Hywela Lyn's 'Thursday's Bits and Pieces'

Sorry I've been a bit remiss with my ' Thursday Bits'. Between visits from the farrier, necessary shopping trips, gardening to take advantage of the fact that spring really seems to have arrived in the UK at last, oh - er- and yes, trying to work on my WIP as well as a short story for an anthology our local writers' group is putting out, I haven't had much time to concentrate on my blog apart from highlighting my lovely guest authors.

Anyway, the other day hubby, Bouncer-Dog  and I visited the nearby woods to see this  year's crop of bluebells and as a tribute to spring, I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

Bluebells nestling among the nettles

Can you see to the right of the picture, rare 'white bluebells'!

Some of the trees are very old, and form strange, twisted patterns, twining round themselves.

The woods are carpeted with last year's fallen leaves, and in  between the trees,
grass, ferns and other vegetation grow, pushing their way through the leaves

The bluebells grow in drifts, looking almost like pools of bright blue water in the distance

At the edge of the woods, we could see in the distance the Bridgewater Monument, erected in 1832 to the Duke of Bridgewater, in recognition of his pioneering canal development.

And this is the monument itself, with people walking and picnicking under the trees. 

Men were hard at work in one corner, carving out what will be a natural childrens' play area

I hope you've enjoyed your walk around the bluebell woods with me.  Next week I'll be rambling along one of the reservoir walks in the area.

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

                  Also available on Kindle

Lyn's Thursday 'Bits and Pieces'

Happy Thursday.

As part of my on-going promise to tell you a little more about myself, I suppose the first thing is to explain my name - especially as I'm often asked about it and how to pronounce it.

OK - pronounciation first - Hoo-wel-ah (that's about the closest I can get to the phonetic pronounciation!)

When I first started writing (many hundreds of years ago), it never occurred to me that I would want to use a ‘pen name’

 Having graduated from short stories published in magazines, to writing a draft novel or two, several years elapsed during which writing took a back seat to my other passion – horses and endurance riding in the beautiful Welsh mountains.


Not that I stopped making up stories. The back of a horse is a wonderful place for mulling over current plot lines and dreaming up new ones.  Eventually, after I married and moved away from my beloved Wales to England, I dug out my futuristic romance ‘Starquest’ from the drawer where it lay hidden, and after revising it to within an inch of its life, and suffering the usual rejections from agents and publishers in the UK, I decided to submit a query, on-line, to a small  press in the States, (The Wild Rose Press which has gone from strength to strength and has been voted best small publisher for four years running.) At that time, TWRP published all full length novels as e-books first, followed by a print version six months later. (They are now published simultaneously, so the reader immediately has a choice of print of e-book.) Until then I have to admit I hadn't even read a full length e-book, and knew very little about them.  This was only  four years ago, but even then, if you mentioned the word 'e-reader' to most people in the UK the response was a blank look!  I was delighted and somewhat surprised to receive a request for the first three chapters, and then the complete MS, followed a few months later by an acceptance.  Wow!  I was going to be a published author!

I realised I really ought to have a name with a little more ‘punch’ than the name I’d been known by since my marriage.  ‘Lyn’ wasn’t particularly interesting (not to me, anyway) and my surname was Welsh and very short and ordinary

 My maiden name hadn’t been any more interesting, but I didn’t really want to hide behind a ‘pseudonym’ either. Then it struck me.  My ‘real’ first name is Hywela, which is Welsh, and ‘Lyn’ is my second name and the one which I’ve been known by since I was a baby. (Why my parents chose to give me two names and only use the second one, I have no idea.  Maybe it’s a ‘Welsh’ thing.)  It seemed a shame that I should go through life, never having used my first name at all, except on legal documents. Why not use both my Christian names and drop my surname, for authorly purposes, anyway?

So I became ‘Hywela Lyn’ – and I even have a star named for me.  Somewhere in the Orion constellation (my very favourite of all the constellations) is a star called ‘Hywela Lyn’, and I have a star map and certificate to prove it, courtesy of hubby, who gave it me as  a Christmas present.


I suppose it’s a compromise in a way, but a good one, because it means I get to use my real first name which would never be used otherwise!

I think I have the best of both worlds – a name that is different enough to catch people’s attention and show up on the search engines, but it’s still my own name. It’s certainly recognisable, and people do seem to remember it. It’s also a good topic of conversation as I am often asked about the ‘Hywela’ part of it and what it means.  I was actually named after my Uncle, Hywel Alun.  Hywel was a very famous Welsh King, Hywel Dda (Hywel The Good) born towards the end of the ninth century he ruled over most of the country and claimed the title "King of all Wales" Hywela, the feminine form of Hywel is a very ancient Welsh or Celtic name.

Do you have a name that's never used? Perhaps like me you use your middle name - is that by choice or just something that's always been done in your case? And if you're a writer, how did you get your pen name?




'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

                  Also available on Kindle

Editorproof your writing - by Don McNair - Goddess Fish Book Tour

HOW TO EDITOR-PROOF YOUR WRITING

By

Don McNair

BLURB:  

Most editing manuals are like geography books. They give great information, but don’t show how to get from place to place.  Editor-Proof Your Writing: 21 Steps to the Clear Prose Publishers and Agents Crave is a GPS that leads you through the writing jungle to solve your specific writing problems.

