A Deal too H.O.T. to Handle by Nancy Gideon #PNR #Paranormal #BookDeals

While quarantined for these last few months, I decided to give myself . . . and my readers . . . a special gift for my birthday (since it’s a BIG one)! What could be better than four books for the price of one as a lead-in to the last book of my By Moonlight dark shapeshifter series?! Not only will this bring new readers up to speed in my world, as a bonus to me, while proofing those four stories, I discovered several more plot points that needed to be tied up in a bow in RISE BY MOONLIGHT. Win-Win!

My By Moonlight series was conceived well over a decade ago. What started as a stand-alone paranormal book for one contemporary publisher that considered it too dark as is, evolved into a 15-book series begun in 2010 with MASKED BY MOONLIGHT at a different house with books both traditionally and Indie published, and concludes with RISE BY MOONLIGHT in July 2020. It’s been a labor of love from start to finish.

The House of Terriot books were an unofficial 4-book spin-off that continued many of the main plotlines while developing their own mini-world as a rival clan. Technically, they’re still in the over-arc of the By Moonlight series. After introducing Cale Terriot as a dark hero in PRINCE OF SHADOWS, I’d been eager to get up close and very personal with his divided and dangerous brothers as the clan’s crown was unexpectedly up for bid. And the more I got to know them, the more I realized they needed their own stories.

It’s with great pleasure that I give these renegade wild boys their own special treatment prior to the series end with the HOUSE OF TERRIOT 4-book boxed set. The official release date is May 27 (Happy birthday to me!!) but is now available for preorders.

   

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And here’s a tease to get you in the mood . . .

Excerpt
Picturing the sleekly dangerous Terriots in the bar that night they were introduced, her brave front faltered. She’d felt an instinctive warning. They weren’t what they seemed. There was something . . . off about them. In the way they acted, the way they instinctively moved as a synchronized unit. The way they exuded power both physically and mentally. That “more” she didn’t understand but didn’t fear enough to stay away.

Wolves. That’s what he and his brothers had made her think of that first time she’d seen them together, bumping, teasing, growling in the pack-like camaraderie of those tribal spirit animals. Strong, beautiful, deadly predators . . . not domesticated pets. (from PRINCE OF DREAMS)

Though there won’t be the usual parades or huge family picnics today, remember to fly your flags if you’re here in the U.S. to honor those who gave all for the freedoms we enjoy and can’t wait to return to after our restrictions are lifted. Until then . . . Stay Safe and Stay at Home with a good book (or four-in-one!).

♚♚♚♚♚

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NATURE Vs NURTURE by Nancy Gideon

While writing my post for IWSG this month about which I preferred writing, the hero or the villain, I opened my own personal can of worms about the characters I love to create. I’m a dark hero kind of gal. No surprise. But all dark makes for a pretty grim pallet. It’s those shades of gray and glimpses of silver linings that make tough guys into heroes.

When I started writing my “House of Terriot” series, featuring heroes who were deadly, damaged and delicious, my four princely brothers where all over the black/white spectrum. Hardened by their horrific upbringing under the brutal rule of their tyrannical/mad father, spoiled by privilege, rank and wealth, having to fight each other for his attention, their place, and often their lives, they could have easily taken the villainous route some of their siblings chose. While clan and honor drove each of the four, those shaded mid-tones shaped each of them very differently. 

Nature vs Nurture played an important role as each had a different mother, giving them individual goals, flaws, and needs. The females they chose for their mates molded them into the heroes they’d each become. They’d been character sketched in PRINCE OF SHADOWS and UNLEASHED BY SHADOWS, books in the “By Moonlight” series, following their brother/king Cale Terriot from Lake Tahoe to New Orleans: Turow, the silent, relentless tracker; Colin, the hunky, cynical politician; Rico, frivolous and impulsive; and Kip, the baby of the family, who valued brain over brawn. Taking those broad strokes, what fun I had creating the circumstances, and the heroines, who would shape them into swoon-worthy males – in ways most of them would never have seen coming!

