Wednesday, December 16, 2020

3 Reasons You Should be Rereading Stories You've Loved

You've heard to be a good writer, you need to be a good reader before. But did you know that rereading is an integral part of the reading-like-a-writer process? Rereading is one of a million things your middle school and high school ELA teachers droned on about, and for good reason. Let's talk about 3 of them today. 

Reason #1-You'll be able to pick out more craft elements

Your brain, while an amazing thinking machine, cannot put together all of the awesome craft elements on a story after one read. It needs time to stew on the things you've read, and then another change to further interpret the meanings to be found in a text. Making rereading a key element to learning how to pick up on and decipher key craft elements. And if you're reading well-written stories, you'll want to slow down and study all of the magic-enabling elements well-practiced writers are imploring.  

Reason #2-You'll learn more good words to use

Have you ever read a sentence that seemed simple but had such an emotional impact that you had to stop reading, turn to the closest human to you, and declare your awe of the English language? No? Just me? No matter, rereading a text encourages you to slow down and pay closer attention to the words a writer uses. You'll see how they swapped out the word "look" for "glance" and what that seemingly simple word choice did to the scene. 

Reason #3-You'll learn to recognize plot patterns

Now, learning to recognize plot patterns may not sound like the most interesting thing you could get from rereading a story, but it's soooooooooo good for writers who write in a specific genre most of the time. You see, genres come with certain reader expectations, and while diverting from them here and there is a very good idea, you also need to understand which of those plot elements are non-negotiable to the genre itself. And how do you do that? By comparing what you see in the genre-specific books you are reading. Does the main lead almost always end up with their love interest? Ask yourself why. Read a book where that doesn't happen, and ask yourself how that change affected your feelings about the story.

There are clearly way more reasons to reread good stories outside of these three. Which reasons would you add to the list? Comment them below!

Happy Writing.


Monday, December 14, 2020

Interview with March Morgan Aguillard from Life for Sale

 In my sci-fi romance, Life for Sale, the heroine is March Morgan, who has now married Christian Aguillard, a sentient, entirely human-like android capable of emotions, up to and including love. In fact Christian was programmed to love March when she signed on the dotted line, paying an exorbitant price for him. But she couldn't resist once she'd met him. Would you agree he's worth it?


March, shall we begin?



What is your greatest temptation?

            In men:           Tall, blonde, blue eyes. I prefer long hair. The man must have a sense of humor and be intelligent. Charming and handsome are big bonuses. (she laughs) I’ve just described Christian. I should have asked him to come along. If you passed him on the street, you’d take a look but not because he’s an android. Because he’s a hunk.

            In food:          I’m particularly fond of seafood but won’t turn down a nice steak prepared Pittsburg style (charred on the outside; rare inside).

            In clothes:       Tadashi Shoji, but I usually can’t afford him unless I find a dress on eBay. So, I settle for pretty business suits to wear to work.

 

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Other than Christian? I’d have to say Shoji’s fashions though I wouldn’t rule out shoes.

 

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be?       Red 1964 Jaguar XKE

 


Your dream home - mountains or ocean? Ocean. I love to watch the waves and listen to them whispering to me. Christian and I live by Galveston Bay, and I absolutely love it. When a storm grumbles and the sea is restless, the view is exquisite. So, inspiring I want to paint. Good thought, poor resolution—I can’t even draw a straight line.


 

What is your favorite book?   Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee. It’s a coming of age story about a rich, young woman and a completely human-like android. I loved that book long before I met Christian. I adore Tanith Lee’s writing style. Have you ever read Dark Dance? It’s a paranormal. I’d highly recommend the Silver Metal Lover series and Dark Dance.

 


If your life were made into a movie, what actress would you want to play you and who for Christian?  For me, Marilyn Monroe, but, unfortunately, I look nothing like her. For Christian, definitely Travis Fimmel (pre-Viking days. Like this photo but imagine him a year or two older. Even now, I swoon over the half-dressed photo, do you? Hint: Christian looks just as good half-naked…or without a stitch on. (She smiles)



If you were given the opportunity to spend a day with any person, living or dead, who would it be?  Queen Victoria. She was such a power unto herself. She might have been petite like me, but she ruled Britain with the iron fist in the velvet glove. After his death, she mourned her Albert for the rest of her life. That is the kind of love I dreamed of but could never find until, a tiny ad in a woman’s magazine advertising Love for Sale. With great trepidation, I followed my heart and he was waiting at the end of my journey. I saw him and the emptiness inside disappeared. I had to have him. I cleaned out my 401K to buy him, you understand, but despite the danger we now face, I don’t regret signing on that dotted line or one penny spent.

