Category Archives: books
What’s up Next? Time to Catch up, My Friend!
Let’s see…I’ve published a few books since I last posted. The Lion, The Leopard, and The Wolf cam
e out In the beginning of October, WERECAT Fever came out the beginning of this month, November, and The Moon, The Madness, and the Magic is scheduled for the first week in December. All of them are available at most eBook retail outlets. The covers are beautifully done and published under the Scarlet Rose division of the Wild Rose Press Publishing.
“The writing style is addictive and the book is very easy to read.”
“I loved it that the writer didn’t hold back on the scenes.”
” I really loved how the author was able to bring so much emotion into this book. The story really revolved more around the characters and less about the story…”
“Really enjoyed this second chance romance with some twists and turns.”
“…great read with characters with great chemistry. This book starts with amazing heat form the very beginning.”
“…a good well written read that sucked me in and kept me hooked right until the end I cannot wait to try the rest …”
Here comes the next… The Moon, The Madness, and The Magic available for PreOrder November 20th. Delivered December 2nd.
…And on the lighter side of paranormal with an odd twist there’s the next novella in the As the Chair Turns series.
A Witch’s Curse, which I expected to complete in March, April, May… I guess I wasn’t feelin’ it. This is a series I write for fun, so if it isn’t fun…I’m not writin’. In any case, life settled down and became a giggle fest again so I could remember the funny parts. You get the point …this is now on pre-order at most outlets.
That means it will be available for you to read on Christmas Eve if you buy it now. I have the rest of this time to polish it up and shine it just for you. Buy it now and carve out some time for yourself to read it once the gifts are wrapped and distributed on December 24th. It’s time to find out what happened after the Christmas party last year, isn’t it?
HERE’s WHERE YOU CAN BUY IT NOW
the incredible desiree holt
Retrograde
A GALAXY series
By
Desiree Holt
USA TODAY
Best-Selling Author
A new series debuts from Desiree Holt!
The men of Galaxy are your last resort
Watch for Galaxy merchandise
The sky is the limit with Galaxy
They are four hot, sexy men, (John “Rocket” Hardin, Matt “ Viper” Roman, Scott “Blaze” Miranda and Vic “ Eagle” Bodine), former SEALS and lifelong friends. They served their country well, and winning billions in the Powerball lottery allows them to continue to serve –creating an agency that takes cases others refuses. Their only office is in their plane. Their skills are limitless. Their missions often the blackest of black ops. Their commitment unequaled. When everything else fails, Galaxy can save you. They play as hard as they work, addicted to no-holds-barred sex and none of them in the market for a relationship. One by one, however, they will fall for women who can give as good as they get. Get ready, because Galaxy is open for business.
Book #1
Retrograde
Hot ex-military, desperate woman, tight conspiracy…wait for the explosion!
Peyton West is desperate. Her brother-in-law is dead, her sister is in a coma and no one seems interested in finding any answers. With every door slammed in her face, she’s referred to Scott “Blaze” Hamilton and the men from super-secret Galaxy. Conducting meetings on a plane and digging into the underbelly of Tampa politics, she sees a ray of hope…and discovers Blaze lives up to his name in more ways than one. She crosses her fingers that the scorching sex will continue to blaze once the killer is found.
Excerpt:
Was she looking for help with a book? Galaxy didn’t do that kind of stuff. It made them too visible.
He learned her sister and brother-in-law had recently been in a car accident, hit by a speeding vehicle in front of a hotel. The brother-in-law had been killed and the sister was still in a coma. Blaze vaguely remembered reading about it online when he was idly skimming—just three paragraphs, and there hadn’t been anything that rang his chimes. Hit and run, that was it. He hated those, because no one was ever made to answer for it, but nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.
Besides, Galaxy didn’t investigate auto accidents. That was what the cops were for. Did that mean she had an overactive imagination and there was little substance to whatever she wanted from him? He mentally shook his head. No, his brother was too much of a pragmatist to send him someone who saw shadows where there were none.
