The Saga of Mr. Fern

Mr. Fern, who by then was raggedy, although he still had green fronds, sat discarded outside the teachers’ room door at the school where my husband teaches, and rather than let him be consigned to the garbage, John brought him home. For years, Mr. Fern sat by the sliders to the deck in the winter, and on the deck, summers, and regenerated and bloomed, and — I truly believe — begat a whole family of ferns that return every year, shooting up like alien pods, in my pachysandra patch.

So it was with great sorrow that two or three years ago, we watched as Mr. Fern deteriorated to the point where he had no new growth, his leaves shriveled, browned, became dessicated, and he died.
We put him in the back yard nevertheless, loath to leave him in the detritus that would be cleared away in the bi-annual garden clean-up. And there he sat for a summer, a winter, another summer, forlorn, dried up, leafless, lifeless …

And then one summer day, I saw a sliver of green poking out from the midst of the jungle of brown. One fully formed fern frond, child-size, fresh green, fresh life, a little miracle stretching out from the dirt and decay. No stopping him then. I began watering him. He pushed out more long stringy fingers which turned into an explosion of brand new fronds.

Mr. Fern is back. Why, how, from that mass of crinkly dead leaves, I’ll never understand. I thought he was truly gone, and then, suddenly, there he was. And now he sits in my cluttered dining room by the sliding doors, growing and flourishing every day.

It’s a lesson to all of us. Sometimes we feel hopeless, helpless, dry, dessicated, chewed up, beaten down
– like we couldn’t produce another word, even if it was the word “I” — and we just bury ourselves and let it all go.

Don’t let go. We’re writers. There’s always life in there, even if at times it seems like still life with no possibilities. All it needs is a little poke and prod. A book, a word, an overheard conversation, something in the news — and we green up, poke our way out of the dessication, and get going.

Because we have to. Because there are stories to tell and we can tell them. Because there are fictional lives to explore, and we can do justice to them. Because when you’re a writer, you’re never not writing, even if you think you’re not.

And, because we can.

Thea Devine is currently working on her next erotic contemporary romance. She’s pleased to announce that five of her early books, Reckless Desire, Ecstasy’s Hostage, Relentless Passion, Montana Mistress and Angel Eyes are now available in Kindle editions.

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?

The Buck Stops Here

Yay! It’s Friday again! Hope you’re having a good one! Casey here.

Harry Truman famously had a sign on his desk that read – “the buck stops here.” I’ve always loved that phrase.

It’s the ultimate mark of true leadership, taking responsibility for an action, even if you personally didn’t cause it. Like a good captain, you go down with the ship and are responsible for your subordinates behavior. Not an easy thing to do.

I’ve been in this position, not as U.S. president, but as a mother, a manager, even president of my sorority chapter in college. In my day job, I’ve sworn off having responsibility for others. Too much stress, too little reward. Obviously, as a mom, I can’t do that, but lucky for me, my sons are well-behaved.

However, I can’t totally abdicate my leadership role as an author because there’s only one captain at the helm of the good ship SS Writer - me.

Often times, when I attend my monthly RWA chapter meetings, I hear a common complaint – “I need more time to write.” Or “I need someone to motivate me to write.”

I’ve addressed adding more time, so this time I’m switching to motivation. And I’m not going to go easy on you. There’s a reason Suze calls me “the whip cracker.”

First rule, when it comes to motivation – you are in control of you. No one else.

To use myself as an example, if I’m sitting at my computer staring into space or web surfing or avoiding writing, the first person I chastise is me. Sound harsh? You bet!

But it’s also great news. That means you can take charge and do the work.

Casey’s Whip Cracking Tips:

1. Recognize that you are procrastinating and cut it out!

2. Determine why you’re procrastinating. Maybe you’re stuck at a certain point in the plot. My advice, either skip that spot and come back to it later or plow ahead and write something (and fix it later if you don’t like it). I can tell you this from personal (and recent experience), waiting for inspiration to strike isn’t going to work!

Don’t make me send this guy . . .

3. Enlist the aid of a friend. I know I just said, no one can make you do the work, but it can help to spend time with others. Even if to cheer you up!

4. Join a writing sprint – CTRWA has them all them time on our Facebook fan page!! All writers are welcome, not just chapter members.

