Denim & Diamonds by Debbie Macomber

With a busy week I found that I was once again saved by listening to an audiobook while I drove on my commute to my day job. Try as I might I just couldn't finish reading the book I'm working on for my next review, while getting in writing time, and working the day job. This week was my very first Debbie Macomber novel, Denim & Diamonds, a contemporary romance set in Wyoming.

Letty Ellison comes home to her family's Wyoming ranch after spending the last 9 years chasing her dream of being a singer in Hollywood with her 5 year old daughter, Cricket, in tow. Letty has to confront her childhood sweetheart, rancher Chase Brown, while finding a way of keeping her major health issue a secrete from him and her brother Lonny.

This was an audiobook that I couldn't get enough of. I found myself walking around carrying my ipad around while I was doing chores around the house while listening to what was going to happen next in Letty and Chase's story, instead of only on my commute to work.

I mean come on, who doesn't like a good cowboy story. They are just so rough and stubborn, yet have a old-school gentleman side that has seemed to have been lost in men today.

Letty's daughter Cricket was adorable and no matter how much the stubborn, cold fronted Chase tried to be Cricket didn't care and broke through that rough exterior to capture his heart just like he had with Letty. Now if only all 5 year-old were as well behaved as Cricket is.

The narrator did an amazing job keeping consistent with the different voices of the characters that helped keep the story moving and not pulling the listener out to wonder which character was really talking.

Now that I've had my first taste of Debbie Macomber's work I will definitely be adding her to authors I need to read more of list. And it's a good thing that she has plenty of books to for fill my small town contemporary needs.

Make sure to check out her website and her other books at www.debbiemacomber.com

Progress!

Last week I talked about a fork in the road. That defining moment where it's time to put up or shut up for where it comes to my writing career. Or at least that is how I see it. For me it was the choice to keep on with the decision I'd said I was going to self publish or keep pursuing traditional. Either way I needed help with my writing. I need an editor. Then again don't we always need an editor? In the long run I want to be a hybrid, write both traditional and indie (self publish). This way no matter what I have control in my career, even if I only end up traditionally publishing one book, I still have a hand in what I release and how it's released. 

Which road will you choose?

I digress, so I've decided to take the road that's unpaved but the trial is becoming more and more clear the more people have decided to go that way. With that I've set my goal and have officially started to invest in myself.

If taking that first step is the hardest, then I'm glad that I've finally did it. I still can't announce when my debut novel will be released as of yet, as I'm waiting to make any announcement until I get my work back from my editor (you heard that right, I officially have an editor that I will be working with on this project) next month. Don't worry though I can confirm that my first release will be a paranormal romance that will come out in 2014.

I know I'm mean and tease you all like none other with those two not so little announcements. But with contracting with an editor I can firmly say that I'm no longer stuck at the fork on the road staring at both ways wondering and debating on the pros and cons of each route.

In the end I've made an executive decision that was not rash or rushed, but a thought out business wise. A persons career goals are very personal, especially when they are apart of your dream job, thus I needed to step back and look at how to get there as if I were someone else who was hired on. How long will it take to get the product out there? How do I need to bring in to make this product the best it can be and at what cost? Is the mental timeline that you have set up actually achievable or do you need to push it back? Branding wise, is this one project the right one you want to make a debut for? Do you have something to follow up with this project to keep that brand going?

Taking in every singe one of those questions into consideration helped me chose the path I chose. And so far I think it's the right path. Then again I'm just on the beginning of a very long road that I'm excited to see where it will take me in the end.

Progress people! It's amazing to feel like I'm actually taking steps into reaching my goal. Not just talking about it and writing whenever I can, but tangible steps. I'm just that much closer to getting to where I want to be.

Don't let fear hold you back from making the choice that feels right for you. Go for it. Make those scary decisions and investments into your dream. The rush you get from doing that is something that not everyone can experience and it's fantastic. I know when I scheduled when to send my work to my official editor my heart was pounding a mile a minute with excitement. I wanted to both cry and cheer with joy before the 'holy shit' moment hit.

