Yes, here in the Southeast, Summer has rushed in with heat more reminiscent of late July or August. It’s only June, but I’m already looking forward to winter. Our little dog, Lugnut, isn’t sure about all this heat either. He went out into the yard with my husband for a few minutes and, when they came back in, he lay down on the cold tile.
On a sad note, our sweet kitty, Miss Kitty, crossed over early Sunday morning with little warning that anything was wrong. I’m still recovering from the suddenness of her passing. Rest In Peace sweet lady.
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In other news, we now have several black snakes stealing our chicken eggs. We’ve built new nest boxes, bricked up any places where they could get in, but they are still in there stealing eggs. Anyone got an ideas?
But for writing…
I’m still working on the edits for Old Flame, for the Gambler’s Folly series. Editing is so slow going at times, but it does make for a better book. And my editor is nearly finished with Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, for Esperance. One book for each series! I haven’t forgotten you. It has just been a little chaotic around here, between physical therapy, chiropractic, vet visits, and summer weather. But I’ll try to get back to a more regular schedule.
I’ve been getting the next book from Gambler’s Folly edited–hopefully for the last time–so I thought I should give you a few snippets. I also have a book coming later this year from Esperance!
So who wants an excerpt?
OLD FLAME
Gambler’s Folly Book 4
They hadn’t spoken or met since their university days 30 years ago, but here they were on their way to Houston to board the shuttle for Gambler’s Folly. What mischief does Mother Nature have up her sleeve this time?
The landing went well, but he noticed her fingers clutching at the armrest of her seat.
“All right?” he asked.
“Landing always makes me nervous. It’s too close to crashing.”
“Any landing you walk away from is a good one,” Kort said, quoting the old saying. “Let’s go eat some lunch. We can’t check in for another two hours.”
Lunch was good. Another thing he’d always liked about Liz was that she wasn’t afraid to eat. She’d managed to stay at a good weight even after all these years. She had a little extra padding, but he didn’t like stick figure women anyway. With his size, they always seemed so fragile. Liz, on the other hand, might be a lot of fun.
What was he thinking? Get your mind out of the gutter, Kort told himself. Why would she be interested in him? This was Liz, who might be intimidated by his social position, but would never let it dazzle her.
“Kort? Where have you gone?” Liz asked.
“Somewhere a long way away,” he admitted. “How is your lunch?”
“Fantastic! I’d forgotten how much I love Thai food. Thank you, Kort.”
“Well, I couldn’t let you starve, could I?” he teased.
“Are you saying I need to watch my weight?”
“Not at all. I like a woman I can get hold of and wrestle to the ground.”
Where in hell had that come from? Wrestle to the ground? Good lord, what must she think?
Liz doubled over in laughter, partially easing his embarrassment. Apparently she wasn’t offended.
Ben of Blackstone’s Forge
Esperance Book 5
Everyone had assumed that Ben and Deborah would marry once they were old enough. But when Ben went away to finish his apprenticeship, someting happened and nobody knew what. Suddenly Deborah was distant, cold, and at times, downright hostile. As the oldest daughter, tradition said her sisters couldn’t marry before she did and she wasn’t ready. Ben’s father was urging Ben to find a wife, but he couldn’t think of anyone but the Deborah he knew before his apprenticeship journey. What does the future hold for them?
“Thanks, Mr. Blackstone,” she said. “And see if you can teach Ben some manners.”
With a sway in her hips that heated Ben more than the forge, she turned and disappeared down the walk toward the town square.
“Why don’t the two of you get together?” Seth asked his son. “She’s good-looking, from a good family, and can cook with the best of them.”
“Yes, and her tongue is sharper than a carbon steel blade,” Ben added.
“All she needs is a firm hand and a good seeing to,” the elder Blackstone said with a laugh.
“It would take a brave man to bed Deborah Wills,” Ben said, picking up a pair of tongs. “A man could wake up and find himself neutered.”
“Now, Ben, she’s not as bad as all that.”
“No? I think she hates all things male,” Ben said. “She rides a mare, her dog is a bitch, and the cat has been cautioned to have only female kits in her litters.”
His father’s hearty laugh filled the forge, finally bringing a smile to Ben’s face.
“I thought you two were an item there for a while,” Seth said.
“Yeah, I thought so, too. I don’t know what happened after I left to work with Bellamy Forge. We were good when I left, but when I came back she wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“I haven’t seen her with anyone else,” Seth answered. “Why don’t you ask her out for the Gather dance?”
“She won’t come. I’ve asked her out to the last three dances and she’s refused. I’ve asked her out to dinner and been turned down. Same with coffee and sandwiches. She’s not interested.”
“Are you asking anyone to the dance? A man your age should be thinking about a wife.”
