Maddie James Blog

Freshly Dead - FREE today at Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:20:00 +0000

So, everyone likes free, huh?

Okay, so today is your chance to get one of my books for free! Have Kindle? Or Kindle app? Then you have no excuse.

FRESHLY DEAD, book one in my Southern fiction, romantic comedy ghost story is now available for FREE on Amazon for today. If you haven't picked up your free copy, you have until midnight Pacific Time to run and get it!

Check out this new book of mine, written in a slightly different voice than some of my other work. Still Maddie, still romance, just tossing in a ghost, a little mystery, and a lot of Southern sass.

So hey, here's a sample okay?

Excerpt from Chapter Two of FRESHLY DEAD:

“And there he was, standing there all smug and proper looking, freshly dead, with that pasty pale face, and trying to order me around. Men.”

Mitzi took a quick glance around the darkened bar and snatched up the shot glass of liquor the bartender just handed her. She licked the back of her hand, shook on some salt, lapped it clean away, then slammed back the hefty shot of tequila. Instantly, she bit into a slice of lime, shivered and gasped. Marla, her other sister, the one who liked sex and tequila (thank God she had one sister who was normal), stared at her.

“What?”

“Freshly dead?”

“Yeah, like in just murdered.”

“I think you need to lay off the tequila, sister.”

“I’m tellin’ ya….” Marla glanced at her watch. “That’s your third shot in…thirty minutes.”

“I’m fine, Marla.”

“Well, just watch it.”

She reached up and grasped her sister’s shirt collar to pull her face closer. “Mar, I just saw a real live freakin’ ghost of an estranged hubby today. Don’t hassle me about the shooters.” She let go, and Marla sank back into her bar stool. “And he tried to kiss me.”

“Ewe!” Marla shook, her face twisted into an oh-that’s-so-gross look. “Crap, Mitzi. That is so wrong.”

“Tell me about it.” She waved toward the bartender. His back was turned. Dammit.

“Mitzi, wait. This was Ken, right? Your alienated husband who left you with a wad of past-due bills, a string of repossessors gracing your doorstep, and who stole our Grandmother’s diamond ring? Ken, whom you have not seen hide nor hair of in almost two years? The Ken the bounty hunters said they couldn’t find to serve him the divorce papers? That Ken? Dead and talking to you from some sort of ghostly form?”

Mitzi bit her lip and glanced away. “Yeah, that Ken, Marla. The stupid klutz. Gone and got himself killed. And right when he was about to give me a job. Damned stiff owed me that, too.” She looked back into her sister’s face.

“Job? You didn’t tell me anything about a job. Why would you want to work for Ken? I’m not getting this….”

“Cripes. Don’t give me that look. There are too many things to get straightened out. The thing is Ken is dead. But I can’t be worried about that right now.”

“What?” Her sister looked stricken with horror.

“Well,” Mitzi countered, “he’s not that bad off if he’s sitting there in the chair and talking to me now, is he? I mean, he argued for, I dunno, an hour it seemed, about me being late for the appointment. Pissed me off.”

Marla shook her head. “I...I’m not getting this, Mitz. Something is dreadfully wrong here.”

“Deadfully.”

“No, I said dreadfully.”

“Damn right, it is.”

“You have a big problem on your hands. What did you do with the body?”

Mitzi arched a brow. “Nothing. It’s still there.”

“What? You didn’t report it to the police?”

She shrugged. “Nooooo, why should I? Ken looked happy as a clam to me. He might be just a spirit, but I don’t think he needs that body any longer.”

Marla grasped Mitzi’s arm. “My darling sister. The man is dead. He was your husband. Least of all, even if he was a slimy, weasel of a bastard, he deserves a proper burial.”

Mitzi jerked her arm away and turned toward the bartender, finally signaling another shot. He nodded her way. “Knock it off, Marla. The man is too nasty to die. He’s got something cooked up. I just know it. He’s faking it. I know, maybe he was a hologram. No, couldn’t be. There was a lot of blood. But that spirit of his lives on. Stubborn son of a bitch.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Do?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not going to do anything but try to figure out how I can get back what Ken owes me, and then I’ve got to find a job. A real one that doesn’t include sex and telephones.”

“Excuse me?” Marla’s brow knit.

Mitzi waved her off. “Later. Just another chapter of the story. The thing is the bastard is back in town. He skipped out on me with some of my hard earned cash and a credit card and yeah, Gran’s ring. And I’m not over that car repo thing, either. Not to mention I’m about to lose my house. The man owes me. I’m going back to set things square with that asshole.”

She picked up her purse and headed for the door. Stumbled, actually. “Even if the son of a bitch is dead.” What the hell?

Marla’s hand firmly grasped her bicep. “Oh no, not tonight, Sis.” Mitzi watched her sister through blurred eyes as she shoved some bills toward the bartender. Something was seriously wrong with her eyesight. The man looked awfully fuzzy. Deadlike. Ghoulish. Was he dead, too? She grasped her tummy. Ewe. Not feeling so hot. Maybe it was time to go home.

“C’mon,” she heard Marla say from somewhere far and distant. “Time to go, wife-of-a-dead-guy.”

***

So, are you laughing yet? There is more to come. Get yours FREE today at Amazon.

Friday Feature -- Another great book for you!

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:30:00 +0000

Hi all. Happy Friday!

It's time again to share one of my favorite books with you. Jan Scarbrough's, Secrets, is a great story about finding love again, reuniting, and coming clean with the past. It's emotional and a very satisfying read. Check it out!

Secrets
by Jan Scarbrough
Formerly Titled A Father at Last (Same book, new cover and title!)

A 2011 CAPA Nominee from The Romance Studio

With her daughter all grown up and married, single mom Kelly Baron can start her new life in North Carolina, responsible only for herself. But first she must help her mother by returning to the small Indiana town she fled years ago. Newly divorced lawyer, Rob Scott, seeks solace in his small-town roots. The last thing he’s looking for is a relationship—until he runs into Kelly, and the secret she’s been keeping from him for twenty-one years.

Reviews

“Ms. Scarbrough has a way of involving sensuality without going in-depth so that younger readers cannot enjoy the book.” ~The Romance Studio

“I thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt that I was watching it unfold in front of me as if I was another character in the story.” ~NOR Reviews

“With a story that rings so true, the reader will feel like they had heard it at the local beauty parlor. The craft of this author keeps this story novel.” ~The Romance Reviews

Release: January 3, 2011
Category: Romance, Contemporary, Category Length
Heat Level: Sweet
Length: 136 pages
Price: $0.99 digital; $8.99 print

Author Bio: Jan Scarbrough dreamed of being a writer since she reported on freelance writing for a career project in the ninth grade. After majoring in English at Western Kentucky University, she taught high school English. Since 1982 she has made her living as a writer—a technical writer—but didn't have the nerve to make her novel-writing dream come true until after a life-threatening illness in 1988. Jan is member of Romance Writers of America, has been active in her local Kentucky RWA chapter, and is a member of Novelist, Inc. She has over twenty novels in print.

Reflecting...

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:44:00 +0000

As 2011 draws to a close (approximately one hour left as I write this) I sit reflecting over the past year of my writing career. There were some unexpected surprises along the way and I have to say that I am most grateful for everything.

2011 provided me with my first Top 100 bestselling romance novel on Amazon. In fact, I had a total of 5 novels place in that Top 100 bestselling list, with one of them landing as high as #8 in Contemporary Romance, this year. This was a first in my fifteen year career as a published romance novelist. I also had two additional titles place in Top 100 bestseller lists for smaller categories. What can I say? A banner year.

The thanks go to all of you, who bought and read my books. Without you, I wouldn't have a career, and I'm forever grateful for your readership. I hope the stories entertained, made you laugh, cry, sigh... Hey, whatever they are supposed to make you do, I hope they did!

There were two other significant events that contributed to my writing year. The first, is the growth of Turquoise Morning Press. You might know that I am the owner of the publishing house, although I do that work under my "real name" and not my Maddie James pen name. Still, I make no bones about the fact that I'm also my own publisher. (Yes, I still have an editor!) In this new age of publishing, it makes sense if I am publishing other author's works, to also publish my own. Will I always put everything in my own house? Perhaps not, since all eggs in one basket may not necessarily the best thing, but I certainly do like being in control of my career. :) But me aside, I have to say that I am totally into being a publisher, and love working with authors and helping them to move their careers forward. It's a joy to work with each of them every single day. I love being writer and publisher.

