Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Linda McLaughlin

Author Linda McLaughlin stopped by to talk about her latest release. Her book, Rogue’s Hostage is a historical romance and was released in February. Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Rogue’s Hostage is the book of my heart, or at least the one that bubbled up out of my gut. I wrote it during one of the most traumatic periods of my life, after the sudden death of my mother, and only after it was finished did I realize that the heroine, Mara, was in many ways patterned after my mother.

This book is also special because it’s set in the area I grew up in, Western Pennsylvania. I’m a Pittsburgher, and I got the idea for the book while researching the history of the city. The spark for the story was the fact that, during the French & Indian War, the French officers at Fort Duquesne, many of whom were aristocrats, would shed their uniforms and don loincloths and moccasins to lead raiding parties on the English settlements. I thought that was in intriguing idea for a romance hero, and the character of Jacques Corbeau was born.

Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?

Rogue’s Hostage is an old-fashioned historical romance, with lots of history and adventure. It’s a captive story set during the French & Indian War. Most of what I write is historical, but I’ve delved a bit into fantasy romance and science fiction romance under my pseudonym, Lyndi Lamont.

I helped my hubby research relatives who fought in that war. An interesting time in America's history. Did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself?

I had two manuscripts finished before I sold, one of which was Rogue’s Hostage, but it wasn’t the one that sold. That book was a contemporary romance written with my friend, Anne Farrell. It was published by Zebra in April 1998 as Private Affair by Lyn O’Farrell, part of their Precious Gems line. We have since re-issued it in e-book form under the title Worth The Risk.

Rights reversions gives you that freedom to republish, and get your work in front of more readers! Do you have any rejection stories to share?

Oh, yes. My favorite rejection story is when I sent Rogue’s Hostage to a NY publisher. When I didn’t hear back after about four months, I sent them an inquiry about the status of the ms. Someone wrote back to say they never got it and could I resend it, so I printed out another huge paper ms. and mailed it off. Another $20 or so down the drain.  About a month later, I received a rejection. At the time, I had a sneaking suspicion that the rejection was for the first manuscript. (When did NY ever turn anything around that fast?) When I received another rejection from a different editor about a month after that, I knew the first manuscript hadn’t been lost at all; they had just lost track of it. At that point, all I could do was laugh.  

I sold the book to Amber Quill Press, and felt validated when it received a 4 ½ Star review from Romantic Times and was nominated for a Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Small Press Romance of 2003. This year, the rights reverted to me and I reissued the book.

What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

I’m still learning in the promo department. I do blog occasionally, though not with the kind of regularity you do. I love Twitter, and use my account to promote other authors more than myself. I’m a Facebook newbie, having joined only this year, and I’m still learning there. The only help I get is from other authors who tweet and share for each other. Someday, I’d like to be able to hire an assistant to help with the blogging, since it’s so time consuming.

Let's tweet together! Promotion is important. Are you a member of any writing organizations and, if so, have they helped?

Yes, I’ve been a member of Romance Writers of America and the local Orange County California chapter for many years now. I’d never have become published without the help of this organization. It’s amazing how much one can learn from chapter meetings and workshops at the national conference. I recommend RWA to anyone who wants to write romance fiction. In the last year and a half, I’ve gotten involved with Indie Romance Ink and found, again, that romance authors are the most generous and sharing souls in the writing world. This time the learning curve has been more technical than craft-oriented, but I’ve found a huge amount of information about self-publishing and promo.

This year, I participated in two group projects: the Romance Super Bundle, a boxed set of ten romance novels, and Sweetwater Springs Christmas: A Montana Sky Short Story Anthology by Debra Holland and Friends. I contributed a holiday short story to the latter called The Best Present, about a ten-year-old girl experiencing a difficult Christmas. There are so many opportunities for authors today. It’s an exciting time to be a writer!

Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.
1) I married for the first time at the age of 40, after a 9 ½ year courtship.
2) When I was a kid, we once ate Christmas dinner at White Castle in North Carolina.
3) In my twenties, I went to Australia where a friend talked me into a camping tour of Tasmania.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on a Western romance set in post-Civil War Texas.

BOOK BLURB

His hostage... 

In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning of courage and the tempting call of desire.

Her destiny...

French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive threatens what little honor he has left.  But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past misdeeds forever.

Rogue’s Hostage is also part of the Romance Super Bundle, a boxed-set of ten full-length romance novels by ten authors, available at all major e-book retailers for one low price. You can find more information at my website: http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/RSB.html

An excerpt is available at my website: http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/rogue-excerpt.html

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by her paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to England where she was able to combine sightseeing and theater with research for her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California with her husband.

