A Bit of an Update

Here's an an update for all my wonderful readers and the hoards of fans alike

First, did a bit of tinkering on my main website...Mainly added lots of pretty images to help sparkle things up a bit http://www.markalders.com

:-)

Then, on the 15th of August part 4 of Pembroke is released. Titled, Fire of the Heart. It involves lots of dragon shifters and an adventure that will culminate in an amazing revelation for our hero, Jacob.

The Keeper of the Land series starts October the 1st! Can you resist unicorn magic. Oh, and my unicorns are not as you know them. Then again, everything I do is a bit different. *evil chuckle*

My Borders of Worlds Saga begins soon, too! (Feb 15th 2011) Can't wait to get that one out. You will all fall in love with Vernon! I promise...yes, he's a eight-foot high Alien spider, but don't let that bother you :-)

So all go!!!

(Below is a mock-up cover only)

Time to Review the Reviewers!

When I first began my writing career, I knew I'd need to develop a thick skin. Quick! Just to handle all the rejections in the beginning. Too bad a writer's career doesn't come with full body armour. Because we need it sometimes.

I hate reviews. Absolutely detest them. Movie reviews, book reviews, etc. I like making my mind up for myself. I really decided this years ago when I was listening to movie reviewers tell me what to watch and what not to watch. Almost every single time, if they said the movie was great, I was thoroughly disappointed and if they said it was terrible, I loved it. I noticed the pattern and started watching the ones they did not recommend. Then I started ignoring them all together. I don't read book reviews. At all. Except for mine. And I never request a review now days.

I had one really, really bad review and two reviews that weren't great. The reviewers pointed out flaws in the story but by no means did they trash my book. Still. I detest reviewers. I admit, it does make my day when I get a great review. However, it is one person's opinion. And a bad review can ruin your entire week.

Here's an example of two reviews for the same book. One is a great review by Bitten by Books and the other one is not so great by Night Owl Romance. (Both are great review houses and greatly help to promote my genre, though I shy away from reviews all together. This is not an attack on either house or the reviewers.)

For me, reviews are simply part of the business I shudder at. Besides acting, what other business in the world do you have your work reviewed by total strangers. Not higher up management but by strangers. Strangers you have never spoken to or ever asked to read your work. You might as well strip naked and say, "Here I am. What do you think?" That's what it feels like for me. Yikes!

Reviewers should be reviewed as well. What do you think writers? I can hear the applause growing out there! Admit it! Some reviewers summarize the book very well without giving away key points. Some spoil it for the reader. Read these two reviews, ignoring which is the more positive review. The review's score is usually explained in the last paragraph. But look closely at the paragraphs before the final one. Read how each reviewer discusses the book. What score would you give each reviewer? I find it interesting as I read reviews that some of the nastiest reviews are poorly written, often giving away the entire plot to the reader. I really wish some of the reviewers would have better editors, making sure the reviewer doesn't spoil the book for others by giving away too much. And reviewing is a form of writing. Some reviewers just are not cut out for it. Nothing worse then being ripped a new one on a book you spent months on..your very own blood sweat and tears and the reviewer can only manage to string together a few sentences and in those few, manages to give away every single thing. Gee, thanks. Makes me want to tell them to jump in a lake. Maybe they should get a day job. They might actually have to buy their books then. Most of them work for free books. Free books they get to review without writing skills. I say we begin reviewing reviewers. What do you think? You decide.

If there are any authors out there who would like me to post two reviews of the same book on my blog, give me a shout out. I love to see the differences in a skilled reviewer and one who is not.

Any of you feel like reviewing the two reviews below and giving scores, feel free to do so in the comments below. I'm giving away a free ebook to one lucky commenter.

~Alisha

REVIEW FOR VOODOO MOON BY STORM AT BITTEN BY BOOKS

In 1825, the Rose Hill Plantation was the horror of Jamaica. Annie, the White Witch, had been orphaned as a child and raised in the blackest form of voodoo. As an evil voodoo priestess, she killed her slaves for the smallest slight and the rest lived in terror. She used male slaves as her lovers, and none lived for long. She made a terrible mistake, though, when she called Talon to her bed. Talon had been a white voodoo priest in Africa before being captured and sold into slavery. Slavery, though, had brought him his wife, Daisy, and he was determined to protect her and end the terror of the White Witch. He planned a voodoo ceremony for Daisy to do while he pleasured the witch, but Daisy’s fear and jealousy caused her to do something different, and that difference led to death and tragedy for all of them.