Holy Shit moment? Yup, the moment that the hard work is just about to start. Underneath all that excitement and I'll admit there was a moment of I want to quit. I don't want to know if people hate my work. That I'm not a good enough writer. Then I realized it doesn't matter. We all have to start somewhere and I think I have the right editor that will help me grow and learn to be better. Then I found this great quote, It's always too early to quit. In the end I'll never quit. I'll always keep write cause with being self published I'm doing this for me and my future readers. Yes it is a business, but it's my business. I write for me. I publish for me. Don't let anyone tell you do otherwise. They aren't the ones putting in the hard work to make your dreams happen. It's all on you.

But don't worry, you're not alone. You have me to cheer you on. Invest in yourself. Invest in your dreams and keep making progress. Keep walking towards your dream goals. And don't forget that sledge hammer to help knock down those doors that were once closed or those pesky roadblocks. In the end there will always be roadblocks. Never let them forever stop you.
 

I can't wait until I can make the official title name release, the date it will release, and cover reveals. Till then I will leave you all wanting more. :) I know I'm evil like that. Just know that I'm closer than I have ever been. And for that I wanted to share that progress with you all. Cause it's always possible to make that progress, even if it's a baby step.

Rebellious Desire by Julie Garwood

Lately I've been on a kick of audio books since I have an hour drive one way to work. This last week I've listened to Rebellious Desire by Julie Garwood's second book of her already twenty plus books she has had published in her career.

I'll admit I've already read pretty dang close to all of her books in her contemporary series as well as one of her westerns. Needless to say after reading nine or so of her books, I'm a fan. Rebellious Desire was the first Regency novel I've taken on as well as my first audiobook.

Here's my negative take on the whole thing that really has nothing to do with the story but my taste in the reading (it was an English woman reading)which I know is biased. I love accents and with the story taking place in England is fitting and was fun to listen to. What can I say I have a thing for accents? Yet, when there was no infliction of tone to direct the listeners attention that it is the male lead talking instead of the female I had to really listen to what the character was saying in order to determine just who exactly was talking. Also, thank goodness for action lines or else I might have been lost more times than not.

Other than those few times when the female reader didn't lower her vocal register to differentiate between the characters, I loved the story of Caroline and The Duke of Bradford.

Born in England to an Earl Caroline was sent to go live with her Aunt and Uncle until 14 years later as an adult she was summoned to come home. Having grown up in Boston, Caroline isn't your typical Lady making her debut to society in London. Yet, she had gain the attention and desires of the Duke of Bradford, one of London's most eligible bachelors. Tall, handsome, cocky, with a temper that matched his passions Jered Marcus Benton had met his match. Both drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, they both struggle with how to deal with the others emotions and desires and realizing that their love is deep enough if they learn to accept the other for who they really are and not just what the London society sees.

Excitment, danger, love, attraction and regency era London society rules. What isn't there to love as Julie Garwood brings you into a time that not everyone can write so seamlessly without being overly cheesy or bore you with overly dramatic descriptions of the time. Caroline and her Jered's story, along with the love story of her cousin that helps drive Caroline and Jered to trust each other in a way they have never had before, is one that I will make sure to enjoy in paperback or ereader.

Make sure to check out Julie Garwood's other works that she has out as well as her website at www.juliegarwood.com

Day 2 of NaNoWriMo

As most of you know November is national novel writing month. It's a challenge for the anyone to take to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's right, 1,667 words a day. No editing needed, just write to get your word count done. I think it's a great writing workout personally cause it makes you get into the habit of writing daily. That way once NaNo is done you can make every month NaNo month, cause you are already in the habit of writing everyday.

Today is day 2 of 30. I've reached day one goal of just 1,800 words and I'm hoping to bypass that today and tomorrow with it being the weekend. In hopes to find more productive time writing I've started waking up earlier going straight for the coffee maker so fallowed by my computer.

Wait you're waking up early? Yes, around 4am if I can. I know I'm a crazy person, but I'm also going to bed earlier so that I can get a goodnights sleep. Though that doesn't seem to help keep my goofy/loopy side in check during the week day. On the upside I feel more awake through out the day. then again that could also be cause I've been taking essential oils for vitamins and there other uses.