“I was going to ask Moire. She will at least speak to me.”
Watch for these two books later this year. I’ll keep you posted on progress and release dates.
I know I’ve been quiet for a while, but between my husband’s surgery, my surgery, follow up appointments and physical therapy, it has been hectic around here. But I’m back today to say Happy Sunday.
I’m still plugging away at the editing for Old Flame. I’m trying out a program called AutoCrit to see if it can help make the process easier for my editor. I figure if it can catch all those words I repeat ad nauseam at least a little of her work will be done for her.
So far, I’m liking the program. It checks for a lot of things, not just repeated words, and I’ve found quite a few areas I need to work on. All in all I feel it will help me out in this final editing phase.
Not much else happening around here at the moment. I hope to be finished with Old Flame soon and get back to writing on Tiger’s Tempest. I also have to work on the editing for Gregor and Lady Calloway…
Looking for my work?
Go over to AllAuthor. You’ll find links to all my books there and links for sample pages to preview!
Take care, enjoy the spring weather, and have a lovely evening.
Good afternoon and happy Friday to everyone out there today! I missed last week due to surgery, but seem to be recovering well enough, even if I am about to go crazy with sitting around.
I had hoped to do some editing while I recovered, but sitting up at the desk wasn’t working well, and neither was the lap top.
But I’m about to begin again on Old Flame. I figure if I can make it through a chapter a day it shouldn’t take long. Of course what it shouldn’t and what it will may be different. You know how that goes, I’m sure.
So if this isn’t too long, or I miss another week, don’t despair. I’ll be back when I’m fully functional again. In the meantime, catch up on the Gambler’s Folly series while you wait for Old Flame. This time we have bear shifters!
Everything out here is beginning to green up in preparation for springtime. The trees have new buds and a few have tiny leaves showing. I just hope they know what they’re doing. Last year we had a late freeze which killed quite a lot of the fruit around here. We had no mulberries at all due to the late freeze.
So what else is happening around here?
I’m about two-thirds of the way through the final edit of Old Flame, the next book in the Gambler’s Folly series. And my editor is nearly finished with Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, the next in line for Esperance. I’ll keep you posted on release dates!
So what are they about?
Old Flame features Kort Behrens and Elizabeth Murphy, bear shifters from the USA. Thirty years ago they were friends at university, but hadn’t met since, until are both on their way to Gambler’s Folly. Kort is now a billionaire, twice divorced, and giving up on love. With his single status and his wealth, he’s a target for women hoping to hook up with a rich playboy and is tired of the hassle. Liz is a widow who lost her husband four years ago and is content by herself with her energy healing practice. They had never really dated in their younger days, but each considered the other a good friend.
But on the way to Gambler’s Folly, a spark begins to grow and these two old friends find there is much more attraction than they had counted on.
Maybe they’ll have a a second chance at love.
Ben of Blackstone’s Forge tells the story of Ben Blackstone and Deborah Wills. They’d grown up together and each had always figured they would marry when the time came. But something happened while Ben was away on his apprenticeship which changed everything. When he returned, Deborah was cold, nearly hostile, towards him and nobody could tell him why.
On top of that, his father was insisting he find a wife. He hoped to retire in a few years and wanted to see Ben settled. Unfortunately, the only woman Ben had ever loved was Deb.
Deborah’s father was pushing her to get married as well. She had younger sisters with beaus, and tradition dictated the eldest marry first. But she couldn’t marry the only man she’d ever loved for reasons only she knew. And she would not marry anyone else.
And then their fathers get together and draw up a contract for an arranged marriage for the two of them, to take place in a month’s time.
Watch for Old Flame and Ben of Blackstone’s Forge!
You can help me out by picking your favorite cover art for Old Flame!
Yes, summer is beginning to think about winding down for the year. While the evenings have been a little cooler, the days are still hot and humid, thanks to the sporadic rain showers. Of course, the 2 1/2 inches of rain we got a couple nights ago really boosted that humidity. We’re getting ready for my husband’s shoulder surgery later this week, so we’ve had appointments with surgeons, the hospital, you name it, which is why I’ve been absent recently.
So, what have I been up to lately?
Editing. Not my most favorite thing, but it has to be done. At least if I take some time wit it, my editor won’t have a heart attack.
I’ve been through Gregor Thayne, another book from Esperance. This was the first read through and while it had some issues, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Now, I’ll ;ut it aside for a while before coming back to it. Kind of let my mind take a break.
Next up is my final edit of Lady Calloway, from Sultonna Nadine. I’m still trying to decide on the final title for the book. I’m several edits into this book, so now it’s just finding all the loose ends and spelling errors I missed the first few times. What usually happens is I rewrite something and delete the old version. But once in a while, at 2 am, I don’t get all of something deleted, which leaves it sounding rather strange.
