April 29, 2014





Wicked Fairytales: The Curvy Collection has been released!!



TEN HOT AND EXCITING RETELLINGS OF CLASSIC FAIRYTALES,
RE-IMAGINED BY MANY OF THE SAME BESTSELLING AUTHORS WHO BROUGHT YOU STRANDED WITH A BILLIONAIRE AND HOT SOLDIER!

Not everyone is what they appear to be and magic happens in the strangest places. What do you get when you mix a boozy fairy godmother, an overly dramatic Cinderella, a not so wicked stepsister and hot giant waiting at the top of the Beanstalk? You get BIG LOVE by Seraphina Donavan.

Ettie Stewart is such a nice, good girl, that she doesn’t even balk when her parents ship her off to a fat camp. But what if being everyone’s good little girl can have unexpected benefits in the form of the fat camp’s hot chef, Henry? Find out in CLEVER GIRL by Kate Baum.

Petra’s hiding a deep, dark secret...That she’s the big bad wolf. But the past always demands a reckoning. Will Petra be able to hold onto the man she loves, Argon Quinn, when he finds out the truth about their mingled pasts? The truth comes out in CRIMSON MEMORIES by Yvonne Nicolas.

Princess Skye Luna must choose a husband, and the array of princes and kings presented to her all have one thing in common. They’re not the man she loves. He’s lost forever. So why is King Michel so achingly familiar? THE SKYE’S THE LIMIT by Siobhan MacKenzie.

Princess Tonya leads a lonely, isolated and painfully celibate existence. Tad, cursed into the form of a frog, isn’t faring any better. When the two cross paths, Tonya’s response to his sexy voice is incendiary. It’s also the key to breaking Tad’s curse in CONTINUUM by Sheri Fredricks.

Horribly scarred by an enemy from his past, Lord Norcross lives in a world of darkness and shadows, until he rescues Lady Thessaly Shade. To keep her safe, he must claim her as his own. Can she possibly see him for the man he truly is and not the scars he bears in the BEAST OF BATH by Chasity Bowlin?

Cursed by an evil witch, Meesh and her brother Shawn will crave sweets forever. But as she walks into the new sweet shop in their town, Meesh encounters something that she craves more than sugar. SWEET TREAT by AR Von will satisfy all your cravings.

Rose has devoted herself to being a warrior, only to be told her best service to her family, is by becoming someone’s wife. Can a man like Prince Nicolai be happy with a wife who cares more for weapons than wiles? As they battle against an evil witch trying to capture their kingdom, he’ll discover her worth in BUY ME A ROSE by Brand Gillilan.

Samantha Goldi leaves her worthless, cheating boyfriend and finds herself lost in the woods. Taking the only refuge she can find, her safe haven is invaded by three hot, hunky brothers demanding to know who has been sleeping in their bed... and asking to join her in GOLDI’S THREE BEARS by Leigh Savage.

Angela Darling’s landing of her dream job is complicated by meeting two hot, dynamic man. In fact, Angela begins to realize she might have actually landed in a dream. Things are not what they appear to be, as magic and lust swirl around her. Leaving her dreary life behind, Angela gives herself up to the land of NEVER NEVER by Leanore Elliott.

For just $2.99!!


Reposted with permission from http://bgillilan.blogspot.com/2014/04/wicked-fairytales-curvy-collection-has.htmlhttp://dreamzofdragons.blogspot.com/2014/04/new-release-announcement-wicked.html?zx=3279061f861f7885, http://leighsavage.blogspot.com/2014/04/new-wicked-fairytale-anthology-on-sale.html?zx=958136df7f5b89de, http://www.romancebookjunkies.com/2014/04/wicked-fairytales-curvy-collection.html?zx=472b492df925e7ef, http://blog.yvonnenicolas.com/2014/04/29/new-release-wicked-fairytales-the-curvy-collection/, http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/2014/04/releasing-today-hot-and-happy.html



April 28, 2014

Cover Reveal - Code Name: Nina's Choice

My good friend Natasza Waters writes some of the best SEAL romantic suspense novels I've ever read. When I picked up her first book "Code Name: Ghost", I literally could NOT put it down. Her series "Warrior's Challenge" is awesome beyond belief.

