Zee's June Reviews ~1 Absolute Obsession by C. Elizabeth

Title: Absolute Obsession
Author: C. Elizabeth
Publisher: Wings ePress, Inc.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rose Gerbaldi is a woman obsessed... with reading that is. When Rose finds the time to read Only Her, she steps into her reading space (or hiding place, as she likes to call it) and she escapes all reality. As she reads, she can imagine the characters so vividly that the lines between reality and fiction become blurred for her. Sometimes she reads in her hiding place, and sometimes she just sits there and daydreams about herself interacting with these characters, bringing them into her world. But the madness truly begins when Jim, Rose’s husband, gets her out of her hiding place long enough to watch the movie version of Only Her, and she meets Michael Terrance, the actor portraying the fictional character in her novel. I won’t give too much away, but there’s a letter that turns everything around, a death you never saw coming, heart break, sorrow, and then happiness. Will Rose get over her obsession with Only Her and Michael Terrance? Will Michael fall in love with Rose? How does Jim cope with his wife’s obsession? All of that and more is answered in Absolute Obsession.
 
I really enjoyed Elizabeth’s no nonsense writing style. She doesn’t go on and on about the scenery or flowery details in an attempt to bring the characters and atmosphere to life. No, it is her constant dialogue, and excellent showcase of each character’s inner turmoil, thoughts and desires that really make this novel shine. This is a slow burn at about 470 pages which takes you on a long and fulfilling journey with Rose. I was completely satisfied with the character development in this novel. You got a chance to see each character’s fears, dreams, anger, disappointment, and the like here.
 
I enjoyed Rose’s character the most. I found her to be very relatable in the way she reacts to situations. I found myself thinking some of the same things Rose was and feeling her emotions as she experiences the ups and downs of her life. I thought she was a nutcase in the beginning of the book, especially with her obsession with the Only Her novel, but I now see it for what it is – the need to completely enjoy and absorb the moment she is in. And once she put down the novel and started living her own life, she did it the exact same way.
 
Absolute Obsession is a novel worth obsessing about! I give this novel my top rating – 5 of 5 stars. I have never read Elizabeth’s work before, but I definitely have my eye on her work now!
 

Come back tomorrow to read Zee's review of Hermes Online, by Rose Anderson, Published by Siren Publishing, Inc.

Why the Regency is Romantic - STALLIONS

Why the Regency is Romantic - STALLIONS 

Stallions are the embodiment of virility and power…and the regency was dripping with them. The Regency world ran on horse power, from high perch phaetons to farm wagons…and just like today’s sports cars, the quality of your engine spoke volume about the person.

What tonnish miss’s heart wouldn’t be set a flutter to see a handsome rogue pull up outside her address in a crest-emblazoned barouche, with coachman and liveried footman. From matched bays to high stepping hackneys the expense of keeping such an equipage was stunning… a distinct aphrodisiac. Such conspicuous wealth was not so much equivalent to a Porsche or Lamborghini but to owning a private helicopter with a personal pilot on constant standby. But then again, any self respecting heroine would see through such shallow materialistic values to the man beneath.

From hours in the stallion’s saddle our hero would have finely toned thighs. Chances our she’d get a good appreciation of this and other assets within his skin tight ‘inexpressibles’, showing every contour and plane that left little to the imagination.

And if our heroine is strong minded enough to resist a splendid physique, perhaps the skill of controlling a powerful beast between seat and heel would give her pause for thought. The power of mind over body, of man over horseflesh, of the beast between his thighs might have made her stays feel uncomfortably tight… There’s definitely something about men and horses…what do you find attractive in a man? Do please comment below.

Excerpt from ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’.

[Lord Ranulf Charing has received an urgent summons to return home.’]

...an Arab stallion danced in circles round the stable lad. Granite clouds towered in a brooding sky. A yard door slammed and the wild eyed stallion reared, dragging the lad off his feet. Then a down draught tugged the horse’s flowing silver-white mane and tail, as with flared nostrils he backed across the yard, hooves, like flints, striking sparks from the cobbles. The boy clung to the reins, more fearful of letting such a valuable horse bolt than of being trampled. The grey plunged heaven wards, a silvery ghost against a charcoal sky, then struck the ground, the massive muscles of his rump bunching to rear again just as a dark figure rounded the corner and entered the yard.
“Sir have a care, your horse….” The shouted warning was stolen by the wind.
Lord Ranulf Charing grunted, reaching out a hand to gentle the plunging beast. As if he’d cast a spell, the horse calmed and with a snicker rubbed his velveteen nose against his master’s coat to exhibit an understanding between man and horse that eluded Ranulf amongst his own kind.
At the age of thirty, tall and of muscular build; Lord Ranulf Charing was a man not given to suffering fools; his expression a habitual frown, with wide unreadable lips and brown eyes so dark as to be almost black. The impression of the young Lord being part devil and part shadow was heightened by his dress which was entirely black; from neckerchief and lawn shirt, to riding breeches and kerysmere outer coat. In short, Lord Ranulf Charing was in mourning and it suited him.

‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ is available from most eBook stores including
Amazon,
Fictionwise and
Smashwords.

To find out more visit: http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

Grace thank you for your wonderful blogs.  Best wishes for your book.  The title draws me in completely and is now topping my wish list. :-)

Why the Regency is Romantic - ROGUES AND RAKES

Why the Regency is Romantic - ROGUES AND RAKES

Regency men were dangerous! For a lady to alone in their company meant risking her reputation, such was their potency. And in return, men had to be protected from their insatiable urges to ravish the nearest well born lady…and so the bastion of the gentleman’s club was born. A place where men could do mannish things together, where testosterone dripped from the chandeliers.

At his club a rake was safe from the distraction of women, this outrageous segregation allowed him to boost his virility through wagers and gambling. Within those hallowed walls men discussed business, politics and sports, topics totally unsuited for feminine ears - because Regency men were real men, taught from an early age that crying was soft and emotions were for sissies.

And talking of romantic, there are few things more appealing than a well dressed man, and regency men were the epitomy of good taste. Urbane and yet masculine in breeches and top boots, shirt, neck cloth, waistcoat and finely tailored tail coat. The aptly named ‘unexpressibles’ were a close fitting trouser shaped to the leg – what better to show off a finely toned thigh or hint at masculine prowess! Rakes prided themselves on being well groomed, so how delightful for our heroine to slowly undo a cravat that took hours to tie.

And let’s not forget the romance of good manners; of escorting a lady, opening doors, pulling out chairs, is a seduction in itself. How much more thrilling then when a hitherto perfect gentleman behaves badly….need I go on?

How about you? Do you secretly relish men being in charge or is that a big turn off? I’d love to know, please leave a comment.

Excerpt – ‘A Dead Man’s Debt.’
With his hawkish features set in a scowl, Lord Ranulf Charing settled deeper into the embrace of leather armchair. In no mood for company he’d retreated to his London club, secure in the knowledge that there at least he was safe from female pursuit. He stretched out his long legs, his attention fixed on a glass of fine brandy. With a square jaw, shadowed cheekbones and unreadable dark eyes, Charing exuded the air of a man not wishing to be disturbed.
A valet peered nervously into the Reading Room then withdrew, electing instead to throw the unsuspecting messenger into the lion’s den. With the innocence of youth the lad entered, gawping at the yellowing, tobacco stained oil paintings on oak paneled walls and with trepidation approached the reclining figure. For his part Lord Charing was well aware of the antics of the footman and was secretly pleased by his efforts to discourage interruption. As the gawky youth cleared his throat, a muscle twitched on Ranulf’s cheek as he fought the urge to grin.
“A message for Lord Charing, Sir.”
Lazily Ranulf extended a hand. “I am he.”
The boy passed over the sealed letter as if it were a hot coal. In return Ranulf pressed a silver coin into his palm and winked. Startled, the lad’s eyes grew even rounder.
“T’ank you very much Sir. T’ank you indeed.”
But the moment had passed and Lord Charing’s face was once again all hard plains and sharp angles.
“Be gone.” With a flick of the wrist the boy was dismissed.
Recognizing the Cadnum crest, Charing took a slug of brandy and broke the seal. His eyes skipped over the text; the writing hurried and uneven, the parchment bordered with black.
“Make all haste…gravest concern…deteriorating health…”
As Charing lowered the missive, the lamplight caught a moment of fleeting vulnerability, but then his wide sensuous lips set into a hard line as habitual coldness reasserted itself.
“Bolton,” he barked. In an instant the valet’s head appeared round the door. “Bolton with all haste send word to saddle my horse.”
“Very good Lordship.” Bolton bowed obsequiously. “Will there be anything else Sir?”
“Pen and paper…I must get word to my valet that I leave London immediately.”
“Consider it done, sir.” Bolton backed hastily from the room, avoiding his lordship’s eye.

‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ is available from most eBook retailers including:-
Amazon,
Fictionwise and
Smashwords.

To find out more visit http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

Join me tomorrow for my final,  post on Why the Regency is Romantic – Stallions.

Why the Regency is Romantic – SATINS AND SILKS.