5. Use the carrot and the stick approach. Try to reward yourself for meeting your goal (avoid using food, otherwise you’ll be stressed about your weight too). And, sorry, but if that doesn’t work, you have to suck it up and just do it (hear the whip snap?)

My final tip, realize that tomorrow is another day. Believe it or not, there are days (and sometimes weeks) where productive work won’t get done. That’s not an excuse to slack off, but do recognize that sometimes life throws curve balls.

Now, go forth and be productive! Or I’ll find you with my whip! *snap*

What are your favorite whip cracking techniques?And do they work for you?

Highland Haven – Krystal Brookes

Happy Friday everyone! Casey here. I’d like to introduce everyone to my fellow Pink Petal Books author Krystal Brookes. She’s been kind enough to answer our interview questions. Stay tuned to the end for an excerpt of her latest novella, Highland Haven.

Tell us about your latest novel –Highland Haven?

Highland Haven is the story of Erin Murray, a young teacher who has taken a job on a remote island in Scotland. She’s on the run from something and the island of Kilrigh seems like a safe haven. The first person she meets is the gorgeous, younger son of the laird. Finlay is kind, helpful and sexy, but Erin is not in a place to be able to trust again.

Do you have to read book 1, Highland Fling first? Can you tell us a bit about that book?

No both stories, while set on the same island can stand alone. The Hero of Highland Fling is Finlay’s older brother Brodie. When an old childhood friend comes back to Kilrigh, he falls for her and has to convince her that it’s worth coming back to Kilrigh permanently to be with him.

Is the Island of Kilrigh a real place? And if not, is it based on an actual location in Scotland?

No it’s completely made up. I did travel around some of the islands when I was younger and it is a mix of Skye (which is a lot larger than Kilrigh), Cumbrae and Mull. It also has a lot in common with the fictional island of Rhanna from the Christine Marion Fraser novels.

What made you decide to go with a smaller press? And how has your experience been so far?

I did Nanowrimo and I finished it but knew it needed a load of work (it’s still not finished). I had looked around for publishers and I liked Pink Petal because their submissions page made it sound like they really look after their authors. Many submission pages make it sound like they are doing you a huge favour and they are being inconvenienced by your submission. I didn’t get that sense from Pink Petal. They help to bring on new authors. Also they had out a submission call for Dangerous Men Dangerous places and I had an idea for a story, so I wrote it and took a chance. I really didn’t expect to get published first time.

You have a fantastic cover. How much input did you have into it? And who is that handsome man on the cover?

I get some input and get to say what kind of thing I like. Obviously there are some things that can’t be put on. I would have loved a game of shinty on the bottom but unfortunately, I doubt there are many royalty free photos of that. Obviously, the guy is meant to be Finlay. I have no idea who the model is. I love that it looks really tender.

Why a Scottish Contemporary? What drew you to that subject?

I come from Scotland, I live in Scotland and people always say you should write what you know. While not living on an island, I do live in the countryside. But I wasn’t keen to write historicals. I wanted to write about modern Scottish men with their iPhones in their sporrans, flashing their bare butts in Facebook photos.

Can you tell us a bit about the Dangerous Men series? And what’s it like writing short stories vs. longer novels?

Dangerous Men, Dangerous Places was an anthology. It is still available as such. It’s pretty much just that: stories about dangerous men in dangerous places. My story is called Bounty and is about a female Bounty hunter who has to crash land on a prison planet full of criminals whom she caught. Rob takes her in and protects her but she’s not sure how he’ll react when he finds out that she was the bounty hunter who caught him. It’s available in its own right as a short novella or as part of the anthology in ebook or print format.

I hear you got your start writing Star Trek fan fiction. What made you decided to write Scottish contemporary and science fiction? Was the transition hard?

Yeah, I first tried writing in 2011 when I wrote some fan fiction for my buddies. My profile (Libby Kim) still gets a lot of hits each day over in fanfiction.net. Most of my stories are about Janeway and Chakotay. My only real problem with changing was to stop seeing all my heroines with bobbed red hair like Captain Janeway. I can’t get away from the tall dark handsome hero though.

What advice do you have for newbie writers?

Don’t compare yourself to others. Work hard at the marketing. Take every opportunity to do blog tours and interviews etc. And remember that very few writers will get a lucky break on a scale like EL James did.