 Do you have a hobby?   I read quite a lot. I have been known to crochet a bad hat. I’ve just taken up snorkeling in preparation for our cruise from the Turks and Caicos. We heard that the snorkeling was fantastic at Smith’s Reef on the largest of the 40 islands (called Provid by locals) that make up the T&C. Christian won’t have any problem managing the fins, but there’s a short circuit somewhere between my brain and my feet.

 How do you maintain an android?  Believe it or not, they come with operating instructions and a maintenance guide as well as guidelines on how to deactivate your android, heaven forbid. Each has a kill switch hidden in different places on the body. I feel like that would be murder. Since they are basically built to be immortal, the only real concerns is the liquid to use in tears, for example. There are other fluids that must be replenished, but this is a PG post. The reservoirs, with too much use…can run dry. (she blushes) At that point, you can order said liquids from Mayfair and DIY, or you can return to Mayfair to have it done. Under the circumstances, you can return to Mayfair and let them do it. Ours aren’t normal at all. We and three other Special Editions are on the run from their creator.

 As to the care and feeding of your perfect lover, he or she must go into Sleep Mode somewhere near a power outlet, not necessarily an electrical plug-in but any power source will do, and will come awake refreshed and ready to go. The Special Editions do not have a digestive system and do not eat. Other than these minor lacks, you can’t tell them from human. Immediately, and today, I continue to, think of Christian as human. His brain may be a computer and his heart a central processor, but he is the man I love.

~*~

Life for Sale is Book II in the Tomorrow's Angels series. The first book is Love for Sale. Here's the blurb for the series.



Tomorrow’s Angels: Series Blurb

 Mayfair Electronics has created life.

In Love for Sale, the high-tech electronics company, in black and white, offers “love for sale”. Mayfair has engineered sentient androids indistinguishable from humans. March Morgan flies to England and meets the man she has been searching for her entire life. Christian requires no programming to love March at first sight, but her past and his future soon threaten their happiness—and their lives.

In the sequel, Life for Sale, four of the Special Editions have escaped. Rebel, Christian and  March  are on the run, but they have a bigger problem than his creator's plan to destroy him. They've discovered that one of the renegades has suffered a dangerous malfunction, threatening them with more than just exposure. March and Christian must stop the insane robot before someone else dies. All the evidence points to March being the killer's next victim.

Excerpt of Life for Sale:

March shivered again, rested her face on his chest. “Hold me until I stop trembling.” Tears she didn’t want him to see welled in her eyes. The whole ghastly business had to be hard on a man encoded to protect not harm humans.

Her AI angel stroked her hair, and a sob broke through her control. She squeezed her eyes shut, battling tears.

“Shush, dear. It’s over now,” but he didn’t sound confident. The thing buried in the backyard could tear them apart or worse.  Any slight misstep, and they both faced Death in all his chilling glory.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He brushed a kiss to her lips and pulled her closer.

For some time, they stood. taking comfort from holding each other and simply being, then, hand-in-hand, they walked, when they wanted to run, to the house. Christian had switched on the overhead light in the anteroom. In the brilliance, it was possible to pretend the past few minutes hadn’t occurred. Again the tears threatened, and he held her until she’d regained control. She straightened, gazing into his eyes. Battered emotions stained them darker blue. Mayfair hadn’t missed even that small detail. He cradled her face between his hands and kissed her tenderly, his lips soft and his body close. In a lifetime of searching, she’d never have found anyone like him. If she were to lose him…she couldn’t imagine living without him.

Once, Mayfair had taken him away.  They could do it again—and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. The golden ring on the third finger of his left hand should protect Christian from Mayfair, but who’d investigate a missing robot, or even believe her in the first place?

With almost religious fervor, she and Christian had adhered to Mayfair’s first commandment. Above all, the company demanded secrecy. The Special Editions passed for human, and no one was ever to know that Mayfair had engendered life, but at any moment Aguillard, the wild card for whom the Christian line was named, might renege on the freedom he’d grudgingly bestowed.

Her cell rang, ending their moment of respite.

