Heart's Reunion is out!!

Do you like spooky paranormal stories? Be sure to check this story out from The Wild Rose Press!!




Pychic/paranormal researcher, Sabre Nichols attends her great grandmother’s funeral. She assumes she’ll stay a week at the old homestead on Witch Mountain to close the house then she’d return home. But her plans crumble after strange events occur on the mountain. The sight of a ghostly man, face frozen with terror at an unknown specter, ignites Bre’s curiosity. Even her late Granny’s tenant seems to have other plans for her.

Micah McGregor hides a secret behind his brilliant blue gaze. She’s memorized by the sexy half Native American and the attraction increases each day. He seems familiar to her, as if her heart has found it’s mate. Should she find the source of the spectral activities? Is there truth behind the tales of a witch in her heritage? She turns to Micah to discover the answers but can she trust him enough for her heart to unite with his?

Stella Cameron's Scarlet Boa Contest Winner is...Me!!!

I just want to say thank you to all the wonderful people who voted for my entry. I am so ecstatic to have won the contest. It was announced last night during Writespace chat.

Here's the link to see the winning listings!

Scarlet Boa Winners!

Congrats to ALL the people who entered. Takes a tremendous amount of courage to bare your soul for strangers to read. There was some great competition and I am really honored that I was chosen out of the finalists. Congrats to the three honorable mentions!

Love y'all,
Judith

New Release!! Love's True Enchantment!

My full length novel, Love's True Enchantment has been released from The Wild Rose Press!!!



The Wild Rose Press



Amazon

Blurb:

Illusionist, Shay Evers, seeking to right the wrong committed against her twenty four years ago, finds Caitlyn. At first sight, he is surprised at the strength of his attraction toward her. It’s an unexpected complication to his task. He has two weeks to convince her that magic is real. If he fails, she will die from the curse on her.

Magic is for fools, and Caitlyn Reiley is no fool. A news reporter, she is chosen for the coveted task of interviewing Shay at his home in Wales. Determined to prove that his magic is fake, she seeks the truth about him. When Shay starts to haunt her dreams and spark her passion, her beliefs are threatened and she battles with her growing desire for Shay. As the clock ticks, will the unlikely pair discover that love’s true enchantment will keep them together or will time run out?

Excerpt:

Deep purple midnight surrounded her. Stars twinkled everywhere. Sitting up, she blinked at their brilliance.

“I’m dreaming,” she whispered. “But it’s so real.”

She lifted her hand and dusty sparkles followed, leaving a trail like a shooting star. This was the strangest dream. Instead of fear bubbling inside her at the unknown surroundings, she felt secure in the glittering darkness.

Footsteps moved toward her, and from the purple blackness before her, Shay Evers appeared. Her heart skipped a beat. Blood started to pound in her veins. That slow, long-legged stride so unique to him brought him to her. He knelt before her and smiled.

“Hello, Caitlyn.” Amethyst eyes shone with an inner light.

She smiled, joy overriding everything else. “I’m dreaming.”

He grinned. His hand lifted and came to rest just above her left breast. “Are you? A sweet dream?”

“Oh, yes,” she sighed, leaning forward. Her fingers itched to touch him and see if he was real. Raising her hand, she laid the palm flat on his chest where his shirt gaped open and found solid warmth. “Oh.”

A low chuckle brought her gaze up, and her breath caught at the gentle glow in his eyes. “Do you like?”

Shifting to her knees, her caress glided toward his jaw. She brushed her thumb across the satiny flesh of his full bottom lip and sighed once more. “Yes.”

They leaned as one and touched lips; soft, tender, their breaths exchanged for an instant. “Open your eyes and look to your heart.” The accent flavoring his voice was stronger than she remembered. Beautiful and lyrical, she listened to each layer of it. “Look deep, past all barriers, to the center. Find what you lost and you will be free.”

“Only if you stay with me,” she whispered against his mouth and slid her fingers into his hair to hold him. His hands encircled her throat, his thumbs under her chin, tilting her head. She captured his lips and deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and crossing the threshold of his with a gentle probe of her tongue. He tasted of cinnamon, her favorite spice. She moaned as heat climbed from the soles of her feet to inflame her body.

“I’m dreaming, and I never want this to end,” she whispered when the kiss ended, arching her back as his lips moved over her jaw to her neck. Warm breath slid across her skin.

Surgery...Not looking forward to it!

Yes, I'm having my gall bladder out. Worried? A little, but mostly frustrated because I HATE having any kind of procedure.