Her first book was Worth The Risk by Lyn O'Farrell. Now Linda writes historical and Regency romance. She loves transporting her readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.

She also writes sexy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi Lamont.

How can my readers buy your book? 

Rogue’s Hostage is available at

Amazon    Barnes and Noble

 

iBooks    Smashwords    ARe 

You can find more information about

Linda and her book

Rogue’s Hostage by visiting:

WEBSITE    BLOG    TWITTER

FACEBOOK    GOODREADS

Amazon Author Page  

And the Winner of my HOT AUTUMN NIGHTS Blog Hop Giveaway is...

Debra Elise! Congratulations on Winning my Snowman Basket filled with goodies!

The HOLIDAY SEASON
is officially here and I have joined oodles of wonderful authors, bloggers, and reviewers to offer fantastic prizes for you, the reader.

A Blog Hop is simple...enter by clicking below, or by simply leaving a comment. Then go to the list of participating blogs. Scroll through them, click on one or all, and enter.

Each blog is giving away a prize!

When the Blog Hop ends Monday night, the Sponsor will choose one overall winner for the

And The GRAND PRIZE Winner

of an $80 Amazon or

Barnes and Noble Gift Card is

Valerie K over at Linda McLaughlin's blog, Flights-A-Fancy.
 

Why a Blog Hop? This is my way to intice readers to learn more about MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER, the latest in my HIghland Games Through Time series. So sit back, relax, and scroll through to find all the wonderful people who have gotten together to share their work with you. A hot rum punch or spiced hot cider might be just the ticket! Here is a little sneak peak at what my book, MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER is all about:

Skye has spent the last five years trying to forget the blacksmith who followed her back to 16^th century Scotland, to help fight evil. Sending Jake Jamison home against his will was a disastrous mistake. She risked everything attempting to defeat Andreas Borthwick. Jake might have defeated the evil sorcerer, preventing her husband’s death. When she prevents the sorcerer from grabbing her nephew, he takes her instead. To escape, she defies time to find Jake.

The last person Jake wants to see is the young woman from ancient Scotland; the same woman who has haunted his dreams since she blackmailed him into traveling back in time. Before he could save Skye Gunn’s people, she had sent him home. Until he met Skye, his life had been normal. Quiet, and uncomplicated. No one knows he is a firebreather, except her. His ancestry is a mystery. When Skye falls into his bed—beaten, bloody and beautiful—Jake must choose to trust her, or turn his back on the only woman he’s loved across time.

Skye encourages Jake to use his ability to help her kill the sorcerer. Stealing his heart was not part of the plan. Jake must share his secret, Skye must give her heart fully, and both must dare to love in the time they have.

MY RELUCTANT HIGHLANDER
Buy Links

E-Book

AMAZON     NOOK     KOBO     SONY  

AllRomanceEBooks     Smashwords     iTunes

Print

Amazon PRINT     Barnes and Noble PRINT

Books-A-MillionPRINT     Book Depository PRINT   

Snowman Basket

The Sinner by Margaret Mallory

At The Highlander's Mercy autographed by Terri Brisbin

Lessons in Loving a Laird by Michelle Marcos

My Reluctant Highlander autographed by Nancy Lee Badger

Walkers Scottie Dog Shortbread

 

The Winner, Denise Elise, will recieve this fabulous prize. Check back a little later to see who has won the GIFT CARD!
(to be drawn by the Blog Hop Chairperson)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Sarah J Pepper

Author Sarah J. Pepper

Sarah J. Pepper stopped by to share a fantastic announcement: her latest book, Death of the Mad Hatter, is available starting TODAY! She shares a little about this fantasy romance and herself...

 

***WHITE RABBIT DOOR PRIZE*** $25 Amazon Gift Card! To enter: join the Death of the Mad Hatter's release day party event and invite as many people as you wish! (here's the link) 

When your friends join, just follow the instructions in the top post to enter the giveaway! The person who has the most votes WINS THE WHITE RABBIT DOOR PRIZE!! Thank you for participating and hope to see you there! :) 

Will you share some encouraging words for authors still struggling for that first contract?
Bubble wrap yourself. There are going to be hard times, bad reviews and sleepless nights but for all the hard times there are good ones. So make a happy folder

What is your writing routine like?
Let my characters do whatever they want...(okay, this may need an explanation, huh) A long, long time ago I penciled down my synopsis and idea in great detail before writing a story. And within five sentences, my characters would hijack the novel and do whatever they wanted. And it's not like they do small changes to my plot. I once was writing about the Chicago mafia, and the novel ended up being a romantic story about aliens. So, I've accepted this as my writing style and let the characters "talk" to me. It's better this way, tho because I have no idea how the novel will end so its always very exciting for me too! 