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In PRINCE OF HONOR, I gave the painfully shy and fiercely loyal Turow a traitorous bad girl he’d secretly loved since childhood to defend against both her own nature and his family and king, forcing him for the first time to take a stand for himself instead of following the direction of others. Sylvia’s sharp, self-preserving edges and unapologetic passions softened his solid planes, the weaknesses she concealed bringing out his protective instincts.

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Colin, the playboy in PRINCE OF POWER, hid his guilt and grief over the deaths of his step-father and brothers and estrangement from the mother who blamed and disowned him behind his wry sarcasm until meeting his match in the love-em-and use-em Mia Guedry, heir to a rival clan, his equal in sexual politics and the drive to compensate for their painful isolation.

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In ‘love’ with his brother’s mate, devil-may-care Rico, the PRINCE OF FOOLS, finds himself on the doorstep of a secretive woman with a preteen daughter who tempts him with the vision of love and family he’s never had, their violent past forcing him to step up into the role of hero with a cause. For Amber James, it was love at first smile, but she fears the flighty Terriot prince can’t be counted on to stick around once he discovers her tragic past. 

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Of all his brothers, only Christopher “Kip” Terriot has the perfect family life (or so he thinks), keeping him grounded and focused on what’s important, until this PRINCE OF DREAMS falls for the female he’s asked to betray. Psychic Ophelia Brady sees a match written in the stars with her handsome prince, but knows he’s just using her to get to her corrupt father. Family both draws them together and pushes them apart when forced to choose which fate to follow.

Struggling with the weight of dark deeds done at the direction of their father, when the four princes take a bold step to stand behind brother Cale when he deposes the terrorizing despot, their search to find a new purpose and a place for themselves uniting their clans and finding their happily-ever-afters isn’t easy, but heroes forged by fire, in my mind, are always the best kind. 

The Terriots will return in RISE BY MOONLIGHT, my current WIP, the final book of the 15-book series. You have time to catch up before it’s released later this year!

I like my heroes flavored the way I like my coffee – rich, deep, complex and strong. How about you?

♚♚♚♚♚

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C-C-C-Changes! by Nancy Gideon

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a creature of firmly entrenched habit. Maybe it’s the ADD/OCD, but I wrap myself up in the armor of the familiar, oftentimes pulling it over my head to hide from new and scary things I’d rather ignore than embrace unless forced. Last person to explore the internet – raises hand. Last person to get a cell phone – blushing but nods. Yes, that’s me. The person who goes to three different mapping sites before going across town . . . just to be sure (but still has never used the map app on said cell phone or gone on an impulsive day trip without a pre-studied and printed itinerary). I don’t like surprises or detours or trendy things that distract me from the tried and true. It’s a wonder I’ve survived 2018 with all its upheavals and (duhduhduh) journeys into the unknown (also the name of my favorite anthology series of scary TV shows back in the late 60’s ala Twilight Zone). 

To recap 2018 – end of employment I adored due to boss’s retirement followed by thankfully short-term nightmare job, and now a new position at a big firm starting tomorrow; readying for last book in a series I’ve loved writing for 10 years; and finally, dropping the number followed by an X to actually shop for ‘regular’ size clothes. What’s an iron-clad introvert supposed to do?

Okay, not all these things are bad, (i.e. becoming actively political for the first time) but they are rocking my boat of comfortable placidity to the point I feel like I’m bailing like mad (but burning calories, so maybe that’s a win!). I even stepped from the traditional for the fam’s holiday meal (since we’ve been sharing recipes this month) by trolling for interesting sidedishes to accent the Big Bird. This year’s secret word: Bacon. Green beans with bacon, garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of brown sugar; Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing with a pinch of soy sauce, ginger and Bacon; and, an Autumn Salad with quickly replaced Romaine, chopped pears, dried cherries, pecans, Feta, poppy seed dressing and, you guessed it, Bacon! (Recipes are on my Home for the Holidays Pinterest page!). Yummo!