Most editing manuals are like dictionaries from which you’re asked to select words to write the Great American Novel. This book shows what words to use and what words NOT to use. 

Most editing manuals are loaded with mind-numbing theory.  This one presents knowledge a step at a time and asks you to apply what you learned—a step at a time—to your manuscript’s first chapter.  Along the way you’ll also edit a nine-chapter melodrama and check your editing against the author’s.  When you finish, you’ll have an editor-proofed first chapter and will be ready to edit the rest of your book. 

This system was proven to work in three years of weekend and online classes, titled Editor-Proof That Chapter and Twenty-One Steps to Fog-Free Writing. They are parts One and Two of this book. Part Three discusses finding and working with critique partners, professional editors, publishers, and agents.  The students loved the concept! 

This book is perfect for use in classrooms. The information is presented in bite-sized lessons which can be assigned daily. See what students say about their classroom experiences on the back page.

Excerpt 1

Unpublished writer “Barbara Stevens” asked me to critique and edit her newest unpublished novel’s first chapter.  “I’ve written twelve other manuscripts,” she said, “and they’ve been rejected a lot of times.  I hope you can figure out what’s wrong.” 

Well, I did figure it out, and quickly.  This lady was basically a good writer.  Her blogs sparkled, she dreamed up creative plots, and her heart was certainly in her work.   But she’d made a major craft mistake in that chapter and, presumably, in all twelve of those manuscripts.  It was a mistake that almost guaranteed she’d never be published. 

We discussed her problem (we’ll get back to that later), and the light bulb over her head glowed brilliantly.  She rewrote that first chapter and I edited it again, and, as if by magic, it became publishable.  Barbara used her new-found knowledge to revise the rest of that manuscript, followed by her twelve other novels.  Within two months she sold one, and she’s now been published many times.  She’s on her way.

The point?  Barbara’s breakthrough came directly from correcting that one craft mistake.  She’d made it time and time again and was destined to repeat it again and again, until someone told her what it was. 

You may be making that same mistake.  Or perhaps you’re making another equally deadly one—mistakes we’ll identify and resolve in this book—and are not aware of it.  But there’s hope. 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Don McNair spent his working life editing magazines (eleven years), producing public relations materials for an international PR company (six years), and heading his own marketing communications firm, McNair Marketing Communications (twenty-one years). His creativity has won him three Golden Trumpets for best industrial relations programs from the Publicity Club of Chicago, a certificate of merit award for a quarterly magazine he wrote and produced, and the Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil. The latter is comparable to the Emmy and Oscar in other industries. 

McNair has written and placed hundreds of trade magazine articles and four published non-fiction how-to books. He considers his latest, Editor-Proof Your Writing: 21 Steps to the Clear Prose Publishers and Agents Crave, (published April 1, 2013 by Quill Driver Books) to be the cap of his forty-year writing and editing career. It’s an easy-to-use editing manual that helps writers edit, step by step, their first chapter, then use the knowledge gained to edit the rest of their work.

McNair has also written six novels; two young adults (Attack of the Killer Prom Dresses and The Long Hunter), three romantic suspenses (Mystery on Firefly Knob, Mystery at Magnolia Mansion, and co-authored Waiting for Backup!), and a romantic comedy (BJ, Milo, and the Hairdo from Heck). All are published internationally, and are available at his website, http://DonMcNair.com . 

McNair, a member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and the Editorial Freelancers Association, now concentrates on editing novels for others. He teaches two online editing classes.

Other stops on  this Tour:
4/1/2013 Teena in Toronto 
4/2/2013 Rogue's Angels
4/3/2013 See Jane Publish
4/4/2013 Fantasy Powered by Love
4/5/2013 Wake Up Your Wild Side
4/8/2013 Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
4/9/2013 Jamie Salisbury
4/9/2013 SECOND STOP Sandra Bornstein
4/10/2013 Uttley's Take
4/11/2013 The Write to Read
4/12/2013 TeacherWriter
4/15/2013 Hywela Lyn - Romance That's 'Out Of this World'
4/16/2013 Reader Girls
4/17/2013 http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com
4/18/2013Sharing Links and Wisdom
4/19/2013 Wickedly Wanton Tales




'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

                  Also available on Kindle

Lyn's Thursday Bits and Pieces

Hi everyone.  As promised earlier this week, I'm devoting Thursdays (or perhaps Friday if I have a prior booking) to chatting about me, my books, my animal friends, and anything else that pops into my head.

When I first started writing, and had my novel 'Starquest' accepted by The Wild Rose Press, I hadn't a clue what I was doing, or how to go about that all important thing 'promotion'.  Yes, that word strikes terror into the heart of most writers, especially new ones, because unless you're a best selling author who stands to sell millions of copies, you have to get the 'word' out about your book yourself, because very few publishers these days will do much in the way of promotion for you.  I was thrilled to be published by the Wild Rose Press, although as a British author, this made promotion even more difficult, because I had to try and promote to two audiences, so to speak.  The Wild Rose Press does with some of the promotion, but I still had a lot to learn and knew I had to do most of the work myself.

