In keeping with the posts about Halloween and Autumn, I'm sharing a few things about The Stone Mountain Tour of Southern Ghosts. Stone Mountain National Park in Stone Mountain, Georgia hosts a story-telling tour for Halloween. http://artstation.org/tosg/southernghosts.htm

Storytellers come to share their stories and guides make sure visitors don't miss a story or get lost. I serve as a guide. This is not my best look, but it's my costume.  Notice the fall color beginning to paint the trees.

 

The 3 ladies are part of the tour. The 2 ladies in yellow tell stories. The other is a guide. The young man tells stories and is as cute in person as he looks, his accent is delightfully southern, too. 

 

The barn area is dark, so I had to lighten the guitar playing storyteller, also very Southern. Tonight threatens to make me need a cape. More photos will follow here and on other blogs. Fall means I get to play with the ghosts of Stone Mountain.  How cool is that?

An excerpt from my nonfiction book about gardening and country life,  Shenandoah Watercolors, a 2012 EPIC eBook Award Finalist:

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.” 

~ Anne Frank

(Image by my mother, Pat Churchman. If you look closely you can see my daughter Elise as a child and her little friend, James, peeking our from behind the trees.)

“A cold autumn wind blew as my younger daughter, Elise, and I scurried about the garden in the last of the light to gather in our treasures. She heaped great orange Cinderella pumpkins into the wheelbarrow and picked the rest of her pink and blue Indian corn. Beams of sun touched the crimson cockscomb flowers just coming into full bloom, an antiquated variety that I seeded late and coaxed through our wet summer. (Cinderella Pumpkins, image by Elise taken this fall)

The vibrant color of the plumes stood out against the grayish black clouds like a king’s velvet robes. This wealth will quickly dwindle if the temperatures dip too low tonight. The weather is quite cool here today. Forecasters are calling for the chance of frost tonight, but only if the gray blanket covering the sky clears and bright cold stars come out. Then maybe Jack Frost’s chill breath will silver the hoary earth.

I must get myself to the garden and pick the last of the orange persimmon tomatoes–truly the most luscious variety in the world–and the heirloom lima beans, called Christmas limas. These beans are mottled a lovely wine color and very tasty. Perhaps I can get our dog, Mia, to help me. But I doubt it. She takes no interest in vacuuming or dusting either, just wants to know when its time to eat.

I have this wild hope in the back of my mind that maybe I will wake up one day and find the house ordered and gleaming, all put to rights while I slept. I suspect this delusion comes from my having read The Elves and the Shoemaker too often, and other fairy tales. I have also seen too many Disney movies.”

(Colorful maple tree near green rye field on our farm in the Shenandoah Valley, image by Elise)

***Shenandoah Watercolors is available from Amazon in kindle and now paperback with lovely photographs taken by my family.

***For a seed link to the Christmas Pole Lima Beans click HERE.

***For a seed link to Cinderella Pumpkins click HERE

***For a seed link to my favorite Orange Persimmon tomatoes click HERE.

After your initial purchase you can save the seed.

Good morning everyone,
As you know, I like to inform my friends and fellow writers about new writing opportunities, and today is no different. I have recently heard about a new program that Amazon Kindle is promoting. It's called Kindle Serials. http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=5044445011
This is an exciting new venture for them, and what happens is that your book is purchased by the reader for $1.99 and they get the first installment immediately, followed by the next installment either, a week, two weeks, or a month later. Not a hundred percent sure, but then I believe the book will be included in their regular program, at a higher price, which means double promo and double opportunities.
Sound interesting? I believe they are looking for submissions, so go to their guidelines and check it on out!
Now, I believe that Stephen King did this once, and some other well known author too, but I'm not sure why people would not just want the entire book to read at their own time and enjoyment. But, I believe the reader thinks they are getting it as soon as the writer's ink is dry, so that may hold some appeal, and seem more intimate that way. I, for one, would like my book already written because I'd be afraid that I'd freeze up knowing I had to have the next installment done the following week. But I'm a pantser, so that would be a scary thing.
What do you all think?
Ready to give it a try?

The First Signs of Winter

As some of you may know, I’ve recently moved from Florida to Boise, Idaho. I looked forward to being with my family, and it has been wonderful being near beloved children, nieces and grandchildren. What I wasn’t looking forward to was enduring a winter.