Why the Regency is Romantic – SATINS AND SILKS.

Hello again!
As a modern woman I take equality for granted, but the girly side of me can't resist the allure of the silk gowns and gorgeous fashions of the Regency period.

“Mrs Powlett was at once expensively and nakedly dress’d.”
Jane Austen in a letter to her sister.

How much more sensual can you get than wearing a fabulous silk chemise next to the skin? And how daring were drawers with no gusset (even if this was for the decidedly unromantic purpose of making chamber pot use easier.) Not to mention stockings held up by silk ribbons - ripe for an experienced male hand to slip undone.

But I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s start with that essential Georgian and Regency article the hat. Even this item is romantic – a wide brimmed bonnet shaded the face, preserving that perfect ivory complexion, whilst the addition of a veil spoke of mystery and hidden identity. And then there was what you headwear revealed about you. A woman wishing to be taken seriously might wear a lace cap, ribbon trimmed bonnets spoke of innocence and ostrich plumes or turbans proved you a regency fashionista.

And the gowns.

Gowns for every occasion and time – morning, walking, riding, evening and ball gowns. And the fabrics – whisper thin muslin, clinging lawns, semi-transparent cottons, whispering silks and luxurious satins. Each gown high waisted with a tiny bodice, the wearer’s stays cunning thrusting the bosom upward so make a maiden seem a siren.

And then there was the act of getting dressed…or undressed. Designed to make the wearer helpless with lacings and rows of tiny buttons down the back, again the scope for seductively undressing the heroine is mouthwatering, and the equally evocative risk of being caught half dressed just as tantalizing.

What do you think? Would you like to live in the regency or are you happy to savor it from a comfortable distance? Do share you thoughts in the comments below.

EXCERPT – A Dead Man’s Debt.
Easing kid leather slippers from aching feet, she rolled down her stockings, the air cool against her bare skin. Stretching her toes Celeste hoped that from sheer fatigue, if no other reason, she might sleep well for the first time in a month.
A cursory tap and, without waiting for a reply, the door opened.
“Evenin’ Miss.” Amy bustled in with a lighted candlestick, the faint aroma of boiled cabbage clinging to her skirts. “I thought as yer’d be needing this- sitting in the gloom an’ all.” Protecting the flickering flame with a cupped hand, she placed the candle on the dresser, the licking flame deepening the shadows.
“Thank you.”
“There’s a chill in the air Miss. Would yer like a fire set?”
“No need. I intend to retire directly.” With a humph Celeste struggled to reach the row of tiny pearl buttons at her back. “But please help me off with this gown. Honestly! Why fashion dictates such impractical garments is quite beyond me.” Only in her heart Celeste knew that women of her station were destined to be helpless.
“But if yer had yer way Miss, us lady’s maids would be out of a job.”
“I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
Amy’s fingers worked nimbly down the delicate fastening until the silk sheath slackened and whispered to the floor. Celeste braced against the bedstead as Amy tugged at stay laces until the knots gave way and Celeste filled her lungs for the first time all day. How she ached to sink between cool linen sheets, her eyelids pleasantly heavy, closing under their own weight. In a chemise Celeste stretched and arched her back, shaking away stiffness.
“Shall I brush yer hair Miss?”
“Please.”
With a sleepy nod Celeste settled at the dressing table. The weight of the chignon pulled at her scalp and it was sheer bliss as Amy deftly plucked out the pins, releasing the thick chestnut curls to tumble down about her shoulders…

A Dead Man’s Debt is available from most eBook retailers including
Amazon,
Fictionwise and
Smashwords.

To find out more about the author visit: http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

Please join me again tomorrow I post on Why the Regency is Romantic – Rogues and Rakes.

Please welcome back Grace Elliot

Grace, thank you for coming back and sharing some more with us over the next four days.

Why the Regency is Romantic – THE SEASON.
Hello there and a big thank you to Sherry for making me feel so welcome.

My name is Grace Elliot and I lead a double life. By day I am a veterinarian and by night I write historical romance. Now that isn’t quite as odd as it sounds because I started writing as a de-stress from the emotionally draining side of veterinary work. As an avid reader, my aim is to write the sort of page turning, lump in the throat romances I love to read.

Now, where was I? Oh yes, explaining why I find the regency so romantic, and first off its ‘The Season.’

In purely factual terms the Season took place between New Year and August, peaking after Easter and over the summer. The actual dates varied according to when Parliament sat, which in turn depended on sport.

“The sessions of Parliament cannot be held til the frost is out of the ground and the foxes begin to breed.”