Now if you're a reader, you may be thinking that this writing lark is all about making money, but you would be mistaken  Don't get me wrong, if I were to suddenly sell millions and make enough money to return to my beloved Wales and buy the small horse farm of my dreams, I would be ecstatic. However, to be realistic, this is about as likely to happen as an alien landing in our small front garden and offering me a ride in his starship (although that would be very exciting.) Most writers, or at least most of the ones I know, write because they love writing, and make very little in the way of Royalties. Even when  our books are selling well, the return is usually not all that great, we have to purchase print books to sell at conferences or book signings ourselves, and pay subscriptions to organisations like the RWA (Romance Writers of America) or the UK based RNA (Romance Novelists Association). Then attending conferences, writers groups etc. all costs money, (and if the author self publishes the costs are even higher as they have to also pay for editing and cover design.)  So most of what we make tends to get ploughed back into the writing business.

The real reward is to know that one's book has touched someone's heart and they have  spent a couple of happy hours reading the book we worked so hard on.

Believe me, there is no greater thrill (apart from receiving  an acceptance letter from an editor) than receiving  a letter or email from a reader saying they 'loved' your book, or to see a five star review. What I'm trying to say, in a long winded way, is that in order to reach readers, you have to be able to let them know that your book exists - and there is no more supportive or helpful community than that of Romance Writers.  As I said, when I started out, I knew very little about the art of promotion, but soon discovered that there were many other writers out there, willing to host me on their blogs, mention me on the loops, and generally offer help and support.  To start with, most of these were other authors with  theWild Rose Press, but as time went on I got to know other authors with other publishers as well.

 I have made so many friends among the writing community I can't count them, but each one of them is valued and special.   Several of them have become such close friends I feel I have known them all my life.  One such was Sharon Donovan, who having lost her sight and being unable to paint the pictures she so enjoyed creating, turned to writing and published some heart warming Inspirational romances and several wonderfully exciting romantic suspense novels.  Those of you who visit the Author Roast and Toast, the Blog I host with Mary Ricksen, P L Parker and Mac Crowne, will know  about 'Oliver' Sharon's hunky virtual butler, who she kindly allowed to 'moonlight' at the Roast, and who appears as a character in her WRP novellas 'Charade Of Hearts' and 'Kiss Of Death'.  She brought such fun to The Roast, where she was also a 'hostess.'  Tragically Sharon passed away a year today, after a second major heart operation.  She is sorely missed by all her friends, but she lives on in her books and our memories, and I will forever be grateful that I came to know her through  the world of writing and books.  I flew to the US last year and met up with Mary and together we visited Sharon's family, although it  was so sad that Sharon passed just a month before I was due to fly out.


So I'd like to raise a virtual glass in Honour of Sharon, and all the wonderful friends I've made, including the readers who are kind enough to leave comments  on this Blog.
Thank you all  for your continued friendship and support. And Sharon, I'm sure you're up there, watching over us and knowing that our friends still love and miss you. Your spirit lives on and you will never be forgotten.

PS:  If you get a moment, don't forget to visit me at Evelyn Cullet's Blog: http://evelyncullet.com/blog/
Until next week,


'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH

Monday's Word: Ansated

Saturns Rings

 After a break for a couple of weeks 'Monday's Word' is back, after delving into Michael Quinion's briliant 'World Wide Words'.

The beautiful picture on the right  isn't just because I write and read futuristic and Science Fiction. It's to illustrate the word 'Ansated'.

What's that? I hear you ask. well hear is Michael Quinion's explanation:

'If you wish to confuse your hearers, you might describe the cup or mug from which you drink your breakfast cuppa as ansated. But it would merely be an irritatingly superior way of asserting that the drinking vessel in question has a handle. When Galileo turned his primitive telescope on Saturn, its famous rings looked like two blobs either side of the planet (he thought they were moons). A little later, astronomers with slightly better instruments saw what seemed to be handles and referred, in a nicely euphonious phrase, to ansated Saturn (or, as Hevelius described the planet in 1655, a spherico-ansated figure).

The word now most often turns up in descriptions of ancient sacred signs. An "ansated cross" is a T shape with a circle at the top, a symbol that's more commonly called a ankh (from the Egyptian word for life or soul). Also known as the Key to the Nile and, to the early Christians, as an "ansated cross," the ankh was believed to ensure the immortality of every god and goddess. [Exploring Spellcraft, by Gerina Dunwich, 2001.] "Ansated" is from Latin "ansa", a handle. In Latin the plural of "ansa" is "ansae".'

So now I'm just waiting for the chance to use the phrase - "The starship approached a spheruco-ansated figure...

