate a new story, I push myself to take it a step further.  If what I just wrote was sexy, I want the next one to be sexier.  If what I just wrote was dark, next one has to be gritty.  This one had three povs, next one will have five.

What story haven’t you told yet that you want to tell?  What is holding you back?

I have a contemporary story I want to tell.  A sexy, sensitive cowboy; a feisty, independent horse trainer.  A small town with lots of history.  A secret…or three.

A trilogy, I think, the other two books stemming from the sexy, sensitive cowboy’s two brothers: sexy, secretive and sexy, saucy.

The only thing holding me back is this too freaking short 24 hr day, the human need for sleep and the pesky needs of husband, children, pets, day job…  Ah, the trials and tribulations of daily life.

What is the most surprising thing that has happened in your writing career?

That I got this far.  This industry is truly brutal.  If I didn’t feel compelled to write, if I didn’t know this is where I was meant to be, I would have dropped out of the race a long time ago.

What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

I’d be a publicist.  I’ve discovered that I love the promotional avenue of publishing.  The website design, advertising, coordinating blog tours, organizing interviews, etc.  I mean…for someone else—coordinating and scheduling them for someone else. J

They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere.  What is yours?  What is it about?  What makes it terrible?  Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

FEVER is my 10^th novel.  This could take a while because I feel that all my past stories are salvageable to some degree.  And I’m completely impartial!

Author Jane Haddam says that anyone who seriously annoys her gets bumped off in her next book.  How do you incorporate your real-life experiences into your stories?

Torture.  I don’t let them off as easily as Jane.

What made you decide to write romance?  Who are your favorite romance authors?

I write romance because I can’t seem to NOT write a romance into a story.  When I read, I prefer suspense or thrillers with a romantic thread.  But when I write, romance seems to take over a lot more of the book than those I read.  And I could never answer that second question…I’d have to commit hara kiri because I could never name them all—and they’d all be favorites for different reasons.

Your book, FEVER, will release on February 28^th, 2012  Tell us about it. 

Debut Author Joan Swan

Oh, I love FEVER…even two years after writing it, fully rewriting it once, rewriting the second half again and editing it…I don’t know how many times.

FEVER is the first of the Phoenix Rising series.

The overarching series plot broils around a government conspiracy after the explosion of a military warehouse injures a team of seven hazmat firefighters, killing one.  The contents of the building, extremely confidential and dangerous radioactive chemicals used by the Department of Defense in secretive scientific experiments, have inflicted the team with various paranormal abilities.  Abilities the government wants to study covertly.  Abilities the team wants to understand and expose.  With military advancement and national power at risk on one side and personal health and freedom at stake on the other, each group is fighting for precious stakes.

FEVER is about one of the seven firefighters, Teague Creek, convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, framed by a government threatened by his prying questions into the warehouse explosion.  Teague has been denied an appeal, lost the daughter he lived for, and the career as a firefighter he loved.  With no hope left, he plans an escape.  But his plan goes wrong when the woman he kidnaps as leverage to get his daughter back turns out to be someone else.  And this woman quickly clues into the abilities he tries to hide, creating a bond neither can afford while they’re on the run from both the cops and undercover operatives who want Teague silenced.  This time, permanently.

What was your biggest mis-step in your writing career so far?

Not connecting with writers and readers sooner.  Not taking the career seriously sooner.

My first final in the RWA Golden Heart was in 2006.  When I was notified, I was polite and pleased and said thank you.  The woman on the phone was clearly disappointed, saying, “You’re the only person I’ve called today who hasn’t screamed.”  And all I could think was, why would I scream?

I didn’t understand how important RWA was.  I didn’t understand how much a final placement in this contest could have meant for me at that time if I’d pursued it.  I didn’t understand how important relationships and networking is in this business until very recently.  I let a lot of time and a lot of opportunities pass me by.

Do you have a word-related pet peeve?

Oh, I have a lot of pet peeves, but words aren’t typically among them.  Wait, wait…yes.  I really, really hate the word ain’t.  Really hate it.

What is your junk food of choice?

It would be easier to tell you what’s not my junk food of choice: anything green and leafy.

Love: jelly bellies, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, spice drops…this could go on for pages.

What’s next for you?  Can you give us a sneak peek?

I’m having a lot of fun with a new paranormal that ventures deeper into the genre, exploring witchcraft, demons and true evil.  It’s complicated, dark, gritty and sexy.  Very fun!

Here’s a little unedited, never-before-seen excerpt of the WIP:

Delaney didn’t wait for an invitation.  She pushed her shoulders back and rounded the doctor, stopping on the threshold. 

Beckett wasn’t sitting on the gurney or pacing the room as she’d expected considering his itch to leave.  He was lying on the gurney on his back, one filthy black cross-trainer dirtying the crisp white sheet with soot, the other foot crossed over the opposite knee.  He wore only jeans.  Dark jeans.  Unbuttoned.  And above that unfastened button stretched a canvas of bronzed skin tight over a lean torso.  A torso mottled with collections of furious bruises and marred with raw red gashes that had been glued back together.  One forearm lay over his forehead, the other hand holding a notebook at arm’s length directly above his face, where he appeared to be studying notes.  His biceps were as equally bruised and scraped and as equally sculpted as that chest.

Delaney stepped into the room, but kept a healthy distance, unsure what to expect.  “Chief Beckett.”

The arm on his forehead jerked down and his head swiveled toward her.  His face may have taken the hardest hit.  She couldn’t even tell what he truly looked like with all the swelling and bruising.  And another few lines of super-glue stitching made him look Frankensteinish.  But his eyes were…beautiful.  Big and brown and warm.  Outlined in thick black lashes.  Accented with heavy black brows—one of which sported another nice gash.

He squeezed his eyes shut, winced and brought a soot-blackened hand to his forehead.  “Holy f***.”

“Don’t touch your face until we get those cuts covered,” Garner said, moving closer.  “And I told you, no sudden moves.”

“Then don’t flash a piece of a** like that in front of me.”

Delaney tightened the cross of her arms and the clench of her teeth.

Garner cast her an apologetic look.  “Like I said…”  Then turned back to Beckett, helping him as the man struggled into a sitting position.  “This is Agent Shaw from Special Crimes.  She’s here to work with you.  Considering your condition, Chance, I think it would be in your best interest to keep your mouth shut for a while.”  

******

Delaney turned to Dr. Garner.  “If you drug him into oblivion, and only if you drug him into oblivion, I’ll take him off your hands.” 

Thanks, Joan!  I can’t wait for FEVER.  It’s available for preorder here from Amazon, and here from Barnes and Noble.  Don’t forget to comment for your chance at Joan’s great giveaways today.  For more information about Joan, see www.joanswan.com.