Category Archives: Guest Post
Pitch Day from Musetracks
As if the question ‘Wanna pitch to an agent or editor’ isn’t enough.
Hello! A huge thanks to all my wonderful hosts as I run all over cyberspace talking about Agent/Editor Shop at the Musetracks blog.
In this crazy world of easy access to information, it’s also easy to miss huge opportunities, or forget! Because I get so many comments that writers either forgot, or didn’t know Musetracks did pitch sessions, I asked a bunch of fellow writers, bloggers and readers to help me spread the word.
For those of you who don’t me, I’m Candi Wall, one of the authors who co-contribute to the Musetracks blog. Jennifer Bray-Weber, Marie-Claude Bourque, and Stacey Purcell are my super smart co-contributors and goodness knows where I’d be without them!
I’ve been hosting acquiring Agents at Musetracks for almost two years, and only recently, we decided to add editors as our guest. We’ve been lucky to have agents like Melissa Jeglinski, Jessica Alvarez, Mollie Glick, Becky Vinter, Kevan Lyon, Scott Eagan, Lois Winston, Jill Marsal, Michelle Grajkowski, Kimberley Cameron, Emmanuella Alspaugh (now Morgan), Laura Bradford, Jenny Bent, Sara Crowe, Weronika Janczuk and Stan Soper.
Our guest editors thus far have been Rhonda Penders w/ The Wild Rose Press, Jennifer Miller w/ Samhain Publishing, Debby Gilbert w/ Soul Mate Publishing, Beth Walker w/ Secret Cravings Publishing, and the editors at Books To Go Now have booked three dates in the future!
What we offer is a ‘Pitch Day’. I only take 30 pitches, and only the first thirty VIABLE pitches that come in on pitch day will be seen by the agent or editor. And I will warn you, I’m a stickler for following guidelines. If you don’t include exactly what is in the rules… I delete without prejudice. And I delete quite a few. (And yes, I receive plenty of hate mail.)
You can find us here:
Musetracks and there is a sidebar with Agent/Editor Shop dates and attending professionals
You can find the rules for pitching here:
Musetracks Agent/Editor Shop rules Please read them carefully!
I’ve also created a Yahoo group so writers can sign up to receive Agent/Editor Shop updates. I only send messages with agent/editor attendance updates, reminders of pitch dates, and any information about the contests we run on pitch day. Usually a giveaway or a chance to comment for the Top Pitch Slot. You can request to join here:
Editor/Agent Shop Newsletter Group
Easy as pie! We welcome every stage of writer and at Musetracks, we strive to help other writers, the way we were all helped when we first started out, and the way we are supported today.
Hope to see you all at a pitch day, and if not, feel free to pass the word along to others.
Happy reading and writing!
~Candi
A little about Candi:
Candi Wall is an author of contemporary romance, and YA.
Her début novel PRIMITIVE NIGHTS released from Samhain in Jan 2013, and STAY, the first in the Changing Tides series releases from Samhain on Aug 6th 2013.
She’s a mother of four (21,17,12,9), a rescuer of six (4 dogs & 2 cats), proud auntie of too many to count, a soon-to-be grandmother and great-auntie, a retired Cub Scout leader of 16 years, an avid animal lover/protector and ex-animal control officer. Oh yeah, and wife. J
You can find her here:
King Cobra (Hot Rods, book #1) by Jayne Rylon – Book Blitz/Giveaway/Guest Post
Prize Information:
Jayne is giving away a prize pack that will include a variety of items including T-shirt, print copy of Pick Your Pleasure, flavored lube, autographed cover flats, playing cards, keychain, etc. The rafflecopter code for this is below with the tour schedule. Good luck!
Blurb:
Nothing’s sexier than seven men with hot rods.
Hot Rods, Book 1
After Eli’s mother died, his father honored her life’s mission as a social worker by taking in several kids from the wrong side of the tracks. Not all of them stuck, but those who did became Eli’s quasi family.
Their bonds, forged in fires set by their personal demons, are unbreakable—or so Eli wants to believe. Especially since he and Alanso, his best friend and head mechanic, witnessed the overpowering allure of polyamory while visiting the Powertools crew.
Much as Eli would like to deepen the relationships among his foster brothers and sister in the Hot Rods Restoration Team, he’s hesitant to risk everything on a quick romp behind a stack of tires.
