 Sunday, April 29, 2007 Sneaking in to Share After a relatively miserable week on a personal level -- medical issues, nothing serious, but they really put a crimp in my routine -- I was Googling my new release to see if it had shown up on any sites, and I found a nice surprise. My first review! It's from Romance Reader at Heart. WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Terry Odell is a well-written, intriguing novel filled with plot twists and turns that kept me riveted from beginning to end. It is all that a romantic mystery should be, and then some. WHAT’S IN A NAME? by Terry Odell is a suspense-filled tale that unites strangers, uncovers deceptions and shows that love, regardless of the names of its participants, knows no bounds. I enjoyed every word, and if romance with a hearty helping of suspense appeals to you, you'll love it, too. Kay James 
Friday, April 27, 2007  Well, it was a dormant volcano - does that count? I went with my postgrad archaeology class to map ancient kumara pits on the top of Mt. Eden, without the use of any tools save a pen and paper. We had to estimate, pace off the area, etc. Very interesting. The day before we were at Auckland Museum, to look at the Pacific Island collections and talk with the archive managers. It was wonderful getting behind the scenes - we even visited their coffee room to chat afterwards. I'm working on Glass Works at present. I wrote only a thousand words yesterday, but I'm moving along on it. The Hollowing may be joining Gilded Folly soon. That's all I'll say at the moment. Watch this space! Have a great weekend! Cheers, ND/Melody Labels: cerridwen press, gilded folly, melody knight, nd hansen-hill, the hollowing
Thursday, April 26, 2007 One nice thing about that sentiment is that you believe you have more time and don't get panicked when you can't fit everything in. One nice thing about writing is that you can make a moment seem to last forever - the first kiss between a hero and a heroine. Or you can make long periods of time go by faster than you can write it - "the months passed by without mention" "in the years since he left she rarely gave him a thought" and so forth. Reality is a different story. After today I have to disagree with the Universe's idea of so much time available. I have just spent the last 10 hours in the hospital with hubby. Every morning we go for a walk - me walking and him using his electric wheelchair. We walk in the desert - roads all over the 160 acre ranch. Most are hard pack. He goes lickety split on them. In the soft sand either I am his tow truck, or he has learned how to pop a wheelie and do a u-turn and get out of the soft sand. Today, whatever was in his mind I have no idea, he decided to up his speed to the highest and head for soft sand. Instead of getting stuck, he hit a berm (a raised channel of sand that directs water when we have flash floods) and flipped his wheelchair. Had I had a movie camera and taken pictures of his flight I would have won America's funniest home videos and won a featured place on wildest and scariest videos. He landed face down in the sand, with the wheelchair on top of him. His paralyzed arm taking the brunt of the hit and his head pounded the ground. We got the firetruck with paramedics onto the trail and then the ambulance. He was taken 50 miles to the nearest hospital. There after many hours, they determined that all he had was bumps and bruises and some awful looking but not serious wounds from sand-papering his arm and head. Now if I have all the time in the universe to do everything I need to do, I guess all I needed to do today was spend 10 hours in the hospital. I did get 5 pages hand written of my novel while waiting for doctors and nurses to do their jobs. I am blogging. Now, Universe, was there anything else I needed to do? I guess not. Labels: time
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Much of the planet, it seems, has descended on RT. Long ago, I opted to attend my fourth SleuthFest, a mystery writer's conference in Miami. While it in no way resembles RT, it was a rewarding experience. For the first time, I had something of mine to lay out on the goodie table. I had bookmarks and postcards, and excerpt booklets, and although most of the authors there are print-published, I felt one step closer to them. Conferences are great ways to meet people who understand what it means to have voices in your head all day. Through workshops, panels and drinks around the outdoor bar (and at a Miami Beach hotel, that means right by the beach), you can meet people in every stage of their writing careers. From Daniel Keyes (Flowers for Algernon) to Rene Balcer (Law & Order) to people with names yet to appear on spines, everyone is friendly and willing to share. Big conferences, like RT and RWA are fun, but can be overwhelming. At least the smaller ones merely whelm. On my earlier post this month, I posted the blurb and excerpt for my new release, What's in a Name? (scroll down if you missed it), and I said the book has its roots in my Highlander Fanfiction writing days. I actually got started writing by mistake. My son was visiting, and doing the 'guy with remote' thing and stopped clicking at Highlander. He said it was a cool show, with people who couldn't die unless you cut off their heads, and then you got all their power. Being a savvy mom, I watched the show after he left so I could discuss it with him. Of course, one look at Adrian Paul and I didn't care why I was watching. I was intrigued with the 'rules' of Immortality on the show, and found internet discussion groups, and then fanfiction writing sites, and even hooked up with an author whose writing I enjoyed. (Later I learned it was her "voice" that attracted me, but at the time I was clueless). I read her stories, offered suggestions (and learned I was now a 'beta reader') and eventually tried writing one myself. She gently pointed out my weaknesses (what the heck is POV?) and I rose to the challenge of learning something new. Months later, I was talking with my son and mentioned a scene from a Highlander episode. He said, 'Oh, I've never actually watched it. I just thought it was a cool concept." I'll be totally brave here, and do the 'standing naked on main street' bit and expose the URL for my Highlander stories, written years ago. I leave them on the web, although I don't tell anyone about them, because I think it's important to see growth, and I definitely see how far I've come when I look at those. For anyone interested, What's in a Name? started when I wanted to write a new story. There was something about the woman in the wilderness that intrigued me, and although Blake is far from Immortal, there are some carryovers from the short story "Foundations", which is the last of a 4 part series. If you want to peek, they're here.
