Christmas Potpourri

Since I'll be taking a break from cyber space for the holiday, I thought I'd give you a little variety with this last post.

First, a brief meme...

The kind and talented Elise Fallson tagged me in the 'U Got The Look' meme. 

I swear, Elise. I don't have your Nutella. 0_0

Rules: Track down the word "look" in your current WIP and post the surrounding paragraphs, and then tag 5 other people with the meme.

Ha. This wasn't as easy as I thought.

WIP title: Come Back

Genre: Historical Romance

Category: New Adult

Setting: New Mexico Territory, 1850-51

Orientation: 19-year-old Rebecca Garvey, who was left behind by a wagon train, has found a man injured and unconscious in the wilderness and has dragged him to her old dwelling on a flat sled. They are inside a small hut made of wood scraps and branches. A storm is coming.

Caveat: I don't always include this much description or exposition, but the hero is unconscious, and—with the exception of assessing his injuries when she found him—Becca is looking him over for the first time.

Have mercy. This is a first draft excerpt.

Grammar Police Monday - Pieces Of Flair

Don't worry. GPM is still around. 

My apologies for the preempt last week, but paying homage to our fearless leader, Alex 'no hyperlink needed' Cavanaugh, was worth it. :)

Announcements first!


Anne over at Writer's Space nominated me for the Addictive Blog Award. 

(Does this mean I should start a 12-step program for bloggers? Some of us probably need it. :P)

The rules of the award are:

1.                  Thank the person awarding you. Thank you, Anne!

2.                  Share a little about why you blog and how the journey started.

3.                  Paste the blog award on your page.

4.                  Nominate 10 other bloggers you feel deserve the award.

In the interest of time and space, I'll link to a guest post I wrote to satisfy #2, then pass it on to some people who make the writer/blogger world a better place. This is by NO means an all-inclusive list.

Kimberly Gabriel ~ Lynda R. Young ~ Morgan Shamy

Elise Fallson ~ EJ Wesley ~ Julie Luek ~  Mark Koopmans

Michael Di Gesu ~ Candilynn Fite  ~  Melissa Pearl

Now for GPM...

Blog Tour - Finding Claire Fletcher: Interview with Lisa Regan

Today, I'm thrilled to be hosting a stop on Lisa Regan's book tour! Lisa's debut novel, Finding Claire Fletcher, was released by Sapphire Star Publishing on December 6th. And it's a winner. :)

Make sure to check out the giveaway info at the end of this post.

First, a little about the book...

Down on his luck, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a woman he meets at a local bar, but in the morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving behind clues to a decade-old mystery—her own abduction. Perplexed and driven by an unsettling need to see Claire again, Connor must solve the mystery of her disappearance and find her once and for all.

Now, here's Lisa!

Cheers, Cavanaugh

Today's the day. It's Alex-fest time!!!

Rules:

• Join the Linky List
• Be a follower.
• Post your 200 (total) word contribution Monday, Dec. 10. 
• Have Fun!

Two winners – chosen by Alex – will each win one prize:

FIRST PLACE: A signed copy of CassaStar.
GRAND PRIZE: A picture of Alex and a download of him playing the guitar.

In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

IWSG – Swim The Social Media Pool... Without Drowning

Modern authors need to feel confident about more than just writing. Marketing and social media participation is a must, and we need to be conscious of our online persona. For my IWSG post this month, I decided to address social media venues and habits, with an emphasis on things to do and things to avoid. I hope you’ll find something helpful.

I’ll start off with Twitter.

Grammar Police Monday - Gaffe-Proof Yourself

Announcements!

Lynda R. Young’s short story titled Birthright has been published by J.Taylor Publishing in the Make Believe anthology launched TODAY! 

Make Believe is currently available in e-book format and includes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy stories inspired by the image on the cover. (Hint: holiday gift idea. ;)

Mark your calendars. Lisa Regan's debut crime thriller Finding Claire Fletcher will be released on Dec. 6th!

Down on his luck, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a woman he meets at a local bar, but in the morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving behind clues to a decade-old mystery. Abducted at age fifteen, no one has heard from Claire Fletcher in ten years. Until now. Driven by an unsettling need to see Claire again, Connor sets out to solve the mystery of her disappearance once and for all. 

I'll be hosting Lisa on Wednesday the 12th when she joins us for an interview. 

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GPM
I know you're all busy, so here's a quick usage lesson...

Gaff vs Gaffe

A gaff is a metal spur or hook.

