The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker, et al

I love reading.  So much I forget about my writing and word counts. I was a reader before I was a writer. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Right now, I should be adding words to my manuscript, but, no, I'm composing book reviews!

Here's my latest:


Carrie Nichols' The Sheriff's Little Matchmaker has turned me into a forever fan. Every time Remy Fontenot says "cher" I swoon, then goosebumps appear. Sasha Honeycutt is a vulnerable but determined widow who fights the good fight but surrenders to Remy's allure just as this reader did. And don't get me started on Evie! She's a firecracker and an old soul rolled into one. Plotting to get her two favorite people together takes a mastermind and master manipulator and she does it with no conscience. Carrie knows her characters well and brings them alive for us with witty dialogue and tension-filled moments. Be sure to put this book on your pre-order list. You won't be disappointed! I received an ARC for an honest review.

And the one before :


Finishing a Regina Kyle book always leaves me wanting...wanting her next book, that is! As far as I'm concerned she can't write them fast enough. A Nanny For The Reclusive Billionaire was worth waiting for. Strong-willed heroines and swoony billionaires are right up her alley. And Oliver is a delight! He might have been isolated from the outside world, but his master of manipulation gene is alive and well. I also developed a serious crush on Collins. Regina's characters are always worth spending your time with. You won't be disappointed.  ARC received for an honest review.


And before that:

Tina Radcliffe has done it again. She's written another awesome can't-put-down book. Falling For The Cowgirl stole my heart just like AJ stole Travis'. Despite Travis' issues with control and security, I think AJ had his number right from the start. Falling in love wasn't easy for them, but laced with the perfect amount of humor, trust, pride, and respect they made it to their HEA, along with some help from two bison, a dog, blackberry pie and advice-giving cowboys. You're going to love this sweet romance! Hope you got to write today. Marcia

PERSEVERANCE

Rejection is never easy to swallow. Or, should I say a rejection. I received my second rejection on August 23rd and it hurt. I made all the classic newbie writer mistakes; not enough conflict to carry the story, story founded on misunderstandings easily solved by conversation, etc..

But something good came out of the rejection too. Intriguing premise and characters. Since it was only three chapters I'm assuming they pulled all of that from my synopsis. I felt the same way about my characters when I wrote it.

So do I scrap all my hard work, blood, sweat and tears, and start another story? One CP suggested stepping away from it for a while, and another says I should start on a new manuscript. Almost the same thing. These are two published authors who have felt the sting of rejection. But, they are now published. They didn't give up, they felt they had a good story to tell, they persevered.

Who am I to jump ship? I want to be published. Almost every author's dream. Some just write to write. To feel the flow of words seep from their brain onto the paper or screen. I kept a journal for a few years after my divorce, mostly lamenting the single life. Of course, I embraced it after a year or so right up to twelve years when I met my now significant other. But, I digress.

The thing I want to say is that I'm not giving up. I'm persevering. I will step away from my manuscript for a while and do other things related to the craft. Studying, taking classes, keeping in touch with other writers. I'm co-chairing the first writer's group at our local library this week. I'd been wanting to start one for a while. I kept bugging the library so they put me in touch with a branch department head and away we went. She was so excited to have someone interested in such a group. I'll let you know how it went in my next post.

To all of you writers out there...rejection is a part of writing...I reject words every day I write...but that's me and that's the craft. You'll get there. I'll get there. Persevere.


Hope you get to write today,

M. Lee

Dusting Off The Dust Bunnies

Hello Reader,

I must confess I didn't mean to let nine months go by since my last post. I could list all the excuses, but then I use up my wordage limit and I want to say so much more. Not asking for forgiveness here, so I'll just write.

July 10th was a banner day for me. I turned in my first three chapters and synopsis to Entangled Publishing after a request from an editor through a pitchfest sponsored by SavvyAuthors.com. It was my first request so I'm quite proud of myself. I've had one rejection from another publisher on the same submission, but I recovered, edited, rewrote and sent the new and improved mss and synopsis to Entangled.

Now the waiting begins. In the meantime, I'm finishing up my first draft and will go immediately into polishing that puppy up. Also, I've taken a few classes on structure, dialogue, and rhetorical devices plus devouring a lot of craft books. My other half never comments on my all-day house cleaning binge, but he does notice the circles under my eyes. Can he also see the words leaking from almost every orifice in my body?

A few of the books I've read or reread have been GMC by Debra Dixon, Techniques Of The Selling Writer by Swain, Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Browne and King and a lot more. Conflict and dialogue seem to be the toughest issues in my writing journey so I try to scope out every article, post, and book I can get on those subjects.

I'm also working on posting a new picture of myself. My hair is way down my back and my new glasses give me a sexy librarian look (IMHO).

I've listed many goals on this blog (and others) so this post will contain only one. Blogging is not my first love...reading is. So once a month I will try to do my best and offer something worthwhile to the cyber world and parts unknown.

Hope you get to write today,

Marcia

TWELVE WEEKS

This has been the longest twelve weeks of my life. Actually, I'm only into week 8, and the suspense is killing me! Not literally killing me, but you get my drift.

