Friday, June 21, 2013

A Few Lines From. . . Sheila Claydon

Kissing Maggie Silver by Sheila Claydon

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean that to happen.”

Her face was flushed, her lips still slightly parted as she looked up at him. “I know you didn’t,” she said, her voice and her gaze steady. “I know you are going away again Ruairi, and I know there won’t be a place for me in your life when you do but…but can’t we pretend it’s not like that, just for today.”

At a complete loss for words, he stared down at her. She was keeping whatever was going on inside her head to herself. All he could see reflected in her wide grey eyes were his own feelings of desire and frustration. It brought him to his senses and, his heart heavy, he shook his head.

“You know it doesn’t work like that Maggie. If we take today, then we’ll want tomorrow too, and the day after that.”

“And would that really be so terrible,” she whispered, her face pale now, her body rigid in the circle of his arms.

"Yes, because then I'd break your heart."

The buying link is: http://amzn.to/10hfmBq

Next week it's a few lines from…Pat Dale
 
 
 

Friday, June 14, 2013

A Few Lines From. . . A.M. Westerling

A Few Lines From "A Knight For Love" by A.M.Westerling


“I am Warin de Taillur,” he said simply. He gestured with his chin to the fresh mound and crudely fashioned cross. “Your traveling companion is now in a better place.” 

Alyna nodded, mute in her misery, the words slowly penetrating her mind. Traveling companion. David. She blinked hard, once, twice, against the tears, forcing them back. She had no time to cry anymore.

She sucked in a huge, ragged breath. How rude the man must find her. 

First she had hailed him, now sorrow over David’s death held her tongue. In truth, she hadn’t expected the knight to stop but he had. She opened her mouth to thank him and lifted her gaze enough to finally look him full in the face. 

And froze, mouth yet gaping. 

He radiated power. It emanated from his every pore, permeating the area around him with a tangible force she could almost reach out and touch. 

http://www.amazon.com/A-Knight-for-Love-ebook/dp/B00C8HC146/

Do stop by on June 21 for A Few Lines from Sheila Claydon! :)

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Author Resources

By Michelle Lee
BWL Art Director

Came across a couple of good posts (in my opinion anyways) that might be helpful for authors out there.

I have already shared these with the BWL authors, but I wanted to make sure BWL readers (who are also authors) get the info too.

First up are two about the dreaded book description. : )

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2010/11/16/how-to-write-back-blurb-for-your-book/

http://catherineryanhoward.com/2012/10/05/the-11-ingredients-of-a-sizzling-book-\description/

If you are looking to do a print run of your elf-published releases, or of a release with a strictly electronic publisher, then this post about CreateSpace might be helpful to you.

Or not ... ; )

Mileage can and does vary. LOL

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/03/12/tips-self-publishing-createspace/

A while back, I posted on the Inside Books We Love blog my Top 5 website suggestions.  If you haven’t read it, you can check it out here:  http://bwlauthors.blogspot.com/2012/03/website-suggestion-top-5.html

One of the posts I found is a really good bit of information about Author Websites, and whether an author's website is hurting their sales.

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/01/06/is-your-website-hurting-your-writing/

Might be interesting reading. And for those of you who are reading it and
thinking, I can't do anything fancy, it isn't saying that. Just that it fits
your writings, and that it is, well, professional looking.

For example, Jamie Hill has a simple website (http://www.jamiehill.biz/) but it FITS her writings.

Victoria Chatham is another BWL author who has a simple, yet elegant website.   http://victoriachathamauthor.com/

So it isn't anything that requires a lot of money and time.

BWL author Janet Lane Walters shared this link on her blog, and I thought some others might also find it interesting. I know I did.

Evidently there is something called a LOGLINE that we should also have for books. I've only ever been using a TAGLINE.

http://rwasd.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/loglines-and-taglines-are-different-and-yo\u-need-both-for-your-novel-by-r-ann-siracusa/

Hope you find it informative.

Another post I did was on some Bio suggestions.  I hope I have provided some tricks and tips that you will find useful.

http://bwlauthors.blogspot.com/2013/05/whats-in-biography.html

Friday, June 7, 2013

A Few Lines From. . . Jamie Hill


This week enjoy a few lines from Books We Love author Jamie Hill’s novel, Family Honor. 