But when Eli catches Alanso exploring their mutual fantasy at a known hookup spot in a public park, all bets are off. And Eli must decide if it’s time to jump in full throttle—and trust his instincts to guide him through the night. If the pair can dodge the potholes in their own relationship, maybe they can race together toward the unconventional arrangement with Mustang Sally they both desire.
Warning: Fasten your seatbelts, this is going to be a wild (and naughty) ride!
How much research did you have to do on cars for this series?
Actually, quite a bit. The good news is that I really enjoy cars and so does my husband so between us we already knew most of the details I needed to get started. However, I did extensive internet research, and watched lots of car shows that Mr. Rylon was happy to DVR for us, as well as using some reference books, including Mighty Muscle Cars, which was a gift from a friend.
Each of the men drives a car that tells a lot about their personality and is their nickname or involved in the title of their book. Those symbolic choices tell a lot about each of them and hopefully helps readers keep people straight in a series that has a HUGE cast of characters. Each book title has the name of the main character’s car along with something that tells a little about them. For example, Eli’s book is King Cobra. He drives a Shelby Cobra—classic, iconic, fast, agile, aspirational. He’s the owner of the shop and the leader of the gang.
Other titles in the series are MUSTANG Sally, Super NOVA, REBEL on the Run, SWINGER Style, and BARRACUDA’s Heart.
Harlie here…I’m instantly hooked. My dream car is a Shelby Cobra Mustang….preferably blue with a white stripe and the numbers must match. I’m a totally gear head and nothing beats American muscle cars. And yes, my car is about $80k and my husband keeps telling me no. I can’t imagine why? Or a ’67 Camaro, fire engine red. Just saying…
Buy Links:
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-cobra-jayne-rylon/1114503297?ean=9781619213388
Samhain: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/king-cobra-p-7354.html
Schedule:
4/22
4/23
4/24
4/25
Book Reviews and More by Kathy
4/26
Contact Jayne Rylon:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jayne.rylon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayneRylon
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jayne-Rylon/e/B002VTCILM
Email: contact@jaynerylon.com
Website: http://jaynerylon.com/
Undressed by Avery Astor – Promo/Guest Blog/Excerpt/Giveaway
Giveaway information:
Avery will be awarding a 6-month membership to Dylan’s Candy Bar Candy of the month Club to one randomly drawn commenter. In the novel, the heroine makes herself Fuck-it Buckets which are candy filled buckets from Dylan’s Candy bar (or any candy store) when she’s stressed out. Just leave a comment with your email address and you are entered! Find the picture below: 
BLURB:
Book 1 in The Manhattanites series. (78,000 words, M/F, HEA, Erotic Romance, Contemporary)
Milan’s notorious playboy, Prince Tittoni, seems to have everything—Lamborghinis, exotic women, palaces throughout Europe and business success. Ramping up his fabric company to go global with a new apparel brand, he ruthlessly stops supplying fabrics to the American client who inspired the collection. But once they meet, what’s he willing to give to get her in his bed?
Upper East Side designer Lex Easton has already endured her fair share of hard knocks. She’ll be damned if she’ll let an Italian stud muffin knock her down. So what if she named her favorite vibrator after him? With Fashion Week approaching, she’ll do whatever it takes to secure the fabrics she needs to make her clothing line an international success—even sleep with her rival.
Lex’s Louboutins are dug in deep to win this war. All’s fair in love and fashion!
Inside Scoop: Though the hero and heroine remain monogamous, their Prada-wearing friends indulge in a ménage a trois and other fashionable sexual fun and games.
EXCERPT:
Withdrawing her hand from his, she raised her right thumb to collect a fallen tear as she caught her breath. “Thank you for your time, Your Majesty.” Lex wrapped the pashmina tighter around her shoulders. “I’ll ring Goldbaum & Goldstein first thing in the morning.” She crossed her arms, likely not happy with having to go to a different manufacturer.
Massimo hadn’t heard about the Gold’s before. “Are they a new fabric supplier?” I haven’t met Signor Goldbaum or Signor Goldstein. Nice people to work with?”
“Very. Sarah Goldbaum and Hannah Goldstein have been friends with me since college.” Her eyes sparked a challenge he didn’t wish for. “At Columbia University I majored in Women’s Studies and they graduated in—International Law. They were in my sorority.”
“International law?” His tonsils throbbed as if a frog had leapt down his throat. “Who are Sara and Hannah?”