Yesterday was the first real rainy day since we arrived in Boise in July. It felt quite cozy inside the house while cold rain spread across the valley. When I went outside to do errands, I looked up at the foothills and there, at the highest peaks, was snow. Guess what! It was beautiful.

This got me to thinking about the importance of setting in a book. Where we place our characters and their reactions to it are tremendous indicators of character--things we can build on.

I write fantasy for children and I love creating a challenging world for them. In one of my stories, the hero is confronted by a huge, hairy spider, guarding the cave of the mystical Man of the Mountain. Because I, myself, freak over spiders, it was difficult to write the scene where the spider entraps the hero’s companion and how the hero must save him. But I used the setting to bring out the hero’s character and his growth. (Other scenes were easier! LOL)

As the writer, we need to make a character’s response to a setting be true to his/her own experiences. For instance, in a romance, if a woman grew up in the crowded city and has always wanted to live in the country, where she could feel freer, a HEA ending, showing her on a ranch with the man she loves has tremendous impact on the reader. Not only is the heroine satisfied by the romance but she is in a setting where she can thrive. I realize I’ve made this overly simple, but I’m sure you get my point.

Have there been particular books you’ve loved because of their settings and the impact on the characters?   

In the spring, I smell the roses.

In the summer, I frolic in the cool waters of Lake Lanier.

In the fall, I watch tree leaves burst into picture perfect fits of orange, purple, and yellow.

In the winter, I crawl under my bed and stay there. Why?

Because of imbalances in the brain, some people constantly feel sad or depressed.  While I don’t fall into that category, during the Northern solstice, or when the sun is at its northernmost point in the sky, usually around December 21^st or 22^nd, I often wake up feeling blue, for no reason whatsoever.

The gloom and doom is referred to as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to Wikipedia, SAD is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn year after year.

It’s frustrating to feel sad for no reason. There are plenty of good reasons to feel blah and plenty of good ways to celebrate it. I could eat ice cream all day, watch a depressing movie or listen to a sad song over and over. But SAD doesn’t care about reasons. It just wants me to feel, well, sad. I know exactly when the ole killjoy has stolen my happiness.

Here is my number one symptom. I spend hours gazing out the window at the neighborhood kids building snowmen. “How sad I feel,” I say to myself. “They’re having so much fun and all I can do is sit here and cry.”

You see what I mean, no reason whatsoever for the gloom. This year, I’m determined to keep SAD away. I’m a firm believer in being proactive and have learned all the symptoms, like munching out on carbs, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating. Getting plenty of light therapy and exercise will be my first weapons of choice.

I’ll fight the battle until my body develops special powers and emits beams of sunlight.

 P.S. To see if you may be a candidate for SAD, I invite you to take the first ever, SAD detection quiz below. You must answer each question.

The Sad Quiz

 Which TV slogan excites you most?
 -    Time to make the donuts.
 -    Yo qyiero Taco Bell
 -    Lucy charms, they're magically delicious.

 

 When people talk about experiencing an “Ah Ha” moment they?

-          Are often burying their head under the covers.

-          Are often dreaming of eating pounds of chocolate cake and Butter Pecan ice cream. 

-          Are often sitting in the dark watching reruns of Cold Mountain.  

In the spirit of Halloween, can you identify the scary movies these lines of dialogue are taken from? Warning: if you know all three you may be watching too much television.

-          “Have you checked the children?”

-          “You’re gonna need a bigger boat."

-          “I see Dead People.”

 Spedunking is a type of exercise involving.

-          Shooting basketballs into tiny hoops.

-          Jumping off bridges wearing nothing but speedos.

-          Huh? Spedunking? What’s that?

 If you answer at least one question correctly, you are a candidate for SAD.  

  Submit your answers to me via the Pony Express.

 

Since Mondays can be blue, I decided to share this lovely rainbow.

I thought I'd share a bit of my WIP.  Do you like the title?  It's a sequel to Sinners' Opera, which will be released by Double Dragon Publishing next year.  My current release from DDP is available at:  http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-978-4   I don't have a cover for Sinners' Opera yet, so I'll share the cover for Gemini Rising.

Chapter 1

            In six months, the pain should have subsided.

Yet grief and sorrow still gnawed at her heart.

Isabeau navigated the darkness along the path to the log cabin.  Minutes ago in the lighted barn hall, the hands on the ceramic watch she’d bought on sale pointed to nine o’clock.  In her jewelry box at home were three reminders of a life lost—two diamond watches and a ceramic Tag Hauer sport.  Now, she never wore any of them.