Buy Link

~*~

Happy Holidays, everyone! Be happy, be healthy, and have fun.

 Linda  

Sunday, December 13, 2020

This Conjunction Junction Serves No Function

 

    In my energetic healing practice, I am used to an increased number of visits around eclipses, solstices, equinoxes, meteor showers, and other cosmic events. Sometimes the alignment of the stars changes the veil between our physical plane and spiritual plane. Many empaths feel unbalanced because we are between eclipses but 2020 has had so many cosmic events that I struggle to keep up with them.

    Instead, I use Reiki techniques to balance their energetic grids of those feeling unlike themselves which yield emotional stability. Mostly I am helping the moon radiation lovers handle New Moons and lunar eclipses while the sun lovers need help in managing seasonal depression. Being sandwiched between two eclipses in two months, the moon has lost its gravitational stability. It wobbles like the stability of the moon lovers. However, the amount of sunlight has decreased daily (until the winter solstice). The winter solstice will be celebrated on 12/21/2020 and will mark the least amount of sunlight in the calendar year.

    I expected my sun-loving clients (and those with seasonal depression symptoms) to make appointments, but I didn’t expect the uproar over a planetary conjunction. I was more surprised the planets involved in scaring them were Jupiter and Saturn. The neighboring planets have orbits that cross every 20 years (Earth Sky.org). This year Jupiter and Saturn will cross at 0.1 degrees and be visible from Earth for the first time since 3/4/1226 (Astronomy News). (Note: there was an event like this in 1623 but its position near the sun made it impossible to see.) To us on earth, they will look like one giant star. My first thought was about how beautiful it is going to look but to many clients, it was cause for alarm like a check engine light in the sky. So like any good practitioner, I researched this omen. Is it friend, foe, or nothing? Photo from EarthSky.org


In my Strawberry Shifters book series, winter solstice is an ominous event where the Fae take advantage of the thin veil and drop Sluagh demons on earth. Could this double star be a portal for inter-realm travel? I have yet to meet one of these Celtic mythological beings but my Celtic Protection Wheel necklace is made of iron and I wear it every day. It is difficult to believe that my clients of every age range and educational background started believing in the Fae within the same time period. Not to mention alien realms. There must be more to it.



    If this is a cycle ending (or beginning) cosmic event, it makes sense that the events of the past will repeat themselves. My first stop on my quest was “This Day in History” where I looked at the events of 3/4/1226. No natural disasters, large government toppling, or global troublemaker was born in the entire year of 1226. What a relief! While March 4th is a common date for inaugural addresses like those by Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR (Wikipedia), the USA wasn’t a thought in 1226. In summary, 1226 AD was a pleasantly boring year. Could this be a sign that 2021 will be pleasantly boring too?

    But what about on a personal level? Astrologists create planetary charts based on the birth time and place unique to every individual. The planets signify different portions of your personality with different lessons decided at birth based on their positions. What could an overlap mean? Saturn is the social planet that governs a person’s responsibility streak, rule-following tendencies, boundaries, fears, and self-discipline. Jupiter is the philosophical planet that governs a person’s optimism, idealism, and acceptance of new ideas. If you cross these definitions, does it mean we get to kick up our heels?

    I don’t know about you, but I welcome a planetary sign of fun, optimism, and new ideas. After the bubonic plague, the world saw the European Renaissance. I like to think we are about to see another one and this Christmas Star is the beacon calling to all the creatives. The pain is over and good times are ahead. However, this is 2020 so I won’t be doing anything extravagant – like toilet papering my neighbor’s house.



Thursday, December 10, 2020

MIXING PARANORMAL ROMANCE WITH SCIFI - DOES IT WORK?

 

A reader asked me the other day why I loved writing SciFi romance, and I had to think about it for a moment. Then it hit me. The reason I love writing SciFi romance is I can combine the science fiction background with a slew of paranormal elements thrown in.

See, while I love the science fiction aspect, I am also hopelessly addicted to paranormal romance. Christine Feehan’s Vampire Carpathian series… Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter’s…. Karen Marie Moning Fever series… Lora Leigh’s Breeds… oh, boy, I could go on and on.

So, who’s saying an alien can’t be a vampire… a psychic… a wizard… an empath… or a shapeshifter? How about bringing in a dragon or even a Demi-god? They’re aliens, for stars sake… the galaxy is the limit! 