“My lawyers! G and G represent Manhattan’s finest. They never lose a case.”
“Aaugh!” Without intention he stood, enraged. It was impossible to sit. Royal etiquette rule number one, titled Grace. His mother, Elisabetta Giada, Princess of Oro, taught him as a boy. Always walk away from nastiness—never stick around or react. Massimo threw his damask napkin over his plate. He couldn’t manage her meltdown, remain professional and be dignified at the same time. One minute she’d flirt, next second she’d cry, and then she’d threaten. He realized he may not be any better. “If you will mi scusi, dinner is over. Buona notte.”
“Good night to you too,” she echoed, dropping her head between her hands.
He marched away, unsure what else he could do for her. If he stayed, they’d rip one another to pieces. Her lawyers didn’t worry him. Girasoli contracted the best legal counsel money could buy. But would the courts see it his way or hers?
25 New Yorker Insights Learned in Undressed by Avery Aster
Sex
- Your vagina can take a guy’s shaft and nuts…at the same time.
- Always name your butt plug after Anderson Cooper.
- Pre-ejaculation while jetting a plane over Italy causes turbulence.
- Never let a dog sleep in your bed, especially three dogs. It’ll ruin your sex life.
- If he’s as hung as an Evian bottle, it’s best to look away.
Money
- Always retain the legal services of female lawyers, particularly ones named; Sarah Goldbaum and Hannah Goldstein.
- Never allow your mother to spend your line of credit on a psychic from the Caribbean.
- Sexual frustration leads to good business practices, enough to earn three hundred million dollars.
- If Bergdorf’s, Barney’s and Saks Fifth Avenue reject your upcoming fashion collections try selling it to JCPenny’s.
- Use your American Express reward points wisely.
Life
- Bellini cocktail consumption will induce foot fetishes.
- Swedish Fish, Now & Later, and Gummy Bears from Dylan’s Candy Bar are perfect for your fuck-it bucket.
- Everyone should be so lucky to have a best friend like Taddy Brill.
- Never drive a Ford Thunderbird off a cliff thinking you’re Thelma & Louise.
- Stay away from any woman named Scilla or Ottavia.
Fashion
- Wearing Tory Burch ballet flats while racing a sports car may cause ones clitoris to hum.
- Think twice before sitting Lady Gaga and Madonna next to one another at your fashion show.
- Prada and a condom, when worn together, are known to make bisexual men go bonkbuster cra-cra.
- Altering a vintage Valentino dress, formerly worn by socialite Nati Abascal, may land you on the red carpet.
- We should all get fucked in Fendi.
Love
- When in love, you can have as many orgasms as you like…in one day!
- Slow dancing to Giuseppe Verdi enhances one’s emotional state.
- Never argue with your lover in public, above all—never in front of Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs, or Karl Lagerfeld.
- Playing Simon Says, in bed, may lead one to reveal their true feelings. So will strip dancing in front of him to the song Girls, Girls, Girls by Mötley Crüe.
- And finally, he must always say, “I love you,” first.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Avery Aster is an American novelist who pens erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave. As an Upper East Side resident and a graduate from New York University Avery is celebrated for giving readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades, and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous. “I write about what I see in my metropolis which never sleeps—Manhattanites on the quest for a passionate thrill,” Avery says. “By and large, my characters are drop-dead gorgeous, ripped straight from the headlines and on the hunt for their next conquest.”
Undressed, book one, launched The Manhattanites series exploring people’s forbidden desires of lust and longing. When Avery’s star-studded cast unites it always feels like forever and everyone has a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Log on to AveryAster.com for upcoming book releases or email Avery@AveryAster.com to join The Manhattanites fan club.
Blood Purple by Ashley Nemer – Guest Blog
Harlie’s Review of Blood Purple
If you haven’t checked out the review of Blood Purple, the link is above. Great book and it was different from the usual vampire books. Great start to a series.
In a world we think we know, live other races entirely hidden from the mortal perspective. Creatures of legend, of fable and myth, their very history and nature have allowed them to walk side by side with humans since time immemorial. They are warriors, they are hunters, and they are Algula Vampire. And in their own midst, a battle is brewing for supremacy, for dominance, that can and will affect all around them. Old hatred never dies and vengeance is a fiery sword that cuts a bloody swath.
