A fantasy romance set in an alternate universe, on what we know as the coast of Oregon, we enter a world where magic is simply a part of everyday life. Our MC is Richard, heir to the family shipping business, and Master of the Fleet.
What does he do?
With his magical abilities with wind and water, along with a touch of mental telepathy, he helps keeps his ships safe out on the open seas. Also known as a weather shaper, he can correct air currents, calm stormy seas, or help change the weather when necessary.
The love of his life, or so he thinks, is Anne-Marie, a seamstress in town. Though they’ve been seeing each other for nearly two years, she has yet to accept–or refuse–his proposal.
But she never intends to marry. Men are to be taken for all you can get before moving on the next mark.
Things turn ugly when she convinces Richard to come with her to her home kingdom to celebrate the fall festival. A bit too much wine, all the excitement, and a bit of temper end with her exchanging marriage vows with Richard after being bound to him by a blood oath.
Richard is now married to a woman who says she can never love him. She’s bound to a man who has reason to despise her.
Love may have an uphill battle with these two.
Come with me and follow these two as romance works its magic, even in face of the odds.
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.
Yes, it certainly is. And I know a lot of you are out there trying to get your shopping done. And if the weather where you are is anything like the weather we’re having, you’re doing it in the rain.
Don’t forget you can shop online to save yourself part of the stress and crazy drivers.
And if you have readers on your shopping list, what better gift can you get them than a book or three for the holidays?
Or maybe you need to unwind with a good book after working and shopping all day.
If you’re looking for paranormal romance, with some fantasy and magic thrown in, go on over to Amazon and check out my author page there. I have two series to choose from. And for magic, check out my book at Sultonna Nadine. All the books on Amazon are available for Kindle or hard cover. Most are available in paperback as well.
But if you’re looking for an e-book, at a discount price, check outSmashwords. Between now and January 1, you can set your own price on any of my books! This includes both series and Master of the Fleet.
While you can choose to get them for free, I hope you’ll feel generous and throw a little something my way. I understand money is tight this time of year, which is why I’m having the sale. And please review them after you’re finished.
So, stay safe out there. Don’t let the stress of the season get you down. Practice some good stress relieving techniques daily and get plenty of rest. Less stress and enough sleep will help you out there in the craziness.
Come share the magic that is Esperance. A world full of people with unusual abilities. Everyone from the First Lord to the common man on the street may be Talented in one way or another.
My Esperance series is now a 4 book series, with the latest addition–Too Many Talents. Also available at Amazon.
Happy weekend everyone! Did you all survive Thanksgiving and Black Friday? It is certainly a crazy time of year out there. We had our daughter, one of her sons and a friend of his, plus a couple other guests to share the holiday with us.
Of course, with all that was going on, I did a bit too much too soon after my surgery, but a day or two of rest should take care to everything. I’ve been catching up on some reading while I’ve been recovering.
So, do you want to buy more books,
,,,but have to watch your budget?
Then you might be interested in my book sale over at Smashwords.
Between now and January 1, you can set your own price for any of my books there.
Just what are Talents anyway? I talk a lot about them in my Esperance books. So let’s take a peek at what I’m talking about.
Generally speaking, Talents are like psychic abilities. You may be familiar with the concept of mental telepathy or telekinesis. On Esperance, this takes a much broader stroke across the population. Healers have a gift for using energy to counter illness and work with doctors to keep the clan healthy.
Take for instance the Ferguson family. The ruling family of Clan Ferguson is known for having an affinity for the forest and wood products in general. In Clan Brannach, a family related to the ruling family owns a lumber yard. They also create works of art from wood in unusual ways, using these Talents.
When it comes to First Lords, those Talents can come in a number of ways. Most are adept at mental telepathy, telekinesis, remote viewing and the like. Some can teleport to places they’ve been to before.
What makes the difference in their strength is the amount of energy they can control to direct this Talent. No one has every found the limits of Jareth’s powers.
Then we come to Viviane, who should have lost any abilities she had during childhood. Nobody knows exactly why, but they resurfaced during the trouble her clan had with Clan Brannach, stirred up by her traitorous brother, Carl. All the Talents one would expect for an heir of the clan became hers, and were completely out of control.
This brought up another issue. Since Talent is tied to emotions in a lot of cases, whenever she became emotional at all, or began to daydream, she affected everyone within reach of her abilities. Maids would be dancing down the hallway as she visualized a dancer while playing her flute. Her anger sent people flying out of her path.
And the stronger her abilities became, the more trouble they were.
Now, picture two people who are extremely gifted when passion ignites in the bedroom…
Yeah…
Both Viviane and Jareth were tired of having to control their emotions during those intimate times, but so far the only solution was to go to the mountain cabin. While Jareth could teleport them up the mountain, it was rather a nuisance.
But Jareth has a plan and it’s almost time for Viviane’s birthday. It will certainly be one she will never forget.
Come with me to Esperance. Maybe we can wish Viviane a happy birthday in person.
And don’t forget Connell, over in Clan Belfort. We’ll talk about him next time.
The story continues for Viviane and Jareth, with more steamy nights, as well as those pesky Talents to tame.
And don’t forget Connell, Belfort’s new heir. He’s having a time getting a handle on his Talents as well. But he discovers he can communicate with his Aunt Viv, which helps a bit.
Yes, all the books in my Esperance Series on on sale this week, through October 7!
Why, you ask?
Too Many Talents has been released and I know some of you have read only one or two of the series. And if you’re like the rest of us, money is a little tight these days.
So if you’ve been on the fence, now’s the time to go ahead and take the plunge.
Go over to Smashwords, to my profile page, and use the coupon codeTN33P when you check out. Each book in the series is on sale for $1.49. Now, I ask you, what else can you get for that price these days?
Jareth, First Lord–Book 1 begins the series just before Jareth and Viviane meet. And then the fun begins as he tries to win her heart.
Viviane, First Lady–Book 2continues the story of Jareth and Viviane as she strives to gain control over Talents which have suddenly appeared, throwing the whole house into chaos.
Morgan–The Pixie and the Green Man–Book 3. This book is inset into the story to showcase Morgan, who appeared in Book 1. There was just something about her I wanted to explore, so I gave her a story of her own.
Too Many Talents–Viviane and Connell–Book 4. This picks up the story from Book 2, after Jareth and Viviane return from a visit to Clan Belfort. Still working to manage her Talents, and yet resisting them at the same time, causes a few major manifestations of Talent gone wrong.
In her home clan of Belfort, her nephew, the new heir of the clan, is struggling with his Talents, as well as wondering why they are necessary.
So come with me and join the fun on Esperance, a wonderful world full of mischief, magic, and romance.
Not familiar with Smashwords? Prefer to buy elsewhere?
You can find other links for Too Many Talents at Book Funnel.
Have a fantastic week and weekend! Enjoy the cooler autumn weather.
Mellie's Books 