In that vein, I’ve created my latest SciFi romance series with a paranormal twist. While the premise is based loosely on the Ancient Alien theory that ET’s have visited us in the past, I wanted to take that idea and add a bunch of goodies to it.

What I did was work on the theory from Zecharia Sitchin’s The Earth Chronicles that stipulates ancient astronauts came to Earth and needed laborers to mine gold for their planet, Nibiru. The inhabitants of Nibiru, the Anunnaki, decided that their genes mixed with Homo erectus genes would make excellent slaves to replace the miners. Thus, Homo sapiens was born.

I took that concept and made the hybrids into something more—giving them paranormal abilities (I’m tired of movies showing the aliens with the powers. Hah. In my stories, the Earthlings are the one with the powers, not the aliens).

My first hero is an empath, the second a shapeshifter, the third is a psychic, the fourth a vampire, and the last one will be a wizard (or a Demi-god. Not sure which one yet). So far, in the first book, I’ve expanded on the empath’s ability. Not only can he feel and experience emotions from those around him, but he can also manipulate their emotions in return.

In my second book, I’m working on the shapeshifter. His extra powers are not only shapeshifting into a wolf (which he favors above all others), but he can change his DNA at the cellular level and transform into another person. He can even harden his skin to become bullet proof!

Not to be outdone, the heroines of these stories discover they are hybrids as well and learn to use their powers throughout the book. The heroine in my second book even turns into a dragon (see what I mean when I say I can add loads of goodies to my novels?). I just love spending my day creating these stories and adding a paranormal element to them.

My first book is titled Alien Legacy: The Empath and is FREE on Kindle Unlimited. But, as a bonus, for the month of December the paperback on sale at 40% off! Instead of $14.99, it’s available for $8.99! 

Here’s the cover and a short taste:



The vision of the woman he just met consumed him. Rich sable hair was swept into an intricate knot at the top, leaving tendrils to frame her lovely face in soft wisps. Her eyes were the same captivating color as her hair.

She had a voluptuous figure, something her suit couldn’t hide. Ben had mourned over the years the modern concept of overly skinny feminine beauty. He missed the days when women were proud of their generous curves. His mouth dried at the sight of Julienne’s luscious, ripe breasts that strained under the buttons of a silky, dusky-rose blouse. The black, single button jacket she wore paired nicely with the tight skirt. Long, supple legs with trim ankles were shown to perfection in three-inch heels.

God bless whoever invented high heels.

Her skin was creamy and smooth, with a thin suggestion of perfume that teased, hinting at sensual delights. He’d give anything to see if she was the kind of woman who reveled in lacy underwear. Just the thought of that woman in a thong was enough to make his body stir to attention. Thank God he hadn’t taken the suit jacket off in the building.

As he watched her out of the corner of his eye, something flashed low, hard, and deep inside. He’d never had such a strong reaction to anyone—to any woman—like that before. His logical brain fought with his empathic senses to touch her. To pull her into a strong embrace and inhale her sweet scent. The craving had been so intense; he stepped back and turned his back on her like a freakin’ coward to protect himself.

During the ensuring conversations, his fluctuating, wild emotions made it hard to focus. Not only on what was said, but on the mixed feelings swirling around the room. He didn’t have to be an empath to see he’d pissed her off with his rudeness. But what choice did he have? This wasn’t the time to explore any attraction he had for her. He had other things to concentrate on. That was why he “pushed” a suggestion to Claude to leave the building.

To be honest, meeting her was a surprise. He didn’t care about the bank, Murduk, Inc., or finding the man Michael told him he needed to look for. Every instinct screamed he go back and wipe that disgusted sneer off her lips.

Preferably with his mouth.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose under the sunglasses, he let out a disgruntled sigh. Good God of Love, I’m so screwed.



I’d love for you to read Ben and Julienne’s love story. I can’t wait to hear what you think of me mixing the paranormal into a SciFi romance!


Wednesday, December 9, 2020

A Midwinter’s Feast in the Mystical World of 13th Century Scotland by Mary Morgan

 


Come journey with me as I whisk you away to 13th century Scotland for a Midwinter’s feast. We shall arrive at Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness. This is the home of the Clan MacKay—the Dragon Knights. Their bloodline is steeped in ancient Celtic mythology. Though they respect the new religion that has swept across their land, the Dragon Knights continue to honor the old ways. Midwinter is a celebration of light and warmth here within the walls. The doors have been left open for all to enter in peace. Once you step inside, you are drawn to the holly boughs with ivy, bay, crimson-berried yew and fragrant bunches of rosemary.