Guest Post:
Writing…that hobby that will forever provide you enjoying. To me it’s the best thing that I could do to pass the time on a lazy Sunday, dreary Monday or a happy Friday. It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is or what is going on in the outside world there is always something for me to write. It is the hobby that will keep on giving.
How many of you keep your stress and frustrations pent up? How many have no outlet for the feelings inside and you keep them that way until you explode? Honestly I think that’s all of us, we all have things that stay hidden and we don’t know how to push them out and to the surface. It took me a long time to realize how valuable writing is to me. Well, not just writing, creativity as a whole. It comes together and with every facet of our being.
Writing…that hobby that will forever give you fulfillment. There are so many ways you can pick up a pen and bring joy to someone. It’s as easy as sending a letter to a long lost friend or relative. Jotting down a poem in the middle of the day when you’re feeling overwhelmed with some thoughts. Sitting down at your comfy desk and plugging out a blog or short story. You never know where writing will lead you.
One thing I love about writing is I can go anywhere and be anything I want. I don’t have to get dressed up and look fancy; I don’t have to fix my hair, hell I don’t even have to wear socks! Writing gives you that option to be as free as you allow yourself. I honestly believe that it’s this freedom that stirs creativity.
When I sit at my laptop I always write with my eyes closed. I visualize where I am, am I on an island in the Caribbean? Am I sailing the seas of the Atlantic? Could I be on a plane across the world going to see a friend? Yes, yes yes yes! All of the above. That’s the ability you gain when you write.
One thing just occurred to me while my eyes were shut and I was daydreaming about my plane ride to Ireland…the audience here is probably made up of mostly readers. Ahh readers…the key to any author’s success. Without the reader we are nothing. When I spoke about writing and the endless fulfillment it provides, it’s in part because of all of you readers. The lengths you will go to in showing an author you love their works is amazing. The support, loyalty and encouragement from the readers are a driving force in a lot of what is transferred onto the page.
Personally, I know without a few key words of encouragement from a few fans my author days would have been numbered. So let me leave you with this thought for the day, writer or reader, take ten minutes out of your day and jot down a story, poem or thought. Take a collection of the year and at the end see what you have. Maybe it’s a book of poetry, maybe it’s a book of inspirational phrases. Maybe it’s just a few short stories. But read through the years’ worth of work and see what you have – it might be the next great American novel.
Excerpt:
Hamza walks into the room with his guard looking at Nikole’s still body lying on the table. “Is she dead?” he questions.
“No sir, she passed out while we were in the middle of the procedure. We were doing like you instructed and burning her body with the needles when she went unconscious. We thought it best to come get you right away.”
Hamza looks over her body, placing his fingers to her neck and feeling only a small hint of life. His lips curve up in excitement as he anticipates what is yet to come. “Good, leave us alone.” He starts to walk around the table staring at her naked and bloodied body.
The room emptied out while Hamza continued to circle the table. He tried to decide what to do with this dead weight prisoner. Leaning over her body, he backhanded her jaw, the cracking of her bones deafening in the silence of the room. He heard her moan in agony while she slowly came to consciousness.
“Nikole, I think it would be best if you just gave me what I asked of you. As soon as you tell me what we want to know this pain will all stop.” Taking his knife from the sheath on his belt, he placed the cold blade to her cheek. “I will cut your pretty little face apart. Don’t think I won’t.” Taking the tip of the blade he breaks the skin at the top of her left cheek and slowly cut lines into her face. Droplets of blood ran down her cheek staining her flesh as he slashed her face. Nikole’s voice is gone from all the screaming she has done and all she can do is heave a cry. Her eyes are still forced open, not even tears can form since she can’t blink. “Come on little Princess, just tell me where Zayn is so I can kill him. I promise this will all stop.”
About the Author:
Ashley is married and lives in Houston with her husband Tony. They have two dogs named Toto and Doogie. They have been together for almost 8 years and he brings her more joy than she could ever imagine as a child. She loves to read and has been hooked on the romance genre ever since her lifelong best friend Laura gave her “Ashes to Ashes’ by Tami Hoag to read when they were younger.
Ashley finds her strength through her family, especially her parents. They always support her in life and they push her to strive for greatness. There once was a motto that Ashley heard in her youth through her Taekwondo life ‘Reach for the Stars’ and that is what Ashley has always done. It was through her upbringing that the values Ashley has and display’s came from. With her Parents always cheering her on in life she was able to grow up having faith in herself and her ability to conquer the world.