200 years later, Talon was given a second chance. And although the forest guardian told him to use this chance for healing, he was consumed with his need for revenge. He knew that the White Witch’s spirit still roamed Rose Hill, and now one of her descendents, Tammie, was living there. Talon has to decide whether he will take the path of revenge or the path of love and healing.

“Voodoo Moon” is a powerful, intricate story of the worse and best aspects of humanity. Although love does not conquer all, it endures and teaches. The author has created some of the most authentic and interesting characters I’ve ever met. The tale is full of twists, surprises, terror, creepy atmosphere, and passion. They say that good things come in small packages, and this is a whole lot of story skillfully crammed into a novella.
(Rated 5 out of 5)

REVIEW FOR VOODOO MOON BY VEE AT NIGHT OWL ROMANCE
Aside from the time he’d spent with his secret wife, Daisy, Talin, a slave, has led a tortured life. When his master, a cruel voodoo witch, turns on him and Daisy, Talin, a voodoo master himself, calls on a voodoo spirit for help.

He is turned into a wolf, but before he can rip the witch’s throat out, she succeeds in murdering Daisy.

Both Daisy and the voodoo witch dies while Talin is caught between worlds. Stuck in limbo for 200 years, Talin remains trapped until a young couple dabbling in voodoo unwittingly calls forth his spirit.

Talin is dislodged. Hatred and revenge fill his heart. After orientating himself to the new world, he decides to murder, Tammie, the voodoo witche’s descendant. He hopes to use her death to resurrect Daisy.

For her part, Tammie thinks the house her family left her in Jamaica is wonderful. What will happen when Tammie’s world collides with Talin’s need for retribution?

Voodoo Moon packs in a large cast of characters and plot twists into a short book. Characterization suffers, but there is plenty to hold the readers attention. For my tastes, it was too much, too fast and left too many unanswered questions.
(Rated 3.5 out of 5)

WINNER OF LAST WEEKS DRAWING IS SHERRY! EMAIL ME AT alishapaigewilson@yahoo.com and tell me which one of my ebooks you'd like. Go to www.alishapaige.com to choose your book.
~Happy Reading! *Alisha Paige*

He broke his clan’s rules to be with her. Is she worth it?

Wolf’s Soul is now available from Red Rose Publishing

Best seller in Mainstream Romance (Paranormal) category

Ruthless, charismatic, and dangerously handsome Shape-shifter, Callum Dyrdek abides by his clan's code—avoid humans at all cost, but protects them from the clan's archenemy, the Blood Robbers. But he broke the rules when he met a beautiful talkative woman he couldn’t stop lusting after. He claims her as his. Is she worth all the trouble he’s now facing?

 

 

Independent and an expert swordswoman, Marisol Saint James never felt the need to depend on anyone. That is until she killed a Shape-shifter. Now she’s on the run with Callum. The drool-worthy, enigmatic Shape-shifter who has made her feel warm all over, took her virginity,  and whose kind killed her parents. With no one to turn to, she’s forced to trust him. Until she’s learned his true intention.

 

Wolf’s Soul

A Midnight Howl Novel

Paranormal Romance

Red Rose Publishing

 

Tierney O’Malley

New Cover: Fire of the Heart

Well, here it is, my latest cover for my next release! How awesome is it?! When's it coming out? October the 15th! Competition to follow soon so stay tuned...

Oh and here's the blurb, too!

Fire of the Heart is the fourth installment in the Pembroke Eve Chronicles and takes place a few weeks after the Spring Dance.

Jacob, Callum and Zane are packing up for the night in the Food Emporium, when Mr. Barnaby bursts in proclaiming Aloysius is missing. Where could a twenty foot dragon have disappeared to in a small town like Pembroke Eve? And what’s more, when Jacob and the gang go to investigate, they are sucked into a wormhole that so happened to materialise right in the main street of the town. Coincidence? Hell yes!

