Monday, December 28, 2015

How I use #Scrivener for my series #Storybible @Scrivenerapp #amwriting #write

PictureLivia Quinn's Storm Lake series Storybible





















I offered this as part of my "Why You Should be Using Scrivener to pants, plot, revise, brainstorm or analyze your next novel." It's a bit more of an advanced tip though it's very easy to do once you understand the flexibility of the binder, labels, status and cork board.

If you write multiple series - or would like to - keeping track of books, how they relate, when they are scheduled, when they published, which series they were in can be challenging. Scrivener is so flexible and such a great organizer that it is perfect for doing story bibles. In this case, I have my greater series - Storm Lake - and under that umbrella I have a series set in each community around Storm Lake. So it’s my Storm Lake series bible.

I could have chosen to organize by community but I wanted to see the list of books and my progress in my ongoing plan. So this is more of a series tracker than my storybible, which I have for each individual series since they each have their own set of characters and premise.

Since the Destiny Paramortals are paranormal I gave that label the color purple and called it Paramortals. Each label (see on the right in the picture) is the name of a series and each status item a date when the book published, or I expect to publish. In the binder on the left I named each file with a code I use to tell me what series and in what order each book falls. SL6 PMS4 BIOTM is Storm Lake 6, Destiny Paramortals 4, Blame it on the Moon. You’ll notice on the index cards which are produced from the synopsis, I can add information like how much of the book is already written, 53k, 70k, etc.

This system helps when I am planning my writing and revision schedule for the year. I can also plop my finished .doc into a file inside each series folder. I can’t tell you how often that came in handy. I wish I'd thought of it back in in 2007 when I began using Scrivener.

As you can see not only is Scrivener flexible and organized but it creates a great visual. At a glance I can see all the purple Destiny books, Hot pink Under-Cover Knights (appropriate eh?), and blue Thunder Points.

Hope this gives you some ideas for your series bible or another way to let Scrivener work for you.

Livia

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

D is for Destiny in the #A2ZChallenge



 
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There is bliss in looking back, seeing what you've accomplished. On April 8th the boxed set of the first three of my Destiny Paramortals books will go live on Amazon.

Tempe's and Jack's story has morphed into so much more than when they first came to me on the mail route six years ago. I'm working on book four now and let me tell you - writing it is reminding there is so much joy in it. I look forward to a slowdown at work in a couple months when I can get back to it.

Do you have a passion for something? When you can participate in it fully, even for long hours, is doesn't seem like work does it?


I'm participating in the A2Z Challenge this month. Please check out some of the other bloggers and if you're blogging, leave a comment so I can visit you as well.

Livia

Sunday, December 6, 2015

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Yesterday was release day for Merry Christmas, Baby (A Knights Christmas) book 3 in my Under-Cover Knights series. The lovely cover was created by Linda Boulanger. 
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It’s a Christmas weekend full of love and Larue social media is a twitter at the return of their hometown movie star, Ducane Beauregard Larue, and a visit by Raptors quarterback, Gino Manelli, at the only place to celebrate Christmas Eve—the Romanos’. Catch up with the characters from Larue and Thunder Point and as a bonus get a peek into the lives of upcoming characters.

Beau hates Christmas. It reminds him of what he can’t have. He’s been avoiding homecomings and the biggest reason is unavoidable this Christmas – Madison Hart, who has loved Beau for most of her adult life. Whenever rumors surface about him returning home, Madison hyperventilates at the prospect of seeing him again.

Samantha Larue’s baby is overdue and everyone is hovering including Jed, who ended their relationship last summer because kids weren’t “in his future”.

Bad guys don’t scare Delilah Burke but Luc’s mother and five sisters have her stalling on setting a date to marry the man she loves.

Nothing could make Buffy Romano happier than delivering a few surprises and helping the people she loves find love. Then, a Christmas Eve miracle confirms what she already knows – that with a little nudge, all her love ones’ happily ever afters will happen in the not so distant future.

Read an excerpt on the Amazon description page or my books page here.

Ironically, the book went live on Pearl Harbor Day and my oldest character, Grandpa Earl was there. If you'd like to know how you can support our troops in some way, visit my Vet-links Page.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

#Whatmakesahero #Veterans day is the perfect time to recommit to our #soldiers and their families. #IARTG #MFRWauthor

 
PictureMy dad in China Burma Campaign I saw a twitter post about a BBC project with the tag #whatmakesahero. 

The video called "What Makes a Hero" by veterans and produced by the BBC is here. As you'll see, there are some  military men and women who are uncomfortable being called heroes. It's complicated, for them and for those of us who didn't choose to, or were unable to, serve.
I need to say thank you to men and women I admire, who have the qualities and courage to put themselves between me and someone who’s intention it is to harm me or my country, even if they feel like they're just doing their job. I feel the same way about firefighters, law enforcement, and social service personnel.

The most important thing this Veterans Day, is to re-commit to donate our time, efforts or funds to making sure these dedicated men and women have a rich normal life, like we all deserve, when they come home, and for their families while they are serving.

As the veteran Senator said on the video, "We don't want parades and celebrations, we just want someone to give us an opportunity when we get home."

There are so many ways to help.
  • Be there for a veteran or family member when they need it. 
  • Write your congressmen about issues involving veterans. 
  • Donate money or time to organizations that make a difference. You may know of some, if not, there’s a partial list on my          Vet Links page


IF YOU ARE A VETERAN and know of an organization that works, please leave a link or the name in the comments so others can benefit.


~~
This month all sales from Her First Knight go to veterans charities.