Here's the info:

Navy SEAL sniper Mace Callahan has a sharp eye focused on Nina. When another warrior takes aim at her, Mace wages war for her heart.




Blurb
Nina Samson, an analyst working at Coronado Base Command, lands in Navy sniper Mace Callahan’s lap like an I.E.D. Two weeks of fiery passion with the lithe redhead, and the self-proclaimed bachelor raises the white flag.
Arriving in San Diego, Nina, a single mother with an eight-year-old daughter, spots danger ahead. Mace’s Hollywood goods looks and wicked smile makes her heart run a zip-line of crazy. Lust for the sexy SEAL swiftly turns to fear when he deploys to Syria for a mission.

Mace returns home angry. Believing his injury destroys their future, unable to pleasure any woman, especially one like Nina, he tries to sever their relationship. She deflects every round Mace fires at her heart, determination controlling the helm. Just as the seas calm, fate advances. Another warrior sets his sights on her. Mace will wage war for her heart, but it’s “Nina’s Choice”.
Goodreads Link

Do yourself a favor - get a copy of her books, find a quiet corner, and settle in for the ride of  your life!


April 19, 2014

Hot Off The Press Interview with the authors of Hot Soldiers!

(Reposted with permission from BGillilan's Blog: Hot Off The Press Interview )


Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new interview with the authors of the Hot Soldier Boxed Set.




We will be speaking with all six authors and they will tell a little about their story in the book, their writing experience and their selves.
Please welcome



Kate Baum



Siobhan MacKinzie



Leanore Elliott



Seraphina Donavan



Jamallah Bergman



Charisma Knight



You can find their book on Amazon
ebook $.99
paperback $12.14


Let’s get started shall we?


Q. What is the name of your book?

Seraphina: Hot Soldier Boxed Set, and my story is called Coming Home
Kate: Wrong Girl?
Jamallah: The name of my book is called “The Writer and The Soldier”
Charisma: The Last Tour
Leanore: Angel Watch
Siobhan: Suspicious Minds


Q. Would you give us a quick summary?

Charisma: Watching his entire unit get cut down in Afghanistan has left Sgt. Sebastian McElvoy questioning his sanity and whether or not he deserved to survive. Coming home to the wife he loves, the joy and peace that Rayna gives him fills him with guilt. But Sebastian isn't alone in wondering if the changes in him will allow them to resume their life together. Rayna looks at her husband and sees a man who is a ghost of his former self. Can she save him, and if she does, what will be the ultimate cost?

Siobhan: Jordan Blair is the prime suspect in the death of the man who caused him to lose his leg in Afghanistan – his former sadistic commanding officer. Recently promoted MP, Lt Rachel Carmichael, is in charge of the case and she is sure she has her killer in her sights. But there’s something about the wounded warrior that changes her mind. Rachel is drawn to him in spite of her suspicion. Proving his innocence might just be the first step towards healing…and love

Leanore: Mags Giovanni is a cop, her entire life is dedicated to law & order. Despite being what is considered a Bombshell, she has no interest in dating. Along with her good-looking partner, Max Stoker, they discover a vigilante is wreaking havoc on their beat. She meets Max’s best friend, a mysterious, quiet, sexy man. Rem Tarken is Marine Sniper who runs a YA club called Angel Watch. For the first time in her life? She wants a man to notice her. Yet, he doesn’t. She then, finds she has the wild hots for this marine, yet she feels he may be the vigilante too. Will she find love with him or will she have to arrest him?

Seraphina: Morgan Donnelly is a man in his forties. His whole adult life is spent in the military until an injury forces him out of active duty. He's got to decide whether he wants to be a civilian or ride a desk and send other young men into battle. Morgan is damaged, more emotionally than physically, though his injuries will impact him for the rest of his life... then he sees Lexi, a woman that by all accounts, should be totally off limits to him. She's too young, too sweet and then there's the added complication of him almost marrying her sister two decades earlier. But some things are just meant to be.

Jamallah: Basically it tells of a writer name Ione Finn who, after a good friend suggestion, decides to become a pen pal to a soldier. She ends up corresponding with Sgt. Mark Phillips and over a year they become very heavily involved with each other and eventually they meet in person for the very first time.