The vortex is a one-way ticket to the dragon realm, where the problems for Jacob and his friends have only just begun. Why? Well, they’ve walked right into a time when the realm is at its greatest unrest, their leader, Aloysius, no longer there to guide them. If only Jacob could ask Mr. Barnaby for advice. Trouble is, he’s disappeared now, too!

To top it all off, Jacob unwittingly accepts an advance by a dragon shifter warrior named, Nottolu. The warrior claims Jacob as his mate and it’s up to Callum, his fiancé, to claim him back…even if it means his death.

Everything becomes a race against time. The gang must work together to find not only Aloysius and Mr. Barnaby, but to get Callum and Jacob back together, too. All before an all out war threatens to destroy everything, even the hope of ever returning to Pembroke Eve.

Can anything else go wrong? There is no doubt...

Cross the Line is out now and I'm giving one away!

Wahooo! Cross the Line is finally out. Let me warn you though... it is really HOT! If you'd like to pick up a copy you can find it here www.lyricalpress.com/cross_the_line or you can leave a comment for me here and my mini-me will pick the winner tonight!

Burb:

Leslie thought she had it all, until Chris showed her the rest. Another move and a bigger paycheck are all Leslie Teague depends on. Living the ‘no strings’ attached lifestyle has always worked for her…until she arrives in Phoenix. She doesn’t like bad boy types of men, so why can’t she keep her hands off Chris Matthews, who also just happens to be her new neighbor? Content warning, this book contains a fulfilled fantasy, adult language, and a life saved.

Excerpt:

I dropped the last box on the brown tiles and worried whether I’d packed anything breakable inside. With my luck, I had. Relieved to be done moving, I was already tired of the new city I called home even though I’d only been in it for a few hours. If I didn’t find something appealing about the place soon, I would be looking into moving again like when I’d wanted to get out of Billings, Montana. Nothing had been wrong with the old place, I get bored easy and like to move around is all.

My new best friend roared to life, blowing cool air from the vents. Ignoring the open front door, I sat down on the box I’d dropped. I did my best to rub the knots out of my lower back, but with achy arms, I wasn’t doing so well. Sweat trickled down my forehead, requiring me to stop my half-attempt at a massage, grab a washcloth from a nearby bag and mop at the sweat. How did people live like this? Why I’d decided to accept the job offer in Phoenix was beyond me. But moving in the middle of the Phoenix summer? Even worse. Now I could understand why Arizona had earned the nickname “the devil’s playground.”

Playground? Not sure that would be the right word choice because I was convinced I’d arrived in hell itself.

A knock on the door made me jump up from the box, making every strain in my muscles and joints become more prominent. The pain quickly faded as a luscious vision in denim leaned against my doorframe, looking sexy as sin.

A shot of heat spread through my body. I had no idea why he instantly turned me on. I didn’t find goatees attractive, wasn’t into the whole tattoo bit, or the almost too tight t-shirt style, but it all looked perfect on this man. This man definitely had the talent to pull off the bad boy look that made women drop to their knees. Me included.

I quickly ran my fingers through my hair. It had once been in a complete ponytail, but was only partially bound by a hairband at this point. I looked like a mess and knew it. What a great way to start out meeting someone so handsome. But that’s my luck and I had accepted it long ago. To make the best of the situation, I wiped my sweaty palm down my jean shorts before holding it out to him. “Hi. My name’s Leslie Teague.”

“Chris Matthews.” He barely touched my hand before dropping it, as if scorched. He cocked his head toward the front of my apartment. “Need help with that truck out front?”