Monday, April 23, 2007  -+Big.jpg) For those of you coming to RT, I'll be signing On Danger's Edge (the book nominated for one of this year's RT Reviewers Choice Awards) and Cutting Loose at the book fair on Sat! Come by and see me, even if it's just to chat! ~ Lise How much danger would you face for the perfect romance? Lise Fuller, http://www.lisefuller.com/, www.myspace.com/lisefuller, ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINEE, 2006; Pikes Peak Romance Writers 2006 Author of the Year ~On Danger's Edge, print-03/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com/, 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times ~Intimate Deceptions, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com/, RECOMMENDED READS from Coffee Time Romance and Joyfully Reviewed ~Cutting Loose, print-04/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, http://www.cerridwenpress.com/
Friday, April 20, 2007 I was reading another blog this morning - one where they asked who were your favorite heroes from books or other media (TV, movies, etc.). There were the usual postings - including mine - that include eye candy for women - Johnny Depp, Pierce Brosnan, etc. And that's good. But what makes a hero - beyond looks? Vicky Burkholder "Akashan'te" available from Cerridwen Press "Prime Time" available from Cerridwen Press
Thursday, April 19, 2007 So I'm getting ready for RT, I just came down with a cold, I have a novel I'm desperately trying to finish and am juuuusssssttttt about done but not quite yet, and my dog had me up at 4am this morning for no really good reason that I could figure out. So I'm a little tired today. :) That said, I'm really really looking forward to RT. Should be great fun, and warm even. Hasn't been warm yet here on the east coast. I hope any of you going will walk up to me, wave a hand in my face and say HI! (You'll have to wave a hand in my face as RT tends to leave me a little dazed and confused.) I'll be part of the Intergalactic Bar & Grill reader workshop on Wednesday (4-5pm) and doing a little schpeel at the Beginning Writers workshop on Tuesday afternoon sometime. After that, I'm just hanging out and having fun. Oh and I'll be at the booksigning on Saturday. This is shaping up to be a huge event this year, so I hope you all will stop by my desk and say hi! Unfortunately, MARSHALL'S GUARD, will be released in paperback in May so I'll just miss RT with it, but I do have a very cool anthology to sign for those of you who like a good dollop of science fiction and fantasy in your romance. And MARSHALL'S GUARD WILL be available in paperback in May--if all goes well. :) I'll be sure to announce it's release on the day at any rate. Happy Thursday everyone. I'll report on my RT adventure when I get back. I'm sure a lot of the CP authors will have stories to tell :) Isabo www.isabokelly.com
Tuesday, April 17, 2007  Hi, all! The book that got Coffee Time's FIRST Recommended Read award and a Recommended read from Joyfully Reviewed got another 5 HEARTS from Love Romances and more and I had to celebrate! Woohoo! Here's part of the review: "There is nothing better than a story you just can’t seem to put down and Lise Fuller’s INTIMATE DECEPTIONS definitely fits this description. Elena and Brodie’s story is action, suspense and strong emotion from first page to last. Fuller keeps readers on the edge of their seats trying to figure out what is going to happen next to these two very passionate characters as they work their way back together as lies and secrets try equally hard to keep them apart. The storyline flows so very nicely from one shocking surprise to the next. It would be difficult indeed not to feel for Elena and Brodie after the way fate has treated them both. The emotions these characters produce are very real. When this reader found herself crying over the story’s villain, Ms. Fuller cemented her spot as a “must have” author for a coveted place on an already overflowing bookcase of exceptional authors." If you're interested, check out the blurb and excerpt at this link! http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=1-4199-0787-5 Thanks for helping me celebrate! ~ Lise How much danger would you face for the perfect romance? Lise Fuller, www.lisefuller.com, www.myspace.com/lisefuller, ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINEE, 2006; Pikes Peak Romance Writers 2006 Author of the Year ~On Danger's Edge, print-03/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com, 4 1/2 Stars from Romantic Times ~Intimate Deceptions, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com, RECOMMENDED READS from Coffee Time Romance and Joyfully Reviewed ~Cutting Loose, print-04/07, available in e-book, Cerridwen Press, www.cerridwenpress.com