Kate: Ernestine “Ernie” Rose learned early on in life from her bitter and angry mother that she didn't need a man to succeed. While she learned those lessons well, they've made for a lonely life. It isn't until Ernie accompanies her extremely nervous friend on a blind date that Ernie discovers there's more than one way to need a man. Sparks fly between Ernie and the blind date's wingman, Chase. He inspires Ernie to do something she's never done before... let go of her inhibitions.

Q. What inspired the story?

Jamallah: I’ve known for years about where you can be a pen pal to a soldier overseas or either you can send a package to a soldier as well. So I thought that wouldn’t it be neat to write a story about what happens when two people become pen pals and what happens during that time.

Kate: I originally started this story to be part of an anthology with the theme of “wrong.”  When the idea of the hot soldier anthology dropped into my  lap, I saw the idea of a woman struggling with her soldier fantasy to add the crazy way she was raised in that men were all “wrong”.

Leanore: Soldiers I have known in my life.

Siobhan: I like strong women and I wanted to explore the possibility of a very “macho” army guy having to deal with a strong woman in authority – especially someone who out-ranked him. And the story itself came from a “what if…” question that would give me that platform to explore it.

Charisma: I’ll have to say the ladies I participated with in this anthology were great inspirations to me. I enjoyed participating with them in the group and really looking forward to doing more projects with them when the time comes

Seraphina: I worked in mental health counseling for a while. It's a brutal job and I am too pathologically empathetic to do it well and survive for any length of time. But while I was counseling, I encountered many men who were former military and who suffered from PTSD. I also encountered wives and girlfriend's who were suffering through the PTSD with their husbands and boyfriends. I felt like I could offer some insight into what it was like, and it was also a healing process for me, to be able to create these characters and give them the happy ending that sometimes eludes people in the real world

Q. Were you ever involved in the Military? Served, Retired, Volunteered, Child raised?

Kate: My husband is a veteran so I consulted with him on some details.
Charisma: No
Seraphina: I've never served, but many people in my family have. We have a long history of that. I'm also dating a man right now who spent many years in the Navy, and it shows. He's very dedicated, very driven. Whether he flourished in the military because he's those things anyway, or whether he became those things because of the military, is hard to say.
Jamallah: No I’ve never been involved in the Military but my granddad was in the Army.
Leanore: Dad was navy… stepdad was navy. I grew up right next to the largest Marine base in the world and have known many, both men & women marines in my life. At present I live almost right on the doorstep of Lackland Air Force base
Siobhan: I, personally, have never served. But I’ve met some wonderful men and women who have.

Q. Do you enjoy working with the other authors of the book?

Jamallah: Actually this is my FIRST anthology book and my first time working with other authors. It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do and I’m so glad to have been able to work with such a great ladies who not only do I call my fellow authors but also my good friends as well.

Charisma: Yes, they are a blast and I hope to do more anthologies with them.

Leanore: Oh, my gosh..YES!!!!

Seraphina: ? I love working with other authors. We all have different styles and approaches, and these are just some fantastic ladies

Kate: I LOVE working with the wicked women’s author group.  Sometimes as an author, it gets lonely since writing can be such an individual experience.  I am finding that working on an anthology project brings incredible camaraderie.

Siobhan: Always. These ladies are uber-talented. I love reading their stories and having mine linked to theirs. It’s like riding on the shoulders of giants.


Q. Can you give us an idea of some of your work?

Leanore: Mostly Erotic Romance of all genres: Western, Paranormal, Time Travel, Suspense, Fantasy, Shifter, BBW & Contemporary

Siobhan: Right now, I have three short stories out in the His Man… Series (His Man FridayHis Man Saturday, and His Man Sunday) with four more still to come. And I have three novels in the works that will be out within the next twelve months

Jamallah: Well right now I have ten books under my belt. I mainly write about Interracial/Multicultural Romance both Contemporary and Erotic. I’ve been publishing with Secret Cravings Publishing since 2011 but I recently just published my 1st self-published book called “Her Chocolate Fantasy” which I am very happy about. Most of my heroines are ‘full figured women’ who a lot of my readers can relate because the majority of what I write about comes from the heart and most of what my heroines go through; my readers have been through in their lives.

