Let the dialog speak.

I LOVE dialog. No really, really, love it.

I think most readers feel the same. It says so much, so easily, about who your character is, what they believe, what they feel and what their faults are. Dialog is moving and touching and scary and brilliant. Let it speak for your characters, after all, it IS their voice you’re going for right?

This is one of my all time favs. If you haven’t seen Tombstone, I suggest you do so. (Warning – It’s addictive.)

Wyatt Earp is fighting, none too successfully, an attraction to a woman who lives outside what was considered decent for women of that time.

Josephine: I’m a woman, I like men. If that means I’m not “lady-like”, then I guess I’m just not a lady! At least I’m honest.
Wyatt Earp: You’re different. No arguin’ that. But you’re a lady alright. I’d take my oath on it. 

TWO lines. That’s it. TWO lines and I know so much about these people it’s almost ridiculous.

Here’s another, and I hope Stephanie Perkins doesn’t mind me using her novel Anna and the French Kiss as an example. It’s a brilliant read with one of the best character voices I’ve heard in a long time.

St. Clair: “Definitely not.” He laughs. “Second lesson, the words on the chalkboard. Listen carefully and repeat after me. Granola.” I narrow my eyes as he widens his in mock innocence. “Means ‘granola’, you see. And this one? Yaourt?”

Anna: “Gee, I dunno. Yogurt?”

See! So much can be gleaned about a character from simple sentences of dialog. I  know they both have a sarcastic, witty personality. I know she’s somewhat outspoken and that he’s a flirt. This one gets SO much better. It’s a must read, btw. I read it in an evening.

Okay, I won’t beat this one to death, but it’s pretty important. I know we’ve all seen it. What could have been said with dialog, instead is written out for us. Can you see it? He’s being sarcastic, of course, so I search for a witty response. As if I can’t figure out the simple translation…

We tend to over-explain, whether by author intrusion or internal thoughts. When in doubt, let your characters speak it out. It’ll keep the pace humming and let your readers get to know so much about them and connect on a personal level.

🙂 Candi

Link of the Week

I stumbled across today’s link and found it really cool. I hope you will think so , too.

Page 99 Test is a site where published and unpublished  authors anonymouslyshare one page of their work  for readers. And just like the title suggests, that page is page 99. Readers can then give the author a thumbs up or thumbs down, and rate your page on the likelihood they’d buy the book. There is even a box where the reader tells the author the reason for their rating. It’s a great way to get unbiased feedback.

As a reader, you can pick the genres you are most interested in. As an author, it’s fast and easy. Overall, it fun and, dare I say, addictive for both readers and writers.

Check it out!

http://page99test.com/

Agent Shop day with Weronika Janczuk!

UPDATE:

MS. JANCZUK REQUESTED 7 PARTIALS FROM HER VISIT. E-MAILS WENT OUT TODAY!

Good luck to those who got requests and I’ll see you all at the next agent shop! As always – keep writing!

Congratulations to everyone that made it in.

I’ll make it quick as usual.

Here are the stats.

Pitches received: 72

• Pitches accepted: 30
• Pitches over limit:28

Pitches ditched: 14

• Too long: 6
• Missing info: 7
• NOT a pitch: 1 (Sorry folks, but a Bio & blog/website info inviting the agent to check you out, even in less than 200 words, doesn’t count.)

Not bad! If you’ve followed us for very long, you know I’ve had dates where the pitches I ditched outnumbered the pitches I accepted!

As always, if you didn’t make it in this round, look your pitch over. It may be something as simple as missing wordcount, or a title. You might have also come in after the first thirty viable pitches. Whatever the case, it’s important to look at:

• what might be missing
• if you’ve followed the guidelines

You might find some of the same mistakes in your query!

Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I know you’re dying to scroll down and see if your pitch made it!

Be patient!

We have to announce the winners.

The TOP PITCH slot winner is – well it’s the first one up. If it’s yours – congrats!

The winner of MISERERE is LINDA PENNELL! Please send your address to me at candi_agent_shop (@) yahoo.com and I’ll forward it on to Teresa Frohock. Congrats.

Now let’s welcome Weronika Janczuk.

It’s lovely to have you participate in Agent Shop, and I hope some of the pitches below catch your attention. If there are any you’d like to see more of, please e-mail me the pitch number, what you’d like to see from the author, and how the author should send it to you. (P.S. You can use the danci address we’ve been corresponding with.)

Enjoy!

*****************************************

TOP PITCH SLOT WINNER

#1

SIXTH SENSE

Romantic Suspense

90,000 words

Reluctant Psychic Katherine Crystal, dubbed “Crystal Ball Kate,” is thrust into the national spotlight when she accurately predicts that the five-year-old son of actor Vince Rivers will die in a plane crash. Skeptical Atlanta Police Detective Beauregard Lee Jackson Hale (Jack), who has a deep-seated distrust of psychics, is the by-the-book officer who ignores Katherine’s warnings when she calls to report her premonition. When they are sent toSydney, Australia, to help catch a serial killer, the chase leads to romance and the ultimate discovery of a mystery and a murder surrounding Kate’s birth in the spiritualist community of Cassadaga, Florida. Kate learns to accept her unique abilities and trust her sixth sense about love.

#2

DARK KNIGHT

Paranormal Romance

80,142 words

Dark Knight is about the faraway world of the Shadowlands, a world parallel to our own.  Creatures from the Shadowlands make their way into our world; sometimes simply to survive and sometimes to wreak havoc.  Vampires come from the Shadowlands into the outer world and are an extended human race that live longer, are stronger and possess abilities to control the human mind.  Ethan St. John (an agent working in the secret sector of the U.S. Government) a.k.a. protector and vampire hunter, and Gabriella Woods (a “starving artist” who possesses a unique gene that the vampires need), will evade the vampires, falling in love along their journey.  Gabriella and Ethan are on the run from a powerful vampire (LaCroix) and they visit faraway places like the Shadowlands and Egypt.  Throughout the story, Gabriella will learn how to control her mind and how to break through the strong barrier around Ethan’s heart. This is the first of many books in the Shadowlands series.  I’m currently working on the second book, Donovan’s Fumble, bringing many characters from Dark Knight back into the story.  Readers will follow many of the same characters while reading about the Shadowlands.

#3

LITTLE RED FEATHER

Contemporary fantasy/horror

95,000 words

A pair of werewolf brothers battle over a Montana Indian girl—one hungers for her love, the other for her flesh—in this retelling of the classic fairy tale.

When DENNY HOLT sells his soul and becomes a shape-shifter, half-brother ZACH gets caught in the magical backlash. Denny becomes a murderous black wolf by the full moon, but only Zach’s physical form is affected. Zach becomes a gray wolf and returns to human only when Denny is the black wolf.

One day LITTLE RED FEATHER GORDON, a teenage Blackfeet girl, finds a dying gray wolf and heals his wounds. As July’s full moon approaches Zach is determined to protect his Little Red Feather and reveal his human self to her. When Denny kills one girl and almost kills another, Zach’s plans fail. He’s forced to flee to Glacier National Park and become an alpha.

Zach returns before August’s full moon and defends Little Red Feather from Denny. They flee to Grandmother’s, a two-day journey, and spend the night at a cabin. Zach transforms and Little Red Feather insists they are married. At Grandmother’s Zach battles Denny, and with Little Red Feather’s help Zach slays his brother and breaks the curse.

#4

LIFE TAKE TWO

Women’s Fiction

85,000 Words

Marianne Larson brings a shocking end to her family life when she confronts her cheating spouse at his dominatrix apartment.  She begins her new life by returning to college, without the support of her mother and grown daughter. But secrets from the past, refuse to remain hidden and bring the three women back together to heal their broken relationship and create a new future.

#5

THE BLACK DESERT

Women’s fiction/ elements of suspense

95,000 words

Forty-eight hours into their Moroccan vacation, Julie’s best friend disappears, leaving a terse note of apology and a plea: wait for me.

Days pass. Julie’s anger fades to worry – then fear, when she realizes she is being followed. Then, a vicious attack meant for Julie kills an innocent woman. Julie bolts.

She has learned enough snooping through Fay’s luggage to guess her destination is Taghabene, a remote village. Convinced that Fay is heading into danger and propelled by her own jeopardy, Julie speeds south.

Dust. Wrong turns. Car trouble. Julie finally hitchhikes into Taghabene, but Fay has just departed for a desert camp. Snap decision time: hitchhike back to town and eventually bring help or hurry after her friend.

Julie heads into the desert – and blunders into a military patrol. Thrown into the same cell as Fay and three Moroccans, Julie’s relief at finding Fay is countered by resentment at her betrayal. As the army prepares to transfer the captives to a secret prison deep in the Sahara, Julie must set aside past hurts. Only escape matters. The captives pit their wits against the Moroccan army and the Black Desert in a fight for their lives.

#6

THE RELATIONSHIP COACH

Single Title Contemporary

85,000 words

When relationship coach Lacy Morgan meddles in Reed Hunter’s social life, he decides to use his vocation to expose her as the snake-oil selling fraud he believes her to be. Under the guile of filming a documentary, Reed watches her help her clients through their relationships, making him question his views on long-term relationships. He must choose between ending Lacy’s dreams with his negative slanted documentary, which would boast his career to Michael Moore notoriety, or reaching for the one thing he never thought would touch his life—love.

