The Shelf Life of a Novel Writing Book Writer

Helping to Fulfill the Dreams of Other Writers...

2012-01-29T19:58:00.000-08:00

It's official! In my quest to take a step back from full Traditional Publishing in order to pursue my own writing dreams, I have found I still MUST fulfill that other dream of mine - to help other writers recognize their dreams. Through the Book Services section of TreasureLine Publishing and through my own Tell~Tale Cover Design site, I am still offering extremely reasonable services to help authors with Cover Design, Internal Format of Paperbacks, eBook Formatting for Kindle, Smashwords, Nook. I'll also do all that I can to help others in their quest to get their books into the hands of readers. Whether you need someone to actually do the work or you want to learn to do it yourself, I hope you'll consider giving me a shout. One thing I always say is Talk Is Free! There's no obligation for asking questions and you just might find the answers you've been looking for.

What one author had to say about the cover of her book:

A great endorsement for my formatting services:

Take a look at Tell~Tale Cover Designs and/or TreasureLine Publishing Book Services and let me know if you have any questions or comments. There are contact forms on both sites or you may email me directly at TreasureLinePublishing@gmail.com. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Check out these Pre-Made Covers and more on the Tell~Tale site:

YOUR books are MY business!

2012-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 21st will find me wearing my publisher hat as a guest over at the Mormon Mommy Writers blog. In connection with TreasureLine Publishing, where I drive the ship, we'll be giving away 3 amazing Author's Treasure Packages to 3 lucky winners chosen at random.

The pacakges are: 1 ePub Book Publishing Package, 1 Paperback Book Internal Format, and 1 Custom Book Cover and we'd like to invite you to find out more about the prizes and how you can enter for a chance to win. Just join us any time Saturday at the Mormon Mommy Writers blog.

One question I was asked as part of the interview that went along with our giveaway was "whatwords of wisdom would you like to share with aspiring authors?" I'd like to share part of that answer with you here:

I almostalways give new authors the same advice because I think it is outrageouslyimportant, especially in this day and age where so many books are available.That advice is KEEP WRITING. No matter what you’re doing, make sure you areworking on your next piece. When readers finish one of your books, if they likeit, they will immediately want more. If they can’t get that from you, guesswhat? They are going to jump to another author. Then, when you get your nextbook done, you get to go out and find readers all over again! Oh, you’ll havethose who wait for your work, but mostly you’ll be reinventing yourself everytime. One bestselling author recently mentioned that she has to put out atleast four books this year to maintain her foothold. FOUR BOOKS! That’s oneevery three months just to keep herself on the bestseller list.

At thesame time, though, you shouldn’t rush it. Seems impossible to do both, huh? Nomatter what, even if you have to work harder at your marketing, you don’t wantto put out bad stuff. A book that is poorly written, edited, formatted … thosecan all turn away future readers or even those who might have picked up yourgreat story because of word of mouth.

So,bottom line, my advice is to write constantly because that will help you honeyour skills while pushing you toward completion of that next book and don’tskimp on polishing your beloved story. Remember none of those things:formatting, cover designing, etc, none of it has to cost you a fortune to getit done right. There are places out there like my TreasureLine Publishing BookServices that can help you without a huge cash outlay that you may or may notever make back. It’s a tough business, this business of writing, so use soundjudgment, not your heart, when making decisions.

Make sure to join me at the Mormon Mommy Writers blog to learn a little more and make sure you enter for a chance to win one of those great prizes!

I Forgot

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

I forgot.

I forgot that loving youis a bad idea for me. I forgot that when you touch me, it’s as if a fog rollsin, enshrouding us in a curtain that blocks the rest of the world from mythoughts, my memory. I forgot that when you take my hands in yours, slowlybringing them to your lips to press sweet kisses on my fingertips that allregret begins to quickly fade away. I see only you, my secret visitor, withyour brown eyes dancing over me. You look at me and I know exactly what youwant … because it’s the same thing I want.

There’s urgency withinme that you never seem to show. I can’t wait. I want to feel you, see you,inhale your scent as I lay next to you, my head resting against your bare chest,both of us sated, the longing quenched. But you always take your time. Teasing.Torturing. The corners of your mouth turned upward. You’re in control. Makingme wait. Making me crazy. How can you exhibit such restraint when I want to …

This is the beginning of my new super short, emotion-packed piece over at Clever Fiction~Short Stories for the Real World. If you'd like to read the rest, click HERE, jump on over, and enjoy!

Arms of an Angel ~ a short, sweet, emotion-packed read

2011-11-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

My novella, Arms of an Angel, is taking center stage today over at the iWrite blog. If you have a moment, I would truly love some comment love over there (click here to take a look), however, more than anything, I'd love to share with you a little about the book. The main character, Claire Orion, was born from a single vision that flashed through my head of this woman sitting in the passenger seat of a man's car. She was an amazing creature though she obviously lived the high life filed with all the worldly pleasures money could buy. This is where that vision took me: "Claire wasn’t exactly the type of girl a guywould normally choose to take home to meet Mamma. Yet there she was, on her way to meetGarrett’s parents. Her heart slammedagainst her chest hidden, in part, by the sweetheart neckline of her blue CarinMorrow. It was the most modest dress sheowned and, still, it showed an ample amount of flesh. She’d tried to cover a bit more with a simplesweater, but wasn’t at all sure if she’d been successful. Her wardrobe had been purchased to enhanceand show off her assets, not hide them. Dressing to meet parents was not a priority..."

I honestly thought it was going to be a bit of a comedy until I realized Claire was hurting to the point I could almost feel the pain inside her and I knew I had to write this book even if it was just to satisfy my own curiosity!

I have many works in progress that I hope to have finalized and release through this next year as I prepare to concentrate more fully on my own writing (yes, I know! It is about time!!!) but Claire remains forever close to my heart. She's not the most celestial being. A wealthy heiress, she lived hard and high, using anything and everything she could get her hands on to try to ease her pain. And yet, even with all that, she truly is beautiful. She just needed someone to help her realize that and fate provided with a reservation mix up at a fancy restaurant where she has gone to have her last meal before ending the pain forever. That's where our hero steps in and many lives begin to take different paths.

If I'm not careful I'll end up sharing the whole story with you. I get so excited talking about the lives these fictitious people lead! Instead, I'll leave you with the short synopsis as well as an excerpt from the book. One note: Claire will be back. Although not the main character, she has a pretty big part in another story about another high society young woman forced to travel cross country with a "country hick". Again, I don't want to say more about either of these stories and spoil Angel for those who haven't read it. I hope you'll give it a chance. It's currently priced through the end of November at just 99 cents for the eBook at both Amazon Kindle and Smashwords. The paperback is only $7.95 on Amazon or my website.

The Synopsis:
Being wealthy and beautiful doesn’t promise an automatic ticket for happiness. Sometimes you need the angelic touch of someone who needs you as much as you need him… Sometimes it’s hard to tell where one set of wings ends and the other begins. Claire is alluring, sensual – called an angel by some, though the woman she’s become is anything but celestial. Her heart is filled with pain so deeply embedded she doesn’t want to live any longer…until fate puts her into the hands of the most virtuous man she’s ever met; a man who needs someone like Claire to help him piece together the shattered bits of his own life.

"I still like happy endings, and Linda never fails her readers on that! It's good to know you can count on authors to deliver a good story with a good ending."

Enjoy an excerpt:

“You want to comeup? We can have that coffee we never ordered…” They were stopped in front of the buildingwaiting for a clearing to turn into the circle drive where the doormanwaited. Their eyes locked and a bucketof emotions passed between them.

He reached over andtouched her cheek. “I want to, but I won’t. Besides, I have a brunch date at my parent’sfarm in Morgan’s Falls. It’s late andI’ll have to get up early to make it on time.”

“Oh.” Claire nodded,the corners of her lips turning down. “Adecent reason I suppose.” She chuckled. “I’ve never been turned down forparents.”

They smiled at oneanother as he pulled in and the doorman approached. “Another time perhaps?”

Claire gave anoncommittal half shrug. “Perhaps.” She was silent for a moment, signaling thedoorman to wait. “Thank you for an enjoyableevening, Garrett. I’m pleased our pathscrossed.” She started to reach for thedoor and he grasped her arm. She lookedat his hand then at him.

“I have thisoverwhelming feeling that I’ll never see you again once you get out.” His brows were drawn down, his faceconcerned.

Claire was sure hecould hear the loud thud of her heart. She felt the need to throw him off.

“Let me have yourphone.” She held out her hand and he produced it with out question. She stared at it for a moment then keyed in hernumber. “There.” She handed it back.

“Thank you.” He smiled,rubbing the phone between his fingers as if it was her hand. “We’ll have that coffee… and sooner than youthink.

“Would we have hadcoffee, Dr. O’Bryan?” she asked, kissing his cheek and bolting from the carbefore he had time to recover.

When she waved andsmiled mischievously from the lobby doorway he shook his head and laughed. The thought of her would not easily beshaken, he was sure of that.

“You’re home early, Ms.Orion,” Garrett heard the doorman saying to her as he pushed the button thatrolled down the window. “And alone! You ruffled somebody’s feathers again, girl?”

Claire started torespond but was cut off by Garrett’s voice calling her name. She turned toward him and he was struckmomentarily silent by her beauty. Uncertain of his intent, she walked back to the car and looked throughthe open window.

“Change your mind?” sheteased. “No, I suppose Morgan’s Fallsstill has you bound. What then?”

“Sunday brunch? 10:00ish? And we’ll have that coffee then. Scouts honor.” He held up twofingers.

“Wouldn’t youknow. Friday night and I get stuck witha parent whipped boy scout.” Shelaughed, letting him know she was still teasing. “Make it 10:30 and I’ll accept with expectation.”

Garrett nodded. “Claire,” he called as she began to backaway. “You are a woman of your word, right?” When she didn’t respond he added, “You seem as though you would be.”

Claire breathed in andheld it for a moment as she looked into the distance. The night had not gone as she’d planned. Now she was being asked for her word. Yes, she was a woman of her word…most of thetime, and especially when pressed. Whywas he asking? Did he inherentlyknow? If she said yes, under thecircumstances, was she bound by her word? Yes, she supposed she was. Atlast she nodded. “My yes is yes. I’ll be waiting and watching. 10:30 sharp on Sunday morning.”

Garrett smiled. “Thank you.”

“You may change yourmind. You don’t really know me.” She pushed away from the car with a laugh.

He shook his head. No, he didn’t know her at all. He’d lived enough of life, however, tobelieve their paths must have crossed that evening for a definite reason. He wondered if he’d ever find out why.

“You losin’ your touch,Miss?” Garrett heard the doorman teasing her again.

“Nah, Charlie. I got lucky in a different way tonight.” She elbowed the older gentleman. “I found me an angel. What was his name? Clarence maybe? Oh listen… I think I hear a bell ringing.”

He heard the doormanchuckle as Claire disappeared behind the heavy wood and beveled glass doors ofthe grand building.

“Not an angel withthese thoughts!” he whispered as he drove away.

Get enough? If not, there's another excerpt on my website: http://www.lindaboulanger.com/arms-of-an-angel.html that will, hopefully, help you decide if you want to grab this great little holiday read.

I also participate quite often in the Weekly Challenge provided by Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world. If you'd like to read some of my shorts, please feel free to jump to my blog on that site: http://www.cleverfiction.com/linda-boulanger.html. Clever Fiction is open to all writers who want to participate, so writer friends ... consider taking the challenge!

Where Arms of an Angel is sold: Paperback: Amazon.com, TreasureLineBooks.com

eBook: Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Apple iBooks, Sony, Kobo, Diesel

Link to book on Amazon:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Arms-of-an-Angel-ebook/dp/B004J4VW78

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Angel-Linda-Boulanger/dp/1617520373

No Shameful Mistake

2011-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have another new short. Yes, another one. It is a WEEKLY challenge so, unless I am unable to get to it, you can expect a new short each week. This one goes along with my earlier story titled Secret Shame and you may also expect additional writings about the as yet unnamed young woman in that story. This week she has her baby but the post is very much NOT about having the baby and much more about relationships and inner thoughts. Here are a few paragraphs and a link to where you may find the rest of the story:

I named her Faith knowing that’swhat I needed. Faith.

Giggling in my delirium as mydoctor had coaxed me to push, I’d realized I was about to have Faith. Most people wouldn’t have found that funny, I know. Thelady the hospital provided to coachme certainly hadn’t. She was perplexed by my laughter. I’m pretty sure shethought I was crazy.

Still, the words of that oldGeorge Michael song my Aunt Betsy used to sing had taken over my head. It washer favorite back when she lived with us. I wish I could have remembered more.More of the song that is. I remembered plenty about Aunt Betsy when she stayed afterher divorce. I used to pretend I was her, living her carefree life, always surroundedby friends, yet never too busy to stop and have a pretend pot of tea or aBarbie style show. That was the only time in my life I didn’t feel alone.

“You’ll spoil her, Bee,” mymother would tell her. Betsy would roll her eyes and stick out her tongue or,worse, make an obscene gesture with her hand. That one especially used to makemy mother huff away commenting on how ungrateful her younger sister was.

But I loved my Bee. I was proudof her success after she got on her feet and left my parents’ house. She was her own woman, not needing anyone oranything. That’s what she said. Mother used to say she would have beennowhere had they not taken her in. I rolled my eyes. Mother always took creditfor the success of others … and distanced herself from their failures. Wasn’tthat evident by the fact that my parents were on their third trip since thebeginning of this whole shameful mess?

Like mother – like daughter. Ishrugged. It’s not like they would have been much support anyway, though underthe circumstances, you’d have thought they’d be more understanding. Not them.

Oh, dear God. More tears! I beganto hum that song again. I could only remember a little. Oh you gotta have faith, faith, faith. You just gotta have faith…

To read the rest of No Shameful Mistake, please visit my writer's page at Clever Fiction (click HERE).

Cover Qualms

2011-10-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble with the man. Well, the man on my cover anyway. If you read the post below, you know my short To Dance with the Enemy is morphing into a Novel or at least a Novella. The working title for that is Marked, although I so love the way To Sleep with the Enemy looks in print. Anyway ... the main male character has very dark blonde hair, longish, and intense amber eyes. He's a fantasy warrior so he also has to be buff :-) I'm trying to find him. See what you think of these guys...

Here is the original as well as the other To Dance with the Enemy cover:

What do you think????

(Click on covers for enlarged pics)

Read To Dance with the Enemy at the Clever Fiction Blog

Read the beginning of Marked below

Marked to Dance with the Enemy

2011-10-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

I've been playing again... :) Not surprised, I know. Well, this weekend the muse came to visit, giving me yet another story that's a bit out of my comfort zone. I wrote it up as a short story for the Clever Fiction Weekly Challenge and then my dear friend, superb author and awesome cover designer Jaimey Grant, read it and said MORE! Thank goodness the muse has already given me more. I'd like to post the beginning of the story here and then hopefully you'll be enticed to jump over to the Clever Fiction site to read the next part (which I hope to have marked as Chapter 2 in something MORE very soon).

I designed a cover to go with the short but also created one to go with the whole story and now I can't decide which I like best. You'll have to let me know which name you think I should use as well as which cover catches your attention. Currently, the novel is titled Marked and the short is called To Dance with the Enemy. Looking forward to your reaction and feedback.

Marked by LindaBoulanger

The Beginning

Nose in the air, he sniffed. She wasthere. He could smell her. Chin falling, amber eyes danced over the crowd ofprovocatively dressed women. He pushed away a blond pawing at his leg. Othersvied for his attentions with caresses and attempts at catching his eye by makingthe best use of their assets. Theyall knew who he was and exactly what he wanted … or so they thought.

He kept his focus, slightly maddenednow by his need for her with the increasing scent. She was near. But which onewas she? He cursed the masters for their silly rituals, making the warriorshunt through the throngs of women, both marked and unmarked, until their ownwas found.

He wondered if his woman knew who hewas or that she had been marked as his? Every woman there knew why she was there. It was the seasonwhen those who had come of age were sent by their families. The Marked would bepaired with their chosen from the elite warriors. The others would, iffortunate, find favor with one of the lesser warriors – still a privilegeguaranteeing an easier life for the woman and her family. Some would becomemistresses to the warriors who had fulfilled their duties and secured thebloodlines with the birth of future generations. Others would be used as sportby those whose Marked had not yet reached the appointed age, a station stillconsidered favorable.

For years, that was the position Tahrukhad found himself in – fulfilling his lusty desires without consequence. He hadassumed it would be the same that year, until he had entered the hall andcaught her scent, realizing for the first time the madness he had seen infellow warriors as they went about locating the woman marked for them.

Looking over the sea of women, hecursed his station. They looked better this year than any he could recall.Hopefully his chosen would not disappoint, though at the moment he would nothave cared. He simply wanted a woman to share his bed. It had been too long,the latest training rituals taking them right up until that night, keeping thewomen segregated from the men.

Where was she? His frustrated gaze fellon a golden-haired vision leaning against the support post across the room.Arms crossed over ample breasts draped in the finest of gold silk, she watchedhim without pretense. She knew what she wanted … him. He started her direction.The other women moved aside, disappointed, knowing where his long stride wastaking him.

He smiled. The scent, the scent of his woman grew stronger with each steptoward the woman sporting everything he liked. Tall and slender, fair hair thatspilled over her shoulder like spun gold, light eyes that danced with mischief,the masters in their omniscience would have known and paired him accordingly.He licked his lips in proud anticipation thinking how other men would praisehim, knowing his Marked was the finest of them all.

His nostrils flared as he dodged a small,dark figure that swept past him. His direction switched abruptly only stepsfrom the blond temptress. Hawk-like eyes peered into the wave of feminineforms.

“Where are you?” The words were a lowgrowl in his throat. He plowed through those that stood in his way, the othersforgotten.

Every turn he made, his Marked seemedto be just beyond his grasp. Was she avoiding him? Was this part of the game?The crazed intensity of the unusual mating dance made him light headed. Him! Awarrior, directly from the king’s bloodline, outmaneuvered by a slip of awoman. It mattered little that her being marked meant she was from royallineage as well. All sense of reasoning had fled him. He needed to get hishands on her now.

“Freeze!” The boom of his deep voicedid exactly that. Men and women alike, no one moved … save one. Not more thanan arm’s length from him the dark figure bolted from the crowd, darting towardthe door.

“Stop her!” He moved after her, impededby the woman who had not so long ago enticed him. He thrust her aside, no carefor her well-being nor that of those who stood between him and his Marked.

Three different men tried to get a handon the shadowy figure, slowing her only slightly before she gained access tothe door and ran free. The warrior smiled as he too slipped into the darknessbeyond the hall. Did she not realize she had just made finding her easier? Notonly would her scent be unmixed with the others, she had just entered hisdomain. The outdoors was where the mighty warrior felt most comfortable.

Nose in the air, he sniffed beforeturning his head to the right just in time to see the dark figure slip into thebrush beyond the square. What a pity the rough thicket would most probably marher delicate flesh. She hadn’t chosen wisely. The dense growth would surelyhamper her movement in the long skirt as well. All the better for him. Henearly purred with anticipation.

“You can’t escape,” he called with hisfirst step crunching the underbrush. It never dawned on him to wonder why shewould even want to.

If you want more read where the woman takes you read my "short" called To Dance with the Enemy at Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world. Here's how that one begins....

Her breasts heaved with every breath, straining against thebodice of the silk gown. Silk - supposedly spun by the gods, meant to entice asit fell in revealing layers over the satiny skin of young ladies waiting fortheir chosen. To Elenya it only impeded her escape through the thick brush.

What a waste. She thought of her trip to the courts as wellas the expensive fabric and the excitement that had surrounded picking it out,fashioning it into a body-covering masterpiece that represented her future, herdreams. Her family should have saved their reserves, her destiny decided manyyears ago by higher authorities anyway. The only thing she’d needed to enticeher warrior was her scent. Or was it his scent? She wasn’t sure, knowing onlythat she’d been marked, ceremonially injected with his blood as a child tobelong to him when her season came –though neither of them would know the other until the appointed time.

Elenya, knowing she had been marked and her futureassured, was no different from the other girls who dreamed of a lifetime dancewith one of the elite warriors of the court. (Click HERE to read To Dance with the Enemy over at Clever Fiction dot com)

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you'll leave some feedback on the story, the titles, which of the two covers grabbed your eye....

A Challenging Challenge

2011-10-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge over at Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world proved to be exactly that for me -- a challenge! I wrote one story but it ended up too long. I felt I would lose too much by cutting it down. Maybe I'll have to share it here in the near future. Then I considered a sequel to my Secret Shame, but I'm just not quite ready for that one again. That story really moved me for some reason. Her struggles and emotions were so very real to me. I love all my characters but it doesn't happen that often that one gets so completely under my skin. I'm pretty sure we'll be revisiting that story again in the near future.

The prompt for the week was All Day/Speechless/Dinner and my submission was titled Destiny's Visit. It's another departure from my straightforward Happy Ever Afters, although, as one commenter mentioned, "Imagine meeting either your love or your killer ... and the choice is yours." Seems to me, this story could go either way!

Enjoy the first couple of paragraphs and then jump over to Clever Fiction to read the rest:

Arms folded, elbows resting onthe lacquered top of the wood bar, Jake watched the woman in the corner. He wasperplexed. She didn’t seem the type to spend her day in a pub. Yet that’s whatshe’d done. She’d been there all day.

He was also perplexed by hisattraction to her. She wasn’t young and she wasn’t pretty. Although … He lookedher over and decided she certainly might have been. Pretty, that is. Of courseshe’d been young. Everyone’s young at some point in their lives.

She smiled at him and hisheartbeat tripled its speed behind the wall of his chest. Odd again since JakeDonovan liked younger women. Much younger.

So why did he take off his apron and tell Maria towatch the bar while he took a break? Why did his feet walk him over to thetable where the older woman sat? What made him ask her if she minded if he joinedher? Simple curiosity? Perhaps. He didn’t have the answers. He only knew it wassomething he had to do.

Enjoy the rest of Destiny's Visit over at Clever Fiction~short stories for the real world.

It would be a shame to let this one pass by...

2011-09-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

My story for this week's challenge is up over at Clever Fiction. The prompt was/is Rain, A Sail Boat, & Shame. My submission: Secret Shame. Here's a sample:

I watched the boats drifting across the bay, jealous of their freedom,knowing it should have been mine as I began my senior year. They hoisted theirsails to take advantage of the gentle breeze.

Advantage. That’s what some would have said he’d taken of me. As for me,I wasn’t sure. The guilt tried to squeeze in again. I chased it away. Was he toblame? Was I? I didn’t know. Either way, I refused to feel shame. No. I hadn’tknown. Hadn’t known anything other than the way he made me feel.

My flesh tingled with the memory of his touch. His trembling hands on myarms after he’d removed my wet shirt. The tickling sensations of his fingertipsgliding up and across my back to move my hair away. The sweet softness of hislips against my neck, nibbling their way toward my ear where the sound of myname came to me on a breath, a whisper.

A gust of wind rushed around me, cooling skin thatburned, yearned for him, even now when I knew it could never be.

