Welcome, David J. Normoyle

Off the Beaten Track

I'm alone, half way through a three day trek through Copper Canyon in Mexico,
but I ran out of water a day ago and I haven't seen anyone since I set out. My
thirty kilo backpack lies discarded as I follow a dry water-track downhill.

It's a strange place to begin a writing career but I had a number of adventures
while backpacking in Latin America and wanted to share them. Stephen King said
that he's terrible at telling stories in person which is why he has to write
them down. I'm the same, as anyone knows who has asked me about an extended
backpacking trip only to find out it was grand or something similarly
monosyllabic. So wrote long stories about my adventures and emailed them back to
friends and family. I enjoyed it, and when I returned I began to write a novel
and study the art and craft of writing.

Twenty minutes since I dumped my possessions, I hear a trickle of water. It
flows above ground and pools in a small basin before disappearing again. Wasps
buzz protectively above it. I fill my water-bottle, add a purification tablet
and wonder if I can remember where I left my backpack.

My first novel Crimson Dream a Young Adult Fantasy, is released in February. Check out my website www.davidjnormoyle.com for further details or follow my facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-J-Normoyle/157832707561908 

TAGLINE:
Haunted by a dream of his beloved sister's death, an asthmatic seer leads his
people against a long forgotten enemy.

EXCERPT:
Icy wind greeted them when they reached the pass. He felt a surge of excitement.
Mythica was divided by these hills into Westerdell and Fairdell, and he'd never
been to Fairdell before. He'd have to wait; Bennie hadn't yet caught up. He and
Tenu saw her behind them. Tenu decided to wait at the pass for her.

They turned to watch her bound up the slope. Tenu gave a grim smile. "Like a
young pup with too much energy and hasn’t learned the value of it."

Loose pebbles crunched as she approached. Deren lifted his arm to wave
encouragement only to find he couldn't move. His limbs held fast as if the air
solidified around him.
With mounting horror, he saw a flash of red cloth behind Bennie. It coalesced
into a figure, a man in a crimson uniform. On the right breast of the uniform
was a golden circle with spikes emerging in all directions. The figure seemed
too bright and too large, filling the whole of Deren’s vision. The man was upon
Bennie; she didn't react. She was still smiling. Deren tried to shout, his mouth
opened, but no sound came out. The man’s right arm was outstretched, muscles
tensed. Aghast, Deren watched his arm swing, and a long blue flame cut through
the air, arcing toward his sister’s unprotected neck. A scream rent the air as
the whole world turned scarlet and then black.

Deren slumped against the donkey as the air released him. Shock and loss jolted
through him.

"What happened, boy, what did you see?" Tenu's voice seemed to come from a long
distance.

Then another voice spoke. "Deren. Deren are you okay?" It was a female voice
sounding worried and breathless. It couldn’t be. Deren raised his head to find
Bennie putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she said. "This wasn’t one of your attacks, was it?"

"You were attacked," Deren said.

"Me?" Bennie looked confused. Deren's brain began to work again. Nothing had
happened; he imagined it all.

"No. Not a breathing attack." He shook himself. "Sorry, it was just a dream."
Some dream, he thought. "A nightmare."

"Eli be praised." Bennie’s smile returned. It was never far away. "It was
strange, you were smiling, and then you went still and pale. Your breathing was
normal, but your eyes went...weird. What did you see in your nightmare? Your
mouth opened, and your eyes bulged. You screamed and slouched over."
So he heard his own scream. He was afraid to ask what else was real.

"How was it a dream if you were awake?" she asked with a puzzled look. "What did
you see?"

Tenu snorted in disgust. "Nothing would surprise me about that boy, screaming
like a girl over some daydream."
He picked up the lead rope and started down the valley. The donkey followed,
carrying Deren.

Bennie walked alongside. "I love dreams. Lately I've dreamed of running through
the woods unseen. Of sunbeams that dance as they approach me. Princes rescue me
even though I don't need it. Perhaps, I need more interesting dreams."

To Deren, those sounded as interesting as dreams should get. "You wouldn't want
a daydream like this. Trust me on that."

Deren couldn't remember his latest dreams or nightmares too well, but he did
know crimson-uniformed soldiers appeared in them. And now he saw one while
awake. What was wrong with him?
The rocky trail through the pass opened up into the valley of Fairdell. The
valley didn't look much different from Westerdell. It was smaller with no
grasslands, just a large forest, broken by two lakes. Vegetation crept up the
sides of the mountains until the greenery became a rocky purple and then white
snow and grey clouds. In places it was hard to tell where the snow ended and the
clouds began.

Those tall mountains circling Mythica were one of the reasons his dream was
ridiculous. They were the impassable walls of their land. No one entered or left
Mythica. It was said the air at the top of the peaks was poisonous, and the cold
turned flesh blue until it withered and died.

There were no soldiers in Mythica.