#7

SKINWALKERS

Paranormal Romance
80,000 words

Skinwalker [skin-waw-ker] (n.) – 1. A being capable of assuming the identity of an animal.  2. God of Norse Mythology 3. Shapeshifter

Werewolf hunter Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Execution Underground, a council of supernatural hunters sanctioned to protect Rochester. Despite his half-wolf lineage, Jace devotes himself to his job, and he hates nothing more than the monsters he hunts. But when a search for a sexual sadist turns ugly, Jace finds himself with the werewolves’ packmaster, and he’s craving his sworn enemy.

The only alpha female to ever run Rochester’s pack, nothing stops Frankie Amato from protecting her clan. She’s set on massacring the rogue murdering women. Ascending into leadership following her parents’ murder, Frankie can hold her own without the help of any men—until a run-in with a handsome werewolf hunter leaves captive and begging for release.

Jace and Frankie work to end the murders, while battling their differences and growing attraction. Their fate falls on Jace’s shoulders; he needs to embrace his dual nature and shift. But when Jace’s attempts at shifting reveal an unknown bloodline, this news drums up Frankie’s own dark past, and she’d rather stand on the sidelines than at Jace’s side.

#8

DARK DEALINGS

Urban Fantasy

86,000 words

At thirteen, Micaela O’Brien was the sole survivor of a small plane explosion in the skies over Ireland.  She saw it in a vision that she never revealed to her parents, who perished in the accident.  Raised by her grandmother, Micaela fought to be like everyone else, but when your bloodlines go back to the ancient Kings and Druids of Ireland, it’s tough. She attends Ivy League schools and is a very successful investment banker.  On a visit to the Berkshires to see her grandmother, Micaela is called to use the gifts she ran from to find a missing friend.  This attracts certain unusual clients.  Clients with fangs and fur, and long histories.  Some of these vampires and shapeshifters possess a thirst for power that rivals their bloodlust. Others will become her allies and perhaps more. But Micaela insists on being rooted in the rational until she discovers one of her clients brutally murdered in his five star New York hotel suite, and is pursued by the killers to Europe.  More attacks occur around the globe until they return to Micaela’s doorstep.  If she is to survive, Micaela must accept the irrational and herself.

#9

DEMON REINCARNATE

YA Urban Fantasy
72,000 words

Finding a hunky, three-hundred-year old demon in your bed isn’t so bad. Stabbing that demon in the gut? Yeah…probably not the best way to make his acquaintance.

Lucky for Katriona McBain, the infamous supernatural hit-man, Demetrius Fall, is interested in more than sucking out her soul—he needs her to assume her role as the reincarnated Queen of the powerful, British Coven.

The only person who can stop an impending apocalypse and end a long waging, demonic war, Katriona is thrown head first into a dark, magical world she thought only existed in her nightmares. Together, she and Demetrius must search the globe for the four bewitched pieces of her royal ancestor’s necklace. Bringing the charms together and harnessing their power is the only chance Katriona has to destroy Narcissa, an evil succubus and leader of the Dark Coven. But as the clock ticks will Katriona uncover the charms in time, or lose something more precious than the war—her humanity?

DEMON REINCARNATE is the first novel of my YA urban fantasy series. Although DEMON REINCARNATE is the in a series, the story stands alone, and explores the uncertainty and change of being a teen on the cusp of adulthood.

#10

SIDEWALK FLOWER

Edgy Romantic Women’s Fiction

103,800 Words

A thirty-two year old musician assistant extraordinaire, Trista Hart knows she needs to find a way out of the nocturnally persuaded world of her best friend and boss, Jaxon James.  But no matter how dark that route has become lately, he and his band Sin Pointe are her family and she’s not prepared to leave them for Jaxon’s visiting cousin, Lucky Mason of Tennessee, if it’s just going to take her down another of life’s pot-hole littered highways.  She has valid reasons to question Lucky and his beloved south—having experienced at an early age the sometimes hypocritical underbelly of the region’s good manners and charm.

Her hourglass has been turned upside down and now with Lucky’s heartfelt proposal before her, she has to decide one for the other at the most inconvenient of times—just as Sin Pointe’s tour is taking off and on the heels of a horrendous late night attack on her and Jaxon that leaves her sure of only one thing…

It’s time for Trista to be her own savior.

#11

TROUBLE IN THE BREW

Young Adult 

88,000 words

Mrs. Ghoul was up late one night brushing her long stringy hair. She stops to place the hair brush down, as her eerie witchy nails scrap the top of the dresser. She gazes at herself into the mirror; her deceased mother’s reflection appears and disappears quickly. It was a sign of her mother to let know her know that her items are still very powerful. After that particular moment, she gets into a deep thought as she thinks about setting revenge on RayAnn to retrieve the magical items back.

Jake is a wizard, he came to live with his grandmother, in New England, after his mother was vanished into another world. He had no idea that his sweetheart to be lived across the street. Once he lays eyes on RayAnn for the first time, he knew they would have a magical connection between them.

RayAnn and Cindy have been friends for years. Together the girls go through some magical reject spells to try to defeat Mrs. Ghoul at her own game. Nevertheless, their magical adventure will intense throughout the story.

#12

THE DATING GAME

Single-Title Romance

100,000 words

Widow Jeannette Riley’s long-term boyfriend is running from commitment like an escaped convict desperate to stay free.

That’s what her brother implies when he makes her an unconventional offer of help to prove it. She tells him to mind his own business. But when she suggests to her boyfriend she spend an evening listening to his band play at an out-of-town club, he quickly discourages her. One quick phone call to her brother sets the plan in motion, a plan she hopes doesn’t backfire.

When Tyler Morgan’s fiancée chooses her dynamic career over their relationship, he thinks a distraction will help fill the void growing inside him. He believes it’s purchasing the classic car collecting dust in a co-worker’s sister’s garage. When he steps into what turns out to be Jennette’s backyard to ask if she’s willing to sell, what he gets is a case of mistaken identity and an intriguing offer he chooses not to turn down.

What neither Jennette nor Tyler expects is for a chance meeting and one simple date to grow into an all-consuming passion and love neither can deny.

#13

THE PIRATE’S DECEPTION

Regency with paranormal influence

90,000 words

Alexander Barrington flees his tyrannical uncle for the open seas and becomes a ruthless pirate who turns vampire.

Captured and sentence to hang for piracy, a fate he must avoid to keep his vampire self hidden, he gets a reprieve if he recues Lady Laurel Sinclair from French pirates and return her to her fiancé in England. He falls for the woman who sees him as a hero but he knows he is below her nobility status a pirate and must not steal her for himself.

In this Vampire Diaries meets Pirates of the Caribbean, he erases her memory of him so she can live a normal life though he doesn’t want her to go because she treats him like a human, making him feel alive again. Can he really have her without exposing what he is – a thief, the undead? The damned?

#14

GUITAR GOD

YA—Contemporary Fantasy

195,000 Words

Polly’s moment had finally arrived, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Barely a teenager, Polly had reluctantly accepted the role of human guardian of the Green. Now, about to begin college and leave her hometown and all the weirdness behind, fate calls her, except to save the Green she must defeat Isaac, the boy she loves.

Isaac was the kid nobody liked until a mysterious faerie granted him his greatest wish. Now bestowed with incredible musical prowess, Isaac is loved and admired by all. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Polly is the only one who can save Isaac’s soul, but her first responsibility is to the Green. Can Polly save the Green and save Isaac as well?

Guitar God is a Jewish, suburban rock and roll fantasy with a 1970s soundtrack. It’s urban fantasy in the suburbs. It’s War For The Oaks meets Portnoy’s Complaint. It’s crossover YA for teens and their parents. It’s a world where the faerie folk walk among us, but we don’t know it. It’s about the magical places where we grew up. Maybe we knew about them or maybe we walked by them every day without even noticing.

#15

THE WICKED BARGAIN

Regency

90,000 words

Haunted by a past as a sex slave, nobleman Ethan Warth returns to England as a male courtesan for rich matrons and runs a brothel for wealthy lords. Arabella Covington appears on his door, trained in the medical arts but unable to practice because she is a woman. He hires her to care for his ladies but her inquisitive nature and beauty make him desire to teach her the world of seduction.

Ethan, however, never counted on falling in love…

#16

BETRAYAL

Thriller

105,000 words

When Gerald “Jet” Jameson, an aspiring astronaut, loses control of his perfect life he agrees to murder innocents to stop an escalating nuclear war. His reward. Raising a son he didn’t want, doubting an ego he can’t risk, utilizing technology he can’t possibly understand, while hiding a secret where the only solution is a hangman’s noose.

Add in:

·      An engineered slate wiping virus

·      A world wide manhunt

·      A secret facility that uses humans as telepathic guinea pigs

·      A harvesting operation that steals organs from the dregs of society

·      An impossible space program sold as the only hope for mankind

·      and man’s first contact

This is BETRAYAL.

#17

MYSTERY ON THE COAST

Cozy Mystery with Romantic elements

70,000 words

Levi Mendenham thought taking flak for changing his parents’ Jewish bookstore into a haven for mystery readers was bad, but that’s nothing compared to being the prime suspect in the murders of both his fiance and an ex-  girlfriend. When the woman he recently asked out on a date goes missing as well, Levi, a former agent for the National Security Agency,  has to find a way to stay out of jail and find the real murderer.

#18

WITCH HUNT

Crime

85K words

The only white sheep in a flock of black ones, bank teller and human-lie-detector Lolita Vette aches for the guilty pleasure of a normal life. Instead, she works weekends exploiting her ‘gift’ as a psychic for an embarrassing and expensive family of wanna-be witches.

When she stops a bank robbery to save a mentally handicapped friend from going to jail, Lolita’s interrupted something bigger than a small town payday heist.  Kingpin Queenie Trent doesn’t appreciate the interference and puts the squeeze on Lolita: Break into the vault  or she and her screwy family will suffer the consequences.