Want to find out why it could never be? Jump on over to Clever Fiction. I'd love to have your feedback.
Secret Shame by Linda Boulanger at Clever Fiction~Short Stories for the Real World

Up For The Challenge

2011-09-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been away too long! It was a difficult summer but, at last, I've started writing again. I've accepted the challenge and submitted my first story over at the Clever Fiction weekly challenge. The prompt was A Key, Noon, & Falling Leaves. My offering was called The Key To Happiness. Here are the first couple of paragraphs to whet your appetite. To read the rest, jump over to the all new Clever Fiction site and feel free to leave me a comment as well as take some time to enjoy the other submissions. Hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as it appears we enjoyed writing them. Here's my excerpt...

That did it! They’d done it again with their laughter and hugs. It had zipped the spring right out of my step … again. I was sick of it!

He smiled at me and looked away as I walked by. She said hi, her eyes filled with playfulness. She’d been teasing him about something. I nodded, thinking I’d be all happy camperfied too if I had a guy like that. I sighed and turned up the walkway to my place. I was glad our units weren’t side-by-side so I didn’t have to share a stoop with them or listen to their happiness through the walls.

Huh. I hadn’t noticed the railing was loose. I’d have to report that to the landlord … which meant a call to my dad.

Read the rest at Clever Fiction ~ Short Stories for the Real World

Enjoy some pics form my Dreamstime Play Album

All Pictures/Designs are Copyrighted

Original photos Purchased from Dreamstime.com

I have a secret...

2011-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing a bit more about Gabe Saunders, the main male character of The Forget Me Not Spot, over on that book's blog - but I have a secret about him... He has a cousin and that cousin just married the Ice Princess! That may not mean a whole lot to you at this point, but it's pretty exciting to me because it means another story idea is exploding on the pages of yet another notebook that will eventually get passed along to my wonderful transcriptionist (who also happens to be the best mom in the world). Taking a note out of the playbook of the amazing Jaimey Grant, Ice Princess will also weave in characters from The Escort and, in a round about sort of way, maybe even Claire and Garrett from Arms of an Angel (think horse in need of a place to pasture). I hope you'll take the time to get to know Gabe a bit more while Hayden continues to take form on the pages of my 1 subject, 70 sheets, College Ruled Spiral Notebook!

Updates of an Author Kind

2011-06-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've updated my author website a bit. I've tried to make the Home Page more of a landing pad to direct visitors to where they might want to go. Not to get that confused with telling you where to go should you decide to visit! My latest baby, Arms of an Angel, is still commanding center stage, but I've also made it easier to check out my blogs, my other books, my works in progress, and the new group I'm co-moderating with the talented Jaimey Grant, Love With The Lights Off.

Speaking of Blogs and Works In Progress... I've added a little teaser excerpt on The Forget Me Not Garden Spot blog about Felicity's impression as she sees a first photo of Gabe. I've also posted the first chapter of The Forget Me Not Spot on the Book's Page under Works In Progress on my author website. I hope you'll take a moment to read them and look over the changes I've made. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them...

Honor - among friends

2011-05-17T04:48:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to be a part of breathing life into a new book ... mind you, I did the "easy" part in that I just helped publish it and present it to the world. The "real" work came from the heart of a dear friend, Laura J. Miller. You might better recognize her as the wonderful Regency Romance author, Jaimey Grant. Inside and out, Jaimey/Laura is a lovely woman with abundant talent. Not only is she a fantastic author, she's also an outstanding cover designer. I urge you to nose around her author website, blog (she has others that you can link to from her main blog), and her Design Site as well.

Jaimey Grant's current release, Honor, is an amazing book about one woman's plight to overcome her fear of men caused by something that happened to her. She falls in love, but falling in love doesn't make the fear disappear. It's a touching story with my favorite: a happy ever after ending and, as always, Jaimey Grant's writing skills are outstanding. If you haven't read her work, this would be a great beginning!

Consider joining us for the release of Honor. You may find out more over at the Novel Launch Website, via the TreasureLine Books Blog, on FaceBook, or even Jaimey's Author Blog.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

I don't know if there are many mothers out there that could be as happy as I am this 2011 Mother's Day. It's not because I sort of slept in until almost 8:00 am -- though I desperately needed that. It's also not because I have played on the computer all morning without getting "the look" from my husband that says "is that all you ever do"??? -- he's being a bit too understanding if you ask me! It isn't because I got to spend the day yesterday roaming around the town of Independence, KS -- though that is one of my favorite things to do. It's always relaxing. It's not even because I just found out my sister who is battling cancer is going to be at my mom's today and I will get to see her and hug her -- I am extremely excited about that as I have NEEDED to do that for a while now. No. Those are all things I could be and am happy about. But, the main reason is ... and this will come as no surprise to the majority ... I have all four of my children with me to celebrate today. ALL FOUR!

Those of you who know me or have been following know my oldest daughter (16) had to have brain surgery not so long ago due to a massive brain hemorrhage. This six month ordeal has been the hardest and yet most awe inspiring time of my entire life and, as additional facts have unfolded, we have realized more and more just how fortunate we are to have her with us still. On Friday, her Drama class performed their monologues before the entire group. It's a small and intimate group, as the teacher recommended Katherine participate in the class at the High School to get her back into the classroom (she's in 10th grade. This is the 11th/12th grade class). Since it is across town, I get to stay and observe instead of running back and forth (gas is almost $4.00/gallon, you know!). I LOVE the class. I LOVE watching the students perform. I LOVE that so much of what the instructor has to say about acting/plays fits writing as well. But, that's not why I'm so happy either.

When that Friday class was over, the instructor hugged Katherine and reminded her what a miracle she is, not only because she is here but because her brain works! I won't share the rest, but I did walk out of that room all teary-eyed. I was reminded all over again of an ambulance ride filled with tears and prayers and my sister's texts reminding me of God's promises and that my initial prayer had been not only that Katherine survive but that all her smarts remain intact. We received her report card last week. It was filled with straight As!

We'll be taking her back to Mayo in MN soon for her 3 month check. She'll see her Neurosurgeon, a team of doctors, and get a new cat scan so they can actually see what's going on in there. I'm expecting a great report.

So, you see, having all four of my children with me this year is definitely worth celebrating. I couldn't be happier this Mother's Day and I'm hopeful each of you will find that happiness surrounding you today.

The Forget Me Not Spot

2011-04-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a new story and it's pretty exciting -- for me anyway :) Hopefully, as I progress I can share bits and pieces of it; however, it will have its own blog: The Forget Me Not Blog. It's a place where I'll keep you updated on the book with information on the writing process, the characters, the story in general, excerpts from the book, and even gardening tips from others. Today, I revealed my vision of the main characters and gave away a little bit of information on the story ... a very little, though I promise there's more to come.

If you want to follow along, jump over and become a Follower. Read the first two posts to find out more about what's going on inside The Forget Me Not Spot.

What A Great Day!

2011-04-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

I love that I can say "it's a great day!" even though the air conditioner went out in my vehicle as we're nearing 90 humid degrees in Oklahoma and I've got way more on my to do list than I could possibly get done. But, you know what? I can say it and I am! I'm working on a new story and it's coming together nicely. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be finishing the edits on A Marriage of Necessity but, for some reason, I keep pushing that one back. It's a super special story and maybe, just maybe, it's not its time yet! Not sure, but I'll keep you posted.

Anyway, the new story is currently called The Forget Me Not Spot and I'm pretty excited about it. It popped into my head one day when I was emailing back and forth with my friend, award-winning author Andrew E. Kaufman (do you love how I ALWAYS get that award-winning and that we're friends in there? I'm hopeful his success will somehow rub off!). We were discussing plants he could use to landscape the yard of his new home (complete with acreage, horses, and a pool in sunny southern California, no less), when the idea just blossomed (sorry!). I ran it by a couple of other friends and then began to let it bloom (go ahead, roll your eyes). There will be a blog attached to this one that is specifically related to the book: http://forgetmenotgardenspot.blogspot.com/ This would be a great time to start following! I just revealed my images of the main characters, Gabriel Saunders (yummy) and Felicity Anderson (sweet) on my FaceBook page and will probably share them on the blog very, very soon.

So, circling back to Andrew E. Kaufman ... you didn't know we were going to do that, did you?! Well, we are so that I can tell you I've got a copy of his bestselling While The Savage Sleeps and we're giving it away on the TreasureLineBooks Blog. Yes!!! Giveaways of Drew's books are rather rare so you'd do well to take advantage of the moment :) It's a great book, if I might say so myself. Though you might want to consider reading it while your sweetheart is nearby. The only catch ... the giveaway is TODAY ONLY so you need to get over there and comment.

What? Okay, okay. I'll be quiet so you can go. TreasureLineBooks.blogspot.com. Go. Go already!!!

Giveaways

2011-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Goodreads Giveaway is over and Arms of an Angel is on its way to the winner. Congratulations to Beth Martin of North Carolina. Doreen Mcgettigan in Pennsylvania, Rachelle Adams in Utah, and Tiffany Davis also from North Carolina have won copies as well. The book is also making its way through the Goodreads Group: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book where, I must say, I am enjoying the interaction with a great group of readers and other authors. (Authors, if you are interested, I'd suggest checking them out - they're an author friendly group!).

Arms of an Angel is just one of many books included in a Virtual Treasure Chest of books on my friend, awesome author Jaimey Grant's blog. Over 25 ebooks will be given to one lucky winner on April 1 ~ no fooling! Jaimey is celebrating her 2 year blog anniversary. She knows how to celebrate right!

And please don't forget to stay tuned as we gear up for the continuing of the Parade of Authors on the TreasureLine Books blog. Learn more about the TreasureLine Authors as well as enter for a chance to win more books! We love giveaway!!!

What do you get when you fall in love...

2011-03-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you fall in love? I'm sure that is debatable. Remember the old song that said you get enough germs to catch pneumonia? Then there are all those sayings about what love means - like love means never having to say you're sorry and stuff like that. I guess those are some of the things you could get when you fall in love.

In the real world you can get a lot of things out of falling in love. Anyone who knows me, even a little, will know I am in love with the idea of love. I read romance. I write romance. And, if there's an aaaah involved, I'm there! I simply love love.

In the world I create on paper, I expect one thing and that is for my main characters to fall in love and to somehow find a happy ever after. (Okay, so maybe that's two things...just go with me here). I guess the happy ever after is something I've always wanted and expect in the real world so it seems reasonable it would spill over into my written world. I do my best to create that and to offer it to my readers. One reviewer recently posted the following:

"I still like happy endings, and Linda never fails her readers on that! It's good to know you can count on authors to deliver a good story with a good ending."

Another reviewer wrote of my Arms of an Angel that "the ending is a gift you will want to keep with you forever".

I like that. Their words let me know I've accomplished what I set out to do.

So what do you get when you fall in love? Well, if you fall in love with my books and my characters, you get a roller coaster ride to a happy ever after ending, guaranteed. My characters definitely fall in love, bumpy as the trip may be at times, and they do end up happy. I sure hope that somewhere along the way, you'll decide to take a ride in my world. If happy ever after sounds good to you, you're on the right track. Join me...

For more information on my writings, be sure to visit my website: LindaBoulanger.com, follow me here at my blog, and "like" me on FaceBook. I look forward to seeing you!

Linda Boulanger, Author ~ leading the way...

2011-03-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

I am pleased to lead the way as the Parade of Authors begins over at the TreasureLine B oo ks & Publishing blog. Find out a bit more about me as an author, my works in progress, and enter for a chance to win a copy of Arms of an Angel by simply leaving a comment (winner announced Saturday, March 5 so don't delay). I look forward to seeing you over there. Make sure you follow there as well, as the parade continues with some really great authors and additional giveaways.

Here a Post, There a Post...

2011-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days it seems as if I've done an awful lot of posting! I was invited to take part in the LASR Valentine's Day party as well as being interviewed by Deanna Jewel over at her blog. They were both a lot of work...but great fun as well. If you missed the posts and would like to catch any of them, I'll put the post titles and links below. A couple of them have excerpts from Arms of an Angel, one has an excerpt from my up and coming A Marriage of Necessity (a very short excerpt but one of my most favorites), and of course the interview goes in depth into a bit more about me and my writing. I hope you'll take some time to enjoy a couple of them. And, while you're at it, drop down and read my Valentine's Gift ~ a short story titled The Lucky Ones. This is its first time in print!

Interview by Deanna Jewel ~ Yep, it's all about ME!!!

Tears Can Touch The Heart ~ contains excerpt from A Marriage of Necessity

Pants or No Pants ~ You've got to read this one if for no other reason than to see Mr. Yummy! (it's actually a post about inspiration, believe it or not.)

Falling in Love with a Cover ~ chit chat about the publishing process

Are All First Kisses Sparks and Fireworks? ~ let's talk about kisses (and share Claire and Garrett's first kiss from Arms of an Angel)

Love Can Be So Playful ~ a really fun, playful excerpt from Arms of an Angel

The Lucky Ones ~ My Valentine's Gift to You

2011-02-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

Being a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, I couldn't let Valentine's Day go by without sharing some kind of love! I thought about it off and on all day, finally deciding on a short story that I wrote a while ago. It was supposed to be included in a short story collection I was working on ... but I took a turn and ended up in the executive seat of my own publishing company instead of finishing the book! Still, I pull out these stories from time to time to enjoy -- they're my favorites because...they all deal with love. I'm thinking someday I'll have to finish compiling them. For now....I hope you'll enjoy this one as my Valentine's Day gift to you ~ my way of sharing the love!

The Lucky Ones ~ a short story by Linda Boulanger

Marci’s Mom had unknowingly planted the seeds of doubt in Marci’s head several months before. Marci had mentioned all the weight her husband had lost and how good he was looking. Hot, if you could say that about a forty-eight year old man. She was feeling pretty lucky to have him.

“Maybe he’s having an affair,” Connie Gordon had teased. “Men do that, you know. They reach middle age and suddenly the pastures look greener across the way.”

She was joking and Connie, Marci, and Marci’s older sister Diane had laughed. Marci had never been fearful that Greg might stray; partaking of the fruits of another woman. She’d been lucky that way.

Yet here they were at a company event and Marci was finding herself more and more concerned that perhaps her mother’s words had been true. Greg continuously circled them around to where one Danielle Stevens was in his sights. She certainly had eyes for Marci’s husband…and a bright smile and a pat on the back and a hand ran down his arm.

Greg returned the flirtatious behavior unabashedly, making Marci extremely uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure but she suspected others were noticing too. She thought the looks she was receiving from his coworkers were looks of pity and warning.

At last she found herself in a near-secluded spot with her husband whose eyes still searched for the young, attractive, 30-something Danielle.

“I’m going home,” Marci hissed, removing the name badge they’d been required to wear and throwing it at her surprised husband.

“What? Why?” He grabbed her arm as she turned to go.

“Oh, please! Heaven forbid I stand here and be humiliated any longer. Now I know why I never come to these things with you! And to think I busted my rear to look good for you so you’d be proud to have me at your side. What a fool I am.” She breathed deeply fighting back unwanted tears as she tried to free her arm. “Let go! Go find your precious Danielle.” She jerked free. “And don’t bother coming home.” She yelled back as she wheeled and began to walk away.

“Marci!” He matched her steps.

“Greg?” Danielle called as they passed the little group she was with. “Everything okay?” Marci heard her ask. She could hear Greg’s voice and knew he’d stopped to talk to the younger woman which fueled her irritation.

Greg was at her side again before she reached the exit. She felt his hand close around her upper arm, trying unsuccessfully to stall her forward movement. There was no stopping the hurt-filled, determined woman. She burst through the front doors with Greg in tow.

“Marci! What is going on? Why are you so angry? What did I do?” Marci turned on Greg, her eyes wide with disbelief at his cluelessness. She studied her husband, trying to discern if he truly was that dense.

“You’re unbelievable Greg. You have two advanced degrees and you direct a top notch group at a major corporation that deals with highly sophisticated equipment. You’re joking right? You know exactly what you’ve done. Jerk!” Marci was seething. Greg shrugged and shook his head.

“Maybe you could ask Danielle and she could….oh, Greg, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee….maybe she could fill you in.” Marci chided, mocking Danielle’s giggly little voice. She rolled her eyes and turned again to make her way to where they’d parked. She fished in her little bag for the keys.

“You can’t be serious, Marci. You’re acting as if you think I’m interesting in Dani. That’s absurd….”

“Dani is it now?” she interrupted.

He stared at her, bewildered. “Marci! She’s a co-worker. And she’s well connected.” He acted as if that should clarify everything.

“Yeah, she’d like to connect with you, Greg, and everyone in your office except maybe YOU is well aware of that fact! Stupid, stupid, stupid me.” She peered into her hand bag. “WHERE are my KEYS?”

Greg chuckled, pulling the keys from his pocket and jangling them before her. “We came together, Marci.”

Marci grabbed for the keys but he stepped back, laughing at the sheer, unmasked emotions on his wife’s face.

“Give me those keys and GO AWAY!” she demanded with a stomp of her high heel-sheathed foot.

“Not gonna happen, Marci, may love and you know why?” She glared at him. His smiling face was as disarmingly handsome as it was when she first met him. She felt that familiar tremor of desire course through her body. She breathed deeply as he walked toward her, stiffened as he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her to him. He released her with one hand and used it to tilt her chin up. He kissed her now trembling lips softly and wiped the lone teardrop from her cheek.

“Because I love you, Marci. Only you, always you. I’m sorry you misunderstood and that it hurt your feelings. Did you happen to notice who Dani…Danielle was with? Stan Golden. Marci, Mr. Golden holds the purse strings to my next project. I was playing games all right. But not with Dani. With Stan. Everyone knows how I feel about you, Marci. Didn’t you see them all looking at me like I’m the luckiest man on the face of the earth?” She’d thought they’d been looking at her as if she was an idiot for not knowing her husband was having an affair with a colleague. Marci still wasn’t completely convinced. Greg could tell.

“You look amazing, Marci and, in case you didn’t notice, I’ll bring to your attention the fact that I never left your side the whole evening.”

“Yeah, I noticed. I was right there watching you ogle and be mauled by Miss I’m-thirty-and-look-awesome.” She tried to pull away as another tear streaked down her cheek, but he held her tight.

“She did look awesome.” Marci shot him an are-you-for-real look and he laughed. “But you look awesomer. And you are the one I’m going home with whether you like it or not. Now if you’ll let me help you into the car, I’d love to take you home now. And on the way, I’d be happy to tell you just how much I love you and exactly what I’ve been thinking about doing with you since our children are staying at your mother’s and we’re alone all night for the first time in a very long time. And I will tell you I will very much enjoy doing those things with you and will NOT be thinking about Dani or any other woman besides you while doing them. And I’ve never considered sharing such said events with anyone but you. Enough said or shall I continue?” he asked as he felt the tension in her body begin to ease. “I can continue but I’d really rather drive home and quickly at that.” He kissed her quite passionately leaving her in a twixt between breathlessness and laughter.

“I’m so silly,” she said as he helped her into the car and slipped around to the other side.

“Yes you are. It’s one of the things I love about you.” He booped her nose and started the ignition.

The happy, laughing couple did not notice Danielle Stevens near the entry as they drove by. But she noticed them. With a smile she turned to another co-worker. “I hope I can make someone that happy someday. He’s a lucky man.”

“Yes, and his smile will be even bigger on Monday when he finds Golden’s decided to increase his funding for the Cross project. He’d have told Greg tonight if they hadn’t left in such a hurry. Wonder what happened to make them skip out like that?” She smiled and elbowed Danielle conspiratorially before they headed back to rejoin Stan’s group.

Stan smiled at Danielle as she walked up. She patted his back and he leaned close to her.

“I’m glad you came back.” He ran a hand down her bare arm. Danielle breathed deeply, clearing her head of all thoughts of the unavailable Greg. She’d heard he was a happily married man though his wife seldom came to company events. She’d begun to have her doubts but the evening had proved her wrong. No matter, she thought as she turned her overly bright smile up to the man at her side who received it eagerly. Stan Golden, a superior, though not directly over her. Still, he was well connected. He wasn’t bad looking, he was always fun to be around and…there was no ring on his finger. Another lucky guy perhaps? If his smile was any indication, he certainly seemed to think so. Danielle felt pretty satisfied with the way the evening had progressed. Not at all what she’d hoped for but so much more than she’d expected. She thought of Greg and the way he’d looked at his wife and how Stan was looking at her. It was more than an evening office flirtation. She felt sure of that. And she was feeling pretty lucky herself right then.

Across town Marci had a sudden urge to call her mom and tell her thanks for nothing and thanks for everything at the same time. She giggled as Greg nuzzled her neck and she thought of the look on his face when she’d thrown the name badge at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she answered with a smile. “I was just thinking I’m glad to be one of the lucky ones; especially in your arms tonight.”

Arms of an Angel Book Trailer

2011-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have a new video trailer for my newly released Arms of an Angel. I'm pretty excited about it and I have to say working with Pat Sipperly of Arizona Video Company was wonderful, as it always is. I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch the video and let me know what you think. The experience of getting this book into the hands of readers has been remarkable. A big thank you to those of you who have read it and an extra hand of applause for the ones who took the time to review. GREATLY APPRECIATED!!! Enjoy the trailer!

Nearing the end of the journey with great expectations

2011-01-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

January has been a very busy month. As a publisher, TreasureLine has many books either being released or on the verge of release. Those books take time! As an author, I released my own "Arms of an Angel" ~ a contemporary romance novella on Kindle. I made a few revisions to the paperback copy but hope to have it in hand for release right before we leave...

Leave? Yes, we are preparing for yet another leg of our unwanted journey through my daughter's illness...hopefully the last leg. We made a whirlwind trip to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a week ago and, after consulting with a pediatric neurosurgical specialist and his team and receiving the results of an MRI Angoigram, we have decided that she will have the surgery to remove the AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) in Minnesota. It's a LONG trip and will require that we stay up there for a minimum of 2-3 weeks, however, the procedure will be less invasive and her recovery time will be shorter overall. The doctor seemed extremely competent and Katherine felt very confident putting her life in his hands. She was even more pleased to find out she would not have to have a metal plate in her head for the rest of her life. They won't have to shave her head either, though oddly enough, that didn't really bother her!

I've had numerous people ask me if there is a way they can donate to help with expenses. I will tell you, we are blessed with good insurance, though as you can imagine, there's a lot insurance doesn't cover. Assistance is always appreciated though I would never want anyone to feel obligated or pressured. We firmly believe God will provide, whether that be by the hands of those who donate or some other means. If you choose, the site is available by clicking THIS LINK. Regardless, please keep us in your prayers. We will be traveling on my birthday and the surgery will be the Friday after so I'm expecting her swift recovery and full restoration to be the best birthday present ever! I can't imagine anything a mom could want more :-)

It's Official

2011-01-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

I created a self-imposed deadline for myself to have my book released before we left to take my daughter to the Mayo clinic. As of late last night, it is available on Amazon Kindle...we leave on Monday! I'm pretty excited and, I have to say, I'm loving the feedback I'm receiving. Here is just a smattering of what people are saying:

*I'm 2/3 of the way through this book - used 1/4 box of tissues. Couldn't you have at least warned me? I have to fix breakfast, had to put the kindle down - I am bummed...do they really need to eat at a time like this? Ok - I will stop the ramble - Linda, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!