By eight, her mother would have would have tucked Eroica into bed.  She’d stayed too long with her horse, grooming and petting the white stallion.   On her twelfth birthday, a van company delivered a surprise.  The driver told them her father had won a contest, the prize a beautiful Andalusian horse.  The first of many gifts—most cloaked in a veil of deceit—from a godfather kept secret from Isabeau arrived.  To her jumping up and down delight.  In her wildest fantasies, she’d never expected to own such an expensive horse.

The five-acre property had a two-acre paddock.  For a month, Isabeau fretted that Bianco slept outside.  A barn was hastily erected.  The sandy area built for her riding had weathered the years.  Tonight, with moonlight sparkling silvery on the white arena, her ride with Bianco had been magical.   In those minutes in the saddle, she had melded, body and spirit, with her horse.

When she reached the cabin, Isabeau would steal into the room where she’d spent her childhood to kiss her own daughter’s soft cheek.

A month ago on October 11^th, a miracle was born.  Isabeau intended to breast fed her little Libra, but the baby had bitten her nipple, drawing blood.    Knowing who—what—Eroica’s father was, Isabeau decided to bottle feed a vampire’s daughter.  As Lucien St. Albans had predicted, Eroica looked like a female reproduction of her father.  She had his silken blonde hair, his captivating blue eyes.  Isabeau had rejected all Morgan’s calls, hadn’t opened his emails or the snail mail letters that arrived once a week.  He was trying to seduce his way back into her life.  If she’d heard his lilting voice on the phone or read the same cadence in the emails, she’d have lost her battle against him.

But God it hurt.

The swish and sway of the pines in the November chill drove home to her that tomorrow she’d drive back to Charleston.  She and Eroica would be alone in her echoing Orange Street house.  Her friend Kirsty would babysit any evening, but, except for the hours spent at LifeGen earning their living, she hated to be separated from her miraculous daughter.   Isabeau refused to touch the small fortune Morgan sent as child support.  That money belonged to Eroica and would, one day, pay college tuition and settle her comfortably for life.  She didn’t dress her daughter at the expensive children’s boutiques as her father would have done, but shopped at sensible department stores.

Isabeau’s life centered on Eroica—and the genetic puzzle of vampire DNA.  She longed for the state-of-the art lab behind Rover House, abandoned now for months.  In fact, she yearned for the idyllic life she’d shared with Morgan.  She’d been a princess, living in a fairytale spun by her beautiful lover.  But this was the existence Fate had dealt her—with help from her own hands.  Oh, but tonight she wished he were here to whisper promises—whisper madness—in her ear.

A shadow materialized from the trees.  Her heart chugged over a beat of fear.  She halted in her tracks, a shiver rippling the hair at her nape.  Who—what—lurked on the path ahead?  Her mother wouldn’t leave the sleeping baby.   Strangers didn’t notice the dirt and gravel drive to the cabin.  She would have called, “Who’s there?” but her dry throat tightened.

 

For a free read Vampyre Hunt, visit my web site at:  http://www.lindanightingale.com

Monday was one of those rainy, dreary days but right before sunset the clouds pushed out and the sun poured through the valley. Its brilliance revealed a glorious rainbow. It was huge, arching the Lizard Creek Valley, spanning from mountain top to mountain top and vibrant with color.

Sitting in my living room, I watched it appear and wondered at the sight. I deliberated stopping what I was doing (watching a sitcom)

and running for my camera to snap a picture, but I foolishly decided to wait a minute more until a commercial aired. Before a minute passed the colors, which were more brilliant than I’ve ever witnessed in a rainbow before, faded away. The clouds moved back in, fog rose in the valley and soon the valley below and the mountains disappeared. I'd missed the moment and doing so sadden me.

It seems each year slips by faster than the last. Maybe because we’re busier. The world indeed is growing smaller and our circle of friends grows larger. Relationships take time to nurture. We have to give of ourselves in order to receive. That isn’t a bad thing. A truly rich man or woman has many friends.

However busy we are, it is important to remember to take time for ourselves and enjoy

the world the around us. If we don’t seize the moments, opportunitites, and events when they present themselves, they're forever gone.

