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.
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.
After yesterday’s all day and all night rain, today is beautiful outside. Makes me wish I didn’t have so much to do inside, but the Lugnut and I can take a walk in a little while.
Still working away on Tiger’s Tempest in the Gambler’s Folly series. I have nearly 18,000 words down so far and, at the moment, a pretty good idea of where we’re going. Of course, with my characters, the route could change drastically. They are a headstrong bunch. But that’s what I get for writing about alpha male shifters I suppose.
If you could be a shifter, what would you be?
I always thought I would love to be a black leopard. They look so elegant, even if they do seem to have only two attitudes–calm, cool, and collected, or totally pissed off.
So far in my books, including those published and unpublished, I have leopards, panthers, wolves, bears, and now tigers.
What else would you like to see?
From Esperance, the next one in line is Ben of Blackstone’s Forge. As you might have guessed, Ben is a blacksmith. What makes him different is his family’s Talent for shaping iron.
No… That’s enough of a hint. You’ll have to read the book for the rest. But how about a tiny excerpt?
****
Excerpt:
If anyplace could be consider as hot as hell, it was a blacksmith’s forge in midsummer, Ben thought, as he strode to the well. Icy water filled his mug with a cheerful splash, after a couple quick strokes on the pump handle.
The first mugful went down in three healthy gulps. Pulling the folded kerchief from around his head, he rinsed the salt-encrusted cloth in another cold stream of water from the well.
The second mug of water brought a quick gasp as he poured it over his head, but it was refreshing after several hours of heating and hammering steel in the forge, where he worked with his father. Water flew in a circle of droplets as he shook the excess from his wavy brown hair, leaving it spiked in all directions.
Once more he filled the mug. Leaning his tall frame against the pump, he slowly sipped the cool liquid as his dreamy blue eyes scanned the street around the forge.
“Good morning, Ben,” he heard from a familiar voice.
Turning toward the voice, he raised his mug and gave a brief nod to the pretty young woman walking toward him. With her light brown, nearly blond hair, and warm brown eyes, she was a sight to give a man dreams.
“Don’t I rate more than a nod, Ben Blackstone?” she demanded. “You could at least smile.”
“Hardly seems worth the effort, Deborah, when all it will gain me is a snide remark or a new chastisement for some imagined affront.”
“You are the most irritating man I know,” she told him as he took another pull from the mug.
He had no response for her accusation and continued to enjoy the water before he had to go back into the hell known as Blackstone’s Forge. He loved the work, but summers could be downright miserable.
Deborah was still glaring at him, hands on her hips, head tipped to the side, and eyes flashing in anger.
“Did you need something, Deb, or are you just here to annoy me?”
“My name is Deborah, not Deb, and absolutely not Debbie. And yes, I do need something. I’ve got better things to do than make a special trip to annoy you.”
*****
Need something to fill the time until Ben of Blackstone’s Forge is published?
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. It is a beautiful day out here today, so I’m thinking of taking the Lugnut for a walk.
And then tonight, I’m going to find something to read. I just finished The Forgotten Witch by Jessica Dodge and loved every page of it. Elements of magic and romance, past and present lives… I would definitely recommend it if you’re a fan of the genre.
What are you reading tonight?
Can I interest you in something romantic, with a twist of the paranormal?
Mother Nature, please make up your mind. This back and forth is making me crazy.
I don’t know what the weather in your part of the world is like, but we go from temperatures in the 70’s to temperatures in the 50’s overnight. And then the lows go from the 50’s to the 20’s.
Could someone please check on Nature’s medications? I think she needs a refill…
Sorry I haven’t been here in a bit. I’ve had surgery and have been trying to catch up on everything I had to let slide. But I’m back now! Watch out world!
As for what I’m working on, my editor has a new book in the Esperance series, and one from Sultonna Nadine which should both come out this year.
Ben of Blackstone’s Forge is another paranormal romance from Esperance. And as you might guess, Ben is a blacksmith. But the love of his life turned cold when he had to leave temporarily to finish his apprenticeship. Nobody knows why, but the woman he was sure he would marry will have nothing to do with him.
Or anyone else, apparently.
And his father is determined Ben should marry soon, going so far as to set a time limit on finding someone suitable. When Ben doesn’t meet his deadline, the man arranges a marriage for him–with the girl who shuns his attentions.
And from Sultonna Nadine?
Whiskey Jug Genie!
Martin runs an apothecary in London. Taking his holiday in the American Southeast, he comes across an old whiskey jug which would be ideal as part of the decor in his shop.
How could he know it housed a genie, who had been trapped for over 200 years? And that the only way to rid himself of his new guest is to remove a curse cast by a long dead witch?
Watch for these two books this year. I’ll keep you posted on release dates.
In the meantime, why don’t you catch up on the Esperance Series?
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.
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.
Mellie's Books 