Welcome, Janie Franz

Ginger, I’m very happy to meet your readers here and let them know a little bit about myself. I’m Janie Franz, and I come from a long line of liars and storytellers. I had an uncle who couldn't read or write, but the man could spin a yarn. When we'd go visiting when I was a child, the women would be in the kitchen, talking about who had affairs with who and showing each other their operation scars. I found that to be so boring and really depressing. The women were so solemn. I'd always slip into the living room where the men were and sit  behind my uncle's big chair and listen to his stories about fishing and hunting and mountain “haints.” His stories were funny and full of mountain expressions---and the men laughed so hard! And they weren't sharing around any moonshine either!

Though I began writing short fiction as a child, I never aspired to have anything in print until I took a creative writing course in high school and my teacher wanted us all to get something published before the school year ended.  I was the person who was supposed to be specializing in fiction, but the first piece I sold was an essay. Later, I sold a couple of poems. Perhaps it was a portent of things to come.

When we moved to North Dakota, I thought I’d become a stay-at-home wife and write. Well, children came and that writing dream was put aside. When my children were small, I sent out a story or two, but no acceptances. I did receive a couple of handwritten rejections and once got a second read from Redbook. Those stories went into a drawer.

Then in 2000, I started a full-time freelance writing business, handling all manner of magazine and newspaper articles as well as special projects such as chapters in medical encyclopedias and in organic gardening books. Sometimes, I’d take on an editing job such as preparing a dissertation or an academic article for publication. I even co-wrote two how-to wedding books with Texas wedding DJ Bill Cox.

As I built my freelance writing business, I couldn’t take time for fiction because I needed to make money and I also knew just how consuming writing fiction could be. As my business became stable, I thought that I might make some time again for it.

Last year, at the Muse Online Writers Conference, Lea Schizas, who runs the conference, asked for attendees to send in book pitches. I had a couple of novels in a drawer that I was just beginning to do some substantive editing for and I had some short fiction. I didn’t have any longer work polished to the point that I could pitch it. After the deadline for pitches came and went, Lea asked us to see if we could help fill in the few openings she had. I looked at the publishers’ guidelines again. I wanted to help Lea out so that she would be able to offer pitches again at the next conference. There were a few of the publishers that took shorter works so I sent in two and got a slot for each of my pitches. 

The second pitch was for Breathless Press, and they asked me to send my work to them. That was The Bowdancer, which was a novelette at the time. They liked it, sent me a contract, and the work grew into a novella through the editing process. 

I like to think that an act of kindness got me published. 

Today I have two books published in The Bowdancer Saga with Breathless Press and a third, Warrior Woman, coming out in November.

When Lea Schizas started Muse It Up Publishing, I sent her a few of the books I had finally polished. I currently have three books currently under contract with Muse It Up. One is in their mainstream division, Muse It Up, and two others are in their Muse It Hot! division.

Ruins: Discovery will be the first book I’ll have with Muse It Hot! and it will be released April 1, 2011. Part of a trilogy, it follows the adventures of anthropology grad student Kate Ferguson, who studying the connections between Aztec/Mayans and native cultures in Arizona when she meets architect Paul Rodriguez. Embracing ties with the Hispanic culture and a maverick native group that is supposed to be older than other Arizona peoples, Paul is haunted by more than trying to reconcile his mixed heritage. He has deserted his position as shaman and leader of his people because of the group’s use of blood sacrifice. Kate has her own secrets. One is her gift of psychometry (being able to read psychic impressions left in objects) and the fact that she’s still a virgin. As Paul’s enemies draw nearer, Kate becomes embroiled in a power struggle between Paul and his twin sister Mala for the leadership of his people. Kate must learn to trust Paul, not only with her body, but with her very life. Can she really do that?

Two other volumes, Ruins: Artifacts and Ruins: Legacy, are waiting approval.

In addition, Sugar Magnolia, a contemporary romance about the music industry will be out in July, and The Premier, another contemporary romance about Hollywood will be out in November 2011.

I also have a few other ideas for a paranormal mystery series, a sci-fi timewarp novel, and a YA book. Oh, and please do stop by my website.

Welcome, Heather Haven

Not That I Write Literature

            “Not that I write literature” was a phrase uttered by a well-known author at the book signing I attended for his recently released book, Perfect Alibi. Sheldon Siegel is an established, New York Times best selling author. More importantly, he writes books that are beautifully crafted, with flawed, well-rounded characters, intricate plots, easy, clear dialogue and superb pacing. In short, Mr. Siegel is a writer of such that he gives credit to the writing profession. His sincere, self-deprecating comment surprised me.

Webster Dictionary describes the word literature as “creative writing of recognized artistic value.” Hello there, Mr. Siegel.

Possibly all fine writers have the element of self-doubt as this author, the need to perfect their craft in each succeeding book, the looking back on preceding books as slightly lacking.

It made me wonder. Did Fitzgerald ever say at any of his book signings, it’s just a love story about a girl named Daisy? Could Hemmingway have said, what’s the fuss? I only wrote about an old guy and a fish?  Did James Joyce ever comment that he was merely writing about Dublin society? It’s very possible.

Mr. Siegel’s proclamation could have been made because he writes genre, i.e. mystery. There is often a stigma attached to the writing of genre, something that often tells the author, if only in self-inflicted whispers, that his or her work is slightly less.

