Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Leap into Books Giveaway Hop

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for setting up this blog hop! Love having an extra day - wish I could add an extra day to every weekend! :)

Here's my giveaway (U.S. only):


Rock Bottom by Cate Masters - contemporary romance 
Signed paperback

For rocker Jet Trently, success means playing the same platinum-selling hits over and over. Philly rock journalist Billie Prescott thrives on covering the latest releases. When her editor sends her to Malibu to cover Jet’s reality dating show, Rock Bottom, her blog’s success keeps her trapped there. Her life’s at Rock Bottom too, until she hears Jet’s new songs. They touch her heart as his music did when she was 15. When Jet touches her heart as well, will the reality show ruin the real thing?


Bad Moon Rising by Sherrilyn Kenyon - paranormal romance
Hard cover
Prepare to enter a world full of richly imagined mythology — a world where dark and dangerous heroes fight to protect us.
Prepare to enter an endless battle.
Prepare to lose yourself...
 





Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz - paranormal romance
Hard cover
The New York Times—bestselling author presents her latest Arcane Society novel and introduces the first book in the Dreamlight Trilogy—the story of a curse that spans generations, and the love that can heal it. . .



Here's how to enter:
1. Like my Facebook page (also found at right). Easy peasy!

Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. 

I'm also holding a giveaway at my TBR blog, so check it out!


And check out all the giveaways at participating blogs. Happy Leap Year Day! And happy reading.

Catch fire with CassaFire!

Today's finally the day! Alex J. Cavanaugh's Catch Fire Blog Party, celebrating the release of CassaFire! Alex's brilliant strategy to help CassaFire “catch fire” on the best seller charts and achieve the success of the first book, CassaStar. There’s also a special package of prizes being given away at the author’s blog (copies of CassaFire, CassaStar, tote bag, mug, and bookmarks) as well as book giveaways during his two-week blog tour. See Alex’s site for details: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities. 

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available today!
Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:
“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

You can visit the author’s site at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/


Monday, February 27, 2012

Casting Call: Tonight You Belong to Me

Tonight You Belong to me, my contemporary short released by Decadent as part of its very cool 1NS series, was inspired by the duet of Eddie Vedder and Cat Power on his Ukelele Songs CD. It's a sweet song full of yearning, and of course Eddie inspires me anytime I look at him. :)

The hero, Danny O'Malley, and the heroine, Jillian Jones, make a sweet duet both as a couple and onstage. They're crazy in love until a misunderstanding tears them apart. Danny has one last chance before Jilly quits Vegas for good. Madame Eve's 1Night Stand service.

When I was writing Tonight You Belong to Me, I saw in the deep brown soulful eyes of Danny O'Malley none other than Jake Gyllenhaal. I suppose Jake's role in The Prince of Persia helped inspire me, too. Strong and sensitive, with a weak spot for the woman he loves, Jake would be perfect as Danny. I'm not sure about his singing voice, but there's always overdubs!

Jilly's a sizzling, sexy, sassy Southern girl. As I wrote, I heard Reese Witherspoon's lilting voice in my head. From her role in Ring of Fire, I know she can sing. And she's gorgeous, but not in the helpless-little-girl way. She's feisty and stands up for herself. Reese is perfect as Jilly.

At first, I'd written Harry Connick, Jr. as the headlining Vegas act, and in my head, he's still in the story. Sorry, Harry, I know you love to act, but Bobby Benoit is now your generic name, which came about as a tangential mashup of Michael Buble and Tony Bennett. Don't ask me to explain how I got to Bobby Benoit.


Sunday, February 26, 2012

SSS: Danny's effect on Jillian

Thanks so much for visiting! And thanks especially for your comments. I appreciate every one.

Here's another six from Tonight You Belong to Me, my 1NS story released on Friday from Decadent! Yay!


In two shakes of a lamb’s tail, he stood a hair’s breadth away, a rush of warmth sending his heat slamming into her, the air filled with his musky cologne and his need. Their bodies knew how to communicate too well, moving in tandem like some primal dance that always ended up with their clothes tangled up on the floor and their naked limbs tangled on the carpet. Or the table. Or the car. No easy feat in their cheap compact car, either. Somehow it only made their lovemaking sweeter, that was the hell of it.

