It's all about family!

I was lying in bed, eyes closed thinking I needed a nap. I even posted on face book that was my intention. However, my mine wouldn't shut down. After all it was only three hours after I'd gotten up for the day but since procrastination was strong today it sounded like a good idea. I was thinking about family and how blessed we are when we have family. I found myself out of the bed and in my kitchen staring out the window. my mind reminiscing about the recent family reunion/cookout I hosted in July. Lots of food, laughs, stories and thoughts about the ones not present. Before I knew it it was pulling the peaches I recently brought on my trip back from Myrtle Beach. I just spent a few days with A.C. Arthur at her beach bash. More family. A.C. was the matriarch of the event who surrounded us with readers. More family. There were readers present that I've know for years and readers I hadn't had the pleasure to meet until the beach bash. Other family included fellow authors. We come together with the some of the same goals. Network. Build readership. Have fun and if its at all possible, allow out muse to roam free and pick up on the energy filling out lungs and just maybe we'll be able to pound out more books and work on the ones waiting for us so we can attend more bashes and events. It's the family that we have weaved together that keeps us going. They keep us focused and do what we love to do. We want to hang out with old readers, meet new ones and network with other authors and do what we are disdained to do... write.

Tag lines and blurbs

That one little line that will grab you and pull you into a book. That simple sentence that defines an author. Lines like Denise Jeffries, Author. A wild ride of romance and intrigue. What does that say to you. I write romance. Sure. I like to keep my readers intrigued. Yes! All of that and more. It also keeps me wanting to put out a good product and keep my readers busy and happy. I want them to say, when is the next book coming out. I want to hear, are you coming to the conference, etc. These are the things that drive me. Take for instance, my latest release, 'Saint's Bayou,'As anger builds and sparks fly, when their paths cross again, will they be able to put the past where it belongs... in the past and allow what's building between them to blossom or will the lies separate them forever. This book has two people who crossed paths in their past and in the blink of an eye, they were again in their own worlds with mere memories of what they share. This sentence says a lot. How many of us have met someone in our past or done something and you wish you could push the past away and start new. How many of us wish we could turn back the clocks of time. I recently saw a statement that was so profound it will most likely stay with me for a very long time. The statement said, 'if I could turn back time, I'd find you sooner so that I could love you longer.' My circle knows I lost my husband last year, Feb. 2014. We were only married for 15 years before he died. If only... And what about, As worlds collide, only one will survive. Immediately you know this is a book about survival. It's about forces fighting together to win a war. The question is, who will win? Who will come out the victor. And does it matter that they are shape-shifting fire fighters? And finally, when your dreams become nightmares and your nightmares become reality... run. How bad can a nightmare be. I had a nightmare once where a man was standing over me strangling me. I fought and kicked to save my lift. The crazy thing of it all. I knew I was dreaming, but I couldn't pull myself out of it. When I finally woke, my throat was sore and my voice was harsh. Run? I know I would. Would you? I think its a good assumption that it can be a minor sentence or tag line that draws someone to a book and keep them there. Intrigue. Love. Lust. Suspense. Murder or romance, rather it's contemporary or historical, authors have a very difficult job of remaining true to the words and delivering what they promise. If we don't the reader will do what... run!

Wow! It has been a long time since I wrote on my blog. Where has the time gone. 2014 was very emotional for me. I lost my husband Feb. 5th. A piece of me is now in heaven kicking up his heels and feeling good. However, I God is good. He brought me family and friends that have held me up and given me strength. My author friends and the multitude of readers have been by my side keeping me strong, making sure I didn't waver too far from the writing world. At one time I didn't want to write, however, they wouldn't have it. My muse was enlightened with ideas and vigor. I now have three full length manuscripts that I am finalizing. The first one, Saint's Bayou, will be released in March, just in time for Romance Slam Jam, www.romanceslamjam.com. If you haven't registered you need to do it right now. The second one is Rhythms of the Soul which I'm hoping will be released this summer. It will be a great summer read. Lastly, Stalking Passion will be out early 2016. Yeah! I am doing the happy dance. It feels good to have the writing bug. Saint's Bayou, blurb. Enjoy! Tyson St. Jerreau didn't believe in fate, luck or love at first sight. He believes in getting the job done. It's about the missing women and children. The girls and the boys. It’s about the case. The one thing he certainly didn't have time for was history repeating itself. Raine Jacobs doesn't believe in fate or love either or anything else that instills beliefs that life is fair and what it's supposed to be. After all, she shouldn't even be here. She's supposed to be dead. As anger builds and sparks fly, when their paths cross... again, will they be able to put the past where it belongs... in the past and allow what's building between them to blossom or will the lies separate them forever.