In my fictional contemporary romance, the Under-Cover Knights series, Knights Production Inc. is a studio where images and videos are produced for use on book covers, ads, media campaigns and where the actors and models might even be used as movie extras. One of the owners of KPI, Ridge Romano, was responsible for the creation of a consortium of private companies that’s taking over the care of veterans. Ridge has made it part of their mission at KPI to hire vets and other men and women of integrity and service. They are not only former military but their regard for and dedication to humanity is intrinsic to their everyday lives. 

So far we’ve met Luc Larue in Hard Days Knight, who is not only a veteran but whose teencenter in Larue is changing the lives of disadvantaged youth, and Ridge, from Her First Knight. 


Let’s make a difference this year. The need is greater than ever.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Practical #Scrivener tips. Labels on the Fly #amwriting #ASMSG #IARTG #MFRWauthor

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I've been polishing up Merry Christmas, Baby (book 3 in my Under-Cover Knights series) and I used the flexibility and color of Scrivener labels to help set goals for the revision process. Above you see a screenshot of MCB after one pass through. During the previous pass, I determine what stage the scene is in - needing to be revised (pink), incorporate or move text elsewhere (aqua), a scene that needs to be written (red) and one which might need to be deleted (always green). (I also use green highlight or revision mode green for possible deletions.)

Setting the goal. I know on the next pass I have to start from the beginning but this time I'm concerned about my deadline and getting through the text thoroughly so I create a label called Today in orange. I planned to have the revision on this novella done in six days. At 28k that's around 5k a day, allowing for scenes that have to be written and the normal growth that happens in revision. So I select the number of files that add up to around 4-6k and apply the orange label. (If you don't know this, as you select a group of files in the binder, the word count is displayed at the bottom of Scrivener editor for the selected files.)

Here's what that looks like. Now the files I need to revise today are orange. I renamed the 'Done' label  'Do final pass' and as I finished each scene I applied that label. (On my last book which was 82k I selected 10k at a time and gave that a label that said 'Revise by Tuesday'. I knew it would be more trouble to rename all the labels if I got behind so it kept me on track until at least 75k was complete. )

Picture When I'm finished all the files will be pink and labeled 'Do final pass' at which point I compile them with chapter headings and send them to word so I can read it in a different format and prepare to put the completed manuscript in Vellum.

The point is, the labels can do or be whatever you need them to be. They can label plot points, pov, villain appearances and love scenes during the writing process but that doesn't mean you're done with them during revision. I hope this gives you some ideas about using labels. 

If you use them in a unique way, please tell me about it in the comments.

Look for a cover reveal on Merry Christmas, Baby the first week in December. And be sure to sign up for my newsletter on the homepage to get a chance to win the ASUS tablet for Christmas. 

DON'T FORGET He

Monday, November 2, 2015

#Nano and GE. Ugly transforms into beautiful. #ASMSG #IARTG @nanowrimo

 
"Ideas are scary, messy, and fragile, but under the proper care, they become something beautiful."

Interesting, fun, intense, thrilling and ugly. That's how the first draft of a manuscript often feels whether it's during @Nanowrimo or not. I was thinking about the current Under-Cover Knights book I'm writing and how these emotions have bounced around. Then during that fabulous Saints football game last night (sorry, you know I have to get my Saints thumbs-ups in when I can) I saw this again. It's a perfect description of a new creative work - or perhaps a career.

When you're in the middle it's messy, and yes, very scary, and then hopefully, the magic happens and it transforms into something you're not ashamed to put your name on, a piece that gave you joy to create and a sense of satisfaction to see the finished project. You do know that we are all creative beings.  Where does your imagination take you if you're a mechanic, a fisherman, a football player, a doctor, whatever. The mind is magic isn't it?" So says the GE commercial. Haven't seen it? You're in for a treat.

Kudos to GE for this ad that has so much truth in it. 

Saturday, October 17, 2015

#RELEASEDAY: Storm Warning #ASMSG #MFRWAuthor #IARTG #RomanticSuspense How Brenna and I banished our fear of storms.

 
Picture The first time I experienced the weather of the South was the very month I moved from DC to Mississippi. Only one week landed and there were tornados "walking the Interstate". One of the worst winters the state had ever had.

Coming from Maryland I was no stranger to bad thunderstorms. We had our share being near the Atlantic coast. But in fact my father told me I got my fear of loud noises and lightning from a Fourth of July fireworks event they took me to when I was three.

Tornados, though, were another story. After I moved to the South, I became a weather watcher, a weather forecast addict, listening to all the preventive tips on avoiding lightning strikes, how to tell if a tornado is near, etc.

I remember sitting up in the middle of the night that winter wondering "Is that a train? Or is that a train? To this day I still don't know what part of the train I'm supposed to be on the look out for, the roaring, the whistle, the wheels on the tracks...

But my experiences aren't just based in Louisiana for the last how ever many years. I also spent a lot of time at my mom and dad's house near Tampa. I remember one weekend while I was visiting, four people were killed by lightning. It's the lightning capitol of the world. They were doing everyday tasks like washing a car, boating, bathing and one man was on the phone. Back then the weather authorities didn't advise the public as much as they do now to stay away from those types of activities during a lightning storm. But I was gathering clues to bolster my phobia.

I'm not as fearful of storms as I used to be, but I don't go out when it's thundering either. All this to say that much of what I write about in the Storm Lake series is first hand. As the months go by, I'll share a few of my funny stories about my ridiculous reactions to thunderstorms.

But don't hold that against my heroine in Storm Warning. Brenna has chosen to confront her fears on Storm Lake, which is infamous for its severe weather. Storm Warning is set in Thunder Point (you can see a map in the front of your book or here on my website and read an excerpt as well.)