Enter another unexpected surprise. In 2010, I was freelancing and writing full time, with TMP emerging early in the year. Then in April of 2011, I was presented with the opportunity to go back to work full-time for my previous employer. It was not in the 2011 plan to do this. After some thought and discussion, I decided to accept. It threw a kink in the plan, yes. I had to reshuffle the workload, and hire and train more staff at TMP, yes. I had to re-prioritize my role in the company, yes. And more....

So, let's recap:

Suddenly, I'm a full-time bestselling romance author with more books to write and publish to keep up the momentum.

Suddenly, I'm a full-time publisher of a small publishing house with authors and staff who are depending on me.

Suddenly, I'm back in my old day job, managing staff and directing a program.

Wow. Talk about a balancing act!?! And I won't tell you that it is a piece of cake. It's not.

But for six months I've survived. I did it. I've balanced and I've juggled. I've been tired, yes. I've stayed up way too late, yes. I have big bags under my eyes most days, yes... But it is okay. I'm doing it.

And now that 2012 is nearly upon me, and that I've reflected over this past year, wondering how in the world I am doing it, there is only one possible resolution I can consider, and it's this:

I hereby resolve to be more disciplined in the organization of my balancing act.

Discipline. Organization. I can do it, right? I mean, after all, I have that new 24 hour heavy duty planner I just bought from Franklin Covey. That ought to help. Okay, getting started on that tomorrow, er, well, almost today...

So, a big Happy New Year to each of you. I wish you health, wealth and happiness in 2012! And once more, to all of my readers, thank you so much for all of your support in 2011, and I hope to bring you some awesome new books in 2012.

Happy New Year!

Backlist Friday - Kentucky Blues by Cat Shaffer

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:35:00 +0000

I met Cat Shaffer many, many years ago and our writing careers have sort of paralleled each other over time. I remember an RWA conference many years ago, where we were waiting for agent appointments, lamenting over the fact that either a. ) our careers seemed to have stalled, or b) we were not where we wanted to be at this point in our writing careers. We both said, "we need a five year plan."

That was way past five years ago and today, Cat is a multi-published author writing under two pen names and for two publishers (let's not forget she's also a managing newspaper editor and writes tons of non-fiction on a regular basis). We still talk about that day years ago and our five year plans, and how far we have come.

I've recently started featuring a backlist book from one of my author friends on Fridays, so I'd like to introduce you to Cat, and her Kentucky Blues....

Kentucky Blues
by Cat Shaffer

Elise Drummond never forgot her first love—and never expected to learn via the grapevine that he was back in Brookville and living with her mother. Sam McCade had broken her heart, and she wasn’t about to let him destroy her mother’s as well. A quick trip back to Kentucky to lay down the law and she could head back to the safe life she’d built for herself in Kansas City.

When Sam McCade went “on the run” in the middle of the night to save his sister from her abusive husband, there was only one person he could trust to help them, Hannah Drummond. He expected the local gossips to have a field day with his return to Brookville, but he never dreamed Elise would roll into town to check out the situation for herself.

Reviews
“A truly good read, perfect for an afternoon swinging away with the wind chimes playing and the spring sun shining.” ~Amazon Review

“…a large dose of sexual tension--the chemistry between Sam and Elise sizzles--some great suspense that keeps the pages turning and you have a sure winner in this story of love lost, regret and redemption. If Kentucky Blues is typical of Cat Shaffer's books, prepare to add her to your automatic read list.” ~Amazon Review

Release: August, 2010
Category: Romantic Suspense
Heat Level: Sensual
Length: 278 pages
Price: Print, $14.99; digital $4.99

Author Bio: Cat Shaffer is a native Buckeye who saw the light and moved to Kentucky over 20 years ago. Able to say "Louisville" like a native, she adores living in the land of beautiful horses and fast women…no, wait, it goes the other way around! Away from the keyboard, she's a mother and grandmother, a Red Cross volunteer, and leads her church choir. She lives with a big Sheltie and a gray tabby who keep her humble by reminding her of her place as their servant.

My wish for all of you...

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:42:00 +0000

For happiness,

For health,

For love,

For wealth,

For wisdom,

For patience,

For friendships,

And for family.

Have a wonderful holiday season, one and all.

Maddie

Do dead guys still want it?

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:08:00 +0000

Three sisters, Southern-fried born and bred, and the ~~men~~ ghosts who love them...

Good old Southern fiction humor, a naughty ghost, a hint of mystery, and a smattering of romance. What more could you want?

Yesterday, the launch book in my new series was released. This series is a little different for me, combining a few genres all into one novella. You might think--how can you have a mystery, romance, and a ghost story all wrapped up with a twist of humor? In a novella?

Well, I hope I've pulled it off. I guess my readers will be the judge of that. I'm eager to see. If you read Freshly Dead, let me know what you think, okay?

I'll give you a little taste of the story here.

First, the blurb:

All Mitzi Winston wants is enough money to pay this month's mortgage payment. That's the only reason she even considers the phone sex job. Ever since her husband's disappearance, she's held things together quite nicely--until recently. And now, well, she just needs the money.

So, she bites the bullet and goes for the interview, only to find that the phone sex job isn't real and she's too late--not for the interview, but to save her husband. For there he is, dead on the floor, a bullet to the back of the head. To make matters worse, his ghost is hovering around and chiding her for being late. Not to mention he's horny as hell and trying to cop a feel.

Which only begs the question, "Do dead men still want it?"

And, an excerpt:

“And there he was, standing there all smug and proper looking, freshly dead, with that pasty pale face, and trying to order me around. Men.”

Mitzi took a quick glance around the darkened bar and snatched up the shot glass of liquor the bartender just handed her. She licked the back of her hand, shook on some salt, lapped it clean away, then slammed back the hefty shot of tequila. Instantly, she bit into a slice of lime, shivered and gasped.

Marla, her other sister, the one who liked sex and tequila (thank God she had one sister who was normal), stared at her.

“What?”

“Freshly dead?”

“Yeah, like in just murdered.”

“I think you need to lay off the tequila, sister.”

“I’m tellin’ ya….”

Marla glanced at her watch. “That’s your third shot in…thirty minutes.”

“I’m fine, Marla.”

“Well, just watch it.”

She reached up and grasped her sister’s shirt collar to pull her face closer. “Mar, I just saw a real live freakin’ ghost of an estranged hubby today. Don’t hassle me about the shooters.” She let go, and Marla sank back into her bar stool. “And he tried to kiss me.”

“Ewe!” Marla shook, her face twisted into an oh-that’s-so-gross look. “Crap, Mitzi. That is so wrong.”

“Tell me about it.” She waved toward the bartender. His back was turned. Dammit.

“Mitzi, wait. This was Ken, right? Your alienated husband who left you with a wad of past-due bills, a string of repossessors gracing your doorstep, and who stole our Grandmother’s diamond ring? Ken, whom you have not seen hide nor hair of in almost two years? The Ken the bounty hunters said they couldn’t find to serve him the divorce papers? That Ken? Dead and talking to you from some sort of ghostly form?”

Mitzi bit her lip and glanced away. “Yeah, that Ken, Marla. The stupid klutz. Gone and got himself killed. And right when he was about to give me a job. Damned stiff owed me that, too.”

She looked back into her sister’s face. “Job? You didn’t tell me anything about a job. Why would you want to work for Ken? I’m not getting this….”

“Cripes. Don’t give me that look. There are too many things to get straightened out. The thing is Ken is dead. But I can’t be worried about that right now.”

“What?” Her sister looked stricken with horror.

“Well,” Mitzi countered, “he’s not that bad off if he’s sitting there in the chair and talking to me now, is he? I mean, he argued for, I dunno, an hour it seemed, about me being late for the appointment. Pissed me off.”

Marla shook her head. “I...I’m not getting this, Mitz. Something is dreadfully wrong here.”

“Deadfully.”

“No, I said dreadfully.”

“Damn right, it is.”

“You have a big problem on your hands. What did you do with the body?”

Mitzi arched a brow. “Nothing. It’s still there.”

“What? You didn’t report it to the police?”

She shrugged. “Nooooo, why should I? Ken looked happy as a clam to me. He might be just a spirit, but I don’t think he needs that body any longer.”