“I would’ve taken you up on your offer a little earlier, but I’m done now.” The lie floated from my lips as if the act came as a second nature to me. I never lied to people and never, ever asked anyone for help. So why did I find myself holding my hands out toward the room full of boxes as if presenting a prize? “Unless you want to assist in moving the mattress to my bedroom?” A few suggestions as to what we could do on that mattress came to mind, but I did my best to keep my mouth shut.

~~~~

Writing Workshop III: Driving the Plot Forward and A Drawing for a Prize

What is it that drives the plot? How do we know when we're driving the plot? Every scene should drive the plot forward. If it doesn't, the scene will end up on the cutting room floor. Otherwise, the reader will become bored. Too much show and not enough tell is a not a good thing. These are two big building blocks of a good story and possibly a great story. Endeavor to drive your plot forward with every scene, with every chapter, keeping your reader flipping those pages and burning the midnight oil. Drive your reader to the edge, begging for more, needing to know what will happen before she reaches for her bookmark to fold another load of laundry. You want your reader to have a dirty house. Really. You do. Give your reader something else to do in bed besides sleep and you know what.

When introducing new characters, ask yourself if this character plays an important role in driving the plot forward. If he or she does, great, go for it, but don't spend too much time doing so. Many a new character was killed off to drive a plot. Nothing wrong with that.

Here's an example. If you watch HBO's True Blood (Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse Mystery Books), the Vampire Godric was introduced in Season 2 to drive the plot forward, to create mystery and excitement. He was only in a couple of episodes and then he was dead. Why? What did this character do for the plot?



I'd love to hear what you think Godric accomplished. How did he affect the other characters? Didn't he make the plot much more exciting? He was THE reason to watch Season 2 yet he was elusive and the second we fell in love with him, he was dead.



Leave me a comment. Tell me how Godric was used to drive the plot forward. There are no wrong or right answers. I just want to hear your theories, besides only Charlaine Harris knows the exact reasons she killed off such a powerful character so swiftly.



I'll draw a name from my comments and award a lucky winner with his or her choice of any of my ebooks. Winner will be annonced here next Tuesday, July 27th.

Have a Happy Tuesday!
~Alisha

How Do You Know for Sure?

Over the last week or so, I've started one or two....all right, maybe three more stories to add to my growing collection of beginnings and middles I have on my hard drive and memory sticks. Don't ask me why I started these, other than because they were running around in my head and I thought...yeah, now is the time. In both instances, the stories I envisioned are not the ones getting onto the screen.

I've often heard, over the course of my writing career, that if a particular idea or character takes you in a certain direction to just go with it. That the story you come out with will be better than one you're trying to stuff them into. All right, fine, I agree with that. But what if the idea is good and has merit, but the characters you selected just don't want to act the way they should? Case in point. I have one story that is about a woman who begins an affair with a man ten years her junior after she has a very bitter and painful divorce. (she's 35, the new lover is 25)

Well, the way I envisioned the book at first was as a story of lust and hot new beginnings, what I'm getting is this brand new divorcee's snarky attitude and disillusionment, while trying to put her life back together. Some of the lines I've written have been pretty damn funny, but that wasn't the way I wanted her to be. Does it work? Yes, probably better than it would have before. Instead of sitting back and being the victim of her husband's philandering, she takes life by the balls and swings it around to fit her new life. By not letting life happen to her, and letting her happen to life, I think I've empowered the character more than she ever appeared to be in my original concept.

I like it. I think it's better. I can still make it hot, but also make it hot with a bit of fun. My heroine isn't going to get lead around by a man 10 years younger who thinks he can teach her something, but instead they meet as two people who are equals, but years apart. That age is really just a number. For her, it's also a bit of revenge. Going out with a younger, hunky buck that's crazy about her, is a good way to rub her ex's nose in her new life.

But my question is how do you know the new direction is the right one for your story? Well, as I said there are some definate positives to letting the story tell itself in this case. so I'll go with it.

The other story is quite different in that it was slated to be a sci-fi menage treasure hunt. Well, I've got the two heros. check. Sci-fi setting. Check. Treasure their hunting. Check. Fiesty heroine. Check. Menage love story. *insert sounds of squeeling brakes here* Um. No.

My characters refused- absolutely with no chance for discussion- refused to go there. Are you kidding me? I'm the writer. I control you. Dance my, puppets! DANCE!!!
They looked at me, particularly hero 2, as if I'd lost my ever-loving mind. No, says he, I don't share. Ever! Well, O.K. I guess they told me. Hero 2 went on to tell me he wants his own heroine in a sequel. Great. Just great. I have forty thousands pieces parts of stories here to write and you want to hang another series on me. I love you right back, buddy.

So, my only story for a menage went right out the window. Not that the story for the Battle of the Sexes theme has to be, but I thought it'd be fun. Now, I'm like, great I've got nuthin'.

