PAY IT FORWARD, PAY IT BACK - FOR SIA

Hey, Kat Sheridan here, stealing Sia’s blog for the day. Well, not really “stealing”. It’s for a good

cause.

Regular readers of Over Coffee know the reason the blog is a bit dusty and cob-webby right now is because Sia McKye is dealing with breast cancer and the kill-you-to-cure-you nastiness of chemotherapy. That stuff will knock the pins out from under even the strongest person (and Sia is one of the strongest, most unrelentingly optimistic people I know!)

Cancer treatments have a lot of nasty side effects. And one of the nastiest is the over-the-moon high costs of treatment. Sia has shared some numbers with me, and I’m pretty sure we could get a beach house on Waikiki and a couple of zippy convertibles for what this costs. Sia has great insurance, but it doesn’t pay for everything. She has one more chemo treatment to go. A month of radiation (one a day, 5 days a week, for a month). A year of Herceptin (every three weeks until November). Here’s what she told me about her share so far: “I could build a finished (electricity & insulated) attached two bay garage and a new barn with my share.”

In spite of all this, Sia continues to read and post reviews on Facebook when she’s feeling well enough (and sometimes when she’s not). Sia has been a good friend to authors and bloggers from the very beginning, generous with reviews and space here on her blog. She’s paid it forward.

Now it’s time for us to pay it back.

Mutual good friend and angel-in-disguise Wendy Christy started a GoFundMe account for Sia. Yes, I’m hitting you up for something, but not necessarily money (although money would be AWESOME!) Here’s the link to Sia’s account: https://www.gofundme.com/ddnxhu8k . As you can see, she has a long way to go to make the goal.

We ALL want Sia well and back to her sassy self, right here on this blog. Here are some ways you can help (and most of them are free!)

• Donate to her GoFundMe account. It doesn’t have to be a lot. The price of a cup of coffee. Maybe a day or a week’s profit from a book Sia featured on her blog for you. Don’t let the bigger donations already there intimidate you. $5 counts as much as $500.

• I know many of you are bloggers with popular blogs. If you have the time, space, or inclination, please mention this GoFundMe on your own blogs. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, wherever you hang out in the cyberworld.

• This one is the most important: In the comments below, offer an encouraging word to Sia. Tell her how she made a difference to you. She’s having a super rough time right now. And while you’re at it, offer a kind word to her husband, Dan, and her son, Jake, who have been awesome, amazing caretakers. I think the most comments she’s had on a blog post is around 70. Can we top that?

And the link once more for our sassy Sia: https://www.gofundme.com/ddnxhu8k

BONUS BONUS BONUS 

Some of you know I write back cover copy/product descriptions for authors at my web site, BlurbCopy (http://blurbcopy.com/) From now until April 30th, 2016, if you sign up for a blurb and mention Sia in the Additional Info section of the work order, I'll give you a $5 discount (normally $35, so it will only be $30) AND I'll make a $5 donation to the GoFundMe account. Work orders must be submitted by no later than April 30th.

INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN MALLERY

My guest is New York Times Best selling author, Susan Mallery. She's written over a 100 books and each is sexy, full of fun, humor, unforgettable characters and a great story. Susan is preparing to go to Romance Times Booklovers Convention in New Orleans (if you go be sure to stop and say hi), but she took the time to answer some questions about writing as well as the latest in her series, Fools Gold. 

Susan, how did you get started writing romance novels?

From the time I was about thirteen, I loved reading romance novels.

I had never thought about actually becoming a romance writer because I thought writers were exotic people who lived in France, wore black all the time and talked about things like dead philosophers. While I was in college, I saw that a local adult education center was offering a class on How to Write a Romance Novel. I signed up for that class, the very same day, began writing my first romance novel.

The book was awful, but the class changed my life. It was 8 weeks long and I knew by week 6 that I wanted to make a career as a romance author. I stayed in school to complete my degree (in accounting of all things) then walked away from a job offer to try my hand at romance writing. My first romance novel sold in August 1990 and was published in January 1992. From that point on, I have been a romance author, and I've never wanted to be anything else.

What’s the hardest thing you've had to face or as a writer? How did you overcome it?