Do you have any other novels coming out soon? And can you give us a hint about them?

The third novella in the Kilrigh Heat series is due out on 20^th December. Keep an eye on Pink Petal’s website and my website. I have a lot of nearly finished irons in the fire.

Now, it’s tradition to ask all our guests about The Doubt Monster. Does he or she plague you? And if so, how do you deal with him or her?

I live with the doubt monster constantly. I used to seek reassurance and still do to an extent. I guess I just try to ignore him.

Quiz time!

Favorite food? doughnuts

Favorite place to visit? the beach in the summer

Favorite pastime when not writing? visiting my nieces

Guilty pleasure? Sitting in Starbucks writing (I know, it’s so cliched.)

Sexiest man on earth? Colin Firth or Karl Urban

Kirk or Picard? Neither. Janeway. She is by far the best captain-if a little pre-menstrual at times. But having met both Shatner and Stewart, Stewart is the one with charisma in bucket loads. So I have to go for Picard.

Favorite Star Trek series? Favorite episode? Star Trek Voyager. Favourite episode is Scientific Method. She has ha huge dose of PMT in that one (and an alien device giving her headaches.)

Who would you cast to be in a movie version of Highland Haven? Daniel Radcliffe could play Finlay (if he can do a Scottish Accent – I’m sure Robbie Coltrane could teach him) and Evanna Lynch could play Erin (though the same again with the Scottish accent).

Excerpt

A couple of hours later, Erin and Finlay walked into the convenience store for a look around. They’d had lunch in the village pub, and he’d introduced her to the pub landlord, the barmaid, and all the customers who had come in for a lunchtime drink. The doctor and the dentist had both told her to pop in any time to register.

Erin’s eye caught a small stand of postcards showing beautiful views of Kilrigh. She stopped to leaf through them, picking a few that she would send to family and friends if she ever felt safe enough to let them know her address. Someone walked down the aisle, causing her to step closer to the shelf behind.

As she moved forward, her elbow caught a glass jar of jam, sending it smashing into pieces on the hard tile floor. Biting her lip, Erin immediately bent down to pick it up. Suddenly, she was hauled by the upper arms back to her feet by Finlay. Instinctively, she moved to shield her face, and she cowered, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

“Watch, you’ll cut yourself,” Finlay barked, moving her out of the way. His grip loosened, and he pushed her gently away as if she’d stung him. His dark brows knit together in a frown. He stared at her for a moment then looked away.

“Ailsa, do you have a brush and pan?” he called over the shelf to the woman behind the counter. The woman said yes and hurried away. Erin could not take her eyes off Finlay. She’d known in her head that not all men hit women, but somehow that knowledge disappeared from her heart. She had probably offended him by the way she reacted. He turned to her, his frown deepening.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

“No, no Erin, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just didn’t want you to cut yourself. I didn’t mean to be so rough. You looked as if you thought I was going to…” His voice trailed off as the short, white-haired woman came up behind him and nudged him out of the way, so she could clean up the mess.

She wanted to get out the shop as quickly as possible. Such a nice day had been spoiled by her clumsiness. He’d never want to remain friends with someone as messed up as she was. She grabbed a packet of cold meat, not really caring what it was, a couple of tomatoes, and a loaf of bread. When she got to the cereals, she automatically reached for the bran flakes—then stopped. She didn’t even like bran flakes. But Pete had insisted on her eating the healthy cereal in case she got fat. She looked at the small selection and chose some nutty clusters with chocolate chips. She knew it was a mental middle-finger salute to the man who had terrorised her for years and it was childish in some ways, but she got great satisfaction for something as small as choosing her own breakfast cereal. She looked at Finlay, expecting a raised eyebrow over her unhealthy choice but he didn’t seem to notice. He seemed to be in a world of his own.

It took Ailsa only a minute or so to ring up her purchases on the till.

“That’s six pounds twenty-four, please.”

“What about the jam?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” She looked around at Finlay, who was studying the display of car magazines.

“Please let me pay for it. I feel terrible.” Pete’s lazy drawl was in her head. She was stupid and clumsy. He was only with her because he felt sorry for her. She was ugly, fat, ignorant. She shuddered as she tried to push the memories away.

