Writing to a Different Tune with Guest Blogger: Susan C. Muller

Welcome author Susan C. Muller
to the Book Boost today!

She's here to chat about music and writing and here's what she had to say...


Lately I’ve noticed a new trend in interview questions. Music.

What music does your hero/heroine enjoy?

What is his/her theme song?

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what type?

Movies have background music and I suppose some readers want the same in their novels.

I’ll tell you a secret. This is a big problem for me. There’s something wrong with me. I’m missing a music gene somewhere. I don’t know if there are others who are missing this gene. My sister is missing it too, so maybe it’s hereditary.

And then there was my father. I could always find him in church because he sang loud. Not good, just loud. But it made him so happy. It made me want to crawl under my seat, but that’s another story.

It’s not that I don’t like music; I’m mostly indifferent to it. I have an oldies station programmed on the car radio, but if I use a drive-through and need to turn the radio down, it might be a couple of days before I remember to turn it back up again.

When I do have the car radio going, I sometimes sing along. You wouldn’t want to hear it, but I do sing. I even know the words. I’ve read that people who can’t carry a tune are more likely to know the words. And I certainly can’t carry a tune.

In high school, I belonged to the church choir. Don’t ask, there was a cute boy involved. When the choir leader blew that little harmonica thing and everyone hummed that note, I just laughed. I could no more open my mouth and have a specific note come out than I could began to speak Martian.

I accidentally turned on American Idol one time. When the judge said the contestant was a little “pitchy”--I changed channels. Not only did I not hear it, I didn’t know what that meant. I think they made it up. The only pitch I understand is pitching a book.

I first knew there was something missing for me musically while still in elementary school. One whole semester was devoted to music appreciation. The entire school met in the cafeteria one day a week and listened to classical music. We were given a paper telling what was playing and who wrote it. At the end of the semester there was a test, there always is. I studied and knew my composers and what they wrote. When the first piece of music started playing, I looked around the room and went: “What?”

Every other little kid was nodding, humming. They knew what that song was. The notes meant nothing to me. Maybe I’d know the next one. Nope, nor the one after. They all sounded the same to me. If it had simply been a written test–who wrote what–I’d have aced it.

When the test ended, I had tears in my eyes. Not because I’d failed a test, it wasn’t the first and wouldn’t be the last, but because I knew there was something wrong with me. That I was different.

So if you want to interview me about my latest book, great. I’d love that. Just don’t ask what music I have playing while I write because I probably didn’t notice.

In my novel, The Secrets on Forest Bend, my hero, Adam is a good dancer and he invites the heroine, Jillian, out to listen to music. But the venue is never specified. Was it rock? Country/Western? We’ll never know.

What about you, do you listen to music while you write, or like me, do you prefer silence?


A Note from the Book Boost: Susan, thanks for joining us today and for the laugh out loud post. Here's the thing I love about this post--your absolute honesty. One of my biggest pet peeves is for folks who really don't know how to sing or carry a tune to get up and try to do so and claim that they are good. Just like those folks we see a lot of on American Idol during the early rounds. This is so refreshing. There is nothing wrong with you--you're just not built for music. Not a design flaw--just a different design. Great stuff and even though I am musically inclined and play 2 instruments--I still don't write to music--ever! Please tell us more about your story.

Blurb:


Another day. . . another dead body.

When Detective Adam Campbell learns that a WWII gun is connected to several murders he’s investigating, he hopes that tracking down the killer will be as easy as tracing the gun’s history. When he meets Jillian Whitmeyer, the last known owner of the weapon, the case becomes anything but simple.

Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

Adam soon learns that people who get close to Jillian have a bad habit of turning up dead. Jillian claims that the spirit of her sister, accidentally killed with that same gun, is responsible for the deaths. She warns Adam that he is likely to become the next victim. Adam’s been a lousy judge of women in the past, and this one’s obviously a nut case. Or is she? How does a just-the-facts detective deal with a ghostly serial killer and the sexy-as-hell sister she won’t set free?

Want More Susan?