I sincerely hope this is not the case. For if the job of a book is to entertain, enlighten, or expand the experience of the reader -- and that’s what writers are taught to aim for in every writing workshop I’ve attended -- Mr. Siegel’s books deliver all three.

His latest novel, Perfect Alibi, is a compelling read. It deals with the human condition, imperfect relationships and the desire to make the world a better place. And, oh yes, it is a mystery.  In my humble opinion, it is also literature.

The lesson I took away from this experience was to continue to strive for the quality of writing and depth of humility given to Sheldon Siegel.  And, Mr. Siegel, thank you for a great read.

Blurb:

Just because a man cheats on his wife and makes Danny DeVito look tall, dark and handsome, is that any reason to kill him? The reluctant and quirky PI, Lee Alvarez, doesn't think so. The 34-year old ½ Latina, ½ WASP and 100% detective has her work cut out for her when the man is murdered on her watch.  Of all the nerve.

Set in the present, Murder is a Family Business is the first in a series of humorous mysteries revolving around Lee Alvarez, a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’ Stephanie Plum, and  the rest of Alvarez Family, detectives all. Completing the family is Lee’s Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother, Lila; computer genius brother, Richard; beloved uncle “Tio;” and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. When this group is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of computer software. Seemingly light and frothy on the surface, the novel nevertheless explores familial love, the good, the bad and the annoying.

Book: Murder is a Family Business

by

Heather Haven

www: http://heatherhavenstories.com/home

Humorous Murder Mystery

Cover: Delilah K. Stephans

http://www.delilahkstephans.com/

Welcome, Mary Andrews

Ginger, I love what you’ve done with your blog site. There’s some mighty fine reading on these pages. Thank you for inviting me to post.

Hi, my name is Mary Andrews. I’m the author of The Fireborn Chronicles, a Sci Fi series which first saw the light of day because of our fearless leader, Lea Schizas.

I think I first heard of the first Muse Online Writer’s Conference from a crossover post on the Write Right Critique Group list all those years ago. It sounded great and to my delight, it met my primary criteria for attendance—it was free. So I scurried over, signed up and went crazy pouring through page after page of unbelievable writing classes until I’d whittled them down to a mere thirty hours worth of learning and live lectures tightly crammed into a barely doable schedule.

Since I hadn’t looked into the book market since the 1980’s I knew a few things had to have changed. Things like the existence of the internet, for example. It was a brave new world out there and I had a lot of relearning to do. I had no website, no blog, no concept of online marketing or anything. In fact, the first Muse conference was the first time I’d ever even ventured to use a chat room. The whole situation was overwhelmingly new to me but there was such an amazing wealth of information being given freely by professionals and accessible even through my meager internet dial up services.

My first book, The Fireborn Chronicles, was one last rewrite short of completion. I’d spent ten years, off and on, writing and refining it. I must’ve totally rewritten my first chapter at least 4 times and that wasn’t counting the never ending tweaking. So, still not fully satisfied with it, I decided to try to get a professional opinion.

Imagine how excited I was when I discovered that Dindy Robinson, head of Swimming Kangaroo Press, was offering to critique the first 5-10 pages of a WIP (work in progress) for her workshop. Since my game plan for this conference had only been to acquaint myself with the current market, I only saw this as a great way to open future contacts and see how my work stacked up in the field.

For a solid week I attended back to back lectures and classes. My poor husband fed and watered me and taped television shows we usually watched so we could do so together afterwards. I’ll tell you, it was a furious schedule but by the end of that week I realized how much I was really capable of accomplishing.

My strategy had not been to make any kind of presence, but to quietly listen and learn. I signed up for every/any class taught by publishers or editors. I wanted to know what they were looking for—not as individuals, but on the whole. My God, I learned a lot that week and during the weeks after, Lea’s Yahoo conference group continued sharing information on everything. (That’s where I discovered how to set up a website, a blog, all kinds of things.)

But the biggest surprise of all was when Dindy, not only liked my ten page submittal to her class, but asked to see the whole manuscript—even though I had told her I still had one more rewrite to do.

Despite all I had learned, I was still dumb as a rock though. When Dindy, the head of a publishing company, asked to see my manuscript, I was flattered but didn’t recognize it as a solicited submittal. I just thought she wanted to look at it. It wasn’t until she told me her people would get back to me within four weeks, I think, that my feeble brain realized what had happened.

Swimming Kangaroo published The Fireborn Chronicles (book I) and contracted for book II as well but eventually they got sideswiped by the economy and returned my contract for book II. As things worked out, when Lea announced she was opening up a publishing house, I had finally figured out how to write a synopsis and book summary, so there I was with a ready-to-go manuscript.

I was ecstatic. For years I’ve stood in awe of this human dynamo. Her organization, connections, ethics, talent.... I could go on forever. Suffice it to say that I signed on with MuseItUp Publishing for both The Fireborn Chronicles: Resonances and book III mainly because I wanted to work with Lea.