Check out all the fantastic Six Sentence Sunday authors! Have a great week!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Follow me, follow you

Just a heads up... with the impending demise of Google Friend Connect, if you need another tool for followers, here's a new one: Linky followers. I just added a Linky follower option, at right. If you're feeling friendly. :)

Check it out at http://www.linkyfollowers.com/

If you follow me through Linky, let me know so I can follow you too.


Friday, February 24, 2012

Release day for Tonight You Belong to Me!

Yay, my second 1NS story released today from Decadent Publishing! I love this series.

Like A Hard Day's Knight, Tonight You Belong to Me is also set in Las Vegas but is a contemporary romance. Jilly, the heroine, is a sassy Southern girl. Not unlike my late mother-in-law, Grace, raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and whose accent made every sentence sound more fun. As Mark Twain said, "Southerners talk music!"


Jilly's a musical girl in many ways. Come find out more at Decadent's 1NS blog.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Free today and tomorrow only!

Don't miss your chance to pick up this unique speculative fiction novel. Arlene Webb is making Splintered Energy free on Amazon, but get it fast! Today and tomorrow, it's free. While you're there, she’d also love some more tags and likes as well.
 
Arlene's  unique voice brings this incredibly imaginative story to life.
 
Here’s the blurb:

Waves of pure energy are quite happy hanging in the cosmos, traveling at the speed of light to brighten up the sky--until dawn breaks. Literally.

When sentient light fractures, it zaps into human bodies and becomes trapped. Without any memories to guide them, a handful of confused beings whose skin tones are now specific colors, struggle to understand humanity while it's quite clear they shouldn't be in this world. The few humans clued in to Earth's invasion don't flutter, but are drawn to their fiery fate with hearts wide open as they fight to survive.

California. A widower's twelve-year-old son is rather young to bring home a woman, especially a collapsed green beauty too frightened to open her eyes.
Arizona. A divorcee blinks hard, but the gorgeous red guy stepping in front of her car is still red. She serves to avoid hitting him and ends up in the ditch. When she comes around, she wonders which layer of hell she's fallen into.
Ohio. A teen also fears he's dealing with the demonic, but no matter how dangerous things become, he's determined to stand by a man with inhumanly blue eyes.

Splintered Energy is an Earth based sci-fi/suspense/romance novel and the first in a four book series. Book 2, The R Word, and book 3, House of Seven, are available. The final is scheduled for March-April 2012.
 
 Most of all, Arlene hopes anyone who does help by taking a copy of Splintered Energy for free, finds the time to read it and enjoys it as much as she did writing it.
I know I did. :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Win it before you can buy it!

Today and tomorrow only!

Visit the Decadent 1NS blog and answer this question:

If you could have someone sing you a love song, what would that song be and why? 

You could win an ebook of Tonight You Belong to Me, my very fun, very sexy 1NS story that will release on Friday.

Good luck!

Monday, February 20, 2012

We'll always have Paris




So what do you think? Does “We’ll always have Paris” make you sigh and swoon? Or does it make you say, “No, you idiot, don’t let her get on that plane!”

It certainly made me wonder. The ending to Casablanca is bittersweet. Would she have regretted staying, somewhere down the line? Guess we’ll never know, will we?

Casablanca’s a great film, yes, but it made me wonder why they chose that as the most romantic film of all time. The notion of “the one that got away”? Or because they’d fallen in love and shared some incredibly romantic moments?

What defines romance for you? Do you have to have a Happy Ever After? Or is Happy For Now enough? Do you view movies differently than books in that regard?

Sunday, February 19, 2012

SSS: Jillian's about to put Sin City in her rearview mirror

Thanks so much for visiting each week! And special thanks to those who comment.