Charisma: With a gasp, Rayna McElvoy was jolted awake. She up in bed and turned on the lamp.  Her eyes filled with tears as she picked up the gold trimmed picture frame from the nightstand to stare at her husband’s image. Breathing hard, she placed a trembling hand over her breaking heart. Was Sebastian okay? After experiencing another horrific dream of his demise, she could only hope and pray.

Lovingly, she touched Sebastian’s image with her fingertips, tracing every wrinkle, every line of his stern, masculine face. His intense green eyes gazed back at her. His aquiline nose slanted and fanned into flaring nostrils. She longed to run her fingers through his jet-black hair, which had been styled into a military crew cut ever since he joined the Army.

“Sebastian,” she whispered. Her tears splashed on the glass of the picture frame.

Kate: I have authored the “Girl series” about four best friends that support each other through thick and thin.  My novellas hopefully are complementing that series.

Seraphina: Well, I write a little of everything. It runs the gamut from light hearted romp, sexy office romances, to deep and emotionally charged drama. Obviously the mental health background plays a big role in character development, so it's interesting to see what sort of torture I foist upon my characters from time to time.


Q. Do you have anything planned soon? Books, Events, Signings Etc.

Siobhan: My first novel release will be within the next two months when I releaseWilde Mountain Time, a romantic thriller. This year will also see the release of a two novel series – No Sooner Loved and A Pair of Stairs. I’ll have more information on Facebook as things progress.

Seraphina: In August, I'll be at the Author Reader Convention in New Orleans

Kate: I will be releasing book three of my series, Funny Girl, hopefully within only a few weeks of Hot Soldier

Jamallah: I have a book coming out soon “Gianni” my 3rd book in the Ciprianos of Kellington series which has been highly anticipated since everyone has fallen in love with the Cipriano family.

Charisma: I’m currently working on Book Two of my Raven’s Falls Series entitled Raven and the Rose. I’m also working on Book 2 of my Dragon’s Series, the sequel to The Black Dragon.

Leanore: I plan a 3rd book in my award Winning Nowhere, Arizona Series and a fourth in the Best-seller Velvet Western BBW Series, then 3 more Anthologies.


Q. What was the hardest part of writing a Military book?

Charisma: I wanted to include some scenes while Sebastian was in Afghanistan and that took some research because I have no idea what our military heroes go through. I don’t walk in their shoes and wanted to show Seb’s trials and tribulations.

Seraphina: Just digging into that emotion, that trauma of taking a man who was used to being on the front lines, used to being the go to guy, and then seeing him struggle with limitations and with guilt. It isn't just that they feel guilty for surviving, they feel guilty for complaining. They will compare their injuries to other people's and think they are being weak for complaining, or worse, ungrateful.

Jamallah: Making sure I had my facts straight on certain things

Leanore: The deep emotional scars, and the difficulty of the character reintegrating back into society

Siobhan: I have no military experience other than the few friends I know. It’s not a genre I read which made it very difficult to write. But fortunately, I have a great imagination, friends who had a lot to offer in the way of advice and technical know-how, and access to the Internet. 
                            

Q. What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Jamallah: Even though this is my first time writing about a character that was in the Military, I did have a problem with making sure that when I wrote about the fact that he was a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. I really didn’t want it to be ALL ABOUT him being a Sergeant, I wanted it mainly to be about their relationship and the fact that this man, who is lying up in a hospital bed is trying to not think about the fact that he’s in a bed and he wants to at least be able to talk with someone who he can be himself with and not just be a military man.

Seraphina: Just coordinating everything. Writing a story, organizing and collaborating and finding time to edit for the other authors and beta read, while still working and doing all the every day stuff. It's always a juggling act.

Leanore: To end the story. It went past the word limit and then kept going. It wanted to be an actual novel and I never intended that. It was supposed to be a short. LOL n fact, it IS the longest short in the Antho

Charisma: Balancing romance and the reality of a soldier. At one point, my story was becoming too dark and I had to catch myself and rewrite while placing some emphasis on the romance of the story.

Siobhan: See the previous answer – this book or any military book!    

Kate: I always seem to struggle with finding the time to write.  I work full time and am a mother so writing always takes a back seat.  I find this frustrating as I have all these ideas in my head that need to come out!

