THE SUMMER LOVE BLOG TOUR - Fantasy Romance, Mindy Klasky

Hi everyone, and welcome to week three of the Summer Love Blog Tour!

We’re counting down the days to my book release! The June 1^st post will be the cover reveal for THE FIRE WALKERS!

You’ll see it here first, so please join me for the big event, here at the CN! J

And to keep us entertained until then, the Summer Love tour is introducing you to awesome authors who specialize in the different sub categories of romance.

One thing I love about writing love stories is how the genre spans such a broad spectrum. Like flavors of ice cream, there is something for everyone.

This week we get to enter the fun-tastical realm of Fantasy romance. Here the love story can be magical, mythical, and limited only by the author’s imagination.

While all books are an escape, fantasy romance takes readers on a magic carpet ride of endless proportions…like a librarian who discovers that she’s really a witch. J

Our guest today knows her fantasy. The multi-talented, Mindy Klasky!

CN Q&A:

What do you love most about fantasy romance?

When I write my fantasy and light paranormals like Girl's Guide to Witchcraft (about a librarian who finds out she's a witch), I'm able to play with serious issues in our real world (e.g., how women can build friendships and families that help them achieve the most they can achieve) while I explore supernatural possibilities.  I can craft magic to make my characters' lives easier -- and substantially more difficult!  I can use real history, science, and fact, but I can bend the details through a paranormal lens, explaining what the real meaning is!

What’s is the weirdest research you’ve ever had to do?

I do a lot of "spot research" for my books -- reaching out to find what herbs are used to cure what ailments, what crystals are associated with what attributes, etc.  I've looked into the breeding habits of ospreys, the farming practices of colonial forefathers, and the menu for Thomas Jefferson's favorite meal.  But the weirdest research I've ever done was building a martial art for humans to use in protecting themselves from vampires.  I consulted with friends who practice martial arts and -- after much discussion -- decided to use Brazilian jiujitsu as a model.  After that, I watched lots (and lots and lots and lots) of videos, "translating" the sparring matches into human/vampire battles.

What is your favorite scene in Girl's Guide to Witchcraft and why?

I've always loved the early scene where Jane awakens her familiar, Neko.  She stumbles onto the magic and has no idea of the power she's harnessing.  I've always dreamed about discovering my own magical powers (doesn't everyone?  Please say yes!), and I can't imagine a better way to do that than bringing a statute of a cat to life as a human man!

Tell us one unique fact about you (something that few people know).  

Um...  I majored in computer science for my first two years in college, and I thought I'd write programs for a living.  (I came to my senses, though, and switched to being an English major.  I can't imagine what my fiction would be like if I'd stuck with programming instead of literature!)

New/Latest Book:

The Diamond Brides Series, hot contemporary romances about the players on an imaginary baseball team and the women who love them.  (There's no paranormal element, but the world of baseball is as detailed and important to the stories as magic is to my fantasy books!)

PERFECT PITCH

Reigning beauty queen Samantha Winger is launching her pet project, a music program for kids. All she has to do is follow the pageant's rules—no smoking, drinking, or "cavorting" in public.

That's fine, until D.J. Thomas—God's gift to baseball—throws her a wild pitch.  He slams her in an interview, and the video goes viral. Sam's no shrinking violet. She parlays D.J.'s apology into a national T.V. appearance—and a very unexpected, very public kiss.

Soon, paparazzi catch the couple in a steamy make-out session, and Sam's music program is on the block. The blazing hot relationship is threatened even more when D.J.'s son begs to trade in Little League for music class.

Can Sam and D.J. sizzle past the sour notes and find their perfect pitch?

***

Big thanks to Mindy for being our guest today.  For a bewitchingly fun read, check out more of her JANE MADISON series. And her contemporary treat, PERFECT PITCH is available now!

Next week:  We have a surprise guest here to discuss one of my favorite categories, contemporary romance!

