Win a copy of Vowed in Shadows with Blog Guest: Jessa Slade

Win an autographed copy of Vowed in Shadows and meet paranormal author Jessa Slade today at the Book Boost!

TBB: Welcome, Jessa! So great to have you here at the Boost today. What have you been up to?

JS: Thank yous to Kerri and The Book Boost for hosting me today! It’s been a great release month so far and I’m getting ready to head off to Chicago—home of the Marked Souls—for a whirlwind booksigning tour with a chauffeur and everything! (Actually, it’s my mom and the mom-mobile. Even better!)

TBB: Mom-mobiles are nothing to sneeze at. Congrats on the release and the tour. Let's go back to the beginning, when did you first consider yourself a writer?

JS: The first time I typed “The End” of a completed manuscript. I had soooo many first chapters started, but nothing done. I realized I needed to finish to know that I COULD finish. Since I couldn’t find a publisher who accepted just first chapters ;) Of course, I quickly discovered being a writer wasn’t the same as being an author. That took a little longer.

TBB: Tell me about it. Writing is just the meager beginning. But as a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

JS: The joke in my family is about the grade school aptitude test that pegged me as a Future Farmer of America. I didn’t even eat vegetables until I was in my 30s! But you can’t run from your destiny. Now I have a garden every year with actual edible vegetables in it, although I still prefer the fruits. I can’t wait for our first strawberries!

TBB: My children eat strawberries like they are going out of style. But while I write to the sound of chomping kids, what song lyric gets stuck in your head most often?

JS: I am known to burst out with Eye of the Tiger at inappropriate times. “Hanging tough, staying hungry!” I also have dance moves I do to the instrumental introduction. Dum! Dum-da-dum! Dum-da-dum! Dum-da-duuuuummmm! It drives my XY nuts, but it inspires me. Hmm, maybe that’s WHY it inspired me ;)

TBB: I'd love to hear your rendition of Eye of the Tiger. LOL! How did you come up with the idea for this book?

JS: Some writer friends and I were talking about writing trends, and somebody had said that after vampires, angels were going to be the next big thing. Which made me think of demons. But I didn’t want to do just demons, so I did repentant demons. With sexy alpha males, of course!

TBB: Are titles as important to you as they are to me? How did you come up with the title for this book?

JS: To be honest, it was all in the prepositions :) I already had Seduced By Shadows as my working title for the first book. When my editor asked to see my overview for the series, I had to quickly come up with nine titles (the series is nine books in my head, although only the first four are contracted) and I knew I wanted to keep SHADOWS for the first trilogy of the series. So I made a list of prepositions and then I made a list of verbs that resonated with the hero and heroine in each book. Mix and match time!

TBB: I've read your books and you know I'm a huge fan but what was your first reaction when you found out that you were going to be published?

JS: “It’s about freakin’ time!”

TBB: What are your current projects?

JS: Book 4 of the Marked Souls is scheduled for March 2012. After that... I hope there will be more Marked Souls! I also have about 13 single-spaced pages’ worth of ideas in a file, all jockeying for position, including a pre-post-apocalyptic globetrotting adventure romance trilogy, a middle grade story that popped up after talking books with my nephew, and a completely different PNR storyworld with faeries.

TBB: Well, keep 'em coming! What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

JS: I fancy myself a hard-core plotter...and yet I invariably start writing without my set piece climax scene clearly outlined. I always think it’s going to “come to me” accompanied by choirs of angels and a laser light show. Well, it never does, and every time I kick myself for getting to that point. It’s not an interesting quirk, really, it’s a death wish.

TBB: I wish I could plot and stick to it but alas...I cannot. So, what do you like to do when you're not writing?

JS: Read! I feel like I need to keep filling the word well. Every word out needs to be replaced by a word in. I read everything. I tend to walk off with other people’s books too. I am not to be trusted around your TBR pile.

TBB: Wish I had more time for reading. Sigh. Do you have any advice for other writers?

JS: Make sure you want it, and want it bad. Writing is a lot of work upfront for dubious returns. If the mere thought of not writing curdles your guts, then... well, sorry, but you might be a writer. Welcome to the crazy club.

TBB: Amen, sister! Thanks for joining us today and please share a little more about your latest book with us. We are excited to give away a copy and details on how to enter are down below.


Blurb:

Two lost souls...
One last battle...
None will remain untouched

The war between good and evil has raged for millennia, with the Marked Souls caught in the middle. Now two lost souls will tip the precarious balance…

Possession by a demon cost Jonah Walker his faith, his humanity, and his wife. Once a righteous missionary man, he endures immortality with nothing but a body for battle and a bent for retribution. But his last devastating fight left him wounded beyond healing and his only chance to redeem his soul lies with a fallen woman.

Thrust into a wicked underworld of shadows and sin, Nim Hamlin can’t believe her wanton ways as “the Naughty Nymphette” enthralled a demon…and a damned saint. The world she knows doesn’t deserve deliverance. But the touch of this good man’s hand holds an unholy allure–and she’s never been any good at resisting temptation.

As darkness gathers in the sweltering Chicago summer, Jonah and Nim must conquer the demons of their past to face even fiercer monsters in one last assault. But first they must put aside their doubts and disbeliefs and let their passion for each other burn through the shadows to ignite their furious power…

Want More Jessa?

Visit here site here: http://jessaslade.com
Follow her on Twitter here:
http://twitter.com/jessaslade


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

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Jessa and be entered to win an autographed copy of Vowed in Shadows.

**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!**

Where have all the Real Books gone? With Guest Blogger: JL Oiler

Meet author JL Oiler today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say...



Are E-books the true future of publishing?
As a little girl growing up in the rural mountains of West Virginia, I remember the treat of my mother dropping me off at the local library on Saturday Morning. I would spend hours roaming the ceiling high rows of heavy bookshelves looking for the perfect read.

At that time, it seemed the choices were endless, the possibilities reaching far beyond my abilities in a single lifetime. The primary media form at that time was the traditional book either paperback or hardcover and there number seemed to far outreach the space the building provided.

