Friday's Few Lines From...

EXPOSURE, an erotic thriller by Lisabet Sarai

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGTQS14

The back door, I discover, is unlocked. I’m one hundred percent certain I didn’t leave it that way. Carefully, keeping my body behind the door, I scan the yard. 

The light filtering from the kitchen windows is bright enough for me to see that there is no one in my little square of turf. It also shows me crushed tomato plants and bean vines torn from their trellises, clearly marking the intruder’s escape route.

At that point, my rage finally overwhelms my fear. I pour myself a finger of scotch and sit at the kitchen table, simmering in helpless anger and vowing some 

kind of revenge.

Then a horrible thought crosses my mind. Jimmy knew I would be out tonight. He 

was the only one who knew. Was it possible that he was involved in all this, 

somehow? Is it possible that smiling Jimmy might have betrayed me?

The balance shifts again. Shudders shake my body. Sitting alone under the 

fluorescent lights, gripping my drink, I am paralyzed by the realization that I 

don’t know who I can trust. If anyone.

Visit Lisabet's Fantasy Factory:  http://www.lisabetsarai.com
Venture Beyond Romance:  http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com

Please come back next week for a Few Lines From Rita Karnopp.

JEWISH SOUL - RELEASES - BOOK 3 OF THE TANGO OF DEATH SERIES

I'm so proud to share with you the release of the last book in my Tango of Death Holocaust series.  This trilogy has been a real experience in writing.  I felt the struggles and the atrocities deep in my soul.  I held nothing back . . . and used real places and people - what happened to all three Gypsy girls in this trilogy could have happened.  Thank you for letting me share their stories with you.

Jewish Soul - Book 3 – Tango of Death Series - Mayla Sucuri's world is falling apart . . . no Gypsy is safe in Hitler's Germany.

Her twin sister, Vanya, has just run off with her love and joined the partisans. Now Mayla is being forced to leave her papa and younger sister, Zilka, with the kumpania.

Heading to Switzerland with her mother, to the safety of her Grandmother's chalet in Switzerland, Mayla fears she'll never see any of them again. Her grandmother is connected to every high official in the SS. But not everything isn't as it appears.

Because of her drive to be a doctor, Mayla finds herself invited to Dachau and Auschwitz. She quickly finds herself in the company of Doctor Josef Mengele and Doctor Sigmund Rascher, who are only too willing to share the results of their medical experiments on Jews and Gypsies.

At great personal risk, Mayla refuses to turn down the opportunity to take notes and bear witness to the atrocities happening at the concentration camps. Mayla is drawn to Auschwitz where the distinctions between good and evil become blurred in a world turned upside down. Will it get her killed or will her unwavering resolve give her the strength and courage to rescue her sisters from the gas chambers?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CS7TCPM

                      

If At First You Don't Succeed....

 Sometimes, you write a book you're really proud of, and you, of course, as the author, totally GET the story.  Then you get reviewed and questions start to pile up in your mind.  How could readers not GET that a half-breed and a white woman couldn't find happiness anywhere as a couple in the 1800s?  I showed how he was treated by the army, and people in towns threw rocks and bottles at them as they rode by, but I guess that wasn't enough.  I thought perhaps when she lost her teaching job because she enrolled a young Indian boy might have been a hint, but I reckon not. *smile*

 Although I write fiction, I do try to make the story believable, and a happily-ever-after for my characters just wasn't in the tea leaves.  Instead, I ended with a passionate scene and Sarah realizing she may have missed out on the love of her life.  Clearly, I had to do something.

 Sarah's Passion is a sequel to Sarah's Heart and my attempt to satisfy the few people who left negative reviews because of their 'heartbreak' at not finding the traditional happily-ever-after to truly make my book a romance. Although the book is filled with romantic attraction, the era and circumstances of the hero and heroine made it impossible for me to tie everything up with a neat little bow, but I did leave myself the opportunity to continue the saga. Although the sequel is shorter in length, in my opinion, it does create what was missing for some while providing an entertaining storyline in a totally different time and place.

Not everyone GETS every story, and for those who missed the point, perhaps this will redeem me.

For those who loved the first book, this will just provide more entertainment with a lovely and determined heroine. Oh, and by the way, Jimmy Thomas is on both covers. He's a hot topic these days so I figure it couldn't hurt to jump on his bandwagon. Oh, and did I mention research? Any historical author worth their salt, makes sure to check their facts, and by now, I've come to believe that I once lived in the old west. 

Most of this article appeared some time back on "Ask David.com" and I've just refreshed and shared it again.  I love Sarah and her story, and I really want you to love it too.  *grin*

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS By Rita Karnopp

If someone tells you the minor characters aren’t as important as the main characters – step back and listen. When the person is done speaking, I would like you to respond by saying, “In ways you are correct.  But the reality of it is that supporting characters better our understanding of the main character and his/her circumstances.  Without them, our stories would fall flat.

Having said that, it boils down to one realization.  If your supporting characters aren’t working toward the support, awareness, perception, tolerance, and even support of the main character or situation in some way, you should ask yourself, “What they’re really doing there?”

