Another date with greatness…

Posted by Juli D. Revezzo on October 18, 2012

S.G. Rogers is hosting my main character, Caitlin, today. If you’d like to see what she has to say about her life in Florida, and dealing with that pesky curse, do drop by!

And also, I was featured at paranormal romance author Nicole Hill’s blog. If you’d like to drop by: plz do! http://bit.ly/RyBNdY

Lynda K. Scott–The Muse Mews

Posted by Juli D. Revezzo on September 17, 2012

Hiho, my friends. I’m handing over the blog reins today to a lovely friend of mine. A gal who has a thing for Ghostbusters is always welcome here. Lynda K. Scott‘s her name, and she writes steamy romances and while I go do other things around ye ole castle, here, I’m going to let her tell you a little about how she does her thing. Welcome, Lynda!

The Muse Mews

The sun filtered through my bedroom window as I stretched to get the sleep kinks out. Then I heard the impatient meows from my muse, aka Wookie the Alien Kitten-Queen of the Universe, who waited impatiently for breakfast. The minute I came into sight, she spun in a tight, miffed circle and gave an annoyed squawk which I interpreted to – “Feed me!”

It’s always nice to be recognized for your value and purpose in life.

After breakfast, Wookie and I retired to my, er, our office because my co-author and I have another book to write for Coliloquy, the publisher of our short erotic, pick-your-own-heat-level paranormals. We’ve decided to set the new one at Halloween and have a ghost hunter crew there to investigate the Great Escapes Bed and Breakfast ghosts. It should be an interesting time had by all

Sitting down, I started up my MP3 player with ‘The Ghostbuster’s Theme’ music because…well, it gets me in the mood for this story. Of course, there’s nothing to be afraid of with these ghosts. They’re never spooky or strange…well, okay, maybe a little bit strange, lol. It’s not every day you have a ghost make love to you.

I’m still looking for love songs that signify the POV characters for me so I spent some time on Spotify listening to various songs. Both the female and the male POV character have to have their own music, something maybe a little sad or lonely. So I pulled up a bunch of songs to listen to. That, of course, was when my hubby came to the door of my office and began talking about this, that and the other since I wasn’t actually ‘working’. Sigh.

He doesn’t understand that I use music to help identify the characters, the mood or the story. For example, I expect to have a little fun at the expense of the ghost hunters so the Ghostbuster theme works really well. I’ll use one theme song to put me in the mood for the action part of the story and another for when the hero and heroine are together. If I have fight scenes, I’ll find another piece of music that helps inspire the action.

Wookie thinks that all I need is her pretty little voice to inspire my writing. I don’t have the heart to tell her otherwise so I remind her that she’s often taking a beauty nap or killing a sunbeam or terrorizing a toy mouse. So far, she’s been pretty satisfied with that answer.

Wookie loves to pick names for winners of my contests and I hate to disappoint her by not offering a drawing so…I’ll offer a PDF copy of Altered Destiny to one commenter who leaves a comment and also sends me an email with the words The Muse Mews in the subject line. Send it to me here: Contest@lyndakscott.com by Wednesday, Sept 19. Wookie will select the winner and I’ll notify you on Thursday (it may take that long to get the piece of paper with your name on it from her, lol. She’s very fast and loves the Chase game).

Thanks for having me here!

*g* You’re welcome, Lynda. Thanks for that entertaining story of your day!
About Lynda:
In her family of Kentucky ‘ridge runners’, oral tales were a tradition that even children participated in. She spent many nights with her brother, cousins and friends telling tall tales to excite the imagination. Now she creates award winning science fantasy romance filled with despair, hope, love and courage

Where to find Lynda on the web:

Website http://www.lyndakscott.com.

To join my newsletter, send a blank email to: LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lyndakscott

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyndaKScott

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-K-Scott/201599553208653

Linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lynda-scott/3b/4a4/849

Lynda’s kindly shared some excerpts from her books for us folks, so keep reading. These look quite intriguing.
Heartstone
By Lynda K. Scott
Mundania Press
Science Fantasy Romance

Eric d’Ebrur is out of time. He must fine the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar’Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she’s losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d’Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she’s sure of it. But insane or not, she’ll find the Heartstone and, if she’s lucky, a love to last a lifetime.

