Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Feed Your Creative Soul

 
My husband and I love to travel. He likes to take pictures while I enjoy just seeing the wonders nature creates.
 
 
Today, I thought I would share a few pictures of some of the places I've been. They are amazing places that I wish everyone could see at one point or another in their life.
 
 
As a writer, I love to weave stories about these places. Most of the stories are just created in my head and never make it to page or a computer file.
 
But I feel that by seeing new places, I am feeding my creative soul.
 
What feeds your creative soul?
 
Nature?
 
News articles?
 
Family?
 
Time alone?
 
What ever it is, remember to take a little time to refuel.
 
Have an awesome day,
 
Tina
 
 
 

Monday, July 29, 2013

Writer's Tip - Cutting the Unnecessary, #asmsg




Those pesky words we over use.

I have a long list of words I search for that I over use. All writers do it and during the rewrite phase we have to go back and cut out the overuse of certain words.

Example -

That
Look
Like
This
Was
Just
It
Move
Push
Watch
Pull
Feel
Hear

Try cutting these words and see how much stronger your writing becomes.

Tina

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Bounty for Love by AJ Wiliams




Alek Kairis is a man on a mission to keep those around him safe from the dangers of a lurking dirty cop. But, before he can protect everyone, Alek learns of a deep secret that could not just change his life, but change his ability to protect those around him.

Tess Michaels only wanted her brother’s safety; she did not realize that she too would be placed in danger. Yet, the danger that is following her is not the only threat she faces. When she learns the truth of who her son’s father is, not only will her life change, but so will her child’s.

Once the truth comes out, there is no going back for Alek or Tess. What’s worse is that their ever-growing attraction is a distraction that neither of them need. Can Tess and Alek work together, or will danger and secrets tear them apart forever?

Purchase and check out her reviews on Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Bounty-Love-Hire-ebook/dp/B00DC9V258

Thanks AJ for sharing. It sounds like you have a winner on your hands.

Tina

Monday, July 22, 2013

You Need a Time Out

 
 
 
Life gets busy and we started going at such a pace we can't seem to slow down.
 
The laundry needs to be done, dinner fixed, the bathroom need, or a hundred other things that need to be done around the house. This isn't even counting the things you need to do for work.
 
Working at home can only add to the challenge, because you stare at all those chores all day long. Add in the things you need to work on and you can easily feel overwhelmed.
 
That's why, I believe that it is important to take a few minutes each day to sit back and breathe.
 
Count the blessing in your life...
 
What are those again?
 
Some days it takes me a moment to remember.
 
family
the beauty of the world around me
friends
my kids
the birds singing endlessly outside my window
sunshine.
 
Let the peace of the moment settle your thoughts and then you can go back to the hustle and bustle of your job, housework, and the hundred and one things you need to do.
 
Maybe, after you're moment of rest, you'll be able to handle the task with a smile.
 
Life is good, we just need to remind ourselves of the fact occasionally.
 
Have a great week,
 
Tina


Friday, July 19, 2013

Summer Time Fun

So what are you doing this summer?


Keeping the kids best can be a chore. They want to be moving all the time.

I tried to scheduled fun things to do that would keep them entertained other than tv and video games.

Here are some suggestions-

  •  go to the zoo
  • visit a theme park
  • take a bike ride to the park and have a picnic
  • play catch
  • wash the car
  • talk a walk

For quieter activities,

  • I love to go to the library. We would pick out stacks of books. This gave us plenty of items to read for those lazy days of summer.

  • Drawing is something else I enjoyed doing. If they don't like coming up with their own pictures coloring is a wonderful way to spend a few hours...or minutes.

  • Listening to a book on tape. A nice activity to enjoy with your eyes close and a nice glass of ice tea.

I hope I've offered you a few things to fill your day. I welcome you to share an activity, you enjoy doing during the summer.

Tina

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Sarah Cass - Irresistible


 
We all have things we find irresistible, don’t we?  For me it’s white-chocolate Kit Kats, Dr. Pepper, the internet, and sponge candy (a Buffalo, NY treat). 