*World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion 2011. All rights reserved. The World Wide Words website is at http://www.worldwidewords.org

'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH 'STARQUEST'    'CHILDREN OF THE MIST'  (The sequel to Starquest)  Dancing With Fate      'Freeread':'A BARGAIN WITH DEATH'

                  Also available on Kindle

Mondays word - Peristorenic

So what have Autumn Pumpkins got to do with pigeons or writing?  Well, nothing actually.  I just thought that since it's October and everyone seems to be thinking of Halloween, perhaps I ought to have some Halloween type pictures on my blog, and I rather like the Autumn leaves and butterflies.  As for the pigeon, well this came up at Michael Quinion's* site this week and I thought it was rather an interesting word.  He says:


"Pigeon-fancying was especially strong in England in the nineteenth century, with great skill expended in breeding new varieties forshow. Charles Darwin became a fancier in 1855 to study variation within species as part of his research which became On the Origin of Species.

Like other bodies of the period, pigeon-fanciers' societies looked to the classical languages for suitably distinguished titles. At the time Darwin became involved, a London one was grandly calledthe Philoperisteron Society. "Philo-" means a lover of something,from Greek "philos", loving; "peristeron" was invented by a learnedfounder, which he took from Greek "peristera" for a wild pigeon ordove. The organisation changed its name in 1867 to the National Peristeronic Society (which still exists), in which "peristeronic"was another invented word, an adjective with the sense "relating to or concerned with pigeons". The change of name should not be taken as meaning that the members of the society had ceased loving their pigeons."

So now when you work a pigeon fancier into your romance novel, you know the correct term to use!

*World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion 2010. All rights reserved. The Words Web site is at http://www.worldwidewds.
Reproduced with permission

Busy, Busy, Buzzzy!

Sorry, no Monday's word this week, it's just been a bit hectic, but I'll try and have soemthing for next week.

In the meantime, my Welsh hero of 'Dancing With Fate' my story in the Wild Rose Press's ' Song Of the Muses' series is being featured over at Sky Purington's Blog: Please pop across and leave a comment, if you have a moment. We're there all week.

Sky is a lovely lady, who I'm pleased to call a friend, and a talented writer herself. She writes wonderful time travel stories and paranormals, with hot heroes (usually in a kilt!) She's being featuring heros of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland on her blog all this month, and it's well worth a look!

I'm also being featured at The Bookboost. blog Tuesday 27th July, and I'm taking part in the Classic Romance Revival Excerpt extravaganza, with all three of my books and will be partying at The Romance Studio all day on Thursday, where I'll be giving a signed copy of Starquest as a prize, so phew - I wonder if I'll get any time to write! One thing - I never have time to be bored!

Hope you'll join me in these places if only to stop by and say 'hello'!

DONE IT!

Still adding to my word count - but I've validated my 50,000 words and am now officially a NANOWRIMO WINNER! YAY!

This was my first NaNo experience and how exciting it's been! I started with nothing but two characters and some ideas for the first chapters. After that I played it very much by ear with only the very vaguest of outlines. There were times when I couldn't write at all, and had no idea where the story was going, and others when I couldn 't get the words down fast enough. Amazingly the story started to come together somewhere in the middle and it's pretty much a complete story now - but it's going to need a tremendous amount of revision before it's anywhere near fit to submit. But - I did it, as I said I want to flesh out some scenes before the deadline, but I reached the winner's line and crossed it! It was a very exciting moment when my 'counterbar' on the site changed from green to purple and I knew I'd done it.

I was truly amazed that writing at speed, even with no proper plot or outline, somehow my characters still managed to talk to me. It's been an exciting and very enlightening expreience.

Sincere apologies to all my on-line friends who I've neglected horribly over the last 30 days. After tonight, I'll try and make it up to you, I promise!

Monday's Word - Agrestic

Is the villain of your story 'agrestic?
According to Michael Quinion in this week's 'Worldwide Words"

'The root meaning is rural or rustic, hence a person who is uncouth or unpolished. It's from the Latin "agrestis", itself derived from
"ager", a field, which makes it a close relative of "agriculture"
and of "agrestal", which refers to uncultivated plants growing on
cultivated land - you might prefer to call those weeds. Another, extremely rare, relative is "agresty", defined in one old dictionary as "rusticity; clownishness".' Isn't that interesting? Bet you didn't know that!

Michael Quinion goes on to say that "Agrestic" gained a melancholy moment in the news in 2008 when it was reported that it was one of 24 words that the English publisher Collins was proposing to drop from its dictionaries, on the grounds that newer and more common words needed the space. In early 2009 Collins reprieved the word because it turned out to have a continuing usefulness in the perfumery business. It's one of the standard terms used to classify odours. The scent sense is of an aroma that reminds you of the countryside, such as hay, heather
or meadow or one which is earthy, herbal or woody." Ooh yes, I love those scents reminiscent of warm, summer days (well the few that we get here in the UK anyway!) I love that sort of perfume myself. So, you don't just need to confine this word to your descriptions of people in your writing, you could use it to convey to the reader how a particular place or scene smells. On second thoughts though, anything that has the reader rushing to the nearest dictionary is probaby not such a good idea!

World Wide Words is copyright (c) Michael Quinion 2009. All rights reserved. The Words Web site is at http://www.worldwidewords.org

Interview with D Renee Bagley

Today my very special guest is D Renee Bagbee.

Good morning Renee, welcome to my blog, please tell us a little about yourself.