As you know if you've read any of the series, the books based on the west end of the lake are the paranormal books and as you travel east on the lake things have less of a mystical bent. By the time you get to Larue, home of the Under-Cover Knights and Thunder Point where the most violent weather is because of its location, you've arrived where the books are contemporary (military romance and contemporary).

The Destiny books are a continued series with recurring characters and should be read in order. All the books are loosely connected to the lake and in Blame it on the Moon, Ridge from Her First Knight even made an appearance, but for the most part the Under-Cover Knights and Thunder Point books are standalones.

I hope you enjoy Storm Warning. It was the first book I wrote, ten years ago, in what would become the Storm Lake series. The characters are like family. I've already been asked if Declan will get a story and the answer is a resounding YES!

Sign up for my newsletter on the home page or news page to be entered for the ASUS tablet giveaway at Christmas. And as always, thanks so much for your support. I'd love to hear from you.

Livia

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

 
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Just in time, I've got pretty new re-formatted files and a new cover for the paperback of Her First Knight. (Purchased this book before? You can request that Amazon deliver the new file to you minus any highlights or notes you might have added.)
If you've visited my vet links page you've seen how I feel about empty celebrations and hollow thank yous for our veterans. I've been guilty as we all have of just repeating the phrase, "Thank you for your service." But I wonder, what more can we do for the veteran family member, the wounded warrior, the homeless vet, or our veteran neighbor on a daily basis to make a difference. 

There are several things in your own community you can do without donating money. Do you know a vet who has to get to another city for a doctor's visit? Someone who needs paperwork filled out? Are they trying to get someone to donate flowers for memorials? It is so many little things that matter. 

This month all profits from Her First Knight will go to one or two #Veterans charities. I may take half and donate toward those memorial tributes. It depends, if you're generous, I can be. None of this money will be retained.

If you would like to see ratings for organizations that help vets go to my vet links page and click on the Charity Navigator link.

Here's an excerpt:


Ridge was up to his Special Forces tattoo in manure.

“Take ‘em off, Tucker. Tucker. Tucker…”

What had he been thinking? He considered himself a careful planner, the consummate decision maker. He’d worn many hats—inventor, Ranger, mentor, CEO. So how had he wound up on stage in nothing but his trousers and tie beside two cover models with a hundred women screaming for him to take it off. That’s the question his friends and family would be asking tomorrow, if they found out. That, and “Who’s Tucker?” He’d just have to make sure no one found out about his little side trip. A whim and a folly could turn into his worst nightmare.

It had seemed like a recipe for harmless fun. Take one curious CEO on the way to his room following a gorgeous redhead onto the wrong floor. Add a hundred romance writers and readers attending a conference. Toss in some false assumptions, throw out a lifetime of good behavior and Ridge was up to his Special Forces tattoo in manure.

If Molly and Belinda could see him now, they would be stunned, say he’d gone off the deep end. They’d be right.

He should own up right now and stop this farce, exit while he still had his drawers, but that guaranteed revealing his faux pas. He decided to play along, call as little attention to himself as possible—while stripping off his clothes—and slip away unidentified when it was over. Before something went wrong…



Praises for Her First Knight:
    "There is a part near the end of this book that brought me to tears...I was sobbing. This book is dedicated to veterans and it's just a beautiful scene. If you haven't read it you'll know which one it is, if you have.... well you know what scene I'm talking about." Amazon reviewer

     "I enjoyed the interaction between the two of them, and how they really complimented each other!!! Each came to an understanding with how their relationship would progress, and the ending was awesome. I loved this story and you will too!!!" Amazon Reviewer


Buy Link Her First Knight  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00REUM57A

Hard Days Knight: Under-Cover Knights, book 1 Here



Here's the new paperback cover. Didn't Linda Boulanger do a lovely job?

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Monday, October 12, 2015

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! #grateful #CA @LeahBraemel @DaleMayer @NNP_W_Light


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This weekend a few of my friends are celebrating their Canadian Thanksgiving, and while we don't necessarily share the same ideal menu, we do share the meaning of the holiday.

Talking to two of them yesterday reminded me that it's never too early to think about what we're grateful for. As my DH says every time he goes to the doctor, "All I have to do is look around to see many people who have it worse than I do."

How true. When we have our health we are rich and shouldn't take it for granted. Now that doesn't mean I won't over-eat in November, but I am trying to concentrate more on healthy reasonable portions.

This early reminder gave me a reason to look at the things I'm grateful for, and one of those things living where I do, is the ability to meet new friends via writing groups and social media.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Livia

Saturday, October 10, 2015

#Coverreveal for the next #StormLake book, Storm Warning, #giveaway


 
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I'm so excited about this cover. First of all, as I said on Facebook, what's better than one handsome intense Jimmy Thomas if not two?

He is truly Nick in this image. There's so much about Storm Warning that is personal for me. I'll be going into it more in the next month. I hope you'll stop in and visit.

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Hey, have you signed up for my newsletter yet? If not, click to the home page and do it to have at least one qualified entry for the ASUS tablet I'll be giving away in December. But you'll also receive infrequent emails about new releases or monthly giveaways/or free books.

As always I'd love to hear from you. I'm looking for titles, zeus' curses, ideas for the upcoming Destiny books. Get involved.
And,

Never give up on your dreams...

Livia

Thursday, September 17, 2015

#DreamBig #ASMSG


If you don't


                build your dream,
 
                

      someone else 


                      
                 will hire you 



                             to build theirs!


                            

                                         Tony Gaskins

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Storm Lake Boxset (Destiny) on Sale


 
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Today and tomorrow, the boxset is on sale for $2.99, that's less the the price of one book for the first three in the series:
Storm Crazy
Cry Me a River
Eve of Chaos


This Friday Blame it on the Moon, book 4 is available.