After numerous years of writing, I am thrilled to announce my first release as a debut author under the pen name, Josie Riviera. "Seeking Catherine" is a novella, Tudor romance. Check it out on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9cka84m

This is a short, sweet novella. (no sex) Sensual content. Approximately 58 pages. He’s hurt her in the past. Can she trust her heart to him again? After all, they were childhood sweethearts, planning a future together in Tudor England during an age of chivalry. Headstrong and proud, Catherine Sudfield remembers everything about Stefan Boswell. She didn’t care about his poverty, his drunken parents, nor his lack of nobility. The restless Gypsy rogue’s powerful good looks and promises of love were more than enough to satisfy her youthful dreams. But then Stefan left without a word and Catherine was bargained away by her uncle to a brothel. Sometimes, bonds between a man and a woman, however young, are meant to last a lifetime. But two guarded, wary lovers may need an extra dose of Gypsy magic to chase away any lingering doubts after five long years.

Do you sometimes feel you're shouting into the wind? How do you make yourself heard? Here are some excellent quotes. If these don't work, I suggest barking loudly as that gains a response from our dogs. Although, in their defense, once I get them calmed down the dogs make excellent listeners and hang on my every word as if it really matters. And that may be the key. Listening works best when it's reciprocal. With some individuals, that ain't ever gonna happen. Am I a good listener? Are you? Well, I can be...

"It’s a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear." ~Dick Cavett

(Dogs don't want to hear what they don't want to hear either)

"Many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request." ~ Phillip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield

"Effective questioning brings insight, which fuels curiosity, which cultivates wisdom." ~ Chip Bell

"The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them." ~ Ralph Nichols

"Bore, n.: A person who talks when you wish him to listen." ~Ambrose Bierce

(Cats may not look like they're listening, but little gets by them. They are, however, easily bored.)

"The best time to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust." ~ Josh Billings

"An actor’s a guy who if you ain’t talkin’ about him, ain’t listening." ~ Marlon Brando

"I’ll defend to the death your right to say that, but I never said I’d listen to it!" ~ Tom Galloway

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen."~ Ernest Hemingway

(Ducks are friendly and very conversational)

Thus far, all of these insights are from men. In fact, almost the entire collection I found are male quotes. Perhaps men have a greater need to be heard, or maybe they lack the art of communication that comes more naturally to women. Here's a good one from the female perspective.

"I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention." ~ Diane Sawyer

And another successful woman says:

"To learn through listening, practice it naively and actively. Naively means that you listen openly, ready to learn something, as opposed to listening defensively, ready to rebut. Listening actively means you acknowledge what you heard and act accordingly." ~Betsy Sanders, Former Senior Vice President & General Manager Nordstrom

***To truly be heard, you may need a good dog.
“All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn't a dog.”  ~Charles M. Schulz

Out in print now at Amazon and The Wild Rose Press—available in eBook on Nov. 2^nd—historical romance novel, Kira, Daughter of the Moon! 

A beautiful Scots-Irish healer in the rugged Alleghenies finds herself accused of witchcraft. With the terror of the French and Indian War fresh in her mind, can Kira love a white warrior?

Set among the superstitious Scots in the rugged Alleghenies, the story is an adventurous romance with a blend of Celtic and Native American flavors. Although written to stand alone, Kira, Daughter of the Moon is the long-awaited sequel to my award-winning historical romance novel, Through the Fire.

Blurb: Logan McCutcheon returns to colonial Virginia after seven years in the hands of Shawnee Indians. But was he really a captive, as everybody thinks? He looks and fights like a warrior, and seems eager to return to those he calls friends and family. 

Kira McClure has waited for Logan all those years, passing herself off as odd to keep suitors at bay--and anyone else from getting too close. Now that he's back, he seems to be the only person capable of protecting her from the advances of Josiah Campbell and accusations of witchcraft. And to defend the settlers against a well-organized band of murderous thieves.~

Excerpt:

“My secret in exchange for yours.”

Tantalizing.  He was drawing her into his snare, but she couldn’t resist asking, “How do you know I’ve a secret?”

“To begin with, you’re hiding in a tree.  What from, a wild beast?”

“Near enough.  You.”

He smiled.  “Was I to think you a large red bird, or overlook you entirely?”

Drawing her remaining shreds of dignity around her like a mantle, she said, “This isn’t one of my best hiding places.”

“Indeed?  Where are the others?”

“That would be telling.

The strengthening breeze tossed the branches around them as he considered.  “You never could keep secrets from me, Cricket.  I’ll discover them and you.”