In that case, I definately knew for sure. The characters just weren't going there. And the heroine bursts into the first scene getting into a bar fight with a bunch of non-humanoids in a dive bar on some backwater planet. Oh, great. This is like the last woman who'd do anything I told her to do. She'd probably shoot me in the eye with her stunner, and watch my body twitch as she stepped over me on her way out of the scene. So, I struck a bargain with her. Just keep giving me the funny one-liners and I'd let her have the hero of her choice. She chose the one I really wouldn't have expected of her. The one with the snake-charmer smile and perfect teeth. Somehow I thought she'd go for the rugged one with the scar on his face and few words on his tongue. Sigh. Oh, well. It's probably best this way. I think he needs someone he feels he can protect. Someone who needs him as much as he needs them.

So, again, I'll let the story do the talking and I'll sit back and take dictation for them. Somehow, I never thought when I started this journey as a writer that I'd be acting as secretary for a bunch of characters I created. But hey, as long as they make me money, I don't really care how it gets done.

So, how do you know for sure if you've taken the right direction when a character or plot waylays you?

-Kate

What's the value of a review?

I've been pondering this question a lot lately. I write reviews and I'm always ecstatic to receive a great review. I've received a lot of great reviews (click HERE to read the good reviews), but recently I received a horrid review. I don't have permission from this particular reader to reprint their review, but here's the link if you're curious to read it HERE.

Maybe you're thinking I'm crazy for sharing a bad review, but I'm realistic not everyone will enjoy what I write. I don't enjoy every book I read. Even the bestselling authors get bad reviews. I've read some books that made me wonder why on earth any publisher would take the chance on the author and their book. But, even then, I would never give a review like this one because I don't see the point in belittling another author, but that's just my opinion. Not everyone shares my opinion. AND I am NOT belittling the reviewer for writing his/her opinion. Everyone's opinions are valid, including this reviewer.

What bothered me the most about the review was that the reviewer said he/she was "disappointed" in Elfin Blood and that the storyline was weak. Wow. Tough words for any author to hear. Right? There were some inaccuracies in the review about the storyline, but that was how the reader interpreted my book. So, maybe I didn't make particulars clear enough in the book. Or maybe she/he was so bored they couldn't concentrate on the content enough to discern the real aspects of the book. I'll never know.

On the heels of receiving this terrible review, I received a direct message from a reader who raved about Elfin Blood. She gave me permission to use her review, so here is a part of it:

"It is impossible not to fall in love with Gracen Miller's turn-of-phrase and excellent descriptive passages, making it easy for the reader to imagine themselves in the story experiencing what the characters themselves are seeing/feeling. A VERY dangerous talent when the reader gets to the erotic scenes.....sorry, mind wandered to Landau making love to me...again and again! Where was I? Oh yes....A definite must read for any lover of the paranormal erotic genre. The narrative sweeps you up, dialogue is snarky and sassy, the characters are so realistic it's easy to forget they are preternatural beings. In the end you WILL believe in the existence of sexy, hot vampires, elves and that jewels can sing!" (I will post full review on my website in a few days.)

Fabulous words, exciting words…but, in the back of my mind is the other review, the one that said my story was a disappointment and that the storyline was weak. And that got me to thinking, what's the value of a review? How do you—as a reader—decide if a review is relevant and when to purchase a book or not purchase a book based upon a review?

I know I have bought a book because it received a bad review just so I could form my own opinion. Sometimes I look to see how many people have reviewed it, but there are times reading one negative review skews my entire opinion of a book. Fair? No! But true.

So, tell me, how do you value a review and decide which review is the most accurate for you when deciding which books to purchase?

Thought for the Day: Have you ever written a paragraph and thought "WOW! That was freaking awesome!" and then two paragraphs later think, "Holy smackers, that is CRAP!"?

When Marisol wished for a special someone to come to her life, she didn’t expect him to appear naked.

This Thursday a wolf’s story begins when he promised to love and protect a  human.

Wolf’s Soul

A Midnight Howl Novel

Paranormal Romance 

To keep the woman he loves, he’ll do more than turn his back on his pack.

He’ll fight and kill every shapeshifters in his path.

Damn the consequences. Damn his fifth and last remaining life.

     Ruthless, charismatic, and dangerously handsome shapeshifter, Callum Dyrdek abides by his clan's code - avoid humans, but protect them from their archenemy, the Blood Robbers. But he broke the rules when he meets Marisol, the passionate and kick-ass woman who possesses the powerful ancient sword that belonged to the leader who ruled his clan many centuries ago. He claims her as his. Now, the enemy demands he give up the woman and the sword or they will attack the humans. Will his clan stand behind him after what he has done?

     Expert swordswoman, Marisol Saint James killed a shapeshifter. Now she's on the run with another named Callum who wants her sword and has taken her virginity. But until she finds the truth about herself, she must trust him. When Callum put his fifth and last life on the line in exchange for her safety, she intervenes. Callum wants her sword, but she gave him her heart—whole-souled.

 

Will be available July 22nd from Red Rose Publishing.

Contest to win a copy of Wolf’s Soul will be announced here. Be sure to check back or sign-up to receive Tierney’s newsletter to learn more.

FREE copy of WOLF SOUL ----Sexy, drool-worthy, charismatic, and yes he’s a wolf.

Wolf's Soul

A Midnight Howl Novel

Paranormal Romance

Red Rose Publishing