Back in 1996, I had my hysterectomy. Nice little bikini cut, surgery went fine then the two young nurses proceeded to let me hemorrhage all day long. My doctor almost had a stroke when he arrived to check on me that night and realized what had happened. They were talking blood transfusions and all that good junk. Not fun. I'd never, ever been so weak in my entire life. So, now, I'm a little leary of any kind of surgery.

I know this type of stuff doesn't happen all the time but it really impacted me. Put up a mental block that I really have a hard time overcoming. Yes, I will have the surgery, but I'm not looking forward to it. Not at all!

This has also halted all writing for me. Can't concentrate to write or (LOL!) sleep. Try not to think about it but human nature sort of over-rides my good intentions and I end up right back worrying.

Everyone, please keep me in your thoughts Wednesday morning! I'm going to need it with my nerves!

Release dates for two stories!!

Yes, two of my works:

Heart's Reunion (Here)



will be released on NOVEMBER 4, 2009

and

Love's True Enchantment (Here)



will be out on NOVEMBER 13, 2009.

Can I say ecstatic? I truly am!

But it's strange. My happiness is tempered by a calmness. There are a couple of projects I'm working on that have taken a lot of my time. During late Spring and most of the Summer, I don't blog much. Why? Dunno. It's not that I don't have anything to say, I'm just silent.

Make sense?

Sometimes the quiet helps me find my place. I write and think, then write some more. There are days I rearrange the paragraphs, the phrases, and even the entire story.

I find it's helpful to step back and align the focus of my writing so I can see the best picture.

Well...just had to shout out and let everyone know I'm still around, just being quiet!

Day 2 Down Memory Lane

Why is it when you return to a childhood home things are a lot smaller. You look around and think, sheesh, this was huge back in 1970. Well, three years ago, my sister and I returned to our old home in north Mississippi. We had a little difficulty in finding it. The land around the roads are definitely different. The entire area has built up in the last thirty odd years. When we did manage to find the road, we passed the old place up. Had to turn around and go back a little slower. We came upon it quick. In shock, we parked on the curb and stared.

We looked at each other in disbelief. No, not because the place looked like a dump. No, the house and land looked great but the hill where the house stood was small. Very small compared to how it was when we lived there. Even the two story white house had shrunk over the years. Also there weren't any trees around the front. The entire place looked nothing like what I remembered.

The house I remembered was situated up on top of a high hill. There was a red dirt circle drive leading from the road to the house with another side drive off the circular one heading toward the back of the house. And trees, oaks, mimosas, pines--especially pines--all over the place. Behind the house, the woods claimed the land which rose above the hill our house stood.

Oh, the memories of wandering through those woods, exploring and allowing my imagination to run wild. I became Davy Crocket's woman or an indian maiden searching for lost treasure. My companion was an eighteen year old Chihuahua named Beulah. She belonged to my grandmother and when she passed away, my grandfather gave her to me. She was my sidekick. I'd climb the mimosas trees lining the side of the house and she'd sit on the ground, patiently waiting, watching in case she needed to catch me if I fell.

In this house, I discovered my love of reading. So many days I spent reading book after book. I read every Nancy Drew I could get my hands on. Also Trixie Belton. I have to admit, I preferred Trixie over Nancy. I suppose Trixie was more in my times than Nancy was but still I loved all their stories. The sparked my imagination.

The other thing I discovered while living in this house is I am sensitive to strange otherworldly happenings. Once while in my mom's bed, I experienced my first ghostly impression. I'd never in my young life felt such fear as I did that morning. It was raining outside, a dreary yuggy day. As I lay cuddled under my Mom's covers, I heard someone coming down the attic stairs which was right off the bedroom. The footsteps on the stairs became louder and louder. When they reached the bottom, the attic door slammed open.

Need I say I was scared shitless? I managed to build up enough courage to slip out of bed and cut through my bedroom to the den, heading for the kitchen. The house was built with the rooms in a circle pattern. You could go through the entire house by just walking from room to room, making a complete circle. In the kitchen, my Mom, older brother and sister sat laughing and talking at the table. I asked them if someone had just gone to the attic. No one had. So what had I experienced? I still believe to this day it was a spirit. Keep in mind the house was very old. Half the attic had been turned into living space. My playroom was up there. Yet, even after this experience, I still went up there, playing with my Barbies and other toys. I'd open the windows and the breeze would come in making the place so peaceful. I supposed I automatically knew whatever it was wouldn't hurt me.

