Sherry Gloag from The Heart of Romance is on the Bloggy!

Before I was a published author for Secret Cravings Publishing, I was a newbie with Musa Publishing and even before that, I was a greenie with Astraea Press.  I read Amanda Hocking's blog and learned she credited her popularity with bloggers.  So I sought them out when I had my first release, Spellbound.  One of the ones who welcomed me with open arms was Sherry Gloag.  Little did I know we would both be published authors with the same Houses!

So, today I am so happy to showcase my longtime (in Facebook years, anyway) friend, Sherry Gloag.  Her blog, The Heart of Romance, has been a must-stop for all my releases and it should be for yours.  Learn a little more about her recent release from Sweet Cravings Publishing, No Job for a Woman.

No Job For a Woman ....by Author Sherry Gloag

Blurb:

Deborah Stavely is determined to overcome the increasing harassment from her neighbour without

calling on her brother for help. So she is not pleased when Freddie intervenes and involves his friend, Julian Fanshaw.

Circumstances demand Julian and Deborah learn to work together and Julian dares to dream that he might gain the love of the only person he’s ever given his heart to.

But will Deborah live long enough to discover that by releasing everything she values, she will gain everything her heart desires?

Julian Fanshaw answers a call for help from his life-long friend Lord Worth to help keep his friend’s widowed sister, Deborah, safe from her increasingly vindictive neighbours. It doesn’t take long to realise him or Freddie long to realise the Grangers aren’t using her as a long-promised act of revenge against them; but are playing a deeper and far more sinister game of their own.

Excerpt:

Julian Fanshaw ignored the other letters in front of him when he recognized one from his long-time friend Freddie Dalrymple, now Lord Worth. He broke the seal and scanned the single sheet with growing concern.

Julian, my friend, I am writing to implore you to put aside whatever plans you have in hand and to set out immediately to stay with us for an indeterminate period of time.

Thoroughly alarmed, Julian flipped the page in his hand to discover it had been dispatched more than a week ago.

If I bring to mind a certain student up at Oxford with us, and reveal that he and his wife are, and have been, my sister’s neighbors for several years, it will give you but an inkling of the root of my concern.

It has come to my attention, due to the arrival of his brother upon the scene, and recent events concerning my sister, Deborah, I am persuaded you need not only to know what is happening here, but be on hand to assist in circumventing any consequences of actions taken against her.

I have taken the liberty of gathering some friends together for a couple of shooting parties, thereby creating a reason for your presence.

Since his return from the Peninsular, Julian kept promising himself a trip to Worth’s Norfolk estate. Unfortunately in the last eighteen months, time and circumstances had worked against him.

Casting the letter aside, Julian strode to the door and called for his butler.

“I am leaving immediately for Norfolk. Please see that my bags are packed and have my horse ready within the hour.”

“You do not intend to use your chaise, sir?”

“No. I’ll ride, with a stop to visit Mr. Sewel. Arrange for Becket and French to follow me in the chaise with everything I’ll need for a month.”

Not by so much as a flick of an eyelid did Thomas reveal he recognized the name of his master’s man of business.

“Very good, sir.”

BIO

Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England.  She considers the surrounding countryside as extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs "thinking time" and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel.  While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as there are no other walkers close by.

Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office.  She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.

As always, indie authors love to hear from fans, friends, and followers.  Give her a shout!

My Website: http://www.sherrygloag.com

My Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SherryGloagAuthor  

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SherryGloag

Amazon author page: http://tinyurl.com/buj6zj8

My New Friend, Musa Author Ted Mendelssohn Teaches Me a New Trick

Getting a new blog post from Ted was a bit like kismet.  I have been wrestling with a component of a sci-fi I've been working with.  After reading his advice, I realize why I have a block about it.....while trying to write scientifically, I've actually been trying to be TOO scientific.  Here, let me let Ted explain it.  He does it so much better than me.

WRITING SCIENTIFIC

By

Ted Mendelssohn

Samantha has graciously invited me into her house – her blog, that is – with a post about including science in your writing. So here it is, the Big Basic Rule of Writing Science Fiction (because yes, there is only one):

Science fiction is NOT about science.

Period. Full stop.

Entirely new power sources? Travel to other star systems? Sentient non-human beings? Who cares? Seriously. An SF story is about none of these things. Rather, it's about the effects these things might have on the story's protagonists.