Q. What is something you won’t write about?  (cyborgs, zombies, aliens etc)

Jamallah: Honestly there isn’t anything that I won’t write about, lol. I am willing to try anything once.

Siobhan: I refuse to glorify rape as if it’s a romantic device. I have problems with anyone who thinks that women have rape fantasies. Rape is not sexy; it’s not about making love or having sex. It’s about punishing and controlling someone. It’s about violence. And it does NOT lead to romance.

Leanore: I used to have a list…I didn’t think I ‘could’ write vampires or male on male. That’s just not true. I feel if someone asks me to write a Vampire Male on Male Erotic Romance? I can do it. Leanore CAN write anything, she just never knew it before.

Charisma: Wow, I’ve written about cyborgs and aliens but haven’t tackled the zombie genre yet. 

Kate: I will never write erotica that involves nonconsensual sex. 

Seraphina: I don't see Big Foot in my future. While I have friends who can write about that, crypto zoology just doesn't seem sexy to me.
                           


Q. What is your favorite color?

Kate: It seems to change with my moods.  Right now I’ll say I’m in a “red” mood. 
Jamallah: Cobalt Blue
Charisma: Black
Seraphina: Green
Leanore: RED, always and by far. I have almost flaming red hair too. lol
Siobhan: Cobalt blue – deep, mysterious and peaceful to me

Q. Any favorite animals?

Leanore: Cats and Birds…enemy species
Jamallah: Panda bears….any kind of puppy…..koala bears
Kate: Choosing between my dog or my cat is like choosing one of my children over the other so I have to say BOTH.
Charisma: Cats, they are awesome
Seraphina: Well, I’m a cat person
Siobhan: I’m quite partial to birds of prey – eagles and hawks. But I’ve recently been adopted by the wolf, my current totem animal

Q. What is a place you want to visit?

Kate: I’m a huge history buff but I particularly love the wild west.  My second book,Brave Girl, takes place on a Native American reservation in South Dakota.  I did a lot of research on the area and now I’m dying to get to the Black Hills. 
Charisma: Europe
Seraphina: Just spin the globe and point. I want to go everywhere
Jamallah: Would LOVE LOVE LOVE to visit Italy for a month
Leanore: Paris…Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Greece
Siobhan: I have a deep desire to go live in London, England for a year or so – to get a flat near the theater district and hit every play I can. And I figure if marriage to Tom Hiddleston goes with that, I’m good. 

Q. What is your current favorite television series?

Seraphina: Person of Interest. Jim Caviezel is so hot in that show, I can actually look at him as John Reese and forget that he played Jesus.
Jamallah: Sleepy Hollow…..OMG..I really can’t wait till it comes back on because I am in love with this show.
Leanore: Justified, Touch, The Following, House Of Cards
Siobhan: Hands down, Castle. But I’m also partial to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.DRizzoli and IslesPerception, the Dallas reboot….
Kate: Oh, that one is so easy!  The Walking Dead.
Charisma: The Originals

Q. If you could meet anyone famous from that/those shows who would it be?

Jamallah: Tom Mison, the gentleman who plays Ichabod Crane. I’m sorry but I have a thing for men with accents.

Charisma: Klaus, Elijah, Marcel, and Rebekah. I just love this show, and honestly couldn’t stand The Originals when they were first introduced on the Vampire Diaries. But now, I see the method behind their madness and I’ve just fallen in love with them!

Kate: I LOVE Darrell.  If he gets eaten by a zombie, I will never watch the show again.

Siobhan: Definitely Nathan Fillion. But I’d like to meet Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) because I think Agent Coulson is wicked cool.

Leanore: Oh yes to all of them…Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon I have met though. (I have a background of working in clubs & restaurants in California)

Seraphina: Hmmm. No. I'd get tongue tied and weird. Maybe Nathan Fillion from Castle (and that little show that wouldn't die, FIREFLY!  Damn you Fox). Nathan and I could nerd out together, watch Star Wars. It would be awesome.

Q. What is your go-to treat?

Jamallah: Grapes or Pistachios
Charisma: Cheesecake
Kate: Anything chocolate
Seraphina: Right now, I'm obsessed with Blood Orange Sorbet. It's so good.
Leanore: Coffee and Chocolate. Both at the same time would be nice too?
Siobhan: When in doubt, a nice mug of hot chocolate with either a peppermint candy melted in it or some lovely peppermint schnapps. Mmmmm….