Before he checked further, he decided to reach out to Nolan and get the skinny on Peyton West and her situation. His brother shocked him by having five minutes free at that particular moment.
“She’s not a nutcase,” he said at once. “This isn’t something she made up for one of her novels, I promise you that. This is some serious shit and everyone everywhere is stonewalling her. If you can find out who the driver was, that ought to open up the whole can of worms. But I believe her, Blaze.”
He couldn’t ask for better validation than that.
He was waiting when the black sedan headed down the gravel drive exactly at four o’clock and parked by the hangar. All four of them tried not to prejudge clients before interacting with them. Appearances, as they all knew, could be very deceiving. But the woman who exited the Mercedes, tense and buttoned-up as she was, made every bit of saliva in his mouth dry up.
She was of medium height, the slacks and sweater she wore doing little to disguise the mouthwatering curves of her body or the natural sway of her hips as she walked. Thick, glossy chestnut hair was pulled back tightly into a ponytail. When she came close enough, he could see her eyes were a rich dark green that looked out at him from beneath chocolate lashes. Out of nowhere, he was seized with a desire to strip off her clothes and run his hands over her body.
Dickwad! Asshole!
Where the hell had this come from, anyway, and what the fuck was wrong with him? He never, ever reacted to clients like this. He’d better get his shit together in a hurry. And figure out why he had lost his brain somewhere on the tarmac.
But then his common sense caught up with him. He saw the rigid way she controlled herself, the look of strain etched into her face and the mixture of rage and panic that swirled in her eyes. It was a look he’d seen in so many of the clients who came to Galaxy. And that was enough to make his hungry dick, the one that had been looking forward to some action tonight, deflate in a hurry. This was business. A mission. This was what they did. What she was here for. Thank god for his SEAL discipline.
He held out a hand to her. “Scott Hamilton, but please, call me Blaze. We’re all used to our military code names.”
They had decided to use those with clients, since they addressed each other that way and there’d be less confusion.
“Peyton West. I have a desperate need for your help, and I can’t stress that word enough.”
He nodded toward the plane, waiting in front of the hangar. “All right. Let’s take a little flight to nowhere and you can tell me all about it.”
What’s up Next? Time to Catch up, My Friend!
Let’s see…I’ve published a few books since I last posted. The Lion, The Leopard, and The Wolf cam
e out In the beginning of October, WERECAT Fever came out the beginning of this month, November, and The Moon, The Madness, and the Magic is scheduled for the first week in December. All of them are available at most eBook retail outlets. The covers are beautifully done and published under the Scarlet Rose division of the Wild Rose Press Publishing.
“The writing style is addictive and the book is very easy to read.”
“I loved it that the writer didn’t hold back on the scenes.”
” I really loved how the author was able to bring so much emotion into this book. The story really revolved more around the characters and less about the story…”
“Really enjoyed this second chance romance with some twists and turns.”
“…great read with characters with great chemistry. This book starts with amazing heat form the very beginning.”
“…a good well written read that sucked me in and kept me hooked right until the end I cannot wait to try the rest …”
Here comes the next… The Moon, The Madness, and The Magic available for PreOrder November 20th. Delivered December 2nd.
…And on the lighter side of paranormal with an odd twist there’s the next novella in the As the Chair Turns series.
A Witch’s Curse, which I expected to complete in March, April, May… I guess I wasn’t feelin’ it. This is a series I write for fun, so if it isn’t fun…I’m not writin’. In any case, life settled down and became a giggle fest again so I could remember the funny parts. You get the point …this is now on pre-order at most outlets.
That means it will be available for you to read on Christmas Eve if you buy it now. I have the rest of this time to polish it up and shine it just for you. Buy it now and carve out some time for yourself to read it once the gifts are wrapped and distributed on December 24th. It’s time to find out what happened after the Christmas party last year, isn’t it?