I keep these memories close to my heart. Beulah is long gone, so are my Mom and Dad. I still have my sister and brother and my memories of happiness up on Cuff Hill.

Day 1 Down Memory Lane

This morning while sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful dew kissed landscape, memories of past flitted through my mind. The strongest was my favorite of any cars I've owned. Strange memory right? But still, everyone has a favorite, die-to-own car or truck. Mine was bought brand new by my parents in 1975. In 1981, they purchased a new car and 'sold' me their old car. I still smile about that car. When the time came and I had to sell it, my heart broke. Why? Because of the memories associated with it but also because I simply LOVED everything about it. What make and model, you ask?

Here's a picture. The color is wrong. Mine was a shining sexy Black! But the wheel covers are exactly the same.



The interior was wood grain and burgundy leather seats.

I'll never forget how good I felt behind the wheel. Never drove another car or truck that made me feel that way again. Strange though how some small thought will spring forth such good memories.

Does anyone else have a favorite vehicle from their past? Or even their present?

Daily Word Count

Let's see...I try to aim for at least 500 words per day, but sometimes it doesn't work out. Some days I reach 500 and higher (love those 5k days), other times I'm lucky to type 1 word.

It's amazing how something so simple as word count can turn a writer off. I become very depressed if I don't reach my goal and I end up shying away from the computer 'cause I worry I'll miss another word count goal. I struggle all the time not to allow the word count to affect when and how much I write.

So, does anyone else allow small things like this to affect their work?

So far I have written two stories from dreams I've had.

The Wraith's Forest and now The Witch Within. Both were picked up immediately after I wrote them. Tell me something? I guess it does.


I believe in dreams and the messages they carry. Years ago, I would watch my Mom looking up her dreams in a dream dictionary. I don't mean these new age versions of a dream dictionary, I'm talking about the ones written to coincide with what the ancient oracles noted.



One of my favorite dream dictionaries is the one by Lady Stearn Robinson. It's great and hits the mark with the interpretations 9 out of 10 times.

Putting these dreams into stories was intriguing and very stimulating, pushing me as a writer. I started with a fragment of the dream with The Wraith's Forest and it turned into a 17k word story. I've had excellent reviews for the story and two publishers grabbed it (Chippewa Publishing for a 90 day slot and ComStar Media for the anthology, Tavern Tales).

As for The Witch Within, I was thrilled to have it accepted so quickly by The Wild Rose Press. I incorporated the majority of the dream into the story adding and deleting very little from the original dream. Hopefully, those who read it will fall in love with it just as those who read The Wraith's Forest.

Our minds are complex. Because of this whenever we receive messages within our dreams, we need to listen carefully. It may not necessarily pretain to our everyday life, but it might concern what we love to do which for me is writing. So if you have a dream and a story forms from that dream, write it. You just might be surprised what will happen.

Dragon Wish Cover

Here is the cover for my newly contracted book, Dragon Wish!

Do I need to say I love it?

Dragon Desire

This is the second book in the Avaris series. Dragons play a huge part in these stories. This one has a twist to it. Want to find out what? Sorry, you’ll have to wait until it published and available to read.

I’m halfway through it and don’t have a blurb for this one yet.

In it, I’ve revisited the planet where Dragon Wish is set. The hero is a character from the first book. Honestly, I’m having a blast writing this book. The main characters are great together. Here’s to you Ren and Caudal. May the Golden Dragon keep you in the shelter of her wings.

I started and hopefully will have Dragon Heart after this one. The storyline is before Dragon Wish’s. The story will be shorter than the other ones.

There are two other books on my list for this series. Dragon Redemption and following after is the one about the True Dragon King, Dragon Destiny.

To Thesaurus or not? That is the question.

I have a three inch thesaurus. LOL! Makes me envision dinosaurs when I see the word. Of course, the size of my thesaurus is a match for any extinct reptile. My book is titled, The Synonym Finder by J. I. Rodale. Do I love it? You betcha!

The pages are marked with colored tabs (I put them there) to make places I go to often. Yes, I have a terrible habit when I’m writing to use the same word over several times. The thesaurus helps me find another word in its place. I also think it adds a wonderful flavor to the story too.

I even found a name for my hero in the my novel Dragon Wish from this thesaurus. I searched the words brave, honorable, warrior. When I reached warrior, the name popped out. Paladin. Perfect match for my character so thus the name.