Visit her on the web here: www.susancmuller.com


Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

A Fan of Banned with Guest Blogger: Jess Macallan

Welcome author Jess Macallan
to the Book Boost today!

She's here to discuss the lure of banned books and here's what she had to say...


Thanks for having me at the Book Boost today! Last week was National Library Week, which I celebrated by volunteering at my children’s school library and reading a few middle grade books.

I recently read a blog about the most frequently challenged books for 2011, and was surprised to see a couple of my favorites make the list (Hunger Games and To Kill A Mockingbird).
Being the reading rebel I am, I quickly jotted down the rest of them so I know what to buy next, but the list also got me thinking.

What’s the big deal about these books? To a point, I can understand the concerns. I won’t let my kids read certain books until they’re a little older, but I would never ban a book in my house.

I love many of the challenged books for the very reasons some adults want to ban them. They push the envelope. They graphically draw attention to social issues. They make us uncomfortable. They delight us, depress us, entertain us and maybe even scare us. They challenge us. That might explain why people want to challenge them in return. What they don’t realize is that by attempting to ban a book, they only make it more appealing. The forbidden is so tempting, especially for kids, but also for adults.

I volunteer at the library every week, and I see how hungry some of these kids are for books. They know their own minds. If it’s too scary, they won’t read it. Same goes if it’s too sad, violent or sappy. Telling them they shouldn’t be allowed to read it only makes them want to see what the fuss is about. I have yet to hear a kid say, “That book doesn’t belong in the library.”

I know parents who won’t let their kids read certain books—wildly popular books I might add—because of the magical elements. These same parents will take their entire family, including young children, to see a more violent movie—also from a wildly popular series—without a second thought. I have to smile, because this shows just how powerful words can be.

Books will always be challenged. It’s safe to say these same books will always challenge us. Reading them honors the authors who opted not to play it safe. If your tastes run to other genres, trust me when I say there’s a banned book of every flavor. I can’t say I’ll read them all, but I hope to read quite a few because I really want to know what the fuss is about. *grins*

And while my latest release, Stone Cold Seduction, hasn’t made any banned book lists, I hope you’ll check it out.

Thanks so much for letting me stop by to chat!


A Note from the Book Boost: I think banned book lists are worth as much as the paper they are written on. Seriously, anyone can find something wrong with any book if given the challenge. I never understand what all the fuss is about. If you don't like a topic, don't read it. There's certainly no shortage of books on the market! Great topic, Jess and I'm glad you're going to rebel and read anyway. Enjoy!


Blurb:

When a regular night of Robin Hood-ery results in the manifestation of some, um, unusual paranormal abilities, perfume-maker Elleodora Fredricks realizes the normal world she lives in isn’t quite… normal. And neither is she, thanks to her father, king of the shadow elves. Not only is he evil incarnate and the reason Elle moonlights as a burglar—someone has to take care of all his victims—he’s stolen her memories.

And only reading her fate can fix that.

Good thing she’s got a trio of hotties willing to help her find said fate. Saving her oracle BFF’s fiancée, falling in love with the gargoyle, and making up for breaking the phoenix’s heart ought to be a piece of cake for the princess of the shadow elves.

If only the king didn’t want his daughter dead…


Excerpt:

“You are my true mate.”

My lips were still tingling, and my brain was fuzzy. “Jax, I’m not sure what that means.”

He didn’t answer, but instead pressed a kiss to my temple. And another to my cheek. Slowly, he nuzzled his way to my neck. I let my head drop to one side, giving him better access.

He whispered his approval, and lightly nipped at my neck. “It is a connection between souls. A bond determined by fate. I will show you what it means.”

His lips and tongue were doing a slow, erotic dance along the oh-so-sensitive skin down my neck, and coherent thought was impossible. He could show me whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t stop.

I sighed, and Jax took that as acceptance. Before I knew what he was going to do, he’d scooped me up and was halfway up the stairs.

“Jax!” I yelped.

He stopped, but his muscles were vibrating with energy. He waited until he had my full attention before repeating, “I will show you. We are mates, connected in ways you and the phoenix will never be.”