DRB: I am an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife—married 7 years with two cats. The last born of three children, all of us Capricorns. As a military kid, I have traveled all over the world. I was born in the Netherlands, spent a few years in Japan, and then moved back to the states where I traveled up and down the southern East coast.

I love writing, reading manga and comics, watching most anything with vampires in it (True Blood WOOT!), and collecting random things that appeal to me at the time. I think my current obsession is cover flats but staple is manga. I’m convinced I’m one of the main reasons DMP is staying afloat since I buy ever book in their June collection as fast they publish them. Did I mention I’m a boy’s love junkie?

HL: Well you certainly find plenty to fill your time, Renee! LOL. Tell us a little more about yourself and your writing - oh and is there a reason why you use your second name?

DRB: My full name is D. Renee Bagby - I go by Renee because most people butcher my first name. I also write under Zenobia Renquist. My specialty is black heroines with non-black heroes in fantastical situations. I’m a world builder who loves torturing her characters on the way to happily ever after. I’m currently published with Samhain Publishing and Red Rose Publishing and I hope to add a few more publishers under my belt in the months to come.

HL: What comes first: the plot or the characters?

DRB: Definitely the characters. Actually, with me, most of the time the argument comes first. I will have a hero and heroine going at it in my head, out of the blue, and then I have to figure out who they are, what they’re arguing about, and how it led to the argument.


HL: Tell us about your latest release and what you think readers will enjoy about it (Here are a few details first)

Acknowledging Meirion by Zenobia Renquist
Red Rose Publishing
Science Fiction Interracial/Multicultural Romance (Mainstream)
Available in eBook and Print
Learn More: http://dreneebagby.com/ZR_Books_Meirion.html

DRB: This is my second book written under my alter ego. I wanted to write about a reality show that had a nature television twist. What did I come up with? An alien culture observing humans much the same way humans observe animals in the Sahara. It’s the most watched nature show in the universe and the star of the show just wants to be left alone.

Meirion is one of the few humans chosen to be observed. It’s not a bad gig except she has absolutely no privacy (unless she’s on the toilet), but the silver lining is that her cameramen are pretty too, especially Kiar. She’d love to get to know him better but his company has a strict no acknowledgment policy. He could lose his job and be sent back to his home planet if he breaks it. That doesn’t deter Meirion from trying. It’s a test of wills and neither Meirion nor Kiar wants to lose.

EXCERPT: (PG RATING)

The clock signaled time and he teleported.

Meirion stood in her bedroom with Eiliv and Niets watching her.

“Why are you here, Niets?” Kiar asked. Keeping the surprise off his face was a monumental task but he did it. He also kept his gaze on Meirion. She didn’t look angry, only determined.

“Based on a hunch, Eiliv summoned me. Meirion hasn’t protested my presence, so here I stay,” Niets answered.

Eiliv said, “For the first time, all three of us will be needed.”

“You know what she has planned then? I didn’t see anything on the footage.”

“I can guess and so can you. The superiors agree or they would have called Niets back.”

“Nothing will happen. Niets’s presence isn’t needed.”

“Are you three done talking?” Meirion asked. “I know you’re talking. Now, at least. I’m grateful I met Jor. He cleared up a lot. Not as much as I needed, but I can always email him later.” She looked at pointedly at Kiar. “Or I can ask you?”

She would have to email Jor, because he wouldn’t speak.

“We can do this the easy way, Kiar, or we can do this the hard way. It’s up to you. Just talk to me.” Her voice was pleading as she said the last.

He wouldn’t be swayed. Meirion may love him but that love was without understanding. She wouldn’t ask this of him if she did.

“Talk to her,” Niets said.

Eiliv said, “I agree. Even you are taking this too far. There are other options.”
“Not for me,” Kiar said in a growling voice.

Meirion stalked over to him and grabbed his hand. “Fine. If you want to be stubborn, we’ll do it your way. Just remember, I gave you the option.”

She pulled him over to the bed. Subjecting him to another round of masturbation, while torturous, was bearable. He had worried over nothing.

“Last chance, Kiar. Say something.”

“Don’t let her do whatever she has planned, Kiar,” Eiliv said.

Kiar ignored him and continued performing his duty, as he should.

Meirion rolled her eyes then shoved him hard. He fell back onto the bed, unable to stop himself because of the unpredictability of her action. She snapped a handcuff onto his wrist and then connected it to the bedpost.

“I love you, damn it, and some feeling—women’s intuition, gut reaction, whatever—says you love me, too. I’m going to make you admit it whether you like it or not.”

She undid his pants. Kiar knew he’d like whatever she did. He was already hard. But, he wouldn’t relent… he hoped.


HL: Powerful stuff Renee. So, have you a favourite actor/hunk?

DRB: Vin Diesel!!! You gotta love a man who can kickass and take names the way he does. I loved him in Chronicles of Riddick. I will watch that man in anything and doing anything—including reading the phone book. :P

HL: LOL! And here he is:

(There is a long pause for Renee and countles of Vin's fans to indulge themselves in drooling.)

HL: OK Renee, if you can bear to tear your eyes away from Vin, what have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?

