We all seek out advice whether we want it or not. But as an author, everyone has advice to help you become a better writer and more successful. Today we've asked our Inkspell Authors about the advice they've received. We wanted to know who gave you the best or more valuable advice and what that advice is. Who knows- their advice might be the most valuable advice for you! Naya Nikki:The best advice I ever got was 'write what you would read because if you are not going to read it then why would your reader?' Surprisingly I got this from the author Meg Cabot after writing to her. This was the most valuable advice I received as I wanted to write more because I wanted to know what was going to happen in Familiar Ties. Sasha Summers:I have three things I remind myself of Every single say. 1. Write the story in your heart. – Diana Cosby (author, fellow DARA member and the person who introduced me to RWA) 2. Know where your book would go on the bookshelf in a library/bookstore. (Sandy Williams – friend and author of the Shadow Reader and The Shattered Dark) 3. Keep writing – this wasn’t said to me specifically, it’s just an author’s mantra. J There are days when I stare at a blank screen and irritating blinking cursor and wonder who I’m kidding – I’m not a writer. But then I start typing and the characters become so real, their story so clear, that I know I have to write. I love what I do! Rebecca Hart:The best advice I ever got as a writer came from one of the lovely lady authors in my writing circle way back when I started taking this whole autthor thing seriously. It's one of those things I am sure most writers have already heard from somewhere, and if not, this should be a serious gem of wisdom. The advice is this: Put your story/novel on an eReader for your editing run. It is absolutely AMAZING how much you pick up when you put yourself in your reader's shoes. I really have no idea why reading on the eReader works better than just reading the manuscript on the laptop or computer, but all the little errors and editing issues stick out like sore thumbs. Try it -- bet it works. Wow. That's advice to take to the bank! Great authors aren't just born but they hone their craft and our authors are some of the best! They constantly work at it and advice from other authors is just the first step! We hope you've learned a little more about some of our authors! We also love hearing from you! What's the best advice-- writing or other that you have received? Share please!
Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. We want to revisit some of our favorite hotties from our favorite stories! As we revisit our eyecandy, we are sharing with you an excerpt to wet your appetite about the character and the story. After all, you can't get enough of book eyecandy!
Excerpt:“I know that you remember me.”
I stared at her, this mystery girl who’d been a part of my life for so long. Suddenly I was tired and didn’t want to argue. It unnerved me to know that I wanted to stay with her; I’d been wrong. I loathed being in Gran’s house alone, with only memories for company. “How could I ever have forgotten you?” Though my voice was soft and gentle, my words had a powerful effect on the young woman in front of me. She blushed crimson and glanced down to hide her face. “Please come with me.” Slowly, I placed my hand in hers. It was warm, as in my memory. “Where are we going?” “I need to show you. Otherwise, you will think I am a hallucination again.” “I suppose that’s true.” She didn’t answer me, but she smiled back as she handed me a rough-looking knife with a black handle. “Put this in your pocket.” “Are you anticipating that I’ll have to stab someone on the trip?” I wasn’t the kind of guy who routinely carried weapons around. More often than not, I could be a bit uncoordinated. “I hope it does not come to that.” And before I could register that remark, I found myself running out into the night with her. “Where are we going?” We reached the steps that led down the cliff face. A dog howled in the night, setting an ominous tone for our journey. Calienta glanced at me for a moment but didn’t answer as she turned back to the direction in which we were heading. She pulled me close to her. My hand burned where she held it and the air around us was thick with tension; that was how aware I was of her physically. A storm brewed between us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow! Kellen was willing to follow Calienta into the cave as his whole life changes. Excited to read more? Pick up The Star Child today! www.inkspellpublishing.com/store.html Thankful, grateful, gratitude, and appreciation...All are words to describe how many of us feel at this time of year. Reflecting back on the year before us, we do have a lot to be thankful for. As the holiday season approaches, everyone at Inkspell is very thankful for the many blessings that our readers and ambassadors have given us. But we thought to ask our authors about the many things that they are thankful for during this time of year. We hope you will enjoy their responses as much as we do! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T. Michelle Nelson: I have many reasons to be thankful, but I am most thankful for my son. Somehow he has turned out to be the most thoughtful, intelligent and sweet young man a person could ever know. I am proud to be his mom every single day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aubrie Dionne: I have a lot to be thankful about this holiday season. I'm thankful for all of the wonderful people at Inkspell who believe in my book. I'm also thankful for my gorgeous cover, and all the fantastic reviews my book is receiving. I'm thankful Inkspell agreed to take on the next book in the series! On the writer front, I received my very first advance, which I am extremely thankful for, due to my awesome agent, who I'm also very grateful. She's taught me patience and wisdom. I have a huge, 3 day book signing coming up at a fancy craft fair in December, and I'm thankful for all the people that will be helping me out with that. My whole family is meeting for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I'm thankful they are all happy and safe and pursuing their own life dreams. My sister is pregnant with baby #2, so I'm more than thankful for that as well. I already enjoy my nephew, and I can't wait to meet the new addition to the family! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stephanie Keyes: There is nothing original about what I'm thankful for. It’s probably what everyone chooses for his or her answer whenever this question inevitably comes up every year! But I don’t care if I’m being a conformist. When I look around me every day, the answer is clear. My Family. Though our numbers have dwindled and the festivities changed, I am blessed to have people I love around me. My husband, my sons, my family are the reason that I have the guts and courage to do anything at all. It is this group of people that told me to “go for it” when I submitted my first novel to the Inkspell family earlier this year. Then, the same crew celebrated with me in September after the novel’s publication. That is why I am so unbelievably blessed this Thanksgiving, good people who stand by you and love you for who you are. That’s what I’m most thankful for. I wish each one of you readers a warm and wonderful holiday! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jill Kaelin:Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, to ponder over how wonderful our lives are and cherish the little things. I have tons of things I’m thankful for in my life, so I decided to make a list of the top five. Chocolate-the natural stress reliever. Books-without which I wouldn’t be able to escape into magical worlds and live so many imaginative lives. Our pets-the dog, CoCo, and our three cats, Bella, Ginger, and Nutty. They make each day more enjoyable…and messy. Friends/Family-the people who love me unconditionally. My daughter, Justyce-the relationship we have is priceless. She is my heart. I’m also very thankful for my new friends at Inkspell! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark Jay Harris: It may sound cliche to say I'm thankful for my family, but out of all the wonderful things I have in this life my family is the most important. We just had a new baby three weeks ago, and of course that tends to re-focus your thoughts. Without them to care for and without their support, it just seems like nothing else would matter much any way. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for my health, friends and chance to publish a book, but my family takes the front seat! They're the best! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kristy Centeno: First and foremost I would like to say that I'm eternally grateful to have four beautiful children that I absolutely adore and are the main reason for my happiness. Without them I wouldn't be the person I am. I'm also grateful to have such an understanding man by my side. A man that never sees the negative in things but instead, supports every decision I make even if he doesn't agree with me sometimes. I'm grateful that we're all healthy and happy in spite of difficult times. And last, I'm grateful to have my loving mother by my side. Although we don't always see eye to eye, we're always able to set whatever differences we may have aside and enjoy our time together with no remorse. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brooke Moss:I'm thankful for the opportunity to raise five amazing, talented, darling, witty, silly, happy children. Without my family, I would be nothing. What a wonderful group of people to spend my holidays with. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kacey Vanderkarr: This year I'm thankful for all the traditional things, family, friends, etc. Additionally, I'm thankful for opportunity, perseverance, and the ability for continuing education. All things stem from this. 2012 has been an incredible year of growth and I'm excited and inspired by all the things to come! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Annabelle Blume:I'm thankful for the food in my fridge and the roof over my head. For the fact that my children are healthy and comfortable enough to express when they aren't happy. For my fury companions, even if they bark incessantly and irritate the neighbors. For the amazing adventures life has taken me on thus far. And for the future that lays before me, as unknown and scary as that can be. I'm thankful for the moon and the stars and the fact that I can see them. And for the way the bright shining rays of the sun feel on my skin. For my friends who share laughter and tears with me. And for my family who stands quietly by my side through all things in life. Last, but not least, I'm thankful for my husband who's here to live it all with me every day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Peterson: What am “I” thankful for? Well, first and foremost, my family. They are truly the best this world has to offer. But my list surely doesn’t end there, nor do I have enough room to name everything that fills my heart. However, to mention just a few... I am very grateful to have food to eat, clothes to wear and shelter overhead. I’m grateful for my country, and words do not express my gratitude for those who give their all to protect and watch over it. And of course, I need to mention how very appreciative I am to those who thought enough of my books to want to publish them. For those who have actually read them, and taken the time to leave their sweet comments. You all make my day! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from anotherperson. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. We want to revisit some of our favorite hotties from our favorite stories! As we revisit our eyecandy, we are sharing with you an excerpt to wet your appetite about the character and the story. After all, you can't get enough of book eyecandy!