The hardest part of what I do is making sure each book is better than the one before. In the beginning, when I was still learning, it was pretty easy to improve. But now, after over 100 books, it's challenging. But that's always the goal. There's not a single day that I sit down to write without thinking about how to do it better than I did yesterday.

You wrote in a recent Facebook post that you started writing a new Fool’s Gold book for 2015 and rewrote the beginning a few times because you didn't know the heroine well enough yet?

When I’m ready to really get started, I write until the characters click for me, usually about a chapter. I have to know who they are so that I can know how they will react to whatever might happen in the book. Once I know them, I stop writing and thoroughly plot the story.

Because of all the prep work, once I get to the actual writing of the book, I can write pretty fast.

WHEN WE MET’s hero, Angel Whittaker, appeared in your 2005 book Living on the Edge. What made you decide to bring him back?

I never forgot about Angel, and I always knew I’d write a book for him when I found the perfect woman for him. When I started brainstorming this year’s Fool’s Gold romances, Taryn Crawford came to me. She’s a very powerful, confident, self-made woman. She needed a man who was equally strong, someone who would stand up to her when need be, and someone who would cherish and protect her when she wasn't feeling all that strong. Angel, who’d been hovering in my subconscious for years, stepped forward and claimed her.

Angel, this very serious, hard-core sniper type was going to have to move to a quirky small town in California. I paired him up with buddies from the military who opened a bodyguard academy in Fool’s Gold last year.

What makes Taryn stand out from the other heroines you’ve written?

Contradiction is what makes any character come alive, and Taryn is full of them. On the surface, she has it all together. She runs a very successful PR firm. She has a wardrobe that couture fashion models would envy. Your first impression of Taryn is that she wants for nothing… but she went through a lot of pain to get where she is today. She’s a survivor. She has pulled herself up from very tough circumstances, and to do that, she has had to guard her heart. But there’s a softness, a vulnerability inside her that no one but Angel can see. He will treasure her forever.

What was the biggest surprise that occurred while you were writing their story?

I was a little surprised by how hot things got between Angel and Taryn. I tend to write sexy, but Angel and Taryn are a little older than my typical hero and heroine—40 and 34, respectively—and significantly more experienced. They know what they want, and they’re not afraid to ask for it. There were times when these two were so in-your-face with their sexy repartee that I was sort of gasping and laughing as I wrote.

Oh, I can’t wait to read this one! 

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, B-A-M

Angel Whittaker earned his scars the hard way, but the scars that can't be seen are the ones that haunt him the most. Since he moved to Fool's Gold, California, he's cobbled together a life for himself as a bodyguard trainer. If he's not exactly happy, at least his heart is safe.

Working with pro-football superstars taught tough-talking PR woman Taryn Crawford one thing—she can go toe-to-toe with any man. But then dark, dangerous former Special Ops Angel targets her for seduction…and challenges her to resist his tempting kisses.

Even in four-inch heels, Taryn never backs down. Unless, somehow, Angel can convince her that surrender might feel even better than victory. Excerpt

What’s next for the town of Fools Gold?

Up next are BEFORE WE KISS and UNTIL WE TOUCH, featuring two of Taryn’s partners at Score PR. Sam Ridge, a former NFL kicker, has to hire Dellina to help him plan a major company bash. He’s very reluctant to work with her because a few months ago, they had a little fling that went terribly (and comically) wrong. Dellina’s going to make him pay a little bit before she forgives him. So much fun to watch a strong man grovel!

At the start of UNTIL WE TOUCH, former quarterback Jack McGarry is shocked when the mother of his personal assistant and best friend Larissa Owens tells him to fire Larissa because the big-hearted beauty is in love with him. That’s news to Jack… and when he tells Larissa what her mom said, it’s news to Larissa, too! She’s not in love with Jack. Except, just by saying the words, her mom has opened both their eyes, and things between them suddenly get very hot.

Susan, thank you for taking time out of  your busy schedule to answer some questions and visit with us today! 

Monday Musings - The Accidental Blogger

Hi, Kat Sheridan here. First up, an update on Sia. For those who don’t know, Sia has been having a tough time lately, as she explains here.
 