Marla grasped Mitzi’s arm. “My darling sister. The man is dead. He was your husband. Least of all, even if he was a slimy, weasel of a bastard, he deserves a proper burial.”

Mitzi jerked her arm away and turned toward the bartender, finally signaling another shot. He nodded her way. “Knock it off, Marla. The man is too nasty to die. He’s got something cooked up. I just know it. He’s faking it. I know, maybe he was a hologram. No, couldn’t be. There was a lot of blood. But that spirit of his lives on. Stubborn son of a bitch.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Do?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not going to do anything but try to figure out how I can get back what Ken owes me, and then I’ve got to find a job. A real one that doesn’t include sex and telephones.”

****

Freshly Dead is available exclusively at Amazon now for your Kindle, at a great price -- $0.99!

Do you have Amazon Prime? Well then, it's free! Check it out.

Maddie's Recommended Book of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Raeliksen
by Renee Vincent

Buy at Amazon!

Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, was raised to believe the men of the North are heathens - murderous pagans without a moral bone in their bodies. Despite warnings of the Northmen's raids, and the growing threat of another incursion, Mara is continually drawn to her favorite place - the River Shannon.

Dægan Ræliksen, a wealthy chieftain from Norway's frozen fjords, secretly discovers Mara at the water's edge. He is charmed by her beauty and sensuous grace. As the days pass, his contentment with watching her grows thin. He can no longer deny his desire.

Mara and Dægan come face-to-face in a time when every Irishman is being called up to fight against the Nordic foreigners. In these times of upheaval, can Dægan make peace with Mara's father and acquire the woman he treasures? Can Mara move past her fears and find the noble man within the savage?

Reviews

"This book and author earn my highest recommendations and I feel privileged to have read one of the best. It is a must read for any lover of historical romance or even lovers of romance in general." Night Owl Reviews
“From the first page, one thing was abundantly clear. You don't read RÆLIKSEN. You experience it.” ~Amazon Review

“The powerful and moving love story of Daegan Raeliksen and his Lady Mara will resonate long after the last page is read. This is historical romantic fiction at its best, written by an author inspired by the legends and lure of ancient Ireland and Norway.” ~V. Campbell, Amazon Review

Release: July 30, 2010
Category: Historical Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Heat Level: Sizzle
Length: 386 pages
Price: $2.99 digital; $17.99 print

Author Bio: Renee Vincent is an author whose inspiration stems from her passionate interest in Irish and Norse history. She lives in the rolling hills of Kentucky with her husband and two children on a beautiful secluded farm of horses and hay fields. www.reneevincent.com

The Emerald Isle Trilogy includes:

Ræliksen, Book One

Mac Liam, Book Two

The Fall of Rain, Book Three.

Buy at Amazon!

The Bachelorette Party 101 Series is Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:47:00 +0000

About a year or so ago my daughter was the party planner for her older half-sister's bachelorette party. Of course, I was not invited, and that was perfectly fine with me. I am, afterall, way past the bachelorette stage of my life. But I did experience the party second-hand, voyeur-style almost, via Facebook.

I'm here to tell ya, the pictures posted were, um, questionable. So much so that I called my daughter and requested that she "unfriend" family members immediately!

The bottom line is that the girls were having a whole lot of harmless (abeit decadent) fun, and me? Well, I got a series out of it. Nice, huh?

The Bachelorette Party 101 Series by Mia Jae

So, the Bachelorette Party 101 Series was born and this week, the last novella in the series was released.

And yes, these titles are released under my Mia Jae pen name and they are, quite a bit more risque than the regularly-scheduled Maddie James title. But they are cute stories, all with their humorous moments, and of course, laced with a heavy dose of naughty.

I Want, is book three, and here is the book blurb:

"I just want to get laid. And good."

As Dee looks up from her drink while sitting in the luxurious bar at the Seelbach Hotel after the uneventful-for-her bachelorette party, she swears a man is staring back at her in the mirror. Their gazes connect and hold, she turns, but no one is there. The sexual titillation that runs through her body at that moment frightens her almost as much as the fact that she’s pretty darned certain she’s seen a ghost. Earlier during the party, as pictures were snapped with digital cameras, the women all proclaimed to see orbs circulating Dee’s body. And Dee’s alone.

As the night rolls on, Dee experiences a ghostly encounter of the ménage kind that makes her believe in sex here, and in the forever after—which takes getting laid to a whole other level.

So, come walk a little bit on the wild side and check out these stories, if you like. Meet Mary Kate, Lainie, and Dee as they experience one night that changes each of their lives forever. I mean, how can you resist a runaway bride, a naive but brave party planner, and a ghostly encounter of the menage kind? Really, can you pass that up?

The entire series is available at Resplendence Publishing, and all titles are coming soon to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online digital retailers. You can read more about my Mia Jae titles at www.miajae.com

An interview with urban fantasy author F. L. Bicknell

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Every once in a while a book comes along that you simply can't get out of your head. For me, that's the sign of a good one. Recently I read F.L. Bicknell's Ruby, the White King, and Marilyn Monroe and I have to tell you, the story is a keeper. Drawn initially to the catchy title, I was even more captivated as each chapter rolled on.

Here's the premise:

Reincarnated over the centuries. Stuck with a ditzy Marilyn Monroe lookalike. Falling for a rich albino guy. It’s just Ruby’s luck for Hell’s “real” angels to ride into this life and screw it all up.

Paranormal romance takes off full throttle as demonic motorcycles and their beautiful riders chase Ruby to the rocky shores of Key West for a battle of epic proportions. Are they angels, demons, or something else entirely? Ruby must send them back to a hell unlike anything the world has ever imagined. But will she allow herself to love the White King who has found her again over one thousand years later?

I've known F.L. Bicknell for quite some time, having connected several years ago via the Internet. We've never met face-to-face, but that doesn't matter. I've come to respect her hard work as an author, her determination and perseverance, and her continual striving to move her writing career forward. I think Ruby, the White King, and Marilyn Monroe could be just the book to do that.

Recently I asked F.L. (Faith) if I could interview her hear for my blog, and she agreed. Here's what we talked about:

MJ: You’ve morphed a bit as a writer over the years. Want to tell us a little bit about your writing path?

Faith: Writing is genetic for me. My grandfather wrote a historical novel with a romantic subplot that Disney wanted but being a very poor schoolteacher, he couldn’t come up with his part of the money to publish the book (this was in the 1960s) so it was never published; however, the family has asked me to revise it, so that is yet another project I have to complete in the coming months. In the mid 1970s, my mother gained Harlequin’s interest with a partial ms, but she never finished the book, saying she just wanted to see if she could write one and get someone interested in it (asked her once what she did with the ms, and she has no clue). So, I guess that’s why I’ve been writing since I was about 6 years old—it literally in my blood.

All the way through grade school and high school, I wrote stories and even a high fantasy novel that was passed all over the high school by fellow students. When I was a senior, I wrote a short and sent it to Ladies Home Journal. The chief editor wrote me a personal letter. Although it was a rejection, he took the time to tell me how much the story impressed him. Then again about ten years later, I wrote a personal commentary about the welfare system and submitted it to Newsweek. The editor of the column also replied with a personal letter, stating how he’d petitioned the other editors to publish the piece, but they had commentaries scheduled for two years ahead. Shortly after that, I scored my first semi-pro sale in Christian YA fiction, followed by a professional sale to Gent which led to publications in many other national magazines such as Penthouse Variations. Yeah, I know, I know. Christian fiction to skin mags, ROFL! Oh, the horror…LOL!

I have a wonderful agent. He’s the type who coaches and is a good friend, too. His belief in me “hitting one out of the ballpark” as he puts it is something that keeps me going outside of Indie publishing. However, although I write paranormal/spec romance for my repped work, writing for the Indie venues has allowed me to enjoy the other genres I adore too. So if I write something that’s strictly contemporary, I can find a home for it as well as pure horror—another genre I enjoy writing and reading—or even sci-fi and fantasy.

MJ: What do you love about writing urban fantasy?

Faith: I like putting everyday people or settings in incredible or seemingly impossible situations and watching how it all plays out. Many readers who don’t like fantasy as a genre can more easily relate to the genre if it’s put in a setting they can identify with.