Candy from Strangers by Joey Jameson – Guest Blog/Giveaway/Exceprt
Giveaway Info: Prize is 20 eBook copies of “Candy From Strangers” (1 each to 20 winners). Contest is tour-wide and open internationally. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Ends Jan 5. Rafflecopter link is at the bottom. Good luck!
Candy From Strangers: A Gay Erotic Thriller
by Joey Jameson
Published on November 1, 2012 by Chances Press, LLC
Erotic GLBT Thriller Romance
Heat Level: Sizzling
Length: 40,000 words
Available at:
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Candy-From-Strangers-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00A1TR7F6
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/candy-from-strangers-joey-jameson/1113739976
Blurb:
Dylan, a 20-something English lad who’s successful, charming and beautiful, thinks he has everything, until one day his world is turned upside down when hot new neighbor, Darien, moves in across the road. The two begin a steamy affair that leaves Dylan breathless and thinking he may have finally found Mr. Right. But as time passes, cracks start to show in Darien’s story forcing Dylan to question everything he thought he knew about this dark stranger.
Candy from Strangers is a lustful tale of romance, intrigue and mystery that poses the question of how well do we ever know the ones we let into our lives.
Excerpt:
This is one of those moments. You know the ones, that moment where you find yourself floating above your body staring down at yourself…thinking that there’s no way this could possibly be happening. There’s no way I could have allowed my life to take such a turn… There’s no way I could have fucked up so badly… This has got to be a dream…But no matter how many times I shake my head and grit my teeth, I don’t wake up from this apparent nightmare… The sound of muffled voices outside the padlocked door brings me back to where I am, and I shudder and peer around the small white room.
I look down at the blood underneath my finger nails, and I begin to shake all over. My eyes sting and the throbbing in my head is so loud I can’t focus on anything else. I put my hand up to my forehead instinctually, and then retract it to inspect the dried blood that’s caked itself to my head. All of a sudden a face flashes in my mind, almost like a jolt of electricity shooting through my brain; him…The one with the face of an angel…This is all because of him. I shake my head again trying to force the image of his face away, but it’s as if he’s standing right in front of me, taunting me with his gaze, his eyes burning a hole right through my skull.
A moan bubbles up from deep in my belly, but fizzles out before it reaches my mouth. I drop my head into my shackled hands and feel the familiar sting of tears from behind my eyes.
How did I get here? How did this happen to me?
Before I know it my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a key cutting its way through the lock. The padlock is pulled back and the heavy door scrapes open. A man wearing a white coat and holding a clipboard walks in trepidatiously, accompanied by two other men. My breath hitches in my throat as the men walk slowly towards me, regarding me carefully as if they expect me to pounce on them like a hungry tiger. As they approach they begin to blur and fade around the edges. In their place, appears him again…his dark hair just as perfect as the day I met him. His eyes the same shade of green, welcoming and kind, yet mysterious. He holds out his hand and whispers something I can’t understand. The last thing I feel is an odd sense of comfort as everything goes black and I feel my body relax… But not before a puff of air from deep inside my lungs escapes from between my cracked lips, taking the shape of a word I hoped never to have to utter again…
Darien…
Guest Blog:
I think I had the title to “Candy from Strangers” in mind before I even wrote the first page. It was just how the idea built itself from the ground up; slowly developing and snow-balling from a mere hobby into an addiction that spiralled out of control and into the novel that you see before you. This is how I write. Ideas are like little seeds in my mind that when given the right amount of attention and nourishment, flourish into beautiful and complicated flowers that smell of my passion and aim to stun the reader into submission with their detail. Writing is power. And it’s this power that I crave.
This is my first novel. When writing “Candy”, I wanted to go straight for the jugular. I wanted to take my mother’s wise warning about ‘never talking to strangers’, and modify and exploit it for the people of my generation. I wanted to plant a little seed of doubt in the mind of other unsuspecting young men, such as myself; those innocently looking for companionship and love, and force them to think twice about who they invite into their beds. Do we every really truly know the men we meet when looking for love? Do we give trust away too easily? Do we open up our hearts as easily as we unbutton our trousers? And what happens when the ones we thought we knew, turn out to be someone else? Someone darker. Someone dangerous.