I guess it’s time to pull up my slightly smaller Big Girl Panties and venture out into the world of new things . . . starting tomorrow with my new job (with full benefits!). 

If you have time, pop over to my Blog for my Weekend Writing Warriors post where characters from my recent shapeshifter release PRINCE OF DREAMS are coming to terms with the unexpected on the road to a HEA, too.

Sooooo, change can be good!

♚♚♚♚♚

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COULD IT BE WRITTEN IN THE CARDS? By Nancy Gideon

As writers, we’re always eager to explore backstory and on the lookout for new ways to enrich characterization. When beginning my new release, PRINCE OF DREAMS, 4th in the spin off House of Terriot books and #14 (!) in the over-arcing By Moonlight dark paranormal shapeshifter series, my well was fairly dry when it came to getting to know Ophelia Brady, the heroine for my youngest Terriot prince. I knew the premise, had the meet cute from an earlier book but I didn’t have a handle on what would make her unique. Sound familiar? The answer was too simple. It was written in the cards. Literally! 

As one of the many teens fascinated by the otherworldly, I’d explored card reading on the periphery (I still have my The Tarot Revealed by Eden Grey purchased in the late ‘60s) and my interest rekindled through critique partner and later my Tell-Tale publisher, Elizabeth Alsobrooks/Fortin who used to do spreads for me whenever we’d get together (and still videos them for me!). Arwen Lynch was a delightful guest in one of my Haunted Halloween Open Houses several years ago, and I followed her weekly three card readings for my astrological sign (Gemini, of course!). I’d gotten to know Tarot expert and Professional Joy Seeker (don’t you just love that!) Arwen Lynch, loooong ago through RWA’s FF&P loop. When Arwen put out the call for authors willing to do a video reading to help launch her book Mapping the Hero’s Journey with Tarot: 33 Days to Finish Your Book, I forced myself (being phobically camera shy!) to volunteer. I can safely say that experience half wrote PRINCE OF DREAMS! 

During our on computer cam session, we explored what makes Ophelia tick using the Background Check spread outlined in her book. Basically, by answering questions ranging from family influences, childhood, best friend, first love, biggest secret and even criminal record (the legal assistant in me loved that one!) with the draw of a card, Arwen interpreted the card’s meaning for my heroine and I ran with it as it applied to my book. It was amazing! See for yourself:


When I sat back with the notes I’d taken, Ophelia Brady came to life in rich detail with a full-blown life before page 1, motivations and a cast of supporting friends and family. From that point on, with its in-depth exploration of the Hero’s Journey, Tarot interpretations and various spreads geared toward specific answers, Arwen’s book became a must keep handy for me alongside my growing collection of decks.

Arwen recently provided a program for my Mid-Michigan RWA chapter, delighting members with her sassy wit and keen intuitive nature while surprising them with spot on comments on their characters. I took advantage myself to ask what new something I could bring to my WIP with a hero and heroine who’d been together since 2010 and through just about everything. Her answer will provide just the shakeup I need for Max and Cee Cee in RISE BY MOONLIGHT.

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I highly recommend the addition of Mapping the Hero’s Journey with Tarot to any writers’ tool box when it comes to plot building, character development, and getting from page one to page end!

♚♚♚♚♚

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Starting All Over Again . . . by Nancy Gideon

Decades ago, I never conceived that in my 60's I’d have to do a life makeover . . . not just once, but twice (this, since rebuilding from divorce 10 years ago). Moving across the state after an unexpected job loss to live with my widowed sister, searching for work after holding the same job for 15 years, going on . . . unemployment. Then finding the perfect fit in the law office of my dreams only to have that disappear with the sudden retirement of both attorneys, last day – tomorrow! Adrift, with that healthcare premium looming, what do I do? Hang it up (not old enough for Medicare) . . . or jump back into the fray? The phrase “I’m too old for this sh*t” threatens to become my new mantra.

