Tag: Writing

#SFFSat – 2/25/2012 – The Tennova Job

On By jccasselsIn Black Wing Chronicles, SFFS21 Comments

It’s Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday time again! As you may recall, SFFS is a ring of authors who share some of their work each Saturday. Anyone is welcome. The idea is to feature a snippet of your work for others to enjoy.

But first…

I have to change the title of THE TENNOVA JOB before its April publication date. I’m conducting a poll that lets YOU help me choose the title of  The first installment of THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, the Space Opera series starring Bo Barron and Blade Devon. So please, take a moment and vote for your favorite title, or comment to add something completely different. The poll is after the snippet so keep scrolling. I’ll post the results here next week along with the NEW and FINAL cover art!

In this snippet, Blade has just been given his assignment by his former Inner Circle handler:  to infiltrate a Five-Point tournament (as Darien Roarke) and recover the schematics for a Phase Weapon which is being auctioned off. Blade, having left the IC without permission and also without any intention of returning, has told her thanks, but no thanks.

***

“I have my orders, Devon. If you refuse this assignment, they’re not going to keep looking the other way. You’re absent without leave and have been for some time. Barring your complete cooperation I’m to haul you in as a deserter.”

He grinned. “Think you can manage that by yourself? You’re good, Larianne, but you’re not that good.”

“Think about what it would do to your happy little job playing make believe if you went to a high-security prison like Krakato.”

Bracing his fists on his hips, he laughed, unperturbed by the threat. “Is that the best you’ve got? You know as well as I do that not even Krakato could hold me for long.”

She lifted her chin slightly. “I’m surprised you’re willing to go to Krakato at all,” she went on crisply, “knowing that your brother is in a very dangerous line of work. It would be terrible if he were to have an accident while you were a guest of the Commonwealth. You’ve already lost one brother to an accident, haven’t you?”

***

Well, that’s the Saturday Snippet for this week! Please don’t forget to comment by clicking on either the blog title or the little quotation balloon in the upper right hand corner. Tell your friends. Stop back here next week for another!

If you want a little more of THE TENNOVA JOB, BARRON’S LAST STAND, or to learn more about THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, just click on the links.

For past snippets click here:

#SFFSat 2012/02/18

#SFFSat 2012/02/11

#SFFSat 2012/02/04

#SFFSat 2012/01/28

#SFFSat  2012/01/21

#SFFSat 2012/01/14

#SFFSat 2012/01/07

#SFFSat 2011/12/17

Help Me Name My Book!

On By jccasselsIn Black Wing Chronicles, UpdateLeave a comment

The fun thing about writing a book in a series is that you have to come up with working titles to keep them straight. Some of my past working titles have been “Livre de Moi” and “My Bookie, My Nightmare” as well as various versions being named “Old Imaginary World Order” and its companion “NEW Imaginary World Order.”

As in the case of THE TENNOVA JOB it was a working title designed to help keep it straight within the story arc of THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES series of books. With the deadline for publication looming ever closer, and Internet traffic and searches on the rise, there has been some confusion caused with the drug company Tennova. Apparently when references to my book under this title show up in a search engine, unsuspecting people arrive at my site expecting information on obtaining gainful employment with said company and instead are cruelly subjected to my fictional adventures. (Which is pretty funny if you ask me…)

So to avoid future confusion, since the drug company seems disinclined to change its name, the simpler course of action is to change the title of my book. This is where YOU come in. Over the course of the week, I will be collecting suggestions for alternative titles. On Saturday, along with Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday’s Snippet fest, I will be conducting a poll, letting YOU vote for your favorite title.

***

BO BARRON is the pawn in two Sovrans’ struggle for power. As the Chief of Barron Clan she commands the Black Wing, a strategic asset crucial to the balance of power in a Commonwealth in contention. That’s the reason she was falsely convicted of treason and sentenced to be executed. Instead of letting her meekly go to her death, Bo’s people risk all-out war by breaking her out and smuggling her into hiding. It’s what they do. They’re pirates at heart.