Please stop back then for more Summer Love on the Narrative! J

THE SUMMER LOVE BLOG TOUR - Sci-Fi / Erotic Romance, Sarah Allan

Hi everyone!  Welcome to week two of the Summer Love Blog Tour!

Last time we trekked through the land of other worldly love with paranormal romance author, Jean Murray. This week you get two for one as we explore the high-tech adventure of Sci-Fi romance, as well as the steamy, stimulating world of Erotica.    

The author who knows these two sub-genres best happens to be someone who knows me and THE FIRE WALKERS very well, too. My critique partner, Sarah Allan.

Sarah and I met through an online writing group many moons ago, and we managed to stick together ever since. A talented writer and editor, she minds my Ps, Qs, and Oxford commas, plus gives me honest, constructive feedback. We are cohorts in literary amore, and I love her writing style and dedication to craft.

So without further ado – heeeeerrrre’s Sarah!

Thanks so much for letting me do this, Shelley!

I'm here to talk a bit about erotic romance and sci-fi romance, though I do write in the other romance sub-genres.  I'm shortly going to be querying a hot LGBT fantasy romance called Fate's Awakening, and my current work-in-progress is a sci-fi romance tentatively titled The Disillusioned.  I'm also working on some collections of erotic short stories to self-publish.  And in my spare time I edit professionally.  I guess I can sleep when I'm dead!

What do you love most about Sci-Fi/Erotic romance?

Oh man...everything!  I love how creative I can be with both mediums.

With erotic romance, you can make anything you want sexy.  Sexy werewolves?  Sure!  Sexy massage therapists?  You betcha!  Sexy professor/student? Doctor/patient? Rich girl/farm boy?  Absolutely.  The world is your oyster.  I write stories for smart girls with dirty minds, so I like to make sure that even my erotic short stories have characters and scenes the reader can relate to and care about, at least on some level.  Writing short stories is tough because of that, though, but I love the challenge.  They're far more than porn on paper--they have substance (or I'd like to think they do! :-P).

Fate's Awakening is definitely skewed toward the "hot" end of the spectrum, so if a reader likes male/male romances, I think they'll really enjoy it.  I'd never written male/male scenes before, so it was a fun challenge.

As for sci-fi, I never set out to write one, but my current work-in-progress is a sci-fi romance.  I like to describe it as Nancy Drew meets the Terminator.  I love how readers will suspend disbelief for a story if it's grounded enough in reality, so that gives you a lot of freedom.  Your story still has to make sense, though, or the readers won't buy into it.

What’s is the weirdest research you've ever had to do?

I don't know about weirdest, but for my work-in-progress (The Disillusioned, a sci-fi romance), I'm creating a whole town.  I knew where I wanted to set the story, but I didn't like the constraints an actual town would give me, so it was easier to create my own.  I spent so much time on Google Maps figuring out where it would be, what would border it, where things were...  It was exhausting, but very worth it.

What is your favorite scene in Fate's Awakening and why?

Can I say the whole book?  No?  Okay...  Well, if I have to choose one, I had the best time writing a scene where Jack and Andy are preparing Christmas dinner.  Andy's good in the kitchen and stops what he's doing to give Jack some pointers.

Tell us one unique fact about you (something that few people know).

I'm pretty awesome at driving a stick-shift...on cars with the steering wheel on the left or right, which means I have to drive stick with my left hand sometimes.  And I make a mean pistachio dessert.

What are you reading this summer?

I'm looking forward to catching up on J.R.Ward's The King, and Laura Kaye's East of Ecstasy.  Both are waiting for me to have some more free time to crack them open.

What are you working on?  

I'm busting my butt readying a query for Fate's Awakening to send out soon. *crosses fingers*  Though I wouldn't mind self-publishing, either, so that's on the table.  I'm also hoping to get at least one erotic short story anthology out the door this year.  Oh, and finishing my first draft of The Disillusioned.  Whew. I'm exhausted and excited just thinking about it!