Ending my “House of Terriot” dark shapeshifter series is the emotional drop of the other shoe. With the release of PRINCE OF DREAMS next week, on October 2, I’m saying good-bye to the family of brothers I fell in love with quite by accident . . . enough so, to create a four-book spin-off series. With my “HoT” files quiet for the first time in three years (almost the same number as the recent job), I’m not sure what to do with myself. Do I have enough energy and enthusiasm left in the ole creative brain pan? It feels like there was so much left . . . unfinished, with both the books and the job.


How can I disagree with such an eloquent argument?

This weekend at a writers’ retreat on Lake Michigan, I’m opening new files – titled RISE BY MOONLIGHT. Resume created. Job search begun. Interview the day after Release Day. Starting all over again . . . rough, exhausting, daunting, but doable. And . . . exciting.

I guess you’re as old as you feel, and I’m beginning to feel a bit frisky just thinking about hooking up with Max Savoie again (and we haven’t seen the last of those Terriot boys, either!).

Encourage me with your own Starting Over triumphs . . .

♚♚♚♚♚

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When Inspiration Strikes by Nancy Gideon

Where were you the last time it happened? In your car? In line at the grocery store? Just falling asleep? At work? At the kids’ baseball practice? Chances are you never expected, and were unprepared . . . for inspiration to strike.

It would be nice if the creative process was predicable and on command. You’d sit down at the keyboard and there it would be, just pouring from your poetic soul onto the page. Yeah, right. How often does that happen? Writing is mostly hard work, herding those slippery, evasive words into an intelligible format one sentence at a time - kinda like cat wrangling. But ideas, those little buggers, can pop up at any time, lightning across the blank heavens of your thoughts, blinding, illuminating, and gone in a flash.

How to catch them before the sizzle fades, that’s the trick. The biggest trick of our stock and trade as writers.

We all remember exactly what we were doing at some momentous event in our life time. The impressions are still as rich and fresh as they were then. Why can’t inspiration be like that, instead of that spark that fires and fades before we can capture it?

"Be prepared!" That all inclusive Scouting motto serves a writer well. Expect the unexpected. If you get those bolts from the blue at a particular (and inconvenient) time, be ready with that Mason jar to trap them while the light’s still bright. When you’re in bed? Keep a flashlight and a notepad on your night stand. In the car? Use the record app on your phone or keep a small notepad in your console to make notes – at the next stop light! At the kids’ events? Again, carry a notepad with you - At All Times! Or send yourself an e-mail or text message (again, NOT while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle!) so you can refresh your memory later.

Post-It notes are my best friend! They’re my Mason jar of ideas, bits of dialog, topics for that next pesky blog post. And they come in great colors to excite my OCD/ADD soul. The inside of my purse looks like a murder board, with bits and pieces stuck all over it. They’re small, light, re-stickable and your new bestest ever inspirational friend. When plotting, I’ll use the inside of a file folder and begin sticking Post-Its with scenes, characters or dialog along a timeline (you can use a color for each - if you're REALLY OCD!). Nothing fancy and completely portable, giving a visual overview of your mental process as it's ticking happily along. Just tack additions in, move them down the timeline, make adjustments wherever and whenever necessary.

My "favorite" place to get inspired is in the car on the way to work in the morning, during the long open stretches along MSU farmlands from Lansing to Okemos. Peaceful, quiet (except for my CD songtrack for the current WIP) and just enough coffee to stir the ole brain pan. Yesterday, I was driving in, bemoaning the end of the last book in my four-book House of Terriot series that will lead to the last in my 10-book By Moonlight series. Ten years of my life. What to do next . . . I didn’t want to leave these vivid characters behind . . . and there it was. That sudden bolt from beyond, whispering, “Next generation YA/NA . . .” Needless to say, I was scribbling like mad when I got into the office, even before I turned on all the lights! Those Post-Its are in my purse as I type.

Be prepared.