But if she can’t be killed, she can be manipulated. How? By kidnapping her father. If Bo wants him back she has to take on a false name and steal the schematics for a phase weapon being auctioned off to the Sub-socia at a Five Point tournament.

BLADE DEVON knows all about false names. He has more than his share. As Darien Roarke, he’s a pretty well-known Five Point player. If Blade is willing to use his alter ego to retrieve those schematics, the Inner Circle is willing to overlook the fact that he’s technically a deserter.

A botched assassination under the guise of a bar brawl leaves Bo blind and Blade wondering if there isn’t more to this job than he was led to believe. Never able to resist playing the hero, Blade tends her injuries and delves deeper into the intrigue only to find this mission isn’t about a weapon at all.

The catch is, no one and nothing are what they seem…

***

 

Vote as often as you like.

I’ll be unveiling the results the following Saturday at the Snippet Fest.

#SFFSat – 2/18/2012 – The Tennova Job

On By jccasselsIn Black Wing Chronicles, SFFS14 Comments

It’s Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday time again! As you may recall, SFFS is a ring of authors who share some of their work each Saturday. Anyone is welcome. The idea is to feature a snippet of your work for others to enjoy.

The cover art and blurb for THE TENNOVA JOB have been finalized, but it still does not yet have a publication date. This book is the first installment of THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, the Space Opera series starring Bo Barron and Blade Devon.

This scene is Blade’s introduction to the series. During the course of this scene we learn that he is a man with many aliases. He is a deserter and a burn out. Tonight, Blade has donned the persona of Darien Roarke, a gambler, in order to play in a Five Point Tourney in a night club in the Third Sector, and he has no idea that events have been set into motion that are going to change his life forever. Aware that he is being followed,  he isn’t exactly surprised when one of the “predatory females” propositioning him turns out to be someone he knows well and isn’t happy to see.

***

He would have asked anyone else how they’d managed to find him and follow him without being seen, but he didn’t have to. She’d been his handler. Of all the Inner Circle Agents in the First Sector, she probably knew him better than anyone.

“So what do you plan to do with me?” he asked lightly. “Now that you’ve caught me.”

She lifted a delicate eyebrow. “You don’t think I came all this way for a Five Point game do you?”

With a casual ease he didn’t feel, he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her with him onto the dance floor. “I did come here for a Five Point game,” he said. “I don’t intend to go anywhere until I’ve won enough credits to cover my stake.”

***

Well, that’s the Saturday Snippet for this week! Please don’t forget to comment by clicking on either the blog title or the little quotation balloon in the upper right hand corner. Tell your friends. Stop back here next week for another!

If you want a little more of THE TENNOVA JOB, BARRON’S LAST STAND, or to learn more about THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, just click on the links.

For past snippets click here:

#SFFSat 2012/02/11

#SFFSat 2012/02/04

#SFFSat 2012/01/28

#SFFSat  2012/01/21

#SFFSat 2012/01/14

#SFFSat 2012/01/07

#SFFSat 2011/12/17

Guest Blogger Frances Pauli

On By jccasselsIn Guest Blog5 Comments

Speculative Fiction Romance author Frances Pauli decided to stop by today to celebrate Valentine’s Day with us with an irreverent and fun interview as well as a giveaway! Frances is currently on her Blog Tour, Fairies in February , which wraps up today! She’s here promoting the third book of her trilogy SPIDERS FROM MEMORY but we decided to talk about the silly things that writers don’t often get asked.


  • “Toilet paper – over or under?”

Over, but only out of pure rebellion. I had a horrid, controlling ex who insisted on under. Once I’d ditched him, it’s been over ever since. How’s that for too much information?

  • “If your characters had to help you move into a new place, what do you think that would be like?”

I write fairies. Can you imagine the chaos? Lamps would be broken, papers scattered. Don’t even get me started on the dishes. Still, the little buggers can lift a lot for their size, and there are a lot of them. I suppose if I didn’t mind my books sorted by color and my clothes hung up inside out, it might not be a bad idea.

  • “Coke or Pepsi?”