I journeyed back to that old haunt recently (it now resided in a new building) to share this joy with my young son. My heart sank as I stepped through the doors. Gone are the ceiling high bookshelves, replaced by short four to five shelf sections with countertops where they displayed artwork from their youth group. Instead of enough books to circle my small town repeatedly, I discovered much smaller selections split up into areas so that they spread out to cover the space the building afforded.

With a heavy sigh and a smile, we ventured to the children’s section anxious to find a perfect story to share at bedtime. This area of the library was colorful and stuffed floor to ceiling with all sorts of play things from games to stuffed animals, so many in fact that I discovered my four year old was far too distracted to help make a selection from the twenty or thirty books that occupied the small shelves.

So in defeat I resigned to sit in a chair and watch as library patrons milled about. One of the librarians approached and asked if she might help me find something. With a painted on smile I said thanks and inquired about a favorite book I recalled from my own youth. Scratching her head a moment, I watched her eyes light up. She informed me that they did not carry the title in book form any longer but I could check it out in digital form.

In reflection of that day and a bit more investigation, I find that most libraries carry a large selection in digital titles. Being primarily e-published, I was aware that a very large quantity of all current book sales are in digital form but never would I have thought that this media would overtake the bit of Americana known as the public library. Not that this new age media does not provide certain benefits, such as a means of preserving literature long gone from the book shelves.

In answering the initial question, are E-books the true future of publishing? I would be foolish not to admit to their domination of literary media. However, I still love my bookshelf with its stacks of paper and hardback titles where I can flip through their pages smell the dust, which has collected in the bindings and revisit them like a long lost friend.


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, JL. I, too, have similar childhood memories and will be sad to see the fading of paperback books from our lives. I hope that it is still a long time coming but none of us can ignore the fact that the digital age is upon us. Please tell us more about your latest release!


Blurb:

When Celeste Drain attempted to make a break from an abusive relationship, she never dreamed she'd fall into an erotic ménage with two extremely hot strangers. Their one-night stand was the beginning of her new life, a life of self-reliance and inner strength. Now six months later, Celeste has a steady job at the same bar where she met her lovers, a home, and she's building a new existence.


Justin and Craig are part of the guard force known as the Keepers, men charged with protecting the human topside world from the violent monsters that live behind one of the gates to hell deep beneath Death Valley. Given little time topside to relax, Justin and Craig stumble into a one-night stand with a beautiful woman who challenges them not only physically, but also with her quick wit and intelligence. When a large breakout at the gate allows a group of vile Adze to escape to the topside world, Justin and Craig are mortified to discover the woman they thought was just a one-night stand may be a whole lot more and worse, she's smack dab in the middle of what might just become hell on earth.



Excerpt:

Craig crouched down beside her, wrapping one arm across her shoulder to support and gain her trust. Justin knelt before her, raising her face to see the damage inflicted by the ignorant human male. Her right eye was already swollen, a dark bluish purple arch under it. It was the only obvious injury and for that, Justin breathed a sigh of relief. He felt the need to gather her tightly, to promise that she'd never be injured in such a way ever again. However, they'd be returning to their post in the morning and as such, there was no means to protect her from that distance, let alone time to convince her to join them.

“Let's get you off this cold ground and get something on that eye.” Craig spoke softly while scooping her up into his arms. Standing, he marveled at how good she felt, the trusting manner in which she laid her head against his chest as they strolled back into the tavern.

“Robert, get me a bag of ice,” Justin called to the bar keep as Craig sat her gently on one of the high backed bar stools. Brushing back the fall of hair that covered her face, he took a good look at the damaged eye as she watched him closely from the other.

“Thank you,” she told them as she lifted a hand to touch her face, pulling it back fast.

“I’m Justin, the big guy here is Craig.” Both men looked at her and waited for her introduction.
“Celeste, Celeste Drain.”

“Here,” Craig lay the bag of ice against her eye and cheek, cautious not to cause her any undue discomfort.

“I could really use a drink,” she told the bartender who hovered nearby.

“Give us three shots of tequila,” Justin told the man, tossing a twenty on the bar.

Celeste watched through her good eye as Craig pulled two stools forward, placing one to the right of her for Justin. The other he slid close for himself. This wasn't the way she wanted to get either mans attention though it made her feel good to have both of them flanking her.

“You fellas from around here or just passing through?” Celeste managed, downing the shot of liquid courage in one gulp.

“We...” Justin paused, looking as though he had to consider the answer. “We're from someplace else, but visit here every time we're in town.”

Celeste figured two men who looked like Justin and Craig had to be from out of town. So that ruled out anything beyond a one-night stand, which didn't sound too bad at the moment, even though it wasn't her style. But which one? She'd never done a double. Of course, there'd never been opportunity to have such tasty teachers either. With that thought, Celeste motioned to the bartender for another shot, needing the courage it provided.

“Are you from around here?” Craig asked as he wrapped his hand around the second round of shots.

“Down the road about ten miles or so.” Celeste downed the sharp, biting liquid, slamming the empty glass on the bar. “Guess I'll need to call a cab later.” She didn't mention she was planning to stay at the little hotel down the road and sneak back into the apartment she and Cliff shared once he'd gone to work. Where she'd go until she managed to find a new job and a cheap apartment was still a mystery.

“We'll make certain you get home safe,” Justin offered.

“Are you sure?” she asked, trying not to sound pleased by the idea.

“Certainly,” Craig said with a wink and a smile. “We don’t go around saving beautiful ladies then leave them to the wolves.”

“Nice to know there are still gentlemen out there,” she smiled back.

“We never promised to be gentlemen,” Craig said, laying his arm across the back of her stool.

“Good to know.” Celeste fully understood the meaning and it left her panties wet at the thought.