Posted a short time later: Ok...I'm done...eyes are swollen. This book is wonderful. I just have to stop crying!!! Claire's journey to find her self worth and happiness was so beautiful. I loved Garrett with his wit and compassion....what a man!!! God does put people in your life for a reason....I'm very happy I have "met" you.

*It is easy to feel like you know the characters because of the way you write.

*You are a very talented writer. I love reading your work! You know I am a sucker for happy ever after.

A big thank you to for all the congrats and for those who let me know they are enjoying the book.

My New Cover

2011-01-08T04:52:00.001-08:00

Well, I did it! Yesterday, I finally revealed the cover of my upcoming book. The story has passed the pre-readers' tests with flying colors and the comments coming in on the cover...WOW! Very exciting. Now to get it formatted and onto the shelves!

I felt as though I HAD to get this book out there and NOW. If you're a writer, you'll understand. In light of all that is happening in our lives, it made my decision to push other things aside to get done vitally important to me. This creation has been my salve, my escape - a means to help me keep from shutting down. And, I have to say, I love this story. I'm a happy ever after person and Claire, though not at all the most celestial being ever, embedded herself into my heart and I wanted a happy ending for her. I wasn't all that sure as I was writing it that she was going to get it! One of the characters in the book sums it up pretty well:

"Charlie could only hope she’d live long enough to learn to believe in herself. She was a beautiful woman with a heart of gold and a generosity to match, but the way she lived…He shook his head and looked up toward the heavens. Claire needed to find her place in this world. She needed someone to help her, and fast."

I hope you'll take a moment to celebrate with me as well as jumping over to my new author website to read an excerpt. The book should be available in eBook format in the next couple of weeks and in paperback by the end of the month -- fingers crossed...and maybe toes too?!

And, about that cover...It was created by my amazing friend, author Jaimey Grant ~ aka Laura J. Miller. Visit her site, An Author's Art to see the artistic side of an extremely talented author.

Celebrating Great Books

2010-12-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I wrote a post over at the TreasureLine Books blog about a couple of books on the TreasureLine Bookstore shelves that have risen to the top. Since the post, Andrew's "While The Savage Sleeps" rose from #5 to #4 to #2, right behind Ellen's "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" on the Amazon Top Rated Horror/Occult list and Ellen's "Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider" passed 70 Five Star Ratings! Way to go, Ellen and Drew!!! These are both fantastic books that you are guaranteed to enjoy.

In honor of Ellen's #1 and 74 Five Star reviews, we're offering "Rabbit" and "The Judging" for 1/2 price in multiple eBook formats over at Smashwords.com as our way of saying Thank You.

You'll need the coupon codes:
Rabbit: CJ63H
The Judging: TU49R

Katherine's Journey

2010-12-04T03:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you following my daughter's progress, I'd like to let you know she is doing remarkably well. She gets fatigued easily, both mentally and physically, but considering where we were a month ago...miracles do still happen! She has her next CT Scan on December 17th and, depending on what it shows, the dr. will determine the next step. His current opinion is surgical removal of the affected area in January. I'd like to see the scan show that her body has taken care of the issue on its own and no surgery will be needed. :-) (The people photos are of Katherine & Nicole baking pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and the flowers were from a group of Katherine's friends who convinced the driver of the local Tech van to detour to our house one afternoon. We love that story. Her friends have been truly amazing!)

I'd like to share a story Katherine wrote for a challenge about a year and a half ago. The prompt was: Twilight Years of Life. Even though Katherine was only 15 at the time, she wrote in the adult category and her stories often placed within the top 5 of her group. Enjoy "After the Twilight of Life Comes the Dawn of Eternity" by Katherine Boulanger...

He lay beneath the sheets, reflecting on his life. The face of his much-loved granddaughter, happily married to her beloved, looked upon him with an expression that begged him not to go. Aside from her husband, her grandfather was the only relation who still loved her. It was he who had secured their marriage years before, he who had taken them in when they had not money enough to purchase a home of their own. And now, all that was about to go away.

“Now, my children,” said Old Grandfather Thomas, “I know you are very sad. I am going away. Don’t worry. I lived a good life, and I know God will take me.”

“No, Papa, no,” begged Anne, burying her sweet face in his hands, “you will live. I need you here.”

“Yes, dear Papa,” Michael added his words, “you shall live. I confess, I am afraid of being the man of the house.”

“Ah, you see?” said Grandfather Thomas. “But it is better for you. You are going to learn things you may only learn if I am gone…”

“But Papa!” cried Anne. “I cannot bear the world without you!”

“I had not finished yet. You see, although I am leaving, it will only be a brief goodbye, and then I shall see both of you again in Heaven. Now, my children, come and put your heads under my hands. I cannot seem to lift them.”

The children did as they were told. Anne wept, and Michael was solemn. “Dear Lord,” said Grandfather Thomas, “help these children when I am gone. Bless them and all their children. Help them to prosper in their years to come. Help Anne to be happy, and Michael to run the home. They have been Your faithful children, and have been ever so good to me. And now I ask that You watch over them in my stead, and show them grace.”

He closed his eyes and let his hands fall from their heads. Neither said anything. Anne no longer wept, but watched him with a nearly placid expression.

At last, he opened his eyes and said in so soft a voice he could hardly be heard. “Now, my children, that I have given you my blessing, my time is running out. Michael, you will miss me, but not too terribly. And Anne, my granddaughter, you will weep for me, but not too much. Now, are you ready to let your old grandfather go home to his Heavenly Father?”

Michael replied first, with a shudder. “Yes, I am ready. I shall do all that you asked of me so that you might smile upon us from the Heavens. And I will care for your granddaughter, and your future great-grandchildren.”

Old Grandfather Thomas’s eyes rested on Anne. She looked at him ruefully, but then she tried to smile, and said, “Yes, I believe I too am ready. I know I will miss you terribly, and I will weep, but I know I shall see you again, Papa.”

And the two children kissed their grandfather goodbye, then bowed their heads to await the going home of Old Grandfather Thomas.

No more words were spoken. A few tears coursed down Anne’s cheeks; Michael’s breathing was deep, but they knew it was better for her grandfather that way. Old Grandfather Thomas leaned back upon his bed, letting his eyes slip shut and his breathing slow. His heart stilled and his body grew cold. The feeling of all his years washed out of his face.

But Old Grandfather Thomas, though Earth was only blackness, could see the gates of Heaven opening before him. From the gates, two women came out. The first was a blond, with deep, clear blue eyes and a skin like polished marble. The second had a dark chocolate mane and deep black eyes, and an olive skin. Both were dressed in white. The first one was his daughter. The second was his wife. They reached out to him and each took one of his hands. Then the wife and daughter gone before him, as the Hands of God, led him home.

Taking a bit of a break...but never too far away

2010-11-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

November 2, 2010 was a day that has changed my life -- the life of many actually. My beautiful 16 year old daughter suffered a brain hemorrhage. We spent a week in Intensive Care in the closest large city of Tulsa, OK~around 45 minutes south of where we live. Although I am not at ease yet in sharing all the details, I can tell you that miracle after miracle came my daughters way and a week and a day after her collapse, we were able to bring her home. That doesn't mean life has not changed, however, as she has to have someone with her 24 hours a day as well as Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy sessions that require a great deal of time. Our daily goal is to protect her from anything that could cause rebleed until eventual surgery, most likely in January...then recovery to "normal" life by March.

Our community, friends, family, and strangers even surrounded us with strength, support, and prayer. When I am able to put this all into written form, the testimony from this test will, undoubtedly, be a source of strength and joy to many. As we learn day by day how to adjust, I am able to continue with the writing and publishing somewhat. I have a couple of dear, sweet ladies who just happen to be authors and mothers who jumped in without hesitation to lighten my load and ease my anxiety in the business realm. They are my angels: Jaimey Grant and Ellen C. Maze. To say they are amazing is an understatement! Without them and the many others who have helped and are helping daily I don't know what we would have done...another chapter to be added to the eventual book that I plan to write with a happy ending!

Got An Idea...

2010-10-26T23:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking... Yes, those can be scary words. In this case, I've been thinking about a story I started some time ago. It's a rather intense story and a bit of a break away from my traditional fluff. It still has a happy ever after because that's what I like...and the ending has actually been written, as has a big chunk of the book. The problem is...I need a crime. It's a computer crime. It has to deal with 3 men looking for these embedded computer codes that will be linked together to form something of a password to be used to break into ............. That's the problem. I don't have a clue as to what they're breaking into or why. I know it has to be something governmental, the state of Nevada is involved, they've abducted a computer expert to help find the codes, her husband who works for the state of Nevada may just somehow be involved.

So maybe you have an idea? Maybe you'd like to throw in your two cents worth. Mind you, I don't need it written...that's my job! I'd simply like to know what you think might work. If your idea is chosen...you won't get any rights to the book or the story...but you might just find yourself with a mention. Perhaps there will be a character named after you and definitely a little something in the acknowledgements section.

Read a synopsis of the book (as yet unnamed. Want to help with that too?!!):

Ty had hung up his coat many years before, along with the medical bag that now sat unused in the closet. He’d had enough back then. Now he’d have to call on the knowledge he’d amassed in those earlier times of life to help his captive companion. He felt tied to her; an immediate, unexplainable bond. He’d been too late when they first brought her in but he could protect her now, help her. He knew that. What he really wondered was whether she could perhaps help heal his wounds and mend his heart in the process?

Kalynn could not believe the horrors of the day. From lost keys to running late to kidnapping to…she couldn’t bring herself to even think about it. She drifted into darkness.

Unbelievable. Stupidity reigned. Careless, forgetful behavior had cost her dearly. Was there more? Had she been used? Sold out by the one she loved? Hadn’t he said he loved her? You don’t do that to people you love. Again her mind refused the thought. It couldn’t be. The day simply couldn’t be real.

“Wake up.” She begged herself to break free from the nightmare. Only consciousness brought with it full remembrance and pain; torturous pain both physical and mental. “Oh God,” she whispered. “How can this be happening to me…” Things like this didn’t happen to everyday, ordinary, well-meaning people like Kalynn Montgomery.

Tied together by circumstances, their love for rich coffee and orange cream pies strengthened the bond as days faded into weeks and months; not to mention working together day in and day out, sharing one small room, shoulder to shoulder as they wound their way into the cyber world to unlock doors never meant to be opened. She wasn’t as highly trained, but Kalynn Montgomery saw things in the codes and numbers on the screens needed to help these master criminals. They needed her…and her heart needed him.

Endure the darkness as you stand with Kalynn. Hold her hand when she needs someone, and grow to understand how any woman could live through what she did and emerge to say “I had to go through hell to reach you…then found a piece of my own little heaven within your arms.”
Has she truly found love in the most unlikely of places? Her heart tells her she has. Logic tells her otherwise. Will fate make the decision? Join Kalynn Montgomery; walk beside her as the answers unfold.

Can I honestly say “I liked Draculas” and mean it?

2010-10-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

DRACULAS~A Novel of Terror--As if the powerhouse list of authors (Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand, F. Paul Wilson) and the title weren't enough--the disclaimer at the beginning will certainly grab your attention:

"If you’re easily disturbed, have a weak stomach, or are prone to nightmares, stop reading right now. There are no sexy teen heartthrobs herein."

Well, I am all those things, and I happen to like sexy heartthrobs…though not particularly teen heartthrobs. So, I put on my best brave girl face, swallowed hard, and hit the page down button anyway. Wow! What a ride!!! This book delivered all that it had promised. Yet, even with that, can I truly say I liked it? I mean, it’s phenomenal but “like” indicates to me a story I’d want to put myself in. I DO NOT want to be in this story in the least! The writing is fantastic, of course, and the story flows – it is, in my opinion, a truly unique take on the legend. You’ll come away with a different view. The characters are well developed and I felt as if I was part of the action – right there as it was happening. All good and leading me to dish out a 5 star rating…but “like”???

The book was written as a full-length, 80,000-word novel by 4 extremely gifted authors, and they put it together seamlessly--so much that the reader can’t tell which author did what. The premise is that an ancient skull, believed to belong to Dracula, was found in Transylvania and purchased by a wealthy, dying businessman in (of all places) Durango, CO. The rich man gets the skull which his “all that” beautiful assistant is skeptical about until he mysteriously sinks the razor sharp teeth of the skull into his neck.

Then things start happening.

I can’t tell you more because, well, author/friend Andrew E. Kaufman would frown on me and accuse me of giving away spoilers! He’s pretty good at creepy characters and they might come after me if I’m not careful.

I can tell you, however, that I would highly recommend Draculas~a novel of terror written by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand, and F.Paul Wilson. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.com until Tuesday, October 19. I’d go ahead and click the pre-order button if I was you…but don’t blame me if you can’t sleep, you see movement in the shadows, or your stomach remains a bit queasy. Take that up with the authors on the Draculas website. And, while you’re there…you can learn a bit more about the book. There’s also an interesting bonus that comes along with this ebook. You can find out about that on the Draculas site too. Go ahead…be brave…and make sure you come back and let me know if you can honestly say you “like” it! I mean, REALLY!!! Isn’t "like" usually associated with a positive emotion? Something...happy? This…this was sheer gore and horror created by the best with the sole purpose of writing the most frightening book they possibly could. Mission accomplished.

What's Your Novel About? ~ Leave Me Your Logline

2010-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ever hear about a logline? It's the one to two sentences a screenplay writer has to create interest in his/her script. It's what you read in TV Guide or online. Authors have that too. We have to be able to pitch our book in a way that raises questions that evoke curiosity and stir up potentiality...and do it with relatively few words. That's not always easy for people who love words! It is, however, a necessity if you're ever going to pique interest. The majority of people simply don't have time to listen to you regurgitate your book chapter by chapter. They want you to tell them and leave them be....but make sure the words you've used are catchy. Make sure you've said just enough to make them want to read the book.

According to "the experts", to do this you need to concentrate on the following: who is involved, what’s at stake, and what’s in the way. And, I might add in...tell me what's in it for me, the reader. Why should I choose your book over all those other gazillion books out there? Can you do that? Let's see. Leave me your logline...and don't forget to leave a link to your book! You never know. Other readers might just get hooked!!!

Interactive Book Release Party

2010-10-11T12:04:00.001-07:00

There's an interesting party going on...it's a virtual party over at Bitten by Books for author Andrew E. Kaufman's While The Savage Sleeps. There are some great interview questions and an opportunity for you to answer a couple of questions presented by the author as well as ask him more. The interaction is great! While you're there, read up on how to win a $50 Amazon Electronic Gift Card at the event as well as checking out some of the other events going on. Bitten by Books seems to know how to put on quite a show!

My favorite question asked (okay, my actual favorite was the one about the dog food...where'd that come from?!!!) ~ BBB asked: How long do we have to wait for your next book, and what is it going to be about?

AK: Depends which one you mean–I have three going right now.

The stand-alone is as of yet untitled, and I hope to release it hopefully sometime next year. That one is a bit of a departure from the last. More a psychological thriller and not anywhere near as gory or violent. It’s more of a mind trip, and if I do things correctly, will throw the reader completely off-balance and force them to question their own perceptions. My intended effect is for them to say: “Holy crap! what the hell just happened to me?” (Or something like that).

The second part of the Savage Series will hopefully follow after that. That one is already in production and it will delve into Kyle’s very dark past and then jump into the present, where it begins to haunt her once again. Literally. That’s all I’m going to say about it. Can’t give too much away!

But honestly, I’m not in a hurry on either of those. It takes me a long time to write a novel because I refuse to release it until I feel it’s ready. The readers deserve that. Plus, While The Savage Sleeps just came out in June, so it’s still rather young, and I’d like to give it the chance to shine on its own because it’s rather special to me.

Jump over to Bitten by Books and join the party. It will be going on all day....

Hidden Will of the Dragon -- A Recommendation

2010-10-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

Hidden Will of the Dragon came across my desk as a job…it remained as a favorite. Author Charlie Courtland decisively weaves historical fact and fiction throughout, giving her readers an inside/behind the scenes look into the life of the infamous Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. The story of Bathory, a descendant of Vlad Tepes…more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler and believed to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Romanian surname Drăculea meaning Dragon), is told in a most interesting way; by her life-long companion and confidant, Amara Borbala. Amara is fulfilling a promise to record the historical truth. The book moves between her writings and what would have been her actual life at the time of the writings. I enjoyed that effect; the slipping back and forth between the now and then.

Charlie Courtland creates an intense world without it being overwhelming. These women do some things that are not nice at all. Elizabeth is, in fact, tried for heinous crimes that it appears, according to the author and Amara’s recount, she did commit: torture, dark magic, the use of virgins’ blood to halt the aging process…there are many. And yet, there is a humanity to her and to all the characters (no one is without guilt). They are likable and I found myself wanting their lives to work out in better ways – as if what they had missed had played a part in who they became and I wanted them to have more, experience fulfillment.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely - without hesitation. It’s full, it’s rich, and it is well written. It’s also a sequel…though I know, from my experience, you don’t have to read the first one first to understand what is going on. You will, however, want to read the one that started it all once you do! That’s where I am now…with Dandelions In The Garden on the top of my reading pile. I am thankful to have had this world revealed to me within the pages written by such a talented author.

You may purchase the book at Amazon.com or on the author's blog or her Bitsy Bling's Reviews Blog (for a limited time - at a special price). Kindle is also available. For Amazon purchases, follow either of the links below or jump on over to either of her blogs (and while you're on the Bitsy Bling's Reviews Blog....make sure to check out the review on Andrew E. Kaufman's While The Savage Sleeps)

Paperback:

Kindle:

Giveaway...

2010-10-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted a review on fellow author J. Timothy King's "From The Ashes Of Courage" ~ An Ardor Pointe Novel. Well, Tim has graciously agreed to provide a copy of the book to be given away to one lucky reader. The giveaway is posted over at my TreasureLine Books & Publishing Blog. Hope you'll take a minute to jump over there and enter. You can do as little as leave a comment to enter or there's a box with extra entry potential items that you can check off. "From The Ashes Of Courage" is a great book with a unique storyline that touched the heart of this hopeless romantic. You won't want to miss the chance to own your own copy. Just click on TreasureLine Books & Publishing Blog above and you'll be on your way...

What's all the fuss over Andrew E. Kaufman?

2010-09-19T22:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 20, author friend Andrew E. Kaufman will be partying over at AuthorIsland.com... It's a Cyber Launch Party to kick off the release of his book in print copy. For those of you who don't know (not like I haven't been singing his praises loud and clear all over the place!), Andrew is the author of "While The Savage Sleeps", a Suspense Thriller Kindle Bestseller. In a direct quote from critically acclaimed author of over fifty novels, Robert W. Walker said the following about him:

"Andrew Kaufman goes the extra mile when it comes to authenticity, and just when you think you have seen it all in crime fiction, a guy like this comes along and knocks your socks off."

Not bad for a new kid on the block. Then again, this guy's book has garnered 5 star ratings all around like the one posted by Bitten By Books. And the best part...Andrew has managed to keep his feet on the ground even with his name and his book throwing my google alerts into overtime! With requests for guest posting such as the Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My Autopsy post (Warning...it's not funny but it is fascinating) and readers writing post like this one by Christine R. Senter that truly left Andrew speechless, it's no wonder the book is on a lot of must read lists!

I hope you'll join Andrew at his cyber launch party. He'll be there chatting online all day and there will be prizes, from what I understand -- we all love the prizes!!! If you're like most people, you'll enjoy Andrew too. Take advantage of this opportunity to get to know him and to find out more about his book. You'll be glad you did.

The Creation of a Book Cover

2010-08-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

Silvina asked a question on my "Where Does The Time Go" post that I thought might work better as a post itself instead of a comment back. She said: I'm curious about book covers. How exactly do you choose a book cover? Do you contact an artist? I love that she asked.

I am fortunate that I come from a creative family. My mother was/is an artist, specializing in Alaskan landscapes mostly. One of my sisters paints, another's a florist, another is crafty...the list goes on. Before I got back into writing and publishing I actually designed and created specialty greeting cards for people. It was an awesome job but not overly profitable and I am so hands-on that I printed them all myself which also meant folding, cutting...it was all a bit overwhelming.

Anyway...because of all that, I design my own covers and many of those for other books through the publishing company. Some, like Sharon E. Cathcart's "In The Eye of The Beholder" are designed by artists (James Courtney created her cover). Jaimey Grant designed the cover of "Deception" with an occasional "try this" or "try that" from me. My children's book "How Sadie Learned to SMILE" uses a cutout from one of the illustrations in the book. I created several backgrounds for it using that same illustration and bounced them to the illustrator until we agreed on one we liked. Video producer Patrick Sipperly designed the cover for our collection of short stories: "Time Out On A Roller Coaster". It was a concept he came up with and I happened to like.

I spent some time this summer creating book covers for several of my works in progress. Many of you know I hurt my back and was unable to sit to work for long. Oddly enough, I was able to hover over a mouse at my graphics computer so...that's what I did. I spent a lot of time browsing the pages of a site called Dreamstime looking for my characters. I would then pull them into the template I use and play until I got it right. Dreamstime has comp images you can use for free to see if they will work. At that time you buy the ones you like and the annoying watermarks go away :) An example would be this cover for one of my novels. It isn't finished but hopefully you can see the swirly watermark on the couple and on the girl in the frame.

Notice too that the front of the book is on the right and the back of the book is on the left. There's also that "dead" space on the back (To the right of the girl) where the bar code will go. You have to be careful about that...not putting anything there that you don't want covered. To see this in more detail, check out my OneStopPublisher.com Cover Creator Page. I don't have a lot of covers on there, though. I need to update it. I'll do that in my spare time!!!

Let's look at another cover. It's for an upcoming book of mine called "The Escort"...at least that's the working title. The cover (along with the lovely watermarks) shown here is basically 3 photographs sandwiched into one.

How was I able to look at those three pictures and decide they would work? I don't know. I guess that's the artistic side. Other than some minor tweaks, I do know, I love this cover and it expresses exactly what I wanted to express about what might be inside.

Now, do be aware that when you use sites like Dreamstime and others you may run the risk of others with the same pictures on their covers. Vicki Hopkins, author of "The Price of Innocence" has commented that she's seen her photo art on three other books, I believe. I personally love Vicki's cover and think it fits her book, so to me...it's a who cares.

The man in my Escort book (he's not the escort, by-the-way) can be found on another cover as well. Take a look at this one by Miss Mae. You know what? I'm okay with that because as much as he might depict her character, this man is my character as well. He fits too perfectly for me not to use him. Her book, "When The Bough Breaks" won a Best Young Adult Novel award and also a Best Cover of the Month Award. I've heard from a very good source that it's a worthwhile read. I can personally recommend "The Price of Innocence" as well.

Some artwork doesn't need a lot. Take the picture of the sword, for instance. We turned it into a cover for a soon to be released novel by Richard S. Wiggins, Jr. titled "Kilaal's Sword"...I sent the author a bunch of sword pics and asked which one. He chose this and I got to work. According to his instructions, the sword needed jewels placed strategically in the handle. That was actually the hard part. The cover turned out pretty good, in my opinion. The author liked it and that's the most important thing to me.