I thought it would be fun to take some characters from my Dominion Falls Series and pick 5 things they find irresistible.  Now, it’s 1871 in Dominion Falls Colorado, so they don’t have Kit Kats and Facebook to be tempted by – so what does tempt them? 

Jane Doe (Heroine)
  1. Cole Mitchell – the Hero, of course. She manages to turn him away on several occasions, but not without a heaping amount of regret.
  2. Books – any book. All books. Books, books, books.
  3. Citing those books (eidetic memory will do that to you).
  4. Nice dresses – despite her openly sexual nature, she dresses like a schoolmarm, and always likes a lovely new dress.
  5. Cole Mitchell….what? I can’t name him twice?  Fine…whiskey. Or maybe sweet cakes from Cora’s restaurant. 

Cole Mitchell (Hero)
  1. Jane Doe – of course. He tries, boy does he try, he doesn’t want, or believe in, love anymore—but Jane gets to him.
  2. Whiskey.
  3. A good game of poker.
  4. A good fight.
  5. Jane…oh, geez, sheesh you guys are picky. Fine…nope, it’s just Jane. He has simple needs. He is a man.

Gilbert Hamm aka. Hammy
  1. Beer
  2. Beer
  3. More beer
  4. Janey (he’s got a little crush)
  5. Beer 

Katherine Daugherty
  1. Norman’s…well, let’s just say it’s a side benefit of sleeping with the telegraph operator. (You’ll have to read Derailed to get the full gist.)
  2. Wearing pants – it creates such a fun stir
  3. Stirring up trouble (and boy does she manage it)
  4. Sweet cakes from Cora’s restaurant.
  5. A nice jaunty hat.

Jackson Krenshaw
  1. Money
  2. Power
  3. Influence
  4. More money
  5. More power
Oh, there are plenty more characters I could tease you with…but maybe we’ll save that for book 3 – Dark Territory.   

What about you – what do you find absolutely irresistible?  

 
*~*

Derailed (Dominion Falls Book 2)

Blurb:
The sins of a past she can’t remember could destroy a present she’ll never forget.
The crimes of her forgotten past threaten the very life Jane Doe has learned to cherish.

Jane is out of time. With a warrant on her head, a maniac out for her blood, and a secret baby on the way, something has to give.

Without Cole Mitchell's help to find the answers, there may be no hope left.

Cole has nowhere left to hide. He unwittingly let Jane into his heart, and is ready to share the secret of his dark past.

Fate has a way of playing its hand, and tragedy strikes. With the world crumbling around them, it's easy to lose faith. If they can't forgive past sins, they have no hope for the future.

Because the noose waits for no man or woman.
 

Buy Links:

Secret Cravings Website -  http://bit.ly/12J4bO9

Amazon -  http://amzn.to/1ahJIu4

Barnes & Noble -  http://bit.ly/1bkEnQw

All Romance Ebooks -  http://bit.ly/170laAc

Bookstrand – http://bit.ly/1diptbG

Goodreads - http://bit.ly/14UlKhj 

BIO:
Sarah Cass’s world is regularly turned upside down by her three special-needs kids and loving mate, so she breaks genre barriers, dabbling in horror, straight fiction, and urban fantasy. An ADD tendency leaves her with a variety of interests that include singing, dancing, crafting, cooking, and being a photographer. She fights through the struggles of the day, knowing the battles are her crucible and though she may emerge scarred, she’s also stronger. While busy creating worlds and characters as real to her as her own family, she leads an active online life with her blog, Redefining Perfect, which gives a real and sometimes raw glimpses into her life and art. 

Where to find me:

Redefining Perfect – http://redefiningperfect.com

Sarah’s StoryLines – http://authorsarahcass.com



 
Excerpt:
His visage grew blurry and faint. Jane sobbed. “Wait.”

“Jane?”

Jane reached out toward the retreating image with a desperate gasp. A hand grasped her arm just before she tumbled off the bench. “No. Wait. I was about to remember.”

“Jane, you all right?” Norman’s weathered face replaced Jake’s, and he kept a tight hold of her arm. “What were you about to remember?”

“I don’t know.” She wiped at the tears starting to escape. “It was a dream. I didn’t realize I’d fallen asleep. I’m fine, just a little disoriented.”

“Ya sure?”