The Season was a round a social events that any young lady out to snag a good husband must attend. To snare such a man you had to attend the right events such as the Derby (for which Parliament adjourned), Ascot, the Royal Academy Exhibition, the Henley Regatta and cricket at Lords. The mark of a successful season was to be admitted to Almack’s – the exclusive club run by fearsome high born ladies who had the power to make or break reputations.

So why was the Season romantic? Well apart from the gorgeous balls, so much was at stake. Finding a husband was no casual task but the work of a social mastermind; from daring gowns, epic hairstyles and witty conversation, to being seen in the right company everything must be just so…and not a hint of scandal. What better setting for intrigue and heartbreak could a writer ask for?

In Georgian times marriage was a commodity people traded for mutual advancement…so what of true love? If our heroine sets her sights on an unsuitable match, a rogue that makes her heart race, how to protect reputation? How resourceful must our heroine be with her fearsome Mama breathing down her neck? For a writer the obstacles to true love are just delicious and part of why the Regency is so romantic.

So what eras do you read and why? I’d love to know, do please comment below.

EXCERPT – ‘A Dead Man’s Debt.’

(Exiled in the country, Celeste writes to her mother.)

“Celeste chewed her top lip and frowned. It simply wouldn’t do. She’d never liked half-truths and platitudes and wasn’t about to start now. Breaking the inky meniscus, wiping the nib she began again in bold lettering.

Dear Mother,

If you thought to teach me a lesson by sending me to the country, it is one poorly learnt. I will not change my opinion of the odious Earl of Crumbourne, no matter how excellent a match you consider him to be. Further more, my sojourn here has granted ample time for reflection and I remain resolute that marriage is not for me. It is my determined and final decision to remain unattached…

She shivered, suddenly vulnerable, as unwelcome memories sprang to mind; of Lord Crumbourne with his greasy slobberings and mutton chop breath. Bile rose in her throat as she remembered scratchy bristles against her neck and his odor of onions. What an idiot she’d been, feeling sorry for that fool! It had been so insufferably hot in that ballroom, when he’d suggest a turn round the rose garden it had all seemed so innocent, just a gentleman concerned for a lady’s comfort. A chaperone seemed unnecessary… presumptuous even…with a family friend.

Once out of sight of the lighted windows, his clammy hand had tightened on her shoulder, catching her by surprise. When he’d run a hand behind her head to force her mouth towards his, her first reaction was that it was a jest. When he’d rammed his tongue past her gritted teeth and kissed her it had been a most unpleasant shock.

Then when he’d crushed her against a wall, bearing his full weight against her hips, her blood had run cold. His mouth smothered, sucking air from her lungs. She’d squirmed to get away but he’d tightened his grip. She panicked as cool air flooded round her knees, his free hand lifting her skirts. The shock of his rough probing, his thumb pressed into her inner thigh had given her strength. As her protests were muffled by his lips, instinctively her knee jabbed sharply up into his groin. The result was immediate and satisfying. He’d released her and crumpled like a leaf.

Later Estella had written to her that Crumbourne walked with a limp for a full week afterwards. In a strange way he had done her a favor. It would take a while for the gossip to subside and until in effect she’d been banished from London by her mother, who apparently approved of his lordship as a match. With a sigh Celeste set the quill aside.

The more she thought about the future, the more she knew the restrictions of marriage were not for her….”

A Dead Man’s Debt is available from most eBook retailers including

 Amazon,
Fictionwise,
Smashwords

To find out more about the author visit: Http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com

Join me tomorrow when  I post on Why the Regency is Romantic – Satins and Silks. 

Rejection Letters and what you can to do with them

Rejection Letters

What can I say about these? Even after all the years that I have been writing it still feels like the ultimate kick in the backside. No one likes working every hour god sends on their manuscript, editing it until their cross eyed, only to receive a ‘Thanks, but no thanks letter.

So, what do you do when your work is rejected? Well, years ago I used to cry like a baby. And that’s not a joke! It’s fine to feel emotional. No one really understands the pressure your under. Not unless they are a writer themselves. Here is where your writer’s groups/loops become a handy tool. Here you can vent your feelings, and they will all understand and commiserate. When an editor says they hated something that took you months, even years to perfect, it is okay to feel bad. But let’s not dwell in the pits of despair for too long, because remember, when you receive a rejection letter, it puts you firmly in the league of “real writers”. You wrote a book! Congratulate yourself. Millions have tried and failed. Now you have just entered a whole new world.

