A quick note to readers -

June free Summer Reading Trail is up at http://www.voireylinger.com/index.php?p=1_12_Trail-Head. Voirey lists books by type. It's a fun way to discover authors you haven't read before.

Phoebe Matthews
Award-winning Mudflat urban fantasy series

A quick note to readers -

Lori Foster Conference in Ohio

I plan to attend the Lori Foster reader and author get together this weekend in Manchester, Ohio. If you happen to be attending too, I can't wait to meet you, and if you are anywhere near the area feel free to stop by on Saturday for the booksigning. It's free and open to the public 2-4 PM.

For more details about the conference check out the website here:
http://www.lorifoster.com/community/readergettogether.php

Friday, June 4 — Sunday, June 6, 2010
Cincinnati Marriott North at Union Centre, West Chester Ohio

There will be lots of food--lots of fun and lots of great new friends to meet. Can't wait to see you there! And if you aren't nearby don't worry, I plan to take plenty of pictures!

Lots of love!
Missy Lyons
www.missylyons.com

Lori Foster Conference in Ohio

Keeping Track of Characters

Every writer struggles to develop their own style of writing. One of the first decisions you have to make is how to keep track of your characters. The first short story I wrote has a paper list of twenty-five names on it. That’s it just the character names. I quickly discovered more was needed to track descriptions and other important ideas. I took classes, downloaded every template I could find, and didn’t like any of them.

While trying out some different plotting/writing software, my husband suggested I try a mind mapping software program called FreeMind. He liked this program because it was free and being Java based could run on any platform.

I’m still learning the program, but it’s going good. You’re also supposed to be able to organize research, so that would be a plus when I need it. You can add notes (like meaning of names or story ideas), insert links, and add pictures. You’re able to collapse and expand trees as you need them. Here is an example from a novella WIP I’m working on:



The pen and pad icon represents nodes with notes and the red arrow means you have a link tied to the entry. I’m only tracking characters and places right now. You can add other entries like plot points or outlined scenes.

Easy to download and install, give it a try the next time you get stuck. Let your mind develop different tree structures and see what develops for you.

Keeping Track of Characters

DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois, New Release!

In Norse pre-Christian times mortals worshipped gods and goddesses, and angels were called Light Elves. These handsome immortals, "fairer to look upon than the sun", interacted with both mortals and gods, and lived in the place between heaven and earth, called Alfheim.

My new release DO ME GOOD is the story of a Nordic warrior who becomes a Light Elf, but tests immortality for his love of a mortal woman. I hope readers enjoy this paranormal erotic romance novella as much as I enjoyed writing it.


DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois

Summary:

Penny throws her hot, but worthless mooch of a boyfriend out on her front lawn with his clothes, and vows never again to be a bum magnet. Exhausted by overwork and mountainous debt, Penny pleads for divine intervention.

Gunnar, a rebellious Nordic warrior cast into servitude by an angry god to learn humility, answers. While Penny sleeps, the celestial arrives to complete her chores, but she awakens and finds him. The handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a passionate, forbidden sexual encounter.

Dark forces seeking vengeance for Gunnar’s past misdeeds mark Penny as a target. To protect his lover, Gunnar tests immortality in a death battle using a god’s magical sword. But the strength of Penny’s love might be what saves them both.

Excerpt:

He smoothed the hair at her temple and then rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name “Goo-nar”.

A coarse brand of the sun, surrounded by a circle on the back of his hand, and covering the areas between his thumb, index knuckle and wrist caught her eye. His hand looked muscular and powerful beneath her gaze.

She touched the scarred skin with the tips of her fingers while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid four kisses against its perimeter before pressing a fifth to the emblem inside.

A low tremor vibrated across her lips as they touched the ancient symbol on the white, extended hand. The brand grew warm and then hot on her mouth, though it did not burn. Her lips tingled and her body hummed with the pleasant sensations. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat and then licked the center with the tip of her tongue in a tiny swirl before lifting her head.

His gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected as he released her hair and leaned away.

“Have I offended you? I’m sorry.” She searched his face for clues as to what to do next. Behind his shocked expression she found desire and longing and something completely unexpected.

Thankfulness.

Penny waited for his reply without letting go of his disfigured hand. She could tell his next words didn’t come easily.

“Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”

She reached out and hooked her arm around his neck to bring his face closer to hers. “I am Penelope. And if you are from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’ve come.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman, barely scraping by.

“Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.” His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint.

Their gazes locked and held, assessing, appraising.

Searching.

Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of deep blue water speckled with light that pulled her in and down. Down. Her breathing slowed as the sound of her heartbeat intensified in her ears and the inside of her mouth moistened. She licked her lips and became intensely aware of every nerve ending shimmering along her body. Her muscles tensed as if waiting for something unexpected to happen.

As if meeting a Nordic Light Elf in the flesh wasn’t amazing enough.

Just when she wondered how his mouth would taste, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her. An explosion of kinetic energy shot vibrations through her body that prickled every fiber and muscle, held her taut and then released, leaving her breathless.
**

Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8301-50-do-me-good.aspx
www.adeledubois.com
www.adeledubois.com/blog

DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois, New Release!

April Fool's Day

Today is April 1st and lots of pranks are sure to be played.

The origin of the day is uncertain but it does date back to the 1500's, which maybe the time that the day originated. They changed calendars, moving New Year's to January instead of April 1. Some refused to honor the new calendar and were ultimately regarded as fools. source

One of the best April Fool's pranks (IMO) was a TV show on the BBC in 1957 about Switzerland experiencing an early spaghetti harvest. *blinks* yes a spaghetti harvest.

Enjoy the day. And don't be an April Fool.

Mechele Armstrong
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com

April Fool's Day

Write, Read, Print an eBook

March 7 through 13 is Read an eBook Week. With the week "officially" closing tomorrow, I wanted to encourage readers and writers to keep the spirit of saving trees and promoting technological advances in publishing alive, with the caveat that we not forget the majority of the audience out there.

A fellow author friend (Henry Hermann) has researched some eBook stats for a book on publishing, and shared with me that "saving 3 billion trees a year just from the publishing field alone is a good reason to promote eReading." I'd say I have to agree!

Henry and I share the same publisher, who releases all titles in hardcover. It takes an act of God (or a call from someone high up on the food chain at Borders) to get a title moved to paperback with this publishing house, thus marketing is a wee bit complicated for Henry and I. Try selling a few thousand units of a $30 book in this economic environment. Along came digital literature and the floodgates have opened.

By releasing our titles on Kindle format, our publisher has given our characters new audiences. Our publisher has saved some trees. Our publisher has given us a chance to market in a whole new realm.

If you're a writer seeking a publishing contract, consider the importance of both print and digital rights. I can't imagine a publishing house that doesn't offer both in this climate. Consider the audience(s) that lines both sides of the aisle. There are rabid print-book fans who refuse to discuss eReaders. Then there are rabid digital fans who are selling off their print-book collections to anyone who'll take them (and their bookshelves) to open up the space in their once-stuffy dens. Personally, I would weep for days if any of my books went missing from my beloved bookshelves, whether I had purchased them in digital format or not. I'm still miffed at my ex for taking my Lord of the Rings set, which I bought with my allowance money when I was in junior high.

My point is you want to accommodate both sets of readers. Only 3 to 5 percent of book buyers purchased and downloaded eBooks last year. That means the vast majority of readers are still comfortable with the physical book. Of course that ratio will shift as events such as Read an eBook Week catch on and more people sit on airplanes with their Sony eReaders, Nooks, iPads and Kindles and discuss their merits. As the ratio shifts, savvy publishers and authors will be there to fill whatever need the audience expresses.

From Sandy Lender
"Some days, you just want the dragon to win."
Tags: ebook, ebook week, ereader, sony, amazon, kindle, nook, ipad, Lord of the Rings, trees

Write, Read, Print an eBook

Feeling Green?

Green is breaking out all over and not just because of spring. It's closing fast on St. Patrick's Day. We were in New Orleans last weekend and St Paddy enthusiasts were practicing for their upcoming parades. Apparently it takes practice to find 22 bars--after the first ten. Green beer is the drink of the day and green is the color to wear. 


I thought it was a funny coincidence that The Mystery of the Green Mist not only has green in the title, but lots of green on the cover. And it has a short story by me, that isn't about St. Patrick's Day or any holiday for that matter. But it is in a green book. And this month, it is all about green.


If you'd like to try to win a book that isn't green, stop by the cyberlaunch for The Mystery of the Green Mist and leave a comment for a chance to win. 


Have a little fun and a lot of blarney!
Perilously yours,
Pauline

Feeling Green?

A day to say, Yay!

A little off topic but tomorrow is Dr. Seuss Day.

Did you grow up listening to the rhyming stories of a man who had a wicked imagination (any book LOL)? Who was environmental before it was "cool" (the Lorax)?

I sure did. Loved Green Eggs and Ham. If I ran the Zoo. Horton hears a hoo. Horton hatches the egg. The Cat in the Hat. The Grinch who Stole Christmas. The latter remains one of my favorite Christmas specials.

As an adult, I love Oh, the Places You'll Go and its inspirational message.

For years, he's been inspiring younger generations to read and making it wacky fun.

I take off my red striped hat to you, Dr. Seuss. A train, a car, and a fox and a box indeed.

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com

A day to say, Yay!