 
He pulled a bigger knife from his pocket. “I know you’re gonna be whoever I want you to be. I’m gonna call you ‘Mama’, and you’ll call me ‘Dickie’. If you don’t like it, our little game will end a lot sooner. It’ll be disappointing for me, but I can live with it.” He smiled. “Not sure you can.”


Family Honor by Jamie Hill
Available here:
 
Find Jamie’s other titles here:
 
Come back next week for A Few Lines from BWL author A.M. Westerling.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Rita Karnopp delivers with her Tango of Death Series

I'm not just an author, I'm an avid reader, and although issues with my vision have slowed me down in both departments, when I find an author I love and discover that reading that person's work helps me to enhance my own novels, I can't pass up that opportunity.  Besides, I love to be entertained and this particular author has never disappointed me..

Don't be surprised that Rita Karnopp is that person, and one of the main reasons I asked her to join me on my blog (Dishin' it Out).  She knows the importance of historical research, and even though we are fictional authors, one thing we both know is that facts pertinent to the era and people about which we write is vastly important and frequently scrutinized by historical buffs.  Besides, Rita is filled with wonderful ideas both for her novels and her blogs.  If I wasn't already a senior citizen, I'd want to be her when I grow up, but that doesn't mean I can't still admire her talent and aspire to reach the heights I feel she has.





I hated the realism shown through the persecution of a young Gypsy girl and her family, learning through a well-researched novel, that the Jewish people were far from the only ones who suffered at the hands of Hitler.  What I abhor the most is we still have these types of  people, but we call them bullies, politicians or terrorists.  Will history repeat itself?  I certainly hope not, but it's true there are those out there who hate us for our differences. This book is an eye-opener.





While I hated the subject matter of Gypsy Spirit, I have to salute my favorite author for taking on such a difficult topic and putting history into perspective through her story, research, and ability to create characters who grab your heart and work their way into your soul.  Kudos again to Rita Karnopp for delivering another winner.

After Gypsy Spirit, be sure to read Book #2, Partisan Heart, and then Book #3, Jewish Soul, of the Tango of Death Series . . . you won't be disappointed you did.  Ginger Simpson



Friday, May 31, 2013

A Few Lines From. . . Jude Pittman

A Few Lines From Deadly Consequences by Jude Pittman:

A shot rang out from the direction of the stables. Kelly leapt out of his chair, grabbed the gun out of his jacket pocket and slapped the screen door open.

“What the damn hell?” He yelled as he raced towards the brood barn, where Jake, alerted by the gunshot, stood in front of the closed doors barking like a beast gone rabid.

“Easy boy,” Kelly said, approaching the door with his weapon drawn. “Gilly, you okay in there?” Kelly reached the door and pulled the handle. It held fast. Someone had apparently locked it from inside.

“Gillian?” Kelly called in a voice laced with fear and Jake once again started his frantic barking.

“Okay. Stand down.” Kelly spoke to the dog, then placed his ear against the door and listened.

From inside came the sounds of sobbing.

“Gillian.” Kelly yelled again. “For God’s sake, open the door.”


Stop back next week for a few lines from Jamie Hill.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

On the Casting Couch with Maggie Silver



I'm sitting on the Casting Couch myself this week to talk about my latest book, Kissing Maggie Silver and what prompted me to write it.

What prompts any writer? It can be a photo, an overheard conversation, a personal experience, a snippet of news, a throwaway remark by a friend...the list is endless.  In the case of Maggie Silver it was two things.  The first was a visit to a nature reserve in New Zealand, a place where seals, penguins and sea birds are allowed to breed and feed naturally without any interference from the rangers who protect them. The peace and the wild  beauty of the place is magical and especially memorable is a spectacular beach of pale sand that belongs to the tiny blue penguins that live there. No human had walked on it for many years. Instead the penguins and visiting seals  are viewed from camouflaged hides that are built into the surrounding cliffs.