Blurb for Fate's Awakening:

Jack Harris doesn't do relationships. He gets what he wants, and is fine with the status quo. But he's in danger of losing his chance at happiness with the one he's meant for, and he doesn't even know it. Because he's been fighting his destiny, Jack's life-thread is tangled, leaving him in great danger. When a goddess takes away one of Jack's greatest pleasures, will that be enough to help Jack see what's right in front of him? Or are the Fates just playing a cruel trick?

Links:

Sarah Allan's Website     Twitter     Facebook     Goodreads (not author page--yet!)

xoxo Sarah

Big thanks to Sarah for visiting today!

Next week: The Summer Love continues with Fantasy author, Mindy Klasky!

Please join me then for more of the Narrative! J

THE SUMMER LOVE BLOG TOUR - Paranormal Romance, Jean Murray

Hi, everyone! 

I have BIG news!

My first book, THE FIRE WALKERS is coming to you July 1^st, 2014!

To celebrate I’m hosting the Summer Love Blog Tour! Throughout May I’ll be spotlighting authors from different sub genres with a series of fun questions and clips from their books.   

I get to channel my inner Barbara Walters.  *Host Chair Happy Dance*

And the excitement doesn't end there.

On June 1^st I’ll reveal the long awaited FIRE WALKERS cover!

(I’m super excited to share that with you – it’s gorgeous!)

And every Sunday in June you’ll receive the inside scoop on my debut novel as I introduce you to the amazing characters that walked fire with me.

Please stop by each week to see what’s new!

J

Now, on to the main event! 

In romance there are many wonderful categories from which you can choose.  There are stories set in modern day, and in the past. Some stories are based in magic, others in the hi-tech realm of Science Fiction. There are steamy stories, religious stories, and tales set in the dystopian future. Paranormal is a fairly new branch in the mighty oak of romantic fiction. 

As a writer, conflict is your friend. You ask the question, “What would keep these two lovers apart?” Paranormal tackles that question with fervor.

What bigger void is there to cross than two different species falling in love?

With the rise and revival of vampire mania, the concept of love with a non-human hero/ine came into its own, later including werewolves, mummies and even zombies. With a readership who love their hero tall, dark and mummified, paranormal romance delivers love on the edge.

And to start our Summer Love Tour off with bandages and a growl, I’m proud to present fellow Maryland Romance writer and acclaimed paranormal romance author, Jean Murray!

CN Q&A:

What do you love most about paranormal romance?

Where do I start?  There are so many great things.  I guess if I had to pick one it would be the fact that it’s limitless.  The scope is only limited by the author’s imagination.  It’s my escape from the real world J

What is the weirdest research you’ve ever had to do?

Learning how mummies were made. 

My Key to the Cursed series is based on Egyptian Mythology.  I wanted to make it authentic as possible, so I started visiting the Egyptian exhibits.  The Chicago Museum has some of the best mummies.  It helped in writing certain scenes.  Also, I took the time learn how the priests prepared the bodies and what charms they may have used to protect the dead on their journey to the Afterlife. Truly fascinating!

What is your favorite scene in Soul Awakened and why?

Oh, there is one that comes to mind. Bakari has been sent to the warrior village to pay out his penance. He wants to stay as far away from Kendra as possible, knowing the temptation to touch her will be too much to bear. I’ll let the scene speak for itself...  You can only imagine what happens next J

Excerpt from Soul Awakened, Jean Murray:

The scrape of the door closing drew his attention over his shoulder. The flames from the sconces danced across the faces of the immortalized gods. Only one face stared back with mouth agape. The soft lighting played against the beautiful features of the goddess. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. She remained in her white flowing robe. Her wide eyes followed him as he stumbled to get up.

Bakari shifted his body to hide his atonement. He resisted the urge to inhale her scent fearful his thirst would return tenfold. The sight of her alone threatened his thread of control. What was she doing here?

“Bomani is not here.”

“I know.” Kendra’s eyes measured him briefly and then darted away. The hint of redness colored her cheeks. She traced one of the glyphs that adorned the statue next to her.

