Saw this awesome map that breaks down books by genre and wanted to share the link:
http://www.bookcountry.com/books/Map/Default.aspx
My friend Cora also posted about this on her blog along with some info on the whole agent to epublisher trend. Check it out: The Intimate Thoughts of Cora Zane.
In the meanwhile, I think I've gotten all the plot holes covered and made Naughty Little Secrets a smoother story and hopefully, a fun summer e-read for folks. It still has to pass the vetting process of my wonderful beta readers before it sees the light of day, but it shouldn't be too much longer now. :-)
Stay cool and enjoy some steamy reads.
*note* Due to health reasons and other factors, NLS wasn't uploaded until Dec. 31, 2011, with a publication date of January 1, 2012 on Smashwords.com.*
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Writing 'Till It Hurts
Ever have those mornings when you wake up fine but the happy highlight of your day is your first cup of coffee and it goes downhill from there? Yesterday was one of those days. I already have a knot on the tendon at the base of my left thumb and I managed to really aggravate the poor, abused hand. It started with lunch.
I somehow managed to get pickle relish on my fingers and not having a paper towel handy, I chose to fling my hand toward the faucet and sink. I just remember turning slightly and thinking I'll run my hand under the water and get the pickle relish off. Simple enough. Except I was half day dreaming and didn't realize my late m-i-l's heavy duty glass pitcher from the 1940's sat on the counter top in the direct path of my hand. Smack! Thankfully I didn't hurt the pitcher, but my hand didn't fare as well.
So instead of working on my love scenes, (I understand writing 'til it hurts, and pushing through the pain to pour out your soul, but come on, I didn't know they meant literally!) I sat in the living room with an ice pack on my hand, watching what passes for daytime TV these days. I knew things were bad, but when the best show on is a rerun of a 2010 episode of Kitchen Nightmares, you know daytime TV has gone to hell.
So I did what many people with a modicum of intellect do. I turned off the telly and grabbed a book. I chose to start Robert McCammon's Speaks The Nightbird, Volume 2: Evil Unveiled. Somewhere in a steam trunk, tucked away in a closet, is volume 1 I think. But I w
as in no condition yesterday to dig through trunks of books to find it.*
Here's the blurb:
Robert McCammon, author of the best-sellers Boy's Life and Gone South, returns to the forefront of American fiction with Speaks the Nightbird.
Is there a witch in Carolina in 1699? The people of the town of Fount Royal think so. Her name is Rachel; she's foreign, beautiful, and brave--no wonder so many people hate her.
Comes a traveling magistrate to hold a witch trial, and his clerk, Matthew. The evidence spells doom for Rachel: witch's tools are found in her home, she will not speak the Lord's Prayer, and witnesses swear they've seen her commit unspeakable acts with the Devil himself.
But Matthew hears the call of the nightbird. He wonders--is there any such thing as witchcraft? If Rachel can fly through the night on wings of evil, why hasn't she escaped from the town gaol?
And the town itself--who murdered Rachel's husband? How did the ratcatcher learn to hypnotize his prey? Who stands to gain if the witch is burned?
God and Satan are indeed at war in Fount Royal, and even the innocent are not safe. In the end, Matthew follows his head and his heart, and Rachel keeps an unlikely appointment with destiny.
I've made it to page 41 so far and can't wait to get back to it. But until then, I need to return to writing my own story. Wish me luck. I'm typing one handed with deadlines looming.
Until next time...
~Cass
*(Nope. Found the book I was thinking of this a.m. and it's not a volume anything. But it is an excellent McCammon book, They Thirst). So which book is considered Volume 1? If you know, please leave a comment. Thanks!)
I somehow managed to get pickle relish on my fingers and not having a paper towel handy, I chose to fling my hand toward the faucet and sink. I just remember turning slightly and thinking I'll run my hand under the water and get the pickle relish off. Simple enough. Except I was half day dreaming and didn't realize my late m-i-l's heavy duty glass pitcher from the 1940's sat on the counter top in the direct path of my hand. Smack! Thankfully I didn't hurt the pitcher, but my hand didn't fare as well.
So instead of working on my love scenes, (I understand writing 'til it hurts, and pushing through the pain to pour out your soul, but come on, I didn't know they meant literally!) I sat in the living room with an ice pack on my hand, watching what passes for daytime TV these days. I knew things were bad, but when the best show on is a rerun of a 2010 episode of Kitchen Nightmares, you know daytime TV has gone to hell.