The second inspiration was a photograph of a lovely red-haired model whose clear gray eyes seemed to be full of wistful  longing. I couldn't get her face out of my head and thus, Maggie Silver was born.

Once I'd found Maggie Silver I knew she would visit that beautiful beach in New Zealand one day; the problem  was how to get her there. I knew it was so far from her own life experience that she had a long way to go...much further than the geographical distance she would have to travel...to reach it. As soon as I understood that, then her whole personality clicked into place.She was the youngest of a large family, the only girl, used to being teased and treated as little more than a child. She was also kind, helpful, sparky and full of life. Deep down, however, she was still immature and lacking in confidence. I also knew she was someone who was actually more comfortable with her own company than she realised.

Ruairi was far more difficult.  I knew he was the person who would open up the world for her, but how? His face came to me long before I knew he was a wildlife photographer and there were no prompts. He just appeared, fully formed, in my imagination, the absolute counterweight to Maggie. After that it was only a matter of time before his tan skin, his size and strength and his casual confidence turned him into a world traveller, someone who could quickly be at home wherever he was.

After that it was easy because I already knew that Maggie had fallen in love with him when she was far too young to know what her feelings meant. I knew, too, that she had always had a special place in Ruairi's heart, so all I needed to do was to find a way for them to meet up again, and with Maggie's large and ever present family ruling her life, it wasn't difficult. What was difficult was finding a way for them to be alone.

Then there were the small glitches in their personalities that I had to overcome; Maggie's temper and her tendency to feel sorry for herself, and Ruairi's obstinacy. Maggie had to grow up and Ruairi had to learn that sometimes he was wrong. Fortunately they had good people on their side, people who wanted the best for them because they loved them, and because they knew, even if Ruairi and Maggie didn't, that they were absolutely right for one another.

To find out what happened and how they  got there go to http://amzn.to/10hfmBq or http://bookswelove.net/claydon.php. When you do you will understand how much I enjoyed writing about them.

And finally, who would I most like to meet? It's the question I ask all the authors who sit on the Casting Couch so I can't avoid it myself. In this instance it would be Ruairi. Maggie I already know intimately because I lived with her through every emotion and I suffered her frustration with Ruairi when he walked away. Ruairi is another matter entirely.  He has been to so many places in the world and seen so many things that he would be the ideal dinner companion, and the fact that he is easy on the eye would just be another bonus.

Friday, May 24, 2013

A Few Lines From. . . Rita Karnopp


A few lines from JEWISH SOUL – Book #3 of the Tango of Death Series

By Rita Karnopp

     Mayla watched the girls head for the bushes.  She turned toward the men.  “If nothing else, everything will be worth it if we manage to save their lives.  If any of us is captured, we must die before breathing a word about the twins.”
     She stretched out her hand and Chester placed his on top and Stane placed his below.  “In the midst of all this evil . . . this is our one good.”  Mayla smiled as they nodded in agreement.





Find out more about Rita Karnopp’s books at: www.ritakarnopp.com

Make sure to visit next week for a few lines from Jude Pittman

Friday, May 17, 2013

A Few Lines from ... Lisabet Sarai

A few lines from Exposure, by Lisabet Sarai....

The back door, I discover, is unlocked. I’m one hundred percent certain I didn’t leave it that way. Carefully, keeping my body behind the door, I scan the yard. The light filtering from the kitchen windows is bright enough for me to see that there is no one in my little square of turf. It also shows me crushed tomato plants and bean vines torn from their trellises, clearly marking the intruder’s escape route.

At that point, my rage finally overwhelms my fear. I pour myself a finger of scotch and sit at the kitchen table, simmering in helpless anger and vowing some kind of revenge.

Then a horrible thought crosses my mind. Jimmy knew I would be out tonight. He was the only one who knew. Was it possible that he was involved in all this, somehow? Is it possible that smiling Jimmy might have betrayed me?

The balance shifts again. Shudders shake my body. Sitting alone under the fluorescent lights, gripping my drink, I am paralyzed by the realization that I don’t know who I can trust. If anyone.