EXCERPT:“Who are you?” she asked in a voice just audible to his ears. “Better yet, what are you?”
“I’m a man, Aliyana, born of this earth, though not of your time,” he said. “You are a ghost then.” Although she stated the words matter-of-factly, he could hear a bit of disappointment in the tone of her voice. He had no time to ponder the regret now. “Only part time,” he replied. “Part time? Part time! Just what do you mean by that ridiculous statement?” she huffed. Wolf looked upward for a moment and then sighed in resignation. “I didn’t want to have this discussion until you fully recovered. But come on, let’s go ahead, and get it done.” As he turned and stepped toward the door she said, “Where are we going?” “Upstairs to the top of the lighthouse,” he replied. “I need to stop at the bathroom first, if you don’t mind,” she said as a blush stole across her cheeks. He didn’t mind at all. The small delay gave him a moment to form an explanation acceptable to a woman like Aliyana. Once finished, she opened the door and extended a hand toward him. In response, he raised an arm in silent invitation. She shook her head. “Please, I would like to try to walk up the stairs myself,” she said. “Just hang on to me and keep me stable. You can do that, right?” Wolf gave her a single nod, and placed a firm hand about her waist. He allowed her to set the pace as they ascended the metal steps of the spiral staircase. About half way up, her legs gave way. He caught hold of her body, swept her up, and cradled her in his arms. She didn’t make a peep of protest. Once they arrived at the observation deck, he looked down at her face. She had her eyes closed, head tucked inward, and her lips tight together. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You look a little pale.” “I’m fine really—just a little dizzy and a bit nauseous from the small turns is all,” she replied. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to throw up on you, I promise.” “Do you want me to take you back to your bed?” “No, I’m fine, really.” He set her down on the old wooden rocking chair, grabbed hold of the two-seater bench next to it, and turned it around to face her. After he settled himself into the rickety thing, he leaned toward her and took hold of her hands. At last, she opened her eyes and then caught and held his gaze. She waited for him to speak. “Take a good look around you, Aliyana. Tell me exactly what you see,” he said, gesturing to the view behind him. She took a deep breath and turned toward the panoramic scene. Her eyes grew wider by degrees. She raised her body a little higher, lifted her chin, and looked all around. A hand covered a gasp of delighted surprise. “I see—the sky is a brilliant shade of turquoise blue, and I—I see a wide lavender band across the horizon. The beauty of the atmosphere is breathtaking. What happened to make it look like this? Do the colors have something to do with the anomalous storm we passed through?” “In a way, yes, but no, not really,” Wolf replied and then hastened to clarify. “That particular storm merely transported you here. You see, here in this place, the sky is quite normal.” “What do you mean, here in this place?” she asked as her gaze remained fastened on the view. He could tell she saw more than just the sky, now. The colors in the surrounding vegetation also looked far different from anything she had ever seen before and her expression said the beauty of it amazed her, just as it had once amazed him. He rubbed his thumbs gently across the top of her hands. “Please look into my eyes now, Aliyana.” Once she complied with his request he said, “I want you to see for yourself that I speak nothing but truth in what I’m about to tell you. A lie has no value, nor would it serve any purpose. Would you agree?” “You’re not trying to tell me I’m dead, are you?” she asked as a look of horror filled her eyes. “No, nothing like that.” He raised a hand to his chin and shook his head. “Then what are you trying to tell me?” “I’ll start off by telling you I entered this world in the year 1601 and left it, in a manner of speaking, in the year 1632.” “What do you mean, in a manner of speaking? You keep talking in riddles.” “I didn’t die, Aliyana.” He held up a hand to halt the words she opened her mouth to say. “I know the questions you have, because once I had them myself. Just let me finish my explanation and then you can ask me anything you want. Fair enough?” he asked. Now that you've gotten a chance to see Wolf, isn't he yummy? A man out of time, yet a perfect hunk. He has the skills to make you wish for your own Bermuda Triangle accident. Pick up Shadow of the Witte Wieven today! Do you love having a paperback book in your hands, the way the pages turn crisply? Do you love the smell of a new book, the smell of the ink? Do you enjoy collecting signed books by your favorite authors? Inkspell is offering signed copies of Always You for anyone who purchases a print copy of the book today on our store site. Always You is a story that will have you questioning whether Lila should take Alex back and is he really just using her. From the first scene the sparks fly between these two former lovers but will they take a second chance on love? Due to the nature of the