#Sundaysnips from Once Jilted by Ciara Gold

           “You plan to have the babe out of wedlock?” Kane scratched his head.

            She looked skyward and gritted her teeth. Was the man dense? “Can you stop walking? It’s hard to talk to you at this pace.”

            He slowed but continued to walk. “Daylight’s a wasting and I’ve got a deadline.”

            “Will you at least let me explain so you can stop the rumors?”

            Her foot caught a gopher hole, and she tripped, falling headlong onto the hard ground. She cried out when her elbow kissed the ground.

            “Goodness, you’re a walking calamity. First pickles and now, a sprawl in the grass. You wouldn’t perchance be related to me Aunt Nell?”

            She groaned and rolled to her knees. Every joint ached. Twigs and grass stuck to her dress, and she brushed them away with sore hands. She moaned at the pain and glared at her scraped skin.

            “Are you hurt?”

            Now he asked. She shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

            He grabbed her elbow none too gently and helped her stand. She tested her foot and found herself uninjured. Praise be. An injury would have complicated matters more. “Thank you, Mr. McKenna.”

            “You’re welcome. Now, if you doon’t mind, I’d like to be gettin’ back to me work.”

            “But . . .”

            “Miss Joyce, do you see that armature?” He pointed a finger at the structure. “That’s a mighty important bridge to folks around here. Can you tell me in all honesty that your quest for a hoosband be as important as the building of that bridge?”

            She swallowed hard and frowned, thinking of Sarabeth. “For one person, it’s even more important.”

            He frowned. “To be sure, and I can sympathize with your plight. Unwed and pregnant must weigh heavy on your mind, but alas, I can noot help you, nor can any of me men. Good day, Miss Joyce.”

            She stomped her sore foot and grimaced. “For the last time, I am not expecting!”

            Her shout brought the attentions of his workers. Seventeen sets of eyes peered down at her, and the heat rose to her cheeks.

 

            “Now see what you’ve done. You’ve distracted them froom their work again. At this rate, it’ll take me five years to have this bridge completed.”

My snail problem, confessions of a slow writer

I love writing. I love creating stories that tease the imagination and hopefully come alive for the reader, but I write slow. I can offer a lot of excuses but some are very legitimate, and I think buried in all of these reasons there might be sound advice for others with this snail problem.

First, I get bogged down in research. I'm always questioning myself when it comes to historical references. So, while I'm working on the next sequel to The Rose Hunter, I find myself once again searching for those details that will make the book resonate, will make the book believable. The problem is that there are a lot of details that could be included. The story will begin in 1213 AD (Oh wait, that's not kosher any more. I should have said 1213 CE but when I write the story I will use AD because that's how they would have referred to it.) I digress. My best advice to you as you research is to keep it simple. Truly, you don't have to include all that happened in a given year or time period. Find something that will accent your story and give it flavor without overwhelming the setting you've chosen. Or perhaps, a main historical event is the backdrop for your story. Once again, see what you can do to narrow it down. Think about the civil war for example. A lot of battles were fought, a lot of political intrigue took place. You don't have to include it all.

Second for me is time management. I work a full time job plus. I teach so my forty hour work week is typically at least a 50 hour work week or more. I live in the country where my husband and I are finishing out another cabin so the weekends include helping him do things like staple up insulation (that's what I did yesterday). Then of course, time has to be set aside for the mundane things like cooking, cleaning and other chores. But I had someone trying to teach me guitar one time and he had something very profound to tell me. He said, "Practice everyday, even is you only play one chord for a split second. The trick is to put that guitar in your hands everyday." Writing is the same way so I try hard to open up the manuscript and write each day even if all I eek out is one sentence because at the end of the day, I'm one sentence closer to finishing the book.

Another setback for me is my darn internal editor. Try as I might, I can't seem to turn off the internal editor as I'm writing. This really slows things down. On the other hand, my rewrites aren't as extensive as they would be if I just wrote without editing.