MJ: I like the way you make up lore (The Most Intimate Wish) and turn it into fiction. Was there any particular lore or legend that inspired you when writing Ruby? Or any other books?

Faith: Actually, “Ruby” has been on a long journey. This novel’s final version has baffled me because it’s nothing like I initially thought it would be. When I first started writing “Ruby” nearly eight years ago, I had the idea of a sarcastic, troubled young woman with powers who pairs up with a PITA hitchhiker as they head south only because Ruby is drawn in that direction.

When I wrote the first, unfinished draft of “Ruby” I was pregnant with my last child, so when he came along, I set the manuscript on a backburner. About two years ago, inspiration struck while reading a theologian’s book on the Nephilim (think Sons of God who went in unto the Daughters of Men, which isn’t entirely accurate, so for more info visit this LINK), a book I couldn’t put down. My curiosity and need for knowledge is insatiable, so I poured through Internet page after Internet page on the subject, found more books on the Nephilim, and then realized that “Ruby” had the perfect basis for this premise—thus the demonic motorcycles and their large and very beautiful riders.

This novel also has some light history in it, which works great with the Nephilim plot as well as my being actually related to Alice Nutter in the book (also my mother’s maiden name) and tied to the Pendle Witches of England.

MJ: Ruby is chock full of plot and at least three main characters. How do you keep it all straight in your head?

Faith: I really don’t know. It’s just the way my brain works. I’m often asked if I keep notes, and I do, but for the most part, a good 80% of everything is kept in my mind. When I go around cleaning or crawl into bed at night, my brain processes everything I’ve written for the day, and that’s often when important details come to the forefront that I need to address. I make a mental note, and then the next day the first thing I do when I open the manuscript is update those particular things. Ruby, Maureen, and Solomon were so real to me they were easy to write.

MJ: Do you plot ahead of time, or does the story unfold as you write?

Faith: For me it’s 50/50. I don’t plot, really. Most of my plots pop into my head from the clear blue. I’ve often described it as having hinges on my skull where someone opens it and drops everything in all set and ready to transfer to the computer screen. The few notes I do keep ties everything together, so that’s probably the “unfolding” stage in my writing.

What made you fall in love with the White King. Tell me more about him.

For ages, someone different or unique was always feared or tied to the Devil. I needed a way to connect the White King, an albino in the 9th century England, to my heroine, Ruby. Since history plays a mild but substantial part in the novel, I needed a time period where the White King could enter the picture and throw the proverbial wrench into Ruby’s progression through time. Until the his arrival, she never had time to fall in love. William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy during the early 9th century) and the skirmishes that ensued in that part of England offered an excellent opportunity to bring the White King into the picture. In this case, the White King was so unusual he was revered as the people’s warrior, their protector, and in my story, he was the true heir to the throne but wouldn’t accept it because he didn’t consider himself a leader. He only wanted to love Ruby, and his love is so strong he finds her again over a thousand years later.

His character, whether past or present, is such a strong and simultaneously caring, sweet man that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him, too.

MJ: Let’s delve a little deeper into the mind of F. L. Bicknell. What makes your writer brain tick? What do you read? Fave TV shows, movies, etc?

Faith: I want to know everything. Seriously. My husband and kids call me a brainiac, but I don’t consider myself that at all. When I took history courses at Wheeling Jesuit University, I had two professors who would groan in an amused manner whenever I’d asked questions. The woman professor I had for World History once told me she spent an entire weekend searching for an answer me because it really made her stop and think. My history courses were a huge source of contentment for me—even if I did frustrate my professors, lol. I even got to correspond for a while with Sir Joseph Rotblat (R.I.P. 2005), which I’ll remember forever. So give me history and I’m a happy camper. My older three kids will poke their heads into my room where I have a flat-screen TV and say, “What are you watching, Mom? Oh, never mind. It’s the History Channel…again.” LOL!
There aren’t enough hours in the day for all the time needed to learn what I want to learn. One of the reasons “Ruby” is set throughout the southern states is because I’ve traveled the area and loved the history of those regions from the Castillos de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida to the Southern Most Tip of the U.S. in Key West.

My kids and my father think I’m strange because I soak up anything that’s paranormal, involves lore, legend, mythology, archeology, astronomy, cryptozoology, ufology…and you should see the books I have on topics from demonology to faerie lore to werewolves, vampires, ghosts, witchcraft, and more.

I love to read anything and everything from fiction to non-fiction, so I have many favorite books from A Rose in Winter to It to Odd Mom Out. As for TV shows, I’m hooked on Ancient Aliens, Haven, The Walking Dead (love the drama in that one), and watch all the learning channels from History Channel to Green to National Geo and Discovery. I like SyFy too, but I watch it more for various programs like Paranormal Witness and Fact or Faked because I’m not a fan of B movies.

Hmm, fave movies? The Fifth Element is probably my all-time fave flick; I’ve worn out a VHS tape and now have the DVD, lol. I write sci-fi, too, and I’m a huge fan of any sci-fi book or movie that sucks me in where I forget about reality.

MJ: Tell me something wacky you’ve done in your past.

Faith: Well, I’ve done some stupid things over the years, lol, but something truly wacky, no. Having four kids, maybe? No, wait. That’s insanity, not wackiness. If anything, the closest to wacky that I get is my view on life, my sarcasm (hello, Ruby!), and warped sense of humor. And trust me, it can be very warped and sometimes dark, depending on my current mood.

MJ: What gets you going in the morning? Coffee? Diet Coke? Chocolate? Sex?

Faith: I’m a devoted coffee drinker. Love gourmet blends, but for a staple coffee it’s Folger’s Black Silk. I am also a whiskey drinker. And if people from my church read this interview, I imagine there will be a collective gasp that knocks over the pulpit.

I’m not much for chocolate, preferring things like cake and pie, although I do love chocolate ice cream with the thick peanut butter swirled through it.

Sex? Well, I’m blessed with a husband who has an incredible libido. So much so that I take a necklace of garlic and a cross to bed with me when I want him to let me sleep.

MJ: Where do you see your career in 5 years?

Faith: Well, that depends on the Mayan calendar. I might not get a chance to do anything after December 21, 2012. LMAO. Sorry, couldn’t resist. In five years I see dozens of books, several completed series, and a lot of traveling from one book signing to convention after another.

Thanks, Faith! It was great talking with you and learning a little more about what makes you tick!

Faith has also decided she'd like to host a little contest for my blog readers. Here are the details:

In celebration of my latest release, Ruby, the White King and Marilyn Monroe, I'm having a little contest. Go HERE for more details, or see below.

Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, "like" my facebook author page www.facebook.com/F.L.Bicknell OR sign up for my author newsletter http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FLBicknell and be entered to win any one of my backlist titles on either of my two websites www.FaithBicknell.com OR www.MollyDiamond.com

READ AN EXCERPT OF Ruby, the White King, and Marilyn Monroe.

Buy from the following retailers: Turquoise Morning Press . Amazon . Barnes & Noble . All Romance Ebooks . Bookstrand

Up with the chickens...

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 08:57:00 +0000

It's 4:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. At 1:58 a.m. I woke, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as they say. I didn't know what time it was, having left my cell phone, which serves as my alarm clock, in the kitchen the night before. I had intended to sleep in--to sleep until I woke up.

I had no clue that would be 1:58 a.m. As I stumbled into the kitchen ready to start the coffee maker, I glanced at the kitchen clock. Groan. I knew it was early, it was still dark outside, but I had figured it was maybe something like 5:30. Noooooo... Not me, not lately.

My sleep habits lately have run amok. Not sure why, I thought I had finally nipped that in the bud, since I'd started back to work full-time. Admittedly, I had fallen into some bad sleep habits the year-and-a-half I had worked from home. It hadn't mattered then.

I think it sort of matters now.

So, at 1:59 a.m. I decided there was nothing to do about it but go with it. I brewed the coffee, fixed some breakfast, and watched a little of the Weather Channel rehash the hurricane Irene story. Then a little of some comedy sketch. Then I decided to clean my office.

A good thing. I cleared some boxes, dumped some conference bags with conference goodies long forgotten, sorted some things. I can now open my office closet door without fear of items falling off shelves. Progress. Maybe rising early isn't so bad.

Now, what else can I do?

Blog? Well, okay. I should do that. I've not done that in a while. After all, I'm on my second cup of coffee already. So here you go, a blog. Random as it is.