Lolita refuses and Queenie sends trouble after her like debt collectors on a past due. She’s been assaulted, robbed, and now Tug Shelby–the man she hadn’t yet decided whether he belonged in a shallow grave or  her bed–is missing.  Leaving behind a little finger and a helluva lot of blood. Now even Lolita can’t help but pray for a little backwater magic.

#19

AMBUSHING THE HEIRESS

Historical/Regency romance

95K words

“The sacrifice of one spoiled heiress for the good of many…” at least that’s how tarnished war-hero Major Vicks Geale quiets his conscience. Newly returned to England, Vicks finds his pay and commission forfeited, he’s inherited a crumbling estate, worthless title and a mountain of debt. With a band of wounded men depending upon him, Geale chooses the feckless and rich Lady Evangeline “Mischief” Moorecroft.

Gorgeous over-indulged Lady Evangeline delights on dancing the razor’s edge between scandal and infamy. Unable to resist Geale’s bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage. As an uneasy alliance forms between them, Evangeline has second thoughts about dissolving the marriage.

Their fierce attraction is put to the test when Evangeline’s treacherous and well-connected mother, the Duchess, gives Evangeline an ultimatum: end the marriage or the Duchess will use her connections to end Geale’s life.

#20

A TASTE OF HONEY
Historical mystery romance with a paranormal element
70,000 words

Dirk McSwain, a gambler from new Orleans, has one goal, to save the family home. He buys first class passage on the Queen Mary ocean liner in order to make the big bucks in a hurry. Meeting a shy young psychic was not in his plans, but when a man he took for a lot of money is killed, Dirk must team up with Eden McGill to solve the case.

#21

HEAVEN SENT WARRIOR

Paranormal Romance

91,000 words

Henri Chevalier’s last memory, before awakening naked within a bronze statue in a museum’s moonlit garden, was Auguste Rodin’s studio in 1886 Paris where he had expected to die to escape his broken heart.

He soon discovers he must learn to use the unexpected powers Heaven has given him to succeed in his mission against otherworldly creatures, such as demons, faeries, and a delectable art museum curator named Annabelle Mackintosh.

Relationship-wary, Belle does not believe Henri’s strange words and dire warnings at first, but their relationship heats up when a demon escapes the underworld and forces Henri and Belle to learn to trust each other.

#22

SWORN TO LOVE

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period with elements of suspense
84,000 words

Before Lieutenant Colonel Amherst, a battle-weary hero, can return to the
fight and avenge the death of his men, he must first honor a promise and
watch over his best friend’s sister, Lady Juliette, an innocent beauty who
fears she may be coerced to marry a lecherous old duke, to save the family
coffers.

Unbeknownst to the ton, the duke’s vengeful sister and a scorned lover are
both desperate to make sure Juliette, and any other young lady, do not wed
him.  One wants her nephew to inherit the ducal title while the other wants
the duke to die a lonely, old man for what he did to her many years ago.

When Juliette unwittingly captures Amherst’s heart, he asks for her father’s
hand in marriage, but is one day too late, forcing Juliette into a world of
greed and murder and a guilt-ridden Amherst into a race against time to save
her and redeem himself and renew their love.

#23

SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period 
85,000 words

Lady Beatrix, a strong-willed young woman, has no wish to marry for anything
less than love and becomes quite taken by Lord Whitby.  However, he is a
grief-stricken widower who has no desire to remarry for he feels responsible
for his wife’s death.  When Beatrix tries to warn him of a notorious widow’s
plot to trap him into marriage, she is the one caught alone instead with
him, and they must wed.  Enthralled by the independent beauty, Whitby never
expected Beatrix could free him from the chains that bind his heart and
cripple his spirit, nor did Beatrix expect a woman to come between them who
would do anything, even murder, to gain Whitby’s love.  United by passion,
Bea and Whitby risk their lives to save not only themselves but each other.

#24

THE ANGEL MADE ME DO IT  

Single Title Contemporary Romance

83,000 words

It’s time to unleash the angels.
This story is my sassy spin on Touched By an Angel meets L.A. Ink.  And when my angel – a 300 lb biker – is tasked with the Heavenly mission of playing cupid to a surly tattoo artist who wants nothing to do with love again, and an uptight accountant struggling to break free from her mother’s shadow, you might think this is a simple case of opposites attract.  Well, not so much.  You see, they both bring plenty of emotional baggage to the table and they simply can’t stand each other!  So, they force their poor cupid to work double time and come up with all sorts of creative ways to make sure the Divine Plan doesn’t fail.

I am a fresh, unpublished author and I’m looking forward to finding my niche.  And though I would never hold myself up to their caliber, I would say my writing sits comfortably somewhere in the pocket of romantic humor with authors such as my chapter mate Christie Craig or even Kristan Higgins, and I dream of someday being somewhere in their stratosphere.  I am also a PRO member of the RWA and the Northwest Houston chapter.

#25

COLLISION

Urban fantasy (with strong romantic elements)

85,000 words

Sienna Wolfe knows it’s going to be an interesting day when a man with golden skin and strange tattoos crashes in her backyard… and ends up tied to her bedposts. She likes her life just the way it is – simple, easy, relaxed. But when the gorgeous new alien in her life asks for her help in an inter-galactic war on a collision course with earth, she can’t say no… but she’ll soon wish she had.

Being the only human on a secret base full of ETs is complicated, especially when she’s sharing her bed with one of them. She struggles with her new, unpredictable world, which includes trying to protect earth from alien domination and dodging attempts on her life. And to make matters worse, her greatest enemy – with annoyingly good looks – offers her a double-edged proposal to end the war. All she has to do is give up her freedom and turn her back on the love of her life. Now it’s up to Sienna to pull off the impossible: save the world and – hopefully – live a little happily ever after.

#26

TROUBLE IN TINSELTOWN

Romantic Mystery

80K words

Dema Maria Morielli is running scared after witnessing her brother get gunned down on a lonely street in Venice, California. The down-on-her-luck actress is desperate to find Micah’s killer and stay alive in the process. There is only one person she can turn to and he’s the one person she is determined to keep out of her life.

Detective Raphael Villegas is harder then diamonds when it comes to law enforcement…and Dema, ever since the hot woman left his bed one morning after an insane night of sex, she has consumed his thoughts. But when his sexy obsession waltzes back into his life via a murder investigation, Rafe has no choice but protect her.

As the pair searches Tinsel town for Micah’s killer, they find a cover-up bigger than any backlot and a romance that burns hotter than a brushfire.  Now if only Rafe can keep Dema alive…and in his bed.

#27

DAUGHTER OF FIRE

Paranormal Romance

55K words

A rash of theft and the destruction of sacred artifacts have brought the wrath of the United States Geological Survey down on Dr. Jack O’Connor’s head.  The handsome volcanologist has been sent a mouthy new assistant to help him get to the heart of the vandalism. Kalama Young is like no woman he has ever known.

Kalama may look like your typical island girl but there is more to the Hawaiian beauty than meets the eye. A secret lies beneath the surface of her fiery demeanor. Kalama is the 230 year old half mortal daughter of Pele, the Goddess of Fire. In desperation, Pele has called Kalama home to Hawaii.

A force beyond anything the world can comprehend is threatening Pele. Only Kalama can stop it. Na-maka-o-kaha’I, the goddess of the sea, has been released from her watery prison at the bottom of the ocean by an earthquake. She wants revenge against her sister Pele and will stop at nothing to get it. Kalama and Jack must join forces and race against time to recover a sacred carving in order to save her mother and all of Hawaii. . For it is written, He who controls the carving, controls Pele.

#28

BRIGHT STAR

Historical/paranormal

98,000 words

Pandora Mavros is on the hunt for one of her own.  A high ranking Siren has gone rogue, murdering innocent men.  Her mission is to locate the rogue and the artifact she has stolen.  If she fails; the destruction of her people will follow.  The licentious and dashing Alexander is a complication she is definitely not looking for.  Could he be working for the rogue?

Alexander Knight is searching for his business partner who mysteriously disappeared and with him the ancient map of the elusive island of Eudora.  Alex doesn’t need the impediment of his desire for the mysterious and guarded Pandora, but something or someone is forcing them together.  Is she his salvation? Or the destruction of everything he holds dear?

#29

DIGGING DEEPER

YA

72,000 words

Ella has a secret. Problem is, she doesn’t know what it is. The car accident that killed her best friend and the two guys they picked up one stupid night after a party – is nothing but a foggy blur.

Her father’s too much of a drunk to help her figure it out, and her mother suffers from denial that anything could possibly be wrong in her perfect life.

That leaves the geeky school psychologist who still uses words like groovy and gnarly in an attempt to be ‘down with the kids’.

Welcome to Ella’s hell – join the club – they’ve got jackets.

Enter one of the dead boy’s older brother’s, and Ella’s secret turns out to be the reason he’s hunted her down.

#30

WHERE THE MAN LIED

Contemporary romance/suspense

89,000 words

What else would any red-blooded American woman with a shred of self-respect do, but sneak around for a night to see what kind of dirt she can find on her cheating, no-good, lying, SOB of an ex-boyfriend?

Okay, so it was lame. Dani Shaffer knows just how lame it is when she stumbles across the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses the brutal murder of a young hooker.

With an ex-police father who’d shamed the family with his corruption, Dani’s faith in law enforcement is non-existent. Flip, witty, and okay, somewhat smokin’, Officer Hale Dennison, doesn’t do a whole lot to reaffirm her faith. But who else can she trust when the murderers decide she needs to permanently forget what she saw?