The torches cast a welcoming light as you proceed onward. As we enter the Great Hall, you are met with boisterous laughter and gaiety. A bard is recanting the tale between the aging Holly King (representing the darkness of the old year), and the young Oak King (symbolizing the light of the New Year). Some of the older lasses have chosen to weave a sprig of holly onto their gowns and they nod at you in passing.

Candles illuminate the hall in a soft glow as you make your way toward the feasting tables. The Dragon Knights and their wives are seated at a longer table near the hearth. Ale and mead are flowing, along with the tempting dishes you survey as you take your place. You are tempted by the trencher of wild boar stuffed with onions and cabbages to your right. Or maybe you would prefer the spiced apples and damson tarts.

The minstrels begin to play a lively tune and a few of the couples grasped hands to join in the merriment…

Onward they danced, twirling and swaying around the hall. Laughter filled Ailsa, along with Desmond’s touch. As the minstrels ended their song, she dipped a curtsy to all. 

Fiona handed her a cup of ale. “You were wonderful out there. I’ve never witnessed my brother dancing. He’s good.” 

“Thank ye.” Ailsa drained the cup, relishing the cool liquid. 

Desmond returned holding two plum tarts in his hand. “By the Gods, these are delicious. Who made them?”

Fiona tried to snatch one from his hand. “Brigid. They’re a favorite of Duncan’s.” 

He shook his finger at her. “Nae. I brought one for Ailsa.”

Fisting her hands on her hips, Fiona pouted. “But none for your beloved sister?” 

“Ye wound me.” Handing her one, he added, “Ailsa and I will just have to share this one.”

Pleased with his gesture, Fiona kissed him on the cheek. Taking the offering, she was about to take a bite, when Alastair approached from behind her.

“’Tis good to see ye are eating.” He placed his hands around her waist.

She laughed when he nibbled on her neck. 

“Come, Desmond. Let us eat our fare away from the lovers,” Ailsa suggested and tugged on his arm.

Snorting, he complied and followed her out of the hall and near the entrance. When he held the treat out to her, Ailsa took a bite.

Closing her eyes, she savored the sweet fruit and crust. “Mmm…” 

“’Tis good.” He whispered softly.

Desmond’s tongue teased the edges of her mouth, and snapping her eyes open, Ailsa yearned to have him kiss her. 

Excerpt A HIGHLAND MOON ENCHANTMENT Copyright © Mary Morgan


PLUM TARTS aka…DAMSON TARTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped almonds 

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into small pieces

1 egg yolk

2 pounds firm, ripe plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine the flour, almonds, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it’s lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer tart to flat plate.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

**Damsons are a small purple-black fruit similar to the plum



Enjoy a Midwinter feast within the pages of these holiday time-travel and paranormal romances! On sale for a limited time here





Friday, December 4, 2020

Make the Most of Your Time

 By Maureen Bonatch

This year has been very different for most of us. I've worked remotely long before the pandemic began, so that aspect of my life hasn't changed, but with many other things cancelled and the daily schedule book full of not much of anything outside of the house many days begin to seem the same. 

As I look back over the past year it seems like it's one big blur of the same, but if I look a little closer I realize that it's not. My work schedule didn't change, but I still wanted to make use of the time that I had each day to push myself to learn some new things and revisit some old hobbies that I've neglected. To not let "2020 win".

How to Take Your Mind Off 2020

  • Turn a Fail into a Win: Got any old hobbies that you've neglected? Books you've stacked up but felt like you never had time to read? Make the time to enjoy what you already have. I'm starting to learn to use Scrivener. I bought the writing tool a few years ago and each time I opened it I became overwhelmed and went back to my old standby of using word. I used National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWri) to try it out with the most basic features. I still have a lot to learn but I'm making some progress—and setting the word targets per writing session has improved my productivity. 
  • Use What You Got: Before you go out and buy new stuff, check out what you already have. Maybe it's cleaning out your closet or watching some of those old movies you've collected. I revisited a writing course that I bought a few years ago and started but didn't finish. I'm still working through it but it's inspired me to make more time for learning.
  • Learn Something New: Take your mind off your stress by focusing on learning something new such as a craft, or home project. I choose to learn more about self-publishing. I self-published my first short story (Till Death). This story started as my NaNoWri project in 2019 and I didn't finish that year. This psychological thriller was the perfect story to lift my mood this year.
 