WIN a copy. Visit http://tierneyomalley.com

Tierney O'Malley

A Vice Versa beaded fashion purse, a summer shawl, and a box of Godiva chocolates

...will go to one lucky commenter on my personal blog today at

Alisha Paige's Blog

Good Luck!

I hope everyone is enjoying the lazy days of summer. I've been busy writing my new werewolf tale and spending time with my precious babies.





My baby girl, Annalisa turns 6 on Friday! Big celebration plans this weekend! They grow up so fast!



Hugs and love,
Alisha

Post-Surgery Recovery

Well, the cutting is over and the healing has begun. My hand is still a little sore and fingers stiff, but overall, I'd say the operation was a complete success. I can hold my hand in any position and I don't feel the horrible tingling and numbness I had before. I'm very happy about that. What I'm not happy about is the fact I'm still having trouble typing. Yes, I know....it's only been since Wed. but I'm kind of impatient. At least today, I can type with two hands and actually use the shift key. Yesterday, no shift key pressed by the left hand at all. So, improvement. It's still hard to make a fist, so getting into a bar fight is out of the question. (wink)

There is something inherently wimpy about this recovery. It's finding out all the little things you do for yourself that you can't do very well now. Like washing my right arm. I actually had to call my hubby into the bathroom the mornig after surgery and ask him to wash my right arm for me. How weird is that? I managed to plan for going to the bathroom by myself without help, but the damn bathing of right arm, never even crossed my mind.

Today, I had planned to go to Staples and get a new keyboard. My old one is shot and this one is a Mac, I'm using on a PC. While it's working fine, it doesn't have the wrist rests that my former one did, and it's kind of hard to hit the keys. I'm finding I really have to press hard. (Probably because it's one of hubby's old keyboards and he's spilled numerous cups of coffee on it over the years.) Anyhow, when I was drying off from my shower and assessing the incision site, I got all cold sweaty and black spots and ended up on the bathroom floor screaming for Dave who was upstairs working on his website. I don't know what precipitated the near-passing out, but I thought it might be the idea of the cutting on such a tender spot, the site of the incision in conjunction with not having eaten and having only a cup of tea this morning. Dave thought it had more to do with the humid air from the shower and not being able to dry off and move around fast enough to get into fresh air. Well, that was certainly sweet of him to think I'm a bit more hearty than I am. But I know....I just can't take the sight of my own injuries.

Anyhoo...each day, I get a little better. Hopefully, but mid-week I'll be back to my regular typing schedule.

Until next week,

-Kate

Wow! It's Saturday Already!!!

Can summer get any busier? I dash from one sporting event--football or karate practice--to guitar lessons. I'm rushing around so much, I cannot keep up with the days. And I had a useless argument with my almost 13 year old...that today was not Saturday. I said it was Friday, he reminded--insisted--today was Saturday. *sigh* I guess you know who won that argument. ;-)

Summer is too busy and we have only about 4 weeks left before school starts back in my neck of the woods. Last weekend we spent a good portion of it painting our home. It's still not complete, but good progress has been made. I hope everyone here had a fabulous 4th of July?

I've been writing on Where the Road to Hell Begins, Part One - Pandora's Box. Too long of a title, right? LOL These characters are all sorts of crazy talkative and each time I write, I'm tapping out 3,000 plus words. I can't sleep at night for all the chatter they are doing. It's fabulous when a book writes itself this easily, but a few moments of peace might not be uncalled for. I've almost hit 60,000 words into the story with 8 mapped out chapters left to write, so it's almost complete. Woohoo!! But the characters are already throwing dialogue and scenes at me for book 2!!! *facepalm* I told ya, crazy talkative. I've never had a book write itself so easily, without any quirks or glitches somewhere along the way, but this one...it's easy breezy and I'm loving it...even if I do feel a tad psychotic at times with all the mental chatter. I'm super excited about this project and I find I'm more worried about how readers will receive it than I have been about any other story. Odd, huh?

I've not managed to take my book, A Kiss of Wytchblood, and resubmit it to another publisher. But, I've been thinking maybe it needs a name change...to what, I don't know. LOL But, I've been thinking the current title doesn't have enough pizzazz. Am I over thinking this? Any thoughts or suggestions from the peanut gallery?

I received a nasty review on my current book, Elfin Blood. Made me wonder why the person even read the book if she/he disliked it that much and he/she missed the point of the book, which was glaringly obvious in his/her review. But one bad review compared to a handful of wonderful reviews...eh, I won't worry about it. As a writer, you can't or I'd never write another word. Even the big authors get bad reviews and not everyone can like what I write. Be a perfect world if they did. It would be an even better perfect world if all my books were smash hit movies! LOL Hey, dreams are free! ;-)


Thought for the Day: Somewhere along the journey of my life, I've been told men are more visual than women. I wonder if this is true because I love a good visual aid.

What emotions do you experience when you look at this photo? For me, it's something along the lines of hot and raw passion you feel the next morning....kind of like a delightful memory, but one you can deliciously feel. You know what I'm talking about, right? =D

NOBLE ROMANCE news: Noble Romance Publishing is seeking a freelance editor. Send Jill Noble an email for more information - jill@nobleromance.com

More NOBLE ROMANCE news: Subscribe to the Noble Romance Newsletter by July 22 and use code RXVJW for 15% off when you order ebooks online http://bit.ly/bkLxix