Q. What are three random things about you?

Jamallah: 1. I’m very shy around people until I get the chance to be comfortable around them
2. I am a big time movie buff….I love movies from the silent era up until the 90’s. I do have a movie group where we either talk about movies we like or I make suggestions about movies.
3. I get along with basically any and every one and I am a friend to the end to those that get to know me. I take my time with my fans and talk and answer questions and listen to my fellow authors when they need an ear. So yeah I’m pretty good that way.

Leanore: Random? Oh wow…I’ve been called: The Book Fairy, Wicked Leanore, The Goddess of Editing, A Knightess is Shimmering Armor, A Book Queen, A Book Slut…And often, just plain ole ‘Wicked’…But I have NEVER been known as being anything NEAR “Random”….*wicked chuckling inserted here*

Charisma: I’m a cover artist, aspiring web designer and entrepreneur.

Siobhan: 1. I’m still madly in love with Tom Hiddleston and I would love to have at least one dance with him. Just so I can stare into those beautiful eyes and dance in his arms. Heaven!
2. I am a devout Deist, with leanings toward the Pagan. I follow a mostly Celtic path with some Asatru leanings.
3. Writing is more than just my passion – it’s my sanity. When my life is screwed up beyond all measure, for whatever reason, writing helps me stay sane and on an even keel. It also takes all that stuff out of my head so that I can put more literary stuff in there. I get to share my passion and my fantasies. Does it get any better? I think not.


Seraphina: I read tarot cards. I have three tattoos. I have 7 cats. Yes, I know. I hate chick flicks. I refuse to watch movies that will make me cry. 

Kate:
1)    I live in New York but grew up in Chicago.  I have the most obnoxious Midwest accent.  Even after living here for 11 years, people still ask me where I’m from.
2)   One of my favorite things to do is visit haunted places. 

3)   I guess number two relates to number three.  I am a school librarian.  One of my popular library programs is telling ghost stories.  When the bell rings, many of my students are too scared to even leave their seats. 



I hope you enjoyed the interview. For more information regarding these authors, please find them on Facebook where they are all friends.


April 15, 2014

The RONE is here!



The RONE is here! The RONE is here!

RONE: Reward Of Novel Excellence
Pronunciation: Row-knee

Every year, InD’Tale Magazine gives an award to the best Indy books in all categories.



At the awards ceremony last year, Remedy Maker (Book 1 of The Centaurs) took home First Runner Up in the Fantasy Romance category.



This year, Troll-y Yours (Book 2 of The Centaurs) received a high review rating and is now nominated for the 2014 RONE Awards.

But it’s up to YOU, the reader, to make sure Troll-y Yours makes it to the second round of judging. Public voting narrows down the contestants to 4 – 6 finalists by choosing the books they love best.

I hope you will cast your vote for Troll-y Yours. Voting is open for exactly one week from April 14 – April 20.

Here’s all you have to do:
Log into InD’Tale magazine: http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-six
Scroll to the Fantasy category and place your vote for Troll-y Yours.

That’s it!

The finalists in this round will then be read and judged by a group of professionals in industry to determine the very best in indie and small published books of 2013. They will then be awarded the prestigious RONE award at the formal ceremonies, July 11th, at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

InD’tale magazine went to extensive labor to create and present the most credible and prestigious award in the industry today. Their three round system of elimination covers every facet - highly reviewed, loved by fans, and critiqued by qualified judges.  

No other award system today begins to compare, making the RONE award the very highest of honors bestowed on a book in the publishing industry.

I am proud and excited to have been nominated for the 2014 RONE Award and hope you will click on the link above to cast your vote for Troll-y Yours!!

Aleksander, Ella, Rhycious, and Patience – along with everyone else from Boronda –  all thank you from the bottom of their hearts. We welcome you to our mythic world!