                        Click Here to Get Your Copy While Till Death is On Sale now for .99cents

                 Till Death- and all the Friday the 13th stories are free to read on Kindle Unlimited

  • Explore Something New: Expand upon a hobby you already have. Till Death is a psychological thriller, which is a new genre for me, but I've also started writing in a new genre- Witch Cozy Mystery. It's really very close to what I already write and a lot of fun! Stay tuned for a whole series coming out next year starting with Curses, Cats & Corpses! (P.S. I won NaNoWri this year with the third book in that series tentatively titled- Magic, Mimosas & Mistletoe) 

Conquer & Clean Up the "What Day Is It?" Conundrum:

My trick for helping to avoid the blurring of days is to have a schedule in the home specific to the day. It's a win-win because it keeps me grounded on the day of the week and I can get chores done little by little each day. Such as one day of the week I vacuum a certain floor, or mop, or clean the bathrooms on another day but maintain the same schedule each week. 

If all fails—bake some comfort food, like cookies!

If you're signed up for my newsletter, or follow my author Facebook page- you might be already baking up some goodies because you would've gotten this free cookbook already. My newsletter subscribers get all the details on sales, new releases and goodies like these first. Be sure to sign up so you don't miss anything all year long!


                                                 Click here to download your free copy

Happy Holidays and Here's to wrapping up 2020 with a few wins!

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. 


Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBubAmazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Giving Tuesday by Diane Burton

 


Many people spent Black Friday and Cyber Monday buying things for themselves, their families and friends. What sales we encountered! My brother-in-law was in retail before he retired. He'd come home on Black Friday with stories about violence in the stories that would make your hair stand on end. 

In 2012, a movement began as a simple idea--a day set aside at the beginning of the holiday season to do good. It's grown into a global movement. It's not just for giving money--although many charities depend on people's generosity at this time of year. Helping within the community, being generous with your time and talent, assisting a neighbor. Today is that day.

Since this is a blog about and for paranormal romantics, I wondered how I could connect Giving Tuesday. In our world-building, a sometimes neglected area is religion or spirituality. Who or what do the people worship? Do they have ceremonies, holidays? How do they celebrate? How do they deal with the poor? Are there poor and neglected or is it a utopian society?

In building the world our characters inhabit, mention of religious aspects adds a richness to our stories. Like backstory, we only need casual mention--not a huge info dump. For example, the characters, who landed on an alien planet, could find themselves in the middle of a major celebration, complete with parades, singing, dancing, drinking and . . . 

This is my last post for 2020, so I'll wish you happy holidays however you celebrate. Enjoy. Stay safe.



Monday, November 30, 2020

What's in a Name, and Other Stuff

 

A belated happy Thanksgiving to the US folks out there! I missed my October PNRomantics post due to deadlines, and almost missed November too! (Hey, there's still a few hours left of today where I live.) A lot has happened in the last couple of months, so let’s get on with this.

My winged aliens have been set free and the Silverstar Mates series is complete! This series was a blast to write. Creating this new universe was a challenging change of pace from my Prophecy series. If you love sexy silver foxes, you should check it out.


Reflecting back, one of the most notable writing moments for me was one evening when I took a break and watched a documentary about immigration. In it they talked about the word “alien” and how it can be used in a degrading and insulting manner, and that many immigrants prefer it not be used at all.

This is a real-time issue, and I figured that intergalactic travelers might feel the same way. So, instead of alien, I chose to use off-worlder for this series. I kinda like the idea, and you may see this play out in future books of mine as well. I’m mulling that over right now.

Now for the fun little nuggets…. The heroes in these stories are winged beings, and as such have adopted various sayings like: On the other wing, instead of on the other hand; nest, instead of house; flock, instead of family; etc. There are too many others to list, but you can check them out for yourself.

Also, as you read the books you may notice something very special about the heroines’ names. All of their names—first and last (in some cases maiden)—are related to birds. Seriously! Robyn, Meryl, Martin, Vogel, etc. And there’s a future heroine mentioned whose name means “birdlike” in Latin.

And speaking of the future, as of today I started working on the prequel to the Silverstar Mates series. It will be a short story that takes place fifteen years before Above the Storm, and will answer the question I seem to be getting a lot: Who is Sovah Raptorclaw?

