Halloween Ball Chat!

It's Samhain!!! Yay! I LOVE Halloween. It's one of my favorite of all time holidays.

Today is my chat at the Halloween Ball over at The Wild Rose Press . It's an all day affair so come on out and visit with everyone!! My chat time is at 2:30 to 2:50 Central time! I'm nervous but I know it'll be great!

I'm asking a question about my upcoming book. The answer is here on this page. Whoever gets it right will receive a $5.00 gift certificate from The Wild Rose Press!!

Also if you have time, check out my short story, The Witch Within. It's perfect for this time of year!

Happy Trick or Treating!

To Submit a Book: Blessing Or Curse

Seems like every time I submit a book to a prospective publisher, I go through a series of reactions. First, I research who I want to submit to, and then I polish my proposal. Next comes the sending. My finger hoovers over the send button or my hand clenches the envelope tighter as it rests on the mail slot. Why? Is it that hard for me to let go of this story? Am I so terrified of possible rejection? I'm not really sure, I guess you could say it's a combination of many factors.

I sweat. My stomach tightens and nausea burns deep in my belly. My hands tremble and I can't think straight. Each breath is a burden to my body. Am I doing the right thing to send this off? How will I react if I receive the dreaded rejection? I can imagine the joy I'll feel if the story is accepted, but a rejection, what will I do?

It's the thought that someone is going read what is deep in my heart then possibly decide it's not what they want. More questions work their way into my mind. Will they think I am a total idiot or a complete loser for sending this trash to them? They'll remember me as the one author they don't want anything else from. Nope, not her. Never again. Then I remember the stories I've sent that have since gone on to publication. My editors with each one have praised my writing and want anything I write. This one factor keeps me going.

Do I have an answer for why I feel this way? Looking far in the past, I have to say my confidence with my writing has always suffered. People close to me have never really read a lot and had a hard time believing in me and my ability. Because of this, I have severe doubts about my talent.

It's taken me years to work through these doubts. So do I send this book in or do I give up? No, I will not give up. I've worked too hard to fulfill my dream. It's taken me a long time to build my confidence enough to seek publication and I won't let my self doubts stop me.

In that second, strength rises in my heart and I press the send button or release the envelope. The package is sent. The deed done and I can not take it back. Does it make me feel better? Not really, the physical reactions are still there but with each submission, I become a little stronger and my confidence increases a bit more.

Does anyone else struggle with submitting works? What kinds of reactions do you have and how do you work through them?

Chilly Autumn Breezes!

Brrrrr, it's chilly outside. For those who live north of mid-Louisiana, it can be hard to comprehend that we don't suffer great differences in degrees of weather changing here. I live only fifty miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. We either have sultry humidity or rain. During the winter months, we have rain and wet cold. Not all the trees lose their leaves, and the change of seasons are minor.

I used to live up north and that's one aspect of Fall I miss the most. When the leaves turn red, gold and magenta, I can sense the wonder of our planet. It puts me the mood for holiday festivities. Especially Halloween.

We own several acres of land and a friend came and cut the pasture for hay. Seeing the huge rolls spaced out in the pasture and the cut green grass below made me want to go out and buy a bunch of pumpkins to mingle with the rolls. Fall has arrived. And I love it.

Just think, yesterday it was 90 degrees and today, it's 50. Nice, really nice.

Here's to the coming of Samhain! Hoping everyone has a fantastic one!!

Full Moons and Ghostly Spectors

I love Halloween. Why? Mainly, I suppose, because of the season's ambiance. The air is getting cooler, the nights come faster, and the spirits abound.

During these long, lovely evenings, I love to watch the silvered clouds float across a full moon. The lighting inspires the artist and writer in me. I imagine all types of creatures prowling just beyond my line of vision. Will they attack me? Or embrace me? I prefer the last one. To feel ghostly arms wrapped about me in a loving embrace. Over the last few years, I've written several stories with strange creatures. A wraith in The Wraith's Forest and a life-size carving in The Witch Within; each have their own tales and both are alive with emotions.

My favorite scene in The Wraith's Forest is where my hero, the Wraith, is following Keely, the heroine, and she questions him about it.

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The sun had lowered to the tops of the trees when she found a bench amid the wildflowers and weeds. With a sloping fountain in front of her, she listened to the water trickling. The peaceful rhythm soothed her rattled nerves.