Good example: Robert Heinlein's classic 1940 short story, Blowups Happen. Five years before we had the atom bomb, and eleven before the first nuclear power plant came on line, Heinlein imagined a breeder nuclear reactor that provided power and medical radioactives to the entire western United States. And then he asked "But what if the plant is fundamentally unstable? What if it could explode in an atomic fireball?" The plant is vital to the US economy; it can't be shut down. But the engineers know that one mistake on their part could wipe the entire state of Nevada off the map in a multi-megaton explosion. The stress is unbearable, so they start to "blow up." Although there was plenty of science in the story, the most important thing was the stress on the human beings.

Another classic example: Cordwainer Smith's Scanners Live in Vain. Smith asked the question: "What if space flight requires men to undergo radical transformations – to become partially machine, to lose some of their humanity? How will they behave?" His answer was utterly believable – that men who had sacrificed so much, and lost so much of what makes us human, would protect their power and status with extreme, terrible acts that they would never have considered before they were transformed.

This is how to use science in fiction: Understand the implications of a new development, and follow them wherever they might go. What if genetic engineering allows us to give up sleep? What would the psychological effects of immortality really be like? Instead of creating a world you like and finding science to justify it, look at science and wonder what the implications might be.

And go from there.

Thanks, Ted!  And if you liked what you read here, you will love to get more comfortable with his works.  Buy and read, and let him know how you felt.  The best way to support an indie author is to buy an indie author.  We all thank you.

Ted's new book is from Musa Publishing:  

And you can become a follower of his, here:  

http://theswordthatnagged.blogspot.com

http://www.thewrongsword.com

My Fearless Friend Sharon Ledwith shares the deets on writing a series

WRITING A SERIES

By Sharon Ledwith

Face it. If you’ve written a great book filled with equally great characters, readers will want more. Much more. And the sooner the better. Then, you start to panic. Sweat drips off your face and onto your keyboard. You’re committed now. Legions of readers are waiting in the wings for your next installment.

Stop.

Don’t worry.

You’ve got this.

The most important thing to remember in creating a series for any genre is to connect the dots, create a common thread to tie your individual stories together into a nice, shiny bow at the series end.

Complicated? Not really. Read on…

First: Make sure your characters have enough problems going on both individually and together to carry through at least five books. The entire series needs to get from A to B to Z dragging your characters along (sometimes kicking and screaming) until, by the end of the series he or she or they need to come out changed. They need to have shown growth, they need to have evolved through the course of their adventures.

Second: Don’t put any elements into your first story that you don’t want to live with through five or more books. It’s a long haul to drag unnecessary fillers such as a troublesome pet, a psychotic boyfriend or an ongoing health problem for the ride. Like they say, “Use it or lose it”.

Third: Don’t solve the big mysteries or resolve all their problems in the first book. Too much, too soon. The idea is to hook’em with that first book, and get your readers begging for more. Your characters should still have dreams and goals and ambitions to work toward through the length of the series. Oh yeah, and as you do answer the burning questions and resolve the terrible conflicts, make sure you replace them with additional—hopefully more serious—ones.

Fourth: Remember—it’s all about building relationships between your characters. Throw obstacles their way and create the necessary tension between them to get your readers to care about them. It’s all about the journey and how they work together to resolve their problems. You want readers to be as invested at the end of the series in how that relationship is working out as they were in the first book.

Fifth: Keep a series guidebook stuffed with all the vital information on your main characters— and recurring side characters. The color of their hair and eyes, their brother’s or sister’s names, or any allergies is vital to log. Believe me readers know when something is amiss and will call you on it.

Sixth: Make sure you’re writing a series for the right reason—because you love your characters enough to tell their story over a period of years to come. And hopefully, that could be a long, long time.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through Musa Publishing. 

When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Blurb

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

Want more info on The Last Timekeepers series? Check it out on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Last-Timekeepers-Time-Travel-Series/373953795955372

Buy Links: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=277

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Arch-Atlantis-ebook/dp/B0084AKSP0/ref=la_B0084DUHJO_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337709376&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-arch-of-atlantis-x2019-sharon-ledwith/1111074347?ean=2940014363952

Learn about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog:

www.sharonledwith.com

http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/

Stay connected with Sharon on Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/seledwith

Twitter: @sharonledwith: https://twitter.com/?iid=am-82952056813386643146889016&nid=23+following_user&uid=525750371&utm_content=profile#!/sharonledwith

Welcome Musa Publishing Author Clarissa Johal as she talks about Writing the Paranormal

WRITING THE PARANORMAL

By Clarissa Johal

People often ask me how I began writing in the genre of paranormal. I’m not brooding or scary or running off to join the latest seance, which I think is what they expect. And my silly sense of humor oftentimes gets me into trouble, especially with my two daughters.