promotion, there will be a delay in the shipping. Would you risk your heart on a Casanova that already broke your heart? Can you learn to forgive and let your heart lead you? Here is what people are saying about Always You: "Always You is a quick, snappy and to the point read. It read brilliantly and I ended up finishing the book in a couple of hours. The story line is engaging and there were lots of will she won't she moments. It is very heartfelt in places and I was simply dying to know the whole story of how Alex betrayed Lyla." Carly Chambers- Goodreads. "I fell in love with the character of Alex because he had so much to offer to the reader! Sensitive and down to earth, Alexander Knight is a character who is hot and caring at the same time. A Casanova for sure!" Sana- Goodreads. Stop by to purchase your special signed book today! This is a limited time purchase so be sure to get your copy today! You know you want one! And at only $6.00, it's sure to be a collector's item! http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/store.html With the holiday season coming quickly upon us, we thought we would ask our Inkspell authors to share their favorite holiday traditions and why they mean so much to them. Learn more about the fabulous authors behind Inkspell's hottest books! Naya Nikki: As a Hindu, this time of year is extremely special because for us it is Diwali and our New Year. For those who do not know what Diwali is, it is the festival of light and the whole family gets together to eat lots of food, give everyone their best wishes for the year, exchange gifts for the younger ones and of course listen to the story of the Ramayan. Diwali is the Hindu's version of Christmas. As a family we get together, the whole of my Dad's side..so that is about 80 people and counting...That's 3 generations all getting together with their relevant spouses and kids eating a lot of food. It is the one day out of the year we all get to see each other. what with everyone's busy schedule and family politics I love that we have this tradition of putting it all to one side and getting together. As an immediate family on Diwali day my parents, myself and my grandparents all eat dinner together, it is the one time of year the five of us sit at a table and eat together as a family. My mum and grandma cook all our favourite foods and slightly like thanksgiving we go around saying what we have been grateful for over the past year and what we look forward to happening in the coming year. Rita Arens: My side of our family celebrates Christmas in Iowa. My late grandparents had a silver tree holder that is a music box that rotates. Every year my cousin and his wife get a small tree and we all bring ornaments that remind us of each other and those relatives who have passed. It's called the Memory Tree. My sister came up with the idea and it's my favorite part of Christmas. The grandparents in THE OBVIOUS GAME are a key source of comfort and inspiration to Diana, much as mine were to me. I lived next door to my paternal grandparents growing up, and they were like second parents to me. Kacey Vanderkarr: My favorite holiday tradition comes Christmas morning. It's not the presents or Santa Claus, and it's definitely not the snow. It's breakfast at my parent's house. After living on my own for nine years, I most look forward to my mom's biscuits and gravy and sitting around the table with my family. As we get older it seems we grow farther and farther apart, so it's important to me to spend that hour catching up and pretending I still live at home and that it's a daily occurrence. It's easy to take things for granted until you no longer have them. I'd give up the gifts and I'd gladly forget the snow, if I can just sit around the table and eat breakfast with the people I care for most. Aubrie Dionne: We always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve because I don't think my parents like getting up early if they don't have to, and they wanted to take pictures with all of us dressed up nice, not in our PJ's. So, my dad used to take me and my sister out looking for Santa Claus. We'd leave a plate of cookies behind, then walk around the neighborhood looking up at the sky. He'd say, "Wait a sec. I think I saw him." Me and my sister would both look eagerly! When we got home, my mom would say, "Awww. You're too late. You just missed him. Santa visited while you were gone." Presents would be scattered all over the floor, and we'd forget we missed seeing him as we dove in! To this day, even though all of my siblings are grown up, my parents still celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. I love it. It's turned into an all day event, and then we can all sleep in for Christmas morning while everyone else wakes up early to get their gifts! We at Inkspell hope that your holiday traditions bring you joy and peace. We'd love to hear about your holidays as well. Just leave us a comment! :) Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. We want to revisit some of our favorite hotties from our favorite stories! As we revisit our eyecandy, we are sharing with you an excerpt to wet your appetite about the character and the story. After all, you can't get enough of book eyecandy!