She studied the landscape, remembering his comment about the gardens. Lovingly cared for. Were his the hands that tilled the soil and planted the shrubs and flowers? Here and there, a brilliant splash of color showed in the greens and browns of the foliage. Yes, she could see that these were, at one time, breathtaking.

A little to her right, a dark shape caught her eye. The Wraith watched from a short distance. She sighed. He had followed her all day. She noticed him often. He would appear in the deeper shadows along the fringes of the forest, reminding her that this was real.

“Why do you watch me?” She called to him. “What do you want from me?”

He glided nearer. “You remind me of someone I once knew.”

Keely tilted her head. “I’m not her.”

“No.”

“Why did you cut my hair yesterday?”

Behind her now, he halted. “I wanted to touch it. To see if my memory was correct.”

“About what?”

“The softness of a beautiful woman’s hair.”

Keely swallowed. “W-w-was it? As you remembered?”

“I cannot feel the strands. I have tried, but....”

“Because you’re a Wraith?”

“Yes.”

Tears burned at the back of her eyes. Nowhere in all the tales of this wretched creature had anyone told of this. That he would desire what he’d lost. Was there no way to help him?

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From the very beginning of the story, Keely assumed from the tales that the Wraith was an evil creature intent on destroying any who ventured into the forest. Sometimes what lays beneath the surface is so different than what is seen and believed.

So the next time you run into a fantasy being, albeit, wraith or faery, then remember there might be more to the story than just what the eye sees.

Hoping everyone has a fantastic month of October!!

Halloween Author Spotlight!

OMG!! Imagine my surprise and excitement when I found out that Romance ebooks has me as their spotlighted Halloween Author!! If you have time go check it out!!

Yippee! Doing the happy dance over here!

My Interview at Romance Writers Unlimited!!

I'm really excited at my new interview. It's posted at the Romance Writers Unlimited blog page. If you have time, check it out!!

Linda LaRoque Tagged Me!!!

Okay, Linda, first off, I will remember this!! Thanks so much for the wonderful words of praise! Everyone needs to take a look at Linda LaRoque's works. She's a great author and very worthy of reading. I promise you, it's time well spent! She has several books at The Wild Rose Press. I'm supposed to tell you six things about myself and tag six friends. Hmmm, let me see. Okay.

1. I live with my family in Southwest Louisiana with my husband of 30 years, three sons, two dogs (though the Dachshund thinks she's human), a 30 year old Appaloosa mare, and several fish. Can't our wet little buddies out, now can I? My oldest son, 24, just bought a home and moved out at the beginning of this month. It's strange not having him at home any more but I am proud of him! My two younger sons are still at home, attending high school. I've been working in higher education for the past 11 years. Before that, I worked at an engineering company.

2. When I'm not working a the day job or tending to my family, I write. If the muse is sleeping I love to sit with a huge bowl of popcorn and watch some Anime with my kids. What is Anime? It's, I guess, you could call it Japanese Cartoons, only they're so much more!

3. I'm a member of a local writer's group (Bayou Writers Group. We're a very close knit group. We started small but we're growing larger each year. Our annual conference is on November 15 at the Arts and Humanity building here in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The information for this is posted on their blogsite! Go check it out. It's going to be a great conference!

4. I have Cherokee blood on my father's side (great grandmother) and Choctaw blood on my mother's side (great grandmother). Can tell it with me but you can with my sister.

5. Can't wait for the time change at the end of this month. I'm ready for that extra hour. LOL! More sleep! This way, hopefully, I can dream. So far I've written three stories from something I dreamed about. The Witch Within is one of them.

6. There's so many people that I've encountered on this wonderful writing journey. Nothing could ever take their places in my life!


I'm tagging these people.

1. The first one is Pamela Thibodeaux. HA! Betcha didn't think I'd tagged you, huh? Yep, my Pam, is one of my dearest and closest friends!! Known for several years and we're each others sounding board for our writing. It's great to have someone close by so you can sit down over a hot cup of coffee and hash out problems with your current WIP.

2. Second is Gina Ardito. Wahoo! Gina has two novels out right now, Bonds of Matrimony and Slice of Heaven. You have to go check them out!! Love you, Gina, girlfriend! I've know Gina for several years now. She's one of my on-line critique partners at Romance Writers Unlimited.