We call them ‘supporting characters’ for a reason.  If they aren’t supporting your story – they don’t belong there.  Everything you spend time on must be for a reason, including those minor characters who appear to be simply passing through.

Having said that, supporting characters shouldn’t appear like they’re only hanging around to provide evidence, material, news, knowledge or further the plot.  All supporting characters, even those who appear in the book for only a couple of paragraphs and then are gone forever, must be there because they belong there with behaviors, motivations and needs of their own.  Remember, these characters much unobtrusively achieve their purpose in just a few choice words or lines.

Know your supporting characters – When writers send in a supporting character without thought to who they are – it will show.  You must get to know every character in your book, no matter how minor.  What is their purpose?  At the end of the book did their achieve their goal?

For each supporting character ask these questions:

• What is his/her internal motivation?  Goal?  What does he/she want?
• Personal traits to make him/her fit-in?
• What makes character right for this part of book? Experience, relationship to main character(s), situation?
• What does he/she have at stake?
•  Is supporting character friend or foe?
•  His/her motivation?

Watch for those characters that try to take over a scene or even the book.  Ask them why and decide if they should stay or leave.  Ask why are they there? Is the story stronger without them?

Don’t get too attached to supporting characters or you might not want to get rid of them. If you find yourself trying to justify why they should stay/go, take a good look why.  Who stays and who goes is ultimately up to you as the author.  When in doubt, listen to what the story is telling you.  Never ignore your instincts, they are almost always right.

Friday's A Few LInes From....

The Dark Series:  The Color of Seven by Gail Roughton

He walked up to a little backwoods Alabama black Church. Seven Cedars Baptist. It stood right outside Seven Cedars, Alabama. He laughed. “Be you de sebbenth son of a sebbenth son, boy?” Well, maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Sounded good, though. He went inside to join the ongoing service. Within a month, he’d collected a group of ten or so of the black community’s finest young men. He met with them down by the banks of Seven Cedar Creek.

“My name be Cain,” he announced. “An’ my color be sebben.”

http://gailroughton.blogspot.com

http://bookswelove.net/roughton.php

https://www.facebook.com/GailRoughton

MAXIMIZE SOCIAL MEDIA By Rita Karnopp

Social media is today’s buzz word.  If you’re an author – believe me – you want people to follow you on social media.  Learn how to make it work for you.  

I’ve heard the expression of ‘get in the habit of leaking exclusive offers and get social media to work for you.’  It’s a way to offer inside information about you or your books that can’t be found anywhere else.  You do this by tapping into people’s natural curiosity and lure and sway them to linger and even stay connected.

As an author, you can ‘leak’ information on:

·         A one-time discount item.

·         Special prices for a limited time.

·         ‘Leak’ a couple of paragraphs from the book you’re writing.

·         Share ‘unpublished’ chapters or unique background information not shared before.

·         Create drawings for spin-off products.

·         How about exclusive items only available for fans.

·         Share upcoming events and ticket info before anyone else.

·         Create a ‘special’ contest for fans only.

·         Hold a fan-naming a character contest. 

·         Hold a ‘ book title’ contest … winner gets a free prize.

·         Give “behind-the-scenes” access to never shared before pictures.

And of course the list can go on.  Use your imagination – but remember to make it exciting, fun, and entertaining.  You draw them in and make them an active player – and it’s a win-win.

People will join your online community when:

·         They know it’s the only way to get exclusive information.

·         It is a great way to win free prizes.

·         They might make a difference in naming a character or book.

·         They will have inside information on a book they love.

·         It’s fun and entertaining to participate, etc.

In order to maximize and expand this process, though, you must be consistent. If you only ’leak’ special information once a month or once a quarter, people will lose interest. Get in the habit of ‘leaking’ information at least every two to three weeks. Ask yourself, “What would make me interested in following me?”

Through Gypsy Eyes by Killarney Sheffield

I'm not usually drawn to Regencies, but the blurb for this one hooked me. I needed to see why Delilah Daysland was locked in darkness. This is the first book I've read by Killarney Sheffield, and it definitely won't be the last. I usually read with an editorial eye, but nothing about this author's writing drew me away and made me question her motives. In fact, I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning because I couldn't sleep until I finished the story.

Ms. Sheffield's descriptive abilities drew me in and connected me with her characters at once. Her title remained mysterious to me until well into the book when she discovered her relationship with Gypsies and how her "seeing-eye" pony, Jester came to be such an important part of her life. You might wonder about how an unsighted woman learns to "see," but the manner will be well-revealed along with a great big shock that rocked me almost as much as it did the heroine.

I wanted her to stop fighting her physical attraction for Lord Frost, but loved her catty conversations with him when he tried to manage her life on behalf of the King. All-in-all, this was a story I will long remember and I'm so glad I read it. If you're looking for a romance that contains a whole lot more, you'll appreciate the fact she's left most of the sexual exploits to your own fantasies, and she's written in twists and turns you'll not see coming. I consider this worthy of my "I Dug It" award.

This book is published by Crimson Romance and available through on Amazon