ARC 2015 New Orleans @AuthorReaderCon


 
Picture Because of work and the Blame it on the Moon release tomorrow, I wasn't able to make the whole conference, but I will be going down to meet all these fabulous authors Saturday. 


If you're near New Orleans this weekend, why not check it out? Right there at the SuperDome, and then explore New Orleans.

#Release Day! Blame it on the Moon #asmsg

Picture It's such a great feeling to be able to announce the release of Blame it on the Moon, book 4 in my Storm Lake: Destiny Paramortals series. I'd begun to wonder if it was ever going to happen.

There I was in December, pleased with the six books I'd been able to publish in the last half of 2014 and illogically expecting things would continue in a similar fashion in 2015. My work plan included publishing a book in February, April and June. (I laugh now at my expectations.) I had the plan formed, how many words I needed to write per day, when I would revise, when the covers needed to be finished to accomplish that schedule. (This is where you hear that buzzer sound the game shows play when a contestant gives the wrong answer.) Unnnh! Wrong.

Reality set in when I realized the additional job I took on in January and February was going to mean fewer hours to write due to six or seven day workweeks, long hours and a long commute, a very uncreative atmosphere, and then it would bleed into my seasonal business which is a seven day a week commitment. This meant my writing process which had become so wonderfully habitual was going to come to a halt. And not just for a short time-- for seven months.

Having worked eighty hour weeks or two jobs most of my life, I'd come to treasure those six off months to give to my stories, especially since all of a sudden my characters seemed to be speaking to me constantly--no, I've never had a problem with schizophrenia ;) so it's satisfying that I was able to persevere and devise a plan to keep going even though it wasn't at the pace I'd hoped.

I felt I owed my readers this book more than the others, which gets Tempe and Jack to a place they've been headed to since Storm Crazy. So I postponed Dance of Desire, the prequel to Blood Opal, put the revisions on Storm Warning on hold, and devoted what little daily time I could to finishing Blame it on the Moon.

I discovered something wonderful in the process. Armed with my mini notebook and my favorite navy blue Sarasa pen for thirty minutes in the tub every morning , and another twenty on my long commute over country roads, I could get a good forty minutes worth of writing done. This amounted to around 600-1500 words per day, and that's how Blame it on the Moon got written. In the tub and on the road.

Unfortunately, revising isn't possible in the tub, or while driving, so that took much longer, nearly two months. At the start of that revision process, I wondered if it would ever be a book I'd like. That's the thing about revising. Some people say you should just write the book and spend very little time revising it but for me, it's a necessary evil that transforms the rough jumbled boring mess into a cohesive piece of work that I'm not ashamed to offer to anyone.

I hope you enjoy Blame it on the Moon and all the other Storm Lake books. If you're new to the series, you might want to check out the Storm Lake pages to see the difference in the communities. Destiny is where the supernatural creatures live. The farther east you go, the more 'normal' people are. Though if you were to ask Jack, he'd be the first to say, "What's so great about 'normal'?"

Here's the blurb: 
It’s the height of the Para-moon and Sheriff Jack Lang is up to his ‘6’ in alligators. Defending those weaker than himself is in his DNA which is what drove him to become a Navy pilot and a detective in Memphis. But who is he kidding? Alligators he could handle! Supernatural bad guys, well…

Ragtag doesn’t begin to describe his band of temporary ’heroes’. If he had to go to war with the supernatural with the group that showed up at dawn, he might as well start cutting up white sheets and attaching them to garden stakes.

With Tempe and the other Paramortals ill or incapacitated and the sudden appearance of beings he’s never heard of, will Jack be able to keep Destiny out of the hands of their enemies for the rest of the power down? After all, it’s only twenty-four hours. If he could find some real soldiers and get a strong defense together until the Paramortals get most of their power back, maybe they’d stand a chance.

He’s been told this was the strongest and most unpredictable Chaos ever, which is why Tempe, Aurora and Dylan have been hit so hard, but also, ironically, the reason there’d been no coordinated attack by hordes of bad guys  - yet.

He doesn’t have time to worry about the future he may not have with Tempe and his daughter because one crisis after another raises its head. They have to find a healer for Dylan, relocate a lost elemental, make a formal request for help from the Fae, figure out what the hell his crazy ex Georgeanne is up to, and - very important - keep the humans in the dark.

If worse comes to worse, he has a dragon on his side and a few surprises up his sleeve. “Yippe, ki, yi! Unfortunately a lot can happen in twenty four hours and things… don’t always go as planned.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Blame it on the Moon - Cover Reveal


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I'm thrilled to reveal the cover for Blame it On the Moon which will release on July 31, 2015. My cover designer Linda Boulanger with Tell-Tale Cover Designs does all my covers. She's wonderful.

Until the 31st, watch for special prices on some of the Destiny books.

This Friday, pick up Storm Crazy free!! the first book in the series.

To see more check out the Destiny Paramortals page and read an excerpt.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

E is for Edinburgh day 5 of the #A2Zchallenge


 
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I remember the first time I visited Edinburgh. Our tour arrived nearby and the young people on the bus decided they'd rather go shopping, uh-huh, shopping rather than see some of the historic sights like St. Paul's Cathedral, Parliament. So when the issue came up in Edinburgh, I said, let me off.  It was around 33 degrees and drizzling... and I could have slept in the street.