And boy-howdy has she put us to work. She’s provided us with so many promo ops that she actually had to tell us to pace ourselves so as to not stop writing in the process.

Thing about being a writer is: you’ll never know everything, you’ll never see everything, and you’ll never stop working, one way or another. So it’s really great to be part of a writing family like MuseItUp Publishing.

Now the blurb:

Chapter One

“Get away from that door!” Lord Deshon’s dark voice rumbled after Alandra.

With every step, she fought his smothering presence, felt her life force being ripped away, her senses seared. He engulfed her.

Heart pounding, Alandra threw the hatch open and dove out into the freezing sky. “I’ll die first,” she shot back into his mind.

Eyes clenched against the wind’s frigid blast, she held her breath to stave off the terror until Deshon’s corrosive assault evaporated and her senses reawakened.

Freedom.

Alandra floated, high above everything, slipping gravity’s bonds for one glorious moment before beginning her descent; she swam through cold currents of air, allowing herself to fully experience the caress of the wind on her face...through her hair...along her body. It was intoxicating.

As the deafening grumble of Deshon’s airship receded, she opened her eyes to the blue sky, white capped mountains, the blur of landscape rushing ever closer, rocks jutting dangerously from crystal-blue water, the impending impact growing closer and closer and….

* * * *

Tristen bolted upright from the dream, her racing heart throbbing. “What was that?”

Her husband drew her into his arms and held her tight.

She felt his fear subside, taking hers with it.

Ira Haze relaxed his grip, and smoothed her long, tangled, black hair. “I’m sorry. It was my dream. It felt so real you must’ve picked up on it.” He gave her another, gentle hug. “That was my sister, Alandra. We haven’t talked since Rael set her up with PSI Ops—maybe five years ago.”

Tristen nestled comfortably into him. “The one who could not handle the Overlord’s presence when he compu-linked?”

Ira frowned and spoke aloud as if to distance her. “Why must you call him that? Only the Archangels call him Overlord.”

Tristen pulled away enough to force him to look into her sightless sea-green eyes. “He is known across the universe as The Corporate Overlord, but he will always be my master and your commander no matter what we call him.” She steeled herself against his frustration as it washed across her. “Why are you dreaming of your sister?”

“Something is wrong.” He gently pushed his wife to the other side of the bed. “I need to find her.”

“Now? You do not want to link to the Overlo...uhh Rael? I could connect us from here...”

“No. Just let me do this, and don’t follow me.” He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and visualized his sister: her flowing black hair—as long as his own with the same raven luster—her blue eyes, the way she smiled, the softness of her thoughts. As her image solidified, he shifted his sight. Her form coalesced into a silvery, flowing pattern, alive with the warmth and rhythm of electronic motion. This was her appearance in the ethereal universe.

Ira absorbed its feel, inhaling its tempo until his own form began to resonate and slowly match it. Having donned his sister’s pattern, he called out across the ethereal plane in her ‘voice’ and waited until he felt the inevitable draw of like-unto-like. Ira surrendered himself and careened toward it without hesitation until, overtaking it, he allowed his forged engram to overlap hers and fuse.

* * * *

He opens his eyes to nothing: No sounds, no visuals—only darkness.

* * * *

End of excerpt

The Fireborn Chronicles: Resonances (book II of the series)

will be released in eBook format on November 1, 2010 by MuseItUp Publishing.

For more information go to: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=19&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Or check my website:  http://mary-andrews.webs.com/

Welcome, Krista D. Ball

I'm a Canadian author, currently living in Alberta, though I'm originally from Newfoundland (pronounced Newf-in-land, not New-found-lund). I've done lots of different writing, including various short stories, freelancing for a local magazine, and I co-edited 4 Karma RPG books. I'm also a slush reader for a Canadian publisher and did an internship last year where I slush read for a speculative fiction magazine (amongst other jobs).

I have two upcoming releases with MuseItUp Publishing - Harvest Moon (Oct 1) and Flying Kite, Crashing Ship (Mar, 2011). Plus, I have a self-published short story that is already released on Smashwords titled, The Amazing Transformation of Wicca Dog.

I'm a practical person. I don't read books with deep meanings, nor do I watch movies like that. I like to be entertained, where I can pretend to be someone else for a few hours. My writing reflects that. I don't write for a greater meaning and I certainly don't write to teach a moral lesson.

My writing is meant to help people forget their problems for a few hours and pretend they are someone else. I write two extremes: dark and light. I've been told that I do dark fiction well. However, I can only write so many depressing scenes before I want to pick up the bottle and run screaming through the streets. To cope, I also write crazy, light-hearted stories. My current story, Wicca Dog, is a good example of that craziness.

Wicca Dog was inspired by a visit to a local pagan store. The owners have a black and white border collie named Fred who hangs out at the store. (He stole part of my lunch, but I'll forgive him). I didn't know his name so I dubbed him "wicca dog." Well, that obviously required a short story. And, there we have it, a werewolf-border collie story.