I'm switching it up this week. Here's the opener to my  1NS story releasing Feb. 24, Tonight You Belong to Me, and a peek at who I imagined as Jillian: 

Nervous as a virgin in a prison rodeo, Jillian Jones tugged down her form-fitting silk sheath as she stepped into the Castillo Resort lounge. 
She had enough problems without her dress riding up. She’d already had her heart chewed up and spit out by that two-timing Casanova, Danny O’Malley. Why she’d agreed to do one last favor for Karenna before hightailing it out of Sin City, she couldn’t say. Yet something in her heart told her she wouldn’t regret tonight. Maybe it would change her life.

Check out all the fantastic participants at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a great week!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Romance Blurb Fest at TBR this weekend


Romance authors, post your romance blurbs, along with title and buy link, at TBR this weekend!  Readers, get ready for your TBR list to expand.


And if anyone's in the central Pennsylvania area, I hope you'll pop over to the Midtown Scholar Bookstore between 2:00 and 5:00 today and say hi. :)

Friday, February 17, 2012

The. End.

I made a push last weekend to finally finish the second book in The Goddess Connection series, Dancing With the Devil. Writing time's hard won these days, or I might have finished before the end of last year. This story's been in my head for far too long, and it's a relief to finally have it down in story form. After much cutting and revising, it ended up at about 57k.

Not that it's the final version, of course. My crit partners have to review it, and I'll depend on their honest critiques to point out any flaws I've missed. But they're very good at that, so I have no worries there. :)

Here's a peek at the cover - what do you think?

While this is the second book in the series, it doesn't follow the same characters but instead follows this theme: Every woman should embrace her inner goddess. In each book, the heroine will be somehow connected to a goddess. Her lifelong quirks will become strengths once she finds her true place in the world, and accepts herself for who she really is.

The first book, The Magic of Lavender, related to the goddess Iris.
In Dancing with the Devil, the heroine is connected to the goddess Persephone. Yep, wife of Hades. It made for some very interesting scenes in the Underworld, and even more interesting characters. Researching the mythology of such figures sets my imagination in motion, and unearthed some wonderful information about ancient dances. But that's for another post. :)
Any goddesses that particularly interest you? That you'd like to see, say, as part of The Goddess Connection series?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Booksigning event this Saturday

This Saturday at The Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, you can catch up with me, Susan Gourley and T.M. Crone. Grab a latte at the coffee counter and enjoy the unique environment of this store, named one of "America's Great Independent Bookstores." It's worth a visit anytime.

You can pick up some great books there, too. The Midtown has signed copies of several of our books on hand anytime, but it would be great to see some friendly faces. :)


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Hope your Valentine's Day is magical!

And has plenty of love - and chocolate. :)


Don't wear Cupid out too much. He looks tired. 

To celebrate, I'm throwing a Romance Blurb Fest this Saturday at TBR.  Same as last time: just post your book title, blurb and buy link in the comments section.  Any and all subgenres of romance, and any heat level but the blurb must be suitable for general audiences. Hope you'll join in!



To add a little more magic to Valentine's Day, I picked up a copy of Arlene Webb's latest, Arrow to the Heart. I can't wait to read it. Arlene never fails to deliver a unique story, and this is exactly the kind of story I like - a little mythology and paranormal and romance:

Dr. Cu has no doubt that love at first sight happens only in fairytales. He knows intimately that it takes a unique blend of chemicals to force two hearts to beat as one. A world-renowned player, he’s accepted his fate. As a God of Love, he’s doomed to remain lonely. But when he opens his eyes and his gaze takes in a woman in need of assistance, he’s shocked to find himself falling, exactly like his many victims.

Naturally, when an arrogant legend is smitten, happiness comes at a price. Cu must fight the powerful Goddess of Love, his controlling mother, in order to protect the mortal who’s captured his fancy.


When his love betrays him, Cu learns how hard a God can hit rock bottom. If he can’t put down the bow and wrap his hand around humility and forgiveness, his destined love will remain a myth.



And as a special treat this week - get Carrie James Haynes' Daughter of Deceit FREE on Amazon.
Here's a tasty tidbit from this historical with paranormal elements:
Someone wants Alyce Hythe dead…
Shunned from London society for being the daughter of England’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. For years, she has been hidden away from all prying eyes, given a new identity and told to forget who she was. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to once more be whispered.

Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman.
Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Casting Call: A Hard Day's Knight

My fantasy romance, A Hard Day's Knight, is available from Decadent Publishing's 1NS now! Woot!

So you know what that means. Time to reveal the Casting Call. :)

Okay, so maybe it was the BBC production of Robin Hood that influenced me when I imagined Lance in A Hard Day's Knight. Somehow every time I saw him, it was the tall figure of Richard Armitage, and his soulful blue eyes.

He is one of those actors who can play contemporary and historical equally well, a perfect fit for a story with time travel elements and an Arthurian twist. Bet he'd look pretty good on a Harley, too. :)

The role of Gwyn required the same quality, though with more of a modern element.

This pic of Piper Perabo was the inspiration for Gwyn, who loves all things medieval in her job at Medieval Merriment in Vegas.

Morgan le Fay, or Morganna, is a witch who travels through time with ease as well. Sexy and gorgeous, with a wild flair, she's as menacing now as she was in Arthur's day.

Helena Bonham Carter can play Morgan anyday. I just love her.

Pick up your copy of A Hard Day's Knight at Decadent Publishing today!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

SSS: Last peek at A Hard Day's Knight

I missed my SSS fix last week. But I added almost 7k to my WIP, so whew and yay! It's now 57k, and the first draft is finished.

Another big yay for A Hard Day's Knight, which released on Friday from Decadent as part of their 1NS series! Woot! Here's the last snippet from my Arthurian-themed fantasy:


Not even Kurt’s babble dampened the evening. With Gwyn at his side, Lance felt strangely at home. His head warred with his heart, warning him not to get too comfortable, not to let the warmth of the evening lull him into complacency. Especially with the threat still lingering in the air, still buzzing along his nerve endings. He’d already stayed as long as possible in Las Vegas. Soon the buzz would sink into his veins like poison, and every part of him would scream for relief – only obtained when he took to the road.

I'll make the SSS rounds a bit later. Today I'm visiting with my sisters, who are venturing out to central PA to help me celebrate my birthday. I can't wait to see them. :)

Don't forget to check out all the amazing snippets at Six Sentence Sunday. Have a great week!

Bliss Kiss: Flashback

Here's a kiss from my dark paranormal, Clio's Choice:


He curled his arm behind her, drew her to him. “Ariadne.” His voice, like the warm south wind, rushed through her.
“What did you call me?” Looking into his eyes, she could almost hear her blood pulsing, like drumbeats, insistent, beating faster and faster. A memory fought for recognition in her consciousness, then died away as his lips met hers, igniting a heat like a bonfire between them. She held his head and kissed him as if she were drowning.
A bonfire. An image flashed in her head – dancing with Jon on a beach, then leading him to their room. Their wedding night.

I'm giving away an ebook of Clio's Choice to one commenter. Thanks for stopping by! 
Find more fantastic kisses at Bliss Kiss.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Release day for A Hard Day's Knight!

Hooray, my Arthurian-themed fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, releases today from Decadent Publishing! I'm so excited they accepted it for their 1Night Stand series. I found it a little bit addicting, and wrote a second as soon as I finished this story. That one releases at the end of the month. :)

I'm over at the 1NS blog today, sharing a bit about A Hard Day's Knight. The title, as you can guess, pays homage to my love of The Beatles, and of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table, which fascinated me since I was in my teens and read The Once and Future King.

I'm also part of Amber Leigh Williams' 14 Days of Romance event.

I hope to see you! :)


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Calm before the storm

I've been preparing posts for lots of other blogs and sites, so have neglected my own blog this week. It's not that I haven't been busy, just busy behind the scenes. I'm gearing up for the release of my two 1NS stories this month, and the release of my dark paranormal, Dead to Rights next month. I love release days, but it means promo, promo and more promo. :)


Which, of course, means goodies for everyone else! So come back for the virtual party on Friday, when my fantasy, A Hard Day's Knight, will release from Decadent.


Any marketing tips to share? What's worked for you? What isn't worth your time?