My readers would like to know when you started writing toward publication, and did you have several manuscripts finished before you sold? If so, did you send them out yourself? Why have you become a published author? Do you have any rejection stories to share? Here’s my story about how my imagination hijacked my life and pushed me into the writing biz…. 

My grammar is worse than par, and my spelling would suggest that I have some form of alphabet turrets. So to be an author was sooooo far away from the realm of possible career choices. I hated English class and thought my teacher was out to get me. I stumbled onto a collegiate magazine contest (my piece about basic training was submitted by my English professor) Surprise surprise, I won the descriptive essay. But even then I was more concerned with my bachelor degree in Exercise Science. In a world full of dumbbells, spell check was not a big part of my life…

My idea of writing didn't start until a dear friend forced me to watch Twilight with her. Sparkling vamps? Give me a break. But I humored her, thinking that any night I had an excuse to shove popcorn down my throat was a good night. Within three days following the movie I finished the first two books. Soon after I found a few different authors specializing in the sci-fi/fantasy realm and read their works. Days turned into months about as quickly as I turned each page in the books I finished. Soon I had a dilemma. My favorite authors weren’t coming out with their newest works for another several months. A light bulb went off in my head…

Without getting into the specifics, my first novel was a monstrosity at 174,000 words. It was wonderfully boring and had no personality. I can’t tell you how many times I revised that baby until it shined with dynamic characters, unexpected twists, and unbelievable addictive love scenes. I cut the novel in half with all my edits.

Then what?

I bought the “Getting Published for Dummies” book and put my nose to the grinder. After whipping up a query letter, I sent it out expecting to get loads of offers… I received over 300 “no’s” in the months to follow. Knowing I had a great premise, I sat down and really took a look at my first sentence and synopsis. If I was a surgeon, I’d have been covered in blood. With as much as I edited, altered, and triple checked the first sentence, I was mentally exhausted. Changing the rest of the letter took some convincing and loads of chocolate.

Two years ago, I didn't want to tell a soul I was writing. Eventually I told my husband and a group of select friends – but most of my hard work was behind the scenes to friends and family. Back then my goal was to get just one “yes" from a publisher. Soon that transformed into wanting to hold my book in my hands. Months transformed into years. 

My irrational “pipedream” went international. Death of the Mad Hatter will be my tenth novel thus-far. Countless times I've taken a break from punching away at my keyboard and have thought, “Me – a writer?”

What’s next for you? 

Ugh, I blame my characters for making a mess of my Fate Trilogy. So, I really need to fix everything they did.  

Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.

hmmmm, my favorite tea is Earl Grey because of a school girl crush I had on John Luke Picard (Star Trek). I HATE chocolate Tootsie Rolls. Half the books on my bookshelves I haven't read.  

BOOK BLURB for Death of the Mad Hatter 

If the king loses his head, then the Queen with a Bleeding Heart would rule the Red Court until Time ceased to move forward. When a second carried on for infinity, every creature in Wonderland would tip their Hat to the misfit girl with a Boy’s name (or was it a boy with a Girl’s name?) who’d end the Reign of Terror. However, it all hinged on the One-Eyed Hare being able to convince an uninspirable Heir that the impossible was indeed possible—like stopping time—and that Love was worth a Beheading.

Heads would Roll…Hearts would Break…In the end, would it matter who Reigned?  

How can my readers buy your book?  
It will be on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble as well. Here's the pre-order link!
and learn more about the book at:   GOODREADS
More About Sarah J. Pepper:
BIO: I specialize in dark, paranormal romance – think “happy ever after” but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn't only filled with hugs, kisses, unicorns, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of – both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn't always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn't mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit?

Contact Sarah J. Pepper:

TWITTER       GOODREADS    

 

FACEBOOK     PEPPERS READING CORNER    

Nancy Lee Badger Interviews Connie L. Smith

Author Connie L. Smith stopped by to talk about her writing as well as to discuss her latest book, Essenced. It is a YA/UF, and was released on July 29, 2013.

Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.