So, in answer to your question, Silvina, if an author does not have an artist in mind, I usually tackle the project myself or with one of the other designers through the publishing company. I would say that I'm not so sure I choose a cover or if, in many ways, it chooses me. More often than not, it has a lot to do with the author's tastes, the fortune to stumble across a great artist or perfect photo and a whole lot of intuition. Covers are as personal as the words on the pages they cover. I'd urge every author to browse sites and make a file of covers that catch the eye. Take a tour of your library or local book store. See what jumps out at you. Most of all, when you begin creating your own cover, whether you do it yourself or with the help of a professional, have something created that you love. If it doesn't touch you, how will you be confident enough to present it to others? The ultimate goal is to sell your book. You have to love your cover and believe in the contents to do it.

Where Does The Time Go?

2010-07-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Wow, has it been that many days since I updated? I'd like to say I've been less authorly lately and more concentrated on only the publishing part of my life. But...I can't. I'm insanely trying to fit it all in as well as going on a reading spree. I'm currently working on three different novels...that I'm writing. I know that sounds crazy but there are times when I'm just not in the mood for one so I jump to another. It works out rather well, surprisingly so, considering I'm one of those people that can't read more than one book at a time. I do my writing in my "spare time" and my reading right before bed and my publisher work during the day when I'm not being mom to 4 kids on summer break. School begins again August 11 and we've begun the countdown. Supplies are mostly purchased, my laundry room looks like a department store with all the new clothes, and the new shoes are neatly lined up waiting to be worn on that very special first day...that day when life returns to normal and, hopefully, I will finally get down to the business of finally getting A Marriage of Necessity formatted so that I can share it with the world. Then on to decide which comes next. It's kind of fun having that option. And did I mention I'm anxious to share some of my covers? What? I did?!! Are you sure? Well, just in case you missed it...I'm getting really, really excited to share some of my covers that were created over the summer. Soon...very, very soon....

Celebrate the life of "Deception" on July 15th

2010-07-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

My very good friend -- can I say that about someone I have never met in person before? Yes, I believe I can, especially after working with her so closely these last few months. Anyway...my very good friend Jaimey Grant (aka Laura Miller) has a new book that will be released July 15th. That's tomorrow!!! It's a beautiful book inside and out with the most lovely cover and aaaah story...intriguing characters, love, a bit of mystery. It's everything I want in a book and what I strive to write (except the history, of course since I don't really write historical and....you get the picture).

TreasureLine Publishing is hosting a release party for the book and for Jaimey/Laura at TreasureLineBooks.com. There are going to be great prizes including ways to win a free print copy, 7 (yes seven!) eBooks, an absolutely stunning handmade pearl daisy pendant (can I put my name in please?). But mostly it will be a day of celebrating the life of another hold-in-your-hand book by an extremely talented author. Hope you'll join us...

Phantom Authors Unite

2010-07-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

At the prompting of Tracy Portis Holmes I just joined Phantom Authors Unite on FaceBook. Tracy found me after TreasureLine Publishing published Sharon E. Cathcart's "In The Eye of The Beholder~A Novel of the Phantom of the Opera" and I have a confession to make....I have my very own Phantom Novel. It's a completed manuscript, although only the first 45 pages or so are actually typed in (Sorry! I'm a pen and paper kind of gal). I will, eventually, have the rest typed up. I rather like it :) It's my take on what happened after Christine left...written in response to the anger I felt when he was left alone. If you want to read the first 30 pages... It's called "A Heart That Sings" and you can find a sample on my author website by clicking the title on the Short Stories and Writings page. If you do read it, please keep in mind that it is completely unedited...typed into the computer by my 15 year old exactly as it appeared on the lined pages of my notebook. There are things that will change, corrections that need to be made. Still, it's a rather lovely little love story!

My "normal" writing style produces much more modern romance. I have upcoming titles such as "A Marriage of Necessity", "The Selling of Ellie Carr", "The Escort", "Protect My Heart", "When Love Whispers", "Love With A Twist Of Lime"... I am a definite happy ever after person. This book will be no different as they experience many ups and downs...just like real life. I don't try to profess a knowledge of things I know nothing about. I simply write from my heart and hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

From the Ashes of Courage...a review

2010-06-22T05:14:00.000-07:00

I first encountered J. Timothy King when he emailed to ask if I’d like to do an author interview on his blog. I was more than happy to do so, returning to him an outrageously long response…which he ended up posting in its entirety, telling me he liked the content or feel too much to cut it or something along those lines. Whatever it was, it stroked my ego which is something I believe we all enjoy. Beyond that, however, it drew me into the world of an author I had previously not known. As I always do, I searched for information on Tim King. I crawled around his blogs and websites, learning all I could about this other author.

One thing jumped out at me on Tim’s sites: A book cover. Imagine that! Along with that cover came a blurb (taken directly from Tim’s website): Gail Bishop, a headstrong, driven, single-minded businesswoman, struggles with the meaning of success, and finds it in a long-lost relationship, when she accidentally gets set up on a blind date with her fun-loving ex-husband, who is struggling with his own secret problems. Romance and a unique situation. I was hooked. It sounded like my kind of story so I ordered it.

Now, as a publisher/editor/formatter/and so on, I have to tell you I am not 100% thrilled with the “look” of Tim’s book (sorry, Tim). There were a few things I found bothersome, like the use of left justification (I like a “square” look) and hyphens (can’t stand to see them in a pleasure book). Tim did use a nice sized font and the spacing in the book made it easy to read…I didn’t feel as if there was so much on a page I was overwhelmed, although I would have left a little more room at the top below the headers and at the bottom…just a tad. I would have liked to have seen the cover text a bit smaller. It seemed stark as opposed to blending yet standing out…if that makes sense! None of it was enough to set me off. I still wanted to read it, and did.

To the meat…I truly wanted to like this book/the story. Again, I did. There were a couple of parts that left me scratching my head. One for instance: when Gail, the main character, is somewhat “attacked” by her business partner and her ex-husband’s mother. It left me wondering where that came from. These two women go off at each other in these little cat fights that seem peculiar to me. They do serve a purpose in the book. They simply don’t flow quite as well as the rest.

Whew! Issues out of the way…I did love the story. And Tim’s ability to throw in lines that struck a cord with my heart was wonderful. I wanted this story to work out, wanted to help these two find each other as well as coming to terms with themselves. I felt their anguish, reservations…all of it. Tim pulled me in and held me until the end. The overall “feel” of the story was good and I very much liked and identified with his characters. The story seemed as if it could be real -- though that is not necessarily one of my own personal requirements to make a good story. Most importantly…the story left me with the feeling that these two could have happy-ever-after; my personal favorite.

My take: I’ll give it 4 stars because I did enjoy the story. I do wish the mechanics would have been better (had a bit of an eBook feel on paper). I would definitely read another of Tim’s fiction books. I have read some of Tim’s short stories/eBook offerings and enjoyed them as well. I would say it would be worth your time to take a look around Tim’s blogs/websites, read his work, and order his books. I’ve heard the Love Idiot one is a great read. It’s on my list.

Thank you, Tim, for bringing “From the Ashes of Courage” to life in a way that others could enjoy.

Father's Day

2010-06-19T08:31:00.001-07:00

It's Father's Day weekend and I am totally beside myself because we can't agree on what we should do! My husband, father of 4 children, two dogs, and two cats, works very hard to support his family and while I would love to give him the pamper treatment, he is not that kind of a guy. My 6 year old wants to take him to the water park but mom has hurt her back, 15 YO says "no way" because of a shaving incident, and another can't afford to get sunburned because she has a swim party next week... The back is minor, so don't worry...nothing a few days won't cure. Still...what to do. We could drive up to Independence, which we love, but the heat index is going to be 104 today. Yikes. 104...outside...in the heat...all day??? We could drive up, take a quick stroll through the zoo, eat, ride the little train and carousel later in the day... 6 YO isn't satisfied. I could send them fishing...they've been practicing all week on casting. Both had to learn. But...he would not be spending time with all his children. 12 YO and 9 YO would not go fishing if their life depended upon it. What to do? What to do?!! I hate not being in control of this situation. What plans do you have???

Jaimey Grant's "Deception"

2010-06-11T11:33:00.001-07:00

I know that I mentioned the book in the last post and am gushing over it all over FaceBook, but I just finished editing Jaimey Grant's "Deception" and I can't say enough about it! I've read numerous Jaimey Grant shorts and not too long ago purchased my first Jaimey Grant Regency Romance Novel. However, not having had the time to read it yet, "Deception" is the first of her novels I've read. Oh my...I don't know what to say besides I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a hopeless romantic, the story is right up my alley. But, beyond that, I was awed by the depth of her characters and her ability to draw me into their lives. I had heard this about Jaimey's work but was not prepared for how captivated I became...and so quickly. Even with life at full steam around me and my need for the ever-present editor's eye searching for all the "stuff" an editor must see, I found myself enthralled. You simply have to put this book on your MUST READ list. You won't be sorry...but you will become a fan of Jaimey Grant's work.

Disappearing beneath my publisher's hat

2010-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned a time or two that I have put my own writing on hold somewhat in order to help others. Coming together with the TreasureLine group has been wonderfully exciting. It is thrilling to see book after book come to life. We recently released Sharon E. Cathcart's "In The Eye of The Beholder" ~ the subtitle is: A Novel of the Phantom of the Opera so those who know me know I loved being a part of that project. I got my first taste of Sci-Fi/Fantasy while working with author Richard S. Wiggins, Jr. on two novels: "The Making of a Masterthief" and "The Last Warrior of Ertansha". I was more involved with "The Last Warrior of Ertansha" and I will simply say it is one of my all-time favorite books now. I never thought I would enjoy Sci-Fi/Fantasy but....wow, he really pulled me into the story and I enjoyed every page. I even found myself sneaking up at night to work on it. Thank goodness for laptops!!!

The last few days have found me immersed in "Deception"...notice the quotations? That's because it is a title. I have had the honor of being paired to work with author Jaimey Grant on her latest title: "Deception". Jaimey is a very hands on author and, together (from half-way across the country), we tinkered with her cover, her taking the lead though humoring me with changes even when it was as simple as moving a word from here to there. I'm pretty pleased and anxious to wrap it around Jaimey's extremely well written words.

We will be unveiling several more books in the not too distant future. I'll try to keep everyone updated as well as....hopefully....continuing to pursue my own writing. Speaking of...my mom stopped by the other day and asked if I needed help with anything. Don't ever ask me that!!! I handed her a folder and said "type." She called me today and told me to NEVER again send her home with an unfinished manuscript. My bad. It's actually my current work in progress :(

So, whether you see me or not, I'm here. How well I hide is dependent upon the hat I wear. I do hope you'll take a minute to take a look at all we've been doing. Any of these books would make a great summer read.

"Unwanted"...success for a story that was originally placed in the "bad" file

2010-05-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

I thought I had posted my story "Unwanted" here before but I could not find it in the archives...so I guess not. A little background on why I was looking: I have undertaken the job of "being in charge" of a compilation book we are doing with several awesome authors who are part of Jillian Livingston's Aspiring Writers Group over at Mom Bloggers Club. We haven't set a date for the book release yet but I can tell you from the submissions I am receiving and the works of the paticipants that I have read...you won't want to miss it!!

Anyway....I was reminded (thank you, Shay) how sometimes I write something and have to shake my head and put it aside wondering how could I write something that bad! Well, I have a success story about one of those "bad" stories. My first published piece is a short story called "Unwanted" and it was originally placed in the never-gonna-be-seen-by-other-eyes file. It was very short and did not capture the emotion of what I was writing about (purely fictional, mind you). Several weeks later there was a contest and, as often happens to me since it is my only truly alone time thanks to 4 pets who want my attention when my children or husband are not around, while showering I got a "vision" of where that story should go for that contest. It was perfect! I reworked it and it won and was my first published piece.

So, don't throw it away...file it away. You never know where it will take you.

I'll post the story here so you may decide for yourself: thumbs up or thumbs down...

"Unwanted", a short story by Linda Boulanger

Betrayal. Is there a more justifiable reason to be angry? I had every reason in the world to be bitter but would never find backing or support from the scriptures. I was swallowed up in the deepest, darkest time of my life, but God wasn’t giving me any slack. And I had done nothing wrong! I was still seething as I looked down at the tiny bundle wrapped in soft pink. She returned my gaze, her eyes filled with trust. They were the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. Oh how sweet she looked.

I picked her up, feeling her tiny nose against my cheek, soft yet firm, like nothing I had ever felt before. She nestled against me as I held her in my arms. I breathed deeply, the aroma of baby lotion, powder, and her distinctive scent filled my head. She smelled like him, her father….my husband.

I didn’t want to love her, vowed I would not the day he told me about her and that he wanted to bring her home. To our home! His child with another woman…brought into this world by a chance encounter and I was supposed to take her in and love her as my own. Preposterous! I had resolved to harden my heart toward her. Bitterness had tried to creep in.

I’d already made my peace with my husband…with an awful lot of help from God. I had come to terms with the fact that, perhaps, it had even been my obsession with the need for a baby that had driven him away for a time. It had been difficult enough but we’d gotten through it. And then he’d learned of this child, his child, to be given away without a care from her real mother. And now, here she was, so small, so helpless. She was soft within my arms, looking to me to take care of her, to show her a world where someone cared.

“God, how could you do this to me? How can I do for her what is needed when my heart is hurting so?” I’d been denied my own child in life. Years of trying had left me with nothing but a hardened heart, wounded pride, and a taste of bitterness in my mouth. The barren woman…..and now this child.

She began to fuss. I laid her back and she looked at me again. I was touched by the total lack of judgment in her eyes. She had no idea how tormented I was or that I had planned not to love her, only that she needed someone to take care of her and that I seemed to be doing a pretty good job at that very moment. Her own mother didn’t care, didn’t love her; had not even loved my husband as I did. I brushed the palm of my hand across the soft down that covered the top of her head. She liked it. Her eyes took on that dreamy look and I smiled. The realization of how much she needed me washed over me with great cleansing waves.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered, and then shut. I could feel her breath. Soft sweet whispers caressed my face as I rubbed her cheek with my own. In her sleep, she smiled. It was an angel’s smile. I couldn’t hate her. My bitterness faded away. She was the answer to my prayer for a child. And, with a sigh and a thank you, I resolved to be her mother, to be that someone, who would love her.

A new venture...

2010-04-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

The latest writing venture...a new blog where we can talk about other authors as well as offer great give-aways: TreasureLine Books & Publishing. I've had to put my own writing on hold somewhat but seeing the dreams of other authors come true is making it all worthwhile. The blog begins with a giveaway: "Coffee & A Copy" where someone will win a signed copy of Jackie Bullen's "Memories Outloud" and a bag of specialty coffee just for sharing a memory! I hope you will join us there and be patient with me as all these new pursuits get underway. I am actually continuing to work on my own writing behind the scenes. Writers write because they have to!

Write Me A Love Story

2010-04-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Ever since he’d found out what she did for a living, Lance Dixon had been dogging her to write a story about him. Carmen Collier was quickly becoming very irritated with the otherwise overall well-pleasing man. Oh yes, Lance was handsome. He had sparkling ocean blue eyes and dark, wavy hair; perfect for the main character to run her fingers through. His smile was disarming, framed by full lips that her eyes might feast upon before they lavished upon her the most tender of kisses. He was tall but not too, athletically built yet not in an intimidating way. Oh he would be the perfect hero in one of Carmen’s stories or novels if description alone was all that was needed.

Carmen Collier was a romance writer; the queen of fluffy, happy-ever-after stories. Yet she required more than a pretty face to help her fashion a real-life person into a full-fledged fictional character.

“Whatcha workin’ on?” Lance asked, sliding into the seat across the table and flashing that gorgeous smile her way.

“Why are you here, Lance? You’re never here on Tuesdays,” she retorted to the owner of the Coffee Garden, the little shop with tables ideally situated among a garden-like setting where Carmen had, until recently, enjoyed mornings of Espresso, croissants, and writing. Lance had purchased the unusual shop about a month and a half ago and begun to “befriend” his regular customers. Most of them loved the attention lavished on them by the handsome owner. Even Carmen hadn’t minded the brief chit-chatty moments at first.

Then she’d made the mistake of bringing him a copy of her latest book and topping that by telling him that her characters quite often walk onto the pages from real-life collisions with actual people.

“Will I find my way into one of your stories?” he’d asked.

“Perhaps,” Carmen had flirted a bit. “Just what type of story would you like to see yourself in, Mr. Dixon?”

“Oh that’s easy,” he’d shot back. “A lovely little romantic interlude between the handsome Coffee Garden owner, new to town and the business, and the wildly famous romance author whose very appearance takes his breath away.”

Carmen had stared at him for a moment; the word-wielder was stumped for a comeback. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of his request, or the way his eyes washed over her, or the way his foot rested against hers under the table. Was he truly making reference to the two of them? At last she’d chosen humor to rescue her from uncertainty.

“You know any women that would fit that description because I’m afraid I’m just not quite wrapping my head around a character quite like that. Must be the blonde hair.” She’d looked down at the light reddish-brown hair that cascaded off her shoulder. “Hmm. Or not...” He’d laughed and left her with a “Funny girl,” comment.

But the next morning he’d been right back in the seat across from her asking if she’d written him a story yet.

“Sorry. It takes inspiration,” she said shaking her head. “I’m not a formula writer like some. I write from my heart.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “Time…and something to inspire you.”

“Precisely. Now go away so I don’t lose my current train of thought. Josh Green is working up the nerve to plant an unexpected kiss on the unsuspecting Caroline French. Important stuff in the world of fluffy romance.” She’d smiled as he looked at her with a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding kind of look. He’d smiled back, shaking his head as he left her table to visit with other customers.

Each day as she broke her fast at the Garden, he’d join her and ask. Every time she’d answer the same. That morning she was particularly irritated as the story she was working on was giving her fits; a pivotal point of pieces she could not get to fit in her mind.

“Lance! I’m not going to write you a love story just because you ask me to. I can’t do that! I don’t work that way. I need inspiration. I need…”

Lance stood quickly from his spot opposite her and walked to stand beside her chair. She stared up at him with crinkled brows unsure of the expression on his face. Then, without warning, he grasped her upper arms and gently pulled her to him.

“Lance…” One arm encircled her, holding her tightly as the fingers of his other hand walked expertly up her spine and into the curly mass of her gorgeous reddish-brown hair. Their eyes remained locked; hers dreamily expectant, his warmly mischievous. Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers. She could feel the smile on his lips as they met. She didn’t care. All she cared about was melting into him and the way he was making her feel.

When at last he pulled away, Carmen felt as if her knees were too weak to support her. She continued to lean against him.

“Is that enough inspiration for the famous author?” he whispered against her hair that tickled his cheek.

“It’s a good start,” Carmen said at last. “But sometimes I have to go over these things again and again before I get my head fully wrapped around them. You available for further research?”

“It is my day off,” he answered. “I have time if you do…”

“Carmen? Carmen?!” she heard her name being said over and over. Her eyes snapped open. Bewildered, she looked up at the smiling face of the handsome barista from the little espresso shop.

“Oh! Lance! Sorry,” she laughed, embarrassed at her complete absorption. “I was just…I had a thought running through my head.”

“It looked like a good one.” Oh his smile was so inviting. “How’s that class going? Did you get your romance story written that you were working on last week?”

“It’s due tomorrow. I was having trouble with the idea but it seems I finally got my inspiration after walking in the door of the Coffee Garden.”

“Well,” he spoke mischievously, “I’d sure like to think I was able to help. Maybe someday you’ll be a famous author and you can write a story about me.”

Carmen giggled nervously and Lance thought perhaps he saw a slight stain of a blush creeping into her cheeks. He sat her cup on the table, winked, and waltzed off to wait on the other customers.

Carmen watched him intently. “Someday,” she thought. “Someday may be sooner than you think.” She began to write him into her love story featuring herself as the leading female main character.

The following is a work of fiction. All characters and events are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons is entirely coincidental…

My Queen Elizabeth Friendship

2010-04-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am NOT friends with Queen Elizabeth. Sorry if that was misleading. I do, however, have a friendship that has blossomed around a Queen Elizabeth rose. Last week my doorbell rang and I opened it to find my 94 year old friend, Evelyn Strong, standing on my porch with a rose bush in her hands....a Queen Elizabeth rose bush that she had purchased for me to plant in my yard as a living reminder of our friendship. I love this woman.

I met Evelyn 7 years ago when my oldest daughter went into 2nd grade. She just so happened to be a fairly permanent volunteer in Mrs. Dugan's classroom and, while she fostered relationships with all the children in the classroom, it was my then two year old tagging along to take big sis to school everyday who won her heart. They bonded in a big way. My friend Nina Wilcox Mota once said when people love your children you love them. I paraphrased, of course, but that was the gist of her statement. It's true. Seeing the love that passed between my little girl and Mrs. Strong sealed our relationship as well.

Now many of you may not know but I spent several years creating custom designed greeting cards. I often gave new designs and samples to Mrs. Strong as a little "just because." One of those cards featured a beautiful Queen Elizabeth rose...a card near to my heart because it was created from a photograph I took of my neighbor's rose. He was an older gentleman caring for his wife. We often visited over the back fence, he put up with my dogs, made us pumpkin pies, and shared his own writing with me. He also loved his roses. I was working on a set of those cards for him when he passed on...his family used them as thank you notes after his funeral... bittersweet. Mrs. Strong loved those cards. When Christmas rolled around she had me create several sets for gifts and most recently ordered two more sets (I still do cards on request). Along with her card sets, I surprised her with a copy of my book Becoming... which just so happens to feature that rose on the cover. She was thrilled.

Evelyn Strong has touched many lives. My story Big Shoes To Fill is based on her. When I gave her a copy of my co-authored Time Out On A Roller Coaster and told her the story was based on her, she told me she'd always been accused of having big feet! What a wonderful sense of humor she has. And how very blessed I have been to have been touched by this wonderful woman.

Last year Mrs. Strong moved up to 3rd Grade along with Mrs. Dugan. She will tell you it was not an easy move. I can tell you it was a "God move" because guess who entered 3rd grade this year and was placed in Mrs. Dugan's classroom? That's right. My daughter....the one who was the two year old tag along.
KJRH Channel 2 in Tulsa ran a story on Mrs. Strong not too long ago. If you follow THIS LINK it will take you to the story. There's a video also. Both very worth your time.

God bless you, Evelyn Strong. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

What do you want to see?

2010-03-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm considering something here....I've been visiting other writers' blogs and one thing I've seen that has captured my interest is some of their writings. Actually, not just some of their writings. I've done that here a bit. What I'm talking about is them posting an actual book online, bit by bit, chapter or section by section. Is that something you think would be of interest? Would it give you an opportunity to sample my writing? Would you find that more interesting than simply bits and pieces of what's on my mind? I could, of course, still interject those bits and pieces.... Let me know what you think.

It's all about me....