Jane smiled, relaxing when Norman’s face wrinkled into a bright smile. “I’m sure. I didn’t realize I was so tired. I just came by to see if there’d been any response yet.”

His smile faded, and he shook his head. “Not a word, Janey. I can resend it if you want. It’s been a couple weeks since ya sent it.”

“No. If there was going to be a response, it would have already come.” She tried to cover her disappointment. The telegram she’d sent to C. Hodgkins had gone unanswered. It had been her last hope.

Her hand fluttered to her stomach. No, it hadn’t been her last hope. She still held out a little hope for the small life inside. She’d decided to ask Michael to care for the child once it was born. If she was going to be hanged, that is.

“Jane?”

Norman’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. She’d totally forgotten he was there. “Sorry. I’m still not fully awake. Go on to lunch, Norman. I think I’ll head to the library.”

“If you’re sure. I’d be happy to walk ya.”

“You’re very kind. I can make it all right. I’ve got my cane, and it’s not terribly far.” To prove her point, she rose and leaned on the cane. “Now go on. I’m going to be slow and enjoy this beautiful day.”

“All right. Good day, Jane.” He tapped his hat and started toward town.

Following at a slower pace, Jane had to pause at the end of the platform. A twinge in her abdomen stretched into a dull ache. She leaned into the building and took a few steadying breaths.

“Falling asleep against the depot?” Laughter trickled through Al’s voice as he hopped down from his horse. “I know you said you weren’t sleeping well, but if this is the case, I have to tell you it isn’t the most effective way to find rest.”

She strained against the tense lock of her jaw to force out a smile. “I have to take my rest where I can get it. No rest for the wicked, you know.”

He offered her his arm, smiling when she took it. “Well, I don’t know about that. You aren’t nearly as wicked as you’ve been made out to be.”

“The rumors do have me painted as quite a soiled dove.”

“Not that you discouraged them in any way. I do recall several occasions that you came to my tent in the middle of the night.”

“To talk. Play cards.”

“Poorly.”

She smacked him in the arm and laughed. “So I’m no good at poker. Doesn’t mean I can’t have fun playing.”

“No, but you lost quite a few bucks to my men.”

“And to you.”

“I tried to let you win it back. You just kept losing—Jane?”

She gripped his arm when the pain returned, stronger than before. Fear gripped her heart. Something was wrong. This was stronger than any ache she’d had so far. “Oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I need to see Daisy.”

“Is it your ankle?”

Her knees buckled when a shock of pain shot through her, right into her back. Al’s arm wrapped tight around her waist to hold her up, and she doubled over. “Al.”

His shout rang in her ear, but she couldn’t make out the words. Colors swirled in front of her eyes, trying to drag her into blissful oblivion. She was scooped up into the air, and she groaned, her head falling against a padded shoulder. A soft cry grew into a whimper. “Hurry.”

“I’m going fast as I can,” Graham snapped. “What in blazes were you doing?”

“Walking,” she groaned. “Why did you—”

“Webb can’t pick you up. He’s still recuperating. I was right there.” Graham wasn’t careful with his steps, and every impact ripped through her.

Her head swam. “Hurry.”

“I’m right here,” Daisy spoke quietly. After shoving Graham out of the room, she took Jane’s hand. “What happened?”

“Something’s wrong. Pain. Help.”

“I’ll do everything I can.”

Thanks Sarah for stopping by and best of luck with your book,

Tina

 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Fun Time at #MFRW Summer Camp


For those of you who didn't go to #MFRW Summer Camp, you can still find information that can be helpful.

Interacting with the instructors was great, but don't let the fact that the camp is over keep you from gaining a world of knowledge.

Not only can you still go out and read the lesson on Coffee Time Romance http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/showthread.php?t=29497


You can also get copies of the handout for each class.

http://marketingforromancewriters.org/camp.htm

I, personally, taught a class and I tried to look in at all the others. There was so much information to learn, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with information overload.

As, I've said many times before this is an awesome group. Not only do they help you learn new ways to market your book, they also offer a great deal of support with any question you might have.

Take a look at the handouts and see if there isn't something you can gain by having these notes and joining this group.

Have a great week,

Tina