The topic of paranormal has always interested me because I moved around so much as a kid. It seemed we were always living in an older place and with those older places, came a ghost or two. Now, before you chuckle and roll your eyes (or not) let me tell you, I walk the line between skeptic and 100% believer. On the surface, I may be rolling my eyes with you, but inside, I believe in a plethora of things I won’t even begin to discuss until I’ve known someone a very long time. I know what I’ve experienced, and I know what my rational mind tells me. Believe me, there’s a lot of arguing in my head over those two things. We are a collection of what we’ve experienced in our lifetime, and since I’m as old as the hills, I’ve experienced plenty.

When I was 10-years-old, we moved to an island and lived for several months in a 30-year-old house. I’m an insomniac and have been since I was a kid. Consequently, being awake while the rest of my family slept was nothing new, though my mom would get quite irritated because I would roam the house at night and wake her up. One evening, and after hours of tossing and turning, I decided to stroll. While I sat on the couch trying to figure out what to do with myself, I heard singing in my ear. It was as if a woman was sitting right next to me singing, “Time in a Bottle.” I liked the song, it was popular at the time (and yes, that dates me) but I didn’t know the words. At that point, I did what any kid would do if they weren’t compelled to run away screaming, I politely sat and listened until she finished. Afterwards, I went back to bed and proceeded to have the worst nightmare. I dreamt that I walked into our bathroom and found a naked, young woman wrapped up in a shower curtain in our bathtub. She was blonde, had a bullet hole in her head, and was quite dead. It was a graphic nightmare for a 10-year-old; I never watched television and rarely had nightmares. I had it for weeks until we finally moved. Each time, it became more intense—it had gotten to the point where she was clawing her way out of the tub and trying to speak to me through the shower curtain. Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck by the time we moved. Years later, I remember finding out from my parents that there was indeed, a murder at that house. They didn’t elaborate, but I always wondered of the details. Parents, tell your kids these things ahead of time, because if they ever experience anything, they will always wonder.

I was 13-years-old when my parents took a house by the ocean. They were able to rent it cheap and I was more than a little sad when we moved a year later. It had a garden, a tree-house, a large yard to do cartwheels in; everything a kid could want. It also had ghosts. I would lay awake for hours and watch a white cat walk through my bedroom wall. Over and over again. No explanation for that, it just was. I remember constantly seeing an old lady out of the corner of my eye. She would follow me down the stairs to the basement and back up again. She would follow me down the hallway to my bedroom. Sometimes, I would see her sitting in my mom’s rocking chair in the living room. I wasn’t afraid; she was just a presence I came to accept. It wasn’t until we moved from that place that I overheard my parents discussing the house and the fact they had both seen the shadow of an old lady there. They thought it might have been the lady that died in the house before we bought it.  Well, that was news to me (and unfortunately, taught me the joys of eavesdropping).

So, back to the genre of paranormal. I began writing fiction when my kiddos were younger. While writing the second installment to my Pradee series, I was interrupted by two characters that truly didn’t fit. I kept setting them aside, but they would return, stronger than ever. Finally, I gave up on my young adult title and began Between, a story of the paranormal. While my young adult fantasy, took me ten years to complete, I had the rough draft of Between finished in several months and a year after that, the full novel was complete. Six weeks after I submitted, Musa Publishing offered me a contract.

The novel I’m working on now is also in the genre of paranormal. I have to say, I’m hooked. I like the freedom of writing for adults and I love presenting the paranormal in a new and interesting ways. Now, I know what you’re probably going to ask me. Do I write of my experiences or make stuff up? I’m a writer, I write fiction, and I know the difference between fiction and real life. I have to, I have kids. However, the best fiction is when writers “write what they know” and a little of what I know creeps into my novels from time to time. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

Blurb:

Since Lucinda was a young girl, she's been able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated, young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that everything can be saved.