A lot of new writers make the mistake of not writing ever again. What a waste of a talent. There are thousands of writers who have been rejected over and over again, only to eventually find the right editor whom loves their work. I for one had a letter of rejection for my book The heart of a warrior in one hand and a gushing acceptance in the other. There are successful authors who wrote for years and years before they get their ‘call’. Catherine Cookson, Joanna Trollope, J.K Rawlings to name but a few.

So learn from the rejection? Evaluate it for what it is. It is NOT a slur on your family name, your character, your first born baby! Read what the editor/agent said about your work. If it’s a bog standard rejection letter, you probably won’t get much feedback. So then you just file in the container marked ‘bin’ and move on. BUT, if you are lucky to get feedback, do take them seriously. Editors and agents don’t have time to heap false praise on someone that is not on their listings. But if one has taken time to give you detailed feedback of any kind, it means something about your story or your writing touched them. Well done.

Also, sit up and take notice if an editor asks to see more of your work. If they say they’d like to see your manuscript again if you make some changes, drop everything, make them and send it back. QUICKLY! Same thing if they ask to see something else from you. Do it. Send it. . They don’t ask for more work lightly.

Writing is a minefield. Occasionally we will get blown up, sometimes get stomped on from other authors who have a hidden agenda to murder you. Other times, we will just get down about the whole thing. It will pass, we can and do, mend ourselves. Without us, the world will never get to see those stories that touch the imagination, melt the heart or just get the pulses racing.

If you have any ideas on how to deal with rejection letters post here with your web addy and I’ll put your comments on my writer’s blog.
http://margaretparanormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

Buy Abigail Cottage in e-book and print HERE

Publisher: www.hedge-witcherybooks.com

My links:
www.margaretwest.net
http://magsx.blogspot.com/
http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

 
 
 
 
Blurb:
 
When Abigail falls in love with Justin she can’t begin to know the world of hurt she is heading into. Gorgeous, kind, rich – he’s the man we all dream to meet. BUT, all is not what it seems because Justin is a true demon from hell, disguised as a mortal being. He wants her and will do, kill or maim anyone who tries to stop him. Namely Shaun the real hero, who wants Abigail more! So what does a mortal man do against a demon? He enlists the help of a gypsy of course. But not any old gypsy. Rosa knows Justin very well and has the powers of the spirit world on her side to fight him. Using crystals as a powerful weapon, the light of the spirit world to lead them, they embark on a battle with the whole of the underworld. Many loved ones will lose their lives. This isn’t a book where everyone survives. In real life, bad things happen. In Abigail Cottage, terrible tragedies occur too. Believe... not every story can have a happy ending.

Magaret West talks about Romance

Romance

What is Romance? How can you write about the emotion in invokes? It’s nice to have your partner open a door for you, buy you flowers for no other reason than they want to. To define it, romance is the very essence of life. Without it your love life will miss out on an essential component. It brings a sort of identity to your relationship. So where does romance come from? Grand gestures, flowery words? No, that is just a small part of it. Romance comes from the heart.

Bogged down and slightly jaded from the daily grind of life, it is quite possible to forget about each other. The flame that once seared your veins with passion, filled your heart with happiness, begins to diminish into a pale glow of insignificance. Suddenly you discover that you no longer know each other. The closeness you both nurtured has vanished into the wind, taken away and dumped somewhere deep in the ocean. Can you get that back? Of course! A famous author once wrote ‘Nothing is truly lost.’ That is a fact!

To hold onto your love, there has to romance and that’s why I became a romance writer. When the real world gets too much to bear, sometimes it’s nice to slip into a fictional reality. Become a silent observer in an unfolding romance. Feel the characters pain; become involved in the twists and turns, as the story unfolds. Not all romances end sweet, some are bittersweet.

What do you think of romance in the modern world? Has it really got a place or have we become jaded.

Buy Abigail Cottage in e-book and print

Publisher: www.hedge-witcherybooks.com
My  links:
www.margaretwest.net
http://magsx.blogspot.com/
http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

Hooking a reader.

Hooking a reader.

In the beginning god gave us light!! LOL I’ve always wanted to start a paragraph off with that. Which brings me to the point of this article. I’m always hearing how editors tell authors they must ‘hook’ a reader. It brings to mind the fishing rod scenario. But if you think about it, how many times do we sit down to watch a film only to be bored to death within the first few minutes? In this age where competition is rife, grabbing a reader’s attention is like holding onto a slippery fish. Fast, fierce and riveting should be the things aimed for with a hook. A new angle, twist of writing style sets you apart from the rest.

