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Archive for the ‘writing’ Category

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.

And as always,,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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This has been a week. Still trying to sort out auto and home insurance. Still working on getting things arranged for my husband to retire and get ready for his surgery coming up in about a month.

So the well decided to run low on water.

Yes, we now have aerated water coming out of the tap, which is not a good thing. The question is, do we need to drill a new well or see if they can do something to fix this one?

But at least we have two new little kitties to keep us entertain. Names for now are Licorice and Spook, who are both black, as you may have guessed, and 4 months old. They moved in and took over. Miss Kitty, our long haired white kitty is annoyed. The Lugnut, our 1 year old puppy, is not sure about the whole affair. They’ve taken over his bed and the couch, so where is a dog to sleep? I’ll try to get some pictures later.

In the meantime, when I’m not stressed to the max, I’m editing on Old Flame. Yes, still. I know… I’ll cut it down as I go. And writing on Tiger’s Tempest.

And as for wizards…

Check out Master of the Fleet, by Sultonna Nadine. I could use someone around here who could control wind and water…

So what are you reading?

Drop me a line with suggestions.

Or go over to Amazon or Smashwords and check out what I have to offer!

In the meantime, have fun. Enjoy the nice weather, if you’re here in the Southeast.

And as always,

Don’t Forget

…to Share the Romance…

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Or then again, maybe not. This is Georgia we’re talking about.

Let me explain. About a week ago, I built a fire in the living room to take off the chill. A few days before that, it had been up near 80F outside, so I had no firewood in. We all thought we were finished with the heat for the year. Just in case, I brought a little more wood up.

And then it turned warm. All right, not warm. HOT!

Three days ago we had two days of 80 degree weather again. Ir had rained, so outdoors was like a sauna. I turned on the AC not so much to cool down the house as to draw the humidity out of the air. Same thing the next day.

Yesterday the high was 63 with drizzle all day. Today may reach 70. I don’t know yet. But the humidity is once again terrible.

In the meantime, I’ve been doing some writing and some reading.

If you like murder mysteries, check out the Widow’s Island novellas. (I’ve been binge reading.)

On the home front, I’ve been writing an article about Gambler’s Folly and working on Tiger’s Tempest. My editor is working on Ben of Blackstone’s Forge.

Tiger’s Tempest?

Think Tiger shifters meeting on Gambler’s Folly. She’s a forensic photographer. He is president of the security division for his families pharmaceutical corporation and working with Interpol on counterfeit drugs. They hadn’t intended to get married when he offered to play tour guide for her skiing and photography trip to Crystal Mountains. It just sort of…well, happened.

And Ben of Blackstone’s Forge?

Ben’s family has a way with iron, which makes their trade as blacksmiths considerably easier. He’d always thought he and Deborah would marry, but when he left the village to finish his apprenticeship, something happened. Now she will scarcely speak to them. Both his father and hers are rather strongly suggesting they each need to find a partner, but the only woman he wants as his wife is Deborah. And because of what happened while Ben was away, Deborah has decided she will never marry. Until their fathers get together and come up with a solution.

Wish me luck. With this crazy weather and the hectic schedule I’ve had lately, I’ll need all the help I can get.

In the meantime, catch up on the Gambler’s Folly and the Esperance series. Both are available at Amazon and Smashwords, as well as most other online retailers.

Have a great weekend!

And as always,

Don’t Forget

…to Share The Romance…

Photo by Thomas B. on Pexels.com

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All right, who else remembers the musical, Camelot? With Julie Andrews?

Every time the first of May comes around, I think of the song from Camelot–The Lusty Month of May. It is such a happy, upbeat song as we head into spring and look forward to summer.

Now if the weather will cooperate… I put tomatoes out, thinking it would certainly be warm enough at night for them. But I’m keeping an eye on the temperatures. Last night it got down to 42 out here. If it gets much lower, I’ll have to start covering them.

In the meantime, I’m still working on Tiger’s Tempest. I’m also revamping Moonlight and Shadows as a novella for Smashwords.