Pepsi all the way. Coke tastes like syrup. Pepsi, good. Do you remember the Pepsi challenge? Ah, the olden days. I took it many times at fairs and such. I’m a Pepsi girl nine times out of ten.

Now that is a fun scene. I’ve always loved it, not to mention the childhood crush I nurse for Dick Van Dyke’s character in Marry Poppins. But, I assume you mean the random writing prompt and the ensuing, chaotic brilliance. I’m pro penguin—fish slapping ninja or not. Random is good. It makes you stretch, twist, contort (sometimes giggle). I’m also pro writing group. Anything that keeps the brain churning and the fingers tapping is worth its weight in gold…or fish.

  • “House elf or android domestic?”

Android. First off, I couldn’t take the guilt—those sulky looks and mumbled curses. Ugh. House elves are a great idea, but an android can be programmed to do its duty with a smile. They also have more attachments and would be a better line of defense in the case of apocalypse—zombie or otherwise.

  • “What is your favorite trick for getting over being stuck while writing?”

Sex or death. Not for the reason you might think, though. I always swear if I get stuck that I must either write a sex scene or kill off a character. Since I naturally resist doing either, I rarely get stuck. The pure fear of the ultimatum hanging overhead keeps my fingers moving. I have only once had to bring said threat into play, and I’m not about to admit which I chose.

  • “What is your writing-related vice?”

Chocolate. Okay, that’s not writing related. Escapism, possibly. I tend to live in my head, in my dreams, anywhere but in my own ordinary shoes. But when it comes to rejection letters, bad reviews, good reviews, acceptance letters, deadlines or releases, I find that chocolate always manages to fit the purpose.

  • “Why Speculative Fiction? Why not historical or mystery or men’s adventure?”

I’ve read Speculative Fiction my entire life. I adore it. I’m passionate about it. I live in those worlds in my innermost imaginings. Writing anything else would be very much like writing another culture. I’d have to learn it, and even then, would I understand it fully? Could I lend it the same passion and fervor? It might be fun to try, but I think I’ll always know where home is.

  • “Who are your favorite Speculative Fiction authors?”

Andre Norton, Tanith Lee, and Patricia McKillip are my all-time top three. They moved me at a very impressionable age, opened doors to worlds that still enchant my thoughts and taught me just how fantastic speculative fiction could be. My more contemporary favorites lean toward humor (which may have something to do with getting old and jaded) I read Christopher Moore, Gregory MaGuire, and Terry Pratchett as well as a great deal of amazing fiction by authors I know personally.

  • “Jed-Head, Trekkie, or Browncoat?”

Trekkie forever. I love Star Wars (or the older half of it) and I do enjoy Firefly immensely. But my fan levels spike when anything has to do with Trek–Original, Next Gen or DS9 in particular. I’m dating myself there, but I also have an uber soft spot for the Ferengi and an appreciation for the abundance of romantic subplots in the Star Trek franchise. Also, I own a Klingon headpiece, which a woman my age should probably never admit publicly.

  • “What inspired you to create this particular romantic hero, Lockland?”

I dreamed of Lockland, actually. He showed up in trouble and in need of serious rescue. He demanded, in fact, and I had no choice to provide a story to explain and solve his predicament. I can’t resist an elf, in particular not one with long white-blond hair.

  • “Why do you feel Elizabeth is perfect for him?”

Elizabeth is perfect for Lockland primarily because she is so intensely human. She is flawed, mundane, and at the same time inherently noble. He’s fascinated with her world, and she’s devoted her life and work to protecting his. They both struggle with not fitting exactly into their people’s expectations, and they both are working for the same ideal—equality and acceptance.

  • “Do you happen to have a number where he can be reached?”

If I do, and I’m not admitting anything, I’m not going to share it. Not for all the chocolate and fairy candy in the known universe.

***

Thanks so much for having me and for the FUN questions! I am offering a free pdf of any book from my backlist to one commenter today, and for each stop on the tour that you comment on, you will earn one entry into the final drawing for print copies of all three books. Follow along and enter to win!