I wanted the relationship between Dylan and Darien to be relatable. I wanted the reader to be able to sympathise with both men and see sides of themselves in each of their personalities. Dylan and Darien are polar opposites. Day and night, Yin and Yang, and I created them using both the light and dark sides of myself. Dylan is sweet, caring and hopeful, while Darien is enigmatic, sexy and secretive. What starts out as the perfect relationship, quickly unravels when cracks begin to show in Darien’s story, leaving Dylan to question everything he thought he knew. It’s this idea of betrayal that we most fear when we give ourselves away. But sometimes even the most powerful passion, stems from something much darker.
I enjoyed exploring different themes in the book; attraction, desire, lust, sex, infatuation, paranoia, delusion. It is these themes that drive the book forward and capture the reader in their grip.
This is a story of obsession and lust that will hook you till the very last page, when the truth comes crashing down and shatters everything you thought was true. A cautionary tale for the 21st Century.
About the Author:
Joey Jameson is Canadian born and bred, but currently living in Brighton, UK. He can usually be found either on the beach walking his two gorgeous dogs, or sipping swanky cocktails in his local haunt. Ever the fan of all things decadent and naughty, “Candy From Strangers” is his first delve into erotic fiction, but watch out for more titillating and tantalizing stories from Joey in the very near future.
For an insight into his daily life, you can follow him on twitter @joeyjameson or contact him via email on misterjoeyjameson@gmail.com. You can also visit his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/joeyjamesonauthor for a sneak-peak of new work to come.
Smoking Ruin by D.R. Martin – Author/Book Spotlight/Guest Post/Giveaway
Blurb:
Minneapolis PI Marta Hjelm failed to prevent a preventable murder. Her guilt has brought her right to the edge of burnout and dropout. But a prize specimen from her ancient past—her cheating ex-husband—appears out of nowhere with a gig too good to turn down. One last job, Marta figures, can’t hurt.
But hurt it does, as Marta tries to make sense of a terrorist plot at a major ad agency. In the dead of a long, bitter Minnesota winter, Marta struggles to survive attempts on her life. To understand her conflicted feelings toward an ex who wants her back, and toward the man who healed her when everything was dark. To make peace with the ghost of a victim she should have saved. And to crack open multiple conspiracies that lead to murder and smoking ruin.
Excerpt:
Snuggled tight in the heated basement garage, the ad agency’s Lexus started like a charm. I touched the button on the remote door control, and drove up and out into the brutal January night. I turned right, through the back parking lot, and right again, around the end of the building, into the front parking lot, past my frozen Mercury Marquis.
A minute later I was curving north and east at a good clip, toward Wayzata, feeling like a rally driver. The sky was a deep azure, clear as glass and full of the stars you don’t often see in the city.
It was the first time that day I’d felt relatively on top of the situation. Sure, plenty of things were screwed up.
My boyfriend Rick needed calming down and getting home, where he belonged. I’d had to go to work for people I didn’t like, for a cause that gave pause. And my reaction to seeing my ex Terry again made me a little queasy. What’s up with that? I asked myself. But clear them all up—and I had no doubt that I would—and things looked a lot better.
I tooled over a narrow bridge, went left, then right, the lake only a dozen feet away. The headlights caught the glitter of ice on the road. I lightly tapped the brakes, but didn’t feel them catch. No anti-lock kicking in. Doing something wrong, I thought, as my heart accelerated and my gloved hands squeezed the wheel harder.
I feathered the brakes again—a reflexive, fluttery tapping of my right foot, from teen driving days—as I came onto the ice. I was going way too fast. Again, nothing happened. The Lexus kept rolling.
Turning the wheel left, I could feel my heart coming up into my mouth.
The tires refused to find a purchase on the ice and the car began to yaw sideways.
I kept feathering the brakes, then pressed hard. The pedal went to the floor with a forbidding “thunk.”
The road curved left again, but the Lexus kept going straight.
A puny steel-cable guard rail came up fast as a shot and the front of the Lexus sheared through it with a percussive roar.
I was briefly airborne over eight feet of steep shoreline, starting to scream, when the car nosed down.
The frozen lake rushed toward me, brilliant in the headlights, like a wall of dirty, corrugated granite.
Writing from the other side of the gender divide
We’ve all done it—looked at a person of the opposite sex and wondered what in the world makes him/her act the way he/she does.
I had the chance to delve deeper into that mystery when I created Smoking Ruin. The book is written in first-person, from the point of view of a female PI.