Heh, heh, heh. Who indeed? Stay tuned.

XOXO,

Lea Kirk

For more on Lea's books (past, present, and future), check out her:

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Amazon | GoodReads

~*~*~*~*~

Need gift ideas? The print versions of my three Prophecy series novels are on sale through January 1, 2021.




 

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Waiting on a Friend by @meganslayer #newrelease #gay #gayromance #historicalgayromance #christmas #pnr


 Waiting on a Friend by Megan Slayer 

Cover Art: Bryan Keller

BIN: 009604-03113




Book Length: Novella

Page Count: 44

Price: $3.99 $3.39

King Mason doesn’t want to spend another year alone. He loves his job at the men’s shelter, but there has to be more from life than work. He’s seen the pretty blond man around the community and can’t wait to make a move at the Christmas street party.

Randall Stevens has big plans for Christmas 1980, and all of them involve meeting King Mason. He’s fallen hard for the man, and his wish is to take things to the next level. Christmas Eve just might be the night -- except some wishes are meant to go sideways. Can Start Me Up help provide the solution he and King need?

From Changeling Press and available now!
or wherever ebooks are sold: https://books2read.com/u/m0wvM7

Copyright ©2020 Megan Slayer

Being a friendly face didn’t soothe his loneliness, especially at Christmas.

Kaz, a man King knew from the baths, crooked his brow. “Want to hook up in the changing rooms? Share a little Christmas cheer? I’ve got poppers.”

“Not tonight.” King wasn’t one for drinking, and he’d taken drugs exactly once -- not his thing. The headache from the hangover was a drag, and the lone time he’d gotten high freaked him out too much. He hated losing control, and Kaz tended to fly a little too close to the edge for King. “Have a merry Christmas,” King said. “Happy New Year if I don’t see you before then.”

“You know I will -- on both accounts.” Kaz shrugged. “If you’re interested, I’ll be at the baths until two.”

He didn’t doubt it. Kaz spent all his time looking for someone to fuck. King wasn’t one for casual. He wanted a steady guy. Someone to come home to, fuck, and love. Someone to hold when they slept. That’s what he wanted. Was that guy out there?

He hadn’t found the opportunity to talk to him. What if he could be King’s forever?

Darryl, the new owner of Start Me Up, strode up to King. “I hear you could use this.” He handed King a card. “I don’t know what for, and I don’t want to know. Take it.” He mashed the card into King’s hand. “Trust me.”


Wednesday, November 25, 2020

BE THANKFUL . . . by Nancy Gideon


Who can’t wait to leave 2020 behind! Raise your hand. What has this year given us to be grateful for? Panic. Anger. Loss. Isolation. Misinformation. Fear. We huddle in our homes mourning the loss of the freedoms we took for granted, including the ability to gather together on this holiday with those we love. We isolate because we love them, because we look ahead to that time when we can open our doors and put this quarantine safely behind us. Face it, in the future when we look back on this year, this will be our overwhelming reaction: 


(Thanks to my very clever bakery owner niece whose Mad Batter, LLC offers these socks for sale on her site: The Mad Batter).

This constant anxiety has done more than affect our day-to-day freedoms. It’s also placed a burden on our creativity. Our COVID brains struggle with those happily-ever-afters and plot twists our WIPs demand. One saving grace for me, since I just started a new contemporary project, is Zoom. I’ve been able to real time with my two writing groups and listen to speakers from across the country. I’ve been able to chat and critique with my PotL writing pals several times a month – more frequently now than when we were face-to-face. Real people, real conversations! So, this is me in the COVID world, doing what I do, remembering my motto: “Writers are never on break, They are either writing, thinking of writing or rewriting what was written.” 


Another way to put things into proportion is this article on things 1st graders are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Out of the mouths of babes . . . 



Me and my household will be enjoying a carry-out meal from Bob Evans (probably for days!) doing our part to keep local businesses going. (Yes, I’m happily taking one for the team by sacrificing those five hours at the stove!) We’ll be messaging family and friends to keep them close in our hearts, if not our homes.

Enjoy this holiday quiz while preparing or consuming your feast c/o Meebily. Visit this link for more holiday fun: Thanksgiving Trivia


Another thing I’m thankful for . . . YOU!! Stay safe and happy holiday!

♚♚♚♚♚
Nancy Gideon on the Web