I remember reading a book, Night Visions, by Ariana Dupre and was completely thrown that her witch character, was a man. A rather, hunky one to boot. What a twist, when all the foreshadowing made me feel like she was the usual ‘hag witch’. Be honest now. How many books have you picked up then cast aside because they just don’t do it for you? I’ve had two this month. The greatest gift a reader can give an author is the words, ‘I could not put the book down’. I had that with my latest book Abigail Cottage. The reader said, she literally stayed after work to read it! The one thing that struck me was the fact she said, even when she put the book down, she was still thinking bout the story and characters. That really gave me a sense of ‘job’ well done!

I believe that an author really needs to sit down and think who their first readers will be. Over worked editors and Agents! They look for a ‘hook’ straight away. Almost like a person dying of thirst in the desert would search for water. A crashing noise, explosion, head chopping off (if you write horror lol) is a first sentence hook. It compels a reader to read on and see what’s happened. Joking aside, it is so important and each page should end with a page turner. You need your reader to want to turn that page. So remember, even one word can hook. Don’t be afraid to cast out your rods with hooks made of steel.

Buy Abigail Cottage in e-book and print HERE

Publisher. www.hedge-witcherybooks.com

My links: www.margaretwest.net
http://magsx.blogspot.com/
http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

Margaret West Talks about writing the perfect plot

How to write a perfect plot


Good Morning. I am very happy to be here, on Sherry’s blog for the next seven days...yikes...I hope I don’t bore you all rigid lol. I like feedback, so any comments/questions you may have, feel free to ask. I’ll be popping in and out all the time.

So let’s talk about how I think you can write a perfect plot. I need input here. So anything you can add will go onto my writer’s blog, under the Author helpful hints page. So be sure to leave your website addy beside your comments for me.

In my other job as a medium, I observe people. So I apply that technique to those who like to read books. If a person stops, frowns, then re-read a sentence, it’s a warning that something is very wrong. It could be loss of viewpoint, failure to provide adequate settings or, worse still, an inconsistency in the plot. Whatever it is, it usually results from careless plotting compounded by either failure to double check each development, or a suicidal conviction that no one will notice! Trust me, a reader WILL notice.

I believe a first scene should have a good hook, which I will discuss in tomorrow’s blog. You set the pace and mood here. It’s all about making your reader care about your characters.

Non writers always ask me, where do you get your ideas? I believe that what sets a writer’s imagination apart from other types of imagination, is the way it collects and organises it. I read somewhere that a writer thinks of them self as a hunter gather. I like that phrase. A writers mind is where an impression can grow and spread into fully expanded ideas. It’s like having a personal filing cabinet inside your head. People’s lives are interesting. So be a hunter gatherer and grab any information that takes your fancy and store it away.

PLOTTING. I only chose the strongest ideas. Never some vague outlines that may form. You should have an idea of settings and conflict. So which comes first? In answer to that, both! The elements come at the same time, spurring each other on. Give your characters bones to fight over and a place to hold that fight. The hero and heroine are the most important members of the cast. Their backgrounds, personalities, and skills must make them come across as real. I always check and cross-check their histories as I build them. A heroine who has a lovely, but empty face, no wrinkles in her clothes, and no wrinkles in her spirit is boring. So don’t expect anyone to care about her. She’s not real enough. Let’s say my heroine is twenty – three, ought to be pretty, because if she is I don’t have to look too hard to get her noticed. But one character doesn’t make a novel. In steps the hero. Also secondary characters. Traits and agendas for them. I build them as carefully as I build my main characters. They are just as important. But not too many. In my experience, a whole crowd of characters with agenda’s make confusing reading.

The hero…let’s call him Edward, knows what he wants. He was born knowing that and he’s been going after it ever since. He’s honourable, loyal and smart and confident. Understanding women isn’t something he’s worked real hard at. He never had a reason to before he met Virginia.

She’s the woman he wants. She works at the office and he’s tried to get to know her but she doesn’t want to know. He hates that, but he can’t get her out of his head. It doesn’t help that she applied for the promotion that was given to him. He also heard that one of the firm’s biggest accounts is her ex-husband. Who still wants her. Can you see the hero developing here? He’s not perfect, but who is nowadays? This makes him more believable to the reader.

Major characters lead to secondary characters. Major and secondary characters lead to minor characters.

CONFLICT. When I work on characterization, I always work on conflict. I try hard not to get bogged down with silver eyes that shine like a polished kettle, and sardonic eyebrows that slash heavenward like dark thunderbolts prepared to challenge God. My rule of thumb is, only trouble is interesting. And if you want to capture a reader’s attention and hold it, your characters must be in trouble. The root of all this trouble comes from your characters wanting something they can’t have. BUT they must have it or be doomed to eternal unhappiness or, almost worse, a passionless existence.