DRB: I have to do more than write? O.O??!! No one warned me about all this promotion madness. And what do you mean I have to write a synopsis? I just signed on to write. I don’t remember reading a part that said “and other related duties”. *slump*

HL: *Grin* Yes, I think most of us can relate to that! :)


HLE: . What is your personal definition of success?

My personal definition of success is the fan who writes and lets me know they enjoyed my book and can’t wait for the next one. That makes me want to write more.

HLE: Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?

RB: As a new writer, I was told to vary my autograph from my signature and that is something I always pass on. You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t think of it. Heck, I didn’t until I was told.
To new writers I say, learn to take criticism. Agents, readers, editors… whoever. You may not like what they say but every little bit helps to make you a better writer. Especially listen to what your editor says. They are actively trying to make your book better.

HL: Wise words, Renee, and I hadn't thought about the signature being different to an autograph either, but then I use a penname, which even though it's comprised of my real first two names, doesn't include my signature so it's different anyway.

HL: Being an animal fanatic myself, I have to ask - if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?

DRB: I’m kind of biased at the moment since my current WIP is about dragons. :D So I would love to be an Asian dragon. Their majesty and beauty and power is so awe-inspiring to me. Now if you mean “real” animals, then I would have to choose a tiger. I love tigers. Probably for the same reasons that I chose a dragon. Matter of fact, I have a tiger-shifter story planned. :D

HLE: That sounds fascinating Renee, dragons and tigers - two very powerful animals, and the tiger-shifter sounds a bit different to the usual shifter stories. Well, I've loved having you as my guest, but it's nearly time to wrap the interview up. Thank you so much for giving some of your valuable time to be with us - and before you go can you tell readers where to find your books please?
RNB: To learn more about me and my books visit me here:
http://dreneebagby.com
http://zenobiarenquist.com

Wondeful, Renee, and thanks again

SHARON DONOVAN

It's my great pleasure to welcome a lovely lady, who has beaten an obstacle many might find insurmountable, with her positive attitude. Sharon Donovan has penned several heartwarming and inspiring romances for White Rose Publishing, an imprint of The Wild Rose Press. I am proud to call this talented author, my friend, even though we have only met in cyberspace.

Let me tell you a little more about Sharon. She lives with her family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has certificates in both business and medical transcription. Before her writing career, she was a legal secretary in the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas where she prepared cases for judges in Domestic Relations.

Due to diabetic retinopathy, she lost her vision several years ago. Painting was her life, her passion. Devastated when she could no longer paint, she took classes in creative writing and memoir workshops. And a new dream resurrected. Today, instead of painting her pictures on canvas, Sharon paints her pictures with words.

Sharon, I'm honoured to have you as my guest today. Oh I see you've brought some freshly made blueberry muffins, how kind, they'll go well with this cup of Earl Grey I've just poured for you. I've already given a little of your background story. Tell us a bit more about yourself

First of all, thanks so much for having me today, Lyn. I’m a simple person with simple needs. I enjoy using my creative talents. Some of the things I like doing are cooking, learning about superstitions, especially gem stone myths and holiday traditions from around the world. I love children and animals and think both make the world a better place. As you know, the JDRF Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is my charity. My latest book, Echo of a Raven is about my struggles with diabetic retinopathy, a condition which causes fragile blood vessels to grow and rupture in the back of the eye and can lead to progressive blindness. Unfortunately, I developed this complication of diabetes and I am on a quest for the fight for a cure campaign. A portion of all proceeds from Echo of a Raven will be donated to JDRF. If I can prevent one child from living in fear of losing his or her vision, Echo of a Raven will be a smashing success.

That's wonderful, Sharon, and I'm sure everyone who reads this will join me in praying that your book will not only help those who read it, but that your generosity will help JDRF to achieve this goal. We'll come back to 'Echo Of A Raven' in a moment, but first let's find out a bit more about the 'real' Sharon Donovan. For instance, What do you do for fun when not writing?

I love to read. Before I lost my vision, I spent my free time painting and horseback riding As you know, art was my passion. Because of the terrible words a doctor said to me at the age of twelve, “You’ll be blind by time you’re twenty-five,” I lived in constant fear of losing my vision. These harsh words echoed in my head always, and the only time I was able to escape them was through my painting. No more heartache. No more pain. Peace and tranquility. And when I put my paint brush down, I went horseback riding in the hills of Pennsylvania. There was nothing more invigorating than galloping through the hills at full speed with the wind whipping in my face. And when I could no longer do either, my world went dark. Devastated, I enrolled in a 16 week program for the blind and visually impaired where I learned mobility, how to deal with anger issues and the use of a computer with adaptive software, changing text to synthesized speech. And after a long and winding road, a new dream resurrected. Writing. I love it and it’s great therapy and a whole lot cheaper than a shrink. LOL!

Oh you're so right about that, Sharon. Writing is great therapy, even if only as an escapism from the day to day routine most authors have to fit into their busy lives. I can relate to what you say about how amazing it is to gallop flat out on a horse too, I can only imagine how devastating it must have been to lose that. So when did you start writing?

