DOES FRIDAY THE 13th SCARE YOU?

Are you superstitious? Do you believe unusual ‘things’ will happen to you on Friday the 13^th? Personally, I do. Only I don’t think bad things will happen. Nope, for me it’s just the opposite.

You see, I’ve chosen the 13^th to announce that I’ve signed another contract with The Wild Rose Press. Woot! If anything will bring me luck and fantastic book sales, this will. Although, just for good measure, perhaps I should also go drive by a cemetery and see if a black cat will come out of it and run across my path. That has happened to me and I had very good luck afterwards. (Y’all did know that I’m kinda ‘weird,’ didn’t you? 🙂 )

The name of the story is LAST HOPE ALASKA and is set in Juneau. I absolutely love Alaska and I love this story! I hope I’ve done justice to the Juneau area and have depicted the region accurately. If not, I’m sure everyone that lives there will let me know. 😉

Emily Redfern is a cute but quiet librarian from Tulsa who opened her heart to the wrong man. Now she’s on the run and has to dig deep to find survival skills she hadn’t known she possessed. Broke and exhausted, she lands in Juneau – her last hope for a refuge.

When Sam Tarkington was wrongfully imprisoned, it cost him everything to prove his innocence and be exonerated. All he wants is to regain his reputation, his business, and basically his life as he’d once known it. But when he befriends a woman with a southern accent, all of his intentions get sidetracked in a major way.

Danger lurks in the wilderness. Will the challenges facing them bring them closer? Or prove to be their final demise?

Stay tuned for more details and I’ll provide them as they come available.

(Now I’m going to go dance in the street and celebrate. BIG TIME!)

This! Friday! (Woohoo!!!)

 

Have I mentioned MAKE ME HOWL comes out on Kindle this Friday? I’m so excited, I could just scream. Even after all the critiques, edits and reads, I still like this book. Go figure. 🙂

In celebration, I thought I’d post one of my favorite scenes from the beginning of the book.

I have a question at the bottom. Post your answer here and I’ll put your name in a drawing for a prize!

Cool air stirred my hair, tickling the back of my neck and down my spine as I slowly drifted toward consciousness. I was a bit light-headed, and my eyes were all but glued shut. And the really bad part, mouth tasted as if it were full of downtown Dallas dirty cotton.

The morning was fragrant with a light scent. Wildflowers? Unable to imagine where I was, I rolled over then stretched the kinks out of my arms. Another breeze wafted over me, swirling over my naked breasts, down my belly and along my thighs.

“Jazzy?”

Hearing Bella whisper my name, I was tempted to pretend I was still sleeping. “Um?”

“Jazzy, look at me.”

After working a moment, I was able to open my eyes. I tried to look at Bella, but her face kept going in and out of focus behind the bars.

Bars?

Abruptly I sat up, my head swimming at the sudden motion. “Bella?” I practically coughed the word, my throat hurt so.

Her gaze was filled with concern. I hated that look, as if as the moments-older twin, she was responsible for me. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay.” I paused to control the bristle prickling down my spine. Then I whispered between my clamped jaws, not bothering to use telepathy since there was no one around. “What am I doing here? Naked?”

. . . .

Bella’s mouth dropped open and her eyes grew wide with horror as she looked around. “Doc’s coming back and Norman’s with him. You’d better go primal. Quick.”

As if it was that easy. I couldn’t just wiggle my nose like some TV witch—I had to allow myself to release. And after a lifetime of learning control, that wasn’t easy.

I took a moment to settle myself, to find my center. Arranging my hair so I was well covered, I got to my knees then sat on my heels. “You know, last night, when you and Doc abandoned me, Norman became a huge pest. He kept at me, wanting me to dance with him.”

Bella’s “Um,” irritated me. Annoyance tingled my exposed skin, running along my collarbone and down the insides of my arms.