HERE’s WHERE YOU CAN BUY IT NOW
Today, I’m talking about editing…polishing…beta readers
Not really a secret: I’ve been an editor for an electronic press for almost twelve years. I was fortunate to have an excellent trainer and supervising editors who helped along the way, and as I look back, I’m very proud of the books I acquired and published. I’ve worked with a variety of award winning authors who began as newbies to Rita finalists and New York Times best sellers. One thing is always the same…no one can edit their own books. The flaws in our own work seem to blend into the fabric we’ve woven, making it nearly impossible for us to identify until we have been away from the subject for awhile. (Thank goodness for spell check or I couldn’t write a note without typos.)
My editing specialty is actually content editing, or developmental editing, and finding repetitions and holes in the story lines. Once an author has the manuscript written, I’m the first reader who recommends how to tighten up the Plot, point out where the characters’ personalities and behaviors need more Development and Depth, and check to make certain the Pacing and Hooks keep the reader interested to the very end…and beyond. I want that book to stay in the reader’s head long after they finish reading it. I want it to be one they’d like to read again and again.
But as an author, I find it hard to duplicate this ability for myself. Why is that? At the time it looks okay when I send it to my beta readers. They pick up on a few things but editors pick up everything!
Oh, I easily identify what it needs, long after it’s published, but if left to my devices, I’d rewrite my books every two years, just to make sure. Well not totally rewrite, but I’d re-polish them, dust them off, at the very least. And then, I also believe I should leave them alone. Sometimes that initial wording isn’t the most grammatically correct way of putting it, but it’s the most honest interpretation of what’s going on in the author’s head. The wording is slightly uncomfortable, but the feeling is accurate. So when editing, it’s important to allow the character’s voice to reveal itself in dialogue while the author’s voice comes out in narrative as well as in the way the style of the story is put together.
My author voice is more than one style, depending upon what I’m writing. It’s one way in my serious plots, but something entirely different in my romantic humor. One is an example of my dream state writing, and the other is full of my internal thoughts, a process I don’t dare speak. In any case, they are both different from my style here on my blog, which is my more informative voice. So, it’s important that wording and sentence style belong to the author, as long as the structure is somewhat accurate; no dangling participles or misplaced modifiers, split infinitives and so on…
Everyone worries about the comma, but as long as the pause is in the right place, and the reader can make sense out of the sentence, then all is well. Different grammar rules allow for some flexibility. Take fiction versus non fiction: fiction has more lenient rules often because like poetry the author controls the meaning of dialogue and narrative using sentence length and rhythm to determine pace. Pace helps drive a story. During action, danger, or suspense scenes the reader is tied to the scene (no breaks) until the conclusion. Sometimes, I find myself holding my breath so I read faster to catch my breath before moving on to the next scene. If the author has been paying attention, he/she will give the reader a change of pace–some down time to recuperate–before going on to another breath holding scene.
You can see why it’s important to have a fresh eye on the manuscript. If you’re the one writing the story, you know what’s coming. You’ve edited this a few times and certainly read it enough that you aren’t holding your breath or sobbing at the scenes this time around. It’s beginning to make it more difficult to be objective…more difficult to see where you need speed or a break…more difficult to identify what could make your book the best it could be. If the editor has been in the trenches with the author helping rewrites maybe they both need an objective eye, a fresh point of view. The answer is an educated beta reader–someone who can answer your list of concerns and point out anything else they might come across.
You can find more on this website by clicking on the Writing Tab.
Maximum Impact the Writers’ Notebook by Editor, Maureen F. Sevilla
Available from these stores:
A Peek: Mayhem, MAGIC, & Mistletoe & Review: Hair of the WERE & Siren’s Tail
A SIREN”S Tale
Sit down with a glass of wine or a hot cup of cocoa and enjoy these quick short stories that will take you into the third book coming in time for Christmas: Mayhem, MAGIC, & Mistletoe. One reviewer had this to say after reading Hair of the WERE then hooked into A Siren’s TAIL…
REVIEW:
“I have just had the awesome pleasure of reading “Hair of the Were” and “Siren’s Tale” by a wonderful and gifted author. Eliza March blends in humor, sexual tension, and more in a can’t put it down book that will tantalize paranormal readers. This tale, pardon the pun, has it all. Think creatures of the night, creatures of the sea, Fae and water nymphs, and you would have the beginning of Adelaide’s journey in “As the Chair Turns” series. They all work in a totally cool hair and spa facility that caters to…you got it, paranormal creatures. And it doesn’t stop there, her best girlfriends ever are witches, and her best male friend is an alpha werewolf that would have her in his bed if she’d let him. Now, you would think with all of the above, that would be enough, but Delia as her friends call her has a chance at a rocking singing career. A career that could be forestalled by a sea-creature’s attack. Now if that don’t make you want to give up swimming, I don’t know what to tell you, but once you lay eyes on the Coast Guard hottie who makes Delia sing all the right notes, you might change your mind. The only other thing I can possible say is WHEN IS THE NEXT SAGA OF AS THE CHAIR TURNS COMING OUT?”