Contrary to most writers who say they can’t remember a time they didn’t write, just the opposite is true for me. I abhorred writing with a passion. As I’ve mentioned, my passions were artwork and horseback riding. But I was born with a creative muse and she was not happy when she could no longer channel her talent. When I lost my vision, not only was I unable to work as a legal secretary at the courthouse, a job I adored with all my heart, but I could no longer pursue my dreams and my passions. I was devastated, so much I did not want to live. And with my great love of the outdoors and painting, I was not an avid reader.

After spending all day reading small print on legal documents, the last thing I wanted to do when I came home was read. But after the loss of my vision, I was so bored to tears once the depression wore its course, I started listening to audio books, romantic suspense by Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Lisa Jackson to name a few. And I began paying attention to detail, the words they used to describe. And something in my mind sprouted wings, a new way to channel my creativity. I could paint with words, given some training. So I enrolled in as many creative classes as I could find and have never stopped writing since. And thanks to modern technology, a computer that is programmed to reverberate whatever I type, I am able to pursue my new dream. I thank God for the gift of modern technology.

Indeed, and thank God that, as they say, when He closes one door He opens another, so although we may have lost the pleasure of seeing new paintings, we can look forward to the books to come from your vivid imagination, to add to the ones which your readers already enjoy. Talking of which, I always like to know how other writers construct their stories. With you, what comes first: the plot or the characters?

Most definitely the plot. I couldn’t possibly cast a role to a character without knowing the scene, the setting, the storyline.

If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?

If someone were to play me in Echo of a Raven, I would want Meg Ryan. She is so sweet and down to earth and is looked upon as America’s sweetheart. I think people could relate to her and would be drawn to the emotions she could evoke while riding the tumultuous roller coaster I was on for two solid decades. For over twenty years, my vision came and went, a game of now you see it—now you don’t. Only a truly gifted actress could portray the exuberant amount of heart-wrenching emotions I went through and continue to go through every day of my life.

Oh yes, I like Meg Ryan - and she is quite like you in looks too, what a good choice.
Have you a favourite actor/hunk?

In my suspense novel, Mask of the Betrayer, I picture John Travolta playing the role of Michael DeVeccio. He is a complex but smooth character, very cunning and clever, and I think John Travolta would be the perfect alpha male to portray Michael.

I can't wait to read 'Mask Of The Betrayer', and I'll have John Travolta in mind for Michael, when I do. By the way, guess whose picture I have up on this Blog as 'Featured Hunk'?
What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you?

That I’m a better writer than I was yesterday but not as good as I’ll be tomorrow.

Excellent answer, and again, one I think a lot of us will agree with. Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?

I am very easily distracted. I love complete quiet when I write. Now let’s not forget Glen, my cyber space buddy who can be a bit annoying at times, his non-stop chatting. Whatever is on the screen, he joyfully recites without coming up for breath. I’m still trying to program him to do a coffee run. LOL

*Grin* Glen sounds like an interesting cyber companion. I want one! What is your personal definition of success?

Leaving my mark on the world, my footprint on people’s hearts when I leave this earth. I want to leave the message of hope. Never give up on a dream.

I think you're already sending that message loud and clear Sharon, you're an inspiration. OK, now for a fun question, if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?

A butterfly. There’s an old Irish superstition that when the wings of a butterfly brush you, it’s the wings of your guardian angel. I believe in magical myths, legends and lore. And I believe in angels and the sweet hereafter.

Oh, that's a beautiful story, I hadn't heard of that one. Finaly, is there a question you really, really wish someone would ask, but they never do? If so what would be your reply?

What is your mission, the reason God put you on this earth?
To raise awareness for type 1 diabetes and its devastating complications. With America in the lead, there are more than 230 million diabetics in the world and the numbers are rapidly increasing. More than half of these diabetics will develop some stage of retinopathy, the number one complication. Type 1 diabetes strikes children the hardest. Type 1 diabetics do not produce insulin, a hormone necessary to regulate blood sugars. As a result, for the rest of their lives, they must take insulin injections several times a day, restrict their caloric intake, monitor their blood sugars through pinch tests, and worst of all, live in constant threat of losing vision, limbs, heart and kidney failure and poor circulation of the hands and feet. I want to put an end to this world-wide epidemic for tomorrow’s children. Isn’t it time?

You are so right, Sharon and it seems as if you're already on the way to achieving your mission, with the release of 'Echo Of A Raven. Tell us some more about this remarkable book.

Echo of a Raven is a must read for diabetics, those affected by diabetes and its complications and for intelligent people who want to put an end to this world-wide epidemic. Through an organization for the blind and visually impaired, I found the courage to face a sighted world I was once part of. Some of the curriculum I endured for eight grueling hours every day for sixteen weeks was mobility training with a white cane, group therapy to deal with anger issues and the use of a computer with adaptive software.

It was a heart-wrenching journey filled with endless challenge. Part of the reason I was reluctant to enroll in a program for the blind and visually impaired was because I thought clients would be uneducated. I was a professional, after all. What could I possibly have in common with “Those people?” I was wrong. I met doctors and nurses, teachers and engineers, all with one common thread. We were all facing vision loss due to circumstances beyond our control. Some had the extra burden of facing a marital problem because a spouse could not or would not accept the blindness.