My writing habit also slows me down. I don't outline. I'm a pantser. I can have a great day where I draft a whole chapter without blinking an eye but as a pantser, I tend to write myself into corners. That ending hook is great but then where will it lead me? So then, it's stewing time. I have to let the idea percolate. In some cases, like this last book, the idea brewed for six months before I settled on a direction that was plausible. Yeah, I should outline but the reason I write by the seat of my pants is so I don't get bored. If I know the ending already, I'm less likely to finish the book. I want to be just as surprised as the reader.

My vivid imagination doesn't help either. I tend to have more than one project going at a time. At present I have three books in the works. (Well actually five, but two have been rather dormant so we won't count them).  I'll write on one until I hit a roadblock then go to another. The problem with this is remembering what I wrote when I come back to a storyline I've let sit for a while. To help, I try to have an ongoing outline for each story. As I write the chapters, I try to outline the main ideas. I still have to reread just to get back into the book but the outline does help keep facts straight.

And last, but not least, there's the physical aspect of writing. My eyes get tired. There are some days I just don't want to turn on the computer. There's nothing I can do about this except give my eyes a break now and again. Don't sit at the computer at long periods of time without getting up and moving around. It's not healthy for your eyes or your body. So - I tend to write for 15 - 30 minutes and then force myself to get up and take a walk. I have the most fabulous place to take a walk so really, it's not an imposition to move away from my desk.

#Sunday Snippet from The Keeper of Moon Haven by #ciaragold

Today's snippet is from The Keeper of Moon Haven, the first book in the Blue Moon Series.

Gold.

It was all about the gold. With the book, she had a veritable fortune at her fingertips. No wonder Lord Somerton had taken exception to the book’s disappearance. He must have summoned Surt on several occasions, knowing the gnome would be honor bound to gift anyone who asked with a portion of gold.

She grabbed the book from the floor and pulled it back into her lap. “But I won’t.”

Her morals wouldn’t allow her to take the money, and even though the grumpy gnome might be willing to give her the precious metal, she knew in her heart, it amounted to nothing more than stealing. As desperate as she was to travel to America and join her sister, using the book wasn’t the way. She couldn’t steal Surt’s gold.

 

Both The Keeper of Moon Haven and The Rose Hunter can be found at Amazon, All Ebook Romance and Champagne Books.

 

RLF great for promotion! And chance to receive a kindle copy.

Romance Lives Forever is a great site for helping get the word out about your books. Today, I'm excited to be talking up my newest release, The Rose Hunter. I would love for you to visit and check out the site, both for my book and to see what a great place it is to visit or schedule your own guest blog.

http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com/2015/11/Gold.html

I think in this overwhelming digital age, it's especially difficult for new authors to break into the market. One of the best ways is to guest blog. Hopefully, that blog's readership will take a gander at what you have to offer and learn more about you and your book but your own readership will hopefully follow you to that blog and find other authors they want to read. It's a win win!

Nowadays, most readers don't comment like they used to. I imagine time is a factor as one navigates the safeguards put in place to make sure you aren't a robot. Darn bots anyway. But....

If you comment on my guest post and leave me your e-mail address, I will gift you a free kindle copy. If you've already read, the Rose Hunter (then I thank you kindly), I will gift you a kindle copy of another of my books. There are 14 in all. You might want to start with The Keeper of Moon Haven as it precedes this current book.

The Rose Hunter is here!

Today is the big day!  The Rose Hunter is now available for purchase through Champagne Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and All Romance Ebooks.

Blurb:

Lucian Willshire is plagued by thoughts of a fey world and the disappearance of his aunt some nineteen years past, but when his friend drags him back to Hamingjur Castle, he stumbles into Alfheim Haven once more where mystical beings become more than a distant memory.

Lyerra Ahdia is baffled by the sudden emotional changes she’s experiencing until she discovers she’s the only witch to suffer “the change” since her mother stole the Rose, a special talisman with the power to perpetuate life among those in her coven. Tasked with finding and bringing the Rose home, she begs Lucian’s help in navigating the human realm. Against his better judgement, he agrees.

Though neither set out to find anything except the Rose, fate has other plans. Will love be more elusive than hunting the Rose?