My protagonist, Minneapolis PI Marta Hjelm (pronounced “Helm”), is facing a perfect little storm of trouble and danger. She wants to quit PI work and join her boyfriend Rick in his photography business. But he’s not so sure that’s a good idea. A last big job comes her way courtesy of her bad-boy ex-husband—who clearly wants her back. And once she delves deeply into the case—with her primary client murdered in a horrible way—the unknown killer comes after her.
The mystery part of this equation is fairly straightforward, in the manner of detective stories everywhere. But how does a male author like me go about getting into the head of this woman who’s facing terrific personal and professional challenges? Well, most authors put a bit of themselves in each of their characters. And in many respects Marta is me—with a whole lot more guts and gumption. She’s kind of tired and cynical. She’s a snarky observer of social foibles and is often baffled at the illogicalities of the world. She’s nearly middle-aged and out of shape and feeling not very attractive. She’s dogged and loyal—a work horse, not a show horse.
When I was writing Smoking Ruin, I was fortunate to have a technical advisor on the female point-of-view—my wife. But once I wrinkled out those inauthentic moments in the story (“Sorry, hon, a woman would never think that.”), the women who have read the book have uniformly liked, even loved, Marta. With an early version of the book I toyed with the idea of turning Marta into Martin—thinking a male PI might sell better. A female friend who had read the manuscript was appalled. “Don’t you dare!” she snapped at me. “Marta’s not a man!”
I think any good writer should be able to bring off first-person in the opposite gender. Simply create a real human being with the personality and history and character that’s required for the story you intend to tell. That human being can be based on you or someone else you know or a totally fictional creation. Then start tweaking the gender details. If you’re a woman, ask your husband, boyfriend or male friends for technical advice; if you’re a man, ask the women you know.
What’s really important is that you know your character, like your character, and believe in your character. I know I’m awfully fond of Marta Hjelm and I hope readers who pick up a copy of Smoking Ruin will be, too.
Other books by D. R. Martin
Johnny Graphic and the Etheric Bomb, a kids’ ghost adventure; website at johnnygraphicadventures.com
The Karma of King Harald, a canine cozy written under the pen name Richard Audry, to be published in early December; website at richardaudry.com
D. R.’s Goodreads author page is at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5874298.D_R_Martin
You can contact D.R. at richardaudry120@gmail.com.
Debut Novel – Hard Core by Jennifer Lowery Giveaway/Guest Post/Excerpt
Hi Harlie and all you fabulous readers out there *waves* Thank you so much for having me today! My debut book, Hard Core, released this week so I’m very excited to be here! Thank you so much for sharing it with me!!
In honor of my release I am offering a copy of my debut romantic suspense, Hard Core, in either ebook format or signed print copy to one lucky commenter so please leave me a comment with your EMAIL and gift choice to be entered to win!!
Writing is a solitary career. As writers we lock ourselves away in an office for hours upon hours and escape into foreign lands with people we are learning to know. It’s a wonderful job and I love it, but sometimes it gets lonely being alone all the time with no one to talk to but fictional characters. Which is why I have certain things that motivate me!
The first thing on the list is my characters! Without them I’d have no story, no reason to write, nothing to write about. I love going on their adventure and meeting them, discovering their journey to happy ever after with them.
Second would have to be the setting. I love to research new settings! Dream of these exotic places my characters will travel and hope to someday travel there myself
Third would be chocolate! LOL. Yep, gotta have chocolate. It’s a great motivator! I always have a special bowl of chocolates in my office.
Oh, and can’t forget music. I often listen to music when I write and have playlists for each book. The playlist depends on the story. I mostly listen to rock (Octane is my favorite station). But I do have some classic rock and pop. Like I said, depends on the story.
How about you? Do you have anything that motivates you when you write? Or even when you read? A special candle or chair or music? I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks so much for having me today, Harlie!! I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to all my readers out there! Without you I wouldn’t be here. My wish is to one day meet each and every one of you so I can personally thank you for your generosity and support!
All my best,
Jennifer
Hard Core/Romantic Suspense
Blurb:
Tag: He takes lives. She saves them.
A supposedly hassle-free job for mercenary Cristian Slade becomes a mission of mercy when he saves a life instead of taking one. Slade’s new mission might be his most dangerous yet, because the danger is to his heart.