“He wouldn’t leave me alone. It was so gross.” I straightened as angry lightning strikes marched down my back. “Then he insisted I finish my drink because he wanted to buy me another. Bella, I thought I was going to have to decapitate him to get him to leave me alone. I decided to just take off and let you find another way home. But after I finished my drink—and I only had the one Doc bought me—I don’t remember anything. It’s as if I got lost in the night.”

I gathered my fury like a fiery orb in my chest.

“You know I never have a memory lapse except during a blood moon phase or if I lose control. I wasn’t that angry.”

A simple full moon hadn’t done that to me since I was three years old.

“That son of a cur must have slipped me a roofie. Why else would I have been out of control?” I allowed my rage to explode as I thought about the man putting a date rape drug in my drink.

My body stung as the bristles burst through my skin, but I exalted in the sensation as my face narrowed, then lengthened. I loved the feeling of my body shifting from human to wolf shape. There’s never anything better than the power surge as it filled my muscles.

It’s exhilarating.

I love it when Jazzy shifts to Wolf. She has so much fun!

So here’s your question: Have you ever wished you could be a shape shifter? If you were given the choice, what animal would you become?

Writers’ Academy 2013

Last month I attended the WTAMU Writers Academy and it was AWESOME! Yes, that’s an overused word, yes, it’s a cliché. But folks, there isn’t any other way of saying how great it was for me.

I have to admit, I didn’t do very well last year. My fault. My head wasn’t in it. This year? Whole different story! I took Alexandra Sokoloff’s class again.

Only this time I was excited about my story idea going in. I didn’t have a lot of the plot, and of course, several things changed before we were done plotting. But that’s why I coughed up good money to go…to find out what worked and what didn’t. I have to tell you, I am SUPER excited about this story! Now all I have to do is get it written.

By the time we were through going through my story on Wednesday and Thursday I didn’t even want to stay for the rest of the class…I wanted to go WRITE! But I didn’t. The whole point of the class was to not only get input from the instructor, but from other class members…a give and take, if you will.

For those of you who know me, you know I’m not much of a plotter. So to be able to walk away after (basically) four days with a complete plot line is practically unthinkable. I did it, though. So did every other person in the class. Alex paid us the biggest compliment when she said every single story was viable and marketable. Woot!!

 

 

Here we all are the last day. Alex is next to me with blond hair. Notice there’s only one guy in our class. Bless his heart, he didn’t turn beat red when we talked about hot flashes, etc. {snort}

This is a wonderful (and forever) friend, Jolene Navarro and her daughter, Storm. Jolene’s 1st book will be out this October through Harlequin Love Inspired. I KNOW it’s great! Storm writes paranormal and has a bit of a different twist on angels and demons. Can’t wait to read the finished product.

I’ve already dived into the writing full speed and making great progress. We’ll see just how fast I can write a complete manuscript. Keep your fingers crossed while I try to type mine off. 🙂

I HAVE A PUB DATE!

GUESS WHAT!

I received my pub date from my publisher. (Did the blog title give it away?)

Make Me Howl is going to be available on November 15, 2013!

 

HOWL!

I’m just a little(!) bit excited. *grins* Can you tell?

I’m going to try to set up a Facebook page for Howl. (I think.)   If I do, I’ll need all my friends out there to like it. Well, the ones who read werewolf books.

All three of you.

In case you’re wondering, HOWL isn’t an inspirational.   It’s the last book I wrote before I started trying inspirational. I’m still waiting to hear back on my first try with that genre. The tentative title is Texas Hearts. Prayers about that would be appreciated!

Okay, wait. I’m asking for prayers for God’s will with my writing, not that TH will sell. Although I’d love, love, love to write for the Lord, I really want to be solidly in His will.

Oh, and if you like werewolf books, HOWL is acomin’!

It’s not your normal werewolf book.

Ps: If you follow both SMART WOMEN and SMALL TOWN WORLD, this is a reblog.

Fair Weather Writer?

For some writers Fair Weather is the key.

