Enchanted Realms: giveaway!!!!

My wonderful writer friend, dedicated volunteer extraordinaire and generally lovely all over person - Eleni Konstantine has her short story, Enchanted Realms released today through Musa publishing. She is also offering a giveaway over at her blog, Eleni's Taverna

Wishing you many sales Eleni and lots of wonderful reviews! =))

Deep Point of View - what is it?

I've been doing some mentoring and critiquing of stories for some fellow erotic writers, and one thing that keeps coming up is deep point of view, or lack there-of.


So what is deep pov? In my mind, it's having a reader experiencing a situation through the hero or heroine's eyes, where his/her thoughts, emotions and reactions hits front and centre.
In other words, as a writer you're not 'telling' a reader about the experience, you're 'showing' them the experience--giving the experience to them.


Sometimes it can be as simple as taking away the telling words after showing it.
 Eg- Her stomach fluttered with excitement, her hands trembling with anticipation.
This easily becomes: Her stomach fluttered, her hands trembled.
The latter reveals the same thing, only the reader is drawn in more without the telling words. If the setup of the sentence is done right IE: the writer has built towards the tension of the scene and the reader is aware of what's at stake, then 'telling' them as well isn't always necessary.


"Felt" is a word as writers we're often told to eliminate. Why? Because by using it we're again 'telling' the reader what the character is experiencing.
eg - She felt a chill settle deep into the marrow of the bones. She'd never felt more scared.
becomes - A chill settled deep into the marrow of her bones. (we don't need to add the next sentence as a reader assumes from her reaction that she'd never felt more scared, therefore the words are just deadwood to be eliminated).


Reactions and emotions of the characters are also crucial--we want the reader to 'feel' these emotions, laugh at the high points, cry at the low points, become anxious at the tense moments.
eg- She looked at him. She loved him, she'd always had. Embarrassingly, he'd always known it.
becomes- Her throat dried as she looked at him, a wave of longing threatening to send heat straight to her face. Again. She could only pray this once he wouldn't notice.
The former isn't too bad, (and has its place) but the latter has more impact though it tells the same story.


Internal thoughts and knowing personal experiences/traits of the characters can also impact deep pov. If Claire, a successful business woman, was traumatised as a child by a dog attack - you wouldn't have her react like this:
Claire glared at the german shepherd who slinked towards her, it's hackles up and teeth bared. "I don't have time for this shit-go on, get home!"
You'd build on the emotions, the tension and past experiences - and you'd gear it towards the personality of the character facing the dilemma:
Claire's briefcase thudded to the ground. She backed up a step, heart in her throat, blood draining from her face. All logical thought ceased, all thought processes ground to a stop. Please god, no. Not again.


Simple things also help with deep pov. If we're in the characters skin, living the experience with her, we want a quick visual of her surrounds, a little sniff of the rose garden or of the food frying next door, a reaction and/or thought.
eg- Her childhood home hadn't changed one bit, not the sagging front porch, the ripped screen door, nor the patchy lawn and the straggly paw paw tree that'd never yielded fruit. The only difference was the scent emanating from inside. Barbecued steak and caramalised fried onion. Her belly compressed - with nerves or hunger, she wasn't quite sure. She swallowed, and strode forward. Her mother was expecting her. Time to face the music.


This is just a brief summary of deep pov, but hope it helps =))

Life Bytes

I'm over at Keziah Hill's fabulous blog as a Life Bytes guest. Come visit, it was lots of fun!! =))

First Review of Galactic Inferno!

Thanks to Kylie Scott for her review of Galactic Inferno.  My first one!!!

It's great when writing friends enjoy my stories too!

Here's some of her review. The rest can be found at her blog:

 Kylie Scott - Love an Apocalypse

Review:

Ally is stumbling around Sydney in shock with her beloved dog Bonnie at her heel. She's doing her best to avoid ‘the eyes in the sky’ looking for survivors just like her. Her memory is patchy due to the virus and the death and destruction surrounding her would be enough to do anyone’s head in. But there are more than just Alien hotties on the hunt.

Feral dog packs now roam the streets and these puppies have developed a taste of human flesh. Renate, one of the hated Alien race, rescues our heroine from certain death care of just such a dog. What does the Alien want? (Apart from to Repopulate! that is.) And why does Ally feel such a strong pull towards him? Is it Alien mind tricks or something more?

News and Update

Galactic Inferno is now available at Amazon and hopefully very soon at B&N. Love how Ellora's Cave are so quick at putting out their books to other vendors =))


I've also been busy working on a project where published authors critique and mentor unpublished (erotic) authors with a view for publication to help fund an erotic retreat. Can't say too much more at the moment, but I'm really excited about what has developed (like a great snowball effect) and hope to have some more news about it soon! =)


I'm also just putting the finishing touches to my 25k novella, Larakyte (new possible title: Nightmix) and hope to send it off soon!