EXCERPT:
“It’s a bit of a madhouse,” Josh’s voice startled me. He leaned forward so I could hear him. I nodded, determined to keep my eyes off him. “It can’t be good for your hearing.” I winced a bit as a chorus of “We love you, Josh!” came from the crowds. He smiled at me, a really beautiful blinding smile that set the girls off with more gusto. I felt a little weak-kneed myself so I turned my attention back to Shannon, hoping Amy would be there to lead me away…quickly. Amy was there, but she snagged Shannon and moved on, leaving me stranded without a backward glance. “Keep me company?” He watched and waited. I was trying desperately not to stare back. “Umm…” Please don’t look like an idiot. “Sure.” That was sweet of him, rather gallant, actually. “First premiere?” He was smiling at the flashing cameras. His eyes flickered over the crowd quickly. He waved slightly, eliciting more shrieks from the fans. His eyes were sparkling when he turned back to me. “That’s a rhetorical question, right?” I sounded nervous. I wasn’t sure, but my attempt to not stare at him didn’t seem to be working the way I would’ve liked. He moved closer, taking my arm to help steer me forward. The instant his hand closed on my arm, my skin tingled. I drew in a quick breath, aware my heart was racing. Our eyes met and he smiled another unbelievable smile. He leaned in closer, his mouth by my ear. “Your accent.” “I have an accent?” I cocked an eyebrow, surprised. “Really?” He laughed, his eyes crinkling in the most devastating manner. I was distracted by his mouth, which seemed very close. “Somewhere in the South?” He raised an eyebrow expectantly. “I have a Texas accent?” I knew I sounded mortified. I was mortified. “Not Texas necessarily,” he drawled, his attempt at a Texas twang totally surprising and comically horrid. I laughed before I could catch myself, covering my mouth. His smile changed. I don’t know if I’d offended him, but he was staring at me. Not rudely, just intently. It was as if he was really seeing me for the first time, and that maybe he was intrigued by what he saw. A knot twisted in my stomach; an unsteady hitch echoed in my breath. My hand dropped from my mouth and I smiled apologetically. “Sorry.” “Don’t be.” His expression grew thoughtful as his eyes burned into mine expectantly. The knot tightened; warmth spread through my stomach and into my chest. Heat flooded my cheeks. After feeling nothing but apprehension in the presence of men, my reaction to Josh caught me completely off guard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, but decided not to analyze it. I doubted I’d ever see him again. Want to know more? Buy the book today! Inkspell Publishing would like to introduce and welcome Rita Arens to the Inkspell family. Her book, The Obvious Game is set to be released in February. It is a compelling tale of a young woman who is facing her first romance during a time of turmoil in her life as her mom battles cancer. Check out Rita's webpage for more information on her and let's make sure she feels welcome! :)
http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com/ Today we welcome Rebecca Hart to our blog to share some details about herself and her writing. Rebecca is the author of Call of the Sea, a tale of selkies, pirates, and a strong willed daughter. When did you first start writing? What made you want to be a writer? I started writing somewhere around high school, but didn’t do anything serious with respect to the craft until about 2 years ago. I’ve always written stories, but it wasn’t until recently that I considered someone might actually be interested in reading what I wrote. What inspired you to write your book? I have always had a bit of an obsession with pirates. Call of the Sea was originally a basic short story about a girl who pretended to be a boy to get what she wanted from life. The original submission got lost somehow in the cyber land between email boxes and I never received any sort of reply. Thank goodness, because the story I wrote wouldn’t be what it was if that hadn’t happened. Funny how things work out, eh? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Definitely a pantser. I find if I try to plot things out, I spend too much time worrying about straying from my outline than actually trying to get the story out. Do you have any writing rituals or special processes you complete before sitting down to write? I don’t have any real routines, but I do find that I need to have music on, and I cannot be online in anyway or I tend to distract myself with social media sites instead of writing. Very bad… What authors inspire you? Admire is different from favorite author, so I would have to say J.K Rowling is the one I most admire. As a single parent who’s been on the lean side of life more than a few times, I’m inspired by what she has been able to accomplish. For me, she is the model of what is possible if you dare to dream it. If you could only write in one genre for the rest of your career, what genre would you choose? Why? Definitely fantasy. I love romance, and my stories usually have a bit of romantic flavor no matter the genre, but it is the unique characters and interesting worlds that really get me jazzed about writing. That creative flow really does it for me. Which of the characters in your current release is your favorite? Why? As much as I love Ellie, I think my