Half a dozen shots later, her bag of ice had melted into a bag of water. Luckily, the liquor made her numb to any pain from Cliff's left hook. Stretching, she relaxed back into Craig, propping her scuffed brown boots on Justin’s leg and laughed as he stroked her sun tanned leg through a hole in the material of her slacks a few inches above the top of her boot.

“Are you two related?” Celeste asked, tracing the intricate weave of the dark tattoo that circled Craig’s bicep while looking pointedly at the matching ink that graced Justin’s arm.

“Not exactly.” Justin slid forward, allowing his hands to run the length of her long legs. “I think we should move this conversation somewhere else. They're getting ready for last call.”

A large lump sat in her throat making Celeste feel as though she couldn't speak. This night was definitely not what she'd expected and she couldn't deny the arousal that coursed through her at the thought of being with both these gorgeous men. She responded the only way she could, with a nod and a nervous smile.

The rumble of the engine hummed through her as she straddled the motorcycle and sat behind Justin, her hands wrapped about his waist. The wind whipped through her long hair as they moved down the nearly deserted street. Celeste didn't know their destination and leaning her head back, she allowed the feeling of flying to wash over her. She didn't care.

Craig revved the engine of his bike and moved up beside them. Raising her head, Celeste smiled over at him. Damn these two were gorgeous! Was she up for an all night rodeo with these two? She was about to find out as both bikes slowed and turned into the lot of an upper class hotel. At least they'd opted to spend a little green instead of grabbing a roach infested no-tell-motel, which put them in a class ten times higher than that of her recent ex.

“Your palace, my queen,” Justin said with a sweep of his arm toward the side corridor entrance, a pass card in his hand.

“I'll serve as your chariot,” Craig announced, sweeping her up over his shoulder and heading for the door while Celeste giggled.

Craig didn't slow down or return her to her feet until Justin opened the door and they were in the center of the large room. Slowly he allowed her body to slide down his, enjoying the way the action made his flesh jerk in anticipation. Even with one eye swollen and discolored, Celeste was perfect. Womanly curves, full lips meant for kissing and enough of an attitude not to leave him bored.

Want More JL?

Visit her website here: www.joiler.weebly.com

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

Serious About Series with Guest Blogger: Nina Pierce

Meet author Nina Pierce today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say about the advantages of writing a series...


Okay, I’m going to admit it … I’m a sloooow writer. Stories don’t just fly from my fingertips. Characters don’t scream their dialogue in my head. I rip every word from my brain, painstakingly getting the scenes on paper. I bribe my muse to stay focused while we wrangle another elusive plot point into submission. To top it off, I’m a pantzer. I’ve tried plotting books, but it just doesn’t work for me. This means it can take a couple of false starts before I understand where my characters intend to go and can interpret exactly what they expect to do when they get there.


From the very first action scene to the final “happy-ever-after” my characters have kept me up late, caused me to burn dinner and they always, without any exception, ruin a relaxing shower. But in the months it takes me to write a story we’ve spent so much intimate time together I just can’t seem to let them go. I’ve fallen in love with them even as they’ve fallen in love with each other.


I sit down at the beginning of every book and explain to my new characters that they get only one story. They are not, under any circumstances, allowed to drag me into something that requires more than one book. *sigh* But I’ve never been any good at the tough love thing. Every book I’ve written, with the exception of one novella has prodded me to find the forever loves for the secondary characters and voila! A series is born.


Which is fortunate for me because it seems more and more publishers are looking for authors to create series that will pull the readers in and keep them begging for more. Once the world is built and the rules established, some of the work for the next books is already done. And please don’t misunderstand that to mean that I think series are easy to write. On the contrary, keeping the characters and stories fresh and knowing when to end a series are difficult tasks. But the reward for both the author and the publisher can be phenomenal. I’m completely enthralled with series from Virna DePaul, Nalini Singh, and Larissa Ione. They’ve captured me and I suspect I will read every book they put out in their series’.


My latest release, Blind Love is the first story in an erotic suspense series about three sisters and their journeys to find their soulmates.


A Note from the Book Boost: Nina, thanks for sharing your insider tips about writing a series with us. I've had several books that were intended to be series but I've yet to follow through with them. I admire that you've been able to see yours through to completion. Please tell us more about your latest.


Blurb:


He’s a shock jock looking to reform. She’s an accountant hoping to cut loose. Can love open their eyes to forever?


Uptight CPA and oldest sister, Julie Tilling, is the glue that binds her family. Everyone depends on her to do the right thing. When her friend from high school dies and Julie is the only one who believes he didn’t commit suicide, she takes it upon herself to investigate his death.


Damon Corey didn’t come to Maine to become a shock jock. But when his dream career of becoming a concert pianist seems unobtainable, the radio station’s offer is too good to pass up. When mysterious brunette Jewel, hooks up with him at the night club run by a college frat brother, their one night fling wraps around his heart and makes him believe in love at first sight.


But can Damon expose his inner soul without pushing Julie away or will his enigmatic shock jock persona become Julie’s sexual undoing and reveal him as the missing piece that solves the puzzling questions surrounding her friend’s death?


Excerpt:

“You ever ride a motorcycle, Julie?”

She pulled off the helmet and fluffed her hair. The corkscrew curls of copper fit her cute features much better than the black wig that had overpowered them.

“Not one this fast,”

He bit back a smile. “No, I meant any motorcycle.”

“Was it that obvious?” Color rose from her chest and deepened her already flushed cheeks.

“I like to be a woman’s first.” Shit. Even clean shaven and wearing his glasses, Demon’s persona had a bad habit of popping up at inopportune moments.

Julie stopped contemplating her toes and stared straight at him. Emotions moved over her face and clouded her eyes, but he didn’t know her well enough to read between the lines. He’d just met this wonderful woman. He hadn’t intended to scare her off.

“Julie, I—”

“No, Damon. You don’t have to apologize. I get it.”

He hadn’t thought her cheeks could become redder, but he was wrong.