“Oh lass, don’t be silly. We have breakages all the time. I wouldn’t dream of taking the money for it. Besides, any friend of Finlay’s is a friend of mine.” Erin nodded and smiled. She already liked the white-haired, plump older woman. “He’s single, you know,” she whispered conspiratorially.

Heat flooded into Erin’s cheeks and she looked again to see if Finlay had heard. He seemed too engrossed in an article in one of the periodicals he had picked up.

“I do now, I guess.” She giggled and felt the tension ease a bit. Finlay turned and motioned her to go first out of the shop. They both thanked Ailsa, who winked at them and turned to continue cleaning the counter.

When they reached the jeep, Finlay opened the door for her to climb in, then moved around to the driver’s side and settled himself on the driver’s seat. He stared at the steering wheel, biting his lip as if working something out. He inhaled deeply before he addressed her.

“Erin, did you think I was going to hit you when you broke the jam?”

She turned her head from him, staring out the passenger side window—tears burning behind her eyes.

“Has someone hit you before?”

Blinking back the tears, she turned to face him. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she said gruffly.

“Fine.” He nodded, lifting a hand to cup her cheek. “Most men don’t hit women. I don’t hit women,” he emphasized before leaning forward and kissing her lightly first on one eye, then on the other. She kept her eyes closed—willing the tears away. Without another word, he turned on the engine, and the car moved off.

They drove in silence back to her cottage. As he stopped the vehicle, he produced a business card from his jeans pocket and handed it to her.

“It has my mobile, business, and home numbers. Call me if you need anything, are unsure of anything, or just want a chat.”

She nodded and gave him an uncertain smile. As she undid her seatbelt and opened the door, he laid his hand gently on her arm. “Erin, don’t judge us all by the actions of one weak-minded bully.”

This time she didn’t look at him. She simply got out of the jeep, shut the door, and headed for the cottage. At the front step, she looked back to see him run a hand dejectedly through his hair before putting the vehicle into gear and driving off.

She shut the door and leaned her back against it, allowing her legs to bend. As her butt hit the floor, she raised her knees, hugged them, and allowed the tears to flow. Was Pete’s behaviour going to cause this reaction in her for the rest of her life? Today, Finlay had shown a care and tenderness that Pete never had and she’d felt safe. But could she truly learn to trust him after all that had happened? She wasn’t sure.

Blurb

When Erin Murray decides to escape her past in Glasgow, she picks the small island of Kilrigh as her haven. Arriving at her new home, she’s alone and scared, but is welcomed by the overly cheerful laird’s son. The tall, dark and sexy Finlay must earn her trust–something she’s not willing to give easily.

Erin begins to let the walls of her heart come down, only for her past to darken Kilrigh. Can Finlay keep her world from falling apart and can their budding relationship survive this threat?

Available from http://pinkpetalbooks.com

About Krystal:

When Krystal Brookes isn’t enjoying staring at the beautiful scenery of her Scottish home, she’s writing about what’s under hunky Highlanders’ kilts, feeding her nieces too many sweets then taking them home, and drinking way too much coffee.

She started out writing Star Trek fan fiction but has recently progressed to original stories for publication. She writes contemporary Scottish romance and science fiction romance. When the wet dreary weather in Scotland gets too much, she dreams of taking off in a space ship to find warmer climes. Who wants to go to a sunny country when you can head for a sunny planet?

Krystal, thanks so much for being our guest today! Scribes readers, if you have a questions or Krystal, please ask! Am I the only one curious about the Scottish men Facebook butt flashing?

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?

Care and Feeding Of Your Doubt Monster

Another Friday has arrived! Yay! It’s still not to late to enter to win a $15 Amazon gift card over at Night Owl Reviews!  Before I talk about my favorite little pest, I have one announcement:

I have a release date for The Undead Space Initiative - July 2012. Once I have the cover, I’ll share it.

So back to The Doubt Monster. We were watching a movie not too long ago. Yes, he likes TV and since he’s always around, why can’t he have some fun?

Anyway, the movie was Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. It was trippy story about a writer who’s visiting Paris with his fiancée and her parents. It’s immediately obvious that they want different things in life.

He wants to walk in the rain. She thinks it’s silly and unneccessary. He’d like to move there and write his novel. She wants to stay in LA (where he can continue to write movie screenplays).