WAY behind on my writing schedule, but once the mentoring 'stuff' is done and a few other things are finalized,  I hope to catch up - very quickly!! I have a page on my wall beside my computer with my writing goals and word counts, and it's not even funny how far behind I am LOL!!


Can't wait for the retreat!!!! =)))))

Feeling Almost Famous...

Thanks so much To Francis Klein of the Gympie Times for giving such a fantastic and positive interview on erotic romance =))
And for making me sound really good too LOL!!!!
You can find the interview here.

Special Guest: Kylie Griffin with Alliance Forged!

The Master Race

What comes to mind when you hear those words?

Hitler? Germany? Concentration camps? A superior race? Experimentation? Extermination? A dark time back in the early decades of the 20th century?

Like me, you might have studied the rise and fall of Hitler's Regime at high school or university. The images, recounts and documentaries aren't exactly warm or fuzzy, and they certainly leave an impression on you. But, as a writer, some of the events and concepts of Hitler's grand plans make the mind tick over, imagining what if...

What if Hitler's idea of establishing a Master Race had succeeded? How would it have shaped our world history? What sort of place would be the world today? Would there be a caste system? Slavery? Ideologies developed around the superiority of certain genetic traits? Laws forbidding the mixing of races?

The mind boggles, doesn't it?

One of the questions I get asked a LOT is where do you come up with ideas for your stories. Well, history tends to be a good starting point, and to be honest, much of the time I don't realise where the inspiration comes from until after I've written the book. The subconscious is a wonderful thing. It can absorb a photo, an event, a fact, or even a phrase or lyric can and mull it over for days or even years.

I'm now up to book #3 in my Light Blade fantasy romance series, and I'm only now beginning to recognise and understanding that some of my plot lines reflect events from human history, specifically the time of Hitler.

The idea of a master race starts in VENGEANCE BORN and arcs through into ALLIANCE FORGED and ALLEGIANCE SWORN. A lot of my world building links to this concept - there are humans, a race of demons known as the Na'Reish, and a hybrid race of half-human, half-demons called the Na'Chi. Both human and demon histories regale their own race as being superior to the other, and both are at war to prove the point. They also can't stand the thought of a hybrid race, of their bloodlines being tainted, so laws and actions have been instituted to ensure any such offspring are terminated, then over the decades the possibility of their existence relegated to the shadowy realm of mythology.

But, as with any society, what happens when ideologies break down or beliefs are challenged? Or better yet, proven wrong?

In VENGEANCE BORN (Bk#1), secrets about the origins of human and demon history were uncovered, and the fallout of hundreds of years of corruption, lies and misinformation alters that history and defies perceptions. ALLIANCE FORGED (Bk#2) propels the characters into a time of conflict and instability where everyone - humans, Na'Reish demons and the Na'Chi - struggle to come to terms with the need to change and what it means for their survival.

Varian and Kymora, the Na'Chi hero and human heroine, spearhead this life altering change as they try to navigate the dangerous path of melding two races together, to forge an alliance against the much stronger Na'Reish - the demons who would see the humans enslaved and the Na'Chi exterminated. But their efforts are hampered by those who rebel against the change.

This is the backdrop behind the story and woven into it are Varian and Kymora's personal trials and their romance. Our hero seeks a haven for the Na'Chi but fears the humans will never be able to put aside their mixed blood prejudice, a belief reinforced as he struggles to control his darker half-demon personality. In her role as high priestess, and armed with the truth, Kymora fights to unite their two races while helping Varian to accept his dual nature.

So, will a master race triumph in ALLIANCE FORGED? Well, I can't tell you, not without spoiling the whole storyline - sorry! :-) Until you can get your hands on a copy of the book and find out, here's the back cover blurb of ALLIANCE FORGED, just to whet your appetite:

ALLIANCE FORGED

(Book #2 of the Light Blade series)

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

If you'd like to know more about Varian an Kymora, you can visit my website to read an excerpt (http://www.kyliegriffin.com/AF_Excerpt.html).

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service organizations in her local community. Visit her website at www.kyliegriffin.com

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Galactic Inferno release

Galactic Inferno release date is just hours away!! It's always exciting knowing a book is about to go out into the world - and a little bit scary too! I've started writing book 3 - though it's in the very early stages - but woot! - I can't wait to get my characters onto the alien world!! =)))

BLURB:

Ally Grayson believes she’s the last person on Earth after aliens arrived, bringing with them a deadly virus that wiped out most of mankind.

Somehow surviving the annihilation, she hides in a Sydney house with her dog, Bonnie. She knows she has to leave before the “eyes in the sky” detect her and have her captured, but she never expects an alien to save her and Bonnie from the jaws of a ravenous, feral dog. Never expects to be drawn to Renate, the alien male who seems more human than any man she’s ever known.