Coming before Christmas…Mayhem, MAGIC, & Mistletoe …More of Delia’s adventures.
Welcome to my world where magic and mayhem coexist. This installment of my ongoing series is about the Luna de la Mar Salon and Spa’s annual employee holiday party on the corporate yacht. Murder and mayhem run rampant when there’s an attempted mistletoe poisoning during dinner and a deadly stabbing before desert.
Kris the Christmas tree had reported that Perry the maître de was kissing the cook in the kitchen under the mistletoe when someone dropped the mistletoe berries in Delia’s salad. But the only witness, the Norwegian pine, is height challenged and claimed he couldn’t see anything above the suspect’s knees. And all would have been fine if someone hadn’t turned up dead.
The unidentified body, dressed in Delia’s red dress and shoes, wasn’t on the guest list. Who is she? And was Delia actually the target?
A Siren’s Tail excerpt for you…
Hi! Delia here…
UGH! My indestructible fingernails clicked on the makeup counter as I considered a few alternatives. What to do? What to do?
Then voila! Something came to mind. Either go as I was or visit my two best friends and beg for help. Desperate…but these were desperate times. I picked up my smart phone and sent a text to the listing Witch Bitches. (I don’t care what Frankie says. I am witty.)
I thumbed in the message.
ME: Carrie, need a drastic favor.
Have to meet the band later and I look half D. E. A. D.
Makeup help please?
. . . Have you ordered your copy of A Siren’s Tail, Volume 2 in the Luna de la Mar Salon and Spa: As the Chair Turns series? After struggling with the formatting process on Amazon (which has never been a problem for me before – usually it’s with Apple) I think I might have all the issues resolved. Unfortunately, I’ve sold quite a few ebooks, already, with odd ball formatting. Sorry. I’m working on correcting this problem with a new formatting template I’m making for the future. Now do you want to read a little more?
Read on . . .
The return message tone beeped.
CARRIE: Come over. We’ll work a little magic 4 U
ME: Magic is exactly what I need. B right over
Since I discovered their secret, I affectionately refer to my witch bitches, Carrie and Jen, as the Witches of West Beach – because they live on the intercoastal side of our condominium instead of the ocean view side. Now I know why they usually personally prefer their own pale look against black. Occasionally, they add a little red for color. Jen wears short shorts with thigh highs. And when I say short shorts with thigh-high boots, I mean show-a-little-cheek length shorts, and wicked, studded, pointy-toed boots. Men love her hard-ass-mistress-of-the-night chain and leather look.
Carrie has the whole natural, witchy Stevie Nicks, seventies-hippie-gypsy-flowing-silk, beneath a leather bustier and lacy-thingy going on. She claims she has an aura very similar to Stevie’s. I’ll take her word for it since I don’t see auras. But I have to admit there is something haunting about Carrie. Sometimes I think it’s a glamour, but I’m not ready to mess with powers I know nothing about.
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Delia’s Next Adventure is Coming September 14th…
Delia Belaquoit was like any one of us—working hard, living her life, chasing her dreams, and achieving some modicum of success along the way. Great job, wonderful friends, singing in a band. She thought she’d hit the jackpot until everything she once believed in began to unravel…
Delia here… Hi, again! Magic does exist and people in Boca aren’t what they seem. Shh! No one is supposed to know.