“You have a lot of women available to you,” she said, quietly. “I’m sure they’re much more experienced than me.” She shrugged and fiddled with the strap of the helmet. “I’m sure you realize I don’t usually let go the way I did last night. And I know you weren’t really expecting the person you found at the family homestead?” She emphasized the last two words as if they were obscenities. “The Jewel of last night was more your speed. I get that.”

Oh, hell no. “No, Julie, I—”

Her hand flew up between them. “No, Damon, seriously, you don’t owe me anything. Obviously my father dragged you into an uncomfortable situation. Well, you’ve done your social obligation. I’m home safe and sound. I didn’t mean to disappoint, but I have a hard time living up to everyone’s expectations of who I should be. So, thanks. I get it. Good night.” The helmet landed in his lap.

“No, Julie, really, you don’t understand.” He yelled at her retreating back. “Julie, wait.” Damon attempted to jump from the bike, but the stand wasn’t down, and he had to juggle the extra helmet. “Damn it all to hell. Julie…” He finally managed to extricate himself from the bike and the helmets and caught her just as she pushed open the front door. “Please. I think you’ve misunderstood. Just give me a minute to explain. Then I’ll leave.”

Her arms knotted across her chest for protection. A wounded heart? He’d have to tread carefully. The emerald eyes shimmering in the waning light telegraphed her pain and embarrassment, but her lips were pursed thin with determination. The woman was a walking enigma. Damon suspected she had no idea how damn sexy she looked standing there, inviting him to explain himself—daring him to breach her defenses.

Want More Nina?

Award-winning erotic romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. So becoming enamored with books was only natural. She discovered romance stories in her early teens, falling hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who saved them. Eventually, reading about alpha males and the journey to find their happy-ever-after endings wasn’t enough. She needed to pen her own stories of fated loves and soul mates.

Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance. Nina resides in the northeast with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-seven years, their three grown children and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”.

Visit her website here: http://www.NinaPierce.com

Follow her on Twitter here:
http://www.twitter.com/NinaPierce

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

Are U in the Mood? With Guest Blogger: Kristen Howe

Meet aspiring author Kristen Howe today at the Book Boost. She's here to chat about writing moods!

Here's what she had to say...





What's Your Writing Mood?


Whether you're writing a poem, short story, nonfiction article, or a novel, we're going to talk about our writing moods. The same thing applies to editing/revising/rewriting too. It all boils down to your preference of a setting, (along with the pros and cons that follows it), and the music on your Ipod's playlist.


Let's talk about the setting. Many writers go to a coffeehouse like Starbucks to do their work. Or even the library. Allison Brennan is one of them, for example. Others prefer to do it at home, like I do. Let's take a look at this match of coffeehouse vs. home.


At home:

Pros: You don't have to go anywhere far. You don't have to worry about traffic and gas. You have everything you need, all in one place.

Cons: Distractions galore. Life does throw distractions along the way, like family, the phone, the TV, your pets, etc. It all depends on where you work, and when. Plus, if you ache for loneliness and camaraderie of other writers, it could be a minus here. Nonetheless, we all work best alone.


Coffeehouse/Library/Bookstore:

Pros: Good coffee, conversation, and plenty of quiet to work on your laptop. You're also joined by other people, besides writers. Plus good Wifi!

If you prefer the library, you have a soundproof room of computers to work on. And if you need a break, you can always read a book in the meantime. If you prefer a bookstore, you can also go for the coffee and look for inspiration in buying a new book or two.

Cons: You do have to commute, get gas, and be lucky to have an empty booth for those places. You do have a time limit to go on the computer at the library, since others are waiting. Plus, you do have to pay for copies, which is only a minor fee. At a bookstore, you would have to wait to print your work, when you get home.


Now, let's talk about working at home. For this battle, we're talking about the bedroom over an office. And if those are lucky, some people have a soundproofed “writer's room.” I use my bedroom, since I live in an apartment.


Bedroom:


Pros: Your desk is right there with you, along with your books, papers, and other supplies. It doesn't matter, if you have a laptop or a desktop for this round.

Cons: Same distractions as above, especially TV, radio, and phone.


Office:

Pros: If it's soundproofed, it's distraction-free. If not, you have more room to put everything, depending on the project you're working on. Everything's turned off. You just have silence.

Cons: Silence may be golden, but it can bring boredom. A little music wouldn't hurt, now and then.


Let's break it down some more to computers and paper vs. pen, before we focus on what kind of computers. There are many advantages to have a desktop or a laptop. And for those who are lucky on having both, kudos to you.


Computers:

Pros: You can save your work on a zip disk and external disk drive and make multiple copies. You can email it to yourself. You can print it out for edits. No one uses typewriters anymore.

Cons: Unless you have Internet/computer issues, or have a thunderstorm, you could lose your work, if you don't save it. Or if you break your computer by accident, you might lose it all on the Hard Drive. (We won't go into what kind of computers here.) And sometimes, you need to buy a new computer, which can be costly.


Pen and Paper:

Pros: If your computer is in a shop, you can continue to write here in a notebook. You can do it at home or anywhere.

Cons: For writing in notebooks, you can get cramps and needs your pencil to be sharpened. If you have an erasable pen, you might need a new one, if it runs out of ink. It can be lost, spilled on, messy, and needs to be a binder. Plus, if you're doing Nano or not, you would have to work hard to type everything down, and save it to disk.


Now, we're into a new fight of what kind of computer you use. And like I said earlier, for some of us who are lucky, we have two computers---the best of both worlds. This battle leads into the final rounds, before we talk generally about music.


Laptop:

Pros: This is great for travel, whether it's to your local library, bookstore, coffeehouse, or on the road, like on the plane. It's a huge plus, if you're doing Julno (July National Novel Writing Month) or Nano (National Novel Writing Month.) You can take it with you for your local weekly Write-ins. If you prefer to lay back on your bed, or if sick, you can do your work from there. And it comes in a cool traveling case. A good back-up computer, if your desktop PC is busted.

Cons: The only negatives I can think of, is that you have to wait to print your work, or save it. It's a minus, if you're on the plane though.