His silver eyes were bright and intense. I could admit to having had many, many fantasies where he’d carried me upstairs, and all sorts of amazing things had happened. But this was real. And he was dead serious. It scared me, thrilled me, and seriously confused me.

When I didn’t respond, he lowered my feet to the floor and pressed me up against the wall in the narrow stairwell. His eyes held mine as he leaned close. “I will show you, so there are no doubts.”

Then he kissed me again, and this time, he held nothing back. Possession, need, and barely leashed control. Jax’s mouth told me more than words ever could. He leaned against me so our bodies were in full contact. Need burned through me. His taste, his touch, drowned out my worries. His scent surrounded me. He smelled crisp and clean. Like a sunny, winter day. But the heat he created inside me was intense. Just like the man himself.

Want More Jess?

Visit her on the web here:
http://www.jessmacallan.blogspot.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/#!/jessmacallan

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Got Hero? with Guest Blogger: Anna Alexander

Win a copy of Hero Revealed

and meet author Anna Alexander
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss her wishful "heroic" powers and here's what she had to say...


Do You Use Your Powers for Good or Evil?

In my novella, Hero Revealed, the hero is not only an uber sexy river guide who’s a great kisser but also has super powers, including super strength and a heightened empathetic ability. This is a skill he puts to great use when he confronts the heroine, who denies her attraction and the arousal that simmers beneath her frosty smile.

Can you image what having that type of power does to a person or how it affects those around you? Do you keep the knowledge of that power a secret or go public and use it for good, or evil?

Part of the challenge of having a superpower is dealing with your new reality when one is thrust upon you. Being able to fly or see into the future may be a neat skill to have, but what if you were saddled with a somewhat lame superpower like being able to turn objects into bubbles. Sure, that sounds incredibly useful when being pelted by bullets or a semi-truck is barreling down on you, but unless you're under constant attack, what else can you really do with that ability?

If I were able to pick my superpower, I'd choose telekinesis, hands down. In my opinion, manipulating objects using only the power of the mind is the ultimate in awesomeness, and this I believed even before Michael Fassbender donned the red helmet to portray the sizzling-hot Magneto. (Have you seen X-Men: First Class? I never thought I would be so envious of a chessboard.)

But how handy would it be if say, oops, you locked your keys in the car. Ta-da! Door is now unlocked. Or you're able to make that extra-heavy grocery bag lighter than air. Even better, you're in a steamy lip-lock with your mate and damn, the condoms are across the room. No worries. With a simple thought, a packet is in your hand. Snap, crackle, pop, you're ready to go.

How fantastic is that?

It is repeated often in Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." Every superpower has the possibility of taking you to the top of the world one minute and bringing that world crashing at your feet the next. But for a moment let's pretend that there are no consequences. What power would you have? What would you do with it? (I ask with my brows wagging suggestively and my hands rubbing together with glee.)

Of course now that I've thrown it out there, I may have to come up with a character who can turn objects into bubbles. I'm envisioning some interesting applications for that skill.


A Note from the Book Boost: I love this topic and what a funny post! Thanks for joining us today Anna. If I had the power to move things with my mind--dish washing and picking up after the kids wouldn't be so bad. But if I had to choose one power it would be the power to heal. Hands down. Please tell us more about your book!

Blurb:
As a female sheriff in a small town, Brett Briggs faces enough obstacles turning complacent good ol’ boys into a top-notch police force without the added insult of a vigilante apprehending her criminals. Her prime suspect? Kristos Kilsgaard, the sexy river guide who has been open in his desire to move her away from her badge and into his bed.

In his former position as royal guard, Kristos once failed a woman he cared for and as punishment was banned from his home on one of Saturn’s moons. He vows not to make the same mistake with Brett and uses his superpowers to protect her, no matter the foe. Or the cost.

But Brett didn’t become sheriff by letting a man take care of her, and although the hot-as-hell Kristos is persuasive, she’s not going to start now—even after burning it up between the sheets with him. When her town is threatened, they cry out for a hero and she sets out to prove to everyone, Kristos included, that she’s the woman for the job.