She fights an attraction she can’t win, and soon enough she’s in his arms, under his hard, amazing body. Except their unearthly desire might not be enough to keep them together when Renate’s alien comrades close in.

Reader advisory: Contains brief female/female sensual seduction.

Giveaway of Galactic Inferno =)))

I'm over at Juanita's wonderful blog today - Mission Romance - talking about my fav books, inspriations, my fav scene and hardest part to write (etc) in my upcoming release, Galactic Inferno.

Oh yes, and of course, I'm offering a giveaway!

June Writing Quotes

Here's a couple of writing 'funnies' I found that gave me a good chuckle =)

"I thought I'd begin reading a poem by Shakespeare but then I thought why should I?" He never reads any of mine. ~Spike Milligan

"I was working on the proofs of my poems all day. In the morning I put a comma in and in the evening I took it back out again." ~Oscar Wilde

"My brother-in-law wrote an unusual murder story. The victim got killed by a man from another book." ~Robert Sylvester

"Your function as a critic is to show that it is really you yourself who should have written the book, if you had had the time, and since you hadn't you are glad that someone else had, although obviously it might have been done better." ~Stephen Potter

Galactic Inferno: release date!!!!!!!!!

It's official! June 13th is the release date for Galactic Inferno, book 2 in my Alien Hunger series.
Here's the blurb:

Ally Grayson believes she’s the last person on Earth after aliens arrived, bringing with them a deadly virus that wiped out mankind.

Somehow surviving the annihilation, she hides in a Sydney house with her dog. She knows she has to leave before the “eyes in the sky” detect her and have her captured, but she never expects an alien to save her and Bonnie from the jaws of a ravenous, feral dog. Never expects to be drawn to Renate, the alien male who seems more human than any man she’s ever known.

She fights an attraction she can’t win, and soon enough she’s in his arms, under his hard, amazing body. Except their unearthly desire might not be enough to keep them together when Renate’s alien comrades close in.

Destiny's Prerogative: FREE

If you love shape shifter stories, then Destiny's Prerogative by Karen Michelle Nutt is out for today only as a FREE read! I've been meaning to read some of her books for a while now, so this is a great way to check out some of her writing =))

Galactic Inferno: edits done!!

So edits are done (nice light ones so I'm very pleased!) and the blurb has been sent to my new editor! A release date should be announced soon in Ellora's Cave 'coming soon' pages! I'll post the official blurb along with its release date as soon as I know.

I can't wait for this book's release (short novel) - I loved writing Ally and Renate's story (some might recall Renate as being the rather aloof captain of the mother ship). Ally was a heroine who seemed 'normal' in many ways, but she's extraordinary in my eyes, with so many layers. And lets not forget her 'best friend' - Bonnie - her dog... =))

Holiday shots, part 1

So I've finally got my act together and showing a few of my holiday snaps!

Photo one: is the apartments (Lanai) that we stayed at in Mackay, right near Canelands shopping centre and the Blue Lagoon swimming pools and big bucket (kids loved it!). If you look at the tallest apartment, left corner at the top, that's where we stayed. A 3 bedroom penthouse suite that had beautiful views of the river and city, and a huge spa upstais with glass windows - downside, it had some "weird" stuff happening - doors slamming shut, footsteps all night that was especially obvious in the room my husband and I slept in. I remember waking up one night, half asleep, seeing something (wish I could remember exactly) dropping back onto the mattress from lack of sleep - and the door immediately slamming shut.

Photo two: That's my daughter Shannon (14) in her high high heels beside my mum. I had to take the picture for a bit of a laugh. The room on the right is where I slept. The stairs there lead up to the spa.

Photo three: From Macky we took a drive to a few other towns - on of the places we visted was Calen, where I spent a few years in highschool. The burnt out shell in the photo is the once Calen pub. Sadly it had just been renovated. I'd like to say I'd had some drinks in there (like my sister lol) but it never happened...

Photo four: couldn't resist another photo of my new granddaughter. Isn't she cute as a button!!!



Stone-Cold Lover - FREE (and quick update)

Very happy to share my very first published book Stone-Cold Lover as a freebie for a couple of weeks. You can find it at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, B&N,etc.
If you love gargoyles, I'm hoping you'll enjoy this read =))

On other fronts, I'm still waiting for my hard drive to show up (should be today) by courier and then things might feel like they're back to normal!

I have plenty of photos to share from my trip - expect some to be uploaded soon!!

Galactic Inferno edits are arriving any day now, and then i expect a pretty quick release date - EC are great in their turnarounds =))

Hope everyone had a fantastic Mother's Day and got lots of reading done! =))

RIP oh faithful computer

Completely random picture of Miss 14's horse and a kookaburra.