Desktop:

Pros: You have everything connected for your writing: External Disk Drive, printer, mouse, etc. You can lean back on an ergonomically desk chair.

Cons: You can't take it to you anywhere, travel-wise.


Now we're down to the final two rounds in your writing moods. Do you prefer to work in silence, or with noise? This is almost like the bedroom vs. office battle. This one is more general altogether.


Silence:

Pros: Like the bedroom/office round, this is overall. You can concentrate on your work anywhere without distractions.

Cons: Overall, you can get bored and lonely. It may drive you crazy, depending how long you need to get your work done.


Noise:

Pros: This maybe the best route to go to. Along as it's not too loud or soft, you can filter out the silence. Plus, life is full of distractions, once again. The phone might ring. If you have kids, pets or both, they might need your attention. And that goes for your significant other/spouse too! You just have to adjust and work with it.

Cons: Too many can drive you crazy, just like too much silence. Needless to say, not much work can be done, if not at all. Some is better than nothing too.


Now, we're down to the final round—what time of day do you write in? This can be generalized or broad, and the only one with three preferences. It all depends on our schedule too. Most of us can get 10-15 minutes in, while others have much more than that.


Daytime-Mornings:

Pros: With your family at work and school, the house is yours, if you work at home only. Between chores and other household duties, it's all yours for a few hours. Ahh. Peace and quiet. For the weekends, you can work, while everyone sleeps in or they're out. Everyone's schedule is different. Then again, I've heard many famous writers who have families write in at late night/pre-dawn hours, when everyone's asleep. I prefer writing all times of the day—mostly edit at night, and write/edit during day.

Cons: Most of us work in the morning, and won't have this liberty, except for weekends. And if we're busy, it's very limited.


Afternoons:

Pros: Same as mornings, only very limited, when everyone comes homes before supper-time, like sports and after school activities. But any time is better no time. You can even take your writing with you, if you have a laptop. With the weekends, same deal as mornings.

Cons: When your family's back, peace is interrupted. That's the only negative.


Nights:

Pros: Best to take an advantage of this, until it's time to go to sleep. After supper, the kids are doing homework, your significant other/spouse is watching TV, the pets are fed. Time is on your side. And for weekends, you have more time.

Cons: Same as above.


Our final debate is on music preferences, whether on our Ipods or elsewhere. Since there's so many kinds of music out there, we won't go into that here. You can't lose on this one!


Ipods:


Pros: It doesn't matter, on what kind of Ipod you use. It all applies here. If you have selected a Playlist to your novel, nonfiction article, poem or short story, this comes in handy. I haven't done one yet. But I've heard, if you're doing action/fight scenes, you want something up tempo like rock, or a love scene, you might want to tone it down to a country love ballad. Those are just examples on how you set up your scenes.

Cons: You do have to pay for an Itunes card and have an Ipod. You do need to do maintenance, if your Ipod has issues. Plus, you would have to shuffle tunes randomly picked to build your list.


Radio/TV/Internet:

Pros: It's all free. You can switch stations. For the Internet, there's free radio stations like Pandora, when you can pick the songs you want to hear.

Cons: You do have to pay for the electricity though. Plus, you would have to use CDs to do it automatically, or cassettes. You would get a bad reception, if you're having bad weather too.


So there you have it! My writing mood battles. We each have preferences on how, when and where we write. We're all writers out there, just making the most of the time we have. Thanks for reading and sharing my debates. Good luck and God speed!


A Note from the Book Boost: Thanks for joining us today, Kristen and for your in-depth analysis of the battles we face when trying to find time to write. Best of luck in your writing endeavors!

Want More Kristen?

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http://twitter.com/#!/Kristen_Howe

Making a Play for E-Books with Guest Blogger: Jaydyn Chelcee

Win a copy of Playing for Keeps and meet author Jaydyn Chelcee today at the Book Boost!



Here's what she had to say about the future of e-books in publishing...


How many of you can honestly say that up until about five or six years ago, you’d never even heard the term, E-publishing, let alone know what it meant?

Maybe your memory goes back a little further than mine or you got more seriously involved in becoming an author before I did, but my first memories of the term E-publishing is about five years old.

I remember well the first time I heard the term. I was attending my very first writer’s convention in Oklahoma City. Excitement buzzed everywhere. I was getting an opportunity to meet editors, agents and fellow authors, but the main thing that was on my mind was getting my work accepted by a publishing house in New York that did print. I didn’t know anything else.

Then one of the speakers, who’d just been recently published by one of the Harlequin branches got up to speak and I was all ears…because she was using terms like E-pub, more money for her E-pubbed books than her printed ones, New York sticking its nose in the air, refusing to believe E-pub was serious or had a future, and her insisting that E-pub was the future…and I’m like, what the heck is she talking about?

Now this author was super nice. She invited those of us who were interested in learning more back to her room to discuss the E-publishing world.

No way, I thought. Nothing will ever replace a printed book, that feel of a book in one’s hands and the sheer pleasure of flipping to the next page. But I was curious enough to follow her to her room, me and about seven other ladies. It was about ten p.m. when we entered her domain, and after midnight when I left. My head was buzzing with all the information this author shared, and it changed my life.

She opened my mind to the endless possibilities, pointed me in a new direction, and gave me pause to think not only E-pub promising for new authors, but it was also good for the environment.

I don’t know how the other ladies felt when they left that room that night, but I know I gave up all intentions of submitting to a big house in New York or ever seeing my books in print. Yes, as I said, my dreams were pointed in a brand new direction…toward E-publishing. Of course, I had to find one first and I had no idea where to begin.

The thing is, I eventually found my way to an E-publisher and I’m very thankful I did. I know now I would never have had a book accepted by a New York publisher, not then, and maybe not even now, but that’s okay, I’ve done just fine with the route I chose instead.

Do I believe E-books are the true future for publishing? Absolutely. Don’t you? We’re seeing more and more online publishing every day…and I think they haven’t even stopped to catch their second breath yet.