I was in Edinburgh. I was strolling up the most famous street in Scotland. At one point I walked into a TINY-- what we would call in the states -- convenience store. It was about as big as my clothes closet. There was a unique umbrella with a cloth strap attached to the point. When I asked the lady behind the register how much it was (it was marked 5 pounds) she said, Oh, I couldna charge you that much for it, you see, it's soiled. I couldn't help but wonder how the same situation might have been handled in America. I hope it would have been the same...

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I still have that umbrella. It reminds me of that day on my own on the Royal Mile. I'll be returning in August and I plan to absorb every little detail. It's been seventeen years and I still remember the experience of that special place.

Scotland felt like home. It still does. I sang in a tavern for an empty bottle of Sheep Dip Scotch. I have it, too.

Is there a place that calls to your soul like that? Like you should have been born there, maybe were in a previous lifetime?

If you're participating in the A-to-zchallenge leave me a comment and I'll bop over to visit you as well. If you're just visiting, come back again. I'm glad you're here.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

An awesome deal and a giveaway! Shades of Desire


 
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Wow, some friends of mine have an awesome NEW RELEASE: 


Shades of Desire Box Set (10 Sweet & Spicy Romances) 

AND they are giving away a Kindle Fire HD. Check it out. What a great time to try a new author!
Shades of Desire Authors: J.A. Coffey, Wendy Ely, Dorothy Callahan, Diane Escalera, Lena Hart, Chanta Rand, Emma Leigh Reed, Cindy Stark, Valerie Twombly, Kristina Knight

 

BLURB:

Now available! Ten titillating tales from USA Today, bestselling and award-winning authors. Step into the world of some of the freshest voices in romance. From spicy secrets to sweet second chances. Come find your perfect shade of desire.

Only $.99 for a limited time only!

J.A. Coffey – Bestselling Author
LIAR, LIAR
Divorced certified fraud examiner Jessica Barlow catches liars for a living. Sparks fly when she’s assigned to investigate a dating website owned by a man determined to guarantee she finds love—even if he has to pretend to be a client!

Wendy Ely – USA Today Bestselling Author
DANGEROUS FLAMES 
Sometimes good men are taught to do evil things and it takes the strength of a sheltered woman to make things right. When Gabi learns of her father, she is asked to leave for her own safety. Fine. She’ll go… but she is taking her secret love with her, even if it’s at gun-point.

Dorothy Callahan – Bestselling Author
A DECADE FOR DARIUS 
Jess never forgot her first kiss, especially since it came from the guy who taught her everything she knows about antiques, her livelihood. But if she wins the priceless inheritance, Jess will risk losing Darius Covington all over again.

Diane Escalera – Bestselling Author
STILL HOT FOR YOU 
Shay LaCosta screwed up a damn good marriage. Now she's on a mission to get a little submission, and get her hunky husband back in her bed.

Lena Hart – Bestselling Author
HIS BEDPOST QUEEN 
Athena Lewis has a sharp mind and an even sharper attitude. Except when it comes to “Davie,” the only man who’s ever truly made her feel safe. Yet to protect the only family she has left, she must embark on a mission that goes against everything she believes in—and that includes using the last trick she has left. Her body.

Chanta Rand – Bestselling Author and Debut Author of the Year
RESISTING DESTINY 
Thrown together for ninety days by a spiteful judge, womanizing attorney, Cayson Sullivan and street-smart hustler, Destiny Jackson find the only thing they can agree on is their red-hot attraction for each other.

Emma Leigh Reed
TRUSTING LOVE 
Pregnant and running from her abusive boyfriend, Chloe Wilder takes refuge in the sleepy coastal town of Arden. Police chief, Jayden Peterson, thinks the worst crime that could happen in Arden is jaywalking. Could the real danger be the two of them falling for each other?

Cindy Stark – Bestselling Author
WOUNDED 
Battle-worn soldier, Jerry returns home intending to avoid his ex-fiancée. The shrapnel that wounded him pales in comparison to the gash she left in his heart. Kimber lost everything when she broke off her engagement, and she’ll fight to win him back.

Valerie Twombly – Bestselling Author
SPANISH NIGHTS
Armand has lost everything. His magic and his freedom are taken when an evil curse is placed on the Jinn, but a newcomer to town may be his savior. When evil emerges from the shadows, Makayla learns she must choose between her mortality and Armand’s freedom.

Kristina Knight – Bestselling Author
MR. RIGHT NOW 
Dumped by her celebrity boyfriend, unlucky-in-love author Casey Cash needs a break. But, between the male escort trying to get into her bed and the tabloid reporter intent on getting her story, Casey might have been smarter to stay in New York...

REVIEWS (optional):

LIAR, LIAR

“One of the most descriptive, steamiest foreplay scenes that I have ever encountered!”

 —Brittany, book blogger & Goodreads reviewer

DANGEROUS FLAMES

“It began quickly and almost immediately, the story had me in suspense. Whether I was hoping for Gabrielle’s safe escape to her father’s cabin, and for her and Mikolas to get together, I was on the edge of my seat.”

 —Isabella from Chick Lit Goddess Reviews

A DECADE FOR DARIUS

“I’ve never read a romance where the two main characters were more perfect for each other.”

 —Print and Film Fan

STILL HOT FOR YOU
“Diane Escalera cranks up the heat and gives a story sizzling with seduction and chemistry between her characters.”

 —Book Lovers, Inc.

HIS BEDPOST QUEEN

“The passion between the main characters is FIYAH, and they are relatable!”

 —Amazon Reviewer

RESISTING DESTINY

“The sexual tension in this book is incredible. These are real people, and it is as if they could walk right off the pages and into the real world!”

 —Rose, Amazon Reviewer

TRUSTING LOVE

“The book had me sharing emotions with the characters and had my heart racing the whole time. I called it “criminal minds in a book”.