My thesaurus have over one million synonyms along with their acronyms. I’ve had it for about eight years now and the pages are a little yellow and bent. Did I say how much I loved this book? It was an excellent investment to my writing. I’ve tried the computer’s synonym finder but it’s not the same. The selections are small and don’t work well with what I’m searching for. Sort of like having an affair. I feel guilty using any other word search. Did I tell you I can be a little warped?

Do you have a favorite thesaurus? How often do you use it? Let me know.

Contract from Wild Child Publishing!!

Wild Child Publishing is contracting the first book in my Avaris series, Dragon Wish.

Do I need to say I'm thrilled?!

My novel. Book one in the Avaris series. It’s almost 100,000 words of excitement, adventure, heartache, and love. This book has taken me four and a half years to finish. Completed last year, I held on to it. I suppose I was too afraid to let this baby go. This is the one I mentioned the other about waiting to hear about a contract. I found out late yesterday they definitely want it.

Here’s the blurb for the story:

A vision, a wish, a journey plagued by evil.

Cold, desolate cliffs and a white dragon’s blue gaze captures Seren Jordan in a terrifying vision. A universe away, Captain Paladin Fulcan struggles to overcome his grief after losing his wife and son. Seeing a shooting star, he makes a wish. But here on Avaris, wishes are forbidden and love forsaken. This throne less dragonseed king’s destiny is intertwined with a mortal mate to create the One True Dragon King.




Of all my books, Dragon Wish has developed into a massive creation with its own heartbeat. Set on a different planet, it’s a journey of finding love and inner wisdom. I love my characters, especially the hero, Paladin. He’s very special to me. No, he’s not modeled after a real life person. He’s a characteristic compilation of what I believe a hero should possess. He turned out wonderfully. Most of my critique partners who’ve read the story fell in love with him too.

So here’s to you, Paladin, Seren, Leo, Ren and all the other fantastic characters which make this story rich. May all who read this book come to love you as much as I do!

I will keep everyone updated!

How much do you want it?

Do you stew every second of the day, thinking about it? Do you imagine grandeur moments of receiving a phone call from a huge publisher seeking to publish your book? Taste it with each typed word? Well, if you’re a dedicated author, determined to succeed, then yes, you do. And why wouldn’t you? Like me, you’ve worked hard to hone your craft.

You prepare a submission, send it off and wait. After a few weeks, most of the time months, a response arrives. Sigh...it’s a rejection. So, do you give up? Hum, your determination isn’t great and powerful enough if you do.

So you join a critique group. After posting some of your novel, you wait for your fellow critique partners to comment on the story. They do and the blinding red splotched across the pages inspires a defensive reaction. Why? Don’t you want to hone your craft? Remember, all the people whom you hope will buy your book will each have a different interpretation of your story. So what do you do?
Give up? Or look through the comments and see which ones are common and which ones are opinionated. You make the corrections and repost. You’re learning and growing with your craft.

Hurray! You’re finally published and the finished product sent off to a reviewer. You wait for what seems like forever. A review shows up on your Google alert. Yes! You zip over to read it and your mouth drops open. The reviewer hated the story. So was your book that bad or was the reviewer having a bad day when she read your work? Time to look inside and see if the problem is with yourself and your writing. It’s your call on whether you’re being honest and admitting maybe, just maybe there’s some truth to the reviewers comments. If not, then ignore it. Not everyone will love or understand your story.

Next, you receive your cover. Omigod! It’s the worse cover an author can have. The hair color for both hero and heroine is off. Their faces aren’t what you described in the book. The colors are hideous. Embarrassed, you rush an email to the editor but it doesn’t do any good. The cover stands as is. Do you accept it and move on or complain and whine until you make the editor and publisher angry?

Writing takes a tremendous amount of discipline and dedication. There are many ups and downs. An author must realize this at the start. If you don’t then the trip down the writing yellow brick road will end up worse than Dorothy’s and Oz simply a mirage along the horizon. Writing also takes some intense soul searching too. For me, writing is humbling and reminds me I’m not perfect. I strive everyday to improve my ability by learning more and more about the craft. Why? Because I want the reviewer to love my story, I desire my critique partners to love my story, I yearn for readers to develop a passion for my books, but most of all, I crave to do the best I can with my talent.

So, how much do you want a publishing contract? Do you step on the roller coaster ride to publication or do you talk the talk but skip away from the walk? Let me know what writing and seeking publication means to you.

Reel Treats.

Most people have a favorite film. One which affects them, one they enjoy viewing over and over again, even one whose dialog invokes a response from them.

Me? I love movies with eye treats. Uh huh, (insert snicker here ) I know what you’re thinking. See, the words stirs up some interesting thoughts. No porno here.