It’s Pitch Day at Agent Shop with Weronika Janczuk!

UPDATE: STOP SENDING PITCHES! WE’VE MET OUR NEEDS. CHECK BACK TOMORROW TO SEE IF YOUR PITCH MADE IT IN THE TOP THIRTY. AND OF COURSE, SEE IF YOU WON THE TOP SLOT OR A COPY OF TERESA’S NOVEL!

Good Morning everyone.

It’s Agent Shop PITCH Day! Yay.

We have the awesome Weronika Janczuk (@weronikajanczuk on Twitter) coming tomorrow to look at thirty lucky pitches, and we’re so happy to have one of her clients here today for the author spotlight.

Please welcome Teresa Frohock with her soon to be released novel

MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE

How ridiculously awesome is THAT cover?!?

Miserere: An Autumn Tale

(Night Shade Books www.nightshadebooks.com / July 1, 2011)

Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina’s soul, but Catarina doesn’t want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen’s hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven’s frontline of defense between Earth and Hell.

When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina’s wrath isn’t so easy to escape. In the end, she will force him once more to choose between losing Rachael or opening the Hell Gates so the Fallen’s hordes may overrun Earth, their last obstacle before reaching Heaven’s Gates.

Read the first four chapters of Miserere FREE here:

And check out this trailer!!!

(BTW – At  the bottom of the interview with Teresa, I’m going to post some information that you NEED to read.)

Blurbs for MISERERE:

“MISERERE is about redemption, and the triumph of our best impulses over our worst. It’s also about swords, monsters, chases, ghosts, magic, court intrigues and battles to the death. It’s also (and this is the important part) really, really good.”

–Alex Bledsoe, author of DARK JENNY and THE SWORD-EDGED BLONDE

“In her debut novel, MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE, Teresa Frohock has succeeded at creating that all-too-rare phenomenon among first-time story-tellers: a mature prose style combined with a fully realized vision. Her ‘woerld’ will completely immerse the reader with its compelling and striking visuals, fascinating details and thrilling plot turns. The book is almost impossible to put down and it’s harder yet not to actually believe that what Ms. Frohock imagined isn’t terribly real—even if some of us haven’t found an entrée into the parallel existences she’s meticulously crafted. Studded with magic, demons, and terror run amok, dark fantasy and horror fans alike will walk away from MISERERE feeling they’ve found a writer they not only admire, but are anxious to revisit soon in her future works.”

— Lisa Mannetti, Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of THE GENTLING BOX and DEATHWATCH

When and Where can we find it?

MISERERE will release from Night Shade Books on July 1, 2011

You can follow http://www.teresafrohock.com for updates on the blog tour, which started June 24^th and will go through the end of August.

http://www.teresafrohock.com/novels/ has links to Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, and more. The book will be available at bookstores everywhere.

Awesome information Teresa!

How about a bio? We love getting to know authors.

Raised in a small town, Teresa Frohock learned to escape to other worlds through the fiction collection of her local library. She eventually moved away from Reidsville and lived in Virginia and South Carolina before returning to North Carolina, where she currently resides with her husband and daughter.

Teresa has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying. Miserere: An Autumn Tale is her debut novel.

Teresa can be found most often at her blog and web site (www.teresafrohock.com). Every now and then, she heads over to Tumblr and sends out Dark Thoughts, links to movies and reviews that catch her eye. You can also follow Teresa on Twitter and join her author page on Facebook

Can you tell us where the idea for MISERERE came from?

The idea for MISERERE started with Lucian’s character. I’m not the kind of writer who thinks in terms of plot; I tend to begin with a character and formulate the story about him or her.

The concept for Lucian began when I dreamed of a powerful sorcerer, speaking to a young boy dressed in twenty-first century clothing. They were at the edge of a dark forest where there was a hand painted sign nailed to a tree that read: “Jesus Saves.” (If you live in the southeastern United States, you see these scattered around.) Beside the tree was a rusting bumper from a pickup truck with a sticker that read: “Nobody Saves You More Than Winn Dixie.”

The whole dream stayed with me long after I woke, so I started building a story around the man and the boy and the strange world they inhabited where time overlapped from one period to another. I loved the idea of mixing the religious with the secular, my interpretation of the sign/bumper sticker symbolism, to see what kind of world I could build. It wasn’t until I took a college course in the introduction of the Old Testament that the final piece fell into place with the Crimson Veil.

Constructing the actual story was the hardest part. During my research, I read a quote from Toni Morrison’s novel LOVE: “Love is the weather. Betrayal is the lightning that cleaves and reveals it.” When I read that line, I knew I had the crux of Lucian’s conflict for MISERERE.

Care to share your ‘call’ experience? Either from when you were offered representation or when you got the call saying MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE had sold?

I met Weronika through Backspace.org before she became a literary agent and I followed her blog and tweets for several months. She impressed me with her many accomplishments and her love of literature. I enjoyed her writing and the way she expressed herself to her blog readers.

So when I saw through one of her tweets that she was striking out as a literary agent, I knew I had to submit MISERERE to her. I thought there wasn’t a chance she would remember me, but she did, and she immediately requested the full manuscript. When she emailed me and told me that she wanted to discuss representation, I was thrilled.

I had a list of questions and concerns I wanted to go over with her, but as we talked, she addressed each of my questions before I had a chance to ask them. I wanted an editing agent, someone who loved not just this particular book but my writing, and someone who would be honest enough with me to tell me when I was off track.

I got all three things with Weronika. The more she talked about MISERERE, the more enthusiastic I became until I was ready to buy my own book! That is salesmanship, and that is what a good agent does. Sure enough, she managed to sell MISERERE after only being on submission for six weeks and she’s really helped me navigate through the process, especially what happens AFTER you sell a book.

That’s a very encouraging way to find your agent. I love that you weren’t scared (well maybe you were at the time) to ask the questions you knew you needed to, to find the right agent for both yourself and your work. I love even more that Weronika answered them before you had to ask. Can you tell us what else you have in the works?

Right now, I’m fleshing out a synopsis for DOLOROSA, this is the second novel in the Katharoi series, and will be more in line with fantasy readers’ expectations in terms of world-building and magic. DOLOROSA will be Rachael’s story and will also give a broader view of Woerld and how the bastions work together to hold back the Fallen.

I’m also working on a novel in a new series that begins in Spain in 1348. Right now, it’s tentatively entitled THE GARDEN and it is the story of Guillermo Ramírez, a blacksmith conscripted into the King’s army. THE GARDEN is turning out much darker than MISERERE, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the characters and the story.

Busy woman! What’s one piece of advice you would pass on to other aspiring authors?

I try to share something different each time I answer this, but one thing remains constant—remain teachable. Always be willing to learn new techniques and experiment with different styles, but at the same time, don’t become so rigid that you stifle your voice. Take time to write whatever pops into your head without paying any attention to grammar or structure. Just write.

There you will find your true voice and once you’ve found your voice, modulate it with the rules of grammar and structure. It is through that critical editing process that my works always begin to take their true form. My rough drafts are little more than stage direction, but the edits are where I refine and groom the novel into a story with depth.

Brilliant. And so very true!

It’s so wonderful to have you here. We wish you the best with your writing, and huge congratulations on your release! Thank you so much for coming to Musetracks. After looking at your blog tour, I can only imagine how super busy ( and super excited) you must be!

As promised, I have some awesome info to share.

Teresa will be giving away a copy of MISERERE to one lucky person who comments using the words AUTUMN and TALE (or TAIL).

We’ll also be awarding the Top Pitch slot to a comment that uses those words.

And if you didn’t already know, Teresa has begun her blog tour and she’s doing a super contest with winner packages including a copy of MISERERE, query, synopsis, and even page critiques from Teresa’s agent, Weronika Janczuk! Check it out here!

Okay, now on to business.

You know the drill. Leave a comment using the words AUTUMN and TALE (or TAIL) to be entered to win the copy of MISERERE or the Top Pitch Slot for tomorrow. Send me your pitch at candi_agent_shop at yahoo.com And yes, replace the word at with the @ symbol) and come back tomorrow to see if you made it in the top thirty.

Good luck to everyone.

GO!

Agent Shop with Weronika Janczuk at Musetracks

It’s that time again folks.

Agent Shop will be taking pitches for literary agent Weronika Janczuk this Sunday starting when you see the word GO posted on the main page of the blog. (Approx. 10:00am EST.)

Here’s the link for Weronika’s information:
http://www.weronikajanczuk.com

One of Weronika’s authors will be spotlighted on pitch day and as usual, we’ll be awarding the Top Pitch Slot to one lucky comment who uses the special words in their comment. We’ll also be giving away a copy of the author’s new release.

The visiting author is: Teresa Frohok
And her new book is: MISERERE: AN AUTUMN TALE

So the special words this time around are: Autumn and TALE or TAIL!

Be sure to check the rules for pitching at
http://www.musetracks.wordpress.com/agentshop

If you have something Weronika is looking for, shine it up and send it in to me when you see the word GO.

Best of luck to everyone and as always, feel free to share this information!

Two Pitch Opportunities this Month – Candi Wall

Hello All!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I’m posting the night before my normal schedule because tomorrow’s going to be a nutty day for me!

So here’s the deal. Agent Shop is scheduled for June 26th.

Our attending agent is Weronika Janczuk from Lynn C. Franklin Associated, Ltd. Get those pitches ready!