I’ve heard briefly from Sia and her hubs. Surgery day last Thursday was long, but Sia is at home now, floating on a sea of painkillers, and typing one-handed, but she’s recovering! YAY! She dictated a comment for her hubs to type for her on last Monday's blog that reads:

surgery went well but a lot more damage than we first thought. Serious recuperation time and still a lot of pain--thank God for pain meds. But seeing all these comments made the pain in the heart the heart, much better.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

~Dan taking dictation from Sia~

I’ll be keeping the lights on and the coffee hot here at Over Coffee for the month of April until Sia is back with two good arms! Sia wanted to participate in the annual A-Z blog challenge. I’ll be keeping that commitment on her behalf. Because the blog only appears three times a week, we won’t hit all the letters, but I’ll do my best to bring you content I hope you’ll enjoy, by the alphabet. Our theme is “Favorite Books and Authors.” I’ll have friends stopping by on occasion throughout April, talking about everything from Dwarves to Zombies, and I’ll be filling in with articles that reflect my weird, eclectic taste in books.

 

 

And of course, I'll be counting on all of you to help me keep the conversation going!

 

Here's a secret: I never meant to be a blogger. I admire folks like Sia, and many of the commenters here, who blog regularly. It’s a huge commitment to keep coming up with fresh ideas and to have the patience and skill to produce enticing content day after day and to build an audience.

When I first started my own website, I had to decide if it would be a fairly static site that would include only news of my books, or if I would join the legions of bloggers on the interwebs. At the time I was working 60-80 hour weeks, learning my craft, and trying to fit in work on my fiction in the odd leftover moments. I chose not to add blogging to that list. I’m grateful to Sia, however, for inviting me to join her here as the occasional co-host and accidental blogger! And of course, I love being able to "lend a hand" (LOL!) to a friend like Sia!

 

Though it may look or sound a little different in April, you can always count on this here at Over Coffee: we'll be talking about books and writing, there will alway be a pot of fresh coffee on the counter, and something good to eat! So grab a muffin and kick back!

Let’s talk:  What makes a blog appealing to you? How did you find, and start following the blogs you follow? And if you're a blogger yourself, what made you start it and what keeps you going?

 

 

MY LIFELONG ROMANCE WITH WRITING

My guest is historical and romance author, Christy English. She's been in love with writing stories since the tender age of 8 when she concluded that writing was a whole lot harder than she first thought. Still, her love affair with words kept her at it until she finally got it right--years later. I, for one, am glad she persevered! 

When I was four years old, I asked for a typewriter for my birthday. And due to the love and devotion of my parents, I got one: a bright, shiny yellow one.

At this point in my life, I knew the alphabet and had begun to learn to read, but writing was a far distant goal...something that at that point had never consciously occurred to me. I did think it odd that the letters were all out of order on the key board. To be honest, I still don't know why the keyboard is like that. I am not even sure why i wanted that typewriter. I just knew that I did.

When I was 8 years old, I finished reading one of my library books and for the first time in my life, I thought: "I can do that." I got about five chapters into my novel, handwritten in poor, painstaking script, one page per "chapter", and then I gave up. It seemed that writing was much harder than it looked.

From the time I was 12, I began to have characters show up with stories to tell, dancing in my head. I know that sounds a little nuts, probably because it is, but those of you who are writers will know what I mean. And when these characters showed up, I started writing their stories down. I never foisted these hideous works of "art" off on other people, except for a couple of devoted friends (LaDonna and Laura, you know who you are.) Those two patiently read and praised stories that were so bad, they would peel paint of the walls. Trust me when I say that telling a good story is a  skill that takes YEARS to learn. Or at least, it took me years to learn how to do it.

So now, when I look at MUCH ADO ABOUT JACK, my fifth novel, and my third romance, I think of all the truly terrible writing I used to do, and I am amazed that I finally got better. Amazed and grateful.

If we focus and work hard, we can produce good writing. Storytelling is a joy, for the teller and, hopefully, for the reader. 

Good luck and many blessings on all of you who are writers, too, published and yet-to-be-published. Hang in there. If I can do it, so can you.