Available in print and ebook format
Buy Links: Mundania Press (use MP10 at checkout for 10% discount)
http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

Altered Destiny
By Lynda K Scott
Science Fantasy Romance
Available in ebook formats

Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she’s enslaved…or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.

Devyn MacGregor’s alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui’arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females…until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.

Buy Links:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00579FKFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308920443&sr=8-1

Nook http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Altered-Destiny/Lynda-K-Scott/e/2940012882417

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79552

Lynda Scott Great Escapes – Valentine’s Day
By Lynda K. Scott and Linda Wisdom
Coliloquy
Interactive Adult Paranormal Fiction

The heartbroken and lovelorn come to Great Escapes B&B in search of a relaxing getaway, only to embark on a weekend of sexual self-discovery, courtesy of the inn’s resident ghosts, who bring to life each guest’s deepest desires.

Just as the ghosts transform to meet the needs of each guest, Great Escapes leverages the Kindle platform to deliver what each reader wants. Do you like your erotica steamy or romantic? Your hero to have blue or brown eyes? Anonymously fill out your preferences, and we’ll deliver the best version of hundreds of combinations prepared by the authors.

In Great Escapes: Valentine’s Day, Rose’s best friend gives her a weekend stay, where an invisible lover helps her to rediscover her sexuality. But will she open her eyes enough to see who is right next door?

Buy Link
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Escapes/dp/B007P4365K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1332913900&sr=8-6

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-escapes-linda-wisdom-and-lynda-k-scott/1112616025?ean=2940043916488

Thanks and for being here with a fun read today, Lynda! We hope Wookie goes easy on you this weekend. You deserve it! Folks if you’d like to win a copy of Lynda’s Altered Destiny, remember, send it by September 19th.

Q and A with historical romance author Merry Farmer

Posted by Juli D. Revezzo on August 26, 2012

Indie Historical Romance Author Merry Farmer joins us today. She’s an award-winning novelist from Philadelphia with a love of history, knitting and I hear-tell she’s an avid Cricket player. Please welcome her as she sits down with us for a little…

Conversation with Merry Farmer.

Author Merry Farmer

Hi Merry! Tell us a little about yourself, so my readers can get to know you.

Merry Farmer: Hi, my name is Merry Farmer and I’m a writer. I’ve been a writer almost as long as I can remember, since that glorious day in the first grade when I learned how to spell the word “grasshopper” and it gave me the biggest thrill I’ve ever had. I started writing stories for fun when I was in third grade and realized that I didn’t have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. Ever since then I’ve entertained myself by writing.

I wrote a lot of stories in which I was the heroine when I was much younger. Then I gradually shifted to rewriting the endings of movies like Labyrinth and Indiana Jones when I didn’t like the way they ended. It wasn’t until I was in my 20s that I shifted away from writing first-person stories about myself or fan fiction and started writing original content. I think that all those years of practice I had using someone else’s stories or devices really prepared me to branch out on my own and create original characters and situations. Nowadays I have so many ideas for stories spanning everything from medieval romance to sci-fi to dystopian future erotica that I don’t know when I’ll find the time to write it all!

Those are some fabulous choices, I must say. What authors might you list as particular influences?

Merry Farmer: As far as writers I admire go, I have always been a big fan of Jane Austen and L.M. Montgomery. Reading their work taught me a lot about creating dimensional characters and intriguing plots. I’m also a huge fan of J.K. Rowling and everything she has done to inspire an entire generation to read. I also have several writers in my family. My Dad writes, although he’s never published anything. I’ve also always been inspired by my cousin Liza Gyllenhaal who has published several novels. It was so important as a young person to look to this talented cousin who was published and to see that I could do that too.

What inspired the story of The Noble Hearts series?

Merry Farmer: I have always loved History. I majored in it twice at two different universities. If you stop and think about it, it’s amazing how many stories have unfolded in this world throughout time. And it’s amazing how frequently “common knowledge” gets those stories wrong. “Common knowledge” says that King Richard the Lionheart was a great man and a great King and that his brother, Prince John, was a horrible tyrant. The truth couldn’t be more different. King Richard hated England and only spent six months of his entire reign in England. He tried to sell London to finance his crusade. He didn’t even speak English! Prince John, on the other hand, was devoted to England and was responsible for governing a major part of it. He kept it from falling into ruin in Richard’s absence. I have always been intrigued by this seeming paradox of actual history versus what everyone thinks happens because of the propaganda in the Robin Hood legend. The Nobles Hearts trilogy was designed to show the real history of the time.