To check The Amazing Transformation of Wicca Dog, visit Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/19781 ). My First Nations-inspired novelette, Harvest Moon, was released by MuseItUp Publishing last week (ahead of schedule!), so I’m scrambling to fix all of the links on my website! Buy link for Harvest Moon - http://tinyurl.com/34yvyjj

One thing that I enjoy doing is turning stereotypes and clichés upside down. I’m tired of the same ol’ man saves a damsel in distress. In Harvest Moon, the damsel in distress, Dancing Cat, gets turned into a man. The male hero, Bearclaw, is bisexual, just for a twist instead of the usual ultra-heterosexual hero. I’m tired of the clichés. So, I let my twisted mind loose on them. It’s a lot more fun.

Link to Harvest Moon Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiSOvLTqD6Q&feature=channel

No Show Guest - So It's My Turn

SPAM! I hate it, yet like everyone else, I’m forced to endure it.  And I'm not talking about the kind that comes in a can...although I'm not overly fond of fake ham either.

The problem is I have to weed through junk to find messages from friends and associates that have a meaning for me. My mail server insists on sending random posts to either my SPAM or Trash folder. Just this morning I found a very important contract that might have cost me a substantial amount of money had I not noticed it. Okay...so maybe I stretched the truth a little.  Substantial seems a little much...but I could have lost a future Happy Meal from McDonalds. 

Scanning 600 plus emails is not fun. I’m amazed at the array of ridiculous promises in the subject lines alone. Several people have posted, promising to ‘cleanse my colon.’ Thanks, but been there, done that, and in my opinion, the condition of my colon is between me and my doctor and not up for debate. Anytime you see colon and cleanse together in a sentence…run! Think of: time/bomb, blow/up, fire/works.

Look! I can get financial aid and earn my online degree (and at this age) and erase all my debts, too. Let’s not forget I can ‘get money overnight’, ‘free smokes’ and my ‘TRUE LOVE AWAITS’. I hope my husband doesn’t find out. Heck, I didn’t even know.

Let’s see, I can ‘attend culinary school’ and ‘become a great chef.’ Or, I can ‘save money on a new SUV.’ Wait, there’s an offer to ‘save $$$ at the gas pump.’ Hmmm, seems like if I take advantage of both of those offers, I’m defeating an important purpose. Gas guzzlers or saving gas! Decisions, decisions. The chef thing is definitely out. I hate to cook.

Swell! I can ‘order on-line drugs’ to help lose weight, but then that conflicts with the post telling me ‘men love full-figured women.’ Yeah, right. Probably the same ones who’re looking for people with weight problems. OH, and definitely I can’t overlook the one thousand emails from South Africa, London, and Nigeria asking for my bank information so I can ‘claim that exclusive lottery money’ that’s in my name alone. With all that cash, I can reel in a man without losing weight.

Gee, I can hardly contain my glee. I’ve been awarded a ‘free gift card’ to shop at Costco, Walmart, Target and Kohls. Like I’m falling for that. I didn’t tumble off a turnip truck yesterday. It was last month and the knot on my head is almost healed.

Hey…a ‘free poker pass’! That’ll come in handy if I take that drug for restless leg syndrome and develop the gambling addiction they warn about in their commercials. Oh, great, there are fifteen more ‘Detoxify Your Body’ posts. I’m pretty sure it’s the ‘Colon Cleanse’ ad disguising itself for those faint at heart people like me.

I guess SPAM is something we’re going to have to live with. It used to come stuffed inside your bills via the US Postal Service, but now that many are doing everything online, advertisers had to find a way to continue to annoy us. It’s working on me, how about you? I guess laughter is the best way to deal with it. It’s the best medicine you know, regardless of what they tell you

Welcome, Pat Dale

Before I share a little about my book, I want to tell you a bit about me. Born and raised in southeast Missouri, I’ve been able to travel a good part of the world. I spent the better part of a year in Japan and loved it. Fairbanks, Alaska was home for a few months and I loved it there as well.

I’ve been to most of the American states and have yet to find one that hasn’t intrigued me. Where do I get my inspiration? From the folks, regardless of their color or ethnicity, who inhabit the earth. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction; but it does lead to some very juicy stories, some poignant ones, and not a few that will leave you in tears. My fictional characters are all developed from a collage, isolated features of real people I’ve known or observed, but none of them are real in toto.

Over the years, I’ve made it a point to catalog personalities and the decisions individuals make in their daily lives. Because I chose to wait until I’d experienced much of what life has to offer, I had time to fill my cranium with an abundance of characters. Oddly enough I seem to resemble at least some of them. LOL Am I the character, or the mirror image of the character…

My mid-life romance, SLEEPING WITH HER ENEMY, will be released by MuseItUp Publishing in April, 2011. Ana Henry, my protagonist, is a forty year old nurse who’d lost her husband in war and her son has been struck and killed by a hit and run driver. She questions whether life is worth living, but her energy is rekindled when she meets Dan Morrison by way of his daughter, Sherry, when he brings the sick girl to the hospital where Ana works in the children’s ward.