Write? Perhaps I should do that, too. After all, I do have a deadline, and now that I've cleared the cobwebs from the office, perhaps I can continue to clear them from my head and work on finishing up the latest story.

All right. So there is the plan. It's now 4:39 a.m. Here is wishing you a Saturday morning of sleeping in, but just in case you're up like me, I hope you are productive.

I'm off. Talk soon.

A book and its cover(s)....

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 03:54:00 +0000

Book covers are fun, huh? I always love getting new ones, and I even enjoy designing them. When the cover really tells a story, and hooks the reader in, it's a great thing.

I have a new release this week--actually, it's the now digital version of an older print title--and I have to say I really love the cover. I won't even say that I designed it. Oh, okay, I will. I did.

Actually, if the truth be known, this cover (left) is version three of the cover. Each cover I designed I thought was awesome. And then I would let it sit a while, and I'd decide it wasn't so awesome. Not quite sure why, because they were perfectly nice covers, but they just didn't do. So, I went back to the drawing board and back to the stock photo places to browse.

Then, I found the photo I wanted. (see above) And likely no wonder! Perhaps the old Kensington cover was subliminally making suggestions behind the scene. Ya think?

Well, they are not identical, to be sure, but you've got the beachy feel (see that sailboat in the background?) at least.

I happened to remember, I had two more covers of this book! Both are foreign versions, so I thought it would be fun to take a peek at those. I didn't have electronic versions, so I had to snap a couple of pictures of the actual book, and the crop, etc... The quality is not great, but you get the idea.

Aren't they kind of cool? I'm thinking one is Dutch and one German. Anyone wanna correct me?

By the way, Crazy For You is now available again as an ebook and for sale at many of the usual places -- Amazon Kindle . Nook . All Romance Ebooks.

Special Guest Today - Author Renee Vincent!