While sitting on a step at midnight, pondering his life, a 1920′s car arrives and whisks him off to a party attended by famous intellectuals and writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

What does this have to do with The Doubt Monster? Well, everything! That writer’s Doubt Monster was so powerful, he could make time travel possible.

Obviously, my Doubt Monster is a tad bit jealous. He has no such abilities.

I won’t tell you what happens next in the movie. You will have to watch for yourself.

Back to the topic at hand. Now that we’ve been together for a while, I’d like to offer these tips for making the most out of your monster.

1. Ground rules are a must. Establish parameters of when and where The Doubt Monster is allowed to influence you. My monster is not allowed to speak to me when I’m writing my first draft. Period.

2. Do not ignore your Doubt Monster. Seriously. If you try to suppress the monster, he or she will get back at you - big time. See above – you don’t want the DM to mess with  you when you should be creating.

3. Cultivate confidence. Make yourself feel good. Compliment your efforts. So rather than saying – “my writing is total crap.” Instead say – “this isn’t so bad” or even better – “this is pretty damn good.”

4. Reward good behavior. See #1 – For his patience, I let Doubty play when it’s time to revise. I let’em rip. If he’s been really good, I may even ponder a few concerns at night (after the lap top is off) and right before I fall asleep.

See, he does serve a useful purpose. He can guide me when I know something is missing or not quite right. The trick is to be confident in yourself. Be the Author Goddess! It’s your world, your rules.

And if your Doubt Monster gets uppity, just watch Midnight in Paris and remind him that until he can manipulate space and time, he’s nothing special!

What are your “monster” rules?

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?

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!

What do I know?

Happy Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

I’ve heard that writers are a terrible judge of their own work. That we lack the perspectiveto know what’s good and what isn’t. And I believe it!

Here’s why:

Some of you may recall waaaaay back in July, Suze challenged us to a double dog dare – a summer NaNanoWrimo style “write-off”. I remember commenting that I wasn’t “officially” entering but I’d try and follow along.

I had a novel outlined and ready to go so I figured – what the heck – I’ll start writing it.  The plot was a totally crazy idea – a vampire stripper forced to flee to Mars.  Who’d want to read that?

I didn’t care. The story had been in my mind since the summer of 2010 and it was high time to get it on paper. And I did. I tracked my progress on my Casey Wyatt blog site thoughout the month of July. At one point, I even typed 5,000 words in one day (I had vacation that week!).

By month’s end – I had completed the first draft at 79,000 words. I finished the book, polished it up and then decided – no one would want to buy the book. And I couldn’t asnwer that all important question – What genre did it belong in?

Urban Fantasy? The story is in first person and the heroine is a vampire.

Paranormal Romance?  There is a love story and hot, steamy love scenes.

Sci- Fi? The book takes place mostly on Mars.

Genre confusion aside – I sent the book to my fabulous beta readers and critique partners. The overall feedback was positive. So full steam ahead, right?

No. Not exactly. I stalled on making changes, hestitated to edit, and dragged my feet. The same thought drummed through my head – no one will buy this story. It’s too weird.  

So I let it sit. Occasionally, I’d make half-hearted attempts to edit and clean the book up. Until November, when I saw a call for submissions on Twitter. I went to the publisher’s Facebook page and took the plunge.

Within an hour I had a request for a partial. Yikes! Now I had to clean up the book. After a panicked e-mail to the ever patient Suze (my wonderful critique partner), I was on my way!

Two weeks later, I had a request for the full manuscript. Two days later – an offer!

The Undead Space Initiative has been sold to Pink Petal Books. (See, I promised to share good news sooner).

The moral to this story – write the book, no matter how weird or strange the story is!! Because, you never know who will want to read it. Just write what you love or enjoy and good things will follow.

Tell me – how do you feel about your finished works? And for the readers out there – have you ever mis-judged a story, either good or bad?

A Little Bit of Blackmail — Interview with Author RC Bonitz

Happy Thursday, Scribe fans!  Suze here.  Today I’m very happy to be interviewing RC Bonitz, whose debut novel, A Little Bit of Blackmail, was

A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL

released in digital form on November 4 and is now available in print form as well from Silver Publishing and Amazon.  Click here to buy Bob’s book and to see other offerings from Silver.  Without further ado, here’s Bob:

How do you battle the Doubt Monster?  Doubt Monster: the nagging feeling while writing, 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.