Excerpt:
He drifted closer, swaying in that way rock stars use to seduce their fans. Heat shimmered between them in waves, like sunlight hitting molten pavement. Her eyelids grew heavy as her limbs melted, softening in preparation of molding to his muscled contours. Under her thick down jacket, her nipples tightened, ready for his touch, and her hips shifted as wetness and heat pooled between her thighs. She was lost, drowning in the sea of lust radiating from his eyes and the promising pout of his lips.

“Why? Why are you doing this?” she whispered. “What do you want from me?”

A dimple appeared near the corner of his mouth. “I thought you knew. Apparently I’ve been too subtle.” He leaned close, his chest brushing her coat. “I want you, Brett. All of you. I want your passion, your regard. I want you to loosen your tightly bound control and come apart in my arms with my name falling from your lips like a prayer.” He ran the tip of his finger over her cheek. “I do love the way you say my name.”

Cold air hit the back of her throat as she sucked in a huge breath, breaking the spell he wove with the sensuous grace that was pure Kristos. She shook her head and stepped back. “Wow. Such poetic words from a river rat. No wonder you have so many women lining up for what you dish out.”

Crap. She mentally grimaced at the ugly snap in her tone. Why couldn’t she wrestle her jealous shrew into submission? Kristos was a sexy man. His raw sexuality wasn’t something he could turn off and on like a light. It wasn’t entirely his fault that women responded to him with such shameless abandon, and she had made it perfectly clear she didn’t want him. Lie that it was.

She wanted him so badly she sometimes trembled with the need and found herself, on occasion, with her keys in hand, ready to seek out his touch.

Kristos was like a well-aged bottle of bourbon. Hot and fiery as he slid over her tongue and down her throat, his heat permeating every fiber in her body with a sensuousness that stole all rational thought until she craved nothing but pure pleasure. Then the next morning would come the killer hangover and the painful pounding headache to remind her why she didn’t drink in the first place.

Want More Anna?

Visit her on the web here: http://annaalexander.net/

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:
Leave a question or comment for Anna and be entered to win an e-copy of Hero Revealed.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

Erase Mistakes Before You Make Them with Guest Blogger: Ashley Mackler-Paternostro

Welcome author Ashley Mackler-Paternostro
to the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss the mistakes she's made along the way and how to avoid them and here's what she had to say...


As a first time author naturally I made a lot of mistakes. I was stumbling into a profession I knew absolutely nothing about ... and although I had my story, I was silly enough to believe that was enough. The truth is the biggest mistake I made as a writer was one I didn’t know I was making until it was way to late. And worse yet, it was one I didn’t have to make ... one I could have avoided -- agh, 20/20 vision. There is always a learning curve in anything you do and in writing it just so happens to be steep.

Querying is a very intimidating process by the nature of it. The writer strips down and says “this is what I have, this is who am I, am I and is this worth believing in?” ... more often than not the answer is “no.” The reason for the “no” can be cloaked in riddles or can be simply cut and dry and boiled down to particular taste. But, it’s the nature of the beast. Agents, love em’ or hate em’, are respected with their rules of conduct and expectations and their nickname “the gate keepers” -- that’s not for nothing. They really are the first ones you want on your team if your dream is the be legacy published -- as in, the Big Six. And if that is inline with your dream than you’re probably going to find yourself in the process of querying ... it’s natural to query, it’s just part of what writers do ... and ironically enough, books are actually written on the subject.

I started querying in the late summer of 2011. I read all the books about how to query effectively, what a stand-out query looked like, and I tried ... I mean, at least I can say that much. I drafted my query fifteen times before I finally amassed the courage to actually send it. I researched which agents were best in my particular genre and I addressed each query to them exclusively as if they were really the only one in the world that mattered. I complimented their biographies and stroked some egos by admiring their quotes on how they viewed the business. I explained, in depth, who I am, what I wrote and why. Check, check, check ... it was all very “by the book.” I summarized my book in a single paragraph highlighting the heart of a novel. I hypothesized who would buy it and why they would. Then, I attached the required snippet and off it went ... into inboxes around the world. After about 50 hours of work I had e-mailed 50 agents.