2010-03-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

There are very few people in the world that don’t relish the idea of talking about themselves. Perhaps it sounds better to say they desire others to want to hear what they have to say. I can’t say I’m any different. That being said…I was thrilled when fellow author J. Timothy King requested an interview.

The interview centers around my book Becoming…a collection of faith-based short stories concerning pivotal times and journeys in our lives. I hope you’ll take a few moments to jump over to Tim’s blog and read the interview. Be sure to let Tim and I know you stopped by.

Tim will also post a review of Becoming to his ebook review page. Keep a lookout for that as well :)

Which Way is Up????

2010-03-24T04:04:00.000-07:00

I'm having one of those weeks that is leaving me feeling as if I'm drowning just a bit. I'm swamped with work, which is always a good thing I suppose. I do have to admit, I procrastinated on this project for no particular or good reason and now I'm having to play catch-up. The reality is, I am enjoying the project. It's a full blown book job from the transcription of a very old manuscript to editing the piece word by word to transferring it to the proper format for printing to creating the cover. It's a good book, well written, and I'm so very pleased to be a part of bringing it to "life" so that we may present it to the world.

Still, that doesn't make it any less overwhelming when I sit in front of my computer and realize I have two days to complete two weeks worth of work! On top of that...I'm in one of my no-sleep modes where I wake during the night with stories whirling through my head. Yesterday as I sat at a stop light on my way to pick part of my crew up from school a new story began to form in my head. "No!" I told it. I'm already working on two with a third in the notes phase. No use. An hour later as I sat with my children at McDonalds while my flat tire from Saturday got put back on my van, I had the main characters named and the opening scene fleshed out. I wrote in my head off and on all night! Ugh. When I have one of those nights...which is quite often...I am reminded of an old commercial where the children get the parents up early on the weekend. Perhaps it was a crying baby and the commercial says something about sleep being overrated. One of my sisters once told me after I had children that I would find myself operating best on 6 hours of sleep. I think that is just enough to function yet little enough to dull the senses so you just kind of float through life... I'd really just enjoy six good hours in a row!!!

Alas, the cats agree with my sister and the commercial. Of course they cat nap at my side as I work so what difference does it make to them? They do love it when I write in the wee hours of the night and they sneak onto the kitchen table to "help" by rearranging my papers into a nice bed. They keep me company, I suppose; championing me on as word by word I continue with my work knowing soon, very soon this book will be printed and shipped and into the hands of the author who, for the first time, will see his name on a cover. Inside he will find the words that he labored over and characters that he breathed life into. For those of us who write, it's a feeling without compare. It's also what keeps me going...the thought of that look upon his face when he opens the package containing his book. For that, I would gladly trade a little sleep and ignore my laundry...for a few days anyway.

Have I learned my lesson on procrastination? Probably not! Will I ever not take on more than one person should? No! Life is short and grace is given. We rise to the occasion and, just as we feel we truly are drowning, light shines and we know exactly which way is up.

For those of you who have pitched in and taken up the slack as I wade through....THANK YOU! Your support means more to me than you can imagine. The favor will be returned....after I finish this project :) Or maybe after the next one.....

Unlocking Doors....A Trip To Independence

2010-03-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it has been 5 days since I posted! My children have been home all week for Spring Break…husband as well. It’s a miracle I’m getting anything done. I did take the day off….truly took the day off yesterday and we drove a full 45 minutes up into the great state of Kansas to a small town called Independence (we live very near the Kansas border). It is a trip we all enjoy. It’s not too far and we have a great time…and it doesn’t break the budget! It’s a no lose situation.

Independence is a town of about 10,000 people. Not too big but certainly not dinky in appearance. My husband’s family hails from there abouts. They are all gone now but memories live on for him and we have made many new ones.

Founded on land taken from the Osage Nation, early Independence was home to many families made wealthy by the oil and gas booms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ornate Victorian homes and architecturally thrilling buildings still attest to the prosperity of pre-Depression days. Oil magnate Harry F. Sinclair, who founded the Sinclair Oil Company with its dinosaur logo was one of the more known. His retro building still stands prominent within the town. As we walked around yesterday, we wondered how many people still knew that building, now filled with multiple individual businesses, had once been the headquarters for Sinclair’s empire. Undoubtedly time will continue to lessen the historical significance of such.

I talked about William Inge, a famous playwright, in an earlier post about Picnic. He was born in Independence and, as is indicated in much of his works, the town had a huge influence over him. Each spring Independence Community College hosts an annual festival in his honor.

Miss Able, a rhesus monkey, was born at Ralph Mitchell Zoo. If Miss Able is ringing bells….you may have seen her in Night At The Museum 2. We’re very proud to have visited her birthplace! Miss Able along with Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey, became the first animals to fly in space and return alive on May 28, 1959. Monkeys still live on the island sporting a rock castle surrounded by a water moat enjoyed by ducks and a pair of stately swans that love dog food (I’m out of breath). The zoo is free! It isn’t huge and occasionally many of the animals will have taken refuge inside. Still, it is a highlight of our trips. We have certain exhibits that are “must sees” and there is an awesome playground inside the zoo with a nursery rhyme theme (and 3 gorillas…. not sure how they fit in but the kids love to have their pics made on them). Yesterday my third grader had to take her Flat Stanley. Photographs abound…now to just get them downloaded. I’m so bad about that I’m in dire need of a personal assistant!

From Memorial Day to Labor Day The Miniature Train, Miniature Golf Course and Carousel are open (Weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons). Admission: the Carousel is 5 cents, the Miniature train is 25 cents and Miniature Golf is $1. The Mid-Continent Band plays every Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. at the band shell through the summer. How’s that for small town entertainment! I love it! Oh yes, they also boast their annual Neewollah event as Kansas' largest annual festival. Held the last week of October, Neewollah's musical stage shows, carnival, concessions, entertainment and grand parade attract more than 80,000 visitors each year. Do we attend? Don’t you know it! The last time we missed was the year my son was born on October 15. I simply couldn’t bring myself to take a newborn. It’s an action packed day. Hey, Chris…I do have my limitations after all! You did realize Neewollah is Halloween spelled backwards???

And, last but not least, the day would not be complete without driving through Dairy Queen for traditional treats. The store in Independence is owned and operated by an older group. They can still make Chocolate Sodas…as long as one of the three is there. I hope it is not a tradition that will go away with them although it does seem like it, huh?

That makes me sad but also serves as a reminder to me to teach my children. I love walking through history. We’re blessed to live in a place rich with such (Bartlesville, OK was home to Phillips Petroleum Company and Frank Phillips for many, many years. I’ll have to write about that someday…) It’s amazing how much history we have right outside our front doors. Opening one door can unlock the doors into the past as well as into the future. How many doors can you open right there in your own town? Try it. I’ll bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Rambling With A Purpose...The Making of a Great Day

2010-03-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was one of those days that, even though I didn't accomplish many of the things needed to be done, it can be ranked as a really great day. It started by a prominent radio personality from Tulsa emailing me to tell me she'd just finished painting the bookshelf for her baby's room and my children's book, How Sadie Learned To SMILE, was the first one on it. Lindsey Bauer is the only woman out of a 4 man team that hosts the Wylde Wake Up Show on 106.9. She is an avid campaigner for Tulsa's ARF featuring their pets in need of forever homes on her blog and showcasing them on the radio. Her wit never ceases to amaze me as, day after weekday, she humorously wrangles the guys. I have to admit, I began listening to K-HITS to research a book that will be coming out in the future about a young starlet attempting to do the right things in a world where "right" is anything but black and white. The first time I tuned in I lasted all of 20 minutes! Today's music is a bit different from what I was used to. However, as time went on I found that I not only liked a lot of the music, but the hosts of 106.9 were awesome. It's no wonder they're number one! Someday I will suggest Lindsey write a book called "Happy Tails...Tulsa ARF Success Stories" by Lindsey Bauer, radio personality and ARF spokesperson, with Linda Boulanger (see how I got that in there!!!). I think it could be a great fundraising project for the organization. But for now, Lindsey's mind is undoubtedly more concentrated on the bedding she just purchased for her upcoming arrival! I love babies. Just glad they're someone else's nowadays :)

Then, I reconnected with an old friend after many, many years, took my younger two to McDonalds where they played for over 2 hours and I wrote to my little heart's content. Funny thing, a little boy came up to me and said "You're that author that came to our school. You brought the dog..." He was so excited. He was also right. I often take the "real" Sadie with me to readings and author visits. Although the book is fiction, I used Tracy Freeman's rescued pet as my inspiration. They're both sweethearts.

Checking my FaceBook I noticed I could get a free ebook of Lori Newman's Poetry Book Looking To Be Seen. Fellow author Lori Finilla wrote on her FaceBook: You need to read this unbelievable heart touching book. The first poem made me cry. I can't wait to read it! I also got hold of Jaimey Grant's Regency Romance Redemption. I don't usually read ebooks because I spend so much time on the computer editing/formatting for myself and others as well as writing and, of course, social networking but I'm pretty excited about these. I noticed Lori Finilla is changing the name of one of her books from "My Brain Injury" to "The Last Day I Was Me". I think that's a great change. A photograph of Lori and snippets of information I've read on her life have inspired the idea for another novel. I've been making notes while working on A Marriage of Necessity and yet another novel. My mind never stops working!

To end the day I received an email containing the parts of one of my handwritten novels that I'm having typed up into a "properly formatted electronic version"...that's exactly what it says under Transcription Services on my One Stop Publisher site. Yep, I'm using my own company. Isn't that good of me?!!! Anyway, I did a bit of spot reading and got all excited about the story all over again.

I almost forgot....almost :) Author Tim King has interviewed me for his blog. The interview will be posted rain, shine, or bus accident (sorry...inside joke between Tim and I) on Thursday, March 25th so mark your calendars and pop over to read it and comment. Tim made me feel good. I gave him permission to hatchet away at my responses, however, he said "I probably should have taken a hatchet to it, as you suggested...but I love the content..." Bookmark Tim's blog: http://blog.jtimothyking.com/ Tim's book From The Ashes Of Courage is on my reading list. I love the idea of this story and can't wait to read it.

I went to bed contented and slept well. Okay, so I went to bed contented and ended up writing in my mind most of the night! This new story is demanding to be let out. What's a girl to do?!! I love living on the line....on the lines of my notebook or a story, that is. Happy weekend friends!

Two Kisses....a fun short by Linda Boulanger & Patrick Sipperly

2010-03-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

All her life there'd been only two men she wished she'd kissed and didn't. Only two! TWO. Now we're not talking about a simple peck on the cheek or a faint brushing of the lips. No sir! She'd wanted them to be all out, set your watch, settle in for the count, write home to your best girlfriend, passion-filled kisses. Oh how many years now had she dreamed of these kisses? She'd tormented herself for not seizing the moment in each case.

Well, Mr. Opportunity was knocking on her door and each of these men had presented themselves back into her life. Both of them! Rachel smiled. How often did a girl get the chance to recapture a lost dream? Kind of like roping a rainbow. Oh the thoughts made her feel dizzy and slightly twitterpated.

She'd seen Kurt not too many years before. What had it been? Two? Maybe three. Either way, he'd looked mighty fine for a forty something, middle-aged man. Mighty fine indeed. But life had been different two, three years ago. She'd been madly in love with Jack. Kissing an old crush had been far from the front of her mind.

Now don't misunderstand. Rachel still loved Jack. In fact, he'd asked her to marry him. She'd agreed but had coaxed him into convincing her they should push the date a little ways down the road. She did love him. She did! He was nice looking, took care of himself, and he'd be a great provider and all. He even got along well with both of her grown children. But the sense of excitement at being together had waned somewhat. Okay, quite a bit. And now...she'd given her cell number to a mutual friend who had given it to Kurt and he'd called her for lunch. Lunch! With Kurt!!! One of her two missed opportunities. Lunch tomorrow...

Rachel shook her head and checked her emails. There it was...the confirmation for the thirty year reunion. Something else was there too. An email from Doug. Yep! The other guy she'd dreamed of for so very many years. They'd ran across each other quite by accident on the reunion pages and he still looked pretty darn good from his pictures anyway. Several emails confirmed them into the mutual admiration club and arrangements were made to meet a day earlier than the reunion. Oh yes! Rachel touched her flushed cheeks and laughed like a silly school girl. She felt as giddy as a seventeen year old in young love.

The next day found her trying on outfit after outfit until she found the one that portrayed the perfect look. Hands on hips, she turned this way and that looking at her image. Now she looked good for 48! She was still trim. Her hair was dark with just the right highlights. Eyes were still bright. And the outfit made her look...well, just a little bit like a hottie. Not a tramp! Just desirable. She was ready. With a smack of her painted lips she sauntered out of the house to meet Kurt. Today was THE day! She was determined to make it happen.

They were to meet at McDaniel's Bar & Grill. She'd made the reservations, requested the perfect table. In her mind she'd played through the scene over and over. They'd be seated adjacently, their chairs both too close to the corner. They'd chat, she'd flirt unabashedly and, by the end of the meal, he'd kiss her. She felt all tingly as she drove.

The young lady at the front knew her. She nodded when Rachel said she could seat herself. As she walked toward the requested table, a surge of irritation rose up. Someone else had sat down there! Some pudgy older man with thinning, bristly gray hair and a wrinkled face had dared to interfere with her dream. Her heart sank as he looked up at her and smiled. She'd have known those blue eyes anywhere; those blue eyes that washed over her with unchecked appreciation.

“Kurt!” she said with faux-enthusiasm. “How nice to see...how nice of you to have agreed to meet me for lunch.” She quickly slipped on the little sweater she'd draped over her arm just in case it was too cold.

It was a nice lunch after all. Great catching up. They'd always been comfortable with each other. As he kissed her cheek in the parking lot, Rachel guessed it would always be that way.

In all her life there was only one man Rachel Dunbar wished she'd kissed but hadn't. One Douglas Taylor. Doug, as all his friends called him. He'd been such a sweet guy in High School. Always the perfect gentleman, even when they'd huddled close together against the cold on the bus with the broken window coming home after a football game. The cheerleader and the quarterback. It would have been so perfect. Yet neither of them pursued it. And now, thirty years later to find out both had harbored feelings for one another.

The plane landed and she knew he'd be there to meet her even though she'd told him she could get her own car. Her heart beat wildly, hopeful his photos hadn't lied.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the gate and caught sight of him. Now Doug Taylor looked good with a capital G-O-O-D for a 48 year old man. Dang! Wow! No disappointment there.

“Rachie!” He grabbed her up and swung her around. She giggled, oblivious to the people who stared. “You look great, girlie.”

“Well!” She stepped back and surveyed him openly. “you weren't lying when you said you'd taken care of yourself.” They walked from the airport arm in arm.

“Watch out rainbow,” Rachel thought, “I'm getting out my rope.”

By the end of the next day Rachel wondered what she had gotten herself into. Doug had indeed taken care of himself and was truly the center of his own universe. Every conversation came back to him. He was extremely opinionated and well...yawn, boring. Doug, blah blah. Doug, bleh bleh bleck. Why had she not seen this in the emails?

The weekend could not pass quickly enough for her. Although she did enjoy seeing Jilly, Susan, Marjorie and the others again. She was happy to say she was still the best looking of the squad. But she was ecstatic when Doug dropped her at the airport. She departed with but a little kiss on the forehead.

Jack met her at the door of her townhouse with a lovely, hand-tied bouquet of flowers. She could smell a delicious meal in the makings. Dropping her bags she threw herself into him, nearly crushing the flowers. Carelessly he tossed them on the side table and wrapped her in his arms. His hands ran up her spine and into her hair, pulling her head back with gentle ease. With a smile, he lowered his lips to meet hers.

Breathless, Rachel looked up at Jack with dreamy admiration and desire. In all her life there was not a man she wanted to be kissed by more than Jack Reed. In fact, there had never been a man she'd wanted to kiss and didn't.

Sidenote: Two Kisses is one of my favorite stories. It began with an idea I had because...you see, there are only two guys in my life that I wish I'd kissed and didn't! I won't and they have no idea who they are (although I'm in occasional contact with both of them). The story began a bit more serious in nature although by the time I sent the original to Pat it had evolved. He took it and further added his own special blend of humor and I must say I am so pleased with this story. You can find it in our published collection titled Time Out On A Roller Coaster which contains another fun kiss story we wrote together called Chocolate Kisses.

His Blood For Yours

2010-03-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked if I had a favorite story in my latest book titled "Becoming..." and, although I love them all, I decided to go out on a limb and choose one that received mixed reviews as my favorite. I’ve been told the writing on that story was flawless, the main character marvelous, and the story spiritually challenging. However, there is a part in the story where the man, an individual who had shot multiple people before falling victim himself and getting saved by the female physician, tells her that he's not a bad man but had just had a bad day! That line hit a nerve with people. I was told he WAS a bad man! What I’d hoped to show was that people often do things when ran by emotion. The doctor shares real compassion with him and gives him hope. She shares with him about the Great Physician whose blood still cleans the stains from all of our bad days. I like the story and the fact that she ministers to him throughout. Unlike some of my other works, “Becoming…” is very faith centered. I would not call it preachy, however, all the stories deal with issues of faith.

Enjoy “His Blood For Yours” (Originally titled “Stains of a Bad Day”)

Lindsey Walker veered right, taking the exit ramp that would lead her to the Red Dragon Emporium. It was the place to find the perfect accessories to go in her newly redecorated living room. She’d chosen a warm, earthy pallet for the designer to work with. She loved how it was coming together, but decided it needed a subtle pop to liven the tranquility; something simple like a red vase.

This part of town was foreign to her. She carefully navigated her candy apple Lexus according to her GPS. Left turn, then right. Rounding the corner she saw a grouping of emergency vehicles. The hypnotic lights all flashed in unison. Blue. Red. Blue. Red. A young police officer motioned her away but she stopped instead.

“I’m a doctor. Can I be of help?” There were several bodies lying around. Each appeared to be responding to care; all except a man somewhat apart from the others. He lay in a crimson pool of his own blood while a young EMT frantically tried to stop the red flow.

“We’ve got a bleeder. Can’t seem to stop it. He’s, uhm, he’s the gunman. Responsible for all these…” He waved his hand to indicate the victims.

Lindsey nodded. “Let me see what I can do, okay?”

The policeman nodded. Lindsey got her bag from the car. He escorted her to the EMT. The young man looked up at them. “I can’t save him. Can’t stop the bleeding or even slow it.”

“Let’s have a look, shall we?” Years of training and experience as a top-notch surgeon taught Lindsey to be calm in emergency situations. It helped to ease the tension of those around her as well.

She knelt beside the body, barely noticing the blood soaking through her Calvin Klein jeans. A brief exam led her to a few tricks of the trade, all of which proved useless.

Dr. Walker moved her hair from her face while listening to the EMT rattle off the man's vitals. He shook his head. “He's a goner, doc.”

But Lindsey refused to give up. She closed her eyes and placed her blood-soaked, gloved hands together. “Father,” she whispered, “Tell me what I need to do to save this man. He needs a second chance with You.” She lifted her hands to the heavens and spoke the words she’d heard others say in the hallways as they’d prayed for loved ones before surgery. “Guide my hands, Lord God.”

A feeling of peace and knowing washed over her. She knew exactly what to do. Pulling the gloves off, she ordered the EMT to douse her hands with the antibacterial spray from her bag. Bewildered, he did as ordered. She called out tools and he lifted them from her bag.

Lindsey made an incision in the man’s side just large enough for her hand to fit through. The others who had gathered around watched in utter shock.

Lindsey closed her eyes, envisioned the internal body, and felt for the bleeder. “There!” she said at last. “Clamp.” The EMT handed it to her as her hand emerged holding parts of the man’s innards. The gurgling of blood lessened and stopped. Lindsey packed around the open wound. “We need to transport him immediately. He needs more than what I can offer him here.” Heads nodded. Activity followed.

As they began to wheel the man away on the stretcher, Lindsey leaned down and whispered to him, “He saved your body. Now let Him save your spirit. His blood for yours.”

In a moment he was whisked away from the crime scene en route to Emmert Memorial Hospital.

The next day, Lindsey went to see the stranger she'd helped to save. She knew exactly who deserved the glory and she didn’t mind telling others as much. Alone she could never have saved him.

Through bandages and tubes he smiled at her weakly. “Thank you,” he whispered. Lindsey nodded, watching him try for more words. “I’m not a bad man. Just a…..bad day.”

“I know.” She replied as she sat close to the bed. Her compassion brought him to tears. “Will you let me tell you about real hope?” He nodded gratefully.

Taking his hand, Lindsey spoke of another doctor, the Great Physician, who died upon a cross that we might have life more abundantly; whose blood still cleans the stains from all of our bad days.

Happy To Sacrifice...a short story

2010-03-08T07:08:00.001-08:00

In honor of an excruciatingly busy week, I am going to share some of my writings with everyone. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them. The first one is from my co-written collection of short stories called Time Out On A Roller Coaster, written with dear friend Patrick Sipperly. We co-wrote several then added more of our own. This one is all mine and I rather like it. Hope you do too...

Happy To Sacrifice by Linda Boulanger

She landed the plane with ease, guiding it to the ground with the same precise gusto that made her appear to blaze through life with an air of confidence. As the tiny craft taxied to its destination of rest she felt a certain wave of nausea. She patted her stomach knowing her days of carefree climbing in and out of the cockpit were numbered. Abigail Brighton was pregnant.

The reality of that statement had begun to sink in as increasing bouts of nausea had sent her marching more and more often in and out of the bathroom. Her husband had joked that they needed to install a revolving door. He’d said it, of course, as she’d clung to the rim of the porcelain bowl for the third time that morning. Abigail had failed to see the humor in his statement.

The sickness had begun to subside enough that she felt confident to pursue again her greatest love – flying. Taking to the skies had always helped her clear her head. She’d needed this time to concentrate, to figure it all out, to sort through her feelings and come to terms with this tiny being that was growing inside of her. It was a life form so new; yet still it was threatening to change her lifestyle. In many ways, it already had. She no longer felt free to do as she pleased and her confidence in her ability as a mother was severely grounded, not unlike her plane on a bad weather day.

The pregnancy was unexpected. Her husband was thrilled. She was, thus far, unenthusiastic. Of course her husband had not had to make sacrifices. He had not been kept from the things he loved or had to deal with the nausea and fear. She thought of another who had made sacrifices for her; her own mother. She was the very person who had instilled in her the love of flying. And her mother’s love of the air had come from Abigail’s grandmother; one of the few women who had belonged to a quietly heralded group of Soviet women pilots in WWII known as the Night Witches. These women, a small regiment, flew bombing missions from 1942 to the end of the war. They were the most highly decorated unit in the Soviet Air Force. Amazingly, they flew in obsolete wood and canvas biplanes that could carry only two bombs at a time. The aircraft was extremely slow with a maximum speed lower than the stall speed of the German crafts which made them difficult to shoot down. Abigail’s grandmother, as had the other women pilots, had made daring use of her flying skills and the plane’s exceptional maneuverability. They became known as the Night Witches because of the tactic they used of cutting their engines and coasting over the enemy camps to drop their bombs. They could come in lower that way without detection and possible ground fire. The women, making their runs under the cover of night, soon had the enemy believing them to be witches appearing out of the night. It added to the mystique and heroism of this brave, resourceful regiment of flying women.