He narrowed his eyes at her. If she was not here to see Bomani, then who? Certainly not him.

“You look well,” Kendra said, staring at the statue.

He tracked her graceful movements. Her hair shined even in the dim glow of the candle light. Each lock of her hair curled in long full coils over her shoulders. The sight of her stirred a fire inside his belly. He narrowed his vision on her arms fully expecting to see glyphs on her forearms, but found only soft cream skin. His bitterness gave way to relief. She had not yet transitioned. Still, her health and vitality reverberated across the slab of stone that separated them.

She drifted among the statues, not once stepping closer. For all the time he had wanted to keep her distance, he now found her reluctance exasperating. He glanced at his feet, surprised that he had taken several steps forward. Her warm energy seeped into his tissues and amassed in his chest, feeding a hunger in the most basic form. Life. There was only one other hunger he wished quenched. He swiped a hand across his face.

He pulled his hand away to find his palm wet with perspiration. Cursing, he slid his hand across his abdomen. It was calm at the moment, but he did not trust it to behave. He bowed deeply, as any warrior would in a goddess’ presence. “Madame, I will leave you to your privacy.”

***

            Kendra whipped her head around. Madame? However respectful he meant it to be, it stung like a dirty word. She’d been reduced from something as intimate as his Parvana to something cold and distant, as Madame. She shouldn’t care, she really shouldn’t. She had spent hours festering her anger toward him in the hope her feelings would change. Apparently they hadn’t.

            He reached for the door, revealing again the amazing scroll work carved into his skin. From shoulder to shoulder and along his spine the scarification tattoo looked like a scorpion’s back. Her breath caught in her throat. He had gained leadership and respect among the warriors, not to mention he added about forty pounds of lean muscle.

            “I didn’t come to see Bomani,” she blurted. He stopped with his hand on the iron handle. “I came,” Kendra placed her hand over her racing heart, “to see you.”

Tell us one unique fact about you (something that few people know).

I had the honor of spending 20 years in the military. Even deployed when our first child was only 7 months old. I only had intended on staying 4 years, but time had a way of getting away from me.  I was having too much fun and before I knew it, 20 years had come and gone. I retired in 2011 and started my new life as a civilian. To say the least, it has been an interesting transition. J

Author Links:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Latest Book:

SOUL AWAKENED, Book 2 in the Key to the Cursed series

LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR

Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.

HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST

Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.

Night Owl Reviews: Reviewer’s Top PICK/ 5 Stars (Abigail, Feb2013) :  

“I know other readers are going to love this series as much as I do. Get settled in for a thrilling paranormal tale.”  

Bitten by Paranormal Romance, Ollie (Feb2013): 
5/5 Alpha Howls, Hot

“I don't know where to begin to describe the absolutely marvelous job that the author does in not only creating a wonderful world with so much depth and detail, but a story line the has the mystery and intrigue that will keep you glued to the pages.”  

Goodreads:  

Quote: 

“He leaned into her neck and inhaled along the line of her pulsing artery. “Kendra, you are going to tell me everything I want to know.”

Book Trailer: 

Purchase Links: 

Amazon |  Books –A – Million | Barnes and Noble |  

Huge thanks to Jean for visiting today!

Next week: The Summer Love continues with Sci-Fi/Erotica author, Sarah Allan!

Please join me then for more of the Narrative! J

    

THE REWARD

          You ever look around and ponder the passing of time?

          January flew in a blur, the calendar punctuated by the familiar series of events: birthdays, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, tax time… And for me it was marked with something substantial, the preparation of my first book for publication.

          I took it seriously, calculating my tax return, dedicating every nickel to promoting my manuscript. But underneath all the excitement, I felt a niggling fear. An intuition that no matter the action, my situation was unsteady.

          Despite all the steps to stabilize, something was going fall through.

          After having my car broken into mid-February, the school of hard knocks and deductibles taught me to have a game plan. After replacing my stolen belongings and a new car window out of pocket, I felt a little gipped at the remnants.