And just in case you're in the mood for a little escape from the barrage of work thoughts, let me offer a getaway . . . the rerelease of my w/a Dana Ransom contemporary, TOTALLY YOURS, is on sale for just $0.99 until month's end. A vacation for the mind if the body and bank account can't afford to take one.

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Where were you when that last bolt of inspiration struck? How did you capture it? Share your tricks.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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Where In The World Am I? by Nancy Gideon

While on a working vacation two weeks ago in Arizona to sign at the Tucson Festival of Books (thank you, Elizabeth and Tell-Tale Publishing!), I had some early morning quiet time trying to get back in the swing of Daylight Savings Time before going home to Michigan, and decided to get reacquainted with the paranormal on my backburner in a glassed-in nook at 3:30 a.m., with strong coffee and a H.o.T. ("House of Terriot") hero. I'd been away from the story doing final edits and stumping for my Tell-Tale Regency-set romance, SWEET TEMPEST (written as Lauren Giddings - my very first book, re-released and pretty fit for 30 years old!). I hadn't expected the words and characters to feel so distant - probably miffed because I spent time with . . . other characters! But also because it's the fourth and final book in a series with a lot of loose ends to tie up.

A four book series with overlapping time lines (why was I thinking THAT would be fun?) is hard enough to manage. Add to that, these four books are a mini-continuation of my TEN book BY MOONLIGHT series with characters and plotlines from those books popping in and out, too. FUN just became a major headache. Just where in this convoluted world was I when I left off?

The care and feeding of a paranormal world can be a headache for a solo project, but when combining characters, events, and over-arcing scenes to make sense to someone reading them cold is like trying to whip up an Emerill-class meal from a frozen microwave dinner. Not only are the storylines cold and the minor characters kind of tasteless, half the creative time is spent trying to find the name of that walk through guy in the first series' Book 6, who had one line who's soon to become the main villain of your WIP. Did his kids have names? Had I given him a prime evil directive? Had I mentioned where he lived or if he had a mustache?

I've tried to keep things organized (ADD with OCD rising!) knowing that the storylines would continue. Five books in, I went back and jotted down the main plot points by chapter. They're on a couple of legal pads . . . I used to know where before I moved. Then I developed a sheet for each scene complete with who, what, where, when and how with pull quotes and excerpts tagged. Most of it fairly useless now that the books were trimmed down in final editing so the pages numbers mean next to nothing in Kindle or paper final format. Knowing there has to be a better way, I've been investigating Evernote which seems (on the placid surface) like it can do the organizing I desperately need without having to go back college to learn Scrivener. We'll see. If I ever have time to devote to the learning curve . . . Please tell me that it can find anything, categorizes and provides quick and easy access to plotlines and characters that span more than one book. And that it can keep up with the editing process? I feel like I'm back at school needing to take a semester off just to catch up.

The book is rolling along . . . with lots of ( )s to fill in when I find that need-to-know detail that will keep their eyes from changing color or stop me from having someone leave one place before they first arrive.

Who said writing was easy? Probably the same fool who said My World, My Rules. Oh, yeah. That was me. Welcome to my world.

Careful of the mess. Work in progress.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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‘Tis The Season . . . Don’t Let It Pass You By! by Nancy Gideon

Is anyone else suffering from a post-holiday hangover? Dirty dishes, loads of leftovers, pants that groan at the seams while snoozing in front of parades, reruns and football games, the manic penny-saving rush that comes with Black Friday . . . you know, the joys of the season! And it's just getting started!!