They bond instantly and Ana is drawn more and more into Morrison family affairs. She and Sherry hit it off and life turns rosy. Then Ana learns that Dan has a car he no longer drives, identical to the one that had killed Joey. When she examines the car and finds damage to the headlight, hood, and windshield, the blood spattered over the car is too much to ignore. She has no choice but to turn Dan in and hope he has a good excuse. Things get worse before they get better, but you’ll have to read the book to see whether Ana is able to enjoy a new life with Dan and Sherry. ‘Sleeping’ is the seventh of twelve novels I’ve written over the last decade.

My romantic family saga, DANCING WITH THE DEVIL, will be released by Muse in July 2011, and my middle grade flight of fancy, ZACH’S AMAZING DREAM MACHINE, will be out next September. I have a romantic suspense novel, A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND, available now in paperback from Whimsical Publications, three romantic comedies, FOR THE LOVE OF HATTIE, GOLDIE’S BEAR, and DON’T BET ON IT, available as e-books from Red Rose Publications, and another romantic suspense, A PERFECT STRANGER, due out from Awe-Struck Publications in the near future.

If you’d like to know more about me or my writing, log onto: http://www.patdale.net or my blog: http://patdalesblog.blogspot.com

Thanks, Ginger for inviting me to drop by and visit with you guys!

Below is an excerpt from SLEEPING WITH HER ENEMY

The girl was sitting up, propped by pillows when they stepped into the room. “Hi, Daddy.” She gave him a big smile before turning her eyes questioningly at Ana.
He said, “Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”
“Better. I got pretty sick today but I’m okay now.”
“That’s good, honey. Do you remember Ana?”
She smiled. “Yes, Daddy. It’s my tummy that’s sick, not my head.”
Ana got the embarrassed daddy off the hook, saying, “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Sherry. Did you miss us?”
“I think I was too dizzy to miss much of anything.”
Dan said, “I went over to Ana’s for coffee while they helped you. She has a puppy you’ve got to see.”
“A puppy?” She turned quizzical eyes on Ana. “You have a dog?”
“I do. Her name is Molly and she’s a German Shorthair.”
“Do they get big?”
“Not too big. She weighs about twenty pounds right now but they said she’ll be about forty to fifty full-grown. And she’s really smart, too.”
“Wow. Wish I had a dog, smart or dumb.” Her eyes fixed accusingly on her father. “But I guess we can’t have pets in our house.”
“Oh, yes we can,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it, sweetheart, and there’s no reason you can’t have a puppy if you want one.”
That brought her to life. Eyes bright and shining, she asked, “Really?”
“Really. I like dogs too, honey. And we’re going to be making some changes at home. I think we need that.”
Sherry turned serious. “Daddy, will I be out of here in time to go to the swim meet this weekend?”
He glanced at Ana, who was shaking her head. “I don’t think so, baby. The doctor wants you to get over this before you get back into the water.”
“But I am over it. Almost. I feel great now.”
Ana watched the struggle of wills between father and daughter, wondering how much the girl had gotten away with over the past couple of years. She remembered her experiences with Joey. Kids seemed to have some kind of surveillance radar that let them know when their parents were vulnerable.
He stroked Sherry’s face with his hand and brushed her hair back. “Honey, I know how much your swimming means to you. As soon as you’re over your infection, you’ll be able to get back in there and swim like a fish.”
“Dad-dy? Ask Dr. Harris. Please?”
He looked helplessly at Ana. “I don’t need to do that, Sherry. I-”
“Did I hear someone wanting to ask me something?” The doctor had just stepped into the room.
Dan said, “Sherry wants to swim with the team this weekend.”
“No way, Sherry. You have a serious infection. We’ll have you up and home by the end of the week but I can’t let you go into a swimming pool for at least two weeks.”
“Ohh! I don’t feel sick anymore.”
“You may not feel it right now, young lady, but this is not something we’re going to take a chance with. It could become very serious if you have a relapse.”
The girl’s mouth twisted into a classic Shirley Temple pout. “O-kay,” she mumbled, in a tone designed to make her father want to cry. “You’re the doctor.”
“That’s right. I am. I’m also your friend, my little mermaid. Now, if you’d visit with the nice lady for a few minutes,” he indicated Ana, “I need to talk to your dad.”
Dan followed Dr. Harris out into the hall and Ana moved next to Sherry’s bed. “It’s going to be okay, Sherry. I understand why you want to compete with the swim team. Your dad told me how well you do.”
“He did? I guess I can miss a meet or two. But my coach isn’t going to be happy about it. He says I’m a big part of the team.”
“That may be true but if you get so sick you have to quit swimming, he’d be even more unhappy.”
Sherry thought about it for a moment. “Yeah. You’re right. I might miss a little bit but then I’ll be back with the team.” She gave the woman a big smile. “You’re a pretty nice lady, Ana.”
“Thank you. I think you’re nice, too. Your dad is quite proud of you, you know.”
“I’m proud of him, too. He’s taken really good care of me since Mama died.”
Ana blinked rapidly, surprised that the girl would be so open about losing her mom. “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy.”
Sherry smiled again. “No, I really miss Mama, but Dad’s been great. Except he doesn’t understand much about girl stuff.”
“Girl stuff?”
“Yeah. You know, like clothes. I like to wear dresses sometimes but he always just keeps my jeans and shirts clean for me to wear. So I always look like a boy. Stuff like that.”
“Oh.” She looked into Sherry’s eyes. “Do you ever tell him what you want?”
“No. He’s been so sad I don’t want to worry him.”
“I see...” She turned away, still assimilating the girl’s complaint, when Dan re-entered the room. He gave Sherry a kiss and took Ana’s hand, leading her into the hall.
He spoke very softly, his eyes dark with worry. “I’ve got a problem.”