In the meantime, Ben of Blackstone’s Forge is coming along. It will be the fifth book from Esperance, featuring the son of a blacksmith with a unique family Talent. He has iron under his control. His love life on the other hand needs some help.
Have a wonderful week. Stay cool. And pick up something to read this evening.
Monday started with an appointment with the eye doctor, which wasn’t bad, but takes at least half the day with the drive time. And since my husband had a business trip the next day, once we got home we were packing all his stuff so he could leave early the next morning. By early, I mean 4 am. Yeah, he’s one of those.
Wednesday our 12 year old kitty, Magellan crossed the rainbow bridge, so I had to deal with that, so all the stuff I was going to do was postponed until the next day.
That night, one of our other kitties, Monster, started sneezing. Afraid she might have caught what Magellan had, Thursday was a rush to the veterinary hospital to check her out. Fortunately, it seems she has seasonal allergies. And I will admit, the pollen this week has been terrible. Once again, things got pushed back to take care of the kitties.
So that brings us to Friday. I was finally able to get in and order new glasses and do some shopping. And after a couple weeks of nice cool temperatures–like in the 50’s and low 60’s F–the day turned hot. Like 85 F hot. And I’m not a fan of heat to begin with.
So my blogging has been put on hold while I dealt with life in general.
Never fear! I am writing, although I may not have done as much as planned.
Tiger’s Tempest is moving right along. I’ll keep you posted.
But in the meantime, how about a peek at Ben of Blackstone’s Forge–next in the Esperance Series?
Excerpt:
Moire had accepted his invitation to the Gather dance eagerly. After a nice dinner, she took his arm as they walked to the dance. At least she wasn’t awkward and could follow his lead. Not as well as Deborah, but well enough for the experience to be enjoyable.
After dancing for quite a while, he suggested a break for refreshments. Weaving between the tables, they carried tall glasses of lemonade to a free table and sat down to relax while they enjoyed their drinks.
He knew it couldn’t last. Something always came up when he began to enjoy himself too much.
“Ben Blackstone! What are you doing with her?”
It was Deborah, of course. She wouldn’t come out with him, but resented it when he dated anyone else.
“Drinking lemonade. Good evening, Deborah. Yes, I’m fine and enjoying my evening. Kind of you to ask.”
“Ben, I’m sorry. Do I need to leave?” Moire asked nervously.
“No. You don’t. Could you sit here and wait for me? I’ll be right back. Let me take care of this.”
Rising to his feet, he stretched to his full height and glared down at the source of his irritation.
“Shall we?” he asked, motioning her toward the open ground outside the refreshment area.
With a swish of fabric from her ankle-length skirt, Deborah turned and stormed away in front of him. Once they were away from the crowd, she whirled, hands on her hips, and fire in her eyes.
“How dare you ask Moire to the dance?” she demanded.
“Why is it any business of yours?” he demanded in turn.
“But Moire, of all the women you could have asked.”
“Look, I know you two are rivals. But since I figured you wouldn’t come out with me, I chose to ask her.”
“Why do you think I wouldn’t have come?”
“Let me see,” he stated. “It could be something to do with the fact that you’ve turned me down three dances in a row, and won’t even accept an invitation for coffee. What do you think?”
“I think… I hate you, Ben Blackstone!” she shouted.
Her wrist smacked into his palm as he prevented her from slapping him. He caught the second one, too, and smiled at her, as her eyes flashed angrily.
“Now, Deb,” he began. “You know better than to slap me.”
“Let me go, you bastard.”
“I’ll let you go when I figure you won’t try it again,” he answered.
“Fine! Can I have my hands back?”
“First, let me explain something to you,” he said softly. “I will see anyone I care to see. You do not have a say in the matter. If you won’t accept my invitations, you cannot dictate who I may ask. Are we clear on this?”
“Let me go,” she answered just as quietly, temper seething beneath the surface.
Releasing her wrists, Ben stepped back a pace.
“Good evening, Miss Wills. It was nice talking with you.”
Deborah turned, nose in the air, and strode away from him. Ben hurried back to the table he’d left and found it empty.
“Sir?” the owner of the stand said.
“Yes? What is it?”
“The young lady who was sitting here said to tell you she was sorry, she’d had a nice time, but she was leaving early. She didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”
“Damn it all to hell,” Ben growled. “Why does she always do this to me?”
“I’m sorry?” the man asked.
“Not the lady at the table. The one who came bursting in shouting accusations.”
“Oh. Yes, sir. She is a bit forceful, shall we say.”
“She’s a gold-plated bitch,” he replied, startling the man.