Her grandmother had continued to fly after the war; passing that love down to her own daughter and granddaughter in turn. Because of these two women, Abigail was who she was. They’d each made sacrifices for motherhood and now it seemed to be her turn. A smile lifted the corners of her lips. Again she patted her stomach. Her mind filled with dreamy thoughts of sharing with her child this love that had been shared with her. She imagined the times they would climb in and out of the cockpit together. She could feel the soft fingers with the tiny hand in hers; hear the high-pitched, childish voice chattering away excited questions; see the cherubic face upturned to her in awe and admiration. Her face beamed, glowing as only a pregnant woman’s does.

Abigail walked away from her plane with a new confidence in her ability as a mother; not born of knowing what to do, but of the dream of sharing her knowledge and experiences with her child. Secretly she hoped for a daughter to follow in the footsteps of the flying women before her. As another wave of nausea washed over her, she no longer cared about all she might miss and what she must endure to bring her baby into the world. Her spirit soared with giddy delight as she realized she was now happy to sacrifice.

No lack of ideas here…

2010-03-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

I have been inundated with ideas. That’s a good thing, right? Well, yes and no. I remember when I wrote my first novel…as yet unpublished (as well as still mostly in handwritten form secured within the folds of one of my notebooks). I wrote the whole thing over Christmas break. That’s right! A whole novel in a two week time period. Is it any good? I don’t know. At the time I thought it was the best thing I’d ever done. Pride gushed from every pore of my body. Again, I don’t know if it’s any good. It’s about the Phantom of the Opera of all things! But, the important thing about that novel was that it revived a dream within me; one I’d buried many years ago. I LOVED the process from conception of the idea to the writing and rewriting. I practically worked day and night on the thing. Obsessed, I would say.

As I wrote I thought “this is what I want to do when I grow up.” Keep in mind I was just a few months shy of my 45th birthday! Nearing completion I began to consider a “career” change. I’ve done many things though the last 15 years have been devoted to being a mother and wife as well as volunteering with my local no-kill animal shelter. I also became card maker extraordinaire and designed custom specialty greeting cards. Awesome Cards for Awesome People was my slogan. I loved doing that too, although it barely paid for itself. I actually still do cards by request and have my “regulars” who email or call…regularly!

But, my youngest was getting ready to start school. I realized I would be alone for 5 whole hours every single day. What did I most want to do with that 5 hour time span? I knew. I wanted to write. And, as with anything we undertake…or at least it is this way for me…I began to doubt myself. What if I couldn’t think of anything else to write about? What if I wrote one or two books and then…nothing!

That didn’t happen. In fact, it has been quite the reverse for me. I have idea upon idea and each new story brings with it a whole slew of new ideas…so if you’re lacking, let me know!  Before I finish one, a new one is waiting (and usually I begin before the other is finished). That’s happening as I write A Marriage of Necessity. I have two ideas, in fact. Surprisingly they are both a bit different from anything I’ve done before. One was inspired by this flash of a vision I keep getting every time I walk out into the garage and get into my vehicle. It’s a bit frightening. The other inspiration came from the profile picture of a FaceBook Fan. I then read her story and knew why that picture was calling me.

It’s exciting to know the ideas are forthcoming. I could run out of them today and have enough in my file cabinet to support my writing efforts for the rest of my life. At the same time, it’s a bit frustrating because I want to share them NOW! I also have a job to do as I edit and format and help others achieve their writing dreams through my www.OneStopPublisher.com.

On a positive note….I have finally handed over some of my handwritten manuscripts for transcription. The day I watched the first one walk out the door I thought I would cry. I had to remind myself that she’d come back to me in a format ready to share with the world. Let her go! It’s the only way to do what I want to do…share NOW. And may the ideas be forever forthcoming….

Helping others through One Stop Publisher

2010-03-02T23:14:00.001-08:00

This has been a really great day. I can't really pinpoint why. Do you ever have those days? I feel as if I made a lot of connects and was asked to do a blog interview surrounding my collection of faith-based short stories, Becoming... I said yes, of course! I realized too that there are a lot of people out there just like me with the dream of a hold-in-your-hand book. That realization made me even more glad that I began my One Stop Publisher company. I've occasionally had second thoughts about it. I'd love to be able to do nothing but write. However, that's not really reasonable PLUS part of my dream has always been to help others with their dream.

I think the day I helped an 8 year old girl publish her first book I knew I'd continue. We still have some revisions before she "goes public" with it but, she has a proof in hand, and is so proud. I remember the day I held my first book with my name on the cover in my hands. Talk about Cloud 9 (or would that be Cloud 8, Dina?!). It hasn't been a huge seller, though I have sold 2 this week. But, it opened the door and it was practically painless. It gave me the confidence I needed to continue. I'm not so sure a room full of rejection letters would do that. Plus, I still have options. I maintain all rights to my work and can pursue other avenues at any time.

So, does that mean I will continue on the self-publishing path? I don't know. For now, it's working for me and I'm meeting a lot of others who have had success as well. Some of us are teaming up to help others through my One Stop Publisher and links to their sites. It's exciting! I also set my own hours and can change my mind about my projects!!! That is even more exciting and I have exercised that right several times (if you look at my What's She Up To page of my author website, you will see that I recently had a change of heart). And with that, I'm going to change directions and take myself to bed. It's 1:30ish a.m. and I'll be sitting at a tennis tournament all day tomorrow....between running kids to school and other activities. At least it's supposed to be warm-ish--I think.

So, I think I'll leave you with a couple of links:
The Shelf Life of Linda Boulanger on FaceBook
One Stop Publisher on FaceBook
Coffee's Hot -- great networking site
If you get bored....check out the blogs I follow and do some reading. There are some really talented writers there with fun and interesting and insightful things to say. (You can get there from my profile, I believe).

WRITING IS FANTASTIC!

2010-03-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

Author Melinda Richarz Lyons creatively explains why she thinks writing is
F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C as she shares some of the things she thinks are important when it comes to writing using her latest book—a young readers book entitled Murder at the Oaklands Mansion --as an example.

F—The “F” in fantastic stands for fun! Writing is fun! When you write fiction—just think about it. It is the only time in your life that you can make things up and get away with it. You can make up a story that is not true when you write fiction. Now it is important to remember even if you make a story up you still need to write about what you know. Like the murder in my story is made up, but the facts concerning the Civil War that are in the book are true and the things about Murfreesboro, where the story takes place, are true. Because first of all, I lived in Murfreesboro, and second, I did a lot of research on the Civil War before writing the book. So write about what or where you know and then do research if you need to. Your story can be made up but your background information has to be believable. It is also fun to create characters out of thin air. Like in my book, I needed a bad character and thought, “what do I want him to be like? How do I want him to look?” So I just made up a name and started creating this murderer. I decided to make him older. Then I decided to make him an aging hippie and decided he would have a long gray ponytail and he would drive an old flowered bus. I pictured him as scruffy and it was fun to dress him and put words into his mouth that made him sound mean. So remember, writing is fun because you get to use your imagination.

A—The “A” in fantastic stands for action and activity. Nobody wants to read something boring. Think about the books you like to read. They have action in them, don’t they? And you have to create action and activity. Let me give you an example. In my book, I have the main character, Brooks, witness a murder. Okay—I could have just written something like “Brooks heard a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot. Then somebody fell down.” That tells what happened but it isn’t very exciting. So instead I wrote, “Brooks heard several loud crackles and then he felt something fall against him. It was the man who had been standing right next to him. The man was just lying there on the ground bleeding! Brooks stood there frozen and then he heard someone scream, “Call 911!” Both those passages basically say the same thing, but the second one adds a lot more action and activity. Don’t just tell your reader what is happening. Make your reader hear the gun, see the man fall, and use details. It is a lot more effective to say the man was bleeding. That makes you see the fact that he really is hurt. So make your writing have that A in it for action and activity.

N—The N in fantastic stands for never. You never need anything but your mind and your English skills to write. You can write anywhere anytime and it doesn’t cost anything. You can use a computer or just a pencil and a piece of paper. Writing never has a time limit, either. You can write for fifteen minutes or you can write for five hours. That is one of the things I love about writing. Like with my book, I would think of something I wanted to add to it or change, and I would sit down and write. I never had to write in a certain time period or in a certain place. And you almost never have any limits on your writing. By that I mean you can go wild with your imagination. You can create a character and a situation right out of your head. And think about this--you are almost never too old or too young too write. I was 11-years-old, the first time I got paid for my writing. So remember, the N stands for never.

T—The first T in fantastic stands for teach because writing teaches you so much. You know when I was talking about the fact that you need to try to stick with what you know, even if you write fiction so your background information will be accurate. Like with my book, I started with what I knew—my town of Murfreesboro, TN, and I did know quite a bit about the Civil War. But I wanted to make sure all my facts were correct, so I did a lot of research at the library and on the internet. Doing the research took a lot of time but it was really fun. And just think how much that research taught me. I learned all kinds of things about the Civil War. Also each time you write, it teaches you to be a better writer. Remember when you learned how to swim or skate, or ride a bicycle. At first you weren’t very good. You feel off your bicycle a lot. But then with practice you got better and better. Writing is like that. The more you write, the better you get. So the T stands for teach as writing teaches a lot of different things.

A—The A in fantastic is for accomplishment. When you finish writing something, you feel like you have really accomplished something. Your words are on paper. What was in your head is there for anyone to read. There is no better feeling than when you write something and it touches someone else. Like if you write a poem for your Mom and she reads it and cries. How great is that? Writing is very powerful. You can make people cry or laugh or get angry—just with your words. One time I wrote something and a woman who read it sent me flowers. I felt so very accomplished. Like I had done something important and touched someone with my words. What I wrote meant something to someone else. So the A stands for the accomplishment you feel when you put your words down on paper. It feels like you have done something important and you have!

S—The S in fantastic stands for success. But becoming a successful writing involves a lot. First, writing is very hard work and takes a lot of time. I often say that the word writing may be spelled with one r and no e’s. But actually when you think about it writing has two r’s and by that I mean writing involves rewriting or revision and rejection. You don’t just jot something down and you are done with it. Like with my book, I spent more time on the rewriting and revision than I did actually writing the book. I think many authors spend a lot of time making their writing as good as it can be. Now the other r that is involved in writing is rejection. If you write much at all, at some point you will face rejection. I have enough rejection letters from publishers to paper a room. Honestly! But what you have to do is take rejection as part of writing and try to learn from it. Just like when you teacher corrects something on your paper. Most of the time, if you change it, your paper will be better. And the e’s that are actually part of the word writing go along with this—edit and effort. You have to spend a lot of time on those revisions and rewriting. You have to edit your work and then it will be edited by others, like your publisher. It takes a lot of effort to be a writer. But to be a success at anything in life, you have to work hard. Now if you decide that writing is what you want to do for a living, there are many different ways you can do that. You can write fiction or non fiction books, or be a journalist. You can work for a newspaper, a magazine, or a tv or radio station as a writer. You can also find success writing speeches for a congressman, or writing commercials for an advertising agency. Or you can teach writing! So remember, S is for success and that takes a lot of time, rewriting, revision, rejection, editing and effort.

T—The second t in fantastic stands for tools. This is very important. You have to have the right tools to write! Learning grammar is vital. Proper use of the English language is very necessary for any writer. I know sometimes that seems kind of boring, but if you don’t have the basic tools, your reader might not understand what you are trying to say. Writing is about communication, and without the basics you can’t communicate your thoughts on paper to anyone else. It is just like building a house. You couldn’t just start building a house, without having some education about how to do it. And you would have to have the proper tools to build your house. You couldn’t even put up a wall if you didn’t know how to use a hammer. So you have to learn basic rules about grammar and sentence structure and things like that, to be able to write. And it doesn’t matter if you ever want to make your living as a writer. Everyone needs to know how to write because good communication skills are the key to success in any job or career. No matter what you do, you need to be able to communicate. And that takes education and tools. So remember your T is for tools.

I—Inspiration. I am often asked where I get my inspiration. The answer is simple. All around me! I see someone who looks or acts interesting and I think about how I could use that to build a character. Or I see something happen and it inspires me to write. Sit outside some day and just look around. Do you see an old man walking across the street? What do you think he is like? What if you made up a story about him? What would it be? Imagine a story built around something you see right in front of you. For my book, I got my inspiration from a real situation. My neighbor across the street had a little boy. He and I started doing things together and that is where I came up with the idea for the book. I decided that the little boy could be the main character in Murder at the Oaklands Mansion. Then I made the woman across the street from him his aunt. Then I took some of the things we really did do and put them in the book. For example, we really did go see the ice sculptures at the Opryland Hotel and we really did go to a movie audition. And—we really did go visit the Oaklands Mansion. I started with those things and then I thought, well that wouldn’t be very interesting. What could I have these characters do that would be interesting? Oh—how about getting them involved in a murder? So you can get inspiration from things all around you and again—it sometimes goes back to what you know. Your inspiration is often right in your own backyard. Sometimes writers can get inspiration from an event. Like in the movie “The Perfect Storm” that was about a boat sinking. The storm really did happen and the boat really did sink, but the writer who wrote the book made up the things that happened at the end. He wasn’t on the boat and everyone went down with the ship, so he really had to make up what they said and did right before the boat sank. So he was inspired by a real event. Or sometimes a writer is inspired by something that he feels strongly about or is upset about. Or a writer can even be inspired by another person. That is how biographies get written. So the I in fantastic stands for inspiration.

C—The C in fantastic—our last letter—stands for construction in creation. It is important to have a plan when you write, just like when I was talking about having the proper tools. Think of it like building a house again. You have to have the proper tools and education to build a house, but you also would not start building a house without a plan or a blueprint. Writing is the same. Most writers, including me, start by brainstorming. Before you can create, you have to construct. That is what brainstorming is all about. I sit down and think about what I want to say. What is this book or story about? Where I want to start and how I want to end my story? What kind of characters do I want? How do I want to develop them as I go along? You can always change things when you rewrite. But you have to have a basic plan about what your goals are with each piece of writing. For example, what is your purpose? Like with my book, I first wanted to write a book that kids would enjoy reading. I wanted it to have some funny things in it, some action, some suspense and some mystery. I also wanted it to be informative about the Civil War. I always thought history was boring, because when I was growing up, history in school was just memorizing dates and names. History is much more than that and I wanted to make it exciting to learn about the history of the civil war. So I tried to include as many interesting and sometimes scary or even funny things about the civil war in my book. As I went along, I did change some of my original plans as I was writing the book. But I started with a basic construction plan so that I could create. So C is for construction in creation.

Melinda Richarz Lyons, an amazing author and individual, earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Texas, and has been a free lance writer for over forty years. Her work has appeared in many publications, including True West, Cats Magazine, Nashville Parent, Frontier Times, Cincinnati Family Magazine, Kids, Etc. and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is a co-author of WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty (Echelon Press). Ms. Lyons’ story “Twice in a Lifetime” was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love (2009). Her current book is Murder at the Oaklands Mansion. For more about the author and her writing: http://www.melindalyons.com/

Slipping Between Life Phases

2010-02-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was reading a post by Dorothy Sander on her Aging Abundantly blog titled Midlife Shadows. She talks about Midlife being a time when we become who we are meant to be. I like that. It reminded me of a conversation I'd had with Mr. Tom Murphy, former Drama teacher at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, AK. I did not have the honor of being taught by Mr Murphy, however, we are now FaceBook friends and I do enjoy that greatly.

In one of our first connects I commented to him that I was now entering into the complexities of "the aging woman" and attempting to do whatever it was I needed to do to leave my mark on the world. He informed me that in a few years I would be "a woman of a certain age" and I would find that a good thing. He told me "When you get to be of a certain age, man or woman, you can do whatever you think you should do, and woe to those who say you nay! As "the aging woman" you still have responsibilities that will have vanished when you get to be "of a certain age". I know this because I have been "of a certain age" for years now."

I liked that as much as I did Dorothy's post. In fact, Mr. Murphy's comment led to a story. I'd like to share it with you now.....

A Woman of a Certain Age by Linda Boulanger

When I was a child, I spoke as a child…then it came time to put away those childish things. As I packed them away, slowly over many years, I tried to figure out who I was. I became the teenager who thought she was all that; though underneath she really wasn’t sure at all. She was followed by the young lady who tried to be all things to all people and never really succeeded at being any one of them.

I finally settled into the mature woman and was becoming pretty comfortable with her only to find I was moving into yet another phase; the aging woman. I wasn’t so sure about her. She didn’t look familiar or feel familiar. She tormented me so with her aches and pains and sags and dimples. She developed laugh lines and wrinkles around the eyes. She was no longer confident that her tilted head, crinkled nose, and award-winning smile would get her what she wanted. She bought pretty little bras that could cinch things back into place with just the slightest twinge of pain but only when she breathed, and pants long enough to cover those nasty little spider veins that appeared more prevalent on a daily basis. Yes, I called it fashion; said whatever it took to make myself feel better. But I didn’t like her.

And then a wonderful thing happened. I became a woman of a certain age. Oh that was a glorious day because on that day, I finally became the woman I was meant to be. I arrived.

I can’t tell you how it happened. It simply did. I awakened one day, my nest was empty, and the only work I had to do was that which I desired. I got out of bed with my head held higher on my wrinkled neck, ran my hands through my graying hair and decided I would not color that day as I’d planned. I rather liked the fringed look even if the color did knock a few years off. Who was I kidding? The only person who cared about seeing those years disappear was me! My friends had all let theirs go years before and they were all happy, so it seemed. Much more so than I had been!

I turned to spread up the covers and decided not to. I’d be crawling back into them in a few hours anyway because I’d already planned a luxurious afternoon nap followed by a late night indulgence of eating popcorn in bed and watching movies I’d missed over the years. I’d been told that the fact that I hadn’t seen Beaches made me borderline criminal and an affront to womankind. I didn’t care about that but I did want to see the movie just the same. I made a list so I could run to the video store later. I hadn’t been since my kids were home. I wondered if I still had a membership. Well, they could jolly well set me back up if not!

With a smile, I realized I could do whatever I thought I should do and woe to those who said any different because I was now a woman of a certain age. She was strong, stood for what she believed was so, and no longer did only for others. In fact she didn’t ponder so much on what others thought. Oh I really liked her. I felt as if I had grown up at last.

I’d been told one time that some people are ready for different adventures at different times in their lives. I believed that now and, as a woman of a certain age, I could respect that; enjoy it actually.

I dressed, choosing my gardening bra; used for maximum breathing ability as I crawled among the foliage. It really didn’t look all that bad. I wondered what my kids would think of their mother in a pair of bike shorts. The grandchildren would love it. It made me laugh.

I entered the world that day seeing through eyes that were far younger than they had been for many years. I was thankful for this transformation to a woman of a certain age. I would enjoy her for as long as I could. I also realized, as her, I was no longer fearful of the phase yet to come: the old woman. She was the one who would teach me to enjoy where we had been. As her, I would truly cherish my life.

That story makes me smile. It's a great reminder of where we've been and where we have yet to go. It also won a second place in the FaithWriter's Challenge! I was happy...happy enough to include it in my collection of faith-based short stories: Becoming... Thanks Dorothy for a lovely post and thank you, Mr. Murphy for helping to ease the pain of slipping from phase to phase. You always bring about your own special blend of perspective.

Absolutely Positive -- Writing as Therapy

2010-02-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

My dear friend author/illustrator/blogger Chris Janzen has written a wonderful piece on Writing as a form of therapy in her blog. I'd like to encourage you to hop over there, read the post, comment as desired, and become a follower. You'll be glad you did. Chris created ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE as a place to get away from the chaos that has become our lives. It is a place where you will find articles, opinions, and ideas for simplifying and enjoying life more.

In the post titled "Writing The Storm Out", Chris says "Writing can be a wonderful form of therapy. It is no secret that keeping a journal is a tried and true method for getting your thoughts and feelings on paper so you can sort them out. When you write things down in the middle of whatever cruddy thing you are going through, you can look back later, with a healthier perspective and gain a depth of understanding. Writing is a valuable tool." She discusses the use of social media and other outlets as well as journals as forms of therapeutic writing. It's a worthwhile read. Jump over....http://absolutely--positive.blogspot.com/

How many stories do you work on at a time?

2010-02-23T06:32:00.001-08:00

I often scratch my head when I see the pile of books on my daughter's bedside table, not because it's messy but because she will read 4 and 5 books at a time! That just doesn't make sense to me although I am finding more and more people who partake in the activity of multiple-book-at-a-time reading. As I pondered how she does it, I heard that little voice inside asking me one of those questions in that tone that I know is going to make me say "duh" to myself. The voice simply said "what about you writing more than one story at a time?" Well, of course I had to counter that my multiple story writing is somehow different. Not exactly able to pinpoint how it is different, I decided to drop the whole questioning of the multiple book reading issue. Instead I began to focus on why/how I often work on more than one story at a time.

We all know I am working on my novel A Marriage of Necessity, which is somewhat the focus of this blog...or the process and thoughts that go along with writing a book anyway. But, you may not know that I do additional writing at the same time. I write this blog for one thing. I do website content writing. I have to answer the never ending stream of emails that come in every day and that is writing as far as I'm concerned. I often answer a simple email with the return of an email the length of a small book. Although I have not taken the challenge in a few weeks, I almost always enter the weekly writing challenge on FaithWriters.com which requires a work of 750 words or less in response to a simple prompt. Their prompt for this week is "shhh" which I have not yet decided if I will do.

I'm also working on additional books of short stories. I have my Love With A Twist Of Lime that was to be a trilogy of stories (actually, it started out as all short stories and has continued to evolve). The "story" with the same name as the book title (handwritten :( at the moment, of course) ended up being too long for a short and then was to be the anchor of the trilogy. The other two that were to go with it then ended up being too long; one being A Marriage of Necessity! I let my stories tell themselves. I CAN force them into a certain word count but I prefer not to. So, I continued to write these twisty lovey limey stories (as co-writer Pat likes to call them) but they will mostly be hosted in a book titled Echoed Heartbeats: when you feel his heart beat next to yours. I've already designed the cover for that one even! I'm excited about those stories because they are love stories and we all know that's right up my alley. The difference is they all have a twist or something unexpected thrown in. They've been fun to write and I'm pretty sure that comes through. Sometime I'll have to post a couple here on the blog to give you a feel of what they will be like.

So now back to multistory writing....I REALLY want to get finished with A Marriage of Necessity. Thankfully, as a self-publisher, I have the luxury of changing my timelines though one must be careful about not following through with self-mandated goals....another blog entry idea, perhaps? I will say I have actually written the ending of Marriage and am now writing to that ending from where I left off when the ending demanded to be written. I'm anxious in a good way for everyone to read it. Considering the fact that this story was to be part of the Twisty Lovey Limey stories, the ending is unexpected but good. I love happy ever after. Is that too much to give away? I hope not! Scroll down and read my profile. It says, in part, "Her stories almost always have a happy-ever-after ending and leave you feeling satisfied that the characters have had or are walking into a life of complete fulfillment." A Marriage of Necessity will be no different. I don't like sad....or sad endings, I should say. There are certainly sad parts in many of my stories. And I am constantly reminded by my husband that I did, in fact, have the dog die in my first children's book. BUT Sadie has a wonderful life and the book concentrates on the good aspects of her life as well as educating on the benefits of rescue organizations. Her death is also depicted as a wonderful reunion with her friend Sami as she crosses the Rainbow Bridge to meet her. (How Sadie Learned to SMILE).