But, even with everything I did right I made a mistake ... a tragic mistake. My novel, as it was, was unedited.

Here is the thing no one tells you ...

HAVE YOUR NOVEL EDITED BEFORE YOU QUERY!!!

In all of those books no one mentioned that. Maybe it was an assumption, a no brainer, the sort of common sense thing that goes without saying. But someone should have said something because you know what they say about assuming anything.

In my mind, I thought it went like this -- get an agent, get a publisher, get an editor. Uh, no ... that’s not how it happens, that’s the stuff of Hollywood.

Agents work for or with you without the promise of ever making a red cent. They take the risk on a book because they believe in it, and it’s easier to believe in something when it appears that the author has invested everything into it. No agent has the luxury of devoting months of time into a new author with no background in the publishing field to clean up a manuscript that may sit stagnate on their desk top.

Here is what I learned the hard way:

You get one chance to make a first impression ... putting your best foot forward in an industry that is full of supremely written novels is just plain smart. If your manuscript is sloppy then you come off as sloppy and you look like ... well ... a fool. Turning in something that isn’t your best, best work is like handing them a free pass to say “thanks but no thanks!”

Don’t make my mistakes, learn from them. If you’re thinking of starting the querying process, find a freelance editor first ... understand that further edits may come later ... but do what you can do today.


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, Ashley, and for sharing your experience with us. I would have love to have heard more about what eventually happened with all those queries you sent out! Please tell us more about your book.


Blurb:


Jenna Chamberland never wanted anything more than to be a wife and mother. That is, until she realized that her life was ending after a three-year battle against breast cancer. Now, all she really wants is more time.

With 4,320 hours left to live, Jenna worries for her loved ones and what she knows awaits them on the other side: Gabe will have to make the slip from husband to widower, left alone to raise their seven-year-old daughter; Mia will be forced to cope with life without her mother by her side. In a moment of reflection, Jenna decides to record a set of audiocassettes — The Milestone Tapes – leaving her voice behind as a legacy for her daughter.

Nine years later, Mia is a precocious sixteen-year-old and her life is changing all around, all she wants is her mother. Through the tapes, Jenna’s voice returns to teach Mia the magic of life, her words showing her daughter how to spread her wings and embrace the coming challenges with humor, grace and hope.

The Milestone Tapes the journey of love between a parent and child, and of the bonds that holds them when life no longer can.

Want More Ashley?

Ashley Mackler-Paternostro was born in Naperville, Illinois, where she still lives with her husband Mark and their three dogs. A hairstylist by trade, Ashley will often say that some of the best stories she has ever heard were told to her while working behind the chair. A life long reader with an insatiable appetite for good books, she decided to merge her love of great stories — both told and written — into her own brand of story telling.

When she’s not being held captive in her home office by words, Ashley fancies herself a flea market hunter with a weakness for Japanese glass floats and repurposing vintage goods.


Visit her on the web here: www.ashleymacklerpaternostro.com

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Title Talk with Guest Blogger: Tiffany Allee

Welcome Entangled author Tiffany Allee
to the Book Boost today!

She's here to discuss book titles and here's what she had to say...


A Title Here. A Title There.


I'll admit, before I started writing I didn't think about book titles a whole lot. Sure, when I shopped in a book store, one might catch my eye enough to get me to pick the book up and read the blurb, but I couldn't have told you the title to all of my favorites. There are a few reasons behind this, I'm sure. But the biggest one is probably because I'm a big series reader. I identify books by the series title, or even the main character's name—the Rachel Morgan books, the Kate Daniels stories, the Edge series.


So once I started taking my writing seriously and had to actually create interesting titles, I found myself at a bit of a loss. Something that will attract attention, have actual bearing on the book, and that hasn't been used before (not recently or at least not in the same genre)? A title that has meaning without revealing too much? Gah! That was a tall order for me.


And don't even get me started on series titles and taglines and such. Really, don't. We could be here all day.


Luckily, with my first release, Banshee Charmer, the title came easily to me. The title character is a banshee. A charming man, who may or may not have her best interest at heart, heavily influences her throughout the story. There aren't a ton of banshee stories out there, so the title was unique. It had bearing on the book but didn't reveal too much. Done and done.