You know what a Fair Weather Writers are, don’t you? They’re those people who can only write when all circumstances are right.

I honestly don’t know any, (hand in the air) but I’ve read about them. They’re the writers who can only get words on paper when

• There’s no one else in the house.
• When the muse knocks three times.
• During the rain.
• When the sun’s shining.
• Only on weekdays.
• Only on weekends.
•  Only after the house work’s finished.
• Or the laundry.
• When the kids are in bed.
• With their pets are in their laps.
• (Name your own poison.)

Okay, I’ll admit it. (Hangs head.) I’m a Fair Weather Writer. (Sorta.) My personal thing is I can only write in the morning, maybe until noon. But when the day starts winding down, so does my brainpower. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.) I blame it on my internal clock.

Maybe you aren’t a FWW. You could be an ALL Weather Writer. That’s a writer who can write anytime, day or night–it doesn’t matter who’s around or what’s going on, who’s waiting or what anyone expects.

When they’re on a story, they’re writing.

Louis L’amour said he could write in the middle of Time Square. Just give him a typewriter and stand back.

Marilyn Pappano can write all day and all night and start over again. And what she writes works!

A HERO TO COME HOME TO author (and all weather writer) Marilyn Pappano

I roomed at a writers’ retreat once with a woman who went directly to her computer and wrote each time we had a break. She was a great influence on me, and I started writing each time she did. And sometimes before she did.

All Weather Writer Jackie Kramer

Maybe I should just move in with her. 🙂

I’d give my eyeteeth to be an AWW, but I’ve tried. I can do a little in the evening (like now) but mostly, pfft. And what I do write late in the day takes a lot of fixing the next morning. Sigh. (Five fixes so far this morning.)

So . . . how about you? FWW or AWW? Do you know?

Smart Women Who

Smart Women Who . . .

spend time together

cook for each other

have fun together

learn from one another

eat together

celebrate

accomplishments

 learn

together

and from each other.

Not a bad group of women to hang with.

Creative Wells

Man does not live by bread alone.

No, we need more. In fact, we creative types have to keep those creative juices flowing. One way or the other. Right now, for me, it’s attending a workshop founded by NY Times & USA Today Best Selling Author Jodi Thomas and Random House Publishing’s Upcoming Star Tim Lewis at West Texas A&M University’s Writers’ Academy in Canyon, TX all this week.

I’m taking the Screenwriting Structure for Novelists class taught by Best Selling Author and Bram Stoker Award Nominee Alexandra Sokoloff. I’m starting a brand new project and I have to tell you, I feel really good about this story! It’s sort of a sequel to Shattered Promises, my story in the anthology Romance – The Spice of Life. The new story is titled Deadly Promises. Does that give you a tiny inkling of what you’ll get when you read the book? I hope so. 🙂

This takes place during the same timeframe as Shattered Promises, only with different characters (naturally). There’s the plane crash and a lot of flawed characters, including: a new sheriff in town, a struggling widow and a stalker. I’m also going to address some social issues.

Like I said, I’m super excited about this. We’ll see what comes out of the class and if they can help me fill in a BUNCH of holes in the plot. I have faith that Alex will be able to see what I’m completely overlooking. Or even go a direction I never would’ve thought of going.

I can’t wait to reconnect with old friends as well as make new ones. Spending a week immersed in writing with other writers is so uplifting and inspiring, it’s unbelievable. I’ll come home completely wiped out and drained, but it’ll all be good. Keep your fingers crossed that I don’t crash and burn during this class because she definitely puts you through your paces. Regardless, I’ll have all the plot points worked out by the time I leave on Friday. Yay!

Btw, wish you were here as they have other wonderful instructors, such as: Margie Lawson, Jennifer Archer, Dian Curtis Regan, Mike Bellah along with tonight’s banquet speaker, Linda Castillo. Now how could you go wrong with a line-up like that? 🙂 ♥

Want to Write a Book?