So my computer kicked the bucket late last night while I was critiquing and writing and critiquing and writing...now i have to see if any of it's retrievable (please god let it be!!!!) Hope to get my new computer in the next few days =)

Galactic Inferno: Cover!!!!!

Here's my latest cover from the amazing Syneca - I've had to look and look as it's SO very different to my others!! What do you guys think? =)))

Back Soon!!

I'm getting ready to go visit my new granddaughter, about 12 hours drive from here. It's been a while since my last road trip, so I'm looking forward to it! But even more, seeing my daughter and gorgeous grandies!! (people do look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'm a grandma - I'm kinda young to have grandchildren at 41 lol!)

In the meantime my cover for Galactic Inferno should be in my inbox any day now (yipp!!) - I LOVE seeing a cover for the first time! =)
I hope to bring back lots of photos and be regularly blogging again soon as I'm back! =)

New Granddaughter!!!

I want to introduce my new little granddaughter - Zari Anna - isn't she beautiful!! My daughter gave birth to her yesterday, on lucky Friday the 13th. I think mum, Teagan and dad, Jason have passed on their gorgeous genes.
I can't wait to visit very soon and give her a cuddle!

Guest: Ju Dimello

 I'd like to welcome debut Ellora's Cave author Ju Dimello to my blog! And Ju, that cover is *amazing!*

Thanks so much, Mel, for hosting me! Before I go on, I need to give a fangirl squee for Mel! I adore her books and I’m so so awed and honored that I am at her blog celebrating my debut!!

I love building houses. Before you imagine me sitting on top of a roof like a monkey holding a hammer, erase that thought right away! Let me clarify… I love to browse through houses on google, take bits and pieces of exterior and interior and build them mentally, for my characters to live in! And with them being paranormals—from shifters to witches and everything that my crazy brain can come up with, they just cannot roam around wherever they please or live in an apartment (like I do!), especially when humans have no idea of the night-prowlers amidst them ;) So, that gives me, the writer, a lot more responsibility to give them the “perfect” place to live!

I am honestly intrigued on how writers did their research before the internet era. I just can’t imagine not having the “search bar” on my IE or Firefox while I am buried into my story. I need to find stuffs about deck chairs or beach umbrellas, I need to research. If I need to imagine the kitchen inside the private beach house in Florida that my heroine lives in, I need all the images my browser can throw at me. It’s not like I’ll use all the details, but those details ground me while writing my story!

So, what’s your favorite “kind” of house? A ranch style bungalow or a loft apartment or something else? Let me know in the comments.

I have one copy of Fiery Icicle to giveaway during the blog tour and every comment during this week will count towards it. I’ll pick a winner around the 15^th of April and contact them! Don’t forget to leave your email id.

Blurb and Excerpt:

I thought I’d share a short version of the blurb and excerpt here, while a longer one can be enjoyed at : http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10002-fiery-icicle.aspx

This story contains a half-fae intent on claiming his woman, a half-demon bent on resisting her and a passion that's hot enough to melt the alpine snow

Excerpt:

She blushed, having let him in on the intimate secret she’d hugged to herself. Hers could surely be classified as lust at first sight. “Hard to miss when you were the only testosterone packed muscle near the ladies’ dressing rooms.”

“Touché. You haven’t commented on one thing yet. How did you become the expert talker here?”

“Not that I want to inflate your ego any more, but maybe your charms have rubbed off on me?”

“Hmm. Not only that. Something else is also doing the same.”

For emphasis, he dry humped her side and they both rolled out of bed, laughing.

“Enough. Please,” she gasped. “My stomach is tied up in stitches.”

“I can guarantee that some kissing might alleviate your discomfort,” he offered in his best salesman tone.

“Oh, you bad boy. Let’s see if you can catch up with me.”

With the words thrown casually over her shoulder, she took off on a sprint through the bedroom door, into the spacious hallway and onto the verandah where the majestic ocean welcomed her with an extra big wave.

In case you want to read more enticing excerpts, do check where was during my release week: http://judimello.blogspot.ca/p/fiery-icicle-release-week-celebration.html

You can also find me at the following places.

Website : www.judimello.com

Blog: http://judimello.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/judimello

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Romance-Author-Ju-Dimello/111756422240536

More about Fiery Icicle: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10002-fiery-icicle.aspx

Drop me a line..I’d love to hear from you!
AND it's now released at Amazon

Tiger!

Had to post this sexy smexy cover of 'Tiger' Laurann Dohner's latest book in the New Species series (book 7). I haven't read it, but the critics are raving about it! =))
It's available now at Amazon and B&N and EC very shortly. These are standalone books, but it's recommended to read them in order.

Angel

I listen to all kinds of music (and sometimes I need absolute quiet) and try and listen to certain songs to help with a scene. This one from Sara McLachlan brings out the emotions, especially with the deeper meaning behind it, and has become one of my favs. If a song is meant to bring you to tears...this is it.