But then I had to title my second release. Once Prey, Twice Forsaken is a story I actually wrote before Banshee Charmer, but won't be released until June. The title did not come easily to me. All of my ideas were either too generic, or just didn't fit properly. Finally, after batting dozens of ideas back and forth with my editor, we settled on the ending title. It was painful, and not at all the almost easy, organic process I went through with Banshee Charmer.


My third release's title came to me quite easily. It is the sequel to Banshee Charmer, titled Succubus Lost.


I'm just sure the next one will be a struggle. It's a bit maddening.


Do you struggle with titles? Do some come easily while others evade you?


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, Tiffany. I have to say that titles come very easily to me and they are really "my thing". I believe a title can make or break a book. In fact, one of the biggest romance publishers out there (who shall remain nameless) has the worst titles ever, in my opinion. And although I know they produce quality work, I cannot stand the titles. Please tell us more about your latest!


Blurb:

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure?

When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency.

Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

Want More Tiffany?

Visit her on the web here: http://tiffanyallee.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/#!/TiffanyAllee

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Renew, Revise & Come Alive with Guest Blogger Mina Khan

Win a copy of The Djinn's Dilemma &
other swag from author Mina Khan
today at the Book Boost!

She's here to chat about the importance of Spring's renewal in life and in stories and here's what she had to say...


Spring is my favorite season because you can see Mother Nature at work. Living in West Texas, I find the transformation amazing – naked, leaf-less trees preen in bright new foliage, the ground covered in stubbles of brown grass now sports a soft, green carpet, and the dusty landscape now boasts wildflowers of many colors. The season is an important bridge between the chilly emptiness of winter and the punishing heat of summer...a chance for the soul to breathe a sigh of relief and replenish itself.


The cycle of life and death, the themes of renewal and hope play an important part in my paranormal romance novella A Tale of Two Djinns. The hero, Akshay ("Shay" for short), warrior prince of the earth djinns, earns the title of Crown Prince at a high cost when he loses his best friend in a battle against ancient enemies, the water djinns. He is heartsick and vows never to return to the cursed battlefield, the place of death.


Yet, the story forces him to:


“Tell me where she went.”

“I don’t know,” Umber said. “Probably to the nearest crossroads. She said something about needing to make it to Nijhoom Forest.”

Shit. His insides churned. He’d intended to never return to that Creator-forsaken place again, to the site of Patthar’s death. But if Maya was headed there, he had to go. Maybe he could catch her before she got too far.

Akshay released Umber and fled out the door. “Tell Father and Jazz I’m going after Maya.”


Later, at the site, Akshay has an epiphany:


Wide-eyed, he goggled at the plain at the outer edge of water djinn territory. A soft carpet of new grass covered the rolling expanse, dotted with wildflowers of every color imaginable. Was this truly the bone dry land he’d led Patthar and his army across a mere two weeks ago?

He breathed in the sweet air and tried to tamp down the bitterness welling inside him. Had the water djinns washed away all signs of the war with cleansing rain, or was this new life flourishing thanks to all the blood and death that had soaked into the earth?

Midnight took the opportunity to lower his head and taste the verdant grass. Akshay closed his eyes and pulled in another deep breath, exhaled. Life ended in death, followed by new life. That was the natural cycle.

Maya’s face, her golden eyes glazed with liquid languor and lips parted in a sexy smile, filled his mind. Maya. She’d given him the greatest gift—life. She’d taken a man drowning in sorrow and guilt and made him come alive. She was carrying his child, the new life they’d made together. The realization shook through him like an earthquake, crumbled the remaining walls to dust. He needed to find his heartmate and his son.


Truth be told, I was heartsick myself because my father died while I was writing this story and my first impulse was to hide away from everyone and grieve. Writing thoughts down has always helped me calm myself, find solutions and solace…so I poured my thoughts into my story. My darling husband and his patient caring, my kids and their kisses helped too. In the end, I emerged a bit more balanced, able to grieve my father’s loss and find comfort in living.