Saturday, April 14, 2007 So what am I reading? One I would never have picked up myself. But it is a review book, so... the nice thing is, I'm finding it rather enjoyable. The book is called "Queen of Broken Hearts". I'm not going to tell you any more right now because I haven't finished it yet and I do need to write that review - but it will probably be a favorable one. :) Other books in my pile: Misty Simon's "Poison Ivy" series. I love her wry wit and the fact that her heroines are gorgeous runway models who do everything perfectly. They are real women whose arms jiggle and thighs rub, but they still have hot times and lots of adventures. CP authors on my list include Ashlyn Chase (Heaving Bosoms), Terry Odell (Finding Sarah), Candace Sams (Gryphon's Quest), Margaret Carter (Prince of the Hollow Hills) - yes, I lean heavily toward the fantasy, science fiction and paranormal. Other authors on my to be read shelf: Maureen Child, Linnea Sinclair, Gena Showalter, Sandra Hill, Rachel Lee, Judith McWilliams, Susan Krinard, Lindsay McKenna, Diane Setterfield, Paulo Coelho, Audrey Niffenegger And that's just one shelf. I've got several more to go. Guess I'd better stop writing, and get to reading. I can't wait. :) What are you reading? Vicky Burkholder "Akashan'te" and "Prime Time" www.vickyburkholder.com
Friday, April 13, 2007 It finally happened. A cover appeared. Approved and finalized. Anyone have anything to say about it?  Terry Labels: What's In A Name?
Counting Down to What's in a Name? What's in a Name? was the third novel I wrote, although it's my second release. It has its roots in my days of learning to write by writing Highlander fanfiction, so if you notice a fleeting resemblance to Duncan MacLeod in Blake Windsor, it won't surprise me. I did get rid of the long topcoat in the opening scene, though! Here's the Blurb: What happens you're running for the wrong reason? Kelli Carpenter is afraid someone will connect her to the self-defense killing of a former lover. She's changed her identity, found a new career and thinks she's safe, but prefers to keep distance between herself and everyone else. When handsome stranger Blake Windsor shows up purporting to be a handyman doing much needed repairs at the wilderness jobsite where Kelli is working, a site to give inner city kids temporary respite from their lives dominated by concrete and drive-bys, Kelli's instincts tell her to leave, but the man has her boss's approval, and without him, the project won't be completed on time. Blake, corporate executive who accepted his boss's request to find out if Kelli Carpenter is really Casey Wallace, begrudgingly returns to the blue-collar construction lifestyle he vowed to leave behind. The woman he meets bears little resemblance to the woman he's supposed to find, but something about her mystifies him, and he decides to continue with his deception to learn more about her. Someone comes after Kelli and she runs—but she takes Blake with her. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, is her philosophy. And Kelli is convinced Blake knows something that will link her to her lover's death, ending her life as she knows it. Want an excerpt? Twist my arm, why don't you?****** The thud from the front porch was definitely a knock. From the road, she heard the distinctive roar of Harley engines. The knock repeated, growing more insistent. “Take it easy,” she muttered. Without bothering to towel off, she slipped her sweatshirt over her head, working her damp arms into muddy sleeves while she headed for the door, her mind racing through the possibilities of who would be there. Only park rangers ever came by. But they wouldn’t pound unless something was wrong. And if they did, they’d call her name. The familiar fear gnawed at her. Had someone found her? Shit. She’d forgotten her contacts and although she doubted any of the rangers would notice—or care—she hadn’t survived as Kelli Carpenter this long by neglecting the details. She hurried back to the bathroom and inserted the lenses, turning her pale gray eyes into a nondescript brown and grabbed her oversize tortoiseshell-framed glasses. “Coming!” She hurried through the living room and peered through the window. Her stomach flipped at the sight of a total stranger on her porch. Hardly anybody knew about this field station, tucked away in the Calm down. He’s lost and wants directions. Tell him what he needs and he’ll be gone. “Yes?” she called through the door, trying to remember if she’d locked it. “I’m looking for Kelli Carpenter,” a deep male voice said. Kelli. Not Casey. Okay. She inched the door open. Swallowed. Twice. A man waited on her porch, wearing jeans and a windbreaker over a black turtleneck, holding an olive-green duffel bag. He stood at least six-two, with black hair that hung almost to his shoulders. Even the fact that his face and a razor hadn’t kept company in several days didn’t detract from his raw good looks. “I’m Kelli.” She forced herself to meet his eyes. Dark chocolate brown, they grabbed and wouldn’t let go. He stared, a little longer than necessary and she crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly all too aware her bra lay on the bathroom floor. She took a step backward into the dimmer light of the living room. “Is something wrong?” “No, nothing.” His startled expression dissolved into neutrality. “I…um…I suppose I’d expected a man.” He took half a step forward. Avoiding his eyes, she took a deep breath and managed a quick smile. “Can I help you with something?” He dropped his duffel and extended a hand. “Sorry. I’m Blake Windsor. I’m here to repair a dormitory cabin. If you’ll point me to my room, I can put my stuff away and take a look before it gets dark.” She ignored the offer of a handshake and suppressed a shudder at the thought of a stranger invading her home. “I’m afraid there must be some mistake. There’s no room for you to stay here.” He raised an eyebrow and looked beyond her. “I can take the couch. No problem. Jack Stockbridge said you’d be expecting me.” Her mind whirled. Knowing her boss’s name didn’t mean he was legit. And while you're there, remember Finding Sarah is available now. The book has been getting excellent reviews.
