#WriteTip - Take a Walk by @Gina_Wynn, spotlighting her @DecadentPub #Romance Her Dollmaker's Desire

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Fellow Decadent Publishing author Gina Wynn has a brand new addition to the Beyond Fairytales series. It features an ex-dancer, an evil stepmother, and a biker with a leather jacket—what more can a romance reader ask ? In addition to snagging an excerpt from Her Dollmaker’s Desire (which has a stunning cover, by the by), I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. As Fitbit-wearer, it's one I can wholeheartedly endorse. 

Take a Walk

by Gina Wynn

If ideas stop flowing, take a walk. I have my best ideas when I’m pushing my two year old in her pushchair. Of course, this might be more due to the two year old than the walking as I don’t often walk without her. If that’s the case, you may borrow mine.

I write stories by theft. I steal time from being an active parent, or an attentive wife…but mostly from doing my housework. Unless I’m procrastinating. Then my house is a shining example worthy of Stepford, my children sparkle and are fully entertained, and my husband experiences the contentment of a full stomach and being able to find the remote control.

I usually set out with a germ of an idea. A niggle of a thought gleaned from a sound, an image, a random thought or a snippet of conversation. For example, while I sat with my daughter in the still of her bedroom the other night, I heard a strange high pitched whining outside…what if that sound signaled the end of the world? Or, my husband drove me through the centre of Birmingham, and I looked out between two tall tower blocks. What if a dragon came swooping between those right now? I have no idea if normal brains work this way. I can claim a lot of things, but normal has never been one of them. 

Her Dollmaker’s Desire

By Gina Wynn

A Beyond Fairy Tales story

Rule number 123: Once upon a time is for fairy tales, not for broken ex dancers who live at home with Daddy and a textbook evil stepmother, and who only manage to get through life by counting every single step.

Amy knows her rules inside out…who to spend time with, what to eat, what to drink and what to do - until danger shows up in a leather jacket on a shiny chrome motorbike. Suddenly, breaking the rules seems to be all she can manage no matter how hard she tries, and her rigid control starts to slip.

Peder’s violent past has shaped him into the man he is, much the way he has learned to shape dolls with the help of his grandfather. He used to have only one rule in his life, courtesy of his absent brother and their shared gang past. When Amy is sent to write an article on his grandfather and his history of doll making for a paper her father’s company owns, she captures Peder’s interest and his heart. After his brother makes an ill-timed return and issues an instruction that threatens his future with Amy, Peder becomes trapped in a fresh web of lies and family ties. He must decide if he should start breaking the rules he didn’t know he lived by to take a chance on a future with Amy while knowing he could still lose her if she finds out.

Is Amy brave enough to put her faith in Peder, and can he overcome his past and convince Amy to follow their destiny, rather than her rules?

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Excerpt

Lost in her thoughts of the past, Amy reached to grasp the ballet dancer’s tiny form.

“I’ve brought the cake, if you want to come and sit with us for your cup of tea?” A new male voice, deep and confident, startled her.

She jumped and straightened, coming nose to nose with the unhinged grin and vacant leer of a circus clown.

A gasp tore from her lips. “Oh, my God.” She backed into something warm and solid,

and shrieked before spinning round.

“Sorry. Sorry…it’s just me.” The man’s eyes, rich with the colours of wild woodland moss, held an unexpected glint of danger. She shivered as an electric jolt shot straight through her when she met that green gaze. It glimmered with mischief and laughter, and he didn’t look quite as sorry as he should have.

Reflex led to her almost leaning into his strong grip as he reached out to steady her. Almost. She tugged her arm away and held out her hand.

“Pleased to meet you.” Superficial manners and years of rules kicked in, and she averted her gaze from the man who hadn’t introduced himself, and especially from his dangerous eyes. Her heart continued to race over her close encounter with the clown…yet the warmth in her arm lingered where the man had wrapped his strong fingers around her.

“Quite,” came his polite reply, and the obvious disinterest in his tone echoed through her, but what had she expected? Rule Number 15: Know your place, always.

She sneaked a quick look at him, and his very attractive lips upturned in an amused smile. One she almost returned, while wishing he’d speak more words once she could hear him over the rushing of blood in her ears.

His voice melted her, creating sparks and exploring long-forgotten depths of attraction. It made promises for ways they should spend time together he couldn’t even be aware of, and she wanted him to talk forever. She took an uncertain step away. Space seemed necessary…safe.

About Gina Wynn

Gina has fly-away hair that has always done its own thing, doesn’t feel as old as she looks, owns three children (aged 2, 5 and 7) who can’t be tamed, and writes in spare – stolen – time. ‘Her Dollmaker’s Desire’, published by Decadent Publishing, is her debut book, but she is brimming with further ideas and is willing to invest money in the first person who is able to add extra hours to a day.

She has a second book, ‘Her Undercover Christmas’ contracted with Decadent Publishing, and ‘What You Wish For’ contracted with Three Worlds Press and due for release September 2015.