To honor my parents I’m donating 50% of the proceeds from the sale of A Tale of Two Djinns to UNICEF’s Schools for Asia initiative. If you’d like to know more about why this cause is close to my heart, please check out my blog.


A Note from the Book Boost: Nice words, Mina. Thanks for sharing with us today and I wish you many sales in your quest for raising money for such a worthy cause.

Want More Mina?

Mina Khan is a Texas-based writer and food enthusiast. She daydreams of hunky paranormal heroes, magic, mayhem and mischief and writes them down as stories. Between stories, she teaches culinary classes and writes for her local newspaper. Other than that, she's raising a family of two children, two cats, two dogs and a husband. She grew up in Bangladesh on stories of djinns, ghosts and monsters. These childhood fancies now color her fiction.

Visit her on the web here:
http://minakhan.blogspot.com/

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/SpiceBites

Pick up a copy of her book today! Click here.

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Mina and be entered to win an e-copy of The Djinn's Dilemma and some fun swag: a signed postcard of the cover of A Tale of Two Djinns, a genie lamp keychain, and a packet of wildflower seeds.

**Winners for Book Boost prizes are drawn the first week of the following month and posted in the Recent Winners box in the right hand side of the blog. Check back to see if you are a winner and to claim your prize! Please leave your contact information in your blog post!**

A Diamond in the Rough with Guest Blogger: Stormie Kent

Welcome author Stormie Kent
to the Book Boost!

She's here to discuss how being a writer is like being as tough as a diamond and here's what she had to say...


Other than April Fool’s Day and April showers, the month of April is also known for the illustrious gemstone known as the diamond. Each person born in April can count the stone as his or her birthstone. The diamond is said to symbolize invincibility, clarity, purity and eternal love.

As a newly published writer I am more interested in the diamond’s biggest claim to fame, other than being the “engagement ring” gemstone. The diamond is the hardest substance found in nature. Listen--critiques, bad reviews and rejection form letters happen. If you really love writing and you can’t see your life without the craft, you must develop diamond hard nerves and a thick skin.

Over the last few months I have enjoyed the fact that I accomplished one of my writing goals. I wanted to be published. There was a euphoria that came with seeing my e-book on the publisher’s and other e-book seller’s websites. I loved it.

I also learned a disturbing lesson about myself. It is very difficult for me to read a less than stellar review from a reader. It doesn’t matter to me if there are five good reviews and one bad one, I will get stuck on the less than awesome one. I turned to veteran writers for advice on how to deal with reviews, good and bad, from readers and reviewers alike.

Here are some of the more helpful “gems” I gleaned from them.

1. Readers and reviewers have a right to their opinions and to post their opinions. Please don’t argue or attack them.

2. If your book has been reviewed and the reviewer has contacted you personally by email or some other method, it might be nice to thank them for their time and consideration.

3. Don’t take it personally. I know the book is your baby but everyone can’t like everything. Sometimes the thing that someone didn’t fancy about your work will be the very thing to draw another reader to the book.

These tips haven’t given me Emma Frost’s diamond hard skin yet they help me feel more resilient as an author.

There is an awesome side to reader feedback. If you have created a way for readers to get in contact with you, someone who enjoys your work will hopefully write to you. I love opening and responding to emails from readers. Writing can be a long, solitary undertaking and positive reader interaction gives me the warm fuzzies.

If writing is what you adore, don’t allow anything to get in your way. Write each day. Practice your craft. Learn everything you can about what it means to be a writer. There are wonderful writing communities out there that can support you and offer sound advice and information to aid you in your writing journey.

Learn from each reviewer. Positive and negative reviews can offer you valuable feedback about your writing. Once you have developed your “diamond skin” you can look at reviews and decide if the criticisms in each are really places that you need to focus your revision time or simply part of your writing voice and elements with which you are not willing to part.

What about you? Do you have any tips or rules about handling reviews with grace?