Do I believe print books are a thing of the past soon to become relics? Yes and no.

I think we’ll always have print, but I believe we’ll see less and less of it. Please share with me your thoughts on this subject…

A Note from the Book Boost: I hear you, Jaydyn. Seems that e-publishing is here to stay. The only question that remains is if and when the brick and mortar stores will ultimately become obsolete? Thanks for joining us today and please tell us more about your latest release.

Blurb:

A touch of fire ignites a shocking murder…

From the moment Flayme Jansen looked into the slumberous green eyes of the sexy cowboy from Rimrock, Montana, she knew she was in trouble. But she’d never been in his kind of trouble: being taken into custody and placed in a witness protection program for national security.

Duel Remington has a job to do and no matter how difficult the feisty redhead makes it, he’s determined to protect her. Even if it means facing long cold nights handcuffed to the woman whose life he’s trying to save.

In the dead of winter…one man. One woman. One assassin. All are Playing For Keeps!


Excerpt:

“Look, if you wanna shower, it’s now or never. Once I hit the bed, I’m not budging, and neither are you.”

“Let go,” she ordered, and jerked away from his grasp. “Keep your hands off me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, honey. Women like you grow on trees in the D.C. area.”

“Women like me?”

“Senator’s playthings? You know, bouncing the old mattress? Rocking the old headboards? Putting out?”

She clenched her fists at her sides. “I am not some Senator’s toy.”

“Special agent’s toy, then. Same difference. You’re a political plaything.”

“Ooh, more than you can ever imagine, cowboy, but I’m?”

“What,” he growled, fury etching his face.

She shook her head. “I don’t understand. What are you so pissed off about?”

“Are you denying you’re in Mac’s stable?”

“I’m a mare, now? This just gets better and better.”

“Deny it. Give me a reason not to be pissed.”

Flayme opened her mouth, then closed it with a snap. “I’m not going to deny anything to you. I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“No, you don’t. But, doll baby, don’t play coy and innocent with me, I know better.”

“What gets your goat the most, Mr. Hot Shot Agent, the fact that Mac beat you to me or because I belong to him, so you can’t or won’t touch me?”

“Wouldn’t count on the ‘won’t,’” he said absently, parting the drapes a mere inch and peeking outside.

“What?

“Nothing.” He fiddled with the curtains, making sure they closed tightly. “What gave you the idea I want to touch you?”

It dawned on Flayme that he wasn’t really absorbing the conversation. He was saying the words, but that’s exactly what he was doing, saying the words. He wasn’t into the conversation. He was immersed in checking their surroundings, but giving her his watered-down version of lip service. For some reason, it made her angrier to know he wasn’t really tuned in to their conversation. “Oh, you know, there’s a certain little pointy part of your body that just gives you away, cowboy.”

“Huh.” Suddenly he whipped around eyeing her.

It struck her that although he’d given the impression he was only half listening to her, he’d been paying closer attention than she’d thought.

“Don’t flatter yourself, honey. I haven’t had a woman in a?let’s just say it’s been a long, dry spell. If a mosquito bumped against my zipper I’d get a hard-on right now.”

Flayme lifted a brow. “A long, dry spell, huh?”

“Don’t let it trouble your pretty little head, sweetheart. I told you, you aren’t my type.” He tore off his denim coat and draped it across the back of the only chair in the room. With just that small movement, he groaned and what little color he had left drained away, leaving his face pale as the snow outside on the ground.

Flayme bit her lower lip and sent up another silent prayer that he didn’t die on her. Her eyes widened as she slowly scanned his body. Good grief, the man was armed to the gills. A shoulder holster fit snug against his side. When he turned to lock the door, she saw a second weapon at the small of his back. “You have one of those tucked in your boot, too?”

“What?” He frowned, dragging the chair across the room and jamming it beneath the doorknob, making the room as secure as possible.

“You expecting an invasion?” she asked, half joking. The other half of her mind darkened with fear. If he was this concerned, she thought maybe she should be too, or at the least, a bit more alert of what was going on around her. His unease worried her, because it meant there was something more than someone taking potshots at a little nobody CIA secretary.

Want More Jaydyn?

Jaydyn Chelcee has spent most of her life in Oklahoma, her home state, but at the same time, she’s traveled extensively, at least in the western half of the United States. One of her favorite settings in her contemporary western romances is Montana. She’s the author of the best selling Montana Men series, In the Arms of Danger, No Holds Barred, Too Close to the Fire, and Playing For Keeps.

Visit her website here: http://www.jaydynchelcee.com

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

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Jaydyn to be entered to win a copy of Playing For Keeps.


**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!**

Getting Catty with Guest Blogger: Laura Hogg

Welcome author Laura Hogg to the Book Boost today.

She's sharing an original piece of short fiction with us entitled "The Cat and the Choice".


Once there was a troubled young lady named Mary who had an important decision to make. She tossed and turned in her sleep then woke up still undecided. She looked inside her closet.

“Green or blue today? I wish I could decide which I liked more.” She put on a red dress, a color she wasn’t crazy about, and walked into the kitchen.

Her sister, Susan, gave her a smile. “I can make coffee or tea. Which would you like?”

Mary shrugged. “Either. I can’t decide.”

Susan scoffed. “That’s a shocker.” She handed her a cup of water.

Mary drank it and went for a walk, thinking about two young men in her life who wanted to date her. Should she choose Hunter, a dear friend who had always been good to her, or Edward, the new guy in the neighborhood that all the ladies wanted?

Mary wrung her hands. “Oh, I just can’t decide.” She passed a sign that told her she was a mile from the city zoo and thought of elephants. This made her think about the choice that had kept her awake.

“Should I take that boring office job or run away with the circus on my cousin’s invitation to join?” More hand wringing.

She turned a corner. A beautiful, small cat stepped in front of her. She stopped and put her hand to her chest. “Sorry I almost trampled you, little fella.” She chuckled. “You’re a cat. You can’t understand me.”

“Don’t bet on it.”