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Wed, 11 May 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Please join me today in hosting a special guest, a fantastic romance author and my friend, Renee Vincent. She's posting here today as part of her Blog Tour for her recent release of Silent Partner. Helloooo Renee!

~~~~~

This past weekend, I was at my first Buffalo Girls horseback riding trip of the year and it's a special ride I don't ever miss. We only have two scheduled girls rides a year, so it's something I strongly look forward to attending.

There are no boys allowed on our trips and it's a great time to kick back from the hustle and bustle of life, forget the stresses of work, and absorb yourself in the surrounding nature while taking in the view from a saddle. It's great therapy - both physically and mentally.

Horseback riding is undoubtedly one of my favorite hobbies and it's something I can also do with my family. In general, while we may not get to spend as much time as we'd like on hobbies and leisure time, we all need to indulge every now and again. Whether it's riding a horse, reading hot, steamy romance novels, raising a colorful perennial garden, or just plain bird-watching, it's necessary to take time out of our hectic schedules and to do something leisurely that make us happy.

If you'd like to see some pictures of my horseback trip to Brown County, Indiana, please hop on over to my gallery blog and check them out. I'd love to share them with you.

Now, on to blog tour post...

In my latest release, both the hero and heroine have hobbies that they've turned into careers. Grayson Anders is a Latin dancer who owns his own night club. And Chloe LaRoche is a very talented painter working toward that big break, which will take her from starving artist to successful.

In this excerpt, we get to take a peek at Chloe enjoying her career/hobby to the fullest, despite the pressures of life and all the curve balls it has thrown her way. I hope you enjoy both this excerpt and my photos of my ride.

Happy Reading!

Silent Partner
By Renee Vincent

Available at:
Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook | Sony
ARe | Smashwords | Book Strand
Coffee Time Romance
Turquoise Morning Press
Excerpt:
Chloe couldn’t believe the amount of painting she had put out this afternoon. Her creation of Mr. Gyration on canvas was nearly finished. Just a few more strokes and he would be perfect. Not that he wasn’t already, she thought as she admired her work.

She stepped back and tilted her head, getting a glimpse of her masterpiece as a whole, of her Adonis sleeping in his bed.

The colors of his skin were deep brown, with just the right shading to highlight his well-toned, tanned body. The soft pastel of his cream-colored sheets, draping in a lissome array over his waist, portrayed a rare innocence about him as he lay prone. It was a palpable contrast to the hard lines of his chiseled face and muscled shoulders, which was just what she was looking for.

Chloe smiled at her achievement, her eyes washing over it one last time.

If it weren’t for the wet paint, she would’ve reached out and touched him. Caressed his long sinewy arm. Ran her fingers through his soft black hair. Cupped his hardened jaw in her palm.

He was that real to her.

She swallowed, fighting back the urge to throw the canvas to the floor and lay atop him. As crazy as it sounded, she wanted to do just that—but with the real McCoy.

Oh, how her mind wouldn’t let her forget about last night. Though she knew better than to think it was hardly memorable for him, she still had those pleasant memories of that amazing, toe-curling, one-night stand embedded in her brain.

One-night stand.

The thought made her frown and her heart sink a little. She had never had a one-nighter and never thought she ever would. But lordy, lordy, she had never come across a man like Mr. Gyration before either. He was every girl’s fantasy and downright irresistible. Plus, it has been a long time—eons ago—since she had had sex.

Obviously, the odds were stacked against her. There was no way she could walk away from him, unless she was a nun, and God knows she was nowhere close to being a saint. Heck, just take one look at the front room of her gallery! There’s not a clothed person anywhere. Every one of her paintings was a nude—a tasteful nude, she reminded herself—with no blatant frontal nudity, because that’s just gross. Leaving things to the imagination was where it was at, and boy, was her imagination running wild over Mr. Gyration right now…for the millionth time since she awoke early this morning.

Yep, no saint here.

Feeling proud of her accomplishment, she decided to reward herself with a big juicy turkey sandwich from the Bistro. She checked her watch on her wrist. Twelve thirty. Right in the middle of the lunch rush, a mad house as far as she was concerned.

Suddenly, a microwave entrée seemed more appealing. She didn’t like to venture out from the safety of her home unless she had to, especially when the chance of people confronting her were higher.

She wasn’t shy, but she wasn’t the regular conversationalist either, especially not since her surgery back in her late college years. They had removed a pair of tumors from her brain and a part of her was taken away with it, changing her life forever. There were things she wasn’t able to do anymore and it was difficult to make such drastic alterations in her lifestyle to accommodate it. However, she did. She had no choice.

She persevered as best she could, but she’d give anything to reverse time and live out her days like she used to. Not having to think of what others thought of her, or how they saw her once they realized she was different.

Her parents encouraged her to never think of her situation as a handicap. But it was.

She couldn’t mingle with people at parties. She couldn’t get into a conversation with strangers at a bus stop. She couldn’t even order her food like a normal person at a restaurant. Her days of having a normal life were over. If she had been born with it, she’d probably feel differently. She’d probably not even notice what she was missing, and she could look at herself with pride.

But having something all your life and then losing it in the blink of an eye, was incredibly difficult to overcome and harder to endure as time went on.

The only thing she could still do, that she loved, was dance. Well, as long as the music was loud enough and the bass was helping her to keep time with the rhythm.

Dance.

It was what she had wanted to do from the time she was little; a career of dancing on stage, performing for people, entertaining them, and expressing her creative side with movement and gracefulness.

That ship had sailed.

The only way for her to express herself now, was through her art.

Sure, people said her talent with the brush far outweighed her ability with choreographed movement. She could now see why, especially since her paintings had gained several prestigious, yet small, awards. But it was still hard to say good-bye to her ambition of dancing.

She glanced at her canvas, gazing at the man who hadn’t noticed her shortcoming last night. She smiled. He was the only person who didn’t look down on her or think she was incapable. In fact, he never even seemed to notice. He had encouraged her to dance, to express herself freely without fearing what others might think, and to believe in herself again.

She remembered feeling a bit envious of his confidence when he had first taken her hand and led her to the dance floor. But the moment he swept her into his arms and told her to hold on tight, she forgot all about feeling self-conscious, forgot about the crowd around her, and cared only for the man who was staring into her eyes, looking at her as if he’d finally found his perfect dance mate. The only partner for him.

No one had ever looked at her like that. No one had ever made her feel so comfortable. No one had ever looked beyond the surface and into the woman within.

Her heart swelled as she remembered the other things he had seen, the other things he had touched and tasted. Unlike her tactful canvas paintings with just enough left to the imagination, there was no part of her unexplored, untouched. He had stripped her bare of both her clothing and her inhibitions. There was nothing left to hide.

In all honesty, when she looked back on last night, she should have felt cheap and easy. When she woke up this morning, she should have felt dirty and full of regret. But she didn’t. There was not one ounce of regret on her conscience—not one iota.

If anything, she felt uplifted, as if she had wings to fly.

Hugging her paintbrush to her chest, she twirled around on her heels and let out a scream of sheer happiness. She ran to the coffee table in her open studio apartment, snatched the remote and turned on the TV, which was always set to Sirius XM—the Latin channel.

Tonight (I’m Loving You) by Enrique Iglecias was already playing.

Perfect. One of her favorites.

She pressed the volume button until she could feel the hard bass coming from her surround sound speakers, and danced to her heart’s content. She closed her eyes and gyrated around the floor, holding her brush to her body as if Mr. Gyration were pressed against her. She had no trouble imagining his long and lean body leading her around the dance floor, his pelvis moving against hers, his hands fanning across her lower back, his soulful tawny eyes holding her captive….

*Remember to leave a comment at this post to be entered into my Blog Tour Giveaway. Follow me through my blog tour and leave a comment at each blog to be entered to win big prizes! *For complete contest details and rules for entering, go HERE:

Below all the past blog visits so you have the opportunity to catch up on all you've missed in the past weeks and enter your comment for the drawing.

#1 - April 12 Romance by Chance
#2 - April 13 History Undressed
#3 - April 18 Coffee And Romance...A Book Blog
#4 - April 19 Tina Donahue Presents...
#5 - April 20 Beyond Romance
#6 - April 20 Tess MacKall's Hotter Than A Sultry Southern Night
#7 - April 20 Romance Junkies
#8 - April 21 Sweet N Sexy Divas
#9 - April 21 Romance Books R Us
#10 - April 25 - 29 Chicks of Characterization
#11 - April 26 Heart of Romance (Interview)
#12 - April 28 - Author Keri Ford's Blog
Special Blog Tour Feature: THE FALL OF RAIN blurb and excerpt at Chicks of Characterization

Making Time for Reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:51:00 +0000

Everyone once in a while I lament the fact that I'm not taking the time to simply get lost in a book. I mean, really get lost in it. You know, one of those days when you cuddle up with your favorite afghan on the sofa, donned in your comfiest clothes that you wouldn't be seen out in public wearing, and without a care in the world, do nothing all day long but read

Sometimes I think that as writers, we don't allow ourselves this privilege when in fact, it might be the best thing ever for our writing. I know there are a lot of days when I think, "I just can't sit at this computer another minute." Or, my head is so full of story line and plot, that I can't think of anything else...and maybe, just maybe, I'm going a little stale.

This is when my brain needs a break. A good, long, deep read often is just the trick. Not my story, but someone else's story. Sometimes a movie will do the trick in a pinch, too.

Last week I started a Tami Hoag thriller and even though my brain has flashed back to the story several times, I've not gone back to pick up the book. Why? Too busy--in my head, anyway. Today I will find time. Tomorrow I'm also going with my friend, Jan, to see Jane Eyre. I'm looking forward to it.

So, get your story fix, okay? Make time for it. We all really need to do it!

I'd love to know what you are reading now, and what book you've allowed yourself to get lost in lately. Please share! And if you do decide to comment, tomorrow I'll pick a random commenter to receive a digital copy of any of my ebooks. Tell me, what are you reading?

What is abundance?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Recently I was gifted with the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It's not a new book to me, I remember it well from the late 90's. In fact, way back then I bought the workbook to work through, and did get so far through it. Why I bought the workbook, and not the book, I am not sure. Perhaps the book was sold out. At any rate, many years later, I now own both book and workbook, and as part of my morning "Circle Time" I'm moving through them.

The book is designed for a daily bit of reading and inspiration, starting January 1. Since today is February 15, I'm a bit behind, so I'm reading through January now to catch up. I'm glad I didn't start in August.

I'm one to always look to affirmations and thinks that coincidence is more than happenstance--I think coincidence is planned (by someone) more than left to chance. So it is interesting that I find myself diving into this book at this time in my life. A time where I've made a huge leap of faith, have so far survived that, but know that I still have miles to go to work on me.

A couple of weeks earlier, my friend Jan and I had signed up to take a class titled "Creating Abundance" by a local medium we know and have visited on occasion. We're both looking forward to it. A few days later, this book expectantly lands in my hands, gifted by a woman whom I had just hired as an editor. I had met her long before, didn't know her well, but knew her work. I surprised as anything to receive the book.

That evening during dinner I had to stretch my brain. I know this book, I thought. Have I read it? Stretching a little further, I remembered the workbook. Purposely, I haven't looked at the workbook yet, other than to locate it on my shelf. I wonder how far I got into it, what I wrote, what it meant to me at that time, how my thoughts about the subject might be different, more than a decade later?

I know I have changed since the late 90's. I've grown in more ways than I can say. I know I'm continuing to grow. I look forward to the revelations of my life this book might lead me to, and sharing them with you on occasion here.

So, I wonder. What is abundance? I suppose I will discover what that means for me--as a woman, a mother, a creative being, a friend, a daughter, a sister, and on and on. I wonder if my definition of abundance will change? I wonder if I'll discover that it's already changed over time?

What is your definition of abundance at this point in your life?

Today, I'll leave you with a brief quote from the Foreward of the book.

Reading books changes lives. So does writing them. May simple abundance, through its gentle lessons of comfort and joy, help you find the authentic life you were born to live.

--Sarah Ban Breathnach, May 1995

Circle Time for Me

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:26:00 +0000

Circle Time

Having taught and worked in public schools for 30 years, I've spent a lot of time in the classroom. For the past 15 years, most of that time spent in early childhood classroom settings, both as teacher and consultant. Being a "teacher of teachers" I found myself often sharing the advice, "ground your preschooler's day with some sort of opening activity. Do it everyday. Be consistent. Have a routine. A daily Circle Time is a good start."

Sound advice for a preschool classroom. But what about for the rest of us? Those of us who haven't seen the backside of another kid's head for a lot of years? Do we (still) need Circle Time?

Before I answer that, let me share some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head lately. The first is about work. For the past year I've been working from home. If you've ever worked from home, you know what that means--you never leave your job. I have found myself working 18 hour days because I stumble to the computer early, coffee cup in hand, and often work straight through with a few breaks until midnight or later. Okay, so that's normal when you start up a new business. It requires 24/7 care and feeding. So be it. But now it's time to change.

Because of this habit, thought number two has been rattling around. I don't read any more--for pleasure, that is. Just for the sheer enjoyment of sitting down in my overstuffed armchair and reading. And, I'm not getting enough exercise. Plus, my house is in an ever present state of "needing to be cleaned."

In short, working too much, not paying as much attention to things that must be done. In reality, I think this all might stem to the fact that for the past year, I've been trying to adjust to a new routine. For 31 years I had a routine. Get up. Shower. Coffee. Work. Home. Write or Relax. Then do it again tomorrow. Now my routine is just random and haphazard. Which was okay. For a while. But...

Um. Where is the grounding to my day. The consistency? The routine. This is IT?

Couple all of the above with a study I read that said for the first hour of your day, you should avoid the electronics. The static noise. The news. So, no TV. No radio. No computer. The first hour of the morning should be to slowly wake your brain, become aware, and center yourself for the day.

Ah. Now I get it. I need a Circle Time.

So, I thought about that. Circle Time for preschoolers often involves singing, listening to a book, basics like counting and practicing letters, and sometimes some movement. I can do this, I think. Lately, I have devised, and have been faithfully practicing, my daily Circle Time routine for one. It goes something like this:

1. The first rule: No TV, radio, computer, etc., for the first hour after I wake.
2. Make coffee, say good morning to the Muse-Cats, and feed them. (the basics)
3. Empty the dishwasher, which starts my stretching. Do my morning stretches while waiting for coffee. I hum a little tune while I do it. A little movement, a little singing.
4. Meditation. About 15 minutes worth, although I do not time myself. It just happens.
5. Reading. Whatever I want, for about another 15-20 minutes.
6. Writing. To round out the hour.

Today, this blog is my writing. Welcome to my Circle Time.

What's your routine first thing in the morning. Could it use an overhaul? Do you need to ground your day in a morning routine(ritual?), too? What might it look like?

Next, I'll work on some sort of routine that involves exercise and cleaning. But I need to master Circle Time, first.

Publish well, publish often, publish to sell

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:24:00 +0000

Note: This article in its entirety was published yesterday at WG2E, The Writer's Guide to EPublishing.

By Kim Jacobs (aka Maddie James)
CEO and Publisher, Turquoise Morning Press

I’ve said it myself—anyone can publish a book in today’s publishing world. It’s true. That statement is also a misnomer.

You can publish. There are dozens of options from which to choose. The key, however, is to publish well, to publish often, and publish to sell.

So how do you do that? Whether you choose to self-publish, or publish with a small independent press, there is work to do. The notion of dashing off a book, piecing together an adequate cover, and uploading to the first retailer you see might sound like a cool and fun thing to do—but don’t do it. Your book deserves time and attention, and requires a great deal of effort and planning on either your, or your publisher’s (or both!) part.

Read the rest of the article...

Winter Newsletter Posted!

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:13:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Thought I'd pop in real quick to let you all know that I've uploaded the latest Maddie James Newsletter. You can view it online here!

It's got a snazzy new look, too. And so does my website!

Reflect first; Plan second

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:57:00 +0000

So, here it is, December 31. I'm supposed to be thinking about the new year, making some resolutions, figuring out a plan to keep at them, and looking to the future. I should also be considering that New Year's Day meal that I usually cook--you know, the pork and kraut and blackeyed peas, all of which are supposed to bring us luck and money and other good things.

I've heard that you should cook a penny in the kraut, and that whomever gets the penny in their serving is the one the money will come to the next year. But since it's likely I'll be the only one eating the kraut, and the fact that I'm not too keen on a dirty penny being cooked along with it, I think I'll pass on that one.

But back to the New Year's thing. I will make resolutions but before I can do that, I have to do a little reflecting on this past year. I took a couple of huge leaps in 2010. It will be a year that will remain one for the books, in my book. (pun unintended)

Accomplishments this past year:

I left my full-time day job of ten years in January. This is huge leap #1. For 31 years, I worked for someone else. Now, I'm working for me and focusing more on writing and books. I still do some work part-time for the previous employer, and am glad of that fact, but for the first time in 20 years now, I have finally found some balance between the writing world, and the day job world.
I formed a new business in February, an LLC. Basically it started out being my writing, workshops and consulting biz, but it quickly turned into more...
Huge leap #2. I started a publishing company. I'd thought about it for a long time. I'd researched how to self-publish my backlist of books, since a lot of people are doing that these days. I really and truly thought, at the time, that this little itty-bitty publishing company was going to be a small extension of my writing. I was wrong. The house has 33 authors under contract and we have books scheduled to be released, at least one a week, through January of 2012. I have contracted cover artists, editors and proofreaders. I am working 24/7 to make every inch of it work, and loving every single second.
I should also note that during the year, I published four novellas under two pen names, and re-released three of my backlist titles, for a total of seven releases this year. Not too bad, on top of everything else. I should also note that I received a CAPA nomination for one of my books, Better Than Chocolate. We'll find out the results of that in February.

Things to work on (or I suppose, these are my resolutions for the coming year):

Now, I struggle with finding the balance between writing and publishing! (there's never an easy answer to balance, is there? Just call me Libra, always in need of the balance)
I have six writing contracts pending for the new year. I am striving to make those deadlines! (oops, one is already missed, so I'm striving to make that one up real quick like)
Routine and schedule. For years my daily routine was: get up, coffee, shower, get out of the house, work, come home, write. Oddly enough, one would think when you are home all day, you'd have plenty of time to: do laundry, clean the house, write, tend to the lawn, and publish a few books. Nope. Nada. Doesn't happen. Why? My routine has CHANGED. I've been working on this for a couple of months now, trying to develop some better habits, and motivating myself to get out of the chair behind the computer and, well, vacuum and shower and such.
Which brings me to the last thing to work on: exercise. I eat a fairly health diet. I don't get enough exercise. This will change, and will be part of that routine thing above. I walk--occasionally. I'm so out of habit. So putting a plan into place (join the Y?) to exercise more is a definite good thing.

I'm betting many of you are thinking about your resolutions, or things to work on for next year, too. I'd love to hear about your accomplishments this past year (celebrate!) and your plans for the next. What's on your plate?

Merry Christmas - A White Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:06:00 +0000

This is the view from here earlier this morning. Wishing each and every one of you a happy, safe, and very Merry Christmas!

Just enough of the white stuff.

Bunny tracks? Or... reindeer???

I love to see the little tufts of snow on the pines.

A Side Trip to Monument Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:13:00 +0000

What an incredible afternoon!

I was fortunate enough to take a little side trip late this afternoon after finishing my work at school near Kayenta, Arizona. This being the first time I've visited the area, I really wanted to drive the twenty-plus miles north to the Monument Valley area. What a beautiful and peaceful drive through this monumental (pardon the pun) valley. At times I was awestruck by its simplistic beauty and the sounds of silence.

Here are a few pictures.

I took many, many more pictures than this and tried to pick some of my favorites. I'm looking forward to coming back to work in the school again in the spring, so I can perhaps have another peek. We ended our day by eating dinner at the restaurant in the hotel perched on the rim of the valley. For more information about the hotel and restaurant (just in case you are in the area) visit the web site for The View.

A New Release from Maddie James and some other stuff...

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:45:00 +0000

It's snowing, it's snowing!

And the nicest thing about it snowing is that I didn't have to go anywhere in it (except to my mailbox). I enjoy snow the most when I can view it from inside-out.

I have a new-old release this week, Rawhide and Roses. It's new-old because this is a re-release of one of my older Kensington Precious Gems books, originally titled, The Wild West. This was my first published book and of course, near and dear to my heart. I've spent some time renovating and updating the manuscript--and ended up lengthening it a bit. It's western. It has cowboys. A hero to die for. And a spunky heroine who has no clue what she's in for--in more ways than one. If you decide to take a peek at this one, I hope you enjoy. It's one of my faves.