Frances Pauli writes speculative fiction with romantic touches. Her books are published through Mundania Press LLC, Awe-Struck, and Devine Destinies, and her short stories are featured in various anthologies. More information on her worlds and writing can be found on her website and blog, and she offers free online stories, web serials, podcasts there as well.

http://francespauli.com

http://francespauli.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/#!/MothinDarkness

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Frances-Pauli/112884745408149

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3426477.Frances_Pauli

***

A Moth in Darkness

The boundaries between the worlds have fallen. Forced to integrate the creatures of fantasy into real life, humanity struggles against its disillusionment, prejudice and an inevitable feeling of inadequacy.

Once an agent for the embassy that mediates between the worlds, Elizabeth Larson has abandoned her past and slipped into a world of nostalgic addiction to fairy revels, dancing, and the dark lure of her own memories. But when Lockland Sheen, her former partner and lover, goes missing, she is pulled reluctantly back into service. She must venture once more across the borders, into the land that haunts her, facing a string of gruesome murders, the imposing Sidhe rulers and her own addiction in the process.

While the Embassy’s agents attempt to soothe tensions between the races, Liz and her new partner search the fairy realm for Lockland. Fighting the constant temptation of the revels, they piece together the trail of an unknown enemy. But the longer they follow it, the more it appears that the man they came to rescue is more villain than victim. And the more they rely on Elizabeth’s ties to the fairies, the closer she inches toward the madness that lurks behind her fantasies.

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=A%20Moth%20in%20Darkness

The Fly in Paradise

Something’s rotten in the Fey lands. While Marcus Bramble tracks the lunatic who started it all, Elizabeth and the crew at the Embassy sort through the evidence he left behind. With Lockland back, and the revels behind her, Liz’s world is slowly returning to normal. But on both sides of the borders, shadow creatures spring out of nowhere, and the dark legends surrounding the fey take on a whole new meaning.

Now time is against them.  On the mortal side of things, protesters rally to close the borders, politicians descend on the Embassy, and something that shouldn’t exist stalks Elizabeth through the city.

In his world, Marcus faces a madman with answers he doesn’t want to hear. The Fey rulers turn a blind eye on forests teeming with imaginary monsters, and the Sidhe tower stands silent amidst the chaos. Will the race to uncover its secrets solve the mystery of the elves’ past or unleash even more horrors on them all?

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=The+Fly+in+Paradise

Spiders From Memory

The Seelie court is gone, and the Tower has fallen into darker hands. Now nightmare creatures terrorize the Fey races, and the whole Fey world turns to frost and shadow.

Liz Larson holds the last remnant of the Seelie Sidhe’s power. The elves look to her for guidance, but all she has to offer them is the disturbing story of their origin, the final truth that will turn many of them against her. With her dwindling number of allies, Liz needs to reopen the borders, to find the missing Marcus Bramble, and to avoid the sudden, terrifiying attention of the new Fey ruler, the Unseelie Speaker and new master of the Sidhe Tower.

While her friends in Mundanity race to pry open the gates, and Marcus searches for the answer to a puzzle that could save or damn them all, the Unseelie Speaker marches north, bringing his army and his wrath to focus on Elizabeth. What can one, fairy-touched human do in the face of the Unseelie court’s full fury? How can she fight when the enemy’s anger is only partly blind, when she can see all too clearly the traces of justice behind it?

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Spiders+From+Memory

#SFFSat – 2/11/2012 – The Tennova Job

On By jccasselsIn Black Wing Chronicles, SFFS27 Comments

It’s Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday time again! As you may recall, SFFS is a ring of authors who share some of their work each Saturday. Anyone is welcome. The idea is to feature a snippet of your work for others to enjoy.

The cover art and blurb for THE TENNOVA JOB have been finalized, but it still does not yet have a publication date. This book is the first installment of THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, the Space Opera series starring Bo Barron and Blade Devon.

This scene is Blade’s introduction to the series. During the course of this scene we learn that he is a man with many aliases. He is a deserter and a burn out. Tonight, Blade has donned the persona of Darien Roarke, a gambler, in order to play in a Five Point Tourney in a night club in the Third Sector, and he has no idea that events have been set into motion that are going to change his life forever. Aware that he is being followed,  he isn’t exactly surprised when one of the “predatory females” propositioning him turns out to be someone he knows well and isn’t happy to see.