So stay tuned for all of those coming up. Tiger’s Tempest will be a while. It is in progress and waiting in queue behind three other Gambler’s Folly books yet to be released.

But don’t forget the rest of the Gambler’s Folly series or the Esperance books on Amazon!

Have a wonderful month of May!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance

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I just got an email telling me the cover for Too Many Talents was selected for the April Book Cover Contest over at Allreads. And I’m really excited!

For those of you who are fans of my books, could you do something for me?

Could you go over and cast your vote for Too Many Talents? It only takes a few seconds.

Anyway, this week is starting out better than last week, so here’s hoping the trend continues.

Thank you for following my blog and for reading my books!

Here’s the link!

https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/15113/

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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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…

And as always,

For all my other books, go on over to Amazon!

Mellie Miller

Sultonna Nadine

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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When I was little, my mother read to me nearly every day. And I read to my kids as they were growing up. Maybe you had the same experience growing up.

But where do you find someone to read to you now?

You’re in luck! I’ve decided to make audio versions of all my short stories and musings from Vocal.Media. And this first one is one of my favorites–Moonlight and Shadows.

A paranormal short story set in the high desert area of Wyoming, come meet Shade Shadowstalker, a rather unusual individual who works for the DEA.

Nighttime, under a full moon, your eyes can play tricks on you out there. Can you really believe that what you think you see is real? Or is it just a trick of the light.

Go on over to Anchor FM and listen to Moonlight and Shadows. And if you like what you hear, let me know!

Thanks for dropping by!

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I am often asked if I use a pen name. And the answer to that is both yes and no.

How can it be both?

When I first started writing and publishing my books, I used my actual name, mainly because it never occurred to me not to. Yeah, I’m a little slow.

But then I mentioned to a friend that my mother had another name picked out for me, but was pressured to name me after my two grandmothers. My dad was the eldest son of his family and I would be the first grandchild on my mother’s side. So she got overruled. When he asked what the name was, I told him. Sultonna Nadine. And he loved the name.

I told him he could name one of his characters Sultonna if he’d like, but he said no. The name was mine and I should use it somewhere. Maybe as a pen name. I thought it was a wonderful idea to honor my mother’s choice of names for me. And honestly, I’d always wished she’d given me the name she’d chosen. I feel more a Sultonna than a Mellie most times.

Since I already had both series started under Mellie Miller, I wasn’t sure what to do with the name, until I had the idea for Master of the Fleet. It didn’t fit in either series, but I loved the story. What if I wrote stand alone novels under a different name…

Et voila! Sultonna Nadine the author is born!

So there you have it–the story behind the author. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t like the spelling of Sultonna, so if you do a search, it will always come up with a different suggestion. But Sultonna it is.

Am I going to write more under this name?

Absolutely! I actually have two different stories ready for professional editing for Sultonna Nadine. I hope to have one of them out this winter. So keep an eye on this blog for news of a release.

Have a wonderful weekend and a splendid month of September–my birth month!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to share the Romance…

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One question I am asked often is where I get my ideas. Most people think I get all my ideas the same way, I suppose. But this isn’t the case.

Take Jareth, First Lord.

This particular story began with a dream. But the dream didn’t begin with the opening scene of the book. I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it, except it kept recurring for several nights. In order to make it go away, I wrote it down.

The next few nights, I dreamed a different scene from the story. Again, it wasn’t the beginning of the book, nor did it follow the scene I’d already written.

So, I decided to sit down and try to figure out how those involved in the story would get to the point of my dreams. And how did they connect?

Sitting down in front of my computer, I let my mind drift off into a daydream and began to write. After I had the beginnings of the story, the rest flowed pretty easily. Of course, there was a lot of editing to do, but at least I stopped dreaming it.

The original story became two books, Jareth, First Lord, and Viviane, First Lady. My editor noticed that i seemed to have one ending, took a breath, and launched back into the story. She felt it would work better if we stopped at the first break and continued in the second book.

Now the third book is Morgan–the Pixie and the Green Man.

Morgan was a character in my first book who touched my heart. I decided she needed a story of her own and spent several days wondering where I should start. And since I write romance, who would be her love interest?