Anyways, since I've found that writing in the dark with only the light of my laptop helps me block out the world enough for work to be busted out like none other, I'm trying to take advantage of it, since not only am I working on a new manuscript for NaNo, but I'm working on an edit for another to be able to get it to my editor sooner than later.

With that being said it's time to get back to work so that hopefully in the not too far off future you can actually read a book of mine. Cause it's going to happen, so you better get ready for it. Till then I will write ALL the words only to later to keep some of the words.

Good luck to all my fellow NaNo writers, go write! What are you doing still reading things when you should be writing?

Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr

In July 2012 I attended my first writers conference at the yearly national conference for the Romance Writers of America and was able to listen to the keynote speech that was given by Robyn Carr one of the days. And let me tell you I'm still learning to expand my knowledge of the Romance genre, as both a writer and as a reader, the speech that Robyn gave will always be one that I remember. She was both inspiring and honest about her career into publishing as a writer. The best part of her talk was that it can be applied to everything in life. Here's what I took away from it most is this, you only fail as being a writer is by giving up. If you keep writing, keep putting yourself out there, you are doing exactly what you have wanted. It took her ten years or more of consistent writing to become a 'over night' success even after having several other books published. Write without hesitation or fear. That is when your will flourish.

Coming out of that conference met some amazing writers I've decided that I am in the right genre with these such passionate people.

Finally I found the time to read Robyn Carr's 17th book in her Virgin River series, Hidden Summit. Connor Danson and Leslie Petruso had both been burned by there first loves and looking for a new start as they both deal with life changing problems. Connor being the only witness to a murder, his life is a waiting game till he can testify and able to keep his sister and nephews safe while they figure out how to start over after losing the family business to a fire as a warning to them. Leslie, while wanting to get over her failed marriage as her ex wanted to keep her close, even after having started a new family while they were still married. As the their paths cross in there times of rediscovery, they learn that they can forgive those who had hurt them and what falling in love really could feel like.

Robyn Carr's small town feel was both warming and comedic as everyone knows what everyone else business is, they are always there to lend a helping hand without being prompted or wanting any thanks. These are all things that why can be annoying at times are the exact things that are what the main characters Connor and Leslie are needing, along with each others company to help work through there own issues.

With this being my first Robyn Carr novel, I'm hooked. Like when I had found Julie Garwood's novels, I find myself wanting to dive into her series when needing a good read in with the right amount of drama in a small town that doesn't have any cowboys, but the right amount of men who happen to have a military background. Scruffy, sinsear, snark and a heart of gold. What's not to love.

Make sure to go and check out Robyn Carr's web site www. robyncarr.com and her other two series Thunder Point and Grace Valley. I may be late getting into Carr's novels but that doesn't mean that you have to as well. There are more than enough to satisfy your itch for a good small town novel without leaving you unsatisfied for big time drama and romance.

Fork in the Road

A few weeks ago I finally decided that if I was going to go through with my plans of self publishing my work before my birthday next year that I have to get to work. I have the manuscript done, yes, but that doesn't mean the work is nearly close to being done. This particular manuscript I had tried to shop around to different agents all with rejections. Does that mean I'm a bad writer? Hell no. I just means I hadn't found that right person. With the desire to self publish always in the back of my head, I've decided that it's time...time to take my writing in my own hands and find someone to help me grow.

What does that mean exactly? It means it's time that I find an editor. Someone who knows how to make a manuscript shine. Someone who isn't emotionally attached with the manuscript. Someone who isn't afraid to tell you what's wrong with what you've written, but who knows how to take it and turn it around for the better.

And that's what I finally have done. I still haven't officially hired my editor, but I do believe that I found the right person to work with to give my manuscript the same attention that it would have if it had gone through a New York publisher. Cause that is my one main goal when it comes to my work and putting it out there on my own. I want to give it the time, attention and effort that it deserves. That I can continue on with my career goals to be a hybrid author. That means both self publishing and traditional publishing.

It wasn't until I got my sample pages back that I realized one thing...Holy mother of all that is holy, I have a crap tone of work to do a head of me to make this story good. Like all creative types when getting critiques we wallow and question our talent. I admit I did the same. Mentally smacking myself upside the head for questioning if I wanted to follow through with this particular story I realized one major thing. We all have to start some where.