favorite character was Nelson. He is modeled after a co-worker of mine I have known for about 5 years, but have never met in person. I made him the perfect best friend and confidant -- the best bud everyone wishes they had. I also never had an older brother, so I think I poured a lot of what I imagined one would be like into Nelson. Are any of your characters modeled after real people? If so, which ones? Yes, a few of them actually. I just mentioned Nelson, Ellie’s best friend is modeled after an IT co-worker of mine. Ellie is a bit like I was at a young age. I had more than enough spunk when I was growing up. Just ask my dad. Actually, speaking of dads, Daniel is modeled after my father (also a Daniel) in personality. Yes, my dad is just that cool. Funny where we find inspiration, isn’t it? What music was on your playlist while writing your novel? Any one of the three Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks. They are all perfect for writing pirate tales. Morning person or grumpy bear? Such a grumpy bear… Still working on that one… maybe someday I will be one of those people that wakes at the crack of dawn with a smile on their face. (Don’t hold your breath for that one) Tell us one thing it would surprise us to know about you? Growing up, I wanted to be an Olympic Beach Volleyball player, and I make a mean frozen margarita. Okay, so that was two things J What is next for you? I have a fantasy series in the works that I am so excited about tentatively titled The Machenwood Chronicles -- think Narnia meets Grimm’s fairy tales. I am hoping to have the first novel completed and ready for querying by fall -- muse willing, of course. I have also had quite a few requests for a sequel to Call of the Sea, so that has possibilities as well. Do you have any unique skills or talents? If so, what? I’m not sure about unusual. I work in IT and PC’s and printers tend to behave properly when I show up to fix them. Almost as if they are scared of what I may do to them if they don’t. Doesn that count? If I were to look in your closet right now, would I find frills and lace or demin and tees? You would have to look long and hard to find ANY frills or lace in my closet. I am a home grown american tomboy. Jeans and tees all the way. Flannel is nice, too :P Neither can deny the call of the sea, but how long can they deny their feelings? Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth. Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O'Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren's Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter. Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other in order to quell the raging storm between them or have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer. Buy your print or ebook copy today! Because it takes a lot of work to make Mondays fun, we at Inkspell decided to start a blog feature we like to call Eyecandy Monday. Each Monday we will feature the characters from one Inkspell novel and share with you all the fine details and tasty tidbits we can dig up about these interesting and well written main characters. We want to revisit some of our favorite hotties from our favorite stories! As we revisit our eyecandy, we are sharing with you an excerpt to wet your appetite about the character and the story. After all, you can't get enough of book eyecandy!
Excerpt:
Frey fisted his hands, his gaze following Liese as she disappeared from his view. Would the memories plaguing her never end? How he loathed February, with all the suffering it brought her. But this February she was not going to sit and brood. Yes. She had loved and lost. But that was no reason to live the way she did. He narrowed his eyes, his mind flitting through options. Events that would keep her busy, hopefully preoccupy her enough to ease the memories until Valentine’s sailed past. And maybe longer. He grinned at the prospect of spending the next four days locked up in the house with her. It suited him just fine. Four days, alone, no distractions. Would she appreciate the wicked thoughts that were invading his mind, once she got wind of his plan? He grunted in disgust, and exhaled. I am totally insane, taking advantage of her in her current state. He sighed and closed his eyes, pressing fingers to his lids to block the images of what he would rather be doing to ease her pain. It didn’t matter how long it took for her to stop grieving, nor did the guilt matter. He’d wait for her. Right now, what she needed was her best friend. And he was willing to act as a therapist. Yes, that was the right word. Low-key was the way to go. For now. Moments later, his eyes flew open. He shoved his plans aside and pasted a smile on his face. As she appeared around the corner, he offered her a genuine smile. Any therapist or best friend-y thoughts fizzled out. His gaze shifted to the bouquet of white roses cradled in the crook of her arm, then back to her confused yet suddenly bright eyes. He noticed the complete transformation of her face in the short time since she’d left his side. “Beautiful,” he murmured to himself. His eyes flickered to the roses, then back to that bewitching face of hers. His heart raced wildly inside his chest in anticipation as he stared at the flowers once more. Will Frey remain friends with Liese or will they both take a chance on love? You can buy the book today to find out! |