***

 He steeled himself as he turned to face her.  Her attractive, angular face, pale in the harsh extremes of light and shadow, lifted to his. Though she was tall for a female, she still had to look up at him. A spiky, close-cropped crown of hair, black as deep space, glistened under the flashing lights. The black shimmersilk dress fit her like a second skin revealing more of her lean, athletic body than it concealed. Tracing his shoulders and chest with long, manicured fingers, she undulated around him with a sensual grace that could only come from years of practice.

“You know this isn’t a social visit,” she purred.

“Of course not.”

He studied her with tightly leashed expectancy. Many men had underestimated Larianne Varo to their detriment. He knew better.

***

Well, that’s the Saturday Snippet for this week! Please don’t forget to comment by clicking on either the blog title or the little quotation balloon in the upper right hand corner. Tell your friends. Stop back here next week for another!

If you want a little more of THE TENNOVA JOB, BARRON’S LAST STAND, or to learn more about THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES, just click on the links.

For past snippets click here:

#SFFSat 2012/02/04

#SFFSat 2012/01/28

#SFFSat  2012/01/21

#SFFSat 2012/01/14

#SFFSat 2012/01/07

#SFFSat 2011/12/17

Keep HAL, I’ve got Buttercup!

On By jccasselsIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I hit writer’s paydirt this weekend.

While sorting through some things stored in the Haunted Hospital, I came across a box full of old floppy disks. On these disks are the sum total of my career as a writer. All the finished novels I sent on the rounds in decades past, along with the articles which were my bread-and-butter for a number of years, were just sitting in a drawer waiting to be retrieved. The only problem is that none of the functioning computers in my home have floppy drives.

Then I found Buttercup.

Buttercup is my old, trusty Compaq Presario 1240 notebook computer circa 1998. Buttercup went halfway around the world with me when I was working in television at a job which kept me on the road for twenty-eight days out of the month.

Buttercup was my lifeline and my boon companion. My ex-husband had a reputation for crashing computers. This only had to happen to me once when I was a freelance writer on deadline for me to insist on my own computer, which he was not allowed to touch. I only had to recreate one article at Kinko’s while apologizing to my editor for cutting it so close to the wire. I purchased Buttercup with the proceeds from that article. I christened the computer “Buttercup” and immediately posted beefcake for my wallpaper as added insurance that no self-respecting male would dare boot her up. It worked.

Buttercup served me well for seven years. She started slowing with age and couldn’t keep up with changing technology. Wi-fi, MP3 files, and a stone-dead battery sent her into retirement. Still, she kept my secrets and served as my archive.

After a ten-year break from writing, I looked to her to provide the novel I’d left incomplete on her hard drive. Unable to read flash media, I scrambled to transfer files from her before they were locked inside forever. I set her aside again until this past weekend.

It took some maneuvering and some technical tenacity, but I managed to download my files. Today I shall turn my sights on the floppy disks that only Buttercup can unlock. Those floppy disks hold a decade’s worth of novels in varying stages of completion. Some of which made the rounds of slush piles everywhere and were rejected by publishing houses because they did not fit the publishing catalog of the time, others because they were too racy, still more because they were just plain BAD!

I will revise and edit the good ones. I will laugh at the bad. I may complete a few in-progress. But thanks to today’s e-books, the ones worthy of being read will see the light of day… all thanks to an ancient Compaq computer affectionately known as “Buttercup.”

What Are The Black Wing Chronicles?

On By jccasselsIn Black Wing Chronicles, SFFSLeave a comment

Between the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday Snippets and my excerpts, I’ve been getting some questions about BARRON’S LAST STAND and THE TENNOVA JOB. As more people are introduced to the characters and the ‘verse I’ve created, I suppose I should take the time to make the proper introductions.

I’ve been working on developing a Space Opera series of books called THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES. No, I don’t have a publisher for them – yet! While I have other Works In Progress (WIPs) the lion’s share of my effort has gone into THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES.