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Under pressure



Sometimes I feel like this as an author. So many other authors are out there, all vying for readers. Oh, I know there's room for plenty of authors to attain simultaneous success, but sometimes I feel like a raindrop in the ocean. All I can do is write the best story possible, and hope readers will love it as much as I do, and spread the word to other readers.

With sites such as Amazon and Smashwords offering downloads of samples of stories to read before they buy, the pressure's greater than ever to hook those readers in the first few pages. I'm very excited about the stories I'm working on now, but also nervous. I've revised the opening pages of my current WIP several times already, and I haven't even finished the first draft.

Here are a few tips I've picked up from writing books:

Start at the right spot. Determine what the inciting incident is, the event that sets everything in motion for your character. Start there. Not ten pages of building up to it. Kick your story off where your hero/ine's world turns upside down.

No backstory. Leave it for later in the book, and even then, keep it brief. Allude to it, make it part of the natural conversation, but never an info dump (my crit partners love that term!)

Give your reader a feel for the tone of the book. Whatever happens in the first pages should set the scene, so to speak, for the entire book. It should act as the jumping-off point, and the readers should get the sense of what the story will be about. It's a promise of what's to come, and you should hold true to that promise. 

Make your character someone readers care about. Even a kickass heroine has a soft spot. Show it. Illustrate whatever her particular strength is, and don't be afraid to let readers know she also has flaws and weaknesses.

Or if your character's more complex, one that readers might not like right away, give him a saving grace. Insert a Save the Cat moment in your story. Readers will eat it up.  Here's a post from last year about Save the Cat, providing more detail.

Most important, write the story you'd want to read. If it doesn't grab you, how will it grab your readers?

What tips do you have for hooking readers in the first few pages?

Sunday, February 5, 2012

New contract with Decadent!

Woo hoo! Decadent Publishing will release my dark paranormal novella, Death Is A Bitch! I sent back the signed contract on Friday. Happy dance time!


I'm so psyched. I'd initially planned to self-publish it, but decided to go with Decadent. They're a really wonderful bunch, supportive and knowledgeable. And their covers are beautiful, too.


I've posted some snippets from Death Is A Bitch for Six Sentence Sunday, though the story line's changed somewhat since I shared those. Revisions, revisions! But it's an even better story now.


Here's the (unofficial) blurb:



Some say Death’s a bitch. But only when she needs to be. Instead of a villainess, she’d love to be seen as a kickass heroine, with cool tools of her trade hidden in her silver charm bracelet.

Shedding the Grim Reaper rep would improve existence too. Not likely with Damien the daemon lurking, waiting to pounce on any poor soul seeking another chance.

As the patron angel of death and dying, Azrael’s close work with Death makes him yearn for true intimacy. She’s the only immortal who’s ever riled such powerful emotions in him. When he finally gets the chance, one taste of her leaves him needing her like humans need air and food.

After centuries of hoping Death would wake up and see him for the prize he truly is, Damien the daemon tires of waiting. If he can’t get her attention, then Damien will make sure Azrael can’t either. Using Sisyphus as bait, Damien traps Death in her own charm bracelet, the only tool of her trade she uses. Downside, he now has to run. Upside, thanks to his plan, she doubts Azrael, the undeserving putz. Another plus, he leaves a trail of sexually sated females. None of them Death, and Damien won’t be satisfied until he has her – one way or another.



I'm sitting out Six Sentence Sunday this week. Getting closer to finishing the first draft of Dancing With the Devil, book two in the Goddess Connection series. I'm almost at 50k, but I have much work left to do. I'll catch up with some Sixers hopefully later!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Today's Fantasy Blurb Fest at TBR


Fantasy authors, bring out your blurbs and post them in the comment section at TBR!

Everyone else, read and enjoy!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Hitting the button

The panic button, that is. Since December, I've been nervous about my computer. My McAfee subscription ran out and I couldn't afford an update. So I added what I considered a patch with the AVG Free software. I know lots of people who've praised it, but after the incident last year with the malicious attack on my computer, I still live in fear that I'll click on the wrong thing and launch some insidious, hideous, nightmare-inducing attack that will leave my computer a zombie with a fried hard drive.