An assertion she found both disturbing and oddly heartening.

His lips curved as if the deed were already done.  “Why were you hiding?  Am I so very frightening?”

“Oh––I feared you were some sort of warrior.”

The humor faded from his eyes.  “I am.”

***Royalty free images

Good morning,
Last month I told you all that I was going to put a box set of my Candy Bar series up on Amazon, and that it would be my first  experiement at doing this. Well, I'm here to report that is was much easier than I anticipated, but so far the results, or sales have not been exactly exciting. Now, mind you, it's only been up for sale for less than two weeks and I've had 3 sales, 4 including my own, but I priced it at $3.99 which seemed a very good price considering that each book sells separately for $1.99.
If it doesn't improve soon by next month I will reduce it to $2.99 and see what happens then.
DD Scott, who writes the best selling romantic comedy Bootlickin' series, sold a 6 book set for $2.99 that generated enormous sales. May we all be so lucky, or good!
Here is my link so you can see what a 3D cover looks like and how I described the book in the introduction.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009K7RX8G

I hope this has inspired you to try the same.

Allison Brennan and Goofy Talk Motivation.
 
  Good morning, Allison! I'm so glad you could visit with us again. It's almost chilly enough to use the fireplace for a while.

Thanks to Mary and the gang for having me back here in my pink fuzzy slippers! (Actually, I have Goofy slippers – see?)

Oh, I like them! So cute! 

Goofy might be a little dim-witted, but he’s the eternal optimist and is the first to help his friends and strangers with their problem. His help might create more problems, but his heart is in the right place.

I think a lot about motivation when I write because motivation can change sentiment about a character from love to hate, from respect to despise. While we may wince at what happens to Goofy when his “help” puts him or others in jeopardy, or makes the situation worse, we appreciate him because we know he was helping out of the right motivation.

Consider a thief. On the surface, we don’t like thieves. They steal other people’s stuff for their own personal gain, often causing hardship for the victim. I’m sure many of us have been robbed, either something small (car radio—I’ve had three stolen in my lifetime) or large (our identity, for example, our every valuable item in our home. My credit card number has been taken I don’t know how many times, at least five, and while I file all the papers and get my money back through the bank’s fraud unit, think of the added costs we all pay in added fees because of the greed of others.)

But what if the thief was trying to right a wrong? Taking from a bad guy to give to the good guys? (Robin Hood anyone?) Or what if the thief needed the money to pay for his daughter’s operation? Or to steal a weapon that fell into the wrong hands? The act may in and of itself be wrong, and the character may need to face punishment for his crimes, but if we want readers to like the character, then we need to give them a motivation that readers understand and relate to. Especially if the character doing the bad thing is your hero or heroine.

Motivation for villains is just as important. I don’t like stereotypical villains who kill for the sake of killing, or rape blondes because his prostitute mother was a blonde. I want meat to their motivation – even if I don’t agree with it. Why do they do what they do? Are they conflicted? Why? Do they have remorse or are they a true sociopath? How do they justify their actions? I often give a workshop called the Villain’s Journey taken from a line in Christopher Vogler’s The Writers Journey: “The villain is the hero of his own journey.”

Yes, yes, yes. And because of that, I know that the villain’s motivation is just as important as any other character – in fact, more important because they are the foundation of any suspense novel.

 

In my indie romantic suspense, Murder in the River City, I have a heroine who isn’t a cop, she isn’t a P.I., she doesn’t have any training to stop bad guys. Already I had a problem because I didn’t want her to be Too Stupid To Live. (Aside: one of the reasons I rarely write female characters who aren’t in law enforcement is because I don’t think most women would dive head-first into dangerous situations unless they had the training and background for it.) Anyway, I had to make Shauna’s motivation for getting involved logical, in character, and responsible. Even though her involvement is going to, ultimately, put her in danger.

In my upcoming Lucy Kincaid thriller Stalked, I had a hard time with the villain’s motivation. It was one of the few books I’ve written without the villain’s POV, and therefore I didn’t have head-time for the reader to understand why he/she did what he/she did. The motivation had to be discovered by Lucy through investigation and research, and make sense to both Lucy and the reader in order for the FBI to find and stop the killer.