          Hi, refund…bye, refund.  I didn’t even get a steak dinner out of it.

          But no guilt. I was good, tucking the remaining funds away in savings, the lot dedicated to the negotiation costs of my dream. I even steered clear of my daily haunt, a craft website, to avoid temptation.

          February turned into March as I paid the bills and juggled the negotiation sessions, an underlining unease still tugging at me.

          Exhausted from the internal struggle, one night I caved and pulled ETSY.com up on my desktop. Evidence of my inherent need for pretty, girly things, the shopping was like water in the desert. The author engine had been running since before the start of the New Year and I had to remind myself that I’m human, not a machine.

The writing is work, hard work!

I’d also seen that many writers reward themselves at the publication of a book.

I was berating myself for FIRE WALKERS not being officially published, but the manuscript was finished, and being pitched in an extremely competitive marketplace.

Queries, copy edits, reviews, blogs, social media, contracts…ARGHHHH!

*ragged breathing*

Okay, so an indulgence was in order. A nice one.

I had to drill the mantra into my head, “It’s okay to chisel a bit off the tax block in the name of treating yourself.”

It’s not shameless self-justification, it’s a reward for all the labor.

I’ve earned it.

And so I perused. While clicking and considering, I ran a free hand over my hair, the curly heap tied back in an unflattering bun. Glancing down at myself, I had on three-day-old sweats, a bleach stained t-shirt and ancient footy socks.

The heavy sigh that resulted was damning confirmation that I’d let myself go. The stress of the book offer, the numerous query rejections, and the merry-go-round of pitches—I was fried.

Looking back up at the screen I typed in my birthstone and “ring” in the search engine.

Being an October baby I’d read a lot of folklore about opals. Made up of a large percentage of water, the stone is strong but fragile if mistreated, and requires a delicate balance to maintain its moisture. Popular in early times, opal’s solid exterior exude bursts of color ranging from green to blue to red. It was believed that when adorning the hair the stone preserved youth in women, representing spiritual strength, imagination and dreams. Opals are said to encourage self-esteem and self-worth, clarify muddled thinking and quell worry. The Romans believed that when turned towards the skin, opals rendered the wearer invisible. The gem presented as an engagement ring was said to be a sign of faithfulness in marriage, and inversely, a mark of infidelity should the stone crack. 

The late 18^th century brought about a decline in status for the opal, one reason being that in Sir Walter Scott's novel, ANNE OF GEIERESTEIN, the main character Lady Hermione is cursed after breaking an opal.. New superstitions then sprang up, saying that opals could be purchased only if your birthstone, to any that failed to meet the criteria the stone would bring misfortune. Consequently the sales of diamonds went up as opals went out of fashion, until Queen Victoria of England reinstated the opal’s good reputation, wearing the stone herself and giving them to others as royal gifts.

I’d received a small heart-shaped opal ring when I was fifteen and to this day I remember its uniqueness. A plain, milky-white stone when cushioned in its box, it seemed to sync to my body heat, becoming a mood ring of color when worn.

That memory came to me when I saw the opal cluster ring for sale.

A vintage ring from the 1950’s, nine small stones encircled a larger center, the opals muted and stationary. The seller took several pictures, the classy design standing out in a clear deviation from modern, mass-produced items. The opals spoke to me in little flickers of green, a bolt of blue, the rare flash of red a testament to the quality of the stones. Refined, it looked like something a lady would wear.

I e-mailed the shop owner to inquire about it. And while I’m not terribly superstitious, I was curious about the ring’s background. What was its story?

In Feng Shui formerly owned items carry the energy of its previous owner. It’s said that you can sense positive and negative Chi energy. An example would be if you've ever walked through an antique store. Ever encountered a piece of furniture that you just didn't like? Or alternately, a thrift store find that you absolutely adore? That’s said to be good and bad chi.