This is my starting place. Standing at a fork in the road I am left with four choices. I can stick with this editor and manuscript. Put in the time and plenty of hard work to make this work what I believe it can be. Or I can ignore the great advice from the editor on where I need to work on my technical writing, and find someone who will cater to me making me think I'm the next best thing than sliced bread. Thus making a horrible choice and potentially killing my career before I even really start it. Or I can trash the manuscript that I've spent already so many hours in to creating and move on. Finally I have one out. I could quit. I could stop the pain an agony of all the hard hours of killing my darling manuscript only to rebuild it. I could quit the career that I want before I even start and become a hobby writer. (After thinking this I gave it a resounding HELL TO THE NO)

After thinking about it for a few days I realize this...to improve and get where I want to be in life I have to start some where. Even the best authors have started some where. They all look back on that first novel and see where they have grown.

This is where I will look back to realize that I decided to truly take life by the horns on making my dreams into a reality. I've said it in the past, if I'm not willing to invest in myself then why should I believe that publisher should. And it's true. Money investment is one thing, but now it's about the time and commitment to putting in the work to really make this manuscript shine.

Can I do it? Fuck yes I can. Will it be easy? Hell to the no. Will I cry and doubt myself? Fuck yes. I'm only human. Will I fail? Maybe, but not in the sense that I gave up.

Robyn Carr gave a keynote speech a few years ago at my first RWA that really stuck with me. I'll paraphrase to the basics. Write with no fear. It is the fear that will hold you back to your full potential. The only time that you will truly fail in this career is if you quit. So, don't quit no matter how hard it becomes. Keep writing. And remember most overnight successes are 20 years in the making.

So, today is day one (or something more like 10) in realizing that just kicking that metaphorical door down means it's time to do the real work. As terrifying as it might be, I know I'm ready. I'm ready to beat up my manuscripts to be the best they can be in the realization that I've gone through worse things. I'm a survivor of many things. This is one thing that I can control. One thing that is up to me to make a reality. I can fail by not trying. Or I can be come a market failure. Where as I succeed in creating something that I invested in the right people only to not have the right timing for people to buy my work.

Personally I rather be a market failure, than to fail in not trying at all.

So, here I go. It's time to put myself through the rounds that a professional author goes through. And i hope you all will stick with me through this wild ride. I can guarantee some crazy ups and downs. But in the end I will stand up with my hands held above my head with a cheer of "I did it! Let's do it again."

The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James

The first in the series The Alliance of the Amazons, The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James is a fantasy romance that you don't want to miss out on. Kick ass chicks with a a man in a kilt that tries his damnedest to keep them in line, is always amusing to watch. It's always a challenge for a man to be around four strong minded women, but when they are Amazons who each control the power of an element is even more impressive.

Kindergarten teacher Rebecca Massee never thought that on her wedding day she'd be left at the alter and meet the man of her dreams Artair McKay, an immortal warrior trains the chosen four Amazons of the generation. As Rebecca struggles with her new found powers of Mother Earth and the forbidden attraction she has to her Sentinel, it's up to her and her 3 Amazon sisters to put a stop to the the threat that has been hunting down the last generation of Amazons.

 James' urban fantasy was a fun easy read that had me hooked from the beginning. James is able to keep the reader entertained with the balance of action, adventure, myth and romance. It also helped that the love interest Artair is always wearing a kilt and has a great Scottish accent, that doesn't make it hard to read. What can I say, I'm a sucker for men in kilts, especially when the author has them using the traditional kilt and not a modern version. Biased? Maybe just a little.

With Rebecca being easy to like as everyone can relate to being clumsy and no matter how hard you might try at something never feel quite up to par as everyone else. Even as a chosen Earth wielding Amazon, Rebecca is anything but a natural Earth. Or so she thinks. Like in the real world everyone learns differently and when it comes to being an Amazon Rebecca isn't like the past Amazons.

Join Rebecca, Artair and the other Amazons in there adventures of saving the world against modern day wielding evil in The Reluctant Amazon. Make sure to follow up also on the second book in Sandy's series with Impetuous Amazon and Rebecca's sister Megan the Fire Amazon.

Check out Sandy James' website and her other novels at www.sandy-james.com