Tangents....that seems to be the way my day is going. BACK to multi-story writing! I was NOT going to multi-story write while working on Marriage. I told myself I would buckle down and work on nothing else (hence the reason I have ignored FaithWriters and other challenges as of late). Last week, however.....you guessed it....another story began knocking. I tried, I REALLY tried to ignore it. It won and over the weekend I began writing on it. Good news.....I was having a bit of a block on Marriage. That was part of the reason I decided to give in to this new story. Guess what? The block went away and what is pouring forth is, in my opinion, better than what it would have been. Sometimes creativity frees one up for greater creativity. Bottling myself in and mandating a one-story regimen simply wasn't working....for me. Writers come in all different shapes and sizes and genres and styles. You may not be able to work on more than one or, like me, you may find that limiting yourself clogs your brain instead of focusing it.

How many books do you read at a time? How many stories do you write at a time? How does this affect your work? I'd love to read your side.....

What Our Characters Teach Us

2010-02-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

What do our characters teach us? Do they teach about falling in love and making that relationship work in a world where saying I love you really means just jump in the sack with me and we'll fall out of love in about 15 minutes, baby? Did I get your attention with that line? Well, it does play in here, so read on.... :)

I have been blog hopping this morning, reading and catching up with those blogs I "follow" (wishing I had more time because there is some really good stuff out there). Mary Verdick's post intrigued me. Mary is an ex English teacher and the author of both children’s books and several adult novels. (intriguing since I too want to write more than one "type" of book though you don't seem to see that very often). On her blog, http://maryverdick.blogspot.com/ Mary's Wednesday post was "Sometimes the Story is Right in Front of You" dealing with the question of inspiration. I get that question a lot (especially on my more off-the-wall stories). Her last post dealt with age being a number and not an indicator of our ability to take care of the things in life that need taking care of. I commented to her today that I believed her last post went hand in hand with the inspiration post because as we age we experience more experiences! It truly is a wonderful teacher. It is much easier to write about something we've experienced first-hand, however, I've found at times I get an idea for a story that I have no experience in at all....or maybe I do but it has been a good many years and I have to update myself to make it more timely. Those are fun times of writing too as I get to learn... I love being taught by my characters, which you'll probably agree with me that we are taught whether they are walking through something we've previously experienced or not.

Although I have answered the question on inspiration (you can read it on my website: Linda Boulanger.com) I'm intrigued with this thought today: what we're taught by our characters. Obviously when a writer writes about things they do not know they have to (or should) do research to learn all they can about the subject. I have a future novel (actually all written out....but it's in one of my lovely notebooks awaiting its turn for electronic transformation) about a 17 year old pop starlet. It deals with her transformation from a successful but not over the top singer to Megastar status. Weaved within the story of her walk to fame are the issues of handling the stardom while not losing herself and dealing with the issues of right vs. wrong, as well as....you knew this was coming because it's me :) ... falling in love and making that relationship work in a world where saying I love you really means just jump in the sack with me and we'll fall out of love in about 15 minutes, baby.

Now, I'm more than a few years past 17 and, event though I went to a few concerts during my college days, I'm sure they've changed a bit. I also had no experience with the music of today's youth.....had pretty much stopped listening to anything other than cds from my favorite musicals. Truth be told, I'm not even in a position to actually experience any of those things. I have 4 kids that need my attention most of the time and live in a town that really doesn't offer a whole lot of access to such, not to mention I can't exactly turn back the clock of aging!

Thank goodness for internet! I ask myself daily what I would do without that funky little "i" thingy that tells me I'm hooked up. It allowed me to get busy. I started listening to the "tunes" of the day (totally offended at first and had to turn them off after about 3.7 minutes), befriended, via email, a couple of DJs from the most popular radio station in Tulsa playing that music and attending concerts backstage, watched A LOT of music videos, interviews, concert clips, etc. as well as researching tons of behind the scenes info. It was work and I wasn't really sure I wanted to do it. But that character begged to be created. She plagued me until I relented and I LOVE HER just as much as I do the 15 year old near-prostitute character that my own 15 year old can't stand or the unwanted wife or the wildly successful screenplay writer......

Some of those characters take a lot of research, though most of my characters - like the ones Mary talked about in her blog - I can relate to from life and the fact that my stories deal mainly with love and the roller coaster ride that comes along with it. Still, they teach me because I experience differing emotions. I place them into situations I do not have first-hand knowledge of and explore all the aspects of the emotions and reactions. That's what I like to read....that's what I like to write. Hopefully it will be what you like to read too.

So, what do characters you've read about or written about teach you? I'd love to know. By-the-way, that 15 year old near-prostitute.....no, I didn't research THAT. Thankfully she is rescued prior by none other than an aspiring attorney at an elite law firm whose father just happens to have been a client of her mothers (no they aren't brother and sister.....they fall in love, of course). It's a tender story of her coming of age and being taken out of a life that she wants no part of but had, up until he "kidnaps" her, seen no way out of, and learning who she really is as well as helping him answer that same question. The name? The Selling of Ellie Carr. When? Don't press yourself here! Tell me what your characters teach you instead...

Link over to A Place For Writers

2010-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

I have stumbled upon a fantastic blog that will make my need for further postings unnecessary. I won't stop, of course, but I would like to encourage all of you to link over and read the posts at http://aplaceforwriters.wordpress.com/. The first couple actually hit upon topics I've discussed and I commented to her that I wish they'd been up when I wrote my articles. They weren't. We simply weren't synced and I have no idea why! Oh, yes. Because I just discovered the blog today. Still, I will say again....jump over and read them. I think you'll find them very worthwhile.

How much love....

2010-02-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

It's almost Valentine's Day and I have to confess I'm feeling quite aaaahhh. That's partly due to the fact that I'm getting an awesome birthday/Valentine's combo gift from my husband that makes me feel he truly believes in me and what I'm doing. That's always nice. I've also been working on a "love scene" in A Marriage of Necessity and, being the queen of fluff, I love love.

Having worked on the book quite a bit, yesterday I sent my pre-readers the most recently typed-in portion. There's so much more that I've written in my notebook that needs to get typed in! Still, as I do get the typing done I send it along. Christina Janzen, author/illustrator/friend extraordinaire, responded in this way:

It was all so glossed over and vague....SURPRISING for you. I understand you want it to be all about the romance and the feelings and not the details of the sex. But still...so much build up, and all those pent up feelings... I think that scene needs more attention and description...not pornographic or anything, but of their rush of feelings and her fear and trepidation melting away into passion and desire. MY humble opinion...

And I so appreciate her "humble opinion" as well as the fact that when I send something to her I know she will tell me the truth. And the truth....she was right. I knew it but have been battling with the issue of how much "love" to show (evidenced somewhat by a previous post). Now don't get me wrong. I CAN and have written some very provocative scenes. However, as I go forward with this book, I keep asking myself how much I want to show. This is going into print!!! Unlike a story written in my notebook that no one will see but me....this scene will be put out there for the public. It's not much different than spoken words. Once you speak them, they can never be taken back. It's caused me to ask myself some pretty interesting questions like how much does it take to show love?

Lisa Shroeder, an author of children's and teen books, had some interesting comments in her post yesterday called Writing Romance (Lisa Schroeder's Journal: Writing Romance). According to Lisa's blog, "All three of my YA novels have some romance in them. Not a ton. But some. And not the rip-your-clothes-off-and-fall-into-bed kind of romance. The kind where it's the little moments that show you the love between the two characters." She talks in the same post about a letter from her editor where he talks about the reader needing to see the characters falling in love even before the characters do. It's a great, thought-provoking post, especially for me as I continue to question.

Well, I'll tell you, I did rework the love scene. I took Chris' comments to heart concerning showing the feelings and her fears melting away into desire. I think her return comment sums it up nicely:

OKAY! Now THAT's what I'm talking about. Much more emotionally charged, and I was really hoping there would be "tear filled eyes." I kind of figured she would be really torn and want to and give in, but be all mixed up about it and weepy for multiple reasons. It's complicated, no doubt. I think you did a beautiful job on the re-write. Wouldn't change a thing!! Oh, and when a guy whispers a woman's name like that...very sexy, especially if he is looking intently into her eyes. Good job!! And not smutty in the least!!!

I'm feeling pretty happy with that! I can't wait for the rest of you to get to read it so I can get your opinion. I'm sure I'll continue to question myself as to how much "love" is enough. But for now, I'll bask in the aaaahh of this scene and the season as well. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Read Chris' Blogs: http://absolutely--positive.blogspot.com/ and http://shineintexas.blogspot.com/

A Writer Simply MUST Write

2010-02-09T10:03:00.000-08:00

I am a Fan of Wheatmark on FaceBook. Wheatmark is “a team of publishing and marketing professionals who teach authors about achieving publishing success.” (quoted directly from their FaceBook Page). I also follow Wheatmark on Twitter and peruse their website from time to time. They offer some great information.

An individual on Wheatmark’s FaceBook page posted a thought provoking comment after a posting from Wheatmark on a note titled Why Did You Write A Book? This individual more or less said you don’t become an author and that you can’t be stopped in your quest to write if you are. Wheatmark asked for clarification which was not given so I felt inclined to post (of course I did). I said perhaps the individual was saying that an author “is” and you don’t become one. You might recall my post on What is An Author from not so long ago.

Still, the commenter’s statement stuck in my head. It’s definitely one to ponder and Wheatmark reminds us to remember why we’re writing or wrote the book as much as how to market it and such. I thought it was a great reminder and one I needed to hear considering I've been making myself crazy with all the research on marketing.

I took a few days off….sort of. I pondered questions such as the one from the Wheatmark commenter and I still wrote because that’s what I do. I also played on the computer which is partially social marketing. And, drum roll please, I went to a movie! Yep! 15 years and only twice have I been inside a theater…..not for not wanting mind you. Life simply kept getting in the way. Well, I sucked it up, begged my husband to watch 3 of our 4 children, paid my $6.75 ticket price and bought the world’s largest coke for another $4.50 (I had birthday money in my pocket! – notice I said “had”). The movie was Dear John. I loved it. Of course I did….was it not a love story right up my alley with the twists and unexpecteds resolved into a happy ending? It was a perfect me movie and I thank my 12-year-old for dragging me along.

But what I loved most about it was the sense of hope it brought forth within me. Not the inspiration to be a better person because the female main character truly was good. I didn’t get the urge to join the army or collect coins or help people with autism. All great things….but for me, personally it was an inspirational revelation because of where the idea for the movie came from. It came from a novel! A novel by Nicholas Sparks….just one of many novels written by Nicholas Sparks and made into movies…..and basically, his novels are about everyday life and not so different from mine. Okay, they are different because his are actually typed in and turned into real hold-in-your-hand books instead of handwritten in notebooks (but that is changing!) and he is a multimillionaire because of them but overall, not so very different story-wise.

I came home intrigued and began to research Nicholas Sparks. He’s got a FaceBook Fan page that I’m pretty sure someone else mans. He has a website that’s very professionally done although it appears he wrote much of the content. I found out his first two novels went unpublished and he worked a string of odd jobs while writing The Notebook in his spare time. It was picked up from the slush pile of a new-to-the-business literary agent; a find that garnered him a million dollar advance and the book made the New York Times bestseller list in its first week of release.

I wanted to find something magical that told me why Nicholas Sparks and his books about everyday life were such a phenomenal success. Why is it they’re being made into successful movies at every turn? Why was he able to donate close to $10 million to help fund the start-up of a private Christian school? Why was he offered a million dollar advance for his first book? I didn’t find a magic formula except….to be a writer, you have to write. He has a section for writers on his website (NicholasSparks.com) where he pretty much says you can’t be a writer if you don’t write which might appear to be in contrast to the Wheatmark statement that authors “are” and don’t become. I’m thinking they’re actually saying the same thing but you decide that for yourself.

The main point is Nicholas Sparks never stopped. He didn’t give up when his first books weren’t published (I’m not actually sure he even tried with them but he kept writing….because he “had” to because writers write, perhaps?). He has a gift and he had a dream and he continued to write. I hate to admit it but I don’t think there’s a magic formula. I think there are a lot of Mr. Sparks out there who write fantastic books; myself included (okay, so I’d be a Mrs. and not a Sparks but you get the idea). We write because that’s what we do, whether we have an audience awaiting the latest release of our novel turned into a movie or not. We dream of life for our characters beyond the confines of our heads and, like Nicholas Sparks, we don’t give up on the dream that someday, just maybe, our books will be the chosen ones…..provided we continue to write.

Portrait of a Written Snapshot

2010-02-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the honor of attending the play Picnic with my oldest daughter. I hadn't intended to go simply because the logistics of getting out of the house without my other 3 children is nearly unfathomable. However, when my oldest (15) explained to her dad that she wanted to take me as an early birthday present and that her drama teacher has specifically said I should come to see the performance, how could he resist? So, I got a "night out" with my daughter.

The play, written by William Inge in 1953 is set in a fictionalized town near Independence, KS. My family and I just happen to spend many Saturdays in Independence. It is a nice 45 minute drive North from Bartlesville and my husband's grandparents used to reside there so he has fond memories of the place. It's a nice town to visit. They have a lovely park, a free zoo, a little train that takes you around the track twice for a quarter and a carousel that offers rides for just a nickel! I have a deep fondness for the old buildings and the newer statues that garnish the city in different places. I like to make my children pose by them. They look awesome on our Christmas cards :)

The play? Oh yes, the play. It was the High School Drama production which, I have to say, was quite impressive. Under the molding of a teacher I believe to be exceptionally skilled at her profession, Ms. Susan Crabtree, the cast performed wonderfully (I don't have to say that either. My daughter has an A in the class!). Just as I was with their portrayal of the Helen Keller story in The Miracle Worker in the Fall, I watched in awe as the cast and crew unfolded the story with an ease that made the task seem simple. Undoubtedly they put in a lot of hard work which paid off and was greatly appreciated by those of us observing.

In 1955, the play was made into an Academy Award winning movie by the same name. According to Answers.com, the film is "sometimes cited as a richly detailed snapshot of life in the American Midwest during the 1950s"; a statement which got me to thinking....isn't that exactly what I'm trying to do in my books and stories? Am I not offering my readers a snapshot?

Sometimes writing feels more like a play-by-play and the little details seem mundane or unnecessary, like when it takes 3 lines to let the reader know Terry has a mass of curls that she tucks behind her ears when she's nervous. Just like a fluttering hand to the throat of the main female character in a play right before she smoothes her skirt, however, these details may seem small but they are very telling and oh so important in the sculpting of that character. Each detail goes into the building of that snapshot.

I'm very glad I went to see this play. It took place in a short amount of time; the morning and evening of Labor Day as well as the next morning. Yet in that short span of time the character of these characters were brought out, explored, and exposed for who and what they truly were. We saw their past, their present, and their future. Not only did I enjoy the performance through the laughter and the tears (yep, I admit it! I was one of the ones with my tissue in hand) I believe it helped me to refocus in my goal as a writer. I realize now more fully that I must define the snapshot I want to create and compose the details in a compelling fashion that will evoke emotion in my readers just as the play did in its audience. The words are important, however, it is the snapshot those words create in the minds of my readers that will truly make the book a success worth telling others about. Thank you Susan Crabtree and the Bartlesville High School students. Bravo!

BookBuzzr's Book Widget

2010-02-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

You might have noticed a new box on the left hand side of the blog right under the name and what the blog is about. Right above the box it says Becoming... and in the left top corner, it says BookBuzzr. There's also a bright yellow/orange box that says "Read Free Sample" which I hope you will click on and read. It's an interesting display of my latest release, Becoming...

I'm not pitching the book at this point (though I might add that you can order it via my website for FREE SHIPPING through February 9th). I want to focus on that little box and the "look inside" feature that it offers. If you've read any of my blog or converse with me in the world of FaceBook or Twitter, then you know I've been throwing myself into learning about marketing and social marketing in particular. One of my Twitter connections led me to the website BookBuzzr.com. I was skeptical because of this one simple word: FREE. Now that word shouldn't scare a person but we all know free usually isn't. Just like with my free shipping, you still have to buy the book to get the free shipping. I guess I could ship you an empty box and then the shipping really would be free though it wouldn't serve either of us very well and I don't want to do that so don't ask me to. Still, I was intrigued by what I saw in my hopping around on the BookBuzzr.com site and I'd like to briefly share that experience with you (Brief from me? Yeah, right!).

According to the The Story page of the BookBuzzr.com site, that little box is an (and this is a direct quote) "embeddable book-widget that's shareable across multiple social networks. And with book-pages that look and act like pages from a real book." I personally liked the widget and decided to try it out on Becoming... although I'm truly thinking toward the marketing end of A Marriage of Necessity and how it will look as a widget :) Anyway, I decided to give it a test run. It was actually fairly easy to use. Of course, being a self-published author and doing my own formatting and POD publishing submissions, I have direct access to my pdf files. The site does, however, give you a link to an easy pdf converter. I may try it even though I don't have to since OpenOffice has a one-click converter for the inside of the books and I already discussed in a previous post how I use PhotoShop to convert my covers to pdf.

The upload was simple. They do ask some questions along the way that go toward building your profile. All pretty simple. I liked the fact that I got to pick the pages that went into the widget and did not have to choose pages that were all right together. They also provide you with a marketing checklist and suggest that you follow at least some of the listed suggestions to create a base level of presence on the Internet. I've done a few though not all.

All-in-all I'm intrigued by this little tool they call a book-widget. I'm going to create them for the other books I've written as well as for a couple I've published for others and we'll see where we go with it. In the meantime, make sure you click on that "Read Free Sample". At the very least, it will automatically post something about my book on Twitter :)

Creating A Book Cover

2010-02-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

You know the old cliche about not judging a book by it's cover. Well that was obviously not written by the person who came up with "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." That's exactly what a book cover has to do; make an impression that will either make the reader pick it up or, at the very least, take a second look.

I love cover creation. Not bragging or saying I've made the best (yet :) but, I truly do enjoy it. For several years I created customized specialty greeting cards through my Awesome Messages company so I have a bit of graphics design experience. Again not wanting to toot my own horn but the cards were really awesome! I painstakingly designed around each and every photo that was sent to me....very time consuming and not overly profitable. Still, I enjoyed it and it showed through in my work. I actually still do cards on a request basis. In fact, my friend Bridgette - nominated for teacher of the year at Madison Middle School here in Bartlesville, OK and well deserving of the title - emailed last night and said she needs new cards. "We" usually design around photos of her three awesome dogs. She gives me free rein and gets back cards that are uniquely hers.

Anyway, the card creation has helped me greatly in book cover designing. While Pat did a wonderful job of creating the cover for our Time Out On A Roller Coaster book, I have designed the covers for the rest of my books as well as all the books published through my TreasureLine Books Publishing company; a part of http://www.onestoppublisher.com/. I use an old graphics program, the same one I used for my cards, called PictureIt. Some of you may know it. It's an old Microsoft program that I have no idea why they did away with except that PhotoShop came on the scene. I have PhotoShop too but have yet to learn to use it much. Not exactly true. I use it as a pdf converter! Kind of expensive for that but we do what we must, right?! :) I'll learn to use it...eventually.

It's no secret that I self-publish using Amazon.com's CreateSpace. I have no complaints thus far about using CreateSpace. They're reasonably priced, quick, give a direct line into the Amazon.com sales channels and they have templates and modules to help you along the way. They'll even do it all for you....for a hefty price, but if you're a do-it-yourselfer or can find someone like me who can and is willing to help you or hire out at an affordable price to do it for you, then you can be on your way to a hold-in-your-hand book in a snap. It's exciting to hold that first book in your hand though I have to say, just like children, you don't love the ones that come after any less. You'll find yourself looking it over, caressing the cover as you proudly display it before friends.....

Ah yes, back to the all-important cover..... I don't want to discuss what makes a cover stand out as much as I do the actual creation of a book cover. What makes a person take a second glance is most likely personal preference. I might look at a book and love the cover and it do nothing for you. All authors would love to have their books catch the eye of everyone that walks by. Most likely, that's not going to happen. I spend a lot of time going to websites and looking at covers trying to determine what I like; what would make me pick it up if I could. My friend, author Melinda Richarz Lyons, recently published a young readers fiction novel through my TreasureLine Publishing (then AM Publishing) titled Murder at the Oaklands Mansion. I created a couple of different covers for her, fell in love with a wrap around cover I did and she chose a different one! That's okay. Ultimately, the author is the main marketer of his/her own book and has to be comfortable with it. You can see both of those covers on the Cover Creations page of my One Stop Publisher website. She chose the basic layout. I loved the blended cover at the bottom.

CreateSpace allows you to download a template for the cover. You can create your own from scratch as well and they will give you the dimensions. Don't get confused here, the template also allows you to completely create your own design. It merely provides you with guidelines such as where the front and back cover meet the spine, bleed area, etc. They also offer free cover designs but I found them extremely limiting and frustrating. If you've used them and liked them, I'd love to know!

CreateSpace allows for users to download their cover templates in a couple of different formats. I use the png because that is what my graphics program accepts and I am comfortable with it. Once you download, the designing begins. My latest book release is a collection of faith-based short stories exploring pivotal times and journeys in our lives called Becoming... (now available on my website at reduced Birthday savings until February 9th, btw!). The cover for Becoming... is a simple pink rose against a brown rock background. Simple is an understatement because that cover has 19 levels! That means there are 19 pieces that make up the cover of that book and each one has to be placed and worked in.

The cover of my first children's book titled How Sadie Learned To SMILE, illustrated by friend and awesome artist Christina Janzen, has 18 levels. I consider it a Basic Cover as opposed to the more intricate Blended covers though, as you can see, it still has lots of pieces. The cover for A Marriage of Necessity has 12 levels. I'll try to post some of those covers though you won't be able to see all the levels, just the finished products.

I'm sure there are a lot of different ways to create a book cover and I KNOW there are tons of businesses out there willing to create them for you (most charge an arm and a leg that you may or may not make up through the sales of your book). Most importantly though, it all boils down to creating or having a cover created that you'll be proud to hold up before people and say "this is my baby" and that you are comfortable with. That goes for all covers because books truly are judged by their covers though it's good to remember all eyes won't look at that cover exactly the same.

Now let's see if I can get some of those cover samples on here....the front covers, at least.

What Is An Author?

2010-02-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

First, I would like to say I am thrilled to have heard from all three of the book authors I mentioned in the post on Saturday, January 30th. Thank you John R. Erickson, Robyn Harding and Steve Weber. All three of their books will be reviewed/discussed at some point on this blog in the near future. I did start Robyn's book during my bike riding yesterday and must admit I laughed out loud several times. I felt bad, of course, because the poor MC (main character) is going through a truly trying ordeal. However, Robyn tells it in such a manner that the reader can feel the pain yet laugh at the same time. I'm excited to read more!