Now, if you haven’t already found it, scurry on over and check out Muse Publishing. There will be lots of exciting books coming your way over the months ahead and lots of cool contests, too. Drop by often, and don’t forget to look for my book next April!
Best regards,
Pat Dale

Welcome, Terri Main

How I Write a Novel

I would like to begin with a disclaimer. I do not claim that this is THE way to write a novel. Nor do I claim it is the BEST way. I’m not even sure it would work for anyone other than myself. However, it may amuse you to see my process. If some of it is helpful to aspiring writers, that’s a bonus.

I probably should narrow this down to “How I Write a Mystery Novel.” I haven’t written any other kind. Mysteries have their own challenges. A good mystery is a puzzle wrapped up in a story. If they puzzle is too easy to solve, the reader is bored. If it is too hard, they feel they haven’t been given a fair chance. At the end, when the culprit is revealed, the reader should be saying, “Of course, it all makes sense. Why didn’t I see that?”

Likewise a mystery must be a good story. It must have characters the reader can love or hate or be amused by. It must be an enjoyable unveiling of the main characters as they go about solving the mystery. A less than perfect puzzle can be excused by the reader if the story is fun. 

Ideas

One of the perennial questions asked of authors is, “Where do you get your ideas?”  Most authors don’t have very good answers because they have a different type of vision than others. A car cuts most people off on the freeway and they say, “What a jerk!” The author says, “I wonder where he is going so fast. Is he running from someone? Why is he running from them? Who might be chasing him?” Those questions become the genesis of an idea. 

For Dark Side of the Moon, (MuseItUp Publishing, February 2011) the idea came from a dream I had in high school. I dreamed of being a teacher on a lunar colony. We had a visit from an incredibly handsome golden eyed alien. He was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit because of prejudice. I defended him.

I wanted to do something with that dream. I decided I didn’t want to go the alien route. I wanted to stick to hard science fiction, but I also wanted it to be a country cozy. For a country cozy, you need a small town. Well, how do you build a small town on the moon? You build it underground with a dome simulating sky, etc.  So, I created a small town and placed my school teacher who becomes a college professor who used to be a profiler with the FBI in the middle of it.

Characters

For a cozy mystery you need a sleuth. The sleuth is either an amateur or someone for whom police work is not their full-time profession. Since you are aware that this character may well be subject of other novels and short stories, you spend a good deal of time with them. 

First, I get a clear visual image of the person. Carolyn is about five-foot-four, 55, slightly graying hair. She dresses conservatively. She is not fat, but she is continually struggling with her weight. 

Next, I make a long list of likes. Favorite colors, foods, books, music, hobbies, etc.

Then comes a list of beliefs: religious, political, philosophical

This is followed by personality traits: reserved, bold, volatile, controlled, etc.

Then, I write her backstory. What was her life like before the beginning of the story. 

I do this for each of the major characters. I do it for the sleuths, the victim(s), the suspects and the killer.  With the killer I pay particular attention to the reason for the crime. At the end of the novel, I want the reader to understand totally and even empathize with the criminal. The scariest villains are those in whose eyes you see yourself. 

Plot

I start at the end. I have to know who-dun-it. Sometimes I will even write the last chapter first. It gives me something to aim at. But at the very least I need to know who killed the person(s), how and why.

Once I have that settled, I can go back and ask other questions:

·        Who else might want this person dead?

·        What are their motives?

·        Who is the most obvious suspect? (They are not the killer, of course.)

·        What clues will need to be planted in the story? (This would include interviews with suspects and witnesses, physical evidence, financial matters, documents and in the case of Carolyn Master’s mysteries psychological profiling. 

·        What are the detours in the investigation?

·        What secondary crimes may be solved that do not impact the main crime?

I also begin to plan the secondary plot. This is the plot that involves the character herself. In Dark Side of the Moon Carolyn is dealing with reconnecting with people and rebuilding her life after the death of her mother. There is also a love story unfolding. She also needs to deal with some demons from her past. 

Now, I step away from paper and pen (since most of this I do in notebooks). I lay down on my bed. Close my eyes and watch the story unfold in my mind. It’s like I see it on a movie screen in my head. Some scenes are clearer than others. But I get an overview of the whole story. 

Then I get up and make a very brief outline. I just jot down the main “landmarks” in the journey my characters take. 

Writing

I tend to write fast and furiously. I don’t edit as I write. I give my characters their freedom to take me where they want to go. I let them decide many of the paths we take between the landmarks. I try to not let them do things contrary to their character. I try to let them speak and act through me. I know it sounds strange, but it’s sort of like method acting where you portray the character from within.