A gaffe is a social blunder; a faux pas.

Naval vs Navel

A naval officer can be found on a warship.

A navel can be found on your abdomen or the end of an orange.

Stationary vs Stationery

If it's in a fixed position, it's stationary.

If it's something you write on, it's stationery.

Thanks for visiting. :)

Stealing Breath Tour - Book Spotlight & Giveaway

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty-one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent... creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn't even know she had. Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. 

But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning? 

Turning to a healer, Sarah is shocked to learn her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child—an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others. But her indigo aura also makes her an easy target for those who wish to consume her powerful essence. 

Soon, Sarah is falling deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart and trust that he is the man he says he is. But she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, leading her on a course that will force her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

Grammar Police Monday - Does Usage Make You Weary?

Announcements first!

The Truths about Dating and Mating by Jaycee DeLorenzo was released on November 21st! It’s available in your choice of print or ebook from Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and ARE.

In Name Only by Carol Kilgore (Kindle Edition) is on sale for the holidays! $2.99 Starting 12:01 a.m. (Amazon Time) Friday, 11-23-12 to 11:59 p.m. Saturday, 12-15-12

You can find Carol Under the Tiki Hut. :)

Now for GPM...

Cover Reveal - Edge of Truth by Natasha Hanova

Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’s radar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.

Being Thankful

When son #1 was in elementary school, he wrote an assignment from a holiday writing prompt. The teacher thought it was particularly good and sent me a copy. 

I liked it, too, so I decided to turn it into a Thanksgiving post, typos and all.

Grammar Police Monday - Whoa! Check Your Usage

I have a short, quick lesson today. (You can stop cheering now. :P)

Reign vs Rein 

A king reigns.  
   (sovereign rule)
 
A cowboy reins. 
   (leather straps on a bridle)

Just remember a King has lots of gold, so give him the G.

Stealing Breath - Excerpt Reveal

Today I have an excerpt reveal for you from the book Stealing Breath by Joanne Brothwell.  Stealing Breath is a YA paranormal shapeshifter novel published by Crescent Moon Press and the first in the Stealing Breath series.

I've signed up for two dates on this tour, so later this month, on Thursday the 29th, I'll be posting a book spotlight with ebook giveaway. Be sure to mark your calendars and come back for that! 

An ancient evil has resurfaced,
the soul of the Indigo Child is at stake.
Beware those with the Stealing Breath...

Here's the excerpt...

Grammar Police Monday - Just Shoot Me

Announcements first!
The Stealing Breath book tour is this month. Come back Wednesday for an excerpt reveal. 

The Crimson Hunt, book 1 in the Eldaen Light Chronicles by Victoria H. Smith, is out!  If you're in the mood for a New Adult, Sci-fi college romance and you don't mind some heat, this one's for you. :)

Lisa Regan, author of suspense/crime novel Finding Claire Fletcher (due to be released on Dec. 6th), revealed the cover for her new book, Aberration, this week. Check it out!





Now for GPM... 

IWSG - Embracing Our Infancy

How many of you cringe when you read one of your early attempts at fiction? 

*shudder* I do. 

I blush and shake my head, musing how naive I was to think that was good writing. And how kind my first readers were not to laugh. 

I try not to think of those early days because...well...it's flat out embarrassing. 

But what if I step back and look at this from a different POV.

I recently read a post on a fellow writer's blog entitled Totaled, in which she tells of writing her first novel and how she finally scrapped it as a total loss. Yet she didn't consider it a waste of time. In fact, she's glad for the experience. And her post got me thinking...

Grammar Police Monday - Double Trouble

Announcements first!

It’s release day for Betwixt, a YA paranormal romance by MelissaPearl! Congrats, Melissa!!! :D

You can find Betwixt on: 
Amazon  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Smashwords  ~  Goodreads 

It will soon be available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony and Apple, too.

Wednesday, November 7^th is... 
Insecure Writers Support Group. 
I’ve scheduled an encouraging post I hope you’ll enjoy.

Today I'm cloning myself! (Apropos, yes?)  I’m posting here, and I’m also guest posting at Leave It To Livia about my blogging experiences.  I’d love it if you’d pay Livia’s blog a visit when you're done.  :)

###

Now for GPM—Double Trouble 
                Double Possessives & Double Negatives

Book Tour - The Big Smoke by Cally Jackson

I'm super excited to have author Cally Jackson on the blog today. Cally was here a short time ago for a cover reveal, and now she's back with an interview to announce the release of her debut novel, The Big Smoke. 