~~~~~

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Harsh lesson: Don’t edit and save attachments.

SAVE IMPORTANT ATTACHMENTS UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME!

I’m working hard right now trying to finish my third edit for Wolf’s Soul. For two days, I’ve been working hard on this edit. Last night, my hard work disappeared the moment I closed Word.

Here’s what happened. My editor sent me an email. Attached was the ms for Wolf’s Soul (third edit). Excited, I opened it and immediately started editing. Every once in a while, I would hit save. It was a good habit, right? I kept on editing until I finally called it a day and hit save again then closed Word. No warning box appeared on the screen to ask me if I want to save my work because I already saved it.

Whenever I work on something, I make it a point of sending that work to myself. So, I went to documents where I thought I saved the ms. Not there. My heart went crazy. But I told myself to calm down. Ms was somewhere in the hard drive. I SAVED the damn thing! I looked in temp file. Not there. And then it dawned on me that I didn’t use ‘Save As’. Well, so what? I hit that damned Save button so many times. Wolf’s Soul should be there.

I used search feature using the complete filename, but came up with nothing except for the old files (first, second, drafts of Wolf Soul). Fine, I tried Command Prompt to see the directory with hopes that the third edit would show up on the list. Again, the computer only found the old files.

This time, I realized I made a big mistake. However, I didn’t lose hope. Using the internet, I searched how to find saved and edited attachments. What I learned was disheartening.

1. When editing and saving an ATTACHMENT without creating a new filename for it, you practically said goodbye to your work. When you close the Windows Mail or other web based client, the edits made to the attachment disappeared.