The DM used to win every time. My first book was revised so many times the original story disappeared. We all have  to learn to trust our own judgment. That becomes easier as you go along and learn; at least it did for me. I’ve been writing a sequel to A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL  and just decided it was all wrong. There was no doubt in that decision. I knew what it needed, so I’m starting again.

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 gone before?

I’ve written suspense, a historical love story, a variety of short stories as well as the sweet romance. Played with a mystery too, and a children’s book of wizards and monsters. My grandkids all became qualified wizards in that one. I haven’t tried vampires yet- can’t seem to get into them.

Author Bob Bonitz

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

The recent sale of my first book,  A BLANKET FOR HER HEART. It’s been sitting on the shelf a while. An author I met via email she said she had started a publishing house. Did I have anything to send her? Well, I hunted up the file on A BLANKET FOR HER HEART  and sent it off to her.The next day she came back and said she loved it, wanted it. We signed a contract a week later.  [Suze's note:  We'll be sure to let you know when A BLANKET FOR HER HEART is available.  Check back soon!]

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

I’d find a way. I’ve never worked so hard or had as much fun in my life. I dictate now (voice recognition) and use large print, but that’s just scratching the surface of what can be done.

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?

My secret story is  HANNAH, about a young woman who flees her parent’s poverty stricken farm in England, determined to go to America and make her fortune. It’s the best writing I’ve ever done, but it was heading for a tragic ending so I put it aside. I’m thinking of changing the direction of the plot and going back to it one of these days.  [Suze's note:  Bob!  Not every book has to have an HEA.  This sounds like a great story!}

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'm sure I use my life experiences, but more than anything I write my dreams. They're a bit more interesting than my suburban life. I do incorporate things I've learned over the years, but my characters are pure invention.

You are a guy writing romance, a genre that has traditionally been a woman's provenance.  What made you decide to write romance?  Who are your favorite romance authors?

Interesting question. I was writing pure love stories because I'm a romantic, but I was getting nowhere with sales. (I wrote horrible query letters before Kristan Higgins taught me her secrets.)  At my wife's suggestion I went to hear Suzanne Brockmann speak and came away impressed with her ideas on why one should write romance novels. So, I checked online and found CTRWA and here I am.  [Suze's note:  CTRWA is the Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America, and Kristan Higgins is one of our goddesses]

Your book, A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL, released on November 4 and is available through Amazon as of November 9.  What has been your experience working with Silver Publishing, a digital press?

Silver Publishing has been wonderful thus far, giving me a lot of input in the editing and cover design processes.  Dancing With Bear Publishing has given me a contract for A BLANKET FOR HER HEART, which will come out after the first of the year. They have already scheduled and gotten me on blog talk radio to do the first promotion for the book. I can’t speak to their edit process since we haven’t started that yet.

Both publishers will produce ebook versions in just about every possible format, as well as paperback versions. And both pay high royalties. I can’t say enough about both houses- I’m  very impressed so far.

What was your biggest misstep in your writing career so far?

I would say two things. First, I wrote an entire novel before I knew how to write well. And second, once I thought I knew what I was doing I kept trying for perfection. I think most of us do that to a point. Going back to read our finished, polished manuscript always gives us fits. How could I have written that, we groan in despair. Oh crap, I’ll never be a writer.  Start again. I finally took a strategy of Jess Andersen’s. send it out and see what happens.  [Suze's note: Another goddess -- Jessica Andersen, author of many Harlequin romantic suspense novels and the Nightkeeper series] 

Do you have a word-related pet peeve?

Descriptions that read like shopping lists. My eyes glaze over and I’m gone.

What is your junk food of choice?

Nothing beats ice cream. Moose Tracks (California variety), rum raisin, vanilla fudge with lots of fudge.

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

In my lifetime? Wow, lots. Some might say telling my wife I’d marry her on our first date, but I considered that a sure thing. Maybe sailing a little boat in 55 knot winds and ten foot seas on Long Island Sound not too many years ago? Or, as a kid, riding a bike at 60 plus mph down a long steep curving mountain road. Those come to mind at the moment.

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

Those reside in my dreams and won’t ever make my books!

Thanks for being here today, Bob.  Readers, Bob will drop by periodically throughout the day to answer your questions, so stay tuned.