WOUNDED

“Powerfully sweet story of love, hurt and forgiveness.”

 —Vo Pov, Amazon Reviewer

SPANISH NIGHTS

“This book was steamy, sexy, raw with a side of chocolate dipped cherries on top!  I finished reading this book in record time it was so damn juicy!”

 –Paranormaly Yours

 RIGHT NOW

“Mr. Right Now packs a lot of story into 50,000 words—it demands attention. Steaming sex scenes, humor and memorable characters.”

 —Reader review on Amazon & Goodreads

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00VQYVU1M

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shades-of-desire/id983263845?mt=11

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121700462?ean=2940152217230

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shades-of-desire-2

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shadesofdesire-1777727-166.html

Google:https://play.google.com/store/books/details/J_A_Coffey_Shades_Of_Desire?id=parkBwAAQBAJ&hl=en

SHORT BUY LINKS (optional):

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00VQYVU1M

iBooks: http://apple.co/1QrGLJR

B&N: http://bit.ly/1QrGGpz

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1QrGK8U

ARe: http://bit.ly/1QrGJlb

Google: http://bit.ly/1QrGDKy

SOCIAL MEDIA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25330787-shades-of-desire

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Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/bjdlP1

GIVEAWAY: Kindle Fire 7” HD

Link: http://www.lenahartsite.com/grand-prize.html





 
 
I'm thrilled to join J.J. DiBenedetto in his new release. Check out this fabulous book. Welcome James, and say hello to my hometown for me. I love this series!

What if you could see everyone else's dreams?

Find out with the Dream Series by J.J. DiBenedetto! Book #9, FEVER DREAM, is out today! FeverDreamV2 What's the story?
Dr. Sara Alderson isn’t used to her patients dying for no reason. When a young boy succumbs to a mysterious illness that defies all her efforts to treat it, she refuses to accept defeat. After two months of questions, Sara has attracted the attention of powerful people who don’t want their secrets uncovered, and will go to any lengths to make sure they stay hidden. Now, time is running out for Sara to unravel the mystery before anyone else falls victim to the illness. And before her career, her family and her freedom are taken from her by enemies she doesn’t even know she has.
Where can you buy it? Amazon (Kindle or Paperback) Smashwords Barnes & Noble (Nook or Paperback) Apple iBookstore Kobo AllRomanceEboo Want to know more? Here's an excerpt!
It’s one in the morning, and the last guests have gone. Other than the cleaning crew, Brian and I are the only ones left in the ballroom. I know we need to leave, but I can’t bear the thought of standing up and trying to walk out of the room, down to the garage and then to the car. I think my feet might literally fall off. “You’re going to have to carry me out of here,” I tell Brian, and he gives me a wicked grin in return. “I was planning on it,” he says, and he stands, takes a deep breath, and lifts me right out of my seat. I yelp and throw my arms around his neck as he carries me out of the room and over to the elevator, barely showing any strain at all. He has to put me down once we get to the elevator, though. “I need a free hand,” he says, hitting the “up” button. But the garage is – oh. I should have known. “You booked a room.” He nods. “And you told my parents we wouldn’t be home tonight.” Another nod. It’s all part of the fantasy, I guess. He’s been imagining that he’s James Bond all night, and after a glitzy evening at the casino, James Bond doesn’t hop into the minivan so he can get home, walk the dog and collapse into bed. No way. He takes his conquest for the evening up to the five-star hotel room, where the champagne is already waiting. On ice, no doubt. The bell dings, he ushers me into the empty elevator, and as the door closes, I feel my fatigue suddenly, instantly, drain away, and I’m all over him. I may not be a fan of those movies, but I know how they go, and it’s not as though I need much of an excuse to throw myself at my husband. By the time the door opens onto the third floor, I’m panting and extricating my hands from his tuxedo jacket. “You woke up in a hurry,” he says, panting himself, pulling his hand off the zipper of my dress, which is already halfway down my back. “Well, I know what you were thinking, and I also know that no girl can resist James Bond, right?” By way of an answer, he leads me down the hall, opens the door to our room, picks me up again and deposits me on the bed. In seconds, he’s finished the job of zipping me right out of my dress, and his tuxedo is in an undignified mess somewhere on the floor. After that – there’s no more thought, just feeling, just his hands and his lips and his – his everything.
Interested in the books that lead up to this one? The first five books in the series are collected in one Kindle Box Set, and it's on sale this weekend for just $0.99!
What if you could see everyone else’s dreams? Sara Barnes has just discovered that she can. And this gift – or curse – will lead her on an extraordinary journey. Follow Sara as her newfound ability leads her into adventures she never imagined. She will hunt down a serial killer, investigate a plot to murder one of her teachers, unravel a conspiracy between a mobster and a corrupt politician and face off against her nemesis: a woman who shares her talent, but uses it to destroy lives rather than save them. And Sara will have to manage all that while finishing college, becoming a doctor and falling in love, too. Here are the first five books of the Dream Series, along with bonus material created especially for this collection. Included in this set are DREAM STUDENT, DREAM DOCTOR, DREAM CHILD, DREAM FAMILY and WAKING DREAM. In addition, you’ll find the short story BETTY & HOWARD’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE starring Sara’s parents. But most of all, when you open this box of dreams, you’ll find romance, suspense, humor and plenty of heart…
Where do you buy it? Amazon Smashwords Barnes & Noble Apple iBookstore Kobo AllRomanceEbooks.com Google Play What about books #6, 7 and 8? DreamReunionV1 Cover Smaller DreamHomeV1 DreamVacationWrapAround_Paris_Front   They're all on sale at Amazon! But I like to listen instead of read! What about audiobooks? AudiobookDreamSequence The first five novels and a short story are all available on Audible! And you can hear samples from all of them right here! So who's the author? IMG_0020 Well, technically, that's a picture of his cat, Danny. Danny is much more phorogenic than J.J. is. But J.J. (James, really) is a pretty nice guy. He's a native New Yorker, althoguh he's lived in the Washington, DC area for the last 20 years. He loves the opera, reading, photography, science fiction, fondue, travel and the New York Giants. Oh, and of course Danny, and also of course his lovely and talented wife. Where can I learn more about him? At his website, on Facebook, on