Here’s her blog link: http://www.weronikajanczuk.com

As always, please read what the attending agent is looking for before you decide to pitch.

–

Now for the other pitch opp.

If you haven’t heard me rave about PitchU, it’s a must for any aspiring author who’s at or near the pitch/query stage.

Diane Homes – head alchemist – is a phenom. Not only are there opportunities to pitch, there’s a forum for perfecting your pitch, the agents that visit gift (no, that wasn’t a typo) wonderful feedback, and don’t get me started on the fabulous resources you can find compiled there. I cringe when I consider how much time Diane and her minions have put into this fantastic resource.

FYI – Whenever I can manage to slice out some time, we’ll be having Diane as a guest. She’s a pro at finding the meat of any pitch (she’s done several of mine) and has a knack for helping writers find the most important and captivating portions of their stories to incorporate. She’s offered to help a few authors (guinea pigs as they’ll be known) work/rework their pitch at a future date. I’ll keep you posted, but for now, get over there and see what’s cooking!

So there you have it. Short a sweet tonight because I’m feeling a bit like Garfield and NOT liking the fact that it’s almost Monday.

Pitch Day at ‘Agent Shop’ with agent Jenny Bent and author Ellyn Bache

 

UPDATE: STOP! We’ve received the pitches we need. Check back tomorrow to see if yours made it in time! (and hopefully followed the rules.) I’ll also announce the winner of the Top Pitch Slot and the copy of The Art if Saying Goodbye.

Good Luck!

Welcome to another ‘Agent Shop’. It’s pitch day! YAY!

We’re happy to welcome Jenny Bent from The Bent Agency to this session of Agent Shop.

Today we also have Jenny’s client, Ellyn Bache, with us for the author spotlight with her novel, THE ART OF SAYING GOODBYE.

Leave a comment below using the words ART and GOODBYE for a chance at the Top Pitch Slot or a signed copy of The Art of Saying Goodbye!

Welcome Ellyn!

THE ART OF SAYING GOODBYE

   

In a gesture of support and affection for a long-time neighbor who has fallen ill, four women in a close-knit suburban development tie white ribbons to trees in front of their houses, and embark on a powerful journey of transformation. Their ailing friend has always been the neighborhood star, an effervescent beauty whose charm draws all of them in.  As they grapple with her illness, each of them responds in a different way as she sees her own problems with new perspective.  A marriage put on hold because of a difficult child, a nurse’s eerie and unwanted gift of diagnosis, widow’s destructive bitterness, the price of a successful career, all come into play to shape their stories. Ultimately, each one learns to say goodbye … but not before drawing from her friend’s strength the courage to move on and change, as she recognizes that her own life, in the afterglow of someone else’s, is richer and more precious than she thought.

Praise for The Art of Saying Goodbye

“This is a moving, gratifying, and inspiring reminder to live life to its fullest and demonstrate love in every possible way to friends and family.”—Publishers Weekly

“The Art of Saying Goodbye is a deeply felt and beautiful story that portrays what friends can mean to each other in ways that are difficult to articulate, and Bache has done so here in perfect pitch. Bravo!”—Dorothea Benton Frank, bestselling author of “Sullivan’s Island” and “Folly Beach”

This sounds like such a powerful read. I have to ask, where did the title come from?

From Jenny Bent.  We had been tossing titles around for weeks.  Nobody liked the preliminary ones — “The Ribbon Trees,” and before that, “Ribbons for Paisley.”  Then Jenny came up with THE ART OF SAYING GOODBYE, and from the first moment, it sounded right.  It was exactly what the book was about — five women learning the art of saying goodbye, not just to a friend, but to elements of their own lives that weren’t working, that needed to be discarded so they could move on and grow.

 

Care to share what ‘The call’ was like?

In addition to being a remarkable agent, Jenny is one of the finest editors I’ve ever worked with.  When she first saw the book, she had a number of questions she wanted me to address.  What was amazing was how right she seemed to be on every issue.  The minute she posed it, I invariably thought, yes, this is something I need to work on.  And I did.  When she finally thought the manuscript was ready to go out, we both felt confident about it — and she sold the book in three days.  What a thrill!

 

That’s awesome. Both that you have such a great working relationship with Jenny AND that she sold it in three days! What else do you have in the works?

Something almost too new to talk about.  But I can tell you it’s about a friendship between several women, one really annoying man, and the art of walking dogs.

 

Too fun. We look forward to seeing more from you. What’s your advice for aspiring authors?

I’ve been writing for a long time, and there are two things I think are most critical: Stick with it.  And don’t lose confidence. If you sit down every day and write, you are going to get better.  You are going to learn skills you never thought you’d master.  You need to believe in yourself enough to send that work out when it’s ready (knowing when it’s ready is another topic altogether).  You need to believe good things will happen.  Sooner or later, they will.  In today’s competitive market, even the most accomplished writers are often rejected, criticized, and (too often) demoralized.  Don’t give up. If you have a supportive writing group that believes in your project, that’s a huge help, too.  But you have to keep at it, no matter what.  Persistence, persistence, persistence!

That’s great advice! 

Where can we find you Ellyn?

www.ellynbache.com

Harper Collins

Fresh Fiction

Goodreads

 

Where can we buy The Art of Saying Goodbye?

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Borders

www.indiebound.org

Thanks so much for being our spotlight today and we wish you the best!

Make sure you find Ellyn and The Art of Saying Goodbye out there.

And now it’s time!

Agent Shop is open. Read the rules, polish your pitch and –

GO!

Breaking the Mold – Candi Wall

It’s almost time for Agent Shop again.

If you haven’t heard, we have the awesome Jenny Bent with The Bent Agency with us as our attending agent this month. As our spotlighted author, Ellyn Bache will be visiting with her novel THE ART OF SAYING GOODBYE and will give a signed copy to one lucky person who leaves a comment.

As usual, we’ll also be giving the Top Pitch Slot to one lucky pitcher.

Leave a comment on May 29th using the words Art and Goodbye and you’ll be entered to win either the book or the top slot for pitch day. Yay!

I wanted to share a few comments I’ve received from Agents over the last year I’ve been running ‘Agent Shop’. This list of comments is anonymous, since the agents and I were speaking in confidence, and some are taken from interviews, twitter, facebook, and more social platforms.

There’s want and do not want. Finding that balance isn’t easy, nor is it the same for every agent.

 

Breaking out of the mold, being fresh, thinking outside the box but inside enough to be saleable.

Gibberish much?

I think most of us wonder what exactly an agent or publisher means when they say that’s what they’re looking for. The problem is, unfortunately, most of the time they don’t know what exactly IT is until they see IT either.

So here’s some comments that I’ve always loved.

“…plots are used, abused and reused. It takes something special to put a new spin on an idea.”

“…too many trying to write FOR the market. If you’re following a trend, chances are the trend will play out by the time you’re showing your stuff. Trend setting is better, and when you’re writing from the heart, you have a much higher chance of getting interest.”

“A great idea , no matter how spectacular, won’t get anywhere if you don’t have the mechanics down.”

“When we say fresh, we’re looking for something we haven’t seen or something that’s done in a new way. That doesn’t mean mash everything together in a hope that something will stick.”

“I often receive incredible first chapters that aren’t followed up by the rest of the work.”

“The idea of reading everything you can get your hands on is NOT to take ideas from those other books, but to learn from the author. And that goes both ways. Learn what to do and what not to do. And btw, we don’t want to hear how bad an author sucks and how you do it so much better.”

“Opinions are like… well you get  the picture. Everyone has one. I’m entitled to mine. What I think is old, another might like. That’s why you should do your research and decide which agents might be interested in your work.”

“Keep writing.”

“Don’t edit out your own voice. That’s something that can’t be taught. It’s natural.” (THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVS!)

“Gather wide opinions. Critique partners are wonderful, so are beta readers. Let the people in your writing world help refine your work. There’s a reason why acknowledgment pages are often long.”

“Paint the picture in the mind of your readers.”

There are so many more, but I like shorter posts.

I’d love to hear which comments you’ve heard or read that really meant a lot or influenced you!

On Contests – Candi Wall

I don’t consider myself a contest junkie.

I do however, consider myself a contest tactical planner.

I know writers who enter every contest that comes along. I wish, at times, that I could do this as well. But time and the money it takes to enter many of these contests can add up. And it can happen quickly. Before you know it, you’ve spent mega bucks!

It’s just not feasible for me. I’m sure many authors can say the same.

Until I can get that money tree to grow…

…here’s hoping….

PLAN!

There are many lists on the internet that you can search through to find writing contests.

I use Stephie Smith’s contest chart.

and

I belong to Romance Contests and Contest Alert

Then comes the research.

Here’s my list:

• Is the contest worth the money you’re putting into it?
• Who are the final judges?
• Does the contest have a good reputation?
• Is my submission ready?
• Do I have a chance to utilize my contest feedback and make changes if I final?

Then I narrow down the list to which ones I want to enter the most, trying to space them so that I’ll receive my feedback from one contest in time to use any helpful suggestions for the next contest.

Sometimes, you’ll have the opportunity to enter bigger, intense contests. Marie-Claude entered the American Title V (and Won!), Jenn Bray-Weber entered the Golden Heart (and finaled!), I entered the Next Best Celler (and finaled). These are huge contests. They require time and patience and TONS of nail-biting.

There’s a lot you can gain, and a lot that will frustrate you. The negative, unhelpful feedback that sometimes comes from contest judges is a definite downer. The judge that picks your submission apart but offers great suggestions is gold. The judge that loves your submission and gushes about how great it is, is a wonderful pick me up, but less helpful if they don’t specify what exactly you did so right. And then there’s the submission that comes back blank – nothing but a score, no comments, no explanation. I think maybe those are worse than any of the others. You’ll experience an odd range of emotions as you read the comments or lack of comments.