2. Your edited attachment could still be in the hard drive. But to find it was like swimming in the big ocean. The doc could be saved in one of the sub folders of sub folders you have in your hard drive.

3. Vista sucks and files in IE5 were saved in names that only the Vista techs would understand.

4. Forget about the edited attachment.

Maybe the edited attachment is still in the hard drive. I saved it after all. But I will not spend hours of finding it. I am frustrated and hated myself for making this big mistake. It was foolish of me to forget my own rule of saving it under a different name. In my defense, why have that stupid save feature when it was crap and not helpful at all.

I learned a hard lesson. Hope this blog will help you avoid making the same mistake.

Tierney

Water on Mars?

I think I have solved man's space travel problems once and for all. I mean, the biggest issue getting people into space is water, right? Well, that and oxygen and radiation and...well...lots of other things...But if we could solve the water problem, we'd be set. RIGHT?

So here it is. The solution. Only problem is...and it's a small, teeny tiny problem, if even one at all. The dehydrated water needs water to re-hydrate it. Gimme a minute...I'll work on it LOL

Buy One Get One Free Ebook Sale! A Drawing for An Autographed copy of Jack-the-Ripper's Shifter Tale, Nocturnally Vexed!

JACK-THE-RIPPER'S SHIFTER TALE: NOCTURNALLY VEXED ~ FIRST CHAPTER TEASER WITH PROLOGUE

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Here’s a first bite of Mind-Blown:



Jon Paige discovers his employer is developing illicit mind control techniques. He quickly learns how to hijack the system and breaks down his beautiful assistant’s persistent walls. Will Holly forgive him for sneaking into her mind, if she ever learns of it?

Holly Maddox is determined not to dip her pen in the company ink, a policy that’s served her well…until Jon comes along. He steals her mind when he’s in the room, weakens her fortitude with every flash of his flirty eyes and secretive smile. How will she keep herself from falling in love with her boss when he melts her impulse control?

When Jon and Holly decide to sabotage the brain-washing experiments, they learn they’re up against a greater power than they’d bargained for. Doing the right thing risks lives. Will the truth of their beginnings wreck their sizzling affair?


Mind-Blown
by Michele Hart
BUY LINK
Available in e-Book ISBN#: 1-60601-773-X

Read reviews and hot, action-packed excerpts, watch the book trailer at:
MIND BLOWN TRAILER

TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE ALISHA PAIGE EBOOK, EMAIL HER YOUR RECEIPT OF MIND BLOWN (Siren BookStrand will email you a receipt when you purchase your book) to alishapaigewilson@yahoo.com. Also, go to www.alishapaige.com to choose your Alisha Paige ebook and specify which book you'd like to receive. YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED INTO A DRAWING FOR AN AUTOGRAPHED PRINT COPY OF ALISHA PAIGE'S JACK-THE-RIPPER SHIFTER TALE - NOCTURNALLY VEXED. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 13th ON THIS BLOG.

~GOOD LUCK!

Happy Reading!
~Alisha

Keyboard Problems

Time to sigh very loudly and shake my head (and fists) at technology. While hard drive or program problems might signal the end of a beloved computer's life, having the keyboard go out is like trying to write with your hands tied behind your back while facing the wrong way.

I thought the problem was the fact I needed new batteries for it. I didn't have any AAs so I just connected an old keyboard of my husbands, so my computer and viola, it worked. Now, I have to say it wasn't at all comfortably. His keyboard has no wrist rests. So, I stop this morning on the way home from work to get some batteries, put them in, I'm ready to roll.

Not so fast.

The keys are sticking. Hesitating. Some of them are not even working unless I punch them extra hard. Why? I didn't have this problem before? When it wasn't being used, I set it to the side, out of the way. It doesn't appear that it's overly filled with food and/or drink.

Weird.

So, I guess I'll just have to limp along here for a while.

Oh, well... I won't need it for a few weeks anyhow. On Tuesday, I'm having surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome. Please keep me in your thoughts that everything turns out all right. I don't know if I'll be able to post next week, other than by a one-hand typing method. But I will let you how I'm doing.

-Kate

Have a Happy and Safe 4th to those Roses and readers who are out celebrating today.