After about a thousand "reminders," McAfee played on my practical side and sent an email offering a renewal at half price. Wanting to breathe a little easier, I took them up on it.

Wow, what a nightmare. Six times, I tried to install the software but couldn't. The AVG Free apparently blocked it.

So I did what any desperate person does - went to the McAfee tech, and ended up in an online chat for about 40 minutes. The tech took control of my computer, went through all the steps I went through... with the same result. 

His advice, before closing out our chat session with a hearty goodbye? Contact an AVG tech to find out how to uninstall the free software.


So I went to the AVG site and clicked on Tech Support, got a phone number and ticket number, and dialed. Waited 20 minutes online for someone to pick up.


Meanwhile, my computer went wonky, I couldn't get into Firefox at all, so yes, I panicked.I bought the full AVG software. It downloaded and installed fine. After two tries, I have assurances that McAfee will refund my money.


My husband always jokes that computers will be the downfall of the world. I'm beginning to think he's right - with one adjustment. It's not computers, it's the programmers. The software companies trying to compete with one another, who lock users out of their own computers to manipulate them to do what they want. I'm tired of my computer being attacked by both hackers and antivirus software (and, btw, I'm not convinced they're not one in the same).


So my computer is once again safe. I think. For now.


Any advice on how not to get trapped in this monkey-in-the-middle nonsense?

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Calling all fantasy authors!

Get your blurbs ready! TBR will launch a new feature this weekend - blurb fests. They'll take place twice a month, and target specific genres each time.

Fantasy is up first. Check TBR for information on how you can participate.

The next blurb fest, on Feb. 18, will be Romance, any and all subgenres. I know that makes for a very expanded list, but it seemed unfair not to have a Romance Blurb Fest, especially so close to Valentine's Day.

Here's a list of others that will follow:

Mystery

Horror

Historical

Paranormal

Steampunk

Western

General, open to all

If you're a fantasy author, I hope to see your blurb posted at TBR. And if you participate, please follow TBR.
Thanks!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Insecure Writers: Negativity everywhere

Have you noticed it lately? It's all over the Internet. And man, am I tired of it.

Venomous comments on Facebook concerning politics or other public figures, frighteningly vehement. I've noticed juvenile feedback on web articles, and even YouTube videos (thankfully, none of my own, but it still bothers me). Authors who blog about what other authors shouldn't say on their blog.

Even nasty feedback on free reads. Free reads! A story given to you by an author. If someone handed you a gift in real life, would you say nasty things about it? Doubtful, but if you did, it would only be shared in confidence. So why do that to an author?

For awhile, some negativity made me doubt myself. I wondered: Am I doing everything wrong? Should I not talk about my writing, or writing in general, or mention nice reviews on my blog? Well, for goodness sake, what is a blog for if you can't share a good review? I'm happy for other authors who receive good reviews. Show a little generosity of spirit and say, "nice job." And writing is my passion. In fact, it's my escape. It's why I began this blog.

Sorry if this post comes off as negative. I work very hard at trying to remain positive, but sometimes the naysayers drag me down. I'm not saying it's all aimed at me. Much of it isn't. There's just been so much of it - on blogs, on Facebook - too many places.

We're all doing what we love, and doing the best that we can. And I love helping other authors, so I post plenty of tips both here and on my Facebook page.

I'm a big believer in karma. Negativity comes back around, maybe when you least want it to revisit you.

But beyond that, I think of myself as a professional. And in a professional world, we should conduct ourselves as such, and show some grace, some encouragement, some friendship. I have no respect for anyone who tries to elevate themselves by bashing others.

So this is my advice to anyone who visits, today or any day - believe in yourself. Love what you do, and let it show. Don't let anyone else tell you it's wrong. And if you don't like what I share on my blog, well, I'm sorry, but it's what I love. My passion. If you want to see pictures of the snow, or the sunrise or my dog, they're on my personal Facebook page. I have nothing against sharing that sort of thing on blogs, and I like seeing it on others' blogs, but it's just not my focus. Writing is.

Getting off my soapbox now...

And thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for coordinating the Insecure Writer's Support Group! It's a great way to connect with, and support, other authors.