                                                                                                                                                    

BUY: Amazon, B&N, B-a-M,ChpIndigo, IndieBound

MUCH ADO ABOUT JACK 

How to Become London's Most Notorious Widow:

1. Vow to NEVER remarry

2. Own a ship and become fabulously wealthy

3. Wear the latest risqué fashions in your signature color

4. Do NOT have a liaison at the Prince Regent's palace with a naval captain whose broad shoulders and green eyes make you forget Rule #1

Angelique Beauchamp, the widowed Countess of Devonshire, has been twice burned by love, and she is certain that no man will ever touch her heart again. But that doesn't mean she can't indulge a little—and it would be hard to find a more perfect dalliance than one with the dashing Captain James Montgomery.

After a brief torrid affair, James tries to forget Angelique and his undeniable thirst for more. The luscious lady was quite clear that their liaison was temporary. But for the first time, the lure of the sea isn't powerful enough to keep him away...

                                                                                                                         

Christy English is happiest when she is dreaming. Her dreams have taken her to the royal court of Henry II in THE QUEEN’S PAWN, to medieval Paris in TO BE QUEEN, and now to Regency England in MUCH ADO ABOUT JACK, LOVE ON A MIDSUMMER NIGHT, and HOW TO TAME A WILFULL WIFE, where she loves to watch her characters find true love, often in spite of themselves. 

Please visit her on her blog, Facebook, or  Twitter 

MONDAY MUSINGS—STORIES THAT DRAW ME

I read more than one genre. I lean toward a good story with an element of romance. I do enjoy various sub-genres of romance. I like sci-fi and thrillers. Danger and adventure is great escape. I love stories where good wins over evil and the hero gets the girl, or vice versa.  I read for entertainment. I want something that gives me a break from day to day cares and concerns and makes me feel good.

I got to thinking about some books I read recently and what is was that drew me to them. It wasn't a new concept. I've been reading paranormal for sometime and trust me there is no ‘new’ idea out there, just a fresh way of presenting those ideas. And all three of these authors did that. Still, that wasn't it. What was it about these stories that drew me and even made me want to visit their worlds again (I've now reread two entire series and part of the third)?

What made these different? Upon reflection, there were several things made the series special.

One of the biggest draws for me was a sense of community and a well-developed world. That’s a big one for me. I want the world to feel real enough that if I could arrange a trip I would recognize it. Real enough that I would want to visit if I could. That doesn't require ad nausem pages of description but it does take some well place phrases to give me a sense of place. Carolyn Brown nails that sense of place and community very well. Anne McCaffrey does as well. Her Pern series is excellent because of it. Another is Alex Cavanaugh with his world, community, and friendships. Jennifer Ashley with her Shifters series is also outstanding in realistic world building. It gives a feeling of a mini vacation when I read the worlds these authors create. And, I can reread them more than once (and have) with the same sense of wonder and enjoyment as I did the first time.

Another is the characters themselves. I don’t need comedy skits but I do like humor and sass. Good repertoire between characters (Thea Harrison does a great job with banter and adding fun zingers between friends and family—love her Elder Races series). I like seeing and feeling the friendship and if there is feeling of distrust and measuring prior to becoming friends or allies, or a lack of friendship and trust, I want to understand why. A sense of dimension and scope in their personalities so they feel real. I want a clear enough picture of them as a person that I can determine why do what they do or like or dislike what they do. I need an understandable picture of their goals and motivations. Realistic actions and reactions.

Sense of family is another draw. I want to see and feel the bond between family members. Family doesn't always agree with one another. Regardless of the love there is still squabbles and disagreements. It’s a natural thing. So, strong and realistic interactions and reactions are important. That sense of family isn't limited to blood. As the wise man once said, there is the companion that is closer to us than a brother. What that means is that strong bond of love can be between friends and those friends can be a family.

There are several authors that do both well. I've always admired Nora Roberts for her ability to create a tight bond of love and friendship. She also creates a realistic picture of family by blood. I think that’s why, aside from a good story, I like reading her trilogies. She nails family and friendship so well. Donna Grant and Jennifer Ashley do, too.

When I stop and analyze the books I really enjoy it helps me look at my own writing more critically. Am I hitting those benchmarks? Do my stories have strong family connections and the sense of community and place? What can I do to add more depth and atmosphere to my world or people? What layers can I go back and add to give my story so it has more impact?

• What components draw you to your favorite authors?

DONNA GRANT GIVES US THE 411 ON: IMMORTAL HIGHLANDERS & DRAGON KINGS

I remember the day I first learned about today's guest, Donna Grant.

I was talking to a friend of mine, who was a bookseller, about how broad the scope of paranormal could be but seemed to be stuck in vampire stories.  I didn't want bloodsuckers I wanted dangerous kick ass warriors, with flaws, battling their darkness within while battling against evil with a sense of honor.   “Snap! I know an author you would love. She writes Celtic themes and recently sold to a major publisher. Wait, I have the book here…” the phone clunked on the counter. “Donna Grant and Dangerous Highlander!”  She read me the blurb…I was sold then and still am. I had Donna on my blog (Dark Swords and Druids) a few weeks later.    

Thank you to Sia for hosting me today in celebration of my newest book – MIDNIGHT’S PROMISE!

For those unfamiliar with my Dark Warriors series, let me tell you a bit about it. 

The Warriors are a group of Highlanders who are the greatest warriors of their family.  By being so, they carry within their blood primeval gods that once unbound, not only make them immortal, but give the Highlanders enhanced abilities and special powers.  They also transform by way of claws and fangs, but also each god has a color, so the Highlanders turn the color of their god when that god is released.  IOW, when those Warriors are ready for battle. J

There are so many legends and myths of Scotland that it’s hard to know what was real and what wasn't   So, when I began the series, I developed a legend of my own: What if Rome was driven out of Britain by magic? 

Druid Sonya

And by magic I mean Druids.  Two sects actually (good and bad).  It’s the evil Druids who call up the primeval gods from Hell, but it takes both sects to bind the gods inside the men.  Until my first villain, centuries later, sets the gods free once more in her bid to take over the world.

Deirdre is the perfect villain in my Dark Sword series, but when the series time traveled to modern day Scotland, I knew I had to add another twist.  Welcome Declan Wallace, a new kind of villain that takes my Warriors by surprise. Declan, however, wasn’t enough. There’s a new villain in town – Jason Wallace - and he is going to come at the Warriors and Druids sideways.

           

Wait, your saying.  Time travel?  Yep.  The series began in 2009 with DANGEROUS HIGHLANDER, a historical paranormal set in medieval Scotland.  After six book in the DS series, my guys decided to throw me a twist and time travel. My love was historicals.  I’d dipped my toes in contemporaries with a novella and one time travel, but not an entire book.

My publisher asked me to keep the Warriors in modern time, so there would be no going back for me. L  Yet, when I sat down to write MIDNIGHT’S MASTER (the first Dark Warrior book), I found the idea of taking these alpha, immortal Highlanders into contemporary Scotland thrilling.

All is not fun and games, however, because the storyline that began in the Dark Sword series continues in the Dark Warriors.  There are still villains to fight, evil to battle, and love to find.

It’s been a lot of fun taking each Warrior’s power and using it for - or against - him.  To add to the conflict, their heroines are Druids who each hold a special type of magic.  With the Warriors being such strong, rugged men, their heroines have to be just as stalwart to be able to stand beside them. 

It’s bitter sweet that I’m now promoting MIDNIGHT’S PROMISE, the last full length book in the Dark Warrior series.  I know many have been anxiously and not so patiently waiting for Malcolm’s book.  Malcolm first showed up in FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER (Dark Sword book 2) and his story took one drastic turn after another.

I’m not having to say good-bye to my Warriors and Druids, however. There’s one more Dark Warrior story, a holiday novella featuring a Warrior I had thought died – Dale.  Read his story in MIDNIGHT’S SURRENDER (Nov 5, 2013).

Even then the Warriors and Druids will still be around, playing large roles in the upcoming spin off series the Dark Kings featuring my shape-shifting hunks, the Dragon Kings starting with the novella bind-up titled DARK HEAT (Dec 31, 2013) before moving on to DARKEST FLAME (April 29, 2014) and FIRE RISING (June 3, 2014).

Donna, I was glad to feature the first of these warriors in Dangerous Highlander and I'm glad to be featuring the last of these warrior's stories today with Midnight's Promise. I've enjoyed the adventure! I'm looking forward to Dark Kings series and another aspect of the magic of old--dragons!

• Have you read Donna Grants stories?

• Do you have a favorite warrior?

                                                                                                                                                    

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND  

MIDNIGHT'S PROMISE

HEART OF STONE

For centuries, Malcolm has struggled against the forces of darkness – and bears the scars to prove it.  Hardened by a lifetime of fighting, he is more warrior than man, incapable of feeling love or compassion. But one stormy night, he pulls a beautiful woman from a car wreck – and experiences a rush of fiery emotion that could melt even the hardest of hearts.

TOUCH OF MAGIC

Since childhood, Evangeline Walker has felt the magic growing inside. Descended from Druids, she is the perfect vessel for ancient magic – and evil. Evie knows she should trust no one, not even Malcolm, whose strong touch and tender kiss she craves. But after she makes a devil’s bargain to save her half-brother, this fearsome warrior may be the only man who can protect her – with his heart, his body, and his soul…EXCERPT




                                                                                                                                                                                    

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant 
has been praised for her "totally addictive" and "unique and sensual" stories. She's the author of more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance. Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Warriors, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas. Visit Donna at www.DonnaGrant.com, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter.

DONNA GALANTI— CHARACTERS ARE WHO WE WANT

It's my pleasure to have suspense author, Donna Galanti visit with us today. She discusses characters and how readers may view characters in their heads and might not match what the author had in mind as they wrote the story.

How many times have you been irritated by actors chosen for the movie a book you've loved?

Books. They fill a need. We create the faces of our characters in our mind. We create their stage, their world. No one else visualizes our books like we do. The people, places, and events in them.

 

I fell in love with Lord of The Rings as a teenager, decades before the book hit the big screen. Aragorn, also known as Strider, was my first crush. I knew his face, his stance, his body. He was so in my heart that I dressed up as him for Halloween. Brown woolen hooded-cloak, darkened face, cracked leather boots. I strode down the hall at school, face hidden, my cloak swirling behind me as if I parted the foggy woods I dashed through on a perilous mission. This only validated the fact a therapist had once said that my problem in life was that I wanted to be a boy instead of a girl.

 

Hmmm. Not sure about that considering I also wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. We had hogs too and I fattened them up with apples and slop. Then on slaughter day I got to keep their tails to roast and eat, just like Laura did. My mother drew the line about blowing up their bladders like balloons so I could play with them. And I really did believe that if I stayed in a closet long enough it would open onto another world that was just like Narnia.

 

Anywho, I get mad when movies are made of my favorite books with super stars. I boycotted The Bridges of Madison County because Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood played the main characters. They weren’t the people I envisioned as those characters (but I do love me some Clint though). How dare they! Then there’s the Jason Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. Really? Matt Damon as Jason Bourne? That’s just wrong. He’s too young, blond, and looks like a boy scout. Put him in a Disney flick (oh, wait, they did.) I’ll stick with the books.

 

And have you often debated with someone about scenes in a movie, and then realized you never saw the movie? It turned out to be the movie you created in your mind. Worth the argument I would say.

 

I discovered recently that readers see the characters in my book, A Human Element, different than I do. I purchased iStock photos of my main characters, Ben and Laura. Two friends told me I was wrong. That’s not Ben, they said. He wasn’t dark enough, cruel looking enough. They were right. The other man appealed to me, yes… but he wasn’t Ben. When a friend and I argued about the kind of person Laura was she said I was wrong. Laura didn’t cry too much in the book at all. I was told she had to be that way because she is a healer and sensitive. Okay. Okay. Too funny.

 

So whoever you envision your favorite characters to look like and speak like, they are yours. Cool, right? Then I guess I must accept the fact that my readers will darn-well envision my own characters as they please. Yep. We get to keep them just how we want them for ourselves. No one else. You can visit them, always. They don’t change. They don’t leave you. They are the perfect friend or lover.

 

Books. They fill that need of going home. When we feel lost we can go home to them. To our past, our first love, our childhood, our first broken heart. They are a safe haven for our unique memories. And no one can take them away. They are…ours.

Donna is giving away one ebook copy of A HUMAN ELEMENT. Just comment to win! Winner will be picked by Random.org and contacted by the author. Giveaway is international. (trust me when I say, you'll want to read this book)

 

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, CREATESPACE-print
SMASHWORDS

HUMAN ELEMENT by Donna Galanti


One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite–her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a mad man, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test.

With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his and she has two choices–redeem him or kill him. Excerpt

“A HUMAN ELEMENT is an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” 

Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of DEAD OF NIGHT

MY REVIEW 

Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense novel A HUMAN ELEMENT (Echelon Press). Donna has a B.A. in English and a background in marketing. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, The Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, and Pennwriters. She lives with her family in an old farmhouse in PA with lots of nooks, fireplaces, and stinkbugs. Visit her at:


Donna Galanti Website 
Donna's Blog

Donna’s AuthorFacebook page for news and updates!
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The Tale Of Two Reading Hats

Over Coffee will take a break the holiday weekend and resume June 1st. 




My guest is debut author, Anita Clenny. Anita writes paranormal and suspense.  She's the author of a new paranormal romance series about Highland Warriors.  

Anita says when she's deep into the "middle of a heated battle with warriors and demons" she tends to forget "that people in the real world have to eat dinner and that dishes don't wash themselves."



I just read that the pink ribbon hat Princess Beatrice wore for the royal wedding sold on eBay for over $131,000. The only good thing I can say about that hat is that the proceeds of its sale raised money for charity. Quite a bizarre fashion statement, but it got me to thinking about hats; in this case, metaphorical hats. For most writers, our love of stories began as readers. When I was young, I was fascinated by the worlds I found between the pages of a book. I still am. It never occurred to me that I might write one myself until a few years ago. I had been on a reading jaunt that was about as insane as that hat the Princess wore, when it occurred to me that I could write a story. Or so I thought. I found out that writing a good story wasn’t as easy as I’d expected. But I learned and I persevered and here I am, with a Scottish paranormal series about Secret Warriors, Ancient Evil, and Destined Love.


When reading for pleasure, I can completely lose myself in a story. Nothing matters but those characters and that plot. I’m not picky about those little technicalities that drive writers and editors crazy. I’m there, living the characters’ joys and their woes. If I put on my author hat and read, it becomes an entirely different thing. I start seeing the creation of the story, the way the author strung the words together to build the plot, to create the characters, paint the setting. Are there too many adverbs, not enough sentence variation, too much telling – not enough showing? Is the writing just not engaging enough? Or did the author do something that was so brilliant it made me gasp in awe and feel the bite of envy?

But sometimes that author’s hat gets in the way. Instead of just enjoying a movie, I’m busy analyzing the plot, because as a writer I know where the story should go to get the most bang out of the plot. It can take away from the enjoyment of books or movies if you’re not careful. But if you’ve hit a wall, that hat can come in handy.

A few times as I was writing Awaken the Highland Warrior, either my warriors weren’t behaving, or my writing just seemed to dry up. I think I needed to step away and look at the story fresh. If I had that luxury, I took it, but if I was pushed for time, I grabbed a book, put on my author hat and read a few paragraphs, and I was back in the game. So I love both my hats, and I think there’s a time and place for each.

• If you’re a writer, do you have two hats?
• If you’re a reader, do you find yourself at times not enjoying the story because you’re analyzing it?

If so, there might be a writer lurking inside you.


AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR


A Man From Another Time…

Faelan is from an ancient clan of Scottish Highland warriors, charged with shielding humanity from demonic forces. Betrayed and locked in a time vault, he has been sleeping for nearly two centuries when spunky historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently wakes him. She’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him, and if he’s not careful, she’ll uncover the secrets his clan has bled and died to protect…

Could Be the Treasure She’s Been Seeking All her Life…

When Bree inherits an old treasure map, she discovers a warrior buried in her backyard. But the warrior isn’t dead. Bree shocks Faelan with her modern dress and her boldness, and he infuriates Bree every time he tries to protect her.

With demons suddenly on the move, Bree discovers that Faelan’s duty as protector is in his blood, and that her part in this fight was destined before she was born. But nothing is ever what it seems… Excerpt

Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books a Million

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Anita Clenney writes paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Before giving herself over to the writing bug, she worked in a pickle factory, at a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, and was a secretary, executive assistant, and a realtor. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Virginia where she is working on her next book, Embrace the Highland Warrior, which will be in stores in November 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.anitaclenney.com/ and http://www.sourcebookscasablanca.com./

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