3. Leslie Ann Dennis has been a friend since 2003. I met her at the NOLA conference in Shreveport. Loved her then and that love has never faltered. She is a fantastic lady and her writing ain't too bad either. Go check out her newest release, Reason to Believe! You'll love it! Leslie is also one of the founders of Romance Writers Unlimited.

4. If you like erotica romance then you need to go check out Amber Green's works! She is one fantastic author and one of my closest friends!

5. Hywela Lyn, my fellow horse lover! She's Welsh but she lives in England right now. Starquest is her new release from The Wild Rose Press.

6. Last but definitely not the least is Dawn Brown! She's one of my newest friends and another excellent author. If you have time go check out her latest novel, Living Lies!

I have a ton of writing friends and these are only a few of them. One of the reasons I love to write and what keeps me moving forward as an author is the support and feedback that I receive from all my friends. Without them, I would never have made it this far!

Love y'all!

Ready for Halloween?

If you are and you love to read, go check out my short stories, THE WITCH WITHIN from THE WILD ROSE PRESS

Here's the Blurb:

A scream echoes over Witch's mountain. A three hundred year old carving attacks for no reason. Widow Glory Sinclair fights against an unknown evil as she struggles with her growing attraction for Sheriff Will Moore.

And an excerpt:


The trail narrowed and the trees grew thicker along the edges. Cassie stayed several feet in front of Glory. Rocks and boulders littered the path and tree branches, mostly bare of their leaves, angled across their way. Glory had to keep a hand ready for a limb snapping back too fast after Cassie released it.

Every cracked twig she stepped on, the wind rattling the leaves on the trees, and even the crows cawing, pounded against Glory’s mind. Her entire body remained tense, fear slowly eating at her senses. A branch fell from the canopy, snapping smaller limbs before striking the undergrowth and musky leaves littering the forest floor. Glory froze, her gaze shot toward the spot several yards into the woods just to their left.

Glory glanced at Cassie. Her little girl stood a few feet further up the trail, a worried frown crinkled her smooth brow. Unable to speak, Glory nodded to reassure her and somehow managed to force a smile out. She moved toward Cassie, shooing her ahead.

Another few minutes crept by and a twig popped to their left. Cassie kept moving but her gaze flew toward the sound. There deep in the dim reaches nothing moved. Glory’s glance caught sight of a dark shape near one of the trees. She slowed down and squinted. The size of a person, the form could have been a snapped off tree. Her heartbeat increased and the shape slid forward in the same direction they traveled.
Glory’s eyes widened. Though she couldn’t distinguish any detail, she knew that shape. The carving was moving parallel through the trees with them.

Without thinking, Glory lifted her skirts, and grabbed Cassie’s hand as she passed her. She half loped down the trail, pulling her daughter behind her. She didn’t think about the danger of moving so fast along the mountain path, she wanted only to put distance between her daughter and that thing following them.

The trees thinned out and a sharp turn came into view. Blood pounding in her ears, Glory skidded around the corner.

Black forelegs reared and Glory screamed. The mule, out of sight with the bend in the trail, snorted and neighed, its hooves landing a few feet from where Glory stopped, Cassie held behind her.

“Good Lord, woman, didn’t you hear me coming up the trail?” Will swung out of the saddle. He patted the mule’s neck as he stepped in front of it to reach her side. Snorting, the big animal nodded several times, its bridle rattling in the quiet, before settling down.

Will touched her arm. “Are you all right? Shade didn’t hit you, did he?”

She shook her head, unable to force the words out. She released her hold on Cassie and clasped the loose sides of Will’s white shirt where it was tucked into his pants. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his chest for a brief second, then turned her head and laid her cheek on his breast. She listened to the steady beat of his heart.

“Honey,” Will’s breath slipped over her right cheek. “Glory, are you all right?”

His heartbeat accelerated and she realized how she frightened him. She needed to sort through her thoughts before answering. She had to tell him what had happened but the uncertainty of how he would take to the news frightened her more than almost being stomped by his mule.

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It's on sale! It's a eerie tale of paranormal and romance. Be sure and contact me if you do and let me know how you liked it!