I’ve written stories where the villain elicited sympathy among readers. In Tempting Evil, Aaron Doherty had a truly sad upbringing, where his mother wanted a perfect son, and often left him with friends or family or even borderline strangers so she could live the life she wanted. When his grandparents wanted to be his legal guardians, she refused and took him away, never letting him go back to the only home he’d felt safe and loved. Yet, he was always trying to please her, to make her love him. None of this justifies his actions, but hopefully readers understand how he went from a loving little boy to an erotomaniac who created fantasies around real-life celebrities.

What are some strong motivations you’ve seen on television or read about in books? Weak motivations? Share your thoughts and I’m giving away a digital copy of my indie-published Murder in the River City to one lucky commenter!

 Margo's Choice is free on Amazon for Oct 8 & 9!

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M0U8CU.

 

Margo’s Choice is a Southern Women’s Fiction story.

Margo Lake isn’t looking forward to seeing her ex husband Jay again. After 16 years of separation the marine still knows how to push her buttons. She has never stopped loving him, at least in some ways, though she really doesn't like him.

When she learns he isn’t coming for a visit but is retiring, she fears what he can do to her heart if she lets him inside for even a second. Even more, she fears for the heart of her youngest daughter, the child who adores him, the child he doesn’t believe is his.

Jay has finally had his fill of war and danger. He is ready to retire and get to know his daughter better, be with his family. He wishes Margo would come clean and tell her youngest daughter he isn’t her father. Then he could forgive her lies and maybe they could all have honest relationships.

---

Excerpt
Jay had seen his daughter and her scuzzy boyfriend. The alpha ex Marine has to do something.

-->

Once he was sure Electra was gone, Jay strode up the cracked sidewalk to the dump his daughter had just left. He glanced up and down the road and saw no neighbors walking. He leaned on the doorbell button, but he didn’t hear any ringing. Was it a silent ring or just dead?

When he heard no footsteps, either, he banged on the door. He counted to one hundred before he heard heavy footfall and loud cursing.

A voice rusty with sleep or drugs yelled. “Hold onto your balls, asshole!”

Jay stepped back when a mountain of a man appeared inside the screen door, scratching his crotch.

“Yeah? We don’t want any.” The huge man slammed the door closed.

Jay banged again. “I’m looking for the creep who was with Electra,” he yelled.

The door opened a crack. Someone inside yelled, “Shark, get down here. Someone wants you. Screwing jail-bait again?”

Jay hoped that was a joke, but he wiped sweaty palms on his jeans, fighting the urge to open a can of Marine whup-ass on the oaf standing in the doorway.

The door finally opened to reveal a tattooed critter. The shirtless chest looked almost concave. Pants hung on hipbones of a man who surely was a druggie.

“Looking for me?”

The man at the door was Jay’s opposite. How could Electra or any self-respecting young woman want anything to do with him?

“Yep, I saw you with Electra.” Though Jay’s hands hung at his sides, they were fisted.

“One fine piece of ass! Who wants to know?”

Jay saw red. He tore the screen door off its hinges. Anger filled him, making him swell with adrenaline. “Her father, you piece of shit!” Jay growled.

“Hey, she’s legal,” Shark sniveled.

“But you were buying her alcohol before she was legal, weren’t you? Feeding alcohol to a minor?”

“I ain’t done nothin’ she didn’t want.” The scuzzy man dug his own grave with his words.

“I can’t believe you’re stupid enough to say that to her father. Stay away from her if you want to keep your dick. I will tear it off and make you eat it!”

“I’ll call the cops.” His brave words came out in a squeak as he took stumbling steps backward.

“Good, my brother is a cop, call him.” Jay took a step forward, clenching and unclenching his hands

The jerk slammed the door.

Jay rammed his fist through the flimsy door before he realized he intended to hit it.

“Shit, man!” Shark growled from behind the door. “You crazy MF-in’ bastard!”

“Crazy Marine to you, asshole! Stay away from Electra!”

Jay strode back down the sidewalk, relieved there were no neighbors walking in sight. He had lost his cool for the first time in more than seventeen years. That time he’d heard that Margo was pregnant with a child that couldn’t be his. He sat in his car, trying to calm down before driving away.

 Are you put off by the way he handles this situation? Would you want to do what he did? 

 Comment, though EVERYONE can download this book FREE!

Up early this morning, after a late night last night. First thing was breakfast with several friends, Sandra Chastain, Anne Howard White, Doreen Graham and some new friends as well.