Her love of the written word extends to owning a To Be Read pile that is probably longer than the rest of her natural life (more investment available for anyone who perfects anti-aging, then) and editing for a small press, as well as co-hosting a free promotion website for writers and their books at http://alwayswrite.club.

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#WriteTip - Develop Secondary Characters by @HaleyWhitehall (spotlighting her #historical #interracial #romance Midnight Caller)

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It's been a while since Haley Whitehall paid a visit (I kid.... a couple of months, at the most). She and I met through an author loop at the same small press many moons ago (approximately 24), and since then some of our titles have hit the rights-reversion mark. While I'm still hovering on the indie sidelines trying to decide if I want to tackle re-editing and re-releasing my own titles, Haley has valiantly taken the plunge. Here's a writing tip from Ms. Whitehall, along with a closer look at Midnight Caller.

Develop Secondary Characters

by Haley Whitehall

I’d like to thank Tara for having me on her blog today and help celebrate my re-release of Midnight Caller. My write tip: develop your secondary characters. Many times the secondary characters are overlooked and if they are developed at all are often cliché characters.

Many writers focus all their attention on the main characters. If it is a romance, they spend all their time developing the hero and heroine and of course the bumpy road that leads to them falling in love. However, in real life, people do not live in a bubble. We do not have tunnel vision and only think about, see, and talk to our significant other.

Secondary characters serve many important functions in a story. They can be a sympathetic ear for the main characters and offer advice. With their help the main characters might be able to figure things out and make life decisions. They can help the main characters out when they are in a fix, or they can cause problems for the main characters either intentionally or unintentionally.  There can be many secondary characters in a story. I love the small town romances where you get to know the whole town: the nosy neighbor, grumpy old man, a few rambunctious children etc. Secondary characters can bring the setting to life, and make it feel more real to the reader. And you know what the best part is? Sometimes secondary characters beg to have a story of their own!

I recently re-edited, lengthened, and re-released Midnight Caller (Moonlight Romance, Book 1). After writing three books in the Moonlight Romance series it occurred to me that an important secondary character in Midnight Caller needed a story of her own. Mrs. Dimshire is a widowed matron in Louisville, and she encourages Emma to take a black lover. I got to thinking what is her story? So when I lengthened Midnight Caller for the re-release I went back and added a few more details about Mrs. Dimshire’s life. If secondary characters are more developed, it makes them more real as well as making it easier to write their stories later.

Secondary characters need to be more than names. We need to take time to describe them and develop them. In my opinion, the more the secondary characters are brought to life the more the story will ring true. Just be careful and don’t let them take over the story!

Midnight Caller

Moonlight Romance, 1

by Haley Whitehall

Life without love is painful, but in the Reconstruction Era South forbidden fruit can be deadly. A fiery romance between a widow and an African American man has more consequences than either of them imagined.

Slavery has ended, but racial prejudice remains in Kentucky. Emma Bennett guards a secret that could destroy her life. Until now she never considered the price of her security. Becoming a well-respected member in Louisville had seemed a dream come true, but at what cost?

Her husband’s death from a carriage accident releases Emma from her loveless, controlling marriage. Now she has a chance to find happiness and raise a family. But before she begins courting again she wants to experience her freedom. At the advice of the leading socialite in town, she takes a black lover to fulfill her sexual needs. His raw masculine power awakens feelings she didn’t know existed. After the first touch, she craves more.

Frederick works as a roustabout by day and moonlights as a prostitute. He knows better than to fall in love with his white client, but Emma enchants him the first time he calls on her. To keep them both safe, he works hard to put up barriers. Unfortunately, he can’t protect Emma from the slimy Mr. Hawthorne, who wants her as his bride. Frederick vows to keep her safe even if his forbidden love costs him his life.

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About Haley Whitehall

Haley Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the surrounding wildlife. She writes historical romance set in the 19th century U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is hoping to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming. A good book, a cup of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy.

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#WriteTip - Don't Quit by @ErzabetBishop, spotlighting her @DecadentPub #Romance, Club Beam

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Fellow Decadent Publishing author Erzabet Bishop is about to have her Beyond Fairytales romance Club Beam turned into an audiobook. Yes, I'm super jealous. In addition to snagging an excerpt, along with some up-close-and-personal time with the gorgeous cover, I also convinced her to give me a writing tip. I reinterpreted it a bit for the graphic, mainly because I had been trying to figure out how to use that stock photo for a while now. 

Writing tip from Taraquan.com

Writing tip from Taraquan.com

Don't Quit

by Erzabet Bishop

Don't quit. Even when it gets hard. You are the only one who can write your book.

hen I first contacted Decadent Publishing to inquire about their fairy tale line I was assigned a story called “The Beam.” I looked it up and found out it was about a wizard who is bested by a woman and he exacts his revenge. Whenever I encounter a new project like this, I have to sit down and think about what all the moving parts mean. In this case, how to turn a story like this into a modern romance that readers would find appealing. Since I tend to write urban fantasy slanted pieces, I immediately laser beamed in on the wizard and witch part. I mean, how cool is that to have a ready-made story ripe for the picking? I just had to add some modern twists. What would be more modern than a witchy karaoke event and fairy tale fetish night? 