Excerpt:

Lyerra’s mouth gaped. She scanned the contents again. Surely he was wrong, but as she reread the letter from the new viewpoint, she had to agree. “Even so, he still claims he laid a trail to the Temple Church in Bristol.”

“If I had possession of a treasure as valuable as the Rose, and I had to hide it in a safe place, I’d leave clues perhaps, but I wouldn’t just blurt out its location. The probability of thieves and unscrupulous folks getting a hold of it would be too great to chance with such a missive.” He tapped the parchment. “Gareth paving a path to the Temple Church only means danger follows in that direction.”

“Oh, he’s trying to be clever.”

“Quite right. Your father was a smart man, one who must have loved you and your mother very much. I think we’ll find answers in Somerset.”

“Isn’t that where your friend, John, resides?”

“Pretty convenient but yes, we’ll pay him a visit in the morning and beg a few nights stay at his summer home at Runsford Hill. Perhaps he’ll have some books regarding the history of the area.”

She stared at the letter in wonder, and her eyes misted with tears. Brushing them aside, she tried to make light of her emotional reaction. “The smoke is making my eyes water. Perhaps we best take our rest.”

“There’s nothing wrong with crying.”

“Unless you’re an elfin …”

“Damn it, Lyerra, you’re half ...” He lowered his voice. “You’re half human. The fact you can cry gives me hope.”

“Hope for what?”

“Hope that should I succumb to your charms, it won’t be because of some magic you possess. It will be because your humanity speaks to mine.”

She slipped a hand across the surface of the letter, transforming it once again into a piece of antique jewelry. “I no longer wish to seduce you, Lucian. I see now that consorting with you in such a manner would be wrong.”

“Wrong for whom?”

“For both of us.” She latched the locket back into place. “The change forced me to make undue advances for which I humbly beg your pardon. That you were a gentleman of strong morals saved us both from sure heartache.”

“Lyerra, I …” The deep timbre of his voice sent tingles down her spine.

“No, let me finish.” She pushed her chair back and stood. When he’d done the same, she continued. “The strength of the physical attraction we seem to share frightens me. I know I tempt you each time I’ve need of your kisses or even your touch, but Lucian, you tempt me as well. And each time you walk away without taking more, you give me strength to resist my desires. For that I’m deeply in your debt.”

She had no idea what demons she’d stirred when Lucian pulled her into his arms. “Perhaps, I’m tired of resisting.”

 

 

 

Gearing up for Release Day!

Tomorrow is the big day!  The Rose Hunter will be available for purchase through Champagne Books, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and All Romance Ebooks.

I'm so excited about this story and being able to share it with readers. I love taking characters from another story who might have been a wee bit hard to love and giving them their own story. It's fun finding ways to redeem them. For this story, it was Lyerra from The Keeper of Moon Haven. It wasn't that she was horrible or anything, but she was a bit loose with her affections. That's because she was an elfin witch and commitment wasn't in her vocabulary.

In The Rose Hunter, things change. She's struck with what other elves in her coven term as "the change". No longer is she content to live life one day at a time. Instead, the change is interfering with her emotions and stripping her of her powers. One day she's able to heal with just her touch and the next she's lost this ability. Finding a cure involves hunting the elusive Rose, an item of great worth that was stolen from Alfheim Haven years ago by her own mother. Unfortunately, her search will take her out of the safety of Alfheim Haven and into the human realm. Her story if one of sacrifice, of trials contrary to who and what she is, but the end result will have her finding true love. Yep, I'm a sucker for the HEA (happy ever after) endings.

So - in preparation for the release of The Rose Hunter, I've scheduled a few ads here and there and a few blog spots. I would love for you to check out the guest blogs.

Sept 9 - I had a wonderful interview on Katrina Marie's blog. You can read it here.
Nov 2 - There will be a Release Day Announcement on Books Glorious Books, Sue Horsnell's blog.
Nov 8 - I have a wonderful interview/announcement on Romance Lives Forever blog.
Dec 2 - Another lovely blog post on  Romance Lives Forever blog.
Dec 11 - I have a featured author spot on Susan Noble's blog.

Would love for you all to pop in and visit some of these great places.