Thursday, April 12, 2007 I'm a day late (I was supposed to blog yesterday) because we have a new foal (he was born on Easter morning) and I honestly forgot that yesterday was my day to blog. I do have some news for you. Night Vision's cover was selected as book cover of the week for the last week in March and you can now vote for BOOK COVER OF THE MONTH on Erin Aislinn's website until APRIL 30. Every voter will be entered in a drawing for the winning title. Voting is simple, and the instructions are on the voting page. I love Erin's description of the cover. She said: MARCH - WEEK 4 - Howling winds. Branches whipping against window panes in the dead of night. All of nature in such a fury that you wish you could wrap your arms around everyone and everything you care about. Syneca's cover art for Ariana Dupré's Night Visions reminds me of such nights. The eerie stillness of the house just begs for a vision of embraced lovers, who are beautifully rendered below yet we can't be sure they're really there because we seem to be looking at them through the shutters. Is it a dream or not? Night Visions is published by Cerridwen Press. If you like the cover I'd appreciate your vote. Thank you! Smiles, Melissa Alvarez
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Just wanted to let you know that my latest modern day fairytale, "Beautiful Ugly" a modern Ugly Duckling story, is up and ready to read at www.romantictimes.com. I've posted two stories so far, and am currently finishing up another. Please visit http://www.romantictimes.com/books_fairytales.php to read "Beautiful Ugly" as well as my first posted story, a modern day Rapunzel story simply entitled "Rapunzel". I'd love for you to post a comment here, to let me know what you think of these short fairytale romances, or if you'd like to discuss these or classic favorites you might have, you can also visit my RT fairy tale message board at http://www.romantictimes.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=39 Here is an introduction to my fairtales... Dear Reader, I have always loved fairytales. Probably for the same reason I love reading and writing romance--that magical, mystical happily ever after ending. Many fairytales, like Cinderella, for example, have such wonderful, universal themes like hope against all odds, creating a wonderful life after starting out with so little, the underdog who wins, meeting the man of your dreams, getting the respect you deserve, believing in magic, and believing in yourself, which folks can relate to today as much as they did when these tales first originated. Contemporary twists on these classic stories can be fun or serious, sexy or sweet, loosely portrayed or true to the original, while still ending in that happy ending we expect and desire. I've sprinkled fairytale themes into the majority of my romances, whether contemporary, paranormal, or science fiction. And what I've liked best about this is when folks tell me how they have an "aha" moment at some point in reading my books where they start to see the similarities between my story and a certain fairy tale. I enjoy creating that moment so much that when Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine agreed to let me tell you more of these stories, I jumped at the chance. I look forward to being your personal storyteller, as RT posts these tales on their site for you to enjoy. I even have my own Fairytale Message Board! I'll be checking in on a regular basis to read what you have to say, answer your questions, discuss parts of the story, or talk about your favorite classics. Please feel free to pop in and say hello. I'd love to hear from you! So, sit back or curl up in your favorite comfy chair and let me tell you a tale that I hope will make you laugh, make you cry, and most of all make you believe in magic and happy endings all over again. Unti we chat again either on April 24th or if I see you at the Romantic Times Booklovers convention in Houston (please say hi if you do see me! :-), I wish you all the good you envision for yourself. Best, Eden Robins Sweet...Spicy...Happily Ever After www.edenrobins.com AFTER SUNDOWN: RETRIBUTION Coming Soon! AFTER SUNDOWN: SALVATION www.cerridwenpress.com Now Available! AFTER SUNDOWN: REDEMPTION www.cerridwenpress.com ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEWERS CHOICE NOMINEE, 2006. CAPA Award Winner, 2006.