Then off to the first workshop to hear Nina Bruhns, aka Nikita Black, talk about her journey as a best seller in traditional, e-pub, self-pub, digital and now indie publishing. Her workshop was called "Indie is the new Black: A Digital Publishing Pioneer Shares Over a Decade of Experience." Nina did not hold back, she told it all and answered all questions to the best of her knowledge. Great information, Nina is a spectacular author and great speaker. She is also a fellow member of Kiss of Death, got to get my little plug in here for KOD.

Next I had to change gears, settle my nerves and focus for my pitch to the Kensington editor. Pitch went well, got a nibble on the WIP.

Took me a few minutes to calm down after revving up for the pitch, but once my breathing returned to normal I went into the last half of Haywood Smith's "How to Write Comedy" workshop. Haywood is a scream and her books are not to be missed. If you love great southern writing and witty humor Haywood is your girl.

Lunch again with great friends and met new ones. Even found one blogger who actually follows Scarlet on Facebook! Imagine that, we were talking over lunch and suddenly she said, hey wait, I think I follow you. Sure enough, she remember reading about the release of "5 Easy Lessons to Improve Your Child's Reading." Amazing! This wonderful new friend has a wonderful blog that you simply must check out! Ravishing Romances is the blog and Musing Sallie is the blogger. Be sure to check her out. www.RavishingRomances.com.

Junkyard Forensics was the next workshop I attended. Sheryl McCollum gave hands on demonstrations of how to take latent finger prints and use super glue to make them show up as if by magic. I am speechless this workshop was so good. Heheheh we took a field trip with a black light. Ask me where we went.

Finally, I attended Julia Quinn's Dialogue Workshop and enjoyed every minute. She does not hate all adverbs. Thank you Julia. As MM will tell you, I am quite found of my adverbs. The structure for creating all the taglines, action tags, emotion tag and how to place action tags was great information for future reference.

The cash bar and cocktail party is going now, and Scarlet absolutely must make an appearance! TTFN

I arrived early today got registered, made a run to Target for water and Colas, then hurried up to the Cocktail party. The room was almost empty when I arrived, I told you I arrived early. The room quickly filled and wonderful drinks were passed around. Mine was apple flavored and divine! I only had one, I promise.

Next I went back up to my room to look through my bag of goodies and glance through the conference booklet. M&M has some great workshops planned.

There were six or seven books in my bag. One by my favorite inspirational author, Debby Giusti caught my attention and I had to read a few pages of "The Colonel's Daughter." Now it is waiting for me beside the bed!

Sitting in the lobby surround by writer friends! How wonderful. The conversation was wonderful. MM missed a great evening.

My partner in crime isn't staying at the hotel tonight, so I have the room to myself. I intend to go up in a few minutes and get some writing done!

Ah! Fall in Georgia, you can feel the nip of crispness in the air and of course, as Hildie said, "It's Conference time."

It's that time of year, when writers travel near and far to converge with other writers and readers to learn, share, impress, gloat, brag, sell and party!

It's Conference Season!!

I am attending at two conferences and one luncheon this fall and am looking forward to leaving renewed by the energy that seems to float in the air when writers converge.  The love of literacy has a special power all its own, sprinkle romance into the mix and sparks fly!

It's not just the spirit that gets filled, but our minds as well.  Writers are some of the most generous people I've ever met.  I'm in awe of best selling authors who will teach and guide the next generation of writers.

The writer's world is changing fast.  The best place to get information is at writer's conferences with subject matter experts come to speak.

What about the readers you may ask?  Conferences are the best places for readers to not only meet their favorite authors but to gain exposure to new authors on the cusp of breaking out!

Here is a list of events that will be taking place in the next couple of months.  Maybe some of you will find one that you can still attend, not all are sold out.

Moonlight and Magnolias, Oct 4-7, Atlanta, Georgia
Put Your Heart In a Book, Oct 11-14, Eselin, New Jersey
The Character of Fiction, Oct 5-6, Park city, Utah
Fiction Writers Mardi Gras Boot Camp on the Beach, Oct 5-6, St. Augustine, FL
The Lone Star Writer's Conference, Oct 13, Houston, TX
Emerald City Writers, Oct 26-28, Bellevue, WA

Fall Into Love, Readers Luncheon, Baton Rouge, LA
Southern Magic, Romance Reader's Luncheon, Birmingham, AL

Stop by Hildie's Blog for a chance to win the cost of attending a reader's conference in February 2013!



kakigori / 123RF Stock Photo