I’m thinking of films with sensory details. Right off the bat, I envision The Chronicles of Riddick (2004).


Oh, yes, Vin Diesel. Hot body, handsome features, ante-hero character; wow, what a man! Definitely an eye treat! But why this movie and not say ‘You’ve got mail’? Easy. The director used the details and different locations for almost every scene to bring the scope of the story to life. The movie starts with Riddick on a frozen planet. The attention to minute details are superbly portrayed with the icy landscape from the snow and ice inside the cave to the same coating Riddick’s long hair and beard. This scene lasted only a few minutes but the impression stayed with me.

I love that movie. Now I want to watch it again. I need my fix of reel treats.

This is what I desire whether reading or watching a film. I want to capture the moments in the scenes with my visual sense. Yes, I know how cold some places can be, and yes, even the maximum security prison on a fire planet reminds me of how fire can burn. This is what appeals to me.

For instance, take the city Riddick travels to seeking the ones who sent the bounty hunters after him. The place appeared calm and peaceful on the surface, a normal city on an ordinary planet, but the talk on the streets denied this fact. Then the entire atmosphere changed in seconds with the arrival of an evil force.

I found all the aspects of the film excellent for my senses. In turn, I can use this as a template for my own writing. Adding small details to give the story flavor helps place the reader within the story. When I write, I see the scene played out in my mind. The stronger the images, the better the descriptions, and I have accomplished what I hope to by producing read treats for the reader.

What film inspires this in your writing? Does the story play out in your mind also or does it come out when you’re writing? I really want to know.

Waiting on Pins and Needles!

Ummm, what an understatement.

I sent a query to a well known e-publisher on January 6 this year. Just a three paragraph summary and chapter one. Pretty much a normal query. Nothing spectacular. I waited to see if they wanted to read the rest of the manuscript, hoping they would so I'd have a chance at a contract.

Well, hopes can be fulfilled.

I received an email from the submissions editor informing me she was sending in a contract request for the book. Can I use the word shocked? Surprised? Thrilled? Doubtful?

Shocked she wanted to contract the story without reading the entire book.

Surprised for the same reason.

Thrilled at the chance to receive a contract from the publisher.

Then lastly, doubtful she had the right author.

You know, one of those freak incidents where you email the wrong person. Well, she hadn't contacted me by mistake. She answered my response, informing me that she'd wanted to contact me weeks ago but only now had time to do so. Well, the shock returned. She read just chapter one and the short summary, yet she fell in love with the story.

Right at this moment, I'm sitting here on pins and needles, keeping my fingers crossed that I'll receive a contract for the book soon. It's approximately 100k word fantasy romance.

As I wait, I'm thinking about what this book means to me. I suppose it's the book of my heart. It's taken four years to write, re-write and re-write. From this book, another second, third, and now fourth and fifth books have come to life in my imagination. The second story is half written and I also started the third one. If this publisher takes my novel, it will open the door for the next four books in this series.

So, yes, I'm excited and greatly honored for this opportunity. That is, if I survive the wait. One more week till I find out!

Haven't Been Adducted by Aliens

Just to let everyone know, yes, I'm still around, nothing bad has happened, no aliens came zipping by to transport me to the outer limits. Um, well, my sons would say I stay in the outer limits but what the heck. Sometimes I like it better over there than here.

Anyway, I've been working my edits on Hearts' Reunion and Love's True Enchantment. Can you understand? Yep, bet you can.

Oh, one new thing I've done. I have a brand, spanking new website. If you have time go check it out! Sign my guestbook.

My Website

Yay!! New Cover

I just received my new cover for my Wild Rose Press Faery Rose Miniature. I really really like it.

I love the ambiance of the cover. It matches the story exactly. Now I can't wait for it to be released. Kim Mendoza is the artist and she's great!!

Falling off the face of the Earth

Well, that's what it feels like sometimes. Received a rejection from Samhain publishing. Should I say disappointed? Nope, no need for that. All authors understand but fear not ravenous fans, I am persevering. Sent out a couple of proposals and hoping to hear some good news concerning them.

Goals for this year is to find homes for a few shorts and a couple of full lengths. Who knows? 2009 will be a great year for me.

Update on what is happening in my world. Ummm, well, I didn't do any writing over the holiday. I rested my mind and feel good. Had a wonderful time off, visiting, shopping and just being with family and friends. Kicked off the New Year at home with hubby, peaceful and serene, just the way I like it.