When we sold our pharmacy in Pryor Creek, several friends asked me what I was going to do. One day, a pretty friend with long, dark hair asked the question.

“Well,” I confided. After all, she was a friend. “I’m going to write.”

She smiled happily and chirped, “Oh. I’ve always wanted to write.”

“Really?” I asked. “What do you want to write?” I’d known for years I wanted to write romance for the HEA factor if nothing else.

“Oh, I don’t know,” my friend answered. She didn’t know what kind of book. Didn’t know what it would be about. Had no idea of genre, publishing houses, characters, plotting or anything else people usually study up on, even if they never really get a story idea.  “I just want to write a book.”

That was my first encounter with that attitude, but not my last. I had no idea how to answer her.

Today, I’d tell her to read, “5 Ways to Develop a Book Idea.”

It might have been named, “5 Ways to Go Beyond Just Wanting to Write a Book.”

BTW: I love #5. FORCE YOURSELF TO HAVE FUN (girls love having fun!) AND BELIEVE IN YOUR WRITING! (Easier said than done, but doable.

)

 

Oh, No! Not Routine!!!

Routine. Good thing or bad?

Above is supposed to be a poll. If it’s not there, vote in comments. Would you? Routine–good or bad?

Maybe the poll isn’t fair. Some routines can be good. (Dance routines are good things. Right, DWTS?)

For some people routine is a great thing, while to others it means b-o-r-i-n-g. (IOW-death.)

How about for a writer? Check out this blog. It might change your mind.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/7-writing-routines-that-work?et_mid=621483&rid=234608531

Where the Magic Grows

Some writers have this thing I’ve always envied, where they can be alone, meet with their muses and write, write, write. The really good ones have a little bit of magic growing there.

It’s called an office.

Marilyn Pappano’s was the first one I saw for myself. Hers is really cool! I’m awful with distances, but it’s about thirty feet from her backdoor, has two rooms, air and heat and even a place where she can nap when she’s exhausted.

I’m not sure, but I think it used to be a chicken house. Or a clock builder’s workshop. I can’t remember. 😦

I’m not sure where she keeps it, but I know there’s a place in there where magic blooms. 🙂

Another friend, a newer writer, has an office that’s outside her house, too. She has access to magic I know, because she’s extremely determined as well as enthusiastic about writing. (I’m anxious to read her stuff.) Her office used to be a barn.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has a huge, two story office in her house. (Click on the link to see pictures.) She has tons of built in bookshelves, and somewhere, over in the back, a vat where she stirs up magic. (I know it’s there!)

Stephen King’s office.

Here’s a link to a pic of Leigh Duncan’s “work space” aka office. (You call it corn, we call it maze.)

My office?

These days is a recliner. 🙂 My laptop sits of a table next to it. Since I’m most creative early in the a.m., I have piles of solitude. And quiet? Yeah, except when Molly is demanding a treat or it’s storming outside.

What about my books? Most are on my Kindle these days. The rest are in my overfilled everything room. Printer? It’s in the next room. Dictionary? Encyclopedia? Thesaurus? Online. Online. Online.

What about days when I write for more than a few hours and others are around?

Well, there’s always white noise and ear buds. 🙂

Of course, there are a few things I’m missing. I don’t have an area where magic grows (just blood, sweat and tears) but I’m hoping to find one.

The video below is James Scott Bell in his office. He’s sharing his best writing advice, but he shows us someone of the things in his office as he does. Maybe I should take a tip from him.

He definitely knows where the Magic Grows.

What’s your office like? Do you have a place where Magic Grows or are you, like me, still searching?

Related articles

• A Place of My Own (staceywilk.com)
• Your Name’s on the Book Cover. What Does it Mean? Author Branding Part 1 (judythewriter.wordpress.com)
• Where do you write? (judythewriter.wordpress.com)
• Written Interview: Stephen King (gointothestory.blcklst.com)