We laughed and we cried. We connected in a way words could never express. I was one of the lucky ones. What didn’t kill me made me stronger. And after a long and winding road, a new dream resurrected. Today, instead of painting my pictures on canvas, I paint my pictures with words. In my memoir, I give a prolific account of my stay at Pittsburgh Vision told from an insider’s point of view when institutionalized for sixteen weeks. Echo of a Raven is not for the weak at heart. But through my darkest hour, I found light at the end of a tunnel. Only when I reached out and asked for help did doors open. And doors have continued to open for me. There is a plethora of opportunity for the blind and visually impaired.

In my memoir, I give the names and addresses and websites for several organizations that have been invaluable to me. Please help me in my mission to find a cure for diabetes and its number one complication—blindness. As I said at the beginning of this interview, a portion of all proceeds of Echo of a Raven will be donated to JDRF Juvenile Diabetes.

EXCERPT:

As the blind man sweeps the streets with his white cane, I look away. As the blind man jingles his cup of coins on corner sidewalks, I look away. As the blind man sells his mops and brooms, I look away.

“You’ll be blind by time you’re twenty-five,” a doctor at Children’s Hospital predicted. “Your blood sugars are way too high.”

I began hearing the frightening phrase diabetic retinopathy at the age of six when I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic. This condition causes fragile blood vessels to grow and rupture in the back of the eye and can lead to progressive blindness. And at the age of twelve, when a doctor at a routine visit made this prediction, his cruel words changed the entire course of my life, affecting every major decision I made for years to come.

His words haunted me. They consumed me. They devoured me. Wherever I went or whatever I did, these words echoed in my head. The only time I found refuge was through my artwork. Painting became my sanctuary, a place where I could escape to another place and time. Peace and tranquility. No more pain. But one day when painting a picturesque Tuscan landscape, the initial bout of blindness struck with no warning.

Several buses pulled up, hissing and spewing as slush and mud splashed in all directions. People jumped back to avoid the mud-stained snow. It was a 71 and it was going downtown.As I stood shivering, waiting for people to file out, a blind woman approached the bus stop, sweeping the snow covered pavement with her white cane. Her flat, monotone voice cut through my thoughts. “Does this bus go downtown?”

“Yes,” I answered her. I wanted to turn my head as I’d done so many times in the past, but my heart went out to her. It was so slippery out and she was so vulnerable. What if she got on the wrong bus—or got stranded somewhere? That could be me some day. Fear welled up in my throat as I watched her maneuver her way on to the bus. She cleared each step with her cane and stepped aboard.

A man in the front of the bus stood up. “Here, miss. Take my seat.” He tapped her arm. “Behind you.”

She wordlessly took his seat without uttering so much as a thank you. I sat in the seat directly across from her, not wanting to watch her--but unable to take my eyes off her. She wore dark glasses and a blank expression, so isolated in a world of utter chaos. She pulled a book out of her bag and began feeling it. Braille, I sucked in my breath. A foreboding premonition hurled through me and I thought I might be sick. I couldn’t take this. Visions of my future flashed in front of me, filling me with an uneasiness that had me completely undone.

How could she have the patience to read Braille, feeling all those bumps. After reading small print on legal documents all day, I would never have the tolerance to learn Braille. No way. How could a sighted person adapt to an unsighted world? Would that be me some day? Or was I just hitting the panic button. Then to my horror, the words screeched in my head. “You’ll be blind by time you’re twenty-five.”

Precisely one week later, I was down in my garage, putting the finishing touches on my painting. The rich fertile vineyards of the Tuscan landscape shrouded an inland harbor of mirror still waters. Age-old olive trees framed the hillside. Sitting back to admire my work, I smiled in eager anticipation. Just a few more strokes of the brush for fine detailing, and my masterpiece would be complete.But suddenly, a huge splattering of black paint covered my beautiful painting. Confused, I wondered how paint had managed to get all over my masterpiece. I blinked several times, but it was still there.

Slowly but surely, my brain received the message. It wasn’t black paint covering my canvas at all; it was blood covering my retina. My worst nightmare had just come true. I’d had a massive retinal hemorrhage.

Dumbfounded, my paintbrush slipped from my fingers and rolled across the floor. I felt like I was drowning, losing consciousness. I sunk into a chair, clasping my hand over my mouth. Heart-wrenching pain stabbed at my gut. Nausea threatened. Then the tears spilled. “Nooo! Not yet. It’s too soon."

Oh Sharon, that is such a moving excerpt. Thank you so much for being with us today, and for sharing so much of yourself and your work. It's been an absolute privilege.

Echo of a Raven
Available in paperback and eBook
BUY HERE:


Other books by Sharon Donovan

Touched by An Angel
www.whiterosepublishing.com

The Claddagh Ring
www.whiterosepublishing.com


Lasting Love

www.whiterosepublishing.com

Sharon is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and Pennwriters. She has a story in the highly acclaimed Chicken Soup for the Soul, Tough Times, Tough People.
Visit Sharon’s website at:
www.sharonadonovan.com

or write to her at:
sharonad@comcast.net

Some of Sharon's paintings: