With four stories to choose from, you tell me what you think.
First up is Gambler’s Folly. First book in the series, it introduces you to this fantasy world with Damiano and Karianna. Leopard shifters who are soul mates.
Next we have Dante’s Angel. Dante has never been off Gambler’s Folly, but is going to Earth with Dam and Kari for their wedding. Who could have predicted he’d find his fated mate there?
And The Russian. Dmitri was over 500 years old. He didn’t want another relationship, let alone a mate. Danni, at 23, had no time for romance between work and taking care of her mother. But when nature calls…
And finally–for now–Old Flame. Billionaire and bear shifter Kort Behrens had no luck with love. Elizabeth had been a widow for four years and saw no reason to seek a relationship. But they’re going to Gambler’s Folly…
Gambler’s Folly, where every love story is a gamble, and Fate always deals the final hand. She’s shuffling the cards as we speak. Who’s next on her list?
So, is it paranormal romance? Paranormal fantasy? Soap opera?
Every summer and winter, Smashwords gives authors a chance to join the site-wide book sale! Thousands of books will be included, along with all of mine!
So if you’re in the mood for something fanciful, or something with shifters, or magic go over and check out the links for my books.
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.
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.
Not sure what’s been up with this week, but I’m frazzled.
Maybe it’s the weather. The weather has been strange for the past little while. First it’s chilly, then warm. And then it turns cold, with evenings down in the 20’s F.
But then today, it was up to 80!
No wonder people were acting strangely in town today.
Seems like a good evening to sit and read. Or maybe sit and write. I have some work to do on Tiger’s Tempest. It’s a new book in theGambler’s Folly seriesand I’m about 26,000 words into it. So there’s a ways to go yet.
In the meantime, you could check out the other books in the series–Gambler’s Folly, Dante’s Angel, and The Russian.
Go over the SulltonnaNadine.com for Master of the Fleet. And watch for Whiskey Jug Genie later this year!
In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are. If you happen to talk to Mother Nature, remind her to get her prescription refilled. I think she’s off her meds…