Despite the frenzy and the disruption of my dogmatic routine, I reeeeeally love the holidays between Halloween and Christmas because I LOVE to decorate and hostess. They give me an excuse to come out of my hermitude without guilt. I should be writing. I should be doing PR on that new release. I should (I really should!) be putting together a newsletter. Sometimes, shouldn't we just reacquaint with the joy of connecting with friends and family, filling our homes with sinful scents (calories have a delicious odor!), turn our everyday staid surroundings into Party City and give ourselves a break? I can hear those who know me groaning, "Yeah, right. You? Ms. OCD Squared, take a day off?" It could happen . . . and it does happen (though I confess to still feeling a bit guilty!). Community recharges batteries that can overheat under continuous use (or abuse!). We sometimes pull ourselves so deeply into our imaginative caves that we forget there's a real world beyond the fiction we create, that time is flying by. If I'm not careful, I could be that Rip VanWinkle, squinting out into the daylight behind my office door to discover my pre-teen grandson has started college! How the hours, days and years fly by!

But because I can’t go cold turkey (Sorry, couldn’t resist!), I’ll slip in a few seconds of work then go on to enjoy the rest of my loooong weekend. I’ve got my second “Midnight to Moonlight” blog tour sale going on with the first book in my “Touched by Midnight” vampire romance series only $.99 (!) and a shout out for my newest release, Book 3 in my 4-book “House of Terriot” shapeshifter series, complete with giveaway. My late Black Friday offering . . .

With the realization that by this time next month, I’ll be recovering from my second knee replacement (Same surgery, different knee. I’ll be bionic!), don’t wait until the last minute (or until you’re trying to sleep flat on your back on good drugs with your knee above the level of your heart for three weeks) to get out and enjoy some of the fun and excitement the season offers.

Happy writing, Happy reading and Happy Holidays!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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Happy Paranormal New Release Birthday! By Nancy Gideon

Planning and hosting a birthday party is exhausting work. Once an agreeable to all involved date is set (and don't get me started on the timing logistics of that!), there's the budgeting, the scouting location sites, the enlisting of trusted helpers, the guest list, party food and favors, the entertainment suitable for all in attendance. The invites go out and you think you'll get a breather, but then whatever can go wrong, usually does. Plans fall through, attendees cancel, and the birthday boy is giving you fits of moody temper and threatens not to show up for his own party. But the Gods of Celebration smile. Miraculously, everything falls into place at the last possible second and all goes off as if that squeaking, clog-slipping machine was well-oiled all along. Everybody parties . . . except the hostess who is still busy scrambling, checking, rechecking to make sure everything is in place, that everyone is enjoying themselves and that the guest of honor is behaving. When all is said and done, the drained and cranky hostess vows "Never again." At least until the next time.

I wish I could say the release of PRINCE OF FOOLS went flawlessly, but all things considered, and some best laid plans abandoned, it was survived with a lesser degree of panic and hair pulling than usual thanks to my posse of behind the scenes helpers and my relentless OCD. PRINCE OF FOOLS, my 64th book (not counting re-releases!) is out in ALL venues for purchase, and though it's still too early to take off my party shoes and put my feet up, at least I can breathe a sigh of relief.

Goodreads | Amazon Paperback | Kindle | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

A dark prince to her Cinderella barmaid . . .

Rico . . . Prince in the shapeshifter House of Terriot

Reckless, hotheaded Rico Terriot seeks purpose and a sense of pride training the resentful guardians of New Orleans to defend a city besieged by a deadly outside force. Torn between his desire for his brother’s mate and the woman tied to the child of another, protecting their future happiness means denying his own on a dangerous path to redemption.

One night of stolen pleasure he didn’t remember and she couldn’t forget…

Amber . . . a single mother hiding a terrible past

Rico Terriot was the stuff of dreams . . . lately all of hers. But there’s no happily-ever-after for someone living in the shadows, protecting dangerous secrets that threaten her and her daughter. Dare she believe in a fairytale prince when he comes to her rescue, not knowing the price he’ll pay for making her troubles his own? From world’s so far apart, is love strong enough to hold them together . . . and keep them alive?

“5 Captivating Stars (or Hearts)! A stunningly raw, heart racing story that held me in a trance from cover to cover! Intense and seductive paranormal romance/suspense at its best – PRINCE OF FOOLS is another Page Burning, Must Read by an author that delivers every single time!” – Cross My Heart Reviews

Any tips to share on avoiding (or at least reducing) those last minute issues that always seem to crop up? Any Release Day horror stories to tell?

