Life Changes and Following My Dream by Linda Nightingale

Last year, I retired from a career as a Legal Assistant to pursue writing full-time. I am happy with a capital H. I had 4 novels published, but The Wild Rose Press contracted my sci-fi romance, Love For Sale--sentient androids indistinguishable from human sold as loving, devoted companions and lovers.

Then, too, I got my dream job. A friend introduced me to the head of the advertising agency her company uses. I am now writing copy for Digital Impact Agency as a Content Strategist. So, I have my love for writing mingled in two different directions. I'm reading the galley for Love For Sale and am already working on the sequel, Love For a Song. I hope I've found a home in the Garden.

My cover for Love For Sale, created by the very talented Debbie Taylor, is splendid and really captures the essence of the story. I created a book video myself!! Amazing!! Here's the YouTube


Visit with me on my website: http://www.lindanightingale.com. I welcome emails!

Character Interview - Storm Rising by Rachael Richey

Interview with Judy, best friend of Abigail Thomson, heroine of Storm Rising
Rachael Richey
http://rachaelricheybooks.weebly.com/

So Judy, you’ve been friends with Abi for many years. What can you tell us about her?

Abi and I have been best friends since our first day at school when we were four. We hit it off straight away and very soon became inseparable. Abi’s always been the more…. adventurous… of us. I seem to have spent most of my life either keeping her out of trouble, or extricating her from trouble! She seems to have a knack for getting herself into a tight spot. I like to think I’ve been a good influence on her, managing to steer her away from some very tricky situations on occasion! I haven’t always managed to stop her doing the things, but I usually manage to rescue her. As a teenager she was pretty high maintenance, and very volatile – I think she’d be the first to agree with me – but these days she’s not so bad. Not quite anyway.

Were you with her when she first met Gideon?

Yes, in fact I think it was my suggestion that she might like him. I have to say I did regret that a bit for a while, but she would always have done what she wanted anyway. He and his band, NightHawk, were playing at our school Christmas dance, and he came and talked to her afterwards. All the boys in the band had gone to the local boys school, so we knew them a bit already, but they were a few years older than us.

I gather Abi didn’t really get on with her parents. What can you tell me about that?

Well, she and her mother had always fought a bit. Her parents were quite old when she was born, and I don’t think they were really in touch with teenagers. She got on better with her father, but I don’t think they were ever really close. Then later, when…. when it all happened…. then she really fell out with them. Both of them.

When what happened?

I don’t think it’s my place to tell you that. Suffice to say she left home as soon as she could and didn’t go back until her mother died.

And has your friendship survived all that’s happened over the years?

Yes. We had a couple of years when we didn’t see each other so much. I had just got married and had a baby, and I think Abi felt she was intruding – but we sorted it out and now we’re as close as ever. Closer even.

What happened when Abi went to her mother’s funeral?

Again, I don’t think it’s my place to tell you that. Her father asked her to go and help him sort out her mother’s things, and she reluctantly agreed. What happened after that…… well that’s where Storm Rising comes in.


Rachael Richey
http://rachaelricheybooks.weebly.com/
Storm Rising

Celebrating 10 years as a reporter/writer by Laura Freeman

Impending Love and War at http://goo.gl/atFMe4 published by The Wild Rose Press
@LauraFreeman_RP
Facebook.com/Laura.freeman.5648
Authorfreeman.wordpress.com

Celebrating 10 years as reporter
I am a reporter with the Record Publishing Co. and wrote this column, which appeared in the Hudson Hub-Times newspaper at http://goo.gl/B07yFo
By Freeman of the Press
My tenth anniversary as a newspaper reporter with Record Publishing Co. arrives Feb. 1, 2015.
Since my beat has covered city Council meetings in Tallmadge and Hudson, that amounts to roughly 500 meetings I’ve attended. Covering government stories means I’ve reported on governors, senators, congressmen, judges and too many candidates to count, learning more about politics than any class in school.
Want your voice heard? Speak at a Council meeting during public comments. The meetings are televised, sending your message to viewers, the city officials and your city representative.
Will it result in change? Sometimes, the argument is more emotional than practical and fails, but other times words have impact. I know. I write them.
Someone asked me how I make sense out of the meetings. The hardest part is filling in the blanks — the things not said by members of Council. Sometimes a handout, resolution or phone call answers the questions. But time reveals whether the decision was good or bad.
Another key to writing a story, any story, is to focus on the problem. What are Council members talking about? What is the decision they have to make? The answer is the story.
Another part of being a reporter is community news. I’ve seen businesses open, close, celebrate anniversaries and change ownership. Mayor William Currin is a familiar face at ribbon cuttings.
I remember when Main Street Cupcakes opened and I sampled some of the cupcakes. There were some doubts a cupcake-only business would survive, but it’s thriving.
Some businesses, like Hershey’s and The Learned Owl Book Shop, changed owners, while Lager & Vine took on a new name with new ownership.
Hudson is known for its events, fundraisers and holiday celebrations. I was around when the Fourth of July fireworks were canceled in 2006 due to a lack of funds, but they’ve returned every year since. The worst experience occurred on a warm summer night when the last blast exploded into a torrential downpour, sending everyone dashing for their cars.
Other holidays included children dressed in Halloween costumes and an annual stocking contests with the Green decorated for Christmas. The biggest festivals were the Harry Potter celebrations when thousands dressed as characters from the J.K. Rowling books. It was my job to attend, but it also was fun to share in the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Schools and children are a major focus in the community. I’ve interviewed young entrepreneurs who sell lemonade; students testing the water in a stream restoration project at the high school; future lawyers in a courtroom practicing for a mock trial; actors preparing for a play or musical; and photographing graduates stepping on stage to receive a diploma.
A favorite past time is covering the annual Challenger game when Special Olympic kids play football against the Hudson Hawks seventh-grade team. High school players help mentor, and the band and cheerleaders encourage everyone as they score. Plan to attend in August.
Those are the happy memories. Others are sadder. The deaths of men and women I’ve come to know — Mayor John Krum, Council member John Jeffers, Peter McDonald, Dick Malson and others who have impacted the community and left a mark.
The most difficult job was covering the funeral of U.S. Marine LCpl. Daniel Nate Deyarmin Jr., 22, killed Aug. 1, 2005, in Haditha, Iraq. He was the first casualty in our coverage area and, unfortunately, not our last. I also covered the funeral of U.S. Army 2nd Lt. David Rylander, 23, of Stow, who was killed May 2, 2012, in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
I covered five murders — Philip and Sarah Gehring who were murdered in New Hampshire by their father, who drove across the country, burying them in a clearing off Terex Road; Marci Kornblut who was murdered by her husband; and Patricia and John Knudson murdered by her son and his brother.
Then there are the children with cancer or some other life threatening disease. And although you hope your words help them fight the battle, some lose the fight.
The biggest challenge is to make the words count, influence or impact others. I hope I have succeeded most of the time and will continue to reach out in print. Thank you for reading.