The process of writing for me is an organic one. It begins with a legal pad and a series of colorful sticky notes and a foam board. I start thinking about the chapters and what needs to happen to make the story move and there you go-plot points on sticky notes I can adjust as needed. It works too. Sydney had lots of thoughts on where she wanted to go and believe me, she is still in there talking. The second book in the Shadow World series is already writing itself (think dragon shifters and a psychic) and I can see the fireworks shaping up nicely.

Check out further adventures with Master Gideon and Sydney in Sci Spanks 2015 now available on Amazon. You might just get invited for a session behind the Red Door. Master Gideon has a paddle and he’s ready to play. There will be more where that came from, you can count on that…

I hope you will enjoy the introduction to my Shadow World series and return to Club Beam for many more adventures. I am happy to share that the audio book is now in the works. 

Club Beam

by Erzabet Bishop

In the Shadow World, nothing is as it seems.

Detective Sydney Marr is having a very bad day. Her boss is on the warpath, she’s being treated for a werewolf bite, and her current case has hit a dead end. When her friend Erika talks Syd into going with her to Club Beam, she jumps at the chance, even if it means spending an evening without her spell arsenal. A high-class vampire bar and fetish club, Club Beam is fantasy made real.

Club owner and Dom Gideon Raines spies the red-haired beauty and is transfixed. A fight against a skillful murderer brings war for fae and vampire alike. Sometimes when you play with monsters, the monsters play back.

Excerpt

“Once upon a time….” Erika sang and waggled her eyebrows. “Come on, Sydney. Live a little. This club is smoking hot, and you’ll love it.”

Sydney grumbled under her breath and watched the club-goers parade past, each dressed like a fairy-tale character. The Little Mermaid trounced by in a see-through, diaphanous gown revealing too much in the way of personal attributes. Sleeping Beauty sashayed down the sidewalk with a leash around the neck of her Prince Charming. A woman in a way-too-short Red Riding Hood outfit approached. Her arm was wrapped around a seductress dressed in wolf ears, a tail, and a skimpy thong-style bikini. Red carried a basket full of what looked like pink fuzzy handcuffs and a can of whipped cream, which she swung into Syd.

“Hey!”

The red-cloaked vixen sent her a wink and traipsed on by, joined by a near-pornographic version of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. Any shorter and the skirt would show her naughty bits. Or maybe that was the plan.

Syd had just gotten off her day shift as a detective, and the last thing she wanted to do was be around more people. Especially people with more skin showing than on late-night cable shows. Her head hurt from the lights and the pulse of the music, and her stupid witch costume was pinching her toes. Erika’s scant fairy costume hugged all her curves, her breasts bursting from the bodice. The skirt barely covered her backside, and the strappy silver sandals showed off her silver-glitter nail polish.

The building loomed next to them. A giant warehouse-like structure, it was large enough to house all manner of mischief, and Syd was itching with the desire to get inside and find out just what was going on behind its doors. The sidewalk was flagged by trees lit up with twinkly white lights, adding an upscale ambiance to the area. What in the daylight looked like an industrial area gone to the dogs had been transformed into an attractive and well-attended venue.

She didn’t have the heart to tell Erika she’d been here once already today for the case she was working on, but the entrance had been sealed up tighter than a drum. Sydney’s recourse was to infiltrate Club Beam by night as a patron. Her sergeant, Debra, would kill her if she realized Syd had even considered going in without backup. So would her partner, James. Erika had asked her to come so she wouldn’t be alone, and, despite herself, Syd couldn’t resist. To catch a vampire, you had to go out at night, and Club Beam was the hot spot. After last month’s fuckup, she had to do this and do it right, even if it killed her. James was on medical leave, and it remained up to her to get this guy before someone else got killed or turned furry.

I will not think about becoming one of the terminally furry. It’s over. Move on. Take the pills the doctor gave you and freaking pray.

“Oh look. I think I see Snow White.” Erika stood on her tiptoes and craned her head along the huge expanse of line they still had to navigate to get inside.

Syd peered into the crowd and grimaced. Hairy legs. More makeup than a Mac commercial. “Nope. That was a guy in drag.”

Erika narrowed her eyes. “God, Syd. You’re the world’s biggest wet blanket ever.”

Sydney shifted her weight and moved another two steps toward the door as the line inched forward. “I told you, I’ve had a hard day. We had a homicide case come in, and I’ve been out beating the street. I want to go home and bury my head under my pillow. But, no. Out of the kindness of my heart, here I am standing in line at a vampire bar with a bunch of overgrown kids playing dress-up in fairy-tale fetish wear.”

ABOUT ERZABET BISHOP

Erzabet Bishop is the author of Club Beam, Sigil Fire, Written on Skin, Tethered, Pomegranate, Temptation Resorts Jess and Marnie interactive choose your own adventure romances, and more. She is a contributing author to The Big Book of Submission, Slave Girls, Hungry for More, and many other anthologies. She is a winner of  two 2015 Goldie Awards for her work in anthologies and an active member of the Romance Writers of America. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and is often playing at local bookstores.

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