The shop owner kindly shared with me that the ring had been her mother’s, inherited from her estate. I expressed my interest, but then went back to work with the expectation that if I still wanted the ring by the time my tax return came in, I’d buy it.

Weeks passed and I caught myself visiting the ring online every day. I even got nervous as the shop owner began reducing the price, my refund taking what felt like forever.

In the interim I asked more questions: Would I have need to have it sized? What carat gold was it? Was it as big as it looked in the pictures?

The shop owner remained patient as I finally got the cash infusion to buy my reward. In the message field of the purchase order I wrote, “T----, I’m so glad it hadn’t sold yet. It’s my birthstone, and I promise to take good care of it.”

The smile on my face when the shop owner e-mailed me back, “I was hoping you’d be the one to buy it. I know you will cherish it.”

I stalked the mail tracking confirmation until my opal cluster ring arrived, looking like a grown version of my childhood ring. Nestled in light velvet, it winked a soft green as if waking up from a long nap. Inspecting it, I noticed the back of the band was thinner than the sides, the size five sitting snugly above my knuckle, the aura of it a comfort.

I envisioned the dainty fingers of the woman who’d owned it, how it must have been a favorite for the metal to be so diminished.

Smiling, I felt the crazy need to speak to it.

“Is it cool if we get you sized?” I asked. I blinked when it responded with a streak of electric blue, as if saying, “Okay.”

I took it to my jeweler, peppering them with questions about the process. When it was established that going up a size and a quarter was possible, and that 10K gold would be used in lieu of the European standard of 9K, I reluctantly signed the papers to have it altered. Gazing at the ring for as long as I could before I had to hand it over, the saleslady noted my preoccupation, reassuring me that they’d be extra careful with it.

The voicemail message that the ring had come back arrived three days earlier than expected, and I’d rushed over to the jewelers. The same lady who’d sent my ring away was there when I’d reclaimed it.

“I knew you’d come right away to pick it up,” she said, watching as I proudly pushed the ring onto my right ring finger, its colors emerging. “It’s vintage? It looks like it’s always been yours,” the lady added before I’d left.  

I brought the ring home and gave it a cushy residence in my jewelry box. My form of diamonds, I’d wear it when I dressed up, when I wanted to feel pretty, and recently when I’d needed some strength….

The unsettled feeling returned full-force as my premonition of collapse came true. All the money I’d invested into advancing my publishing goals went to no avail, leaving with few options of ever seeing my book in print.

There are so many hard choices when walking this path, the wrong ones tempting when you want to hold your work in your hands.

And when the road forked, I did what any mature, hard working woman would do—I sat in my car and cried in my turkey sandwich.

The purge was good. It was needed. And when the tide of self-pity had ebbed, I walked my sorry ass into the house and plopped myself into the writer chair.

I strongly believe that you don’t need material things to be happy, my ideas and dreams have always been enough for me, but in that moment the opal lore echoed in my head; quells worry, strengthens self-esteem, channels dreams.

          I stood up and pulled my ring out the jewelry box, thinking that a little clarity certainly couldn't hurt. Over the weeks I’d worn the ring, it’d progressively gotten brighter, sending me glints of blue, bright green. No red as of yet, but we were kindred chi spirits, and I knew that it’d eventually shine that way for me.

          I stared down at it, flexing my finger in the light of my desk lamp, the drying tears chilling my face and tightening my cheeks. No prospects, dented savings, and still no book.

          Where do I go from here? I can’t walk away.

I. Can’t. Give. Up. Now.

I felt like a hypocrite. FIRE WALKERS is about a young woman facing her fears, finding her fire. And there I was unable to spark my own.

That’s when it happened. 

The center opal blushed a rose red, warming to the heat of my skin, the reaction making my eyes flare.

Red. Fire. Ember. Glow… The Beginning.

I sat up in my chair and wiped my cheeks, my mind taking stock of what I know about the publishing industry. The years I've spent learning. The resources available to me, the allies I have in my corner.  

I’m down, not out.

Time to try something new.