I know it probably seems like it takes me a long time to get a new book to you. But the writing is just the beginning. Actually, the first draft is the easiest bit. It’s what comes after that gives me a headache.
Editing.
Yep. That one word right there is the bane of my existence.
Why?
As an independent, self-published author, I can’t afford all the rounds of editing with a professional editor a lot of traditionally published authors enjoy. So after I get done with the first draft — which anyone will tell you is far from a good read– I set it aside, work on something else for a while, and let my mind change gears.
As the author of a manuscript, I am too close to the story to view it objectively, especially immediately after it’s finished. I know the back story for the characters, so I don’t catch some of the holes in the fabric of the story. I know how they got to where they are.
But you might not.
And I see what I know should be written, not necessarily what is written. So I miss little mistakes like missing words or transitions. I know they should be there, so I gloss over them.
So once I finish the manuscript, set it aside for a bit, and come back to it, I generally go over it several times.
The first time I’m checking for obvious errors, like misspelled words, missing words, strange punctuation, and any huge chunks of missing information.
Then I check for story flow in the next round.
Third, I go over everything carefully, changing the wording so I’m showing you what I want you to see, not telling you about it. I want you to walk with my character through the woods, smelling the earthy scent of the leaf mold, hearing the birds in the trees. I want you to experience it, not just hear about it.
And then I read through it again, for all of the above. I find I do better with this if I transfer it to my tablet, so I can read it as a book. Mistakes stand out begtter than they do on my desktop or my laptop.
Finally, when I’ve driven myself crazy with it, I send it to our daughter, who is my proofreader and editor. She has a good eye for detail and isn’t afraid to call me up and say, “Mom, what on earth are you talking about here? Where did you pull this information from? Uh-huh… Your backstory. You might have let us in on this a bit earlier.”
So it’s a process. It would be nice if I could write a perfect first draft, but I don’t think anyone can pull off such a magic trick.
So what is in the works?
The very next thing coming up for Mellie Miller is Ben of Blackstone’s Forge, another book from Esperance. Like Morgan, Ben is an inset into the Esperance story. While it brings information to us about what’s happening between the clans, it is mainly about the love story between Ben and Deborah.
From Gambler’s Folly, next up is Old Flame. Kort and Elizabeth went to university together, as friends, though they never dated. Now thirty years later, they meet unexpectedly on a trip to Gambler’s Folly. He is now the billionaire catch of the universe. She, a humble energy healer from a small Appalachian town. Join them for the fun and games which follow, Gambler’s Folly style.
I have one more book written in the Esperance series, not ready for the editor yet, and two others written for Gambler’s Folly–with another one in the writing process.
As for Sultonna Nadine, check out my other site for news on what my alter-ego is up to.
All right, I know there are some of you writers out there who don’t mind editing. And some who actually enjoy the process.
I am not one of those people. Hate it with a passion. I find it particularly tedious, even though I love the results once I finish with it and send it on to my editor. And I’m sure she appreciates my efforts.
I’ve heard the saying that your first draft is you telling yourself the story. The edits are you refining this story for your audience, and I suppose it’s true. I just hate the process. It gives me a headache.
I’m hoping to have Whiskey Jug Genie out later this year and I’m struggling through it. I may have to start adding a splash of whiskey to my coffee at this rate.
It’s like I can see the story unfold in my head, but capturing those thoughts on paper as I paint those pictures for others is another matter.
And it seems in each story I write, I pick one word to continually repeat–sometimes several times on one page. What is wrong with me?
At any rate, this is only an update on my trials and tribulations. Wish me luck as I fight my way through.
Writers, drop me a comment and tell me about your woes as a writer.
And tell me which version of the cover you like best. It is still a work in progress. Remember, this is a redneck genie…
Yeah, me and my knee are still on the outs, which is a shame. It is a beautiful sunny day outside, perfect for a walk, but the knee says no.
Oh well. That’s the way it goes sometimes. Right?
In the meantime, I’ve been spending more time on the couch, laden down with cats, while reading through Old Flame and making editing notes. The next book in the Gambler’s Folly series, I love this couple.
Older than the other characters I’ve written, these two met years ago in college and haven’t seen each other since they graduated. Both on a trip to Gambler’s Folly, they meet again for the first time at the hotel before their flight, and flames which had never kindled before burst into flames once they arrive at their destination.
Even thought Kari, Dam, and the rest of the crew in Speranza are quite certain these two are made for each other, they continue to deny anything beyond friendship until their shifter sides take over. And there is no denying Mother Nature when she puts her mind to something.
Wish me luck as I continue my edits on this story. And on the first draft of Unwilling Soulmates, those crazy kids who think they hate each other.
Happy National Author’s Day and welcome to November.