When my former well-organized life blew up in my face, I decided I needed answers because the metamorphosis I’m undergoing isn’t following any known pattern. Remember when I used to be a sun worshipper? Now I’m exhibiting symptoms I don’t even want to think about.
Turns out there are certain aspects of my family tree that’re disrupting my humanity. Wait ’til I find my family. Just when I need answers, they disappear. Poof! Vanish. Except Edna, my great aunt. But she’s not talking. Some freakish sea monster stole her voice.
Unbelievable! Right?
They are all so in the doodoo doghouse for keeping everything from me.
Thankfully, my witch friends are charming me through my dilemma and our search for answers. Frankie, our alpha Werewolf boss, is doing his best to keep me safe. The guy is loyal to a fault, even if the wolf in him doesn’t have a faithful bone in his body. So when Aelric, my on-again-off-again-not-really-a-boyfriend, asked him to protect me from sources unknown, Frankie jumped on it. I still think he has ulterior motives.
I’m eventually planning a monogamous relationship, just not yet. Frankie wants to “turn” me, but the monthly waxing effort makes becoming one of his pack out of the question. Aelric, the handsome Coast Guard captain, did make a few serious romantic overtures and almost “sort of” proposed to me, but he hasn’t managed to take me on a first date yet. Nor has he told me exactly what he is. Hope springs eternal. Because he did kiss me senseless, wowed me with an impressive unspeakable power move, then left me again. Now I’m alone with more questions. But I’m determined to get my own answers and find out where the threat to my family is coming from.
Oh there’s more… It just gets better every day. Why don’t you hang with me and see what’s in the cards for this month? The supernatural salon and spa staff, as always, are here to help.”
#humor #fantasy #paranormal #shifter #vampires #faeries #witches #sirens #elves #aqua #sea #werewolves #hairstylists #werecats #sexy
Happy July Saving at SMASHWORDS My FREE and Discounted Books
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Magic is real. The fix is in.when Delia lands the hairdressing job of a lifetime. After one taste of faery nectar, the fae knowledge banks open to her. Who knew the town was filled with supernatural beings just fitting in? Frankie, her hot boss, is a Werewolf; the massage therapists are catshifters; her best friends are witches, and Delia likes being human. Her life is about to drastically change.
Hair Of The Were: Luna De La Mar…
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Dizzy Writing Day Solutions
Too much input. My internal computer is slowing down and freezing up. I’m suffering from scattered goals due to wind blown thoughts. I’m feeling like a disorganized airhead.
I can only fly (or write) by the seat of my pants so long before my projects begin to weigh on me and bring me crashing to earth. The sooner I stop flapping and take control, the less weight I carry before I crash…and I minimize the injuries.
So what is my solution to regrouping? Lists. Calendars. Prioritizing. Organizing.
I pause. Put on some music. (Your choice.) Pick a good spot to sit or stand. Gather my stuff…
I go back to my old lists and gather them all together so I can reset. It’s my version of rebooting. I need a large surface to spread out my lists and various information. I’m definitely not as efficient as my computer. I check my phone notes and computer notes as well as my accumulated little notebooks. I pull out the sticky notes and gather my new blank sticky notes. I organize everything into piles (my filing system) until I can move them into an order of importance and create my new workload (my to do list).
A calendar is absolutely essential. One with room for details helps. If I could paint my walls with remarkable paint, I would create my life in washable markers where I can see it at a glance. Sticky notes, calendars, whiteboards, chalkboards, and daytimers are all electronic, so why am I less organized than ever? Too many apps. Too many options. I need my life in one place or fewer projects.
I attended a workshop last year and I’m thinking maybe I should actually implement the plan I started. I need to add open time I can move around in my calendar for unforseen calamities. I need catch up days for the internet being down, the grandchildren, time to smell the roses when my brain is fried, and a vacation from the plan.
All suggestions are welcome. Please comment with helpful tricks you’ve found effective. and thank you in advance.
Eliza March Writes...Books, Blogs, and Writing Secrets 