A HISTORY

First begun a little more than twenty years ago, this series started out as a single SF Romance novel – one book with a kick-butt heroine. After discarding two other potential heroes to win her heart, the soldier-turned-actor-turned-mercenary Blade Devon really captured my imagination. Yes, I’m not ashamed to admit that I fell head over heels in love with him. I finished the novel and sent it on its rounds. It was promptly rejected by some of the finest romance publishing houses in the business in the 1990’s. Looking back, I can see how it wasn’t something they were ready for at the time. So I set it aside to focus on honing my story craft skills, and to make a living as a freelance writer while I learned.

At a writer’s conference I was both covering and attending, I had the good fortune to speak at length with two of my heroes in SF – Piers Anthony and Ben Bova. On advice from both gentlemen, and with a promise from the late Barbara Bova to take a look at the next attempt, I went back to the drawing board and worked like a fiend on setting the groundwork for the series.

For varying personal reasons, (death, divorce, marriage, children) the series got pushed aside while life intruded. It sat for more than ten years before I pulled it out and fell in love with the characters and their ‘verse all over again. These characters will not leave me alone until their story is told. I have other stories, other characters, wanting to see the light of day, but Bo and Blade will not accept any more delays, and they are quite insistent. NOW!! They say. I must tell their story NOW!!!

At first, I focused on BARRON’S LAST STAND believing it to be the strongest story, and the one that stood alone with the greatest ease. But the more I worked on it, and the closer I got to completion, the more I realized that, while it does stand alone, much of the best parts of the ‘verse in which these characters lived and operated was lost without the rest of the series for reference.

So with a submission call from a publisher in mind, I switched my efforts to THE TENNOVA JOB, the tentatively titled first installment in THE BLACK WING CHRONICLES. What began as a novella has evolved into a more complex novel laying the groundwork for the remainder of the series. THE TENNOVA JOB is about to undergo a name change as it approaches a final draft. I’m leaning towards BARRON’S FALL, because it begins with The Barron’s fall from grace and sets her on course to save the Commonwealth.

No Limits

Jenna McCormick – No Limits – Guest Blogger

On By jccasselsIn Guest Blog24 Comments

No Limits

I’m happy to turn my blog over to Science Fiction Romance Author Jenna McCormick today. Jenna has a new book out called NO LIMITS published by Kensington Aphrodisia. It’s a departure from her B Cubed Series and I love the world she’s created!

Jenna, tell us about the relationships you’ve created in NO  LIMITS…

***

Thanks so much to Cali for hosting me here as part of the No Limits Blog Tour!

When writing futuristic erotic romance, I have to keep reminding myself that no matter how many cool gadgets I think up, no matter how stellar a battle scene is, what’s going to really help the reader connect are the personal relationships. Obviously in erotic romance physical intimacy is a huge chunk of the story, but I’m going to talk about another kind of relationship in my new release No Limits. Family relationships.

Genevieve Luzon is a heroine who lives in the shadow of her formidable telepathic grandmother, Cora.  And when I say Cora is a telepath what I mean is she is THE telepath. Cora can pick a thought out of anyone’s head from miles away and even though she’s over one hundred years of age, she’s sharp as a tack and still a total spitfire.

Gen has developed a policy of total honesty, because let’s face it, lying to someone who can read your mind is not too bright. And Cora respects her granddaughter enough to respond in kind, which results in some very unique conversations.

***

Excerpt No Limits by Jenna McCormick

Cora picked up on the first ring, vid screen blocked, of course. “Genevieve Luzon, don’t think I’m so damned old that I can’t turn you over my knee and—”

“Sorry, Nana. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Cora’s tone turned sly. “Who said anything about worry? I want to know how tricks are going. Have you gotten your groove on yet?”

“Um, yeah, about that. The situation is sort of complicated.” Gen put extra emphasis on the word, hoping Cora would probe her mind and find out all the gritty details. She really didn’t want to say it all out loud over a traceable line. Maybe Rhys did have her believing in some of his conspiracy theories.