When Lucinda is involved in a car accident that kills her fiance, she is devastated and moves to a small town to live a life of self-imposed exile. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. However, there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.

The spiritual activity around her intensifies as Lucinda is increasingly haunted by memories of the accident. As she is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she surprisingly finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

Between will release under the Thalia imprint of Musa Publishing on December 14, 2012.

Website http://clarissajohal.com/

Blog http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/clarissa.johal.9

 Twitter https://twitter.com/ClarissaJohal

Musa Publishing Author Sloane Taylor joins us on the blog

My new standalone book is hot off the Musa Publishing e-press! With a gorgeous cover designed by Kelly Shorten and the unbeatable editing skills of Elizabeth Silver, that boosted the book to a level 4 Heat Rating, MASQUERADE brings true romance and all the delicious personal bits to life. Read on and see for yourself. Behind every mask is a fragment of truth. BLURB: Chicagoan Clancy Marshall has planned her dream vacation in Venice down to the last detail. From gondola rides to masked balls, and anything else that just happens along, she is determined to experience all pleasures. But those careful plans fly out the door when she literally falls into the arms of a masked stranger. Vittore Ricci comes from an old Venetian family that claims two doges in their lineage. A straight-laced Count and owner of a prestigious hotel, he never does anything without serious consideration. Until a sexy American tourist offers an opportunity no man can refuse. EXCERPT: Green eyes sparkling behind delicate shades of purple feathers held him hostage. Vittore thought he had recognized her the moment she walked onto the pier. When she spoke, he knew his search had finally ended. Determination and desire had persevered. The gods had delivered her into his hands and he wanted to learn more about this mystery woman with her gay laugh and quick wit, even if it was only for one night. Clancy opened her door, then switched on the entry light. At the bedroom, she glanced over her shoulder, the long plumes brushing her creamy bare shoulder. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be just a moment.” He wandered around the room, straightening the pillows on the sofa, adjusting a wing backed chair and, finally, the magazines scattered across the pecan desktop. It was there he found a handwritten note caught between the pages. A little guilt crept in for snooping, but he shoved it aside, eager to discover more about this sensual woman who intrigued him. Note to Self — Loving Venice 1. Ride in a gondola 2. Climb the Campanile in St. Mark’s Square 3. Attend a masked ball 4. Dance under the stars in St. Mark’s Square 5. Tour a professional kitchen 6. Buy one special piece of Murano glass 7. Fall in love—at least for the night 8. Hear a Vivaldi Concert 9. Attend an opera at the Fenice 10. Vittore reread the paper, paying close attention to number seven. He looked out at the waning moon and sent a prayer of thanks to Raphael the Archangel, the patron saint of happy meetings, for his good fortune. BUY LINK

Waiting on My Agent

So, I don't have an agent.  I have been happily publishing my books with the assistance of two dynamic publishing houses, Astraea Press and Musa Publishing for the past two years.  I hope to publish many, many more.  But I would lie if I said I didn't want an agent.  I, like, REALLY want an agent.  This desire takes away nothing from how fortunate I feel to be with my current publishers.  My issue is the marketing.  And the time.

Before I wrote my first book, Spellbound, I wasn't even on facebook.  Had no idea Twitter existed and even now, got no clue about Tumblr or Pinterest.  But a very smart marketing rep at one of my houses told me I was insane if I was writing and not on anything resembling a social network.  "Oh my God, you have to at least have a BLOG!" she wailed at me in emails with all caps.  So, I started one.  And I really have to admit, I enjoy it.  But the rest?  Time-suck sometimes.

Facebook gave me an amazing start and a wonderful base of great author friends and people I call fans (and then blush).  I'm very grateful.  But, I'm very tired too.  I have a great base of support online, but I think it would be neat to have that one person who really believed in me and got me.  Okay, to be fair I have that.  I'm talking about that one person who does all that and ALSO knows some New York publishers.

With that in mind, I confess, I have sent my recent manuscript, The Deadlies, out to the agenting world.  A dark, YA paranormal, set in the South, about catty girls possessed by the demons of the seven deadly sins, I am very proud of this one.  So I set it free in the deep end of the pool.  Two agents from the shark tanks have swum up to me, shown me their teeth, and asked for pages.  I sent them.  I was too scared not to.  Now I wait.

One agent wanted the whole manuscript and one wanted my first 100 pages., which is really the first third to a half of the book.  Now, I am wondering...how long is reasonable to be waiting for a response?  I don't want to look like a newbie, but....I kind of am.  I've only had two requests for pages before, when I was even more of a newbie, and tried my hand at my first story.  One agent and Harlequin Teen requested pages, then ultimately passed.  Quickly.  So, is it a good sign when it takes longer?

Agents must be busy.  There are, by my count, eleventy-billion of us trying to get one, and only, like, a handful out there to get.  You do the math.  They are only human.  Is it unreasonable to hear back from one in two months?  Four?  Eight?  How long is too long?

So, my post today is more of a call for help.  Like a call for submissions, I need you.  If you are one of my blog followers and you have a tad bit of insight into this mystery....could you clue me in?  The myth and mystery of agents reminds me of the same one surrounding the elusive and unknown "underwriter" who decided my hubs and I's fate when we were buying our first house.  One guy, one person, who held the key to my future.  Would it be a two story colonial with a yard for the kids?  Or a double wide in a questionable part of town with occasional hot-and-cold running water?  Will I get the agent who gets me?  Or always be one of the eleventy-billion.

Make It Personal

Writing my latest release, Waterdancer, has been a truly eye-opening experience to my own writing process.  Please read about it in this guest post I did for the Waterdancer blog tour over at Letters Inside Out.

GUEST POST: SAMANTHA COMBS (AUTHOR OF WATERDANCER)

5SEPposted by Amanda

Tour Schedule

As if high school isn’t hard enough, try being Bailey Wasserman. Try being the new girl in town, navigating a touchy relationship with your flighty mom’s rich new husband in a brand new town he’s just moved you to. Add to that finding out that your father, a semi-pro surfer who’s just mysteriously re-entered your life after nearly fifteen years of silence, is half sea-creature and you’re about to inherit that particular gene on your sixteenth birthday which is only a few days away, all after you just met the cutest surfer boy you’ve ever seen in your life.

Bailey feels she and her mom have always met life’s challenges as a team of two, more like best friends than mother and daughter. But her mom’s recent marriage has changed all that. Having her little brother Landry is all Bailey can find good about that union. The move to wealthy Del Mar from their humble beginnings has turned Bailey sour, until a chance meeting of surf hottie Jack West changes all that. Then, when her father reenters her life, with his annoying Zen-surfer lingo and a talking turtle he claims is her spirit guardian, no less, he threatens the only relationship Bailey thinks is working in her world. She soon finds out that’s not all his arrival will do. His presence and their shared family trait could ultimately force Bailey to make a decision that will alter the course of her own life and those she loves…..forever.

GUEST POST: MAKE IT PERSONAL BY SAMANTHA COMBS

I recently allowed my muse, Musina to headline in an interview about me. I learned something. I thought I had sprinkled part of my life into my books, but as it turns out, I have been borrowing liberally. Empowered with this epiphany, I truly feel that personal connection is what makes my stories easy to believe and accept, even though I write in the paranormal genre. I make it believable by making it personal.

Once I realized I had been doing this, it was simple to identify the personal parts in most of my books. In Spellbound and Everspell, even though, no, I am not a witch, I used my past to color the landscape of my story. The street they live on is the same as mine, and the main characters large house resembles one that used to stand at the end of our block. Thick with overgrown brush, we used to call it the “witch house” as kids will sometimes do. In Ghostly, the main protag’s best friend is drawn nearly completely from a couple of friends I had in school, and the school itself is the same layout as my old high school in San Diego. Likewise, the jr. high in The Detention Demon resembles the one I never went to, but my little brother did.

But perhaps nowhere else than in Waterdancer did I borrow so heavily. I was in a high school just like Bailey, having moved to Del Mar the summer before my freshman year. I had a new stepfather, new siblings and was experiencing the first love of my life. Cool, zen, and a serious local-boy surfer, Bailey’s love interest, Jack, also comes from my past. It doesn’t stop there, either. The layout of Bailey’s new condo matches the one I lived in during high school and living across the street from a state beach is the same as well. Even down to the path that leads from the cliff to the beach, the details are just the same. I often wonder if a local may read this book and wonder if I invaded their life.

During those tender, angst-filled teen years, I was also rebuilding my relationship with both my mother, and my previously absentee father. But, just to be clear, Daddy is not an octopus. Okay?

I know many authors write paranormal and make up as much of it as they can. I love that. But, I challenge you as a writer to inject as much of yourself, or your life, as you can. I am tremendously proud of this latest YA for that reason. I feel that the “me” of it shines through. Musina was clearly in charge on this one, because I didn’t realize any of this until her interview. Even after read-throughs, edits and grammar checks, I never noticed it. But, it was there all along. I believe the reason I love it so much is that that it is so close to my “me-ness”. Try it yourself. Use a name from your past, landscape your manuscript with images from your childhood, or pull from your own experiences, even the painful ones. Writing can be cathartic, too. And watch your story come alive! One of my favorite sayings is this: Be bold, for when you are bold, magnificent forces will come to your aid. So, writers and authors and storytime tellers, be bold. And make it personal. Your readers will love you and your stories for it.

Author Bio: Samantha Combs is a young adult/middle grade author living in Southern California. The author of six books, three are young adult paranormal romances, Spellbound, Everspell, and Ghostly, a middle grade horror novel, The Detention Demon, two adult horror collections, Teeth and Talons, and Way Past Midnight, and a new standalone YA paranormal, entitled Waterdancer, which you should look for in Sept. 2012. Samantha hopes to complete and release two other books currently in progress. 2012 looks amazing!

When she is not writing or reading voraciously, Samantha enjoys bloggers, the Food Network Channel, reality television and wandering around the aisles at Target. She recently conquered Facebook and is learning how to use Twitter. She is sure she can handle any situation if she has the right shoes and has a mad passion for totally inappropriate earrings. Samantha believes the movement toward technology is the most exciting thing to happen to publishing and can’t wait to see what the industry is going to do next. Anything that makes kids want to read can’t be a bad thing.

Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Meet Bailey, the Teen Star of Waterdancer

I may have mentioned, Waterdancer, from Musa Publishing, is out this Friday.  So you believe me when I say this book release is NOT all about me, I would like you to know I have given the spotlight over to Bailey, my spunky protagonist, for the most recent interview.  My great fellow author from Astraea Press, Patricia Kiyono, handled the reins for this one.  I won't waste time with useless banter, just please read the following and get to know Bailey.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Please Welcome Author Samantha Combs

   Today I am honored to introduce you to Samantha Combs. Samantha is a

 prolific author, writing Young Adult Paranormal stories not only at Astraea

 Press, but also at Musa Publishing. She is a true cheerleader for her fellow 

authors. She was the first blogger to interview me after the publication of my 

first novella, The Legacy, and so I am glad to have the chance to return the 

favor as she prepares for the launch of her latest release, Waterdancer. Since

Samantha herself is quite busy with all the promo surrounding the release, 

she sent her main character, Bailey Wasserman, to answer my questions.

PK: Thank you for coming to chat with us today, Bailey. Why do you think 

Samantha choose you to represent her?

BW: We are a lot alike.  Most of how I am in Waterdancer is drawn directly from her 

own teen years.  She had the standoffish stepfather, the new home, the new school, 

and the absentee father.  While he wasn’t a sea creature, everything else is the same.

PK: Tell us a little about yourself.

BW: I just moved with my mother and her new husband and my awesome little brother 

Landry to a brand new city.  I have to go to a new school, too.  I’m pretty laid back, but 

this is turning out to be a seriously stressful summer.  Even a zen chick like me has 

her limits.

PK: What is your birth date?

BW: Let’s just say my sixteenth birthday this summer will bring more surprises than 

presents.

PK: Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you there?

BW: We live in Del Mar, California  Pretty ritzy place. This is where my stepfather, 

Warren, brought us to live. Before my Mom married him, we had a great little house

 in a totally not expensive area.  We were happy.  I’m still working out if I like being

 here.  Secretly though, I have fallen in love with the beach.  Never had that before!

PK: What do you wish people would know about you?

SC: If they knew about the mermaid tail, they would think I was a freak, or creepy.  

So I DON’T want them to know about that.  Except for Jack.  He kind of found out

by accident.  And he still likes me!  Unheard of.

PK: What is your perfect evening?

BW: Since I learned how to surf, the perfect evening is riding the waves with Jack 

until the sun goes down, and watching that sunset with him on the sand.

What do you do to relax?

BW: Surf.  And I’m a teenager.  We don’t relax, much.

PK: Tell us about Jack. What drew you to him?

BW: He is seriously cute and for some unknown reason, he likes me.  Besides, 

I wasn’t drawn to him…he kind of stalked me at Registration.  Thank you, Jesus,

because he was the cutest boy in that whole room.

PK: What about the girl on the cover? Is that a fair representation of you?

BW: Yes.  She is a bit wistful, and you can sense her awakened desire for the

ocean.

PK: What’s your biggest turn ons?

BW: Surfing with Jack, spending time with Landry, people telling me the truth.

PK: What are your biggest Turn offs?

BW: Deception.

PK: Do you believe in ghosts?

BW: Well, I didn’t believe in sea creatures before this summer, so I guess I 

need to change my mind about ghosts, too.

PK: What is your biggest fear?

BW: That something will happen to Landry because of me.

PK: Why should the readers be interested in your story?

BW: Because I’m just a normal teenager trying to make my way in a life that 

has just been turned upside-down.  Because my story could be any girl’s story, 

maybe just not with sea creatures as parents.  And because I am honest, and 

real, and sincere.

Thanks for coming today, Bailey!

Readers can find Waterdancer at your favorite online source beginning 

THIS FRIDAY, September 7. You can find Samantha on Facebook, her 

blog, or on Twitter:

Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Combs-Fan-Page/

205186202866933

Email:  samanthacombswrites@gmail.com

Blog: http://www.samanthacombswrites.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/samanthacombs1

Waterdancer Blog Tour

I have never done a blog tour before, but I need to send a shout out to Megan from http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.com, who has put together an amazing blog tour for me for the new YA paranormal release Waterdancer, releasing this Friday, Sept., 7th from Musa Publishing.   She even made this far-too-cool  banner, using the same colors of the book cover.

Because I am stupidly new to this, she took me by the hand and walked me through the whole process.  I provided links and interviews and blog posts, oh my!  I just did whatever she asked me to do and I am so surprised by some results.  I have new blog followers, new likers, and, music to an author's ears, reviewers who are enjoying my story.  I have posts and tweets and google-y stuff, too!  Megan just does it all.  

I would be remiss if I didn't thank her specifically, and the other blogs doing a thingy on me as well.  So, here is a list of these wonderful reviewers/bloggers.  Please check them out, and not just for this tour.  I have found each blog to be well-thought out, engaging and entertaining, and best of all, informational.  Once again, I am reminded that were it not for these reviewers and bloggers, us indie authors would be way more indie than we would like.

So, please join me in joining them!

http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.co.uk/ 

http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

http://we-do-write.blogspot.co.uk/

http://aboveaveragebelowspecial.blogspot.co.uk/

http://jbarrett5.blogspot.com/

http://www.lettersinsideout.net/

http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.co.uk/

One other thing I want to mention...this blog tour was offered to me for free.  These great bloggers do this for the best reason of all, love of books and a great desire to introduce authors to you that you may not have even heard of.  I can never, ever thank them enough.  But you can do what I have done.  Follow them.  They are worth it.

And if you decide to jump on the blog tour, check it out with this schedule:

Today: Book Excerpt & Giveaway @ my blog http://readingawaythedays.blogspot.co.uk/ & Promo @ this blog http://worldsawaybookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

3rd September: Interview @ http://we-do-write.blogspot.co.uk/

4th September: Review @ http://aboveaveragebelowspecial.blogspot.co.uk/ & Review @ http://jbarrett5.blogspot.com/

5th September: Guest Post @ http://www.lettersinsideout.net/

6th September: Casting Couch @ http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

7th September: Character Interview:  http://thecoverbybrittany.blogspot.co.uk/

Why I Don't Like Five Star Reviews

So, having read the title of this post, as an author you must be thinking I am out of my mind.  Not liking five-star reviews?  Is this bitch kidding?  EVERYONE wants a five-star review!  This is heresy!  Stone her!
Okay, okay, before you drag out the torture table, let me explain:  it's not that I don't want five star reviews, it's more that I am afraid of them.

If I was a fledgling actress nominated for and winning an Academy Award, I'm sure I would have the same crisis of faith.  And make no mistake, it IS about faith.  I think that actress and I would have the same fears, actually.  Namely, that we would never be able to top the excellence, the perfection, the sheer genius that caused the award to be given on her first film. Too many five stars would scare me.

As an author, I have received my share of five-stars.  And since that did happen, I feel as though I am qualified to make these statements.  I am grateful for every one, but here's what frightens me:  To me, the five-star review is the pinnacle of the ratings scale.  So, if I get a fiver, where do I go from there?  Is there six stars?  Seven? Eight?  No.  That's it.  Five is the top.  So my true fear is that too many of them is going to be a slippery slope into complacency.  Maybe not right away, because I seem to have, so far, an endless supply of story ideas and notes, but someday.  Someday, I fear I may sit back on the sofa and breathe out slowly, wondering where else can I go?  Wondering is it worth it to try?

I, personally, LOVE a four star review.  Now this, I can sink my teeth in!  This means you loved it, but you can see where I might have taken it farther.  A four-topper guarantees you liked me enough to purchase my next book, and my next one.  Then, when I have reached the level of success and recognition I only now dream of, then you can lather me with those fivers.  Oh, please do.  Please, please do.

I also appreciate a well-researched and itemized three star review.  This gives me somewhere specific to go. Up.  I can strive for something, and as an artist, that's what I am always doing.  Striving, perfecting, vowing to achieve.

Interestingly enough, in American literature, one's descent into madness is most often preceded by unhealthy obsession.  Obsession over a person, a love, real or imagined, and, Dear Authors, over an ideal.  A willingness to slave and grieve and COMMIT to one thing so totally, so completely, that you will submit yourself to review and comment and critique, by people we don't know and are killing ourselves to impress..  Oh...wait a minute....isn't that what we as authors do?   But, I digress.

Back to the five stars.  I appreciate them, I covet them, yes, maybe I do even like them.  But, I'll be damned if I'm going to let them make me complacent.  Because my intent with my writing is to get better, to correct my mistakes, to tighten my wording and color my descriptions.  And with every book, my intent is to draw my reader in deeper and deeper until the characters become a part of them.

I have a book coming out two weeks from today.  It's my seventh one.  Waterdancer, a YA paranormal, is being released by Musa Publishing.  Check it out and let me know.....am I going in the right direction?

The Kid Interview Series - #1 - I am interviewed by my son

As part of a new ongoing series, I have asked some of my facebook author-friends to ask their children to interview them.  Our kids and families are such a huge part of our lives, I wanted to give them an opportunity to tell us all how they really feel about our obsessive desire to put words to life.

I will start the series by interviewing one of my own.  Enjoy!

THE KID’S INTERVIEW

William Combs, age 9, interviews his author mom, SAMANTHA COMBS

Q.  Can you name all your Mom’s books?  

A.  Yes! Spellbound, Everspell, Detention Demon, Waterdancer, um, even the short ones too?  I’ll think about it.

Q.  Which is your favorite and why?  

A.  My favorite is The Detention Demon because I like all of the details that it gives me to give a good picture in my mind of what the demon looks like.

Q.  When does your Mom write?  Where in the house?  Describe her writing area.  

A.  Mostly at night.  She writes in the living room and sometimes in her room.  Well, for the living room, she has a couch with an ottoman that she puts the computer on.  And she also lays her feet on that, too.  And also she uses pillows to rest her arm on.  We’re not allowed to put things on the ottoman.

Q.   What are you doing when Mom is writing?  

A.   I’m mostly quiet and I watch tv or play my DS.

Q.   If Mom got rich and famous, what would you want her to do with the money?  

A.   TOYS!

Q.   Do you read your Mom’s books?  

A.   Yes.  She reads them to me and I read them on her kindle.  But only the scary ones.  And the good parts of    the others.

Q.   Do you think you do better in school because Mom is a writer?  

A.   Yes.  Because she has a great vocabulary and so do I.  And whenever I need a word to be described, she is always there for that.

Q.   Do your friends know what your Mom writes?  Do you tell them?  

A.   Not really, no. I tell them about her working for the cab company.  But, I do tell my teachers Mommy writes.

Q.   Do you want to be a writer when you grow up?  If not, what do you want to be? 

A.   I don’t want to be a writer, because it’s just exhausting for your hands.  I want to be either a police officer  or a firefighter.

Q.  If you could dedicate a book to your Mom, what would you say?  

A.  This book is for my Mom, my wonderful, kind, happy, heartful mother.  I love you, Mom.

Shameless self-promotion: Waterdancer, my 7th book, and my 5th YA paranormal, is out Sept 7th with Musa Publishing.  Hope you check it out here on the blog.