She gasped and jumped back.

“Don’t be frightened. I’m your guardian cat, fairy-god cat, or whatever you want to call me. You’re hearing me telepathically. I’m not really a cat. Only in cat form.”

“I…uh, I…” Her head spun.

“I’ll grant you one wish.”

“Pardon me?”

“One wish. Name it.”

“You’re a cat!”

“I thought we’ve covered this. Humor me.”

She gulped and lowered her trembling hand. “I’m insane.”

“No.” Did he sigh? “Humor me.”

“All…all right. I wish I weren’t so indecisive.”

“Granted. Take me home as your pet. Every time you make a good decision, I’ll grow a little bigger to show you you’ve done so. Every time you’ve made a bad decision, I’ll get smaller. Make enough bad decisions, and I’ll disappear completely. Eventually, you’ll get the idea and learn how to make good decisions on your own.”

“I must be crazy.” She shook her head and slapped her hands to her sides. “But I’ll do it.” She glanced away then back down at the cat. He was slightly bigger!

She walked back home with the cat following her.

That night, she picked up the phone to call Edward and accept his offer to go out, but before she dialed, she looked at the cat. He shrunk. She called Hunter instead, and the cat regained its size.

Mary and Hunter went out the next night and had a great time. She saw an alluring side to him she had never seen before and was greatly surprised. She went home, deciding that she’d see him again. Petting the cat, she looked at its growing belly and stroked its flowing, feathery-soft fur, smiling.

“A good decision.”

The next morning, before she entered her kitchen, she said out loud, “Coffee today,” and glanced at the cat. He shrunk.

“Tea.”

The cat grew.

“Green tea.”

The cat grew a little bigger.

“I’m learning.” She went into the kitchen with a smile.

Talking with Susan over breakfast, she thought about which job to go for and still didn’t know.

Susan glanced at her. “You’re wearing pink today. You’ve always said that either green or blue is your favorite color but you could never decide on one. Do you like them both equally?”

Mary shrugged. “I doubt it.”

Susan chuckled. “I guess it doesn’t really matter in itself except for how it affects you.”

“My goal is to be able to choose, to be able to make decisions.”

****

Over the course of the next month, her instinct for decision-making grew stronger as she watched the cat and saw the results of her choices. She began to know on her own which actions were wiser than others and wore blue more often. She slept better. Hunter gave her a ring. She accepted it, and her large cat slept next to her that night.

Pondering the pros and cons of her job choices, her instinct pushed her toward one and away from the other. She ran past the city zoo sign having decided how she was going to spend her life. Hunter had told her that he’d be supportive of whatever decision she made: an office job or the circus. He’d be there for her.

She ran home knowing that with the importance of the decision she just made, her cat would either be the size of a newborn kitten, or for goodness sakes, he might frighten Susan if he walked out of her room—that is, if he could get out the door.

Susan greeted her with a smile. “Hope you don’t mind. I practiced your guitar this morning right after you left. I think I forgot to put it back in the case. Sorry!” She chuckled.

Mary held her breath. “Did you…see my cat this morning?”

“No, why?”

“Never mind.” Her heart pounded as she made her way into her room. Why hadn’t Susan seen him? Because he shrank to be tiny? No. Mary had made her career decision only moments ago.
She entered her room and looked at the bed, gasping. “Circus it is.”


A Note from the Book Boost: Laura, thanks for sharing your cat story with us today. It was a good decision! Please tell us more about your book.


Blurb:


In Victorian England an orphan, Margot, has ambitions. She banks on her intellect and her love, Brad, who went from the streets to opulence. Brad’s father demands he not marry Margot, so Brad abdicates a fortune for love. Brad turns on Margot. Devastated, she refuses to give up her dreams.

Excerpt:

Brad lay in his cushioned bed that night staring at the ceiling of his palatial room. His eyes stung with tears. He swallowed down a tight throat. The vision of her horrified face came to mind as he had walked away.

“Why, Margot?” He rolled over and fisted his hand, slamming it onto the mattress.

“I loved you so much. How could that have changed, and so fast?”

He rolled over again and brought his hands to his face. Was it not true love? It had to be. No, it couldn’t be. It was desire...your beauty.

Then he recalled laughing at one of her witty stories. It was during one of those times when love first wiggled into his heart, the first stirrings. You are so singular, Margot, my darling, he had thought.

When she rocked a small child in her arms once at the orphanage, it grew stronger. When she danced with him, stronger still. And more and more and more. Every time he saw her lovely, happy face, as she attempted to delight everyone around her with her ideas and stories, trying to make them laugh and smile, his feelings intensified. He had given up a financial empire for her and hadn’t thought twice about it. Or had he? No, no he hadn’t. Somewhere underneath though, he had been afraid of the poverty that faced them. Now his surroundings dripped of luxury. Did this offer comfort over his loss of love? He had yet to discover.

Want More Laura?

Laura lives in Colorado and has various stories out with different publishers. They range from short stories to full-length novels. Most are romance. Laura likes to write historical, some sci-fi, and paranormal, especially time travel fiction.

Visit her blog here: http://traveltheages.blogspot.com/

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

Time Tracking with Guest Blogger: Kathryn Scannell

Win a copy of Leap of Faith and meet author Kathryn Scannell today at the Book Boost!

Here's what she had to say...


My biggest mistake as a writer involves world building. BA Collins and I have a shared fantasy world setting. You can sample it in my new novel, Embracing the Dragon. We’ve been playing back and forth with it, developing it for years. We’ve created a lot of history, a lot of cultural details, and a lot of nuts and bolts details about how the world works, as well as a rich assortment of characters.

Sounds great, right? Detailed world building helps you have a rich and consistent setting. We’ve got a wealth of detail to play with, ready and waiting for us. What’s to be unhappy about?

Well, for one thing the more details you build, the more details you have to keep track of, and the more constrained your plots are. This is particularly true if you’re not writing in strictly chronological order. Embracing the Dragon is the first novel in the setting, but I have another one in progress, and BA is working on several other projects. One of hers is set about a 1000 years before Embracing the Dragon.