Public contests are the most time-consuming. Especially if the winners are determines by public voting systems. You could spend everyday promoting your work, begging others to take a look, praying they like it enough to vote for you. These are much harder work, so read the rules carefully in each contest to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Some contests require they retain rights to your submission until after the contest. Some require first refusal rights if your submission makes it to a certain point in the contest. Read carefully and ask around the writing community for opinions on the contests.

Some contests are free. This can make some people leery. Again, that’s when researching the contest becomes very important.

I entered a free contest back in November. I’m currently a quarter finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award. I’m happy to say this contest doesn’t suck up too much time. It’s a lot less promotion and vote-tarting than other contests I’ve participated in, thank goodness, and Amazon reviewers, Publishers Weekly and Penguin Group are the ones who decide who wins the whole lot. Great thing about this contest as well, is it’s free. The winners (1 from general fiction and 1 from young adult) will get a $15K advance and a contract with Penguin. This is a WIN situation all the way around. It’s free and all you’ll pay is some serious nervousness as each round slithers closer and passes.

You can take a peek at my excerpt here CERES WRATH if you’d like.

I’ll be biting my nails until April 26th when we’re knocked down from 500 to 100 Semi finalists. Ugh.

And while I’m waiting, I’ll definitely keep up with new contest opps.

Contests! Blessing or Curse?

Do you enter them? What’s your worst/best contest experience?

Agent Shopping day @ Agent Shop

UPDATE – ALL REQUESTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE AUTHORS. GOOD LUCK.

It’s Agent Shop day!

I’ve had a great month and I have to share my good news.

My young adult novel Ceres Wrath is an ABNA quarter-finalist! I also learned that it took first place in the Great Expectations contest and received a full request from the editor. Okay, now that I got THAT out of my system – onward!

Quick stats:

Pitches received 58

Pitches accepted 30

Pitches deleted 2

• 1 – Missing title
• 1 – Too long
• 26 – Came in after the first 30

WOW – Authors, way to go! This is the first time I’ve had this happen. So many people followed the rules.

Our top pitch slot winner is Cheryl!

UPDATE – Angelica has won the copy of CATFISH ALLEY!

Good luck to everyone.

A huge thank you to Kevan Lyon for participating today. As always Ms. Lyon, if there are any pitches you’d like more information about, simply e-mail me the number of the pitch along with any instructions you’d like me to pass on to the author.

Special thank you to Lynne Bryant and best of luck on the release of CATFISH ALLEY!

And now – the pitches. Good luck to everyone that made the cut.

***

#1 – TOP PITCH SLOT WINNER!

OF DREAMS FORGOTTEN

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

55,000 words

When Kendi Morgan stumbles upon the victim of a would-be murder, she has no choice but to help him back to the safety of her secluded country home. Wounded DEA agent Gage Chandler is a man with nothing to lose and nothing to fear—until he finds himself falling for a beautiful woman who risks everything to save his life. Can their newfound love survive as they are targeted by a powerful drug lord seeking revenge? Gage knows he’s all that stands between the cartel and Kendi in a sting operation that has gone awry. Will he sacrifice his partner’s life and his own in exchange for Kendi’s safety?

Gage Chandler is a loner who wants to keep it that way. After losing his first love in a home invasion, he has a score to settle, and he doesn’t care what happens to him–until Kendi Morgan saves his life. Now he has a choice to make–will he continue the fight against the drug cartel he’s infiltrated, or will he embrace the love he’s found with Kendi…if he lives.

*

#2

SHADOWS AT MOOSES RUN

Mainstream Women’s Fiction

110, 000 words

Maddie has spent her twenties creating the perfect life in New York City, far from her mother and the terrors of an abusive childhood.  But when her mother dies and her father begs her to come home, Maddie must return to Mooses Run, a secluded house in the Colorado mountains.

Maddie discovers that her father is posting his profile on singles websites and marketing himself as the most eligible bachelor-about-town, only two months after his wife’s funeral. Seeing her own chance for the home and family she’s always wanted, Maddie falls head-over-heels and straight into bed with childhood friend Brad.  But she cannot embrace her new life while her mother’s spirit lingers at Mooses Run, laying claim to Maddie’s future and evoking memories Maddie would rather forget.  Maddie reveals her troubled past only to Jackson, the cynical artist who asks her to become his model and muse.

As Maddie throws herself into the role of maid-of-honor to both her sister and soon-to-be stepmother, she finds herself in a final showdown with her mother’s shadow, and with the one man who asks her to choose between him and her dreams.

*

#3

BETRAYAL

Thriller

105,000 words

There were four things Gerald “Jet” Jameson never saw coming:

·      Murdering 1700 people could be worse than a nuclear holocaust

·      Advances in science and technology, no matter how helpful, always comes at a cost

·      Children are the most unpredictable force in the world

·      and finally, the unimaginable, a narcissist repulsed by his own actions

When Jet, an aspiring astronaut, loses control of his perfect life he agrees to murder innocents to stop an escalating nuclear war. His reward. Raising a son he didn’t want, doubting an ego he can’t risk, utilizing technology he can’t possibly understand, while hiding a secret where the only solution is a hangman’s noose.

Add in:

·      An engineered virus, guaranteed to be a slate wiper, leaves two survivors behind

·      A world wide manhunt

·      A secret facility that uses humans as telepathic guinea pigs

·      A harvesting operation that steals organs from the dregs of society

·      An impossible space program sold as the only hope for mankind

·      and man’s first contact

This is BETRAYAL.

*

#4

Helena Goes to Hollywood

Women’s Fiction-Suspense

90k words

It’s not Hot In Cleveland, it’s Ordinary in Hollywood. When your black belts aren’t Gucci, it’s hard to fit in with the Hollywood crowd.  Helena isn’t in Tinsel Town for fun…she must protect her superstar sister from a stalker. Surrounded by kooky characters with out of control egos, Helena stands out like an A cup in the Playboy mansion. It’s the craziest place she’s ever been. But when the brother-in-law turns up murdered, Hollywood seems less like a joke. Helena must find the killer before she and her sister are wearing body bags instead ofRed Carpet fashions. Helena goes to Hollywood is the first in a proposed series about an average 40 year old divorcee who becomes infamous in Hollywood for solving crimes by her own rules!

*

#5

Demon Reincarnate

YA Urban Fantasy
72,000 words

Finding a hunky, three-hundred-year old demon in your bed isn’t so bad. Stabbing that demon in the gut? Yeah…probably not the best way to make his acquaintance.

Lucky for Katriona McBain, the infamous supernatural hit-man, Demetrius Fall, is interested in more than sucking out her soul—he needs her to assume her role as the reincarnated Queen of the powerful, British Coven.

The only person who can stop an impending apocalypse and end a long waging, demonic war, Katriona is thrown head first into a dark, magical world she thought only existed in her nightmares. Together, she and Demetrius must search the globe for the four bewitched pieces of her royal ancestor’s necklace. Bringing the charms together and harnessing their power is the only chance Katriona has to destroy Narcissa, an evil succubus and leader of the Dark Coven. But as the clock ticks will Katriona uncover the charms in time, or lose something more precious than the war—her humanity?

DEMON REINCARNATE is the first novel of my YA urban fantasy series. Although DEMON REINCARNATE is the in a series, the story stands alone, and explores the uncertainty and change of being a teen on the cusp of adulthood.

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#6

ANOTHER NIGHT FALLS

Historical Romance

90,000 words

Sumner Meador walked in a world of wealth and privilege of Charles Town’s elite, but that was years ago. Now he fights in the Southern backwoods driven by the passion he holds for the Patriot cause, shadowed by his past.  Reeling from a devastating defeat at the hands of the British, Sumner seeks haven at his farm, only to find an interloper, an unwelcome and unwanted distraction. He has no time for the young woman or the complications she brings with her, but soon discovers he has no option but to give aid to the stubborn, courageous beauty whether she wants it or not.

A widower, Sumner has been haunted by the death of his wife and is consumed with a desire for revenge. Jane Kilmer has been violently thrust into the midst of the civil war ensuing in the backwoods. Hiding from one of the most dangerous vigilantes, Jane trusts no one. Suddenly, she has no choice but to put her life in Sumner’s hands. Both desire revenge, but neither wants what happens-to fall completely, undeniably in love with each other- so much so, that both are willing to die for the other. And they might have to.

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#7

WHISPERINGS OF A SOUTHERN HEART

Historical Romance

170,000 words

Set against the backdrop of Antebellum Charleston with the martial clash of brother against brother looming on the horizon, this explosive sage follows the life and loves of Josephine Buchanan Wright. As a young orphan, Josephine is taken back into her wealthy Charleston grandfather’s home where she is swept into world of pageantry and show. She accepts the world as it is around her. Her future seems certain until all she has placed her faith in falls apart; her fiancé’s betrayal, her grandfather’s death, a will that pulls her apart from the man she loves, her cousin’s atrocious attack on her companion, the cold and brutal war… leaving her torn between two cousins, the unconstraint and debonair, Wade, and his bold, brooding and Yankee cousin, Cullen. As her life spirals out of control, she tries desperately to cling to the honor and duty that has been instilled in her. But how can she do so when all she has known is no more?