Why I Wrote Black Dragon Blood by @AnitaPhilmar

Everyone wants to know why an author decided to write a particular story.

Today, I wanted to share "Why I decided to Write Black Dragon Blood."

At the time, I had never written an erotic story. Wasn't sure that I could even do it?

Yes, it had to have hot sex scene which I love, but it needed even more.

 So, I decide to create another world, one where the men were stronger, faster, and braver. These men had eaten the meat of Dragon's. They had incorporated the dragon's power into their DNA.

 Yes, but they also needed conflict, something that challenged them.

Of course, my first thought was women. Yeah, ladies, don't we love to test the depths of a man's love.

Next, I wanted a little murder, mystery and a bad guy. All were needed to create a story to push the limit and create a romance that readers could enjoy.

 When I looked at the challenge a woman could present, I decide Amanda had to have decided years ago that men were the last thing she wanted.

Why?

Well, her first husband had been murdered, and because of his death she'd lost her child. Why you might ask? In this world, men provide nutrition to their unborn baby by having sex with their wives. Okay, see the reason for have lots of hot sex, regularly.

Amanda's second husband is also dead. Makes one wondered why, doesn't it?

So when William, the head of the Black Dragon Council wants to marry her, you can see why Amanda is not overjoyed by the offer. She decides to put into question her ability to bare William's child and exits stage left in a hurry.

William can't let it go and follows her.

Now, the story unfolds.

 I love this story so much I had to go back to the Black Dragon world in two more books. I've even consider writing more because I love the men and women, who live there.

Read the 1st chapter of any of my books on my website, http://www.anitaphilmar.com/bookpg.html

Purchase at Purchase the Paperback book from:
The Wild Rose Press
Amazon

ebook:
The Wild Rose Press
Amazon

Audio: Amazon
Anita

World-Building by Trish Arcangelo

World-Building
Trish Arcangelo
www.trisharcangelo.com

One of the things that drew me to the sub-genre of fantasy romance was world-building. Within it lies absolute freedom. There are no rules, you get to create a setting of your very own. No other story by any other author has ever occurred in this time or in this place.

Unfortunately, one of the things that terrified me about the sub-genre of fantasy romance was world-building. It is daunting. There are no rules, no well-beaten path, NO comfort zone. My mind jumped to epic worlds like George RR Martin’s Westeros or JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. I can’t create anything that cool, I said to myself. I’m not that creative…

Now, as I sit back and look at my carefully drawn map of Dominion, The Dark Isle (setting for new book Darkness Embraced) I’m still torn. I’m proud of it even as I nervously anticipate readers’ reactions. Will they enjoy this place as I do? Will it feel real to them as it does to me? I hope so. I’m very excited to share it. The map can be found on my website:

http://www.trisharcangelo.com/the-dark-isle.html

The creation of The Dark Isle was no Big Bang, it was a process of many months. I drew it out with pencil and paper and then added to it slowly over time --- a town here, a body of water there. Now it feels as familiar to me as my hometown. It has pros and cons, beauty and ugliness. But it's the place where Dredd and Ivy live there own love story....

Trish Arcangelo
www.trisharcangelo.com

I Will Be The One by Larry Farmer

I can’t say this turmoil I faced now upon my arrival in the Philippines didn’t concern me, but mostly it excited me. This wasn’t what I came here for, but it added to the allure. How could anyone be content back home, with life as usual, when there was a whole world around? A whole world I was now a part of.

To Purchase