Rawhide and Roses is available in digital formats at Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook, as well as other romance book venders, such as CoffeeTime Romance and More, and All Romance eBooks. At the present time, it's not yet in print, and I'm not sure it will be. But if you are real good between now and Christmas, maybe your significant other will gift you with a Kindle or Nook reader. Hint, hint!

Other news? The grands are coming this afternoon for a visit, and likely they will take over every laptop and desktop in the house! I can't believe how computer savvy those little ones are. Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, and I'm making plans for 2011 in so many ways.

Nothing like New Year's Day to motivate, eh? I have a number of books coming out next year so I'll be sure to update you on those in the very near future.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. Take care, and if you have snow, enjoy it!

NaNo, NaNo....

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:36:00 +0000

So, the first day of NaNoWriMo went swimmingly. I wrote 1500ish words. Just shy of the daily goal but so be it, I wrote 1500ish words! Cause for small celebration. I'm on the move.

Then yesterday came. And went. And no words. No WRITTEN words. Not on the story, at least.

But I did accomplish these things:

voted (important)
went to my PO Box and picked up mail (Bed, Bath and Beyond catalog)
trimmed the three bushes in front of my house (now Clio and Calliope can better see out - me, too)
weed-eated my front lawn and rid my front lawn of a lot of dead stuff (long overdue)
edited 30 pages of a novel plus three short stories for an upcoming anthology
checked and wrote a lot of emails (daily task)
checked the sales numbers on books (I'm addicted to the numbers)
and watched Dancing with the Stars

Productive day, you say? I say not. There were NO WORDS.

Procrastination, pure and simple.

What, say you? That I accomplished a lot? That these things needed to be done? That my day was full and busy already? Pshaw. Excuses. Bottom line is, I didn't make it a priority. I chose other things. I did not make room. I failed Day Two of NaNoWriMo and now on my web page it says: 2 unsuccessful days (you know, because I didn't actually make the Day 1 goal either).

So now, with all of you as my witness, I vow I will do better today. Okay, so I'm off....

Three Things

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:14:00 +0000

I love it when things align in threes. I mean, this has to mean something, doesn't it?

I've been waiting for November 1. Kept telling people all fall--let me get through October, I'll get on that in November. Why "get through October?" Well, because of three weeks (18 days and nights) of work out of the house, which means it's more difficult to get writing and publishing work done while on the road traveling.

But October is through, and November is here, and now--I have work to do. (I just hope I haven't bit off more than I can chew!)

Item #1: I must write. And lucky for me, this month, starting today, November 1, is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (Mork comes to mind when I say this.) Now, I have never signed up for NaNoWriMo in the past even though I have known about it for years. But this year? I need the motivation and the discipline of daily writing. I am way past a novel deadline and I have vowed to finish it by the end of the month. Hence, I signed myself up, for the very first time, for NaNoWriMo. Wish me luck, and I'll keep you informed.

Item #2: Today, November 1, is also National Author's Day. Who woulda thunk that NaNoWriMo and National Authors day would strike at the same time? I managed to post another blog post about that on the Turquoise Morning Press blog this morning. Hm. Come to think of it, I also have a cookbook deadline at the end of this week. Geez, my week is filling up already, isn't it?

Item #3. I started a diet. South Beach. Again. 18 days of eating out last month and little exercise. Ugh. I need a jump start and I'm not waiting any longer.

I'm really not sure what dieting and writing have in common, except for in this case that they are all falling on November 1 for me, for some reason. Just hoping that I can keep up the pace with all involved. Suddenly, this feels like an accountability thing.

I guess this all means there is no time, or room, for cupcakes, huh?

Okay, so keep me accountable, all right? I'll report in.

Save the Ta Tas, Bare the Bodice, Preserve the Cleavage: It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:58:00 +0000

It's Breast Cancer Awareness month. I'm sure I don't have to remind many of you of that fact. It's something that I, of course, think about every year. Just like millions of other women. But nothing hits home so much as when you've suffered from breast cancer in your family.

I was 28 years old and very pregnant with my second child, my son. It was a couple of days before spring break (I was a teacher at the time) when I got the call from my parents. I can't remember now whether it was my Mom or my Dad calling. All I remember were the words, "breast cancer" and "surgery on Saturday." It was that quick. And it was hard. My Mom was 48.

How fortunate that I had the next week off for spring break. I took the remainder of that and got ready to drive to my parents. Mom had a radical mastectomy and I stayed with her for the week. The year was 1985.

It was a long year for her, that next year. Emotional ups and downs, physical pain and dealing with the loss of part of her body. I know she suffered in many, many ways. More than any of us will likely know. And I know that when the going got tough, and she would tell you this today, the thing that got her through was the Serenity Prayer.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

It's 2010. My mother is a survivor. And I, and my family, thank God each and every day she is still with us. She, and the doctors, acted fast. It was tough. And it worked.

Last summer I had a breast biopsy. Something funky that came up in the mammogram. Turned out to be a pesky fibroid. Still, I need to keep on top of it. Yesterday, I made my appointment for my annual mammogram.

Please, you do the same. Early detection is important. Stay on top of it. It's so easy to let things slide. But don't. Do it for you, and tell your daughters. Save the ta tas. We romance authors love cleavage!

***

I wrote today's post as part of the WOW-Women on Writing Blanket Tour for
Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey by Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN
(www.dianaraab.com). The book includes Diana's experiences, reflections,
poetry and journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to
express their own personal stories. A survivor of both breast cancer and
multiple myeloma, Raab views journaling to be like a daily vitamin--in that
it heals, detoxifies and is essential for optimal health.
Diana, the author of eight books, spent 25 years as a medical and self-help
writer before turning to poetry and memoir. She teaches creative journaling
and memoir in UCLA Extension Writers' Program.
If you comment on today's post you'll be entered to win a copy of Healing
with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey. To read Diana's post about breast
cancer and a list of other blogs participating in Diana's Blanket Tour visit
The Muffin.

Please visit Diana Rabb's web site at www.dianaraab.com

Ruth J. Harman talks about "Pillow Talk"

noreply@blogger.com (Maddie James) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:32:00 +0000

As part of her blog tour to promote her just-released romance novel, Pillow Talk, Ruth J. Hartman visits to talk about her writing and her books.

Hello, Ruth, welcome to Life, Unedited! I am excited to have you and learn about Pillow Talk. But first, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks so much, Maddie, for being a part of my book tour!

I’m an author as well as a licensed dental hygienist. I live in rural Indiana with my husband of 28 years and two spoiled cats.

Tell us more about Pillow Talk, please?

Pillow Talk was released on August 15th. The publisher is Class Act Books, and it’s about a tooth fairy who falls in love with her dentist. Here is the blub:

Trixie Trident has a secret. Everyone knows she creates one-of-a-kind jewelry during the day. It's what she does on her night job no one would ever guess. She's a tooth fairy. Not the tooth fairy, just one of many. It would take her whole life just to combat the many misconceptions people have about TF's. Like how nobody wears tutus or uses a wand. Or stands three inches high. Nope, Trixie looks just like any other woman in her mid-twenties. And she'd tell people all of that stuff. If she was allowed to. But she'd sworn a sacred tooth fairy oath that she'd never tell a soul. And she hadn't. Except for her best friend, who would never breathe a word to anyone.

Graham Keebler meets Trixie when she comes to his dental office as a new patient. He's had lots of single women patients before, but no one has ever sparked his interest like Trixie. What is it about her that's so unique? He can't quite figure it out, but he's determined to try, even when she turns him down for a second date.

Trixie is attracted to Graham, like she's never been to any man before. He's what she always dreamed of in a man. And they even have the subject of teeth in common! But a relationship with the gorgeous dentist can never be. How could it? When she's a tooth fairy, and not only can't she tell him, he'd never believe her anyway.

Oh, how fun! In three words or less, how would you describe your style of writing?

Quirky, romantic, fun.

I can certainly see where Pillow Talk would fall into those categories. You mentioned a day job. How do you balance the two?

I work as a hygienist in a neighboring town two days a week. On those days I don’t get to write, but on my days off and on weekends, I work my writing around the usual stuff we all do: laundry, shopping, etc.

Now, that’s very cool. A dental hygienist who writes a book about the Tooth Fairy! That sure comes under the heading of “write what you know, huh?” Ruth, tell us, what else inspires your writing?

I'm inspired by people's laughter and joy. If I can make someone smile or laugh because of what I've written, then it's all worth it for me.

What is your next project?

Right now I’m working on two different projects. One is another romance novel about two competing dentists who fall in love with each other. My second project is my first picture book. Both projects are fun, but in different ways. Both projects are contracted and will be coming out next year with Turquoise Morning Press, along with another romance novel titled, Cat-Fish.

Congratulations on all of your success! How many books do you have in print now? Which is your favorite?

Right now I have two in print. The first one, My Life in Mental Chains is a memoir about my struggle with severe OCD. Pillow Talk was a lot more fun to write, but the memoir seems to help people who suffer from OCD. It’s hard to pick a favorite, I guess.

Can you talk about your path to publishing?

I've always loved to write, but didn't seriously pursue it for publication until 2008. And that was kind of an "off the beaten path" deal. While trying to get a fictional story about a girl with OCD published, the publisher wanted a true-life story instead. That's how my personal memoir, My Life in Mental Chains happened. Over the last couple of years, I've been blessed enough to have had several things published, including short stories, articles, and romance novels. In between submitting manuscripts to publishers and waiting to hear back from them, I worked on articles. A couple of them were accepted. That definitely makes the waiting easier!

Also, I joined an online writers' group called Premium Green, an off-shoot of WOW-Women on Writing. Through that wonderful group, I could always find someone to answer all of my newbie, sometimes even silly, questions about writing, submitting, contracts, and about a million other things. I also dove into the web pool and joined Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads and several others.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

My advice would be, don't give up. I can't tell you how many times I was ready to bag the whole idea of writing and submitting. It can be a scary, frustrating business, but it's definitely worth it when you first see your book, story, or article in print!! don't be afraid to start small. My very first published article was How to Trap a Wild Cat on ehow. A very tiny article, but it was so thrilling to see my name in print.

Ruth, thanks so much for visiting with us. I am reading Pillow Talk right now and I must say it is a funny, quirky read! Best to you and your book, and have fun on your blog tour!

To learn more about Ruth and her books, please visit her web site and blog at http://www.ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/