MOTIVATION. I try hard to make my story real, but basically it’s a fabricated vision of a selected sequence from life. Here is where inconsistencies can creep in. But if you don’t catch the problem, you’re in trouble. As I write, I ask myself questions: Why? Where and how? Then I cross-check everything. I never leave a question unanswered a loose end untied. Everything needs to be as tight as a glass blowers backside!

LOCATION. This is where you decide on the scenes you will use to tell your story. I choose my locations for impact, not just for setting. Here I take the time to organise a few pivotal scenes that act as anchors to the entire plot. If I choose wrong the whole story could fall apart. Here I decide what the next scene must convey, how it will move the story forward, change the characters, complicate the plot. Then I decide what scene I will use as a tray to carry all these tasty morsels.

So to do a quick recap.

1. Flesh out my heroine and hero. Maybe take whole paragraph to talk about them. Make her three dimensional.

2. What do they want that will put them in conflict with themselves and with each other and with the world? Jot down notes.

3. Take the want you’ve developed, devise an action to get it, then motivate and qualify the action with the who, when, why, what, how sequence.

4. You need a scene to present the idea you gathered. To execute the scene, I use the heroine and hero I’ve fleshed out, and some of the want that stops them from leaping into each other’s arms and living happily ever after on page one of your book.

5. Read over the six points you’ve written.

6. Combine them into a paragraph that captures the essence of the story.

Now I have my workable plot line.

If you have any helpful tips or just want to comment, please do.

Blurb:
When Abigail falls in love with Justin she can’t begin to know the world of hurt she is heading into. Gorgeous, kind, rich – he’s the man we all dream to meet. BUT, all is not what it seems because Justin is a true demon from hell, disguised as a mortal being. He wants her and will do, kill or maim anyone who tries to stop him. Namely Shaun the real hero, who wants Abigail more! So what does a mortal man do against a demon? He enlists the help of a gypsy of course. But not any old gypsy. Rosa knows Justin very well and has the powers of the spirit world on her side to fight him. Using crystals as a powerful weapon, the light of the spirit world to lead them, they embark on a battle with the whole of the underworld. Many loved ones will lose their lives. This isn’t a book where everyone survives. In real life, bad things happen. In Abigail Cottage, terrible tragedies occur too. Believe... not every story can have a happy ending.

BuyLinks:  Abigail Cottage in e-book and print
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abigail-Cottage-Margaret-West/dp/1907963049/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292601645&sr=1-7
Publisher. www.hedge-witcherybooks.com

My links:
www.margaretwest.net
http://magsx.blogspot.com/
http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com/

Margaret, :-) thank you for sharing your ideas and blurb for Abigail Cottage with us today.  I enjoyed reading yours and will tweak some of them into my own routines.

Trip Around the World: Mega Author Blog Hop: Ticket to Paradise!

Trip Around the World: Mega Author Blog Hop: Ticket to Paradise!
~May 16th - 23rd~
particpation details below - at the end of the blog 



Let me introduce myself before I take you round Norwich and the surrounding countryside of Norfolk England. I am Sherry Gloag’s heroine, Trudi Delaney, in her latest novel, Duty Calls, published in February by Black Opal Books.

I'll start by showing you where the inspiration for some of the scenes in Duty Calls come from. The novel opens with the arrival of Gloag’s hero, Rafe Hawk, at Kinsale Hall. The large house in Duty Calls is set in expansive grounds all of which are very roughly based on Holkham Hall on the North Norfolk coast in England.

Holkham Hall



Ms Gloag makes no apologies for rearranging the settings and transplanting them in an unspecified country location. The original setting is close to the county town of Norwich which is regarded as the most complete medieval city in Britain and its amazing history will delight and enthral as you discover how the past has shaped the city. 

Norwich was one of the most important towns in Anglo Saxon Britain developed from a collection of small settlements along one of Norfolk's rivers, the Wensum. From these relatively humble beginnings Norwich was to experience dramatic changes with the Norman invasion and settlement in 1066.

The cathedral, was founded in 1096 and built using Normandy stone shipped over from Caen. Only Salisbury Cathedral’s spire is taller than the one in Norwich.



Ethelbert Gate



Providing access from the southern end of Tombland, the Ethelbert Gate is unique example of Norwich preserving evidence of the 12th-century gatehouse, but is essentially a rebuild of c.1320. The upper storey originally housed a chapel, and the gate is remarkable for its early and sophisticated use of flint flushwork.