I'll be letting my hair down tonight with Bewitching Book Tours Halloween Spooktacular Facebook Party between 8-9 EST. Drop by to say "Hey!" and maybe win a prize!

Happy Halloween!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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To Correct and Serve . . . by Nancy Gideon

That breath suspending moment you wait for as an author . . . the return of your edits. You scroll through Track Changes, rapidly accepting all the comma placements, the grammatical corrections with big over inflated names (my favorite: Dangling participial. Always makes me chuckle!) while looking for the important things that make or break your book. There it is. Thank goodness. Comment balloons claiming “LOL!”, “This is AWESOME!”, “This reads like poetry.” The devil may be in the details, but it’s pure heaven when they get the humor! A good editor finds faults. A great editor also applauds strengths.

We all know the drill, even if you're a retired English teacher, don't edit your own work! No, no, never, never! A pair of objective eyes can spot mistakes you skim over, but believe me, a reader will ALWAYS catch. That's not to say give an editor your first draft. Read it, check it. Read it again. Have a BETA reader or two give it a look. Then, and only then, provide it to a professional editor to smooth out potential reader speed bumps.

Now you can disagree with even the best editor. The work you publish is ultimately YOURS. I adore alliteration. Yes, I am fully aware I'm doing it and that it will make editorial teeth grind, but get over it. It's there because I want it there, and I reserve my right to STET loudly. There's also the comma vaguery issues. Different schools, of thought, use, commas differently (this from the William Shatner School of Punctuation). If your school isn't the editor's school but is your school of choice, by all means, site your educational preference! Formatting is something individual, as well. You like italics, they like quotes. You like sentence fragments, they stick in an "and." Again, your call. Pick your battles but let your editor manage the war. If you can't agree and it's giving you an ulcer, get a new editor (even if you're at a New York house, you can request a change for stylistic differences, so don't be afraid to ask, but do not demand).

A good editor can read between the lines to find your meaning but sometimes it can be, again, a subjective though vital interpretation.

I just received my final edits for my October 23 release, PRINCE OF FOOLS. Accept, accept, accept, face palm-Dooh!-change, delete, accept. Surprisingly painless! I've just begun the last read through before it's off to formatting, and man, oh, man, it's smooth. Who knew a little prepositional tweak and added commas could work such magic! (I use Laurie Kuna, my favorite Comma Queen, in case you were wondering!)

PRINCE OF FOOLS is up for pre-order and will be flawless a month from now (and if it isn't, that's on me! Alliteration, you know!). Here's a tease:

Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo

A dark prince to her Cinderella barmaid . . .

Rico . . . Prince in the shapeshifter House of Terriot

Reckless, hotheaded Rico Terriot seeks purpose and a sense of pride training the resentful guardians of New Orleans to defend a city besieged by a deadly outside force. Torn between his desire for his brother’s mate and the woman tied to the child of another, protecting their future happiness means denying his own on a dangerous path to redemption.

One night of stolen pleasure he didn’t remember and she couldn’t forget…

Amber . . . a single mother hiding a terrible past

Rico Terriot was the stuff of dreams . . . lately all of hers. But there’s no happily-ever-after for someone living in the shadows, protecting dangerous secrets that threaten her and her daughter. Dare she believe in a fairytale prince when he comes to her rescue, not knowing the price he’ll pay for making her troubles his own? From world’s so far apart, is love strong enough to hold them together . . . and keep them alive?

“5 Captivating Stars (or Hearts)! A stunningly raw, heart racing story that held me in a trance from cover to cover! Intense and seductive paranormal romance/suspense at its best – PRINCE OF FOOLS is another Page Burning, Must Read by an author that delivers every single time!” – Cross My Heart Reviews

To Correct and Serve. It's not just a good idea. It should be a law.

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