Tragedy has sent esteemed surgeon Alana O’Grady to a remote a remote Nicaraguan island where she immerses herself in the lives of a native American tribe, using her talents for goodwill instead of wealth and prestige. But life turns upside down when her work requires she protect a rugged mercenary who commands her attention when she’s awake and dominates her dreams while she sleeps.
Doctoring Cristian puts her entire tribe in danger from the man who’s hunting him. Is it her professional oath or her unprofessional attraction to him keeping her from sending him away to heal on his own? Alana’s fire warms Cristian’s heart, but he’s a hardened assassin and has no business falling for someone like her. Can they fight hard enough to keep what they might have together?
Content Warning: Sexual content.
Excerpt:
Prepared to start an IV, she picked up a needle. She had it in position when his other arm shot out and he clamped her wrist in a bone-crushing grip. Startled, she met his panicked gaze.
“I said no needles.”
Her heart banged against her ribcage as she let the needle slip out of her hand. It hit the floor with a small ting. Alana opened her hands in surrender, her patient’s fingers digging into her flesh. For a man half-dead, he had amazing strength.
“Okay,” she said to placate him. “Relax, I don’t have it anymore. It’s your choice, but I recommend you let me start an IV for meds.”
“No. Just fix me.”
Alana pinned him with a no nonsense stare. “I’m not impressed with Superman heroics.”
Face pale and drawn, he said gruffly, “I’m not Superman. Learned not to trust people with needles.”
Her fingers were going numb. “If I remove the bullet without pain medication or anesthetic, you’re going to be sorry.”
He studied her. “You’re really a doctor?”
Alana bristled. “Technically, yes.”
“Technically?”
She didn’t have time to explain herself with the amount of blood seeping from his gunshot wound. “I went to med school. You can let go of my arm now. I won’t use any needles.”
He looked down and immediately released his grip. She rubbed her wrist to soothe away the ache. “Can I get to work now, or do you want to question me more about my credentials while you bleed to death? I don’t have a blood bank, so you’re screwed if you lose too much.”
Her blunt statement received a curt nod. She normally didn’t talk to her patients like that. Her patients didn’t normally countermand her either.
“Do it,” he said.
“Without anesthetics?”
“I don’t need them. Just get it over with.”
Stubborn, stupid, or both? Insane, yes, but there wasn’t time to argue with him.
“Okay. The offer stands if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
She doubted that, but didn’t comment. Instead, wiped her forehead with her forearm, and picked up gauze pads to clean the wound.
“Here goes,” she warned and dabbed his skin.
Her patient didn’t move or even wince as she cleaned the angry wound. Either he had a will of steel or he’d passed out again. Hopefully, the latter. Sweat rolled down her back as she finished cleansing the area around the bullet entry. Red flesh puckered with the first signs of infection. In this environment infection was guaranteed.
With a steady hand that would have made her father proud, she picked up her instruments and took a deep breath.
“You still with me?”
He murmured a response, turning his head slightly so he could see her. The stark beauty of his profile, despite the bruises, struck her again. The lines of his face were chiseled, unforgiving. The kind of man she’d glance at twice if she passed him on the street.
A man associated with a criminal.
“Still here, Doc. What are you waiting for?” Husky with pain, his deep voice brought her out of her thoughts.
She gave herself a mental shake. “Want something to bite down on?”
A small, wry smile touched his lips and his lids closed. “You won’t hear a peep out of me. Just fix me, Doc.”
“I can hit you so you’ll sleep through it,” she muttered.
That drew a low chuckle from him. She didn’t expect him to have a sense of humor. He seemed too…hard. His chuckle turned into a grunt of pain. “You probably hit like a girl.”
Alana grinned. “Yes, I do. Rest assured it won’t feel like it.”
“Appreciate the offer, but, no.” His words slurred together, his muscles tense as he fought his body’s demands.
“You got a name, Superman?”
His head rolled to the side, his chest rose and fell slowly. She thought he was out but he murmured, “Cristian.”
“Nice to meet you, Cristian.”
Then she dug into the wound for the bullet.
Author Bio:
Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.
Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.
Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Find Jennifer:
Author Website Jennifer Lowery
Facebook Author Page
Twitter Twitter Link
Romance Recipes Romance Recipes
Buy Hard Core:
Amazon Amazon Buy Link
Lyrical Press Lyrical Press buy link
Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble buy link
Bookworld Bookworld Buy Link
iTunes iTunes Buy Link