Unfortunately, Cora wasn’t tuned in to her frequency. “How on earth can sexual relations with professionals be complicated? I thought you were working for Alison, the whole secret shopper gig. You aren’t running around telling all the man whores about that, are you? Because you know when I was an undercover agent….” Nana rambled on but Gen stopped listening. Usually she loved Cora’s wild tales of the bad old days, how she and Gramps had teamed up to fight a secret government task force but right now she was too preoccupied to hear about how Nana had saved the world. Again.

Damn it, of all times for Cora to be more interested in herself than what was doing with Gen. “I’ve been learning all sorts of stuff.”  Come on Nana, read between the lines.

Unfortunately Cora’s mind had wandered too deep into the gutter outside la la land to pick up on her granddaughter’s cues. “What kind of stuff? Oh, do they offer samples? Or maybe a senior citizen discount—”

“Not gonna happen,” Jack called from the background.

***

See what I mean? Unique. Can you imagine discussing your sex life with your grandmother in such detail? Then again how many of our grandmothers are government trained telepaths?

***

I do see what you mean. I don’t even want to think about how that discussion would have gone with my grandmother (shudder).

Thanks, Jenna! I really appreciate your stopping by to share your new book with us! Best of luck with your blog tour!

Make sure you comment below to be entered to win a Kindle FIRE, courtesy of Jenna McCormick! For more information on the rules for the giveaway, click on the tour banner or the link at the bottom.

Be sure to get your copy of NO LIMITS wherever books are sold!

No Limits

No Limits

Jenna McCormick

Now Available for Kindle, Nook, and wherever books are sold.

All Genevieve Luzon wants is to be loved by one man, a seemingly impossible task in New-New York City at the start of the twenty second century. Sure, she can buy sex as easily as order a pizza on a Friday night, but finding a forever kind of love among her self-centered peers is no easy feat for the unemployed off-world vacation coordinator. When an old friend offers her the position of secret shopper to test out the male prostitutes, Gen can’t think of a good reason to refuse. Hell, if she can’t find Mr. Right, she might as well try on a sampler of Mr. Right Nows.

Yet the perks of her new position don’t compare to the strange attraction she has, not for one of the prostitutes, but a candle that seems to warm places of her she never knew existed. When a man appears out of the flame, Gen is sure she’s found the one. Rhys is an empath, made a slave by the Illustra Corporation and he’s everything Gen could ever want. Except available. Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. He must try to free his people, consequences be damned. Now, Gen must choose between turning her back on the only man she’s ever loved and the monumental task he has set for himself. Should she risk her life fighting a war hidden from polite society against those who wish to control us all?

Is love really worth fighting for?

No Limits Blog Tour

Join me for the No Limits Blog Tour and a chance to win a KINDLE FIRE!

The Power of Penguins

On By jccasselsIn Uncategorized1 Comment
Penguins are silly looking birds. Flightless waterfowl often lampooned. A tuxedo has been called a “Penguin suit.” Nuns have been called “Penguins.” In “Mary Poppins,” Dick Van Dyke danced with them.
And who will ever forget Berkeley Breathed’s infamous Opus The Penguin from the Bloom County comic strip? He was an insecure, neurotic mess addicted to home shopping channels, 900 numbers and on an eternal quest to find his mother. Documentaries and musicals have starred them. In the animated Madagascar, they stole the show. There are even popular children’s television shows about them, The Penguins of Madagascar and 3-2-1 Penguins!
So when I was talking about the silliness of writers in facing both a deadline and blocked creativity, it only seemed natural for me use penguins to illustrate how to get past the block. Yes, when I reached a block on my NaNoWriMo, I used them.

At this point I have no earthly idea why Birdie is calling, but I really do think it’s time for some fish-slapping penguins to shimmy down a drainpipe. Three of the formally dressed, flightless waterfowl drop down unexpectedly, one is wearing a silly pointed had that looks like something a Catholic Bishop would wear to mass. The three little fellows break into a line dance.“Oh my,” thought Bittsy. “Can they really shake tail feathers? Do penguins even have tail feathers?”