Another is about a century after it. That later one constrains what I can do in works which precede it. I can’t kill of a particular character in this book because he’s going to get killed in book BA is working on now that’s set a hundred years further in the future. In the same way things I’ve written in Embracing the Dragon constrain her earlier story.

Having two people involved makes it an order of magnitude more complicated to track because not only do I have to remember what I wrote, I have to remember what BA wrote or is working on now. And vice versa. You have to get along well, and you have to talk often about what you’re doing.

But that’s not the mistake I want to talk about today. The mistake was that early on we decided it would be a good idea to have time flow differently in our multiple worlds. It seemed like a good idea when we did it – it’s very traditional where Elves are concerned. Folklore is full of stories of people going into the Elven hill, thinking they stayed a night, and coming out a week, a year, or even a century later. It gave us some good initial plot lines.

In the big picture it was a terrible plan. The early history we put together was kind of ad hoc, drawn in broad sweeps. Once we started to work out a more detailed time line for the world’s history the headaches the different time flows would cause became obvious. We’d said things like “the war started about 10 years ago.” Now we have to think about which world’s time line that 10 year figure applies to. We had decided that a day in the Elven world was about 2 days on Earth, and 3 days in Hell.

So if that’s 10 years on Earth, it’s only 5 in Avalon. Or if it’s 10 years in Avalon, it’s 20 on earth.
Now, add in the fact that we’re dealing with several very long-lived races, and the time differential really snowballs. Elves and Tengri are essentially immortal unless someone kills them. For example, Emperor Mordellir has been on the throne of the Empire for 10,000 years on the Avalon timeline. That translates to 20,000 years on Earth, and 30,000 on Hell. That gives you a better sense of how the thing becomes hard to manage on the grand scale.

Unfortunately by that time we were already committed to the time differential in terms of plot lines and character history. So now we’re stuck with tracking time lines on three worlds and needing to keep them in sync with each other. It didn’t take long at all for me to start tearing out my hair trying to do this. I still haven’t found a tool that works really well.

So if you’re planning world building, do yourself a major favor – don’t get into variable time rates. They’re nearly as hard to keep track of as circular time travel references.


A Note from the Book Boost: This sounds incredibly complicated, Kathryn. Both working with a writing partner and creating these complex worlds. Very impressive. Please tell us more about your book.


Blurb:


Danny O’Riordan’s life was complicated before he had the vision of a past life that forced him to admit to himself that he was bisexual. There’s a war going on, and being Liegeman to Aran, the Elven King of Avalon puts Danny squarely in the middle of the politics of two worlds, Earth and Avalon. Adding a romantic relationship to the mix could be explosive.

His lover from that previous life has been reborn as Mordellir, the ruler of the Tengri Empire. The Dragon of Heaven is the most powerful person in his world. Will he want Danny back once he knows he’s been reborn? If he does, how far will he go to get his way?

Danny knows it isn’t smart to get involved with the Dragon of Heaven. Aran hates the Tengri. Following his heart and renewing that old relationship with Mordellir will leave him torn between his commitment to Aran and those old feelings which are still frighteningly strong. If he yields to temptation, can he balance his love for both men?


Excerpt:

Mordellir looked more at ease than Danny had ever seen him. Was this what he'd been like before he became Emperor?

Looking at him now, in this mood it was easy to see the resemblance to Demeth. Certainly there were differences. Demeth had been only part Tengri. He'd been shorter and a bit heavier built. Demeth's hair had reddish highlights, which hinted at demon in his family somewhere. But there was still something in the body language, and the aura which reminded Danny achingly of those memories of Demeth. It wouldn't be hard to put this man in place of the image of Demeth in those memories...

Thinking that had not been a good idea. Danny realized his mistake when he felt his cock start to swell. Just remembering the damned dreams he'd been having was enough to get him hard again, and the bathrobe he was wearing was not going to hide it. He could see a telltale bulge already. He shifted to cross his legs, hoping to keep things under control, but it just didn't work.

Mordellir had noticed, too. His gaze followed that moving bulge, and he gave off a mix of amusement and interest. All the extra blood that wasn't already in Danny's cock rose promptly to his face as he realized that.

Mordellir grew even more amused as Danny turned bright red. "I didn't think you were interested, Daniel. It's certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a handsome young man. I'm not intimate with all my Favorites, but it's certainly an option."

Danny cursed inwardly. This was rapidly becoming a disaster. "No! I'm not-- I mean I don't-- Oh Hell." He ground to a halt. Doing anything would be stupid, and guaranteed to make settling the problem of those old memories worse, not better, but how did he say no without insulting the Emperor? Especially when his cock was obviously saying yes.

"Slowly, Daniel," Mordellir said gently. "If I read that wrong, I'm sorry. Will you tell me why you’re so confused and embarrassed? It can't be just having an erection in front of someone else, not after living among the Elves and the Kennakriz. What is it?" He looked probingly at Danny out of his good eye.

Danny took a deep breath to try to calm himself. "No. This isn't simple to explain. You didn't misread my reaction, but it would be a terrible idea to act on it."

"Why?" Mordellir sounded genuinely puzzled.

"Because you're the Emperor of the Tengri, and I'm the senior Liegeman to the King of Avalon, who happens to hate Tengri in general, and you in particular. That gives whole new levels of meaning to conflict of interest," Danny said, wondering why he was explaining the obvious to someone this experienced in politics.

"So?" Mordellir felt perplexed. "Is this an Earth thing? A little sex hardly constitutes anything important. It's not as if there was a commitment involved. There isn't even a chance of children to worry about negotiating."

Want More Kathryn?

Visit her website here: http://www.kathrynscannell.com

Visit her blog here:
http://kathryn-scannell.dreamwidth.org


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

Contest Time:

Leave a question or comment for Kathryn to be entered to win a copy of her short story Leap of Faith.

**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!**