Basically, centuries ago, there was a war between good and evil. Good was made up of different creatures – many of which only exist in myth these days – while demons were the evil. Once the demons were defeated, they were banished from the realm through a portal into an unknown dimension. The method would’ve been permanent, if the last one through hadn’t snagged the portal itself, keeping it from closing entirely and ensuring that it would reopen. Knowing the inhabitants of the world would need supernatural forces to win the upcoming war – and recognizing that magic was slipping from the universe (magic most of the creatures needed to live) – the victors placed the essences of certain creatures in humans, bottling away magic for future use. This is the story of the Division – the rift in the portal – growing too large to ignore, and magic bringing phenomenal essences to life in teenagers who have to save the world from the reemerging evil.
                                     
Describe the genre of this particular title, and is the only genre you write in?  

This book is YA/UF, with its fair share of romance. It isn’t the only genre combination I write, but it’s the one book I’ve published as of yet. I have a Paranormal Romance novella due to come out sometime around December, and I’m about to start writing a YA Romance. Some of my planned future books could be more traditional fantasy, more NA… I’ve even written a few children’s stories.

New Adult? An interesting new genre. good luck with that. When did you start writing toward publication? 

I decided to try to write a novel last year. That particular work has been temporarily abandoned. It was my first book, it wasn’t turning out like I wanted, and I just gave up. For beginning writers – don’t do that! Keep working on it! I started writing Essenced soon after, and it’s my first finished novel. 

Only started last year? Awesome! What is your writing routine like?

Boring. I basically just sit on my bed with a  computer, my fan turned out to drown out noise, with a Diet Dr. Pepper (or a bottle of water) within reach.

Coffee and a laptop is all I need. What sort of promo do you do? Do you have help?

I have help in the way that some friends have shared statuses and encouraged other people to read the book. The only person I’ve hired for help, so far, has been Laura Gordon – the lady who designed my cover. BTW, check the site out: http://bookcovermachine.wordpress.com/. I’ve been on blogs (often with free promotions scheduled for the same day), and have created a contest for someone to design the cover for my upcoming novella. And I’m planning on making use of Goodreads giveaways, even beyond the one that’s currently scheduled.

I have a Goodreads giveaway going on right now too! Having achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing? 

I think, as a self-published author, the most rewarding thing is looking at this massive goal, and knowing that I did it. I didn’t have the backing of a publisher, or the help of one of their editors, and I still managed to make this book sell-ready, and in good enough shape to allow for some awesome reviews. That… is pretty impressive :)

Please Share three fun facts about you that most people don’t know.

1) I’m addicted to the 1950s. Seriously. It’s a bit sad.

2) I once galloped like a Monty Python character through the food court of three malls.

3) I have a desire to plant a flower garden while wearing fairy wings.

What’s next for you?

I’m editing the second book, Emblazed, which should be out in February 2014. I’m also planning to release novella around December of this year, and I’m jumping into another project for NaNoWriMo.

BOOK BLURB

Years ago, demons were forced out of the earth’s realm by a band of supernatural fighters, banished from the place and its people in the aftermath of a horrific war. It should’ve ended there – would’ve – if not for the final demon’s claw snagging on the open portal. What felt like victory became only a reprieve, the winning warriors understanding that the tear would spread, and the demons eventually would escape exile. It was only a matter of time, and a need for future defense – a question of genetics and essences, magic and power.

Now, centuries later, a new army must bind together – one of teenagers with inhuman potentials and abilities…

AJ went to bed Sunday night an average teenage girl, clumsy and athletically lacking. So when she wakes up Monday morning with super-strength, she does what any rational person would do: She goes into denial. When a smoking hot guy in a suit shows up, rambling about the end of the war and demons spilling through some kind of rift, she refuses to listen, telling herself he’s insane. Except weird things just won’t quit happening, and the guy keeps popping up in her life, trying to explain the changes suddenly happening within her. Is she crazy, or is this guy… not so crazy after all?

EXCERPT

     AJ noticed the intense stares Julius sent her all day long, even through the mental and physical demands of her training, which had easily outdone all her previous challenges. She ached all over, sweat poured from her body, and she wanted a shower and her bed as quickly as she could possibly attain them.

     Still, even with the pain and tiredness came a sense of amazement. Had she been told yesterday how much she could accomplish, she would’ve thought the speaker crazy. In fact, she’d done just that many times over. How often had she argued with her instructors, insisting they asked too much of her and her pack, that what they expected of her she simply couldn’t give? After this morning’s group embarrassment, she’d made the decision – everyone had – to stop arguing and start performing.

     Turns out, the trainers knew what they spoke of. They gave her many different tasks she thought insane, but rather than recoil and dispute – her first instincts – she kept her mouth shut and tried. And did. When she thought she’d handed over every ounce of her abilities, she pressed on, always unearthing more under the exterior. Granted, she had room for progress, and who knew precisely how far this new mentality could take her, but she now understood every instructor’s insistence that the Essenced could do so much more than they believed. What they’d done that day seemed unreal, but it happened nonetheless.

     She wondered how far she would be had she only accepted the trainers’ now observably true words from day one, though she couldn’t change the time she’d walked in obliviousness to anything more constructive. But it wouldn’t happen again. She would keep pushing herself, testing the extent of her abilities.
     Even as she thought about those things, gathering her empty water bottles to leave the endurance room, she felt his eyes on her, so intense she both cringed and shivered. Both good and bad, beautiful and bothersome. That’s Julius, alright. Turning to him, seeing the intensity for herself, made her pause as an involuntary gasp escaped her.
     “What?” she finally demanded.
     He kept staring. “I’m deciding something.”
     “Okay…” She elevated an eyebrow, drawing the word out. “Well, I’m gonna go eat, so just… keep deciding.”
     “I’m deciding about you.”
     She stopped, gawking at him with wide eyes. Deciding about her? What did he mean exactly? Surely he hadn’t bridged the topic of them out in the open for everyone to overhear. They’d done so well these last days, pleasantly ignoring all the complications the topic brought, playing selective memory. If he meant to change that – which she couldn’t decide if she wanted or not – the endurance room certainly didn’t seem the ideal setting.
     “Deciding what about me?”
     He gazed a moment longer, biting the inside of his mouth as he thought through his answer. “You fought against Nicholai longer than the other alphas today.”
     Well, this definitely didn’t sound like it concerned them. She argued with herself that she held no disappointment with that fact. “Yeah, I managed a pitiful defense for a little over a minute.”
     “More than the others did.”
     “Well, then, we all need help.”
     He nodded. “So you do. And so you’re getting it. Lesson learned, I think. Today you all pushed. A lot.”
     Although she appreciated the compliment, she wondered what this had to do with her specifically. If he wished to congratulate her on a job well done, and all the students had increased their focus and determination, shouldn’t he be addressing a crowd rather than just her? “Is there something you’re wanting to say here? Because I really am hungry. And tired. And I really, really stink….”
     “You outlasted the rest of them.” He looked her up and down, again causing her to cringe and shiver, nodding once when his eyes locked with hers. “You’re ready.”
     She lifted an eyebrow. “In case you aren’t aware, that’s exactly the attitude that got us all in trouble in the first place.”
     He laughed, shaking his head. “Not ready for the war. But you’re ready for the next room.”
     She tried to understand his words, but their meaning evaded her. “Next room?”
     He nodded, then jerked his chin toward the door, intending her to follow him. Though nervous, and not a little unsure, she kept to her self-promise of acquiesce and walked behind him. “Where are we going?”
     “You’ll know in a minute.”
     “But I don’t get it. You gave me the tour the day after I got here. I’ve seen all the rooms already.”
     Glancing over his shoulder at her, that annoying smirk spread across his lips. “You sure about that?”
     He stopped in front of the supplies room, checking to see if anyone could see his actions. When he noticed a clear coast, he opened the door and ushered her hurriedly into the dark room, flipping on a light switch seconds later.
     “This is where you wanted to take me? ‘Cause I gotta say, Julius. I’ve kind of been here.”
     “Shut up and keep walking.” He gently shoved her toward the area’s opposite end, grinning at her unease. As they neared the back door, leading to the desert circling the facility, he pointed to the left.
     Glancing there, AJ only saw boxes piled high, layers of training materials that, although organized, hardly seemed like a destination worth finding. She turned to him, confusion and concern etched on her expression. “You’ve brought me here to kill me, haven’t you?”
     He rolled his eyes, though with a smile on his lips. “I told you once before. If I was gonna kill you, it would’ve been when you wouldn’t quit with the adrenaline thing. Just walk over there.”
     She tilted her head to the side, eyes suspicious. “To the piles of supplies? In the supplies room?”
     “Yes.” He considered the uncertainty on her face, sighing and shaking his head. “Just this morning you were shown how this hardheaded mentality works against your training. Do you really wanna hold to it before you fight the demons?”
     She winced, then glared. “That was low.”
     “It was necessary. Even with your newfound determination to not be stubborn, you can’t help but be stubborn with me.”
     “Well, the other trainers didn’t drag me off to show me the wonders of supply organization. I could be eating right now, you know. We walked right by the cafeteria…”
     “…And the sooner you go along with this, the sooner you can eat.”
     “And get rid of you…” She thought it over, then agreed. “Solid reasoning. Let’s get on with this.”
     Watching her spin toward the piles of boxes, Julius smiled to himself.
      Once they reached the stacks, he maneuvered one to the right, leaving just enough space between two of them for a person to fit through. He grinned at her, mockingly, and strode through the path.
     “He’s so gonna kill me,” she mumbled to herself.
     “I’m not gonna kill you! Just come on already!”
     She did as instructed, stepping in between the mess of provisions, inching forward a few feet until she reached her trainer, finding him waiting – and smirking – beside a door she hadn’t previously seen.
     “Where did that come from?”
     “Do you want the construction plans?”

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connie L. Smith spends far too much time with her mind wandering in fictional places. She reads too much, likes to bake, and will be forever sad that she doesn’t have fairy wings. And that she can’t swing dance. When she isn’t reading or writing, there’s a good chance she’s goofing off with her amazing, wonderful, incredible, fabulous nieces and nephew, or listening to music that is severely outdated. She has her BA from Northern Kentucky University in Speech Communication and History (she doesn’t totally get the connection either) and likes to snap photos. Oh, and she likes apples a whole big bunch.

How can my readers buy your book?  

AMAZON

 

You can find more information about Connie L. Smith

and her book, Essenced at:

 

WEBSITE     BLOG     TWITTER  

    

FACEBOOK     GOODREADS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Heart of the Matter-an Ebook of Tips for Writing your Novel

Who do you go to for answers to your most pressing writing and publishing questions?

It’s an exciting time to dive into publishing. But writing can still be a confusing and even a lonely job. What if you had an experienced published author friend that you could call on at a moment’s notice with questions from “How do I get my characters to sound different from each other?” to “Can I expect my publisher to do that for me?”

Written by authors for authors, Heart of the Matter includes advice, anecdotes and information gathered through the hard-won experience of members of the Heart of Carolina chapter of Romance Writers of America. From the exciting beginning of your writing project to its triumphant end, this collection covers everything from the tricky creative challenges that can arise in your work-in-progress to the toughest decisions a published author has to make. Top names in the industry — including Sabrina Jefferies, Bob Meyer, Katharine Ashe, Deb Marlow, Ava Stone, Virginia Kantra and many more — share with you their secrets for smoothing out the rough spots and taking your writing career on the path to success.

Heart of the Matter is a great resource for ideas, inspiration, and practical advice. A must-have for your craft shelf.

For authors in all stages of their careers, HEART of the MATTER offers 40 articles of instruction, guidance, and encouragement from the multi-published and talented authors from Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.

With contributions by: Katharine Ashe, Nancy Lee Badger, Lisa Creech Bledsoe, Melinda Collins, Caren Crane, Andrea Dalling, Jennifer Delamere, Sonja Foust, Mari Freeman, Lilly Gayle, Sherri Hollister, Constance Hussey, KD James, Sabrina Jeffries, Samantha Kane, Virginia Kantra, Summer Kinard, Erin Knightley, Gina Lamm, Jennifer Lohmann, Elizabeth Martal, Bob Mayer, Heather McCollum, Hannah Meredith, Rebekkah Niles, Kate Parker, Lena Pierce, Emilie Rose, Reese Ryan, Laura Simcox, Ava Stone,Carol A. Strickland, Judy Teel, Andrea J. Wenger, and Sarah Winn.

*check out my 'pearls of wisdom' in chapters 31 and 35!

 Heart of the Matter buy links:

AMAZON    NOOK    Smashwords

Unwrapping Chris is a Military romance for the holidays

UNWRAPPING CHRIS

An army widow searches for a secure future for her and her two daughters. A sergeant regrets leaving her years ago to go off to war. A crash encounter a week before Christmas thrusts these two lonely people back into each other's lives once more. Who needs mistletoe?

 

 My Military Holiday romance
is available NOW!
Here are the Buy Links: 
 

Amazon    NOOK    

Smashwords    iTunes

KOBO    AllRomanceEBooks

  

As the daughter of a Navy Veteran (Hi Dad!) and the mother of an Army Veteran (Love you, son!) and as a woman hitting a milestone birthday (that number is for me to know and you to forget

*adults over 18, please...it is a little bit SPICY!