…the first book in the Gemini Prophecy series…
The POWER OF THE LIGHT – The 1st Journey in the Gemini Prophecy series
Gemini the novella should be read first…
Available at all electronic distributors
Eliza March – “Outworlder”. This was previously 1 of 7 short stories available in “The Awakening Of The Unknown (Paranormal/Sci-fy Anthology). OUTWORLDER a dystopian complete novel by ELIZA MARCH will be Coming soon … 2025.
I have a love hate relationship with starting a new book. I just completed a novella (Where Your Heart Finds Home) for an anthology. I have another (No Official title AI) due in three weeks. I’m writing all over the place…unable to focus on a genre. But I am having fun. I just wrote my first sweet romance. I have a follow up plan for a series or a major novel called Off Season in the Hamptons. It’s sketched out and scheduled for a mid year 2022 release.
My February short story is a teaser for my sci-fi novel also planned for 2022. I might put that one off until early 2023. It’s a Brave New World meets a Dystopian World reality.
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 is Writer’s Block? The inability to move your story plot forward.
Why is Writer’s Block? You know… Everything else gets in the way of Story. You forget who your characters really are. Where they’re going or why. Life is a lot like that too.
Clutter can be as bad as a blank page or canvas. Start somewhere. Clear the path to open your mind. Have no preconceived notions. Allow no no obstacles to prevent you from advancing.
This is my advice to me. You’re welcome to look over my shoulder…
You can’t write or live if you can’t pause and open your senses first. Find your inner space where the story grows and mentally become a time traveler. Ask questions. What happened before ? What caused the action? What would happen next if something changed. Get out the telescope or microscope and zoom in–zoom out. The view is different from different perspectives or angles. Pay attention to details. Make every word count. Make every second count.
You only do this life once (I think) so do it well and thoroughly. Appreciate a sunrise or a sunset. Watch the moon rise. Laugh at the squirrels.
Take a moment to be still. Be observant. It will make you wiser.
Prioritize.
Make a plan. Follow it. Break it. Only deter if the outcome may be worth it or unavoidable. Adjust.
Breathe. Inhale, but don’t forget to exhale. Expel the bad and keep the good.
Listen with your brain turned on high. React with your heart and soul. Write one word. OPEN. Add another. OPEN. UP. NOW. LIFE. IS. WAITING. For you…
Smile at one person. Then two…
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
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.
The day after a book release we sit and count the comments and bite our nails hoping this experiment works. It’s not about the money (Though who wouldn’t be excited about that?) It’s about the approval.
Writing is like giving someone a gift. You hope it’s a good choice. That they like it. That they can use it. That it’s exactly what they need at that particular moment.
I read Nora Roberts Whiskey Creek recently and gave out a sigh on the first page remembering why I enjoy reading her writing so much. It felt like coming home.
That’s why I enjoy writing. I want to give someone that experience of melting into my book. Escape from the moment.
I next turned to JR Ward’s The Chosen. Again, different author, different style, different genre…still that wonderful moment of escape. Relaxation. My drug of choice is reading.
This weekend, try something I wrote just for you. You can find something to take you away on my Amazon Author page.
Have you met your goals? What do you do when you succeed? Or fail? What about when you disappoint yourself? Beat yourself up for not being dependable? I have a confession… 
It’s October? OMG – How did I get here and how did I get side-tracked from my writing goals? One thing that interferes with getting my writing done is having more pressing issues that keep popping up, forcing me to re-prioritize. My family’s needs always take priority over everything else, and my uncle has decided to move into assisted living. With no children of his own, I’m trying to help him find a suitable place near his friends. It’s giving me good practice for finding out what I will want when the time comes for me and my husband. But it’s time consuming and distracting.
“Hair of the Wolf” is late. I’m beating myself up over not meeting the goal for a planned September release. The first humorous paranormal book in my As the Chair Turns series should have been released by now, but Irma showed up and blew (pun intended) that and several trees in my yard all to hell.
My house is way too large for my husband and I to maintain. We were ready to downsize and reduce the stress in our lives. Half our belongings are in boxes. We installed new flooring, new roof, and updated the kitchen and the bathrooms. There’s still more to do and, now after this hurricane season, there’s more. I also planned to put “said” home on the market last month. Real retirement is beginning to feel like an illusive dream.
Needless to say, my plans have changed. But although we had no firm plans in place for moving on, we did have a few dreams; so now, frustration is setting in.
Since I’m not wealthy enough for my writing income to take precedence over my other sources for paying the mortgage and bills … such as emergency hurricane preparedness and cleanup, I need an alternative vision. I edit part time, mentor/coach part time, work as a hairdresser part time, and then write. So writing comes last, and money that I’d like to spend for promotion and advertising is being gobbled up in daily living expenses. I am not the only author suffering from this dilemma.
What I’ve decided to do is stop setting “firm” goals for my release dates and avoid the guilt. I have at least eight books in progress at this time, and because I value good story and character development above churning out crap, I am taking a step back.
One of the observations I’d like to make for writers is that you should set your own pace. Yes, the authors who are releasing quickly and often are having success, but don’t sell your work short. Don’t self criticize because you take more time to tell the story the way you want to. Do it your way in your own time.
The self-publishing market makes it difficult to rise above the algorithms, keywords, and massive numbers of releases daily. What I see are opportunists, sharks feeding on minnows, finding a way to make more money for themselves without a care to the quality of what they turn out or how they affect the market in general.
Are we dumbing-down literacy? Yes. And genre fiction. The Chicago Manual of Style reviews editing rules about once a year because colloquial language and needs within the US are changing with the speed of social networking. There are age-gapped and style changes taking place every day. English, in all its forms, has different rules around the world, but in addition to that, I believe, fiction in (American) English is being swamped by books published with little, no, or unprofessional editing. The results are chilling.
Incorrect uses of tense, words, phrases in books and TV, social media, and radio infiltrates our daily experience. Which came first? Does it matter? The results are the same. Confusion and inconsistencies. Authors who discard the rules and, through advertising and promotion, convince readers it doesn’t matter.
To each her/his own. I can’t live with “incorrect” or inconsistencies in my books. And believe me they have them. But I strive to improve with each book I write, because, as in all art, fiction and novels are a personal matter of taste. Correct language, grammar, and punctuation is not. Dialogue can be true to form, narrative can not. An author can maintain her or his voice without compromising quality editing.
Be careful when comparing your goals, needs, and successes with other peoples’. Be good to yourself. Enjoy the journey no matter where it takes you.
Eliza March Writes...Books, Blogs, and Writing Secrets 