So I did what many people with a modicum of intellect do. I turned off the telly and grabbed a book. I chose to start Robert McCammon's Speaks The Nightbird, Volume 2: Evil Unveiled. Somewhere in a steam trunk, tucked away in a closet, is volume 1 I think. But I w
as in no condition yesterday to dig through trunks of books to find it.*Here's the blurb:
Robert McCammon, author of the best-sellers Boy's Life and Gone South, returns to the forefront of American fiction with Speaks the Nightbird.
Is there a witch in Carolina in 1699? The people of the town of Fount Royal think so. Her name is Rachel; she's foreign, beautiful, and brave--no wonder so many people hate her.
Comes a traveling magistrate to hold a witch trial, and his clerk, Matthew. The evidence spells doom for Rachel: witch's tools are found in her home, she will not speak the Lord's Prayer, and witnesses swear they've seen her commit unspeakable acts with the Devil himself.
But Matthew hears the call of the nightbird. He wonders--is there any such thing as witchcraft? If Rachel can fly through the night on wings of evil, why hasn't she escaped from the town gaol?
And the town itself--who murdered Rachel's husband? How did the ratcatcher learn to hypnotize his prey? Who stands to gain if the witch is burned?
God and Satan are indeed at war in Fount Royal, and even the innocent are not safe. In the end, Matthew follows his head and his heart, and Rachel keeps an unlikely appointment with destiny.
I've made it to page 41 so far and can't wait to get back to it. But until then, I need to return to writing my own story. Wish me luck. I'm typing one handed with deadlines looming.
Until next time...
~Cass
*(Nope. Found the book I was thinking of this a.m. and it's not a volume anything. But it is an excellent McCammon book, They Thirst). So which book is considered Volume 1? If you know, please leave a comment. Thanks!)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Heroine from NLS
Stacie Purcell, the heroine from my upcoming ebook Naughty Little Secrets isn't on the cover, so I wanted to post my own rendition of her courtesy of SL's wonderful hair, skin, shape, eyes, and clothing vendors.The hairstyle I found is exactly how I pictured it, but the color is too yellowish bright for my character. I wish it had come in a color two shades lighter and less brassy. Still though, not bad. She's a green-eyed blond, in her mid-20's, taking creative writing classes at the local community college and working as a hair stylist at her sister's beauty salon in the fictional town of Rusdale, Tennessee. Yes, she's a southern girl and she's about to fall hard for the town's newest bad boy... *rubs hands together in wicked delight* oh yes, I do so love those bad boys. ;-)
NSL isn't paranormal, it's a straight up contemporary, much like my earlier ebook, Compulsion.
Until next time...
~Cass
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Reading Outside Your Genre
I find it a nice change of pace to switch things up and read outside my genre. For those of you who follow my various blogs, you know historical novels are not my favorite cuppa tea. But every now and then I get the urge to try something different outside my comfort zone. The latest book I finished fits the description very well.
Available as a free read at B&N online for the Nook, I downloaded a story called The Fox, by author Arlene Radasky. The book (although it does have paranormal elements) is a sweeping historical romance set in part during the time of the Roman empire's occupation of Britain. The story is told through the eyes of two main characters, Jahna (a Celt) and Aine (a modern day archeologist).
Perhaps the story appealed to me because I'm part Celt, or that I liked the way the story moved between the two characters, separated by time. But whatever the reason, I soon found myself engrossed in the book, wondering what would happen next. This is not a 'light' book you'd pick up for a quick read, but it will stop and make you think about the obstacles women have faced throughout history and appreciate the struggles they made so we can have the gifts we have today.
The Fox is also available on itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/bw/podcast/the-fox-a-free-audiobook-by/id283539821
Available as a free read at B&N online for the Nook, I downloaded a story called The Fox, by author Arlene Radasky. The book (although it does have paranormal elements) is a sweeping historical romance set in part during the time of the Roman empire's occupation of Britain. The story is told through the eyes of two main characters, Jahna (a Celt) and Aine (a modern day archeologist).
Perhaps the story appealed to me because I'm part Celt, or that I liked the way the story moved between the two characters, separated by time. But whatever the reason, I soon found myself engrossed in the book, wondering what would happen next. This is not a 'light' book you'd pick up for a quick read, but it will stop and make you think about the obstacles women have faced throughout history and appreciate the struggles they made so we can have the gifts we have today.
The Fox is also available on itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/bw/podcast/the-fox-a-free-audiobook-by/id283539821
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