*

#8

SeaStruck

Women’s Fiction – Paranormal

92,500 words

Encounters with mortals brought Lura nothing but grief. All the same, when the mermaid sees a man drowning in the Gulf of Mexico off St. Pete Beach, the words of the Law of One ring through her mind and she swims out to save him. Seven Sacred Laws rule the mer world; ignoring them leads to corruption and self-destruction. Mermaids have stopped following these laws to their own detriment. As Lura learns the forgotten laws, they test her at every turn.

Before the moon cycle ends, she must mate with a human in hopes of conceiving – her only chance to preserve her ancestral memories.

The slim, muscular man found in her waters has the genes she seeks for her offspring. Lura shape shifts into a leggy blonde to seduce him. Tyler isn’t about to get careless, though, not with an accidental pregnancy and a failed marriage behind him.

When the mermaid is captured by a treasure hunter, he triggers an ancient curse that keeps her in his power. It’s Tyler she wants.

Only unlocking the secret of the last Sacred Law allows her to use the power of love against the curse and accept Tyler’s help in her escape.

*

#9

Second Chance At Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period
85,000 words

Lady Beatrix, a strong-willed young woman, has no wish to marry for anything less than love, and becomes quite taken by Lord Whitby, but soon learns he is a grief-stricken widower who has no desire to remarry for he feels responsible for his wife’s death.  When Beatrix later tries to warn him of a notorious widow’s plot to trap him into marriage, she is the one caught alone instead with him, and they must wed.  Enthralled by the independent beauty, Whitby never expected Beatrix could free him from the chains that bind his heart and cripple his spirit, nor did Beatrix expect a woman to come between them who would do anything, even murder, to gain Whitby’s love.

Together, Bea and Whitby, united by passion, risk their lives to save not only themselves but each other.

*

#10

The Embroidered Pussycat

Contemporary, erotic romance with humor

31,785 words

JENNIFER starts a horse riding school for kiddos. BRIAN opens a tack supply store. Both are based at the same horse stable.

Brian needs to find a new nanny for his son, Drew. He assigns the task to his new assistant. She enrolls him in Jennifer’s school. One day, Brian has to pick up Drew. Remembering Brian from the CATFISH incident at a lakeside resort, Jennifer initially accuses Brian as a stalker.

Eventually, Brian enters Drew in an equestrian event that leads to a sequence of unexpected events. Turmoil ensues. Drew asks a blunt question about his deceased mother causing more turbulence.

Jennifer has to reconcile her negative reaction and the desirable Brian she didn’t recognize before. How will Jennifer find a way to let Brian know that she forgives him?

Brian insists that he’s let go of the memory of his deceased wife. He has to reconcile those residual feelings with his growing feelings for Jennifer.  How will Brian let go of his past and acknowledge his new feelings for Jennifer?

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#11

‘Evil Has No Place’

Romantic Suspense

75K words

After eight years, Nickelle Carson, a mafia kidnapped victim escapes her captor. A normal life is all Nickelle wants for her son—that, and to keep the family she remembers safe. To protect them she needs to disappear, but when she is captured by a handsome U.S. Marshal, her only choice is to keep her true identity hidden and remain silent.

Before more young lives are lost, U.S. Marshal, William Haus vows to do anything to unearth the secret that keeps the beautiful Karina (Nickelle) from testifying against the Russian War Lord.

Will the sparks igniting between the two blind them to the evil that stalks their shadows?

*

#12

Sworn to Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period
84,000 words

Lady Juliette Langston, an innocent beauty must marry well to replenish her family’s coffers and unwittingly captures the heart of an alluring war hero, LT Colonel Brendon Amherst who secretly promised to watch over her before he returns to the fight to avenge the death of his men.

When Brendon asks for her hand in marriage, her father prohibits the match and thrusts his daughter into the arms of a lecherous old duke, striking a killer into action.  Bitter over the past, Juliette struggles to stay alive in a world filled with danger while Brendon vows not only to save her but to renew their love and ensure a future, together.

*

#13

Spirits from the Vasty Deep

YA historical/ghost story

95,000 words

Spirits from the Vasty Deep is a ghostly young adult historical novel set in the 1850s–it’s Blossom Culp meets the Pirates of the Caribbean.

En route from Spain after her father’s death, 17-year-old Olivia sets a ship afire while escaping its murderous crew—dooming all hands aboard. Now their ghosts want retribution, and Olivia will need to reclaim her forsaken abilities to speak with the dead in order to withstand the vengeful spirits. If she fails, she could lose her own soul, and open the way for sinister shades to invade the world of the living.

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#14

Young Adult Fantasy

The Book of Ruins

197 words

Ever wonder what a numah and a Murfle have in common?  Know how a top notch Troll Bowler called Uran landed a plush job at a resort of sorts located in a tiny town called Adder and became infamous for his incessant and persistent insistence that the Devil is in the Deer Tails?  Have you played a Gnome Course lately just for the fun of being chased and bitten by one of What Not’s be-speckled balls or one of the gnarly Gnomes who live there?

Since the war between the states of service and servitude the Murfles have become the servers and the numahs require constant service.

Enter BeJewelled, a main character in this plot who is constantly plotting to help the Murfles overthrow the system at Bard’s Lair, her once beloved home which now lays in ruins and you have the beginnings of a story called The Book of Ruins.

Did I mention BeJewelled is a ghost? This simple story involves complex plots surrounding current issues. How we treat each other, what we value in life and how we can make a difference by changing our attitudes are currents of thought which prevail throughout this story.

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#15

The Brat Files: History at Stake

Young Adult

50,000 words

Like most teenagers, Lily Adams hates being the ‘new kid.’ Unfortunately, that status pretty much sums up her life. Only this time Uncle Sam has gone too far. Not only has Lily been to seven schools in nine states in fourteen years, but now her dad is getting stationed in Germany. This is nothing unusual for a seasoned ‘army brat.’ What makes Lily really strange is that she’s a Traveler…as in Time Traveler.

All Lily wants to do is survive her freshman year in a boring country of sauerkraut and leather overalls. A few friends would be nice, but when Lily meets her neighbor, Nick–an odd German kid who happens to enjoy traversing through history–she gets way more friendship than she bargained for. After a Halloween dare in the village cemetery ends in disaster, Lily and Nick are sent back to15th century Romania to rescue a classmate–who just so happens to be the biggest snob in the entire school. Their mission leads them to a castle deep in the Carpathian mountains, where they meet face to face with the legendary prince of Transylvania himself–Vlad ‘the Impaler,’ also known as Dracula. This is one history lesson Lily won’t soon forget.

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#16

Experience My Only Authority: The Wife of Bath’s Guide to Love

Non-Fiction

60,000 words

How medieval are your ideas about love? And what can the most scandalous woman of the Middle Ages teach you about romance?

You might be surprised to find that a number of our notions about romance and relationships date to the fourteenth century or even earlier.  Did you know that it was Geoffrey Chaucer who started the tradition of lovers meeting on Valentine’s Day?  Or that it was his brassy Wife of Bath who first set the standard for the “cougar” lifestyle? Experience My Only Authority: The Wife of Bath’s Guide to Love will detail medieval notions about love and how they’re continuing to hold lovers back in the 21st century.

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#17

The Some Day List

Single title contemporary romance

93,000 words

After finding out that her irresponsible ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to change her life to get the thing she wants most – a family. She tosses aside her practical nature and allows her friends to put together a list of frivolous adventures for a summer of fun. She figures if she can complete this list, she will either find The One or at least be prepared to become a single mother.

Ryan O’Leary is the person his large family relies on for everything, so when his friend Quinn struggles with her list, Ryan naturally steps up to help. As they tackle Quinn’s list together, Ryan’s involvement shakes up Quinn’s life more than the adventures themselves. When their relationship evolves beyond friendship, Quinn fears losing a great friend while Ryan struggles to find a balance between the demands of his family and his desire to have a life of his own.

*

#18

Guitar God

YA—Contemporary Fantasy

195,000 Words

Polly’s moment had finally arrived, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Barely a teenager, Polly had reluctantly accepted the role of human guardian of the Green. Now, about to begin college and leave her hometown and all the weirdness behind, fate calls her, except to save the Green she must defeat Isaac, the boy she loves.

Isaac was the kid nobody liked until a mysterious faerie granted him his greatest wish. Now bestowed with incredible musical prowess, Isaac is loved and admired by all. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Polly is the only one who can save Isaac’s soul, but her first responsibility is to the Green. Can Polly save the Green and save Isaac as well?

Guitar God is a Jewish, suburban rock and roll fantasy with a 1970s soundtrack. It’s urban fantasy in the suburbs. It’s War For The Oaks meets Portnoy’s Complaint. It’s crossover YA for teens and their parents. It’s a world where the faerie folk walk among us, but we don’t know it. It’s about the magical places where we grew up. Maybe we knew about them or maybe we walked by them every day without even noticing.

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#19

The Pirate’s Deception

Historical/paranormal

90500 words

Alexander Barrington is an untitled relative of the Duke of Somerset.  As such, he secures a Naval position to explore his love, the seas. His boat is taken by pirates who ransom him with no payment thus he is forced to join them. Along his traves, he becomes involved with a vampire who turns him. As an immortal, he excells at pirating, becoming the scourge of the seas thus exiled from ever returning home and the Society he was raised in. He considers himself damned for eternity and refuses to drag anyone else into his vampiric world.

Laurel is the only child of a Viscount. She is kidnapped by villians in the West Indies and Alexander, sentenced for hanging as a pirate (a fate he must avoid or be discovered as the undead), seizes the opportunity to rescue the girl only to find he must take her back to England, a place he’s avoided. She is betrothed to another (Alexander’s half-brother – the next Duke) thus Alexander places her at a distance to protect her. Though he considers himself damned and unworthy of love, she is a strong temptation. The longer they are together, the more they can’t fight the attraction even though evil and betrayal await them in London.