I also wanted to write the series with a very modern, hip feel. Just because something happened 800 years ago doesn’t mean that everyone was stiff and formal. I wanted to make the middle ages seem as current to my readers as it was to the people living through it. The High Middle Ages, the time in which these novels take place, was a vibrant, socially and culturally advanced, economically comfortable time. It was one of the best times to be alive within a thousand year time span. But because it’s the middle ages people assume everyone was dirty, poor, and oppressed. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Aside: I found that true as well in my own studies of the period (though my concentration was mainly the arts). So, Merry, are there any secrets about the book(s) you can impart to us, without giving too much away??

Merry Farmer: Well, I can tell you this much…. I’ve always liked love triangles but every time I read about one I feel like the heroine picks the wrong guy. I tend to go for the unconventional hero myself (which is very much the case in the first novel of my Montana Romance series, Our Little Secrets). So as you start reading The Loyal Heart just keep in mind that things aren’t always what they seem.

Now that The Faithful Heart is out, what can curious fans expect from you next?

Merry Farmer: I’ve been working hard on the third book in the Noble Hearts trilogy, The Courageous Heart. If all goes well that should be available at the beginning of November. I plan to devote 2013 to finishing my 4 book Montana Romance series. Our Little Secrets is already available and I hope to have the second book, Fool for Love, out sometime early next year. I also have a few one-offs that I’d like to find time to write. And I have two books of a sci-fi series about Earth’s first planetary colonization mission already written. I just need to find time to whip them into shape. I would describe those books as science fiction with strong romantic elements. Oh, and I’ve got some very naughty ideas for erotica novels, but I would publish those under a pen name when I write them.

You are one busy lady! Best of luck with all of them. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Merry Farmer: Just that I am grateful and applaud anyone who takes a chance on unknown Indie authors like me.

Let’s hope so!

Merry: It’s so encouraging to those of us who are excited about forging new paths and trying new ways of publishing to know that we have readers hungry for us. I think it is readers like these who will define the terms of the new world of publishing we’re on the verge of entering. Thanks to you all!

Merry, thanks for being with us today. It was a pleasure to have you, and we wish you all the best in the future. Folks, don’t go away yet. Merry has agreed to give one lucky commenter a free download of her ebook of The Loyal Heart. So leave Merry your comments and questions.
Merry Farmer is an award-winning novelist who lives in suburban Philadelphia with her two cats, Butterfly and Torpedo. She has been writing since she was ten years old and realized one day that she didn’t have to wait for the teacher to assign a creative writing project to write something. It was the best day of her life. She then went on to earn not one but two degrees in History so that she would always having something to write about. Today she is a giant History nerd and a hopeless romantic waiting for her own love story to start. Her first book, The Loyal Heart, is a swashbuckling Medieval Historical Romance involving a love triangle that will keep you guessing. Both The Loyal Heart and its sequel, The Faithful Heart, are available wherever eBooks are sold. The third book in the trilogy, The Courageous Heart, will be available in early November, 2012. She has also begun a new Western Historical Romance series set in Montana in 1895. The first of that series, Our Little Secrets, is now available. The second, Fool for Love, will be released in early 2013. Merry is also passionate about blogging, knitting, and cricket and is working towards becoming an internationally certified cricket scorer.

Visit Merry Farmer at: http://merryfarmer.net/

Her fine novels are available at the following links:

The Loyal Heart

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005R4K75W

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-loyal-heart-merry-farmer/1106051739?ean=2940011541537

Sony eReader Store – http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/merry-farmer/the-loyal-heart/_/R-400000000000000527599

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92993

The Faithful Heart

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006PUDD44

B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-faithful-heart-merry-farmer/1108068341?ean=2940032960553

Sony eReader Store – http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/merry-farmer/the-faithful-heart/_/R-400000000000000592585

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117240