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z is for Zenith #A2Zchallenge

 
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Zenith is for height, the pinnacle, but in my little A2Z world it means today, the last day of the 30 day challenge, officially 26 days. At the beginning I honestly thought I was crazy to commit to even one blog post a week. After losing virtually all of the first quarter of 2015 to the day job, my writing schedule had really suffered. I was forced to suspend writing on Dance of Desire so I could finish Blame it On the Moon the fourth book in my Destiny Paramortals series. I hadn't expected the new job to hit my time or my creativity quite so hard. I got maybe 200 words in three months.

Now granted these posts aren't my best work, not that I'm a great blogger anyway, mostly because I spend too much time wanting it to be perfect awesome, meaningful or whatever. During the A-Z challenge I learned to have fun, to write a short blog on a theme, to make time to do it, though I didn't have as much as I wanted to visit some of the other blogs - time, the vast list of A2Zers, and slow internet kept that from happening but I did discover a few new authors, some cool travel blogs, and an extremely well researched, well-articulated and thought provoking blog, the brilly blog, by a courageous and impassioned lover of humanity, Angie Brill.  No matter if you agree with her or not, you have to respect these attributes.

I love the feeling of accomplishing something that stretched me out of my comfort zone. Until you try you don't know if you can, so just start. When I self published my first book, my mantra was "I can do this". And I did. Every single day of the 26.
Yay me!

Did you do the challenge? How did you do?

(this post was late due to my satellite being down until after I went to work today.)

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Y is for York #A2ZChallenge


 
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I will be sad not to be visiting York again. There were so many things about the area that made it special. The narrow bustling streets and shops, the friendly shopkeepers. The quaint bar we went into and got quite happy. It was happy hour US time, anyway.

Then the bus took us to Yorkminster cathedral. I wish I could see it again. The windows, the atmosphere were beautiful, but what I remember was how everything stopped when the bells rang. Everyone, everything stopped and became one with the silence. It was stunning. And I couldn't exactly take a picture of that. 

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After visiting the shops and the cathedral a few of us visited the Tavern in Coventry where I sang a few songs for the locals. The bar was fairly lively for it being near midnight. They bribed me with an empty bottle of Sheep Dip Scotch. No lie. It sits in my living room to this day. If you get the chance to see York, don't pass it up. It's quaint and beautiful.

 

Monday, April 27, 2015

W is for Workspace #A2Zchallenge


 
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Isn't that just the neatest work area you ever saw? I can't seem to make that happen, :)

My workspace below on the right and that's a close in view of where I am actually working right now.

With my day job workload so heavy for six or seven months out of the year, I had to come up with a way to eek out the words to finish book 4 in the Destiny Paramortals series. It's a multi-level approach.

January through March this year were complete loss, then I opened my seasonal business in late March and took a hard look at where I could get time to write and how to accomplish it. I get up early but there's the dog and the hubster and breakfast and anything that can be done on the internet has to be done before 8 which is when my bandwidth is limited in speed and volume. Then once hub leaves to go do his maintenance at SBP, I review my last page of work and decide on my next move.



Then I head to the bathtub with my little 5x6" notebook and my smooth writing navy blue pen. This is where I do my critical thinking.

Who am I kidding? I just fill it with hot bubbly and the characters are standing there waiting to fill my head with the next scenes, the next book, or something new. I can usually brainstorm where the story is going or write forward for about 30 minutes (if the water's not too hot). I'd post a picture of that but it's not a fancy tub or tubdesk or whatever. Now, that gets me around 550-1000 words depending. Then I get out, get dressed for work and head out for my 40 minute drive to work.

Now I have to preface this by saying, it's a long rural drive with fairly straight roads and I can mostly do this without looking... So I spend the middle thirty minutes of the drive writing further on my scene. Sometimes I can accomplish 1500 words in these two little jots of time. If I don't, I can't count on getting anything done at work or when I get home because it's usually after 8 and I'm exhausted and there's the dog, and the hubster...
So this week using this system I've written (I think around 6000 words, 38 pages of small college ruled handwritten notes. More on how I organize those scenes, get them into Scrivener later.

Where do you do your writing?

Saturday, April 25, 2015

V is for our Veterans


 
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[If you don’t have time to read the rest of this blog, would you please help, by either:

VISITING one of the sites listed on my vets resources page or at charities.org 
DONATE to the organization of your choice.

GIVE a copy of Her First Knight to someone or purchase it on Amazon. From today through Memorial Day all royalties of Her First Knight for that period will go straight to one of the charities on my page. Depending on the price of the book, that should mean around $2.50 per book.

STEP OUTSIDE your comfort zone, out of the malaise that says, “surely someone else is doing that” and do something to help a vet —take them to an out of town doctor’s appointment. Help fill out paperwork. Give the family members a helping hand, your friendship.

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Our veterans don’t want handouts but they should be able to expect a LOT for their service, least of all what they deserve, medical care, jobs, support for their families, and respect. They should wander the streets or succumb to PTSD, TBI, and depression and take their own lives.