Exposure - An erotic thriller by Lisabet Sarai

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGTQS14


Visit Lisabet's Fantasy Factory: http://www.lisabetsarai.com
Venture Beyond Romance: http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com

Please come back next week for A Few Lines From. . . Rita Karnopp.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Behind the Cover Artist's Curtain: The X Factor

By Michelle Lee
BWL Art Director

Welcome to another exciting edition of Behind the Cover with your host – Michelle Lee.

*cue applause*

This time the topic is what I like to call the X-Factor in covers.  You know what I mean, that little bit of extra something that isn't easy to define, since it varies from cover to cover – but it is there. 

If you missed past episodes of Behind The Cover Artist's Curtain, you can check them out online.

For my first example of the X-Factor, I want to look at series books, since it is easiest to pin-point that little bit of something extra when comparing books that belong together.

So let’s look at Gail Roughton’s War-N-Wit, Inc. series …



Now looking at the cover, you see similar elements.  The witch diver bar.  The guy is on top and the woman on the bottom.  The fonts (placement, color and style) are all the same.  Now you would expect to see something similar with series books – at least those covers I do for series books.  (Check out my last post if you don’t know why – just scroll down to the end).

So what’s different, besides the actual images themselves?

To start, let’s a close look at the divider.  Notice the stars?  See how they change from cover to cover?  Instead of keeping it stationary and in place, I have it shifting slightly with each cover.  That’s the X-Factor.



Also, see the cat in the first cover?  Here’s a hint – it is on top of the author’s last name.

Now look at the second cover.  Is the cat in the same spot?  Nope – in fact, when you do find it, you will see that it isn't even the same cat silhouette. 

Find it yet?

Now … let’s look for it in the third cover - again, different spot and different silhouette.  

Again, this is the X-Factor.  Just a little fun I had while putting the covers together. It also allows the author to have fun now with promotions … maybe even inviting readers to find the cat in the cover.   In this particular case, the author enjoyed the play on the witch’s cat so much she added one into the story.

(you can check out the details on Gail's blog - just continue on down to the comments)

I already mentioned in the series post about Jamieson Wolf’s Hope Falls series, how the background shifted with each book.

 

But what about covers that aren't for books in a series?  Do they still have X-Factor potential?

Well audience, let’s look at another set of covers - this time for Erin Quinn.

  

The X-Factor in these covers is a little more subtle … but if you look, it is there.  Starting with Kissing Kris Kringle … notice the I’s in the title … see the snowflake that dots it?  Also, the I in Erin’s name is the same way.

Now look at the I in Erin’s name in the cover Shaking It Up.  See the heart?  That’s a little X-Factor.

Now let’s look at a couple more covers.  



Jenna Byrnes’ Heads or Tails involves, well, a quarter coin toss. : )  So, if you notice, behind the word TAILS the headlight, it has a quarter.  Just kind of hidden there; a little bit of whimsy.

Oddly enough, another coin is found in Ann Cory’s Penny Serenade.  Pennies obviously play a key component in the story … so within the moon, which is also something that is important in the story, is the silhouette of Abe Lincoln from a penny.

Another good example is the cover for Jamie Hill’s Impulsive.  Since there are four stories in this collection, I wanted to try and get a little something from each of them worked into the cover.  There’s the bottle, for the genie story.  A trumpet for a jazz based tale.  Snowflakes and a mystical mist, for the other two stories – one of which involves a ski vacation and the other – you guessed it – magic.


 Basically, what the X-Factor boils down to is the stuff that I have fun adding in.  Something that maybe the author didn’t necessarily call for in their cover art form, as in the case of Micah the cat for Gail’s covers, or if they did, there wasn’t a real way to work it in except by doing something subtle, like with Ann Cory’s Penny.

Either way, planned by the author or not, these little things make their covers stand out just a little bit more.  It also helps to prove a basis for a “can you spot the ______ ” kind of question for contests.

And that concludes this edition of Behind the Cover.

I really do hope that you have enjoyed this brief glimpse into what goes on in creating a cover – or at least covers I create.

Next up is author branding.  

After that, I don’t have any ideas right off of what I will talk about, so if there is something you would like to see that I haven’t covered yet – leave that info in a comment.

Until next time!





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