When you take an official city tour, you will hear about what is called, locally, Kett’s rebellion. Not content with one peasant rebellion, Norwich in 1549 saw Robert Kett’s three week uprising against the enclosure of commons and the dissolution of the monasteries. Kett, a tanner seized the city and led his army to victory over one government army before falling to a far larger one: Kett was hanged from Norwich Keep. The tour iformation maintains that there are links with Ethelbert’s Gate and Kett’s followers.

Norwich with its trading centre was soon the fourth city in the land. More medieval churches remain in Norwich than even London or Paris and were built with the fortunes from the wool trade. 

 Once thought to be a natural phenomenom, research in the 1950'sproved The Norfolk Broads were man-made, showing the sides of the deep lakes were vertical and not gently sloping as would be expected of a naturally formed lake, coupled with the historical evidence of peat demand.

In other words, through the need to dig peat for fuel to cook and keep warm, over the centuries past generations gifted a vast area that became a natural habitat to many species for birds, butterflies and other creatures, as a well as an ideal location for boating holidays for the present generation.

When, in Duty Calls, the children’s safety is in question, I envisaged taking the girls to places based on those mentioned above.

Because of its position off the main south-north motorways and modern-day-rat-race, Norfolk still maintains much of its old-world charm and historical roots. Snettishan and Holme host a couple of the best known bird sanctuaries in Britain. And the beaches offer a wonderful opportunity for family entertainment.

Norfolk is siuated in the south east of England, and in one medium-sized county offers a wide variety of visitor delights that has something for everyone.



BLURB:
She’d saved his life…
Rafe Hawk refuses to accept the inheritance, of a large English estate, and the title that goes with it, after his birth father’s death because the man chose duty over the woman he loved and their son.
So when he finds himself temporarily living at Kinsale Hall, he’s not prepared to trust anyone associated with the place, including Trudi Delaney and her daughter.
So why, when he looks into their eyes, does he suddenly remember a woman who may have lost her life after a storm while saving his over a decade ago?
Now he could destroy hers.

Instinct warns Trudi Delaney the arrival of the contemptuous American architect at Kinsale Hall will change her life forever. Especially when she discovers he spends so much of his time in areas of Kinsale Hall off-limits to visitors.
Eleven years after escaping from her psychotic husband with a stranger, she’s still plagued by nightmares of events she can’t remember. Events such as, who fathered her beautiful daughter?
Now more than a decade later, she is confronted by another stranger. Will this one destroy everything she holds dear?

EXCERPT:
“Stop the car!” Rafe Hawk swung round to face the driver. “I recognise this road. You never said the commission to build those retirement units was at Kinsale Hall. You know damn well I swore never set foot in the place again, eleven years ago.”
Rage hazed his vision. “You knew I’d refuse the commission if you’d revealed the location, and because you withheld that vital information, Arthur, this contract is null and void.” He shot forward in his seat when Arthur tramped on the brakes.
His friend from their Uni days skewed round in his seat. “How long have we known each other?”
Startled by Arthur Clifton’s question, Rafe hesitated. “What’s the length of our friendship got to do with anything? Other than the fact you’re stretching it very thin, if you think I’ll set foot on Kinsale territory again.” He swung open the car door and leaped out, his fingers tunnelling through his windswept hair.
Brilliant blue skies overhead offered a large playground for the early summer sunshine, and the fluffy white clouds sailing by. He saw the high chimney-tops through the trees.
“Do you really think I’d bring you here without a very good reason?” Arthur remained in his seat, his hands on the steering wheel, watching Rafe pace up and down the soft verge beside the open-topped car.
"I can't think of a single reason good enough that justifies you resurrecting events that nearly cost me my life, and possibly cost the life on an unknown woman."

REVIEWS for Duty Calls

MORE About the Author

My Blog-hop Prize

To win a free pdf copy of my current novel, Duty Calls, 

Describe what or where in Norfolk you would like to visit and why.

Click "Follow" on this blog
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My Website: www.sherrygloag.com

TOUR RULES:
1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, May 16, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, May 23, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT EVERY BLOG IS RECOMMENDED. BUT REMEMBER: THE MORE YOU HOP, THE MORE CHANCES YOU HAVE TO WIN. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!
6) OH! AND DON'T FORGET!!" HAVE FUN!! :-)

Simple!! LOL

Remember ~ rule #5~

PARTICIPATION AT EVERY BLOG IS RECOMMENDED. BUT REMEMBER: THE MORE YOU HOP, THE MORE CHANCES YOU HAVE TO WIN. EVERY AUTHOR IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERY AUTHOR SOME LOVE!