Yes, the statistics say that every day at least 22 veterans take their lives. it’s surely more since the way deaths are reported in certain states, some are treated as accidents, etc. but we’re talking at least one an hour. Visit mission22.com to find out more or the Shepherd Center  One of the best articles I’ve read lately was called Veterans Come Home to Unprepared Nation, a News21 report. Please take 5 minutes and read this article or any media you trust to see the extent of the need of this vast community. Share the information. The need of post 9/11 veterans is considered an epidemic, and the waste and corruption that contributed to it have set the process back exponentially.

Like Ridge Romano, the hero in my book, said, “Every company and person in this country who is able should be giving back to the men and women who have given their lives and their commitment to us.” All of us.

Please think of what you can do in this next month when we remember all of those we we've lost and those who serve.

Please DON'T STICK your head in the sand. For a great informative blog on this subject and ways you can help go here.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

U is for Us #A2Zchallenge


 
Us is a much bigger word than you think. When you think of 'us' who do you think of? More than one, right? those aligned with you? standing beside you, those around you? How far does that circle extend? Is it within your living room? on your job? in your church? your town, city, state?

Or do you consider US to be outside of that, more global? If you think of it as U.S. how do you think in terms of united? Are you united with those you call 'us'? or is it a closed group?

The word Community used to mean people caring for and watching out for and including those around them. Now, in most places it's merely the neck of the woods you live in, more of a physical designation. Wouldn't it be great if we could begin to think of 'US' as every living being on the planet. I fervently believe that every thing that lives was created, born, exists with a purpose. And if we think with a unified 'unity of mind' we can see it. If we look for it in ourselves and expect it in each person and each animal and in every living entity, it's obvious.

US is all. Everyone, everything matters. We(us) should unite in our fight against hate, hunger, destruction or harm of any living thing. 


Next time you say the word us or we - stop! Reflect on how you can include more, accept more, add more others to your US.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

T is for Travel #A2Zchallenge


 
Picture “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
― Mark TwainThe Innocents Abroad/Roughing It

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

S is for..... Scotland!!!! #A2Zchallenge


 
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Well I've seen that. But on this trip I don't care if I've seen it or not, I'm just glad to be going back.

I have some property in Glencoe I wish I could visit but if not, I'll be happy with Inverness, St. Andrews, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nairns, and ANYWHERE else they want to go. I'll do without sleep to make the most of every day while I'm there. And next time I won't wait eighteen years to go back.

Is there some where that calls to your heart? Is it your hometown? I feel like that as well. I miss D.C. even though it's changed so much since I left home years ago. Maybe it's a place totally unlike where you live. Do you wish you could visit or live there?

Monday, April 20, 2015

Q is for the Queen #A2Zchallenge


 
Picture It's been a dream of mine to get back to Scotland. The first time I had just read the first two novels in the Outlander series and was carrying Voyager with me. Also with me was a summary of what our family had come up with for our Scottish and Irish genealogy, a William Wallace, several Elliotts, and Robert Campbell. Armed with everything scottish (I thought), I begged onto an eleven day senior trip to England and Scotland.

Our first day, we got stuck in St. Louis due to weather so we arrived a day late to London, which meant we had decisions to make -- remember I was with teenagers -- whether to go to St. Paul's Cathedral or go shopping. Not my choice to make but when the choices came again in Edinburgh, I opted for doing the Royal Mile by myself, in the drizzling rain. It was totally, delightfully memorable. Tells you my state of mind.

I love Scotland. It feels like I belong there. I'm absolutely serious. I cried all the way home. Waa-waa. Well, now I get to go back and this time my friend and I are going to take advantage of the airfare and see some of Ireland, since we both have some Irish heritage. Since we're going to both countries we have to figure out what's the best way to do the money. Carry some cash, debit, coins. Are there lots of exchanges like there were in London (as I remember but that was 18 years ago) and do we get our money changed in the states while the dollar is strong or wait?

I thought I might get to see the Queen but apparently she's not at Balmoral during the time we'll be traveling there. Too bad. I'd like to see Her Majesty's Spunkiness.

Have you been to the UK recently? What did you see?

If you're blogging as part of the #A2Zchallenge please leave your link in the comment and I'll return the visit.

Here are a couple of other blogs I've visited that were intriguing and stylistic design too.

Irelandandi
Try a Little Tenderness
A Field Trip Life
Vanilla Blonde
Life in German

Saturday, April 18, 2015

P is for Preposterous #A2Zchallenge

Picture Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well- warmed, and well-fed.

– Herman Melville



Yesterday  I saw an article on poverty which stated that the U.S. is a world leader in poverty and homelessness in children. Don't you find this preposterous? If you google poverty and homeless children why do we only see images of children in less developed countries? Maybe we're ashamed that this 'great' nation let's it's own children suffer while we go abroad to help others. Not that that's not admirable, but something must be done by the most "prosperous" country in the world to see that this comes to an end. We must each search our hearts for what we can do. Give to a charity, work or donate to food banks which are stretched beyond their means. Write your congressmen.

There's a Native American saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes. To his credit, an American Senator tried to live on minimum wage for a month and admitted he could not. Why is he the only one speaking up?

There's a very big elephant in our living room. But this is too important to allow him to remain a secret. Children...families... are starving.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

M is for Music and Magic #A2Zchallenge


 
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Music is the strongest form of magic.
                                Marilyn Manson





Whether you're musically inclined or not, you've probably experienced what singers and instrumentalists do, that special zone that transports you into another space. It is pure magic available to every one with minimal effort, just an intention to be present with the notes, the harmony, the musicality of the performance, and the beat.


It is pure bliss. I need to pick up my guitar and go there more often.


Livia