Yesterday I posted a comment on my FaceBook page that I needed to "go type on my story or there won't be any reason for me to continue... That sounded a bit dramatic. I meant, I can't be an author without a book!!!" That is the exact comment. My friend, blogger and avid reader, Kristen commented back "hey, just exactly what IS an author? I mean does being published mean you are an author or does it just mean you are writing a book or story or what???" and added "Do you have to actually have completed something written to be an author?" I thought these were valid and thought-provoking questions and wanted to take a bit of time exploring the answer. Well, MY answer anyway :)

The Farlex Free Online Dictionary describes an author as follows:
1. a. The writer of a book, article, or other text.
1. b. One who practices writing as a profession.
2. One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system, such as a website.
3. An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan.

Merriam-Webster says an author is: 1 a : one that originates or creates b: the writer of a literary work (as a book)

So what does that mean? Let's push the other definitions away and concentrate on Book Authors. Do you have to be published to be an author? It doesn't say that. It merely says the writer of a book in both definitions. Does the book have to be completed? Good question. Is this an answerable question? Another good question!

Want to know what I think? Well, it's my blog so you have to listen or hit the X which I hope you will not do. I think an author is anyone who writers, regardless of what they write or whether it is finished. You may spend a lifetime working on a story that never gets finished. Does that make you any less an author? I don't think so. I love this quote by Jules Renard, author of "Diary". It says "The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it." Everyone has a story, therefore, might we say that everyone is an author? Perhaps in their own way. Perhaps...

Thank you Kristen for the journey of this frame of thought. My conclusion: I believe it is a question one must answer for oneself. Anyone care to give their 2 cents????

Everything Old Is New Again....writing the same story differently

2010-02-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

I had a brilliant thought this morning concerning a missing zinger for the novel I'm working on. (I borrowed that "zinger" part from my friend Kristen who just so happens to be celebrating a birthday today...Happy Birthday!). I LOVE this book I am writing. I LOVE the characters, I LOVE where it's going...but, it needed a pop; that bit of the unexpected. There has been so much intensity from point A to point B. I didn't want to lose that for those who will read it as I head to point C. And I GOT IT! I won't tell you where I was when I got it. Okay, I will.....in the bathroom. That is the best place ever because, even if I'm not doing anything in there, I can shut the door and no one bothers me until I come out!!! I ALWAYS take my notebook with me to the bathroom :) Keep in mind I'm the mother of 4 children, with 2 cats, 2 dogs, and a husband. There's no such thing as privacy here!

Anyway, I can't share what "IT" is yet but hopefully your mind is flowing and you're beginning to wonder, especially if you have read the first part on my website (LindaBoulanger.com under Preview Page). Just know it's going to be worth the wait and then you'll be unable to put it down :) It's a hibernation book: find a comfy place and don't come out until you're done.

When I first got the idea for this book, A Marriage of Necessity, I was concerned because it's kind of a book about an arranged marriage. They didn't marry for love. In fact, they met for the first time and agreed to get married within a 30 minute time span, I would say. I loved the idea and the possibilities that began to spin in my head, but I wondered how I could make something that had been done before different enough to make people want to read it. In reality, and we've talked about this before, everything has been done before. Think about the books you've read and the movies you've seen. How many tackle something that's completely different?

When I reconnected with my friend and co-writer, Patrick Sipperly, he was very much in the throws of writing a screenplay. It's a great screenplay, by-the-way, and I have faith he will pitch it and it will get picked up and you'll get to enjoy it on the screen someday. I was blessed with a pre-read as well as a great lesson as Pat pointed me in the direction of a book by Blake Snyder called Save The Cat! This book deals with screenplay writing, however, I read it and found so very much of it pertains to novel writing as well. Blake devotes a whole chapter, 26 pages, to giving a twist to the same old theme. According to Blake, you can run right up to the same old same old but then you'd better give them something just a bit different. I've kept that in mind with everything I've written and tried to put that fresh spin on things. Not always easy when one is in the thick of inspired writing. Oftentimes, just as it happened today, I will be writing only to get that spark (perhaps the truly inspired part?) and know I've got IT!, that one bit that will make it the same only different.

So keep in mind that everything old can be made new again with the proper twist. Our job as writers is to create that tension and add the turns that will keep our readers interested all the way from A to C including the coast through B. Once this book is finished I'll expect feedback as to whether I've managed to accomplish that very thing. Not intending to be cocky here but I'm feeling pretty good about my success rate on this one :)

Silly Saturday Random Blatherings

2010-01-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

It’s Saturday. I should be sleeping in, but I’m not. Silly isn’t it to get up when you don’t have to? Actually, I found it more inspiring than anything and decided I would like to, on occasion, do a silly Saturday writing. Now that doesn’t mean it will necessarily be funny…more random than anything but that doesn’t sound as good: Random Saturday. Hmmm.

As usual, I began to awaken around 4:30 this morning. My neighbor goes to work at 4:30 during the week and I can hear him leave. I take that back. My cat hears him get in his vehicle and feels the need to let me know that he’s leaving and THEN I can hear him leave. Anyway, it has conditioned my body to begin the wake-up procedure around that time. It’s okay, I suppose. I usually doze making mental notes or working on the next part of whatever story I’m writing and try to make sure I’m up before the alarm goes off at exactly 6:05. I get up at 6:00 normally but just in case…the alarm goes off five minutes later.

This morning my mind was filled with randomness. I’d gone to sleep thinking about the next section of A Marriage of Necessity. Yesterday’s scene was more transitional and not nearly as fun and exciting to write. The good news is I got past it and the story flows on. The bad news was I know what I want to happen next and would have rather written than gone to bed. I resisted. My dogs had to sleep in the garage because of the cold temps and I knew they would not settle down if I didn’t. The kids tend to be up and down when I stay up as well. Not good. Go to bed! Still, I awakened with thoughts firing from every different direction, leading me to the idea for a Silly Saturday of Random Blatherings.

My computer doesn’t like the word blatherings, btw. I checked it with the Thesaurus. Blather means chatter or nonsense so wouldn’t blatherings be presumed to be nonsensical chatterings? Hey! It likes the word nonsensical but not chatterings! Go figure!!!

We’re having weather in Oklahoma. About 7 inches of white covers the great outdoors of Green Country. Wednesday it was 60 and Thursday it began to snow, continuing on and off through Friday. It has stopped and the world looks peaceful and still. Beautiful. A Facebook friend summed it up perfectly. She wrote: thinks Mother Nature is going through menopause - one day hot flashes the next she's an icy b!+@h !!! It’s fitting and so very Oklahoma. The saying is, “if you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute.” It’s very capricious.

And capricious is what I’m feeling today. Not sure what I want to do. One minute I think I will write or perhaps do some of the formatting work that needs to get done and the next I decide I should read on one of the many books that are amassing on my desk. I have Story Craft by John R. Erickson the Hank the Cowdog author; an autographed copy purchased for me by Chris Janzen. Steve Weber personally sent me his Plug You Book as well as his ePublish on which I owe him a review! (that makes me sound like somebody doesn't it? Ha, ha, ha). I picked up Unravelled by Robyn Harding at the book store a few days ago. It looked quite interesting; witty and perhaps a bit edgy. I’ve never read her work but think I’ll enjoy it.

Want to share what you’re reading? I’d love to hear all about it. You can always comment here or email me at WritersShelfLife@gmail.com. The Shelf Life of Linda Boulanger is a good place for FaceBook interaction. Let me hear from you.

How Much Is Too Much? -- A Kiss On Paper...

2010-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

The other day my friend/writer and current pre-reader Chris Janzen and I had an email conversation about romance. Well, romance writing anyway and, more specifically, how much is too much. You may recall that I posted my faux pas in becoming so excited that I sent my pre-readers another chunk of the A Marriage of Necessity story without a pivotal paragraph. That paragraph just so happened to be a kissing scene that took them from playful flirtation to fumbling over her buttons. Now keep in mind that I am trying REALLY hard to make this a book that any woman would be comfortable reading yet still satisfy my need for romance and love.

That brings me to my question of today: How much really is too much? What are you comfortable with? Do you want to have the author gloss over the details while giving you enough that you know what is happening or would you prefer it spelled it?

In this particular section with Mark and Terry from A Marriage of Necessity I rather glossed over the details (not to say that is necessarily how it will end up when all is said and done):

She screamed again and dissolved into laughter as he growled and snapped then playfully bit her neck. She stared at him wide-eyed, her smile replaced with expectation. “Kiss me, Mark,” she whispered as he lowered his lips to hers.
Hunger was the only word to describe what passed between them; that all out need to satisfy needs and to be needed. Mark hastily led his new bride to his room where they fumbled and stumbled like love struck teenagers.

Now compare that to the kiss between David and Elizabeth from another story that will be forthcoming eventually. The working title of this book is Everything Old Is New Again:

“I can’t do this,” she whispered. He stood behind her. She could feel his body pressing ever closer to hers. His hands, those same hands that had pulled her close, helped to warm her on the bus with the broken window, now caressed her upper arms. Only now they were not the hands of a young schoolboy. They were hands of experience, hands that knew…
His fingers tracked across her back, enticing as they moved up to pull the hair away from her neck. She closed her eyes as he kissed her bare shoulder, cursing herself for having chosen this dress for the night’s event. It had been chosen for a purpose, this purpose. His lips, so warm, traced a sensual line up to her slender neck where his tongue drew tantalizing circles along her jaw line.
“Oh please, David.” Her voice was breathless, testifying to the war that raged within. His other hand slipped down, curving around her waist to quickly turn her to face him.
“Yes you can,” he said as their eyes locked. She blinked slowly; intoxicated by the moment. Had she truly thought that if she fanned the embers of those long-suppressed flames, they would not, in fact, engulf her? She moistened her lips, her eyes trailed down to his; full, sensual lips slightly smiling, waiting, knowing. She smiled as she looked back at his eyes that danced with a mixture of mischief and desire. How many years she had waited for this moment; wondered, dreamed.
“You want to. It’s why you came,” he said as his head began to lower toward hers.
As if on cue, her cell phone rang. She looked toward it. The photo of her smiling children stared back from the phone’s face. She laughed, moving away from him.

Which do you like better? The situations are pretty much the same; there’s a neck kiss and then lips lowering to lips. Yet 2 paragraphs with little detail are used in the first compared to 6 in the later. Do they conjure up differing emotions? Are you comfortable with one over the other? I want to hear from you. Just think, your opinion MAY result in the way I proceed with the A Marriage of Necessity book. Will I give you co-author status? Undoubtedly, NO! :)

Social Networking = Social Marketing?

2010-01-28T03:54:00.000-08:00

It gets a bit confusing when things get made easier. That sentence is a bit confusing in itself. What I mean is, we have the opportunity to reach so many from right behind our desks, the very desk where we often create the "product" we're trying to pitch. For me, it's my books and in all my research on marketing, social network marketing seems to be the "biggie" right now. With the increased popularity of FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and the likes, people are connecting like never before. I come from a big family and had a big family. My personal FaceBook is filled with daily comments from those family members as well as old friends and many new friends I have made along the way. I enjoy these little blips of connection on a personal level.

However, as a writer I've begun to see these social networking machines as a tool, thanks to several great newsletters and articles I have read. In fact, I spent the morning yesterday updating several sites and set up a FaceBook Page for myself as an author. I then became my own Fan! Felt a bit stalkerish and freaky but, thanks to my friend Denise, I now have a new story idea running through my head. That's just the way it works. The page? The Shelf Life of Linda Boulanger.

I publish a quarterly eZine called Get Noticed that you can link to through the Awesome Messages site. I talk quite a bit about Marketing on both the Marketing Your Book page as well as articles in the Archives. According to information I pulled for those articles, Twitter, FaceBook, Linked In…social networking sites keep your book before the public eye. Seeing your willingness to help market yourself or your book is also considered a plus to publishers who might consider picking you up. So, get blogging and set up your social connecting because it really is considered the way of the future (right now at least). I don't want to simply repeat what I wrote there so make sure you follow the links above and hop over to those marketing pages if that's of interest to you. There's some really great info and links in there!

The bottom line, these sites are a great way to connect but remember it takes time to build your following. Don't get frustrated if you don't have 300 fans your first day. Post relevant comments, learn about keyword usage, learn about submitting your posts to article directories, and so on. I'm still learning so stay with me and perhaps we can climb that social marketing ladder together. I welcome your tips and comments as well.

Sidenote: For those who don't know, I live in Northern Oklahoma. Yesterday it was 59 degrees. Today we are due for an ice and snow storm that will most likely close our schools this afternoon and tomorrow. If you don't hear from me for a couple of days....you'll know why. I'm buried!

Words of Encouragement -- Make Them Real

2010-01-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

I realize this came from my mom but I found it better than a nice hug or a washcloth on your forehead when you're sick....well, almost as good. The words were very encouraging at any rate and I'd like to share them with you. Keep in mind that I have a couple of people reading the A Marriage of Necessity story as it unfolds and I send it to them a bit at a time as I complete the typing in. In an email from Mom, she wrote: I finished the last part you sent me and can hardly wait for more. I hope I am not rushing you. You know that I read a lot and not too many books move me like this one does. My friend and fellow author/illustrator Christina Janzen is also reading as I go and has been encouraging with a hand to the back (or maybe that's the crack of a whip I feel!). I chose these two as readers because I knew they would shoot me straight, tell me if it wasn't good.

...and that brings me to the point of this post... Always, always, always - no matter how much you think it might hurt the feelings of the author - always tell them the truth about their writing. Granted, they can agree to disagree with you and the rest of the world may agree with them that it is great and wonderful. We all have differing tastes. However, if it simply isn't working for you or it's confusing or just flat out stinky, you need to find a nice way and tell them. Co-writer Patrick Sipperly, Chris(tina) Janzen, and I have been part of the FaithWriters.com weekly challenge for some time now. Although we don't always submit, when we do, we usually zip our stories off to one another and ask for opinions/edits. My story Unwanted (included in my book Becoming...) ended up as an Editors Choice story and I have to give credit to a suggestion made by Pat that lead to a change in the first paragraph. His comment to me was something like this isn't doing it for me, how about blah, blah, blah. I took his comments to heart, made some changes and it is a very emotion-packed and compelling story. If you want to read that story, you can link from here: http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=42582 It's the 6th story from the bottom of my Challenge Articles.

Other times Pat or Chris will give suggestions and I will disagree. That's okay too. I'm sure they don't take everything I say and incorporate it. Still, these critiques and venues of constructive criticism are important, especially if you know those you have chosen into your critique circle are telling you the truth. Keep it real and it will not only be more helpful and appreciated but you'll probably find yourself on the inside scoop side of getting to read the author's work before anyone else.

Developing a group of writing/reading friends is a great way to have your work critiqued. There are also author's sites and groups where you can submit your work. Chris has used the critique circles of the FaithWriters.com site to have her work critiqued by others. WritersCritique.com (http://www.writerscritique.com/) is a site dedicated to helping authors find a secure way of having their work critiqued. They claim that, unlike other forums that offer public critiquing, they offer a more private and intimate service for members. I haven't used them but did find some additional interesting information on their site.

Writing.com, an online community for readers and writers, offers writers the ability to get a feel as to how readers will react to their work with a rating system. You may also showcase your work on Writing.com without receiving feedback, however, they feel that the constant exposure to opinion and constructive criticism can increase the quality of an author’s writing. They also state that an author may find reading and reviewing other members' items to further their own writing with new ideas, writing styles and topics.

OnceWritten.com offers a place to post short stories and poetry where others may comment/critique. One author also posted the following as places to put your work, though I have not checked them out: Scribd.com, Fictionpress.com, Booksie.com, Quizilla.com. Many of these places allow you to become a member for free.

So, whether you get feedback from friends and family or you desire the kudos of fellow authors, there are options. Just remember, turnabout is fair play and you should offer critiques in return but always make your words of encouragement real.

The Birth of a Book

2010-01-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

I woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago with a new story idea in my head. It had to do with a woman having to marry this man with a bunch of kids. Now I’ve been working on what I thought would be a trilogy of stories that would go in a book called Love With A Twist Of Lime. The three stories (2 of which are already mostly written) were to have the common theme of each of the main female characters being unable to have children and it making them feel somehow unworthy to be a wife. Crazy idea perhaps but, hey, it was the one I had and they were turning out pretty good.

Now, as I said, two of the stories are pretty much done and now I have to decide what I will do with them because this third story quickly let me know it would not be told in 70 pages. It wanted full-length novel status. So what of the other two? I’ve considered lengthening them into their very own stand-alone books or, perhaps I’ll have to write another story that will go in the trilogy in place of my current project and the subject that led me to create this blog. (A bonus of being self-published; I can make those decision changes at whim.)

Back to the original line of this post…I sat down at my computer and began to type the story that was unfolding in my head. I hardly ever do that – type it directly into the computer. I almost always write longhand in a notebook and then transcribe, making changes as I go. But not this time. I started the story, got to a good stopping point and zipped it off to my mom and author/illustrator friend Christina Janzen. “Read it,” I pleaded (had to twist their arms, of course). Almost immediately they shot back requesting I get busy so they could read more which, of course, prompted me to continue.

The book is titled A Marriage of Necessity and is, of course, evolving into much more than just a woman having to marry a man with a bunch of kids. As the teaser says, there’s an unfortunate accident, the death of a spouse, a man in need of help, and the threat of a lost inheritance. If you’d like to read that first part I sent to them, it is available on the preview page of my author website: http://lindaboulanger.com/PreviewPage.aspx. I haven’t fixed the errors yet and a couple of things have changed. That always happens as the rest of the story is written, but hopefully it will be enough to bring you back to see how it’s going. I’ve managed to type in about 51 pages though I have a lot more handwritten ones (yes, I reverted back). The 51 typewritten pages equate to approximately 130 book pages. How many pages do I expect it to be? As many as it takes to tell the story to completion though 300 seems like a pretty good number to me….always subject to change. :)

To Self-Publish Or Not....

2010-01-25T08:27:00.001-08:00

The decision to self-publish did not come without extreme thought and research. As an author, I believe one immediately thinks of big named publisher backing. However, as I began to research I learned that new authors have about a 5% chance of finding an agent and a 1% chance that agent will even sell their book. Even soliciting publishers like Tate Publishing, an Oklahoma based Christian operation that just happened to have an ad on my blog as I was writing this, make it clear that they only accept about 3 percent of all manuscripts received. Granted, their reasoning is valid in their desire to provide their authors with a quality product, hence not taking on more than they can handle. Still, it can be dashing to know you will undoubtedly be met with rejection after rejection.

Now, I was the kid who desired beautiful pictures and set out with my crayons to produce such only to get impatient and scribble to get it finished. Fortunately they turned out quite artsy, but I never learned patience! That being said, I chose to self-publish. I did not, however, choose to be out a lot of money upfront. I was amazed at how much many of the self-publishing companies wanted to charge! Yikes!!! Again, my research led me to a solution in Amazon.com's CreateSpace Print On Demand publishing. For me, it was/is perfect.

I've now published 3 books of my own through them, have published 3 books for other authors using their service, and have 2 books for others in the proof process, as well as 6 in the formatting process. Using CreateSpace also offered immediate access to Amazon.com's sales channel. It seemed like a win-win to me and I've been extremely pleased.

Although I've opted for the ProPlan with each book ($39.00 which allows the author to keep a larger share of the royalties from the book), I have been able to get my proofs for under $10.00 each and that includes the shipping. Then I decide how many books to order or whether I want to offer them via the internet only and have no out of pocket cost at all.

Once I took the plunge with the first book, thanks to the gentle promptings of my wonderful writing partner Patrick Sipperly, I realized this was the way for me. I also realized there were others in my same shoes that may or may not have the desire to tackle the formatting, cover design, and other aspects of self-publishing. CreateSpace offers a service to those individuals that runs, on special, over $750.00 leading me to create my own publishing company to offer the same services at a noticeably reduced cost. I don't mind steering interested authors who desire to do it themselves in the right direction (www.WritersShelfLife@gmail.com) or I can help with my TreasureLine Publishing and services offered at www.OneStopPublisher.com.

I love what I do and feel so blessed to be living my dream. Part of that dream is helping others with the same dream so I hope you'll write to me and let me know if I can help or visit my One Stop Publisher if you have an interest.

You NEED an outline. Really?

2010-01-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

I remember feeling greatly relieved when I learned that famed author Stephen King believes that creativity and flow are hurt by an outline because I hardly ever make an outline before I start a story. I get a general idea in my head and pretty much know where I want it to go, however, the characters often take on lives of their own and dictate to me what we'll be doing. I find it rather exciting that way because it's often as if I'm reading the story as well. The process reminds me of a flower that starts as a bud and opens, little by little, to reveal a beautiful, full-blown blossom.

It can, however, lead to potential rewrites or deletions of already written parts. I'm okay with that. Some writers are not. They don't want to do a bunch of work that will get tossed to the side. I've heard that author Janet Evanovich believes the outlining stage should be even longer than the actual writing. Yikes! That's not for me. However, I like what full-time freelance writer Steve Thompson has said. In his post Do You Need an Outline Before You Write Your Book , he reminds us that "What most aspiring authors don't realize is that an outline is a tool, and not a prerequisite." I got the feeling from the article that Steve is an outline user, however, he encourages writers to try it but do what feels the most comfortable. Hats off to you Steve for telling writers to explore and find what works best for them! His article also reiterated what I'd already learned about Stephen King and Janet Evanovich.

When my husband worked in the music industry in Nashville, he had the opportunity to sit in on a few songwriting sessions (with some known writers, actually, but who wants to drop names :) they were the same way. Many of the writers wanted to "know exactly where the song was going" while others just wanted to start singing and see where it took them.

Bottom line...you have to do what works for you and, either way, it's okay. There's no right and wrong, just a need to develop great characters in a great story. (sorry guys! I'm new to blogging and it keeps deleting the spaces between my paragraphs on this one. I tried to differentiate them with bold and italics).

Beginning To Write

2010-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have begun to write my first novel. Well, that's not exactly true. I actually have about 17 in various stages. This one, however, will be the first one published and I'm very excited about it. I hope you will follow along with me on the journey through the writing process, publishing, book marketing...all of it. The book is titled A Marriage of Necessity and you may preview the cover and read a sample on the Preview Page of my author website (http://www.lindaboulanger.com/).

While you're there you might notice I have a couple more books out there. My first book, Time Out On A Roller Coaster, is a collection of fun and light short stories that I wrote with my dear friend Patrick Sipperly. It was my first-born as far as published books goes and I will share some of the ups and downs of that process as well.

How Sadie Learned To SMILE is my first children's book, illustrated by friend and awesome author Christina Janzen. Chris and I have another children's book in the works called Pistachio (he's a snowman). It's a lighthearted story of finding a way to keep those we love near and dear to our hearts.

Okay! Think that's enough for my first post to give you an idea of what I'll be doing here. I hope you'll either leave comments or email me (WritersShelfLife@gmail.com) to let me know a bit about you!