So the dancing penguins manage a jaunty sashay to the thumpin’ mix before the one in the middle (which inexplicably has a beard and moustache) breaks out what appears to be a herring. He (presumably it’s a he, it is rather difficult to tell, but the beard is rather suggestive of maleness) turns and begins slapping the herring on the floor, much to Bittsy’s dismay. “I’ve just had those floors cleaned,” she protested. “Now they’ll smell of fish for weeks!” 

The penguin merely winked at her and continued a rather lascivious dance with the herring before turning and slapping the penguin with the pointy hat in the face repeatedly. The hat wearing penguin doffed his odd cap and withdrew his own fish, a rainbow trout from the looks of it, and commenced to walloping his compadre with it. The third penguin, too preoccupied shaking his tail feathers to notice the antics of the other two (and yes, they do have tail feathers) did not see the catfish aimed at his face until too late. 

 With a naughty wink and a suggestive hip shimmy, the bearded penguin wielded the herring and the catfish like nunchucks, with surprising skill.

 “Hmm,” said Bittsy. “Ninja penguins. How odd.”

I had no idea that my silly suggestion of fish slapping Ninja Penguins would spark such a surge of equal silliness among my fellow writers. In the online writing group to which I belong, “Penguins!” has become the battle cry for pushing past blocks and finding the joy in writing again.
So I urge you, one and all, when life seems to have you stymied, consider Fish Slapping Ninja Penguins as an answer. A little insanity every now and then can be just what the doctor ordered.

Full Circle

On By jccasselsIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I have a love/hate relationship with writing. That’s probably why I’ve put off really knuckling down and getting back to “serious” work for so many years. My husband will probably tell you that I have a love/hate relationship with just about everything that’s important to me in life. Why should writing be any different?

There’s no end to the satisfaction I get when I can communicate an idea, or bring a past moment to life for someone else to experience and enjoy. When it goes right, it’s a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, there is so much more to the process that is tedious, frustrating, or outright BORING!

I often daydream how nice it would be to sit down at my computer and begin spinning a wonderful story from start to finish and have it end up completely brilliant the first time through. It only works that way in movies and books. The process of writing isn’t too far removed from sewing, or any other construction process for that matter.

First you start out with an idea of what you want to produce. That’s the LOVE part:  coming up with ideas! That’s when the tedium begins. Once you have your brilliant idea, you have to plan how to bring it from your mind to the table where everyone can enjoy it. The HATE part starts there. I’m a perfectionist. I also hate duplicating effort.

After the idea, you need a plan. You can’t have a finished product without a pattern to follow. You have to figure out your materials, your notions, the trim work. You have to lay it out, place the pattern pieces. Cut them out. If you’re really doing it right you try it out in muslin first so you can fit it and adjust the pattern for fit without risking your material. This is where the outline and the summary come in. Does the story work?

The actual WRITING part of writing, much like the sewing part of sewing, is a very small part of the process. The problem here is that this part of the work looks like so much loafing and work-avoidance. That illusion isn’t helped by the fact that when you run into a dead end in your plot, you actually do tend to loaf and avoid work while the snarl works itself out in your subconscious. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

In theory, if you do all the right prep work, whatever your project is will write itself… right? WRONG! Make no mistake, writing is a lonely, masochistic life of self-denial and self-flagellation. If you’re lucky (and talented) you *might* be able to make a paltry living at it.

For some reason, it’s easier for me to enjoy the process of sewing much more than I enjoy the process of writing preparation. I suppose it’s because I don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel when sewing.

Writing is most likely going to take over the topic of my blogs more and more as I sink deeper into the morass of a writer’s life and writer’s habits. The more I look at its impact on my life, I wonder if writing is more of an addiction than anything else. I walked away for more than a decade and actually lived my life and didn’t think about stories and plot and pacing… much. But I can see the shift already.

My world is changing again and I already miss my non-writer days. My Chick-Fil-A compatriots are all finding gainful employment now that our children are no longer babies or toddlers, but preschoolers and older. We have less time to sit and be commiserating moms. It’s only natural that we go back to what we all know. They are teaching — and I – like it or not, I have come full circle. I am writing again.