Congratulations, Cally! 
*cue balloons & streamers*

Cally's a real sweetheart, and I enjoy hosting her despite the fact her regional spellings give my word processor fits. :P

First a refresher of the cover and blurb... 

Bad Girls

While looking for blog post ideas, I came across a list of the Top 10 Vile Villainesses. 

"We may love the protagonists of our favorite novels, but without an antagonist to struggle against, those novels would be very dull. Lots has been written about the roles played by women in literature, and this list celebrates female villains. Some we hate and some we love to hate. Here are ten of the best worst women of literature. 

- Ben Gazur"

In ascending order, they are:

10. Dolores Umbrige, professor from Harry Potter. 
9.   Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper from the novel Rebecca.
8.   The White Witch from Narnia. 
7.   Miss Havisham from Dickens' Great Expectations.
6.   Grendel's Mother in Beowulf.
5.   Marquise de Merteuil, from Les Liasions Dangereuses, a novel that scandalized France when it was published in 1782.
4.   Livia from Robert Graves' I, Claudius.
3.   Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth.
2.   Lady de Winter (Milady) of The Three Musketeers.
1.   The character Medea as shown in Euripides' play.

So tell us...

What makes a good villainess? 

What kind of lady do you love to hate?

Grammar Police Monday - A Grisly Lesson

First, some announcements!

Today is release day for Cally Jackson's debut novel, The Big Smoke. Woohoo! :D  

I'll be launching a special post this Friday about the book, including an interview with Cally.

Peter Cruikshank over at It Is What It Is tagged me in The Next Big Thing blog hop with questions about my current WIP.  Thanks, Peter! :) 

Since I participated in the Be Inspired meme this summer, answering virtually the same questions, I decided to spare you a repeat and simply link the post. If you haven't seen it yet, click here. 

 ###

Now for GPM...

Book Spotlight & Excerpt Reveal - The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson

I'm excited to be a part of author Nancy S. Thompson's book tour for her psychological thriller and debut novel, The Mistaken. Not only do I get to introduce you to the book, but Nancy has graciously given me a tempting tidbit of an excerpt to reveal to you as well. 

If you're like me, by the end of this post, you'll be ready to add The Mistaken to the top of your TBR list. ;)

I'll give you the book's description first, and then the excerpt. Enjoy. :)

~~~~~

All Tyler Karras wants is to enjoy life with his expectant bride; what he gets instead is a graveside seat at her funeral.  With the woman who killed her uncharged and still free, all Ty wants now is revenge.

Grammar Police Monday - Partnership & Pinching Pennies

I'll get to the lesson shortly. First, I'm going to bore entertain you with a story.

While helping my 77-year-old mother clean out her closet the other day, I got the jobs of climbing the stepladder and moving the heavy stuff. I also got the job—when her vacuum attachment didn't fit—of laying on top of a jumbo Spacebag to press out all the air. She wanted the bag smaller, so she joined me. 

There we were, side by side, flat of our bellies on this thing and sprawled across her bed. It was a Kodak moment. (Not.)

Of Pens & Swords

I'd like to talk about a subject near and dear to our writers' hearts (or maybe not – ha!).  Manuscript critiques.  They’re a necessary evil of our profession, but done well, they're a valuable asset.

The topic of critiquing is so complex, I could write a post way longer than you'd be willing to read, so I decided to focus on a few basic points we should keep in mind as we crit. This advice comes from learning some of these things the hard way. 

Writers grow in their skill of critiquing just as they do in their skill of writing.

Grammar Police Monday - Don't Be Obtuse

I’ve got a short lesson on usage lined up for today, with an added bonus for those of you who make it to the end. :) 

But first, a funny side note... 

Feelin' The Luv

I'm not sure why, but I've been oddly popular lately. My blog following has grown (probably because I finally fixed my broken Follower gadget. :P), and I've been the surprised, delighted recipient of some very kind comments. I even had my first interview. We hear all the time what a great bunch of supportive bloggers writers are, but stuff like this makes you realize it's true.

Livia blew me away by displaying my blog button. 
I didn't even know she'd done it! I just happened to see it when I visited her blog. Thank you, Livia!  :)


And I was recently given the Leibster Blog Award by Katherine Checkley over at The Intrinsic Writer.

 

Katherine is a real sweetheart. If you don't already follow her blog, you should. 

Same goes for Livia. :)

The Liebster Blog rules are as follows: