Welcome.

I'm glad you stopped by. I hope you'll stop by again.
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day Author Hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Valentine's Day Author Hop. Show all posts

Monday, February 16, 2015

Of Valentines, Presidents, & Writing Dilemmas



I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day and enjoyed last week’s blog hop organized by my friend Elizabeth Rose. I always enjoy hops because I get to meet so many great people via the comments.

Instead of honoring two great presidents on their birthdays (like we did when I was a kid), today we honor all our presidents. What a job. Who would want it? Someone with an ego bigger than Alaska or someone naïve enough to think they can actually bring about change? Whatever the reason, whatever our political leaning, we respect the office and the men (so far) who have led our country.

 In two paragraphs, I’ve managed to avoid talking about The Dilemma. It’s my Work-in-Progress, a science fiction romance and the third book in my Outer Rim series. I’m almost to the midway point in the story. I’ve gotten to an emotional scene and don’t know how to proceed. 

Here’s the skinny:

Rissa and Dillan are alone in his starship when she reveals a painful secret. One she has never told anyone (not even her BFF). She’s a strong, independent fem. She’s had to be to run a tavern in a (semi) lawless frontier colony. Long ago, she learned the hard way not to reveal weakness or expose vulnerability because someone will take advantage. And she never breaks down in tears in front of anyone.

Dillan has loved her for years. What started as a young man’s crush years ago evolved into the love-of-his-life, and he’s been trying to convince her to give him a chance. He thinks he’s made progress when she returned his kisses in an earlier scene. Now he’s honored that she trusts him with her secret. As she explains the details and he hears the pain in her voice, sees tears of anguish brimming in her eyes, this strong, proud fem appears to shrink in on herself, becoming fragile. He’s totally flummoxed by the change in her. He doesn’t know what to do.

Neither do I.

What’s the best thing for him to do? They are sitting apart. So far, he’s just listened. Should he stay put? Go sit next to her? Hold her?

But if she cries in his arms, will she resent that he’s witnessed her vulnerability? Their relationship is fragile. Will she push him away for good? Or will his reaction strengthen that relationship?

As I said, a dilemma. I’d love to hear your opinion.

BTW, did you notice the addition in the upper right corner of the site? I finally did it. A sign up for my New Release Alert (aka, a newsletter). I promise not to spam you. I’ll only send out the newsletter when I have a new book out.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Love at First Sight Valentine's Day Author Hop



CONGRATULATIONS TO TANYA G., WINNER OF THE $5 GIFT CARD

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNERS ARE LISTED ON ELIZABETH ROSE'S SITE 

Love at first sight. It does happen Sometimes. For the characters in my science fiction romance THE PILOT, it was more like lust at first sight for Celara. Not for Trevarr. He was bent on teaching indie pilots that when Coalition Security said “halt” they’d better heave to and stop. Not Celara. She leads him into an asteroid field.

What a way to start a romance.
Blurb:

Life on the frontier of space is hard enough so when pirates stole Celara d'Enfaden's cargo, she vowed not to be tricked again. Determined to make an example out of indie pilots who disobey orders, Coalition Administrator Trevarr Jovano impounds Celara’s starship and cargo. If he backs down, he’ll lose respect. If she can’t deliver her cargo, she’ll default on her loan and lose her only home—her ship. More important than her ship, though, is her brother. To rescue him from a galactic gangster, she’ll even work with Jovano who is bent on avenging his wife’s murder.

Excerpt:

Celara stopped looking for the Dockmaster when she saw a pair of legs topped by the most gorgeous set of male buns she’d seen in at least a year. The owner of the aforementioned body parts, encased in the dark blue uniform of the repair crew, was bent over the open hatch of an Agilean Speeder.
Now, there was a ship. The sleek vessel—one of the fastest in the galaxy—almost distracted her from the mechanic. He’d shrugged off the top portion of the jumpsuit so that it pooled around his waist. The environment of the repair shop affected many newcomers, especially those unaccustomed to the heat.

As she stared at his butt, all she could think was oh, mama. She hoped he was human and that the rest of him lived up to the preview. Better yet, she hoped he was in a party mood. After escaping from the pirates, Celara wanted to howl . . . and someone to howl with.

“Hey, big boy,” she called to the mechanic. “Wanna party?”

As the mechanic abruptly straightened, he whacked his head on the raised engine hatch. He muttered a Bricaldian curse about origins. She hoped he meant the ship’s, not hers. But then, considering her origins, that curse wasn’t out of line. When he turned around, she sucked in a breath. Oh, yeah. A primal part of her sat up and took notice. His backside, gorgeous as it was, didn’t compare to the rest of him. He had the broad shoulders and muscles of a laborer plus the black hair, square jaw and blade-straight nose of Bricaldian aristocracy. What a delicious combination.

“Did you arrive on that hauler?” He nodded to her ship. His voice, a tantalizing allure of baritone and chokiris, sounded vaguely familiar.

“Yep. That’s my ship.” She tucked her thumbs into the side pockets of her trousers and thrust out her chest a little in pride. “D’Enfaden’s Thermopylae. Fastest little transport in three sectors.”

He walked past her to examine her ship then ran his hand—long, strong fingers, she noted—over the dents and scrapes along the aft section. “It appears to have sustained damage.”

“My thruster gimbal got damaged when I kissed an asteroid evading filthy pirates. They didn’t catch me, though.” She grinned. “Hey, you new around here? Don’t remember seeing you before—and I sure would remember seeing you.”

He arched his dark eyebrow.

She raised her hand, palm outward, in the traditional indie greeting. “Celara d’Enfaden.” As he stared at her with green eyes as sharp and clear as veridion, she raised her own eyebrow. “And you are . . .”

When he reached into the pocket of his work uniform and pulled out a zircan leather folder, she groaned before he even opened it. She knew what the folder contained. A shiny gold badge, carved with an intricate array of stars, swirls and a tiny red jewel in the center. The insignia of the Coalition.

“I am Administrator Trevarr Jovano.” He snapped his fingers and two armed Security personnel stepped out of the shadows of the Agilean Speeder. “I am impounding your ship and confiscating your cargo.”

THE PILOT is the first book in my Outer Rim series about strong women on the frontier of space. It is available at:


DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? Leave a comment for a chance to win a gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.


Visit each author's site to collect the lovers' names then return to Elizabeth Rose's site to enter them in the Rafflecopter. Here's a picture of the Valentine's Day gift basket loaded with goodies and personal gifts from all the authors. Look at the scroll to see what's inside.

Here are the instructions for the blog hop and a chance to win the basket of goodies.


To continue the hop, here are the links to all the participating authors. 


1) Elizabeth Rose               6) Eliza Knight


2) Kathryn Le Veque        7) Lana Williams
3) Suzan Tisdale                8) Elysa Hendricks
4) Laurel O’Donnell          9) Diane Burton

Good luck and have fun!