Characters and Emotions The points they have made about characterization bear repeating because they are important to creating characters the reader will get into. Here's a tip for writers: If you're re-reading your work (or your critique partner's work) and every time you try to edit it you forget you're supposed to be removing the extra commas, then you've hit the sweet spot. Some points Jen and Bob made:
Here is what I would add to this advice:
Actually, for me the problems ran a little deeper. I had a secondary character who had a deep problem that would be revealed and resolved in a later book. So in the first book, I never explained this character's motivations for the crazy things he did. After all, he was just a secondary character, right? Wrong. Even secondary characters need to have their motivations explained--even if their problems aren't resolved. Otherwise, they come across as caricatures. My other problem was not revealing more of the internal emotions of the hero and heroine, right up front. Again, I have this problem with thinking it "should be obvious" by how they are acting, when it may not be. You don't have to beat the reader over the head with it, but you do have to make sure there are a few phrases here and there that let the reader know what is going on. Finally, don't use a lot of short-cut descriptions like: he was angry. In fact, it is much better if you reveal or show this by the character's actions, reactions and dialog. And anger...wow...be careful with that emotion. Too much anger, unless leavened with humor (like Jennifer Crusie does) can make a character seem out of control and just plain awful. It's hard to sympathize with a character who gets insulted or angry at the slightest remark. I can't tell you how many manuscripts I've critiqued that had these heroines who were supposed to be feisty but just came across as completely out of control with huge anger management issues and no sense of humor. Not a good combination. If your heroine has to be angry, at least let her be funny about it. Well, this wasn't a great, mind-boggling blog, but it helps me to clarify my own thinking. Now I have to get back to the manuscript I'm editing with the forlorn hope that the characters are not completely emotionless, wooden sticks. Labels: characterization, descriptions, writing
Saturday, April 07, 2007 Anyway, my first book, THE SLEEPER AWAKES, launches at the Cerridwen Press site next Thursday! Here's what Kay James, a revewer at the Romance Readers At Heart website, had to say about it: "THE SLEEPER AWAKES by Eilis Flynn is a story that will remain with the reader long after the final page has been turned. It is one of those novels, and we've all read them, that sticks in the mind and heart for a long, long time. THE SLEEPER AWAKES is so well told that as soon as I finished it I wanted to begin reading it all over again, just to relive the tale and pick up any nuances or tidbits I'd missed with the first go-round. "When terminally-ill librarian Catherine Deveney and her two co-workers are caught in an earthquake, it seems as if her already precarious situation is about to get worse. A lot worse. But as the library crumbles around them in Seattle, a gate opens in the distant land of Kurit. And on the grass near the open gate on Gates Mount, Catherine Deveney and her two friends lay unconscious. "The legend of the land is that when all seven of the gates on Gates Mount open, peace everlasting will reign. Catherine lies within the shadow of the first open gate. The legend has begun. "THE SLEEPER AWAKES has it all. Adventure, romance and a host of intriguing characters make this book a Top Pick. I loved this story and I believe that others will, too. Eilis Flynn has a hit with THE SLEEPER AWAKES, and anyone who believes that love can conquer all will want to read this book time and again. "I hope that sometime in the very near future the second gate on Gates Mount opens and the story continues. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens next!" After this review, I would have tracked down a machine anywhere in the city to post it! Like any writer, I'm anxious to find out whether anyone else can stand the book I've written. At least one other person does. Whew! Meanwhile, I've got to figure out how to blog from home or get a new machine. Starting to look like it's time for a new machine. After I launch. And after I get bookmarks and postcards made. After I ... Labels: Reviews
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