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#20

A Demon’s Redemption

Paranormal Romance

90,000 words

Lorelei is your typical college student – who happens to have a talent for sniffing out demons and sending them back to hell, kind of like a psychic bloodhound. But once a year, she must help one of the fallen earn their way back into heaven. How do they do that? By atoning for their sins. And so far, everything is working out for her – until she meets Azazel, son of Azazeal, a member of the Underworld hierarchy. Does the demon fall far from the seed? She has a month to find out.

Azazel has always lived in the shadows of his father’s misdeeds. But redemption is his one chance to break free of his father’s sins. If only he hadn’t promised to bring down Lorelei for his bid for freedom. Will he keep his promise to his father – or to the woman he comes to love?

*

#21

The Dating Game

Contemporary Romance

100,000 words

Can a widow on the edge of approaching middle age find love a second time?

JENNETTE RILEY is content with work and her relationship with her late husband’s best friend–until her brother infers the man is running from commitment like a convict desperate to stay free. When her lover discourages her suggestion she spend an evening watching his band play at a nearby club, she realizes she needs to know if he will ever move their love affair forward and contacts her brother to accept his unconventional offer of help.

When his fiancée’s dynamic career takes precedence over their relationship, TYLER MORGAN decides he needs a distraction. When a co-worker tells him of a classic car collecting dust in his sister’s garage, Tyler is determined to meet her and make an offer to buy it. When he steps into what turns out to be Jennette’s backyard to ask if she’s willing to sell, what he gets is a case of mistaken identity and an intriguing offer he chooses not to turn down.

What Jennette and Tyler don’t expect is for a chance meeting and one simple date to grow into an all-consuming passion and love neither can deny.

*

#22

PLAYING FOR KEEPS

Single Title Contemporary Romance

80,000 words

English teacher Emma Dawson has enough complications in her life with an alcoholic sister and a son on the brink of teenage-dom. The last thing she needs is her high school crush waltzing into town and setting up camp in the middle of her life.

Thanks to a knee injury, professional baseball player, Nate Campbell, finds himself back in his hometown, coaching at his alma mater, and enjoying sparring with one stubborn English teacher way more than he should.

Caught in the classic battle between sports and academics, Nate and Emma face off against each other, an unscrupulous principal, and an attraction neither can deny. But when enemies become lovers, Nate is determined to convince Emma he really is playing for keeps.

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#23

Pink Lady

Cozy

49000 words

A Haunted House , hidden wealth and a murder all these things combine to make Anna’s life more complicated than she thought it ever could be. Returning home after discovering her fiancée doing the horizontal tango with a museum board member, she decides to convert the home her uncle left her into a bed and breakfast. As she and her contractor peel back the layers of grime, they discover clues about the gruesome murder of the former owners. Can they solve the mystery before they meet the same fate?

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#24

AMBUSHING THE HEIRESS

Historical Romance

93K words

“The sacrifice of one spoiled heiress for the good of many…” at least that’s how tarnished war-hero Major Vicks Geale quiets his conscience. Newly returned to England, Vicks finds his pay and commission forfeited, he’s inherited a crumbling estate, worthless title and a mountain of debt. With a band of wounded men depending upon him, Geale chooses the feckless and rich Lady Evangeline “Mischief” Moorecroft.

Gorgeous over-indulged Lady Evangeline delights on dancing the razor’s edge between scandal and infamy. Unable to resist Geale’s bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage. As an uneasy alliance forms between them, Evangeline has second thoughts about dissolving the marriage. Their fierce attraction is put to the test when Evangeline’s treacherous and well-connected mother, theDuchess, gives Evangeline an ultimatum: end the marriage or the Duchess will use her connections to end Geale’s life.

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#25

RARELY THE CARROT WITHOUT THE STICK

THRILLER

86K words

There’s some sick twisted shit that goes on in small towns. I know. I live in one. Raised in dysfunction, more smart-aleck than smart, I’m as ordinary as toast… except for a freakishly elevated Kinesic ability. My brain processes a person’s microscopic tics and twitches so clearly, they may as well be texting me what they’re thinking.

I exploit it as best I can, telling fortunes and selling love potion, careful to mind my business, flying below the radar. Or so I thought until the muscle showed up. Now trouble’s buzzing around me like flies to road kill. Since then, I’ve been robbed, assaulted and inked a deal with the devil. Rock bottom, right?

Not even close. Tug Shelby–the man I hadn’t yet decided whether he belongs in a shallow grave or in my bed–is missing. Vanished, unless you count a little finger and a helluva lot of blood. All I’ve got is a belly-full of fire, an arsenal of parlor tricks and a family that may or may not have my back. I don’t know how I’m gonna find him, but I’m prepared to die trying.

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#26

Camp Awakening

Young Adult Paranormal

85,000 words

When sixteen-year-old Melody’s father is killed by psyfons—power-draining psychics—she’s driven to join the fight against these evil creatures. This takes her to a boot camp for psychic kids to master her telekinesis. Although focused on her psyfon-destroying goal, she makes friends with trainees who have other abilities and catches the attention of Jonas, the gorgeous junior trainer whose very presence makes her feel dizzy and distracted.

When a few trainees collapse, Melody begins to suspect that the evil psyfons have infiltrated the camp. The dizziness Jonas makes her feel whenever they’re together starts to become less romantic and more suspicious. Is it possible that the boy she’s falling for could be one of the monsters who killed her father?

*

#27

When Time Stood Still

Futuristic romance

85,000 words

In 2076, 3-D artist Beryl Hesketh falls in love with astronaut Roger Kemp.  But he leaves on a dangerous mission—lasting forty years.  He will not age due to time dilation, but much goes wrong.  He returns one hundred and sixty years later.  On an intrigue-ridden moon colony, he spots a woman who looks exactly like Beryl.  But how can she?

He discovers this is indeed Beryl—now Hildegard Heidt.  She went into suspended animation to await his return.  But her memory of her past is gone, replaced by a disgruntled scientist’s programming in a plot against the authorities.  Even so, Hildegard falls in love with Roger.

It takes all of Roger’s might to rescue her from both sides.  But even that cannot save their relationship.  He insists on seeing Hildegard as his lost love, not the woman she now is.  They break up.

When Hildegard is nearly killed in an earthquake, and he saves her, she has a near-death experience.  Her life passes before her; she finally learns of her lost years.  Again she wants Roger; he can now love all of her.  The two are married, and depart for a new life on an Earth-like exoplanet.

*

#28

‘Lady of Coventry’

Historical Romance-very sensual

100,000 words

Lady Godiva is in a real mess.  A solemn promise to her father has her wed and forevermore bound to a castle replete with all kinds of onerous domestic duties.  Add an overbearing, albeit, devastatingly handsome husband into the mix, and Godiva is even more determined to gain her freedom.  Godiva and her oaths!  What trouble they get her into! The independent Saxon lady finds herself truly shackled for life to Leofric, Earl of Mercia.

He expects nothing more other than to keep Godiva safe and very possibly pregnant at the hearth.

So he thinks!  Godiva would much rather swing her sword at his side, and get a piece of all the battle action and intrigue of the earldom.

The more he tries to subdue and protect her, the more the lady resents him.

How does one respond to a woman wanting to lead the life of a warrior, and how, for heaven’s sake, does one react to a wife who rides nude through a village for all the world to see?

Will these two very strong-willed lovers learn to accept each other and learn to unleash the love that grows between them?

Yes!  But what a journey it is.

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#29

Don’t Cross the Line

Paranormal Romance

100,000 words

Don’t Cross the Line is a 100,000 word novel, the first in a series of stories. This one follows Gemma Davies, a were-tiger. She is reaching the age where her alpha and father demands that she must find a mate, or he will find one for her.

However the man that she loves, Cade MacDonald can never be hers, he is of another species of shape shifter, a werewolf, and to be together would mean execution for them both.

When the female heir of a neighbouring pack is murdered, Gemma must work alongside Cade to find out who killed her. It doesn’t look like the murderer is done though. Gemma is attacked in her own home; she escapes and lands in the arms of Cade. While she fights to keep her distance from him, fate keeps on throwing her right back at his feet.

She meets Karl Ellis, another were-tiger like herself, a potential mate. Cade does everything in his power to prove that Karl is just using Gemma. When the evidence from the case begins to build up and it all starts to point to Karl, Gemma considers that Cade might have been correct.

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#30

‘Promises from the Sea’

Fantasy Romance/very sensual

100,000 words

Caspia de Mer notices a man approaching her as if from out of the blue—the deep blue, that is.  He spouts nonsense, saying things like ‘he has come to claim her’, and, ‘she is his lifemate’.  When Caspia realizes that the handsomely exotic  man is not kidding–she does everything in her power to thwart him.

Aqualus of Ionia is horrified to find that his beautiful bride wants nothing at all to do with him.  Determined, he encounters a few problems. One major one being—Caspia does not know she is a mermaid—and discovers that Caspia is under the spell of a mysterious and nefarious wizard.

To confound his situation, he has to convince Caspia that he wants to love her, but try convincing that to a mermaid whose best friend is an earth-witch who supplies his lifemate potions to resist his courtship of her.

It’s an unsettling situation for the legendary merman who never knew the resistance of any female.  Should he use his own magic to woo his one true love, or should he just sweep her off her feet—er, fins—and take her with him into his world beneath the waves?