I don’t always write sequentially either. Sometimes I just feel like I need to write a certain scene, so I write it whether it is in order or not. This is a writing frenzy. I am just trying to write as fast as possible to get something, no matter how bad, down that I can edit later. 

Editing

I let the writing rest at least a month before trying to edit. The first thing I do is read through what I have written and try to put the pieces in order. If there are some missing pieces, I take the time to write them. Then I do major revisions. This may mean cutting out entire chapters and paragraphs. It also means me checking everything  for consistency. If one of the clues is a left shoe hidden in a closet and I don’t have a scene where they find that shoe, I need to write that scene.

This is followed by tightening the prose. I read the story out loud and correct the grammar and awkward passages. Then comes proof reading to get the manuscript as clean as possible.  Finally, I format the manuscript according to the publishers guidelines and send it in.

Then, well I get started working on something else.

That’s how I write a mystery novel.

Welcome, Marsha Moore

Thanks, Ginger, for allowing me to be here on your blog today. Since this month your focus goes in-depth on Muse authors, I thought I’d tell more about how I came to be a writer. 

The story of how I ended up writing fiction is at least circuitous, if not interesting. My path evolved from my initial desire, entering college to be liberal arts major. I would have been perfectly content as a dual major, fine art/English. But, my parents seemed to want me to be employable, so they steered me toward science. I didn’t complain, since I did enjoy biology and chemistry. I’m the sort who loves learning. Many topics fascinate me. 

After four years, I ended up with a Bachelor of Arts in biology with a minor in English. There are no longer programs for B.A. in Biology, only B.S.  In order to gain my unusual degree, I took extra summer terms to make time for my diversions of art, American literature, contemporary cinema, art history, philosophy, and so on. My fellow organic chemistry students thought I had a few screws loose, relishing writing essays for my literature classes. To me those were the perfect balance for physics and biochemistry. 

From there, I entered dental school at The Ohio State University, studying to be a dentist. For four years I did well, too well to understand why I didn’t like it. So, during my senior year, after passing my national dental boards, I decided this was not my destiny. I had learned a lot, but it was wrong, unbalanced for my creative needs. I sacrificed completing that goal in order to be “hirable” for a public school teaching position. An inexperienced teacher with an advanced degree isn’t too marketable. After a year gaining teacher certification, I went on to teach high school biology, anatomy, and ecology for seventeen years. Aside from early morning hours and tedious faculty meetings, those years were good ones. I enjoyed meeting challenges presented by different students. So many faces and personalities still travel with me as cherished memories. 

During those career years, creativity was put aside for family goals. I eventually reached out to my love of writing, but not fiction. Instead, I chose to write non-fiction reviews for music forums and eventually for a couple major record labels. In that process, I frequented music websites. One had a fan fiction thread which caught my eye. As a lark, I joined in and the story flourished with a faithful following for at least a year. One of those readers turned out to work for a major publishing house. He urged me to consider writing fiction professionally. Of course, I thought he was crazy. After a few more months of his encouragement, I started crafting stories for publication, joining writing groups, and learning about fiction writing skills. I was totally swept away and never looked back. 

Some days I feel I owe a lot to that devoted reader’s advice, directing me along this path, and other days it seems I’ve only drifted full circle, back to the direction I initially wanted to follow. Either way, I’m grateful life presented me with this road. 

You may learn more about me and my writing at http://www.marshaamoore.com

Welcome, Lindsay Below

Musing Through September

When I got my acceptance from MuseItUp Publishing, I’ll admit it -- I cried. Lurkers was my first young adult novel to be accepted and while at that point, I had had some acceptances for my romance pieces (published under the name L. K. Below), I was afraid that my dreams of being a young adult writer might never come to fruition.

Of course, I quickly learned that MuseItUp was not just another publishing credit under my name. No sooner did I introduce myself than I was enfolded in the warm embrace of a close-knit family. I thank my good luck every day that I happened to be welcomed into this group, and I’m sure my feelings are shared by many of my fellow authors.

But I digress. I came here to discuss Lurkers with all of you.

Much like I was before I was accepted, Kayla is meandering through her life, lost as a disaster after disaster falls on her head. Fortunately, she happens to stumble across Jackson Sullivan, a fifteen-year-old scientific genius who guides her path -- much the same way Lea Schizas (the talented and formidable publisher at MuseItUp) and the Muse group have helped to guide me. Jackson helps Kayla to care after her diabetic younger brother Josh, much like the MuseItUp team has helped me to cultivate my baby -- my novel. With their help and support, I am barreling down the path to my happy ending. But I’m afraid you’ll have to read the book to discover whether or not Kayla gets hers.

For now, I’ll cede this space to other talented authors from MuseItUp, most notably Ginger Simpson. You can find me online at http://lbelow.blogspot.com or http://twitter.com/LBelowtheauthor. I love to hear from readers, so don’t be afraid to give me a shout!

A big thanks to Ginger for having me!