Enter James Ferguson, whose family has Talents related to wood and the forest. His nickname for Morgan is Pixie, since she is much smaller than her is. Because of his abilities, she calls him her Green Man, which is how we arrived at the title.

Book 4 will be coming out soon–Too Many Talents. This one continues the story from Viviane, First Lady and brings in the story line from Clan Belfort and the new heir–her nephew, Connell.

Watch for it here!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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Yes, Too Many Talents should be out later this month. Book 4 from the Esperance Series, it continues where Viviane, First Lady left off. It picks up just after Jareth and Viviane return from her brother’s trial in Clan Belfort.

Viviane’s training has not progressed well since returning from her brother’s trial. Her instructor and husband feel it’s because she’s resisting training due to an unfortunate incident in the court. But the more she resists, the more often her Talents get out of hand, causing episodes almost every day.

What will it take for her to finally step up and be the multi-talented First Lady she was born to be?

Back in Clan Belfort, her nephew, Connell, struggles with the concept of Talents. Why should he need these weird abilities to rule the clan when the time comes? And why must he leave his old friends behind and move to his grandfather’s home to train? But when old friends, jealous of his change of status, decide to harm his little friend, Nellie, his abilities take over and save her from harm.

Maybe this is his turning point. And maybe he should talk with his Aunt Viviane.

Watch for Too Many Talents, Esperance Book 4

Now, how about an excerpt?

“Viviane, Duncan is worried about you and has me worried, too.”  

“Worried? Whatever for?” she asked.

“I know how you feel about your Talents, but hiding from them isn’t the answer. And neither is running away and pretending they don’t exist. Duncan and I feel the loss of control you are experiencing is coming from something besides the porting aspect of your Talents.”

“I don’t know what you mean, Jareth,” she answered sharply.

 “Yes, you do, Viviane. Since we’ve been home you’ve been resisting your Talents, and fighting them, especially during training. They will win in the end. In the meantime your control will get worse and worse, until it is manifesting more unpredictably, even when you’re not working with it. With the strengths you have, you will hurt someone, while trying to deny your heritage.”

“But Jareth…”

“Your Talents have to be trained,” he stated emphatically. “There is no escape from it. You have to let go of your fears and put your entire will into your training. It’s the only way to gain control before you do irreparable harm.”

“I don’t want these Talents, Jareth! I never have! Why won’t they go away and leave me alone?”

Now, from Connell in Clan Belfort.

At ten years old, he has been chosen to train as heir to the clan in Carl’s place, which requires him moving to his grandfather and first lord’s home, away from his friends, and for now, his family.

Why does he need Talents to rule the clan anyway? He doesn’t see the point in all this training and the headaches.

But when his old friends come down for the Gather, their jealousy makes them lash out in the one way they know will hurt Connell–by picking on his friend Nellie. As they restrain him and try to hurt her, his Talents come to the rescue, making him think about all those things he’d heard and now how they might apply in real life.

Here’s an excerpt from Belfort.

With a huge sigh, Connell took a deep breath, let it out, and dropped down into his mental working state. Focusing on the little box on the bench, he tried to reach out and nudge it to the end of the table. Instead of scooting to the end of the table, it rolled over twice and refused to budge another inch.

Coming back to his conscious level, he shrugged his shoulders in aggravation and looked up at Master Olivier.

“Well, at least you didn’t slam it into the wall. But why did you roll it instead of slide it?”

“I have no idea, sir.”

“Maybe we should work on something else for a while. Go get a drink of water, stretch out for a minute, and come back. We’ll work on your telepathy and see if we can narrow down your focus.”

By the end of the day’s session, Connell had a tremendous headache, and he was aggravated and frustrated with his progress. What was he missing? Master Olivier told him it would all come together soon, but what if it didn’t? His whole family and clan were counting on him, and he couldn’t even move a box from one end of the table to the other.

Watch for Too Many Talents! I’ll keep you posted!

To get the first three books in the series, go to Amazon or Smashwords!

And as always,

Don’t Forget…

…to Share the Romance…

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