A Note from the Book Boost: Reviews are so tough because we all learned as children "if you don't have something nice to say--don't say anything at all". But when it comes to our reviews, we should expect criticisms to become forthcoming. I try to look at this this way, each person who reads my books (whether they liked them or not) is one more person you've touched and connected with--even if your book wasn't their cup of tea. Thanks for joining us, please tell us more about your book!


Blurb:

Camryn is taken captive after Earth is invaded by hostile aliens. She is sold as an exotic, an expensive sex slave. Camryn is willing to do anything to survive and escape captivity. That includes convincing her master that she enjoys his touch. Then she is purchased by the sexy warrior Venn. Now she must convince herself that she can resist a male whose every caress ignites a passion she has never known.

Venn is an empathic and hyper-sensitive tribal lord from planet Ordan. He has never owned a slave, yet he cannot resist the beautiful Earth woman. She teases his heightened senses and pushes past the control he has over his emotions. Venn struggles to own Camryn’s body with scorching sex and a firm hand. And when his possession of her body is complete, he’ll try to claim her soul.


Excerpt (edited for length):

Out of the hundreds of people who had surrounded her before, fifteen were left.

Breathing heavily, she hugged Niki to her. “We survived.”

“We survived again. Now we have to keep doing it. We have to find shelter or help. Someone who knows what is going on would be helpful,” Niki replied.

Camryn pulled away. Her entire body shook and she felt fuzziness in her head that she was very sure meant she was going crazy. But they were alive. That’s all that mattered.

“Where are you taking us, Mark?” she asked.

“There is a hidden barracks about twenty miles from here. It is bunkered underground, so maybe it is still secure.”

They all looked at the tractor-trailer-sized holes in the ground. The ground shook and she let go of Niki, falling to the ground. She forcefully pushed the thought away that they weren’t going to make it to the underground bunker alive. Thoughts like those wouldn’t help her keep walking.

Camryn climbed to her feet and they continued. The going was rough with the ground shaking almost constantly.

“What’s that?”

They all stopped. There was a thunderous cracking. It sounded like stone falling and the clamorous roaring of a demolition. Camryn looked back. The ground was splitting.

“Run!”

Camryn ran. The shaking was severe. She stumbled. She got up, balancing with her arms straight out to the sides.

The roaring grew deafening. She was flung back. She landed on her back, her ankle twisted.

Winded, Camryn lay still until the shaking subsided. She crawled, dragged and pushed herself to her knees and gasped. She knelt at the edge of a fourteen-meter-wide fissure. The earth had cracked in a jagged line as far as the eye could see. Across from her, tugging on her hair, stood Niki. Behind her hovered an equally distressed Mark. She knew what they were thinking. She was the least likely to survive on her own.

“Don’t worry. Follow the crack. It has to stop somewhere,” Camryn called. “We’ll meet there.”

“If you see anyone, get out of sight,” Niki called back.

“You can do it!” Mark yelled.

At that moment, something inside her wanted to give up. It all seemed too hard. Whatever was attacking them could destroy buildings and eighteen wheelers. It caused earthquakes. She was just one flesh-and-blood woman.

“Camryn,” Niki called.

Camryn focused. Niki looked as if she would attempt to fly across the gap if necessary. It was the first time in a long time that Niki had let her feelings show. Camryn always put Niki’s feelings above her own. Always.

Giving up wasn’t an option. Trembling, Camryn stood and limped away. She limped until nightfall, crying softly, glad that Niki and Mark were too far away to hear. Both of them were ex-Army. They would be okay, just worried for her.

The area had fallen silent and still. The people she passed were dead. She averted her eyes where possible. She stopped checking for pulses after the tenth corpse. She was thirsty and exhausted. The crack widened the farther she walked and what appeared to be an entire copse of trees was overturned in her path. She would have to go around. She pressed dirty palms to her eyelids. Her body wanted to shut down.

“In the morning,” she whispered.

She could no longer see Niki and Mark and she needed to sleep. Camryn pulled herself behind a fallen tree and settled against it. Finally she allowed herself to open her pack and take out a bottled water. She only drank half because she needed to ration her supplies. Who knew when she would find help? She also needed to sleep or she wouldn’t be able to go on. Camryn rested her head against the bark and waited for morning.

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