The last time I checked my submission to Carina Press it said "In-Progress". What that means I have no idea, but it's got to be better than "Received" which was the last level. My writer friend in New York hasn't heard back either, so we're both sporting shorter nails.

I just finished Brenda Novak's, THIS HEART OF MINE, part of her Whiskey Creek series, for the second time. It's a mood book for me. Something about that romance tugs at my heart. Brenda says she loves to write about redemption, and this is a classic example. A double shot. Phoenix and Riley are two former lovers looking to redeem themselves from guilt. His, from not believing her in the first place, hers from the stigma of an ex-con. Of course, there's a child involved, only now he's a smart-mouthed teenager, but so intricate to the story. Jacob adds just the right amount of naivete, humor and unconditional love, keeping the story moving forward. Love this book!

On the home front, it's still freaking hot here in Nevada. The AC and fans are running every day. The winds are picking up, too, making it difficult to walk outside. The garden is cleared, waiting for cooler weather for planting veggies that tolerate the milder desert climate.

My heart is still hurting for all the victims of Las Vegas, the fires, floods, hurricanes, and whatever else has been thrown at us humans. The amount of recovery is mind-boggling, and my prayers go out to all the first responders, volunteers, clean-up crews, and all the behind-the-scenes personnel giving their time and effort to make this possible. May God Bless You All.

Hope you get to write today.

Marcia 

Reading Books and Posting Reviews

Let's face it, and own it...I read a LOT of books.

Yes, I write, too, and sometimes, well...most of the time, my love of reading gets in the way of my writing. I did read somewhere something an author said that she NEVER read when she was writing her books so as to not pull her away from her concentration. You go, girl!

I'm also owning up to my crunch addiction. There, I said it...My name is Marcia, and I have a serious crunch addiction. If I don't crunch on something every day, I'm borderline certifiable. Potato chips are usually my crunch du jour, but if I'm out, popcorn will do. Or, tortilla chips, or crunchy veggies. Crunchy veggies are last on my list. I like the fun crunchies best.

But, I digress. Back to reading. If I don't read something every day, I feel I've been cheated out of something great. I feel I've let the one get away, left the barn door open, fell off the mountain, missed the train...well...you get my drift. I'm lost.

Where am I going with all of this? I'll tell you. When I finish a book, and it leaves me with an awesome feeling, whether happy, sad, indifferent, I try to review it. Sometimes, it's just the 5-star review rating, and other times I'll take a moment to write one. I think if an author took the time to write the one book that touches my soul, then he or she should know about it. I'm not a reviewer that gives the whole story away...I hate those, but I say yay or nay, and get it over with. I've read articles on how to review a book, and still prefer to do it my way. I've even received some feedback from the authors on my simple, but effective reviews. That makes me feel good. So, I'll continue doing it my way, thank you very, very much.

Hope you get to write today.

Marcia

Harvey, Irma, Fires, Floods, Earthquakes, Tornadoes, and Normal Everyday Life

WOW!!!


That's all I can say, or write. These past few weeks have taken a toll on everyone, and I am feeling so blessed right now that all my family and friends are safe. I've lived through a disaster, and it is possible to recover. Life goes on...with or without us, and I'd rather be in the living column.

We Will Never Forget...all the victims of 9/11 and their families. My heart and prayers are with you.

The 4th of this month was a banner day for me. I managed, by the hair of my chinnie-chin-chin to submit my first three chapters, synopsis and query letter to an open submissions invite from Carina Press, an imprint of Harlequin. Normally, a full manuscript is all they will allow, but the editor's curiosity got the best of them, and they wanted to see what us wannabe-authors were working on...our Work-In-Progress, WIP, if you will, and I jumped on the bandwagon. A writer friend of mine in New York informed me of this opportunity so we worked together to get our WIPs whipped into shape and editor-ready. Fingers crossed at this point...we have to give them up to 12 weeks for a response to our hard work. I'm willing to wait. Of course, while I'm waiting I'm thinking of all the stupid dialogue, shoddy descriptions, blah names, and  poor GMC that I foisted on my characters and story line.

 But, my dear readers, that is why we call it a Work-In-Progress. We get to fix the POS to the best of our ability so it really shines!

Hope you get to write today,

Mxo

Review of The Billionaire In Her Bed by Regina Kyle

Got an invite from Regina Kyle to be on her review team. Gladly. She writes the kind of books I like to read, and writes them well. I read mostly romance in a variety of sub-genres. I like contemporary, sweet, inspirational, erotic, mid-steamy, lots-steamy, and some in need of steam. I just love romance, period.

Anyway, here's my review I left on Goodreads on 8.14.17:


You had me at Regina Kyle. She could write soup can blurbs and I would read them. I loved her Art of Seduction series, and The Billionaire In Her Bed is as superbly written as they were. The characters are very believable, her sense of humor is spot on, and the romance is just how I like it. This book is definitely a keeper, and I look forward to reading the next one. I did receive this book to read in advance to publication, but I will be pre-ordering a physical copy to add to my library. Well done, Regina! 

I hope to be posting more reviews as I read. It's been tough as I'm trying to finish my own work in progress, and trying to run a household. Tough, yes.