Love,
Sheri


April 7, 2014

You asked, here it is: My Writing Process




My good friend, military romance author Natasza Waters, tagged me to participate in the MWP (My Writing Process) blog tour. I happily agreed because it’s different from others I’ve participated in. The idea is to explain how I write by answering four questions.
I should mention that I met Natasza Waters last summer at the Romance Novel Convention in Las Vegas. We didn't have a whole lot of time to hang out, she was uber busy with her duties as an author and review contributor to InD’tale magazine. However, the little bit we were able to visit sparked a friendship and now I’m an absolute fan of her work. 




The excitement will leave you breathless!

Here’s the questions and my answers to “How does Sheri craft a tale?”
1.  What am I working on?
Two projects at the moment. Book Three in The Centaurs series – Mythic Divine. I’m over half way complete with the first draft and it’s looking GREAT! I’m giving you more of the sexy shape-shifter Centaurs, sexy Nymphs, and who could forget the villain, Pennelope. My books have been classified as fantasy because of the characters, yet with shape-shifting I've crossed over into the paranormal realm. This series has been the work of my heart and I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey like I have. After all, we can only play in the real world for so long…
The second story I’m one chapter away from completing (squee!) is a twisted fairytale I titled Continuum. It will be available in April 2014, along with nine other romance authors, in an anthology we’re calling “Wicked Fairytales: The Curvy Collection”.
2.  How does my work differ from others of its genre?
In Remedy Maker, my debut novel, I took a Centaur and made him real. Rhycious is a former military medic with two hundred years of front-line war experience. Patching his brothers up might have saved their lives, leaving them with physical scars, but he never thought he would be left with the mental wounds. PTSD is his constant companion and he believes he’ll never find love with his aggressive condition. That is, until he meets a fun-loving bundle of positive energy named Patience…who just happens to be a Wood Nymph, the enemy of his people.


My stories are different because my Centaurs are shape-shifters, yet no different than you and I. Then I took a Wood Nymph and made them warriors, however they’re more of an ally than the Centaurs realized with their ability to appear and disappear in and out of trees. To round out the cast of characters, I added Trolls who can dive underground and a few Minotaurs and Satyrs as extras.
3. Why do I write what I write?
I grew up riding horses. It’s true! When I was five years old, I climbed on an old gelding and have ridden ever since. My parents boarded horses back then, and on my 10th Christmas I was given a mare of my own. Fast-forward a decade plus and I found myself married to a cowboy. More horses, cattle, sheep, dogs…lots of shoveling, if you get my drift.
Write what you know. I know I like to daydream. I also know horses. Put the two together and what do you get? Yup, shape-shifting centaurs with a Happily Ever After.
4.  How does my writing process work?
Originally, when I first started out, I actually had a schedule of sorts. I’d write a minimum of four hours a day, and more if I could fit it in. Nowadays my writing spurts are more sporadic. I can lay down a novella in just two days if left alone with my imagination. Not so easy with a self-employed husband and two teenage boys. I’m hoping for a summer where everyone has somewhere to go. J
Before I start my story, I write a complete outline. I don’t mark where chapters begin or end, but highlight the situations, moments of character study, and sometimes this includes dialogue I think may be important. This gives me a road-map of sorts to follow. If I deviate and take a scenic route, I’ll adjust my outline and keep going. It’s hard to turn off my inner-editor, and some days I can’t move on until what I've written is the best it can be. But a good friend once told me that you can’t edit a blank page. I try to remember that always.
Now, how does this blog continue? I’ll tag a couple authors and on April 14th you can read about their writing process on their sites. Here’s who I tag:


A.R. Von:  Ava and I met about three years ago. She reviewed Remedy Maker and I continued to visit her site. Once we became fast friends on Facebook, it was all click and seal-the-deal from there. A.R. Von writes Zombie romance, a genre I never thought I’d read but found I enjoy very much! She really knows how to spin a tale. Her Wunder series is available from all retailers. https://www.facebook.com/ARVon2
Katie St. Claire: As a new writer, the first thing I did was join an online critique writers group called Rom-Critters. I’ve made tons of friends and our friendships spill out into the real world (and onto Facebook). Katie is one of those friends. She’s warm and kind, always upbeat, and writes exciting Young Adult novels with a bit of paranormal thrown in. Young people readily identify with Katie’s stories and plot lines.  www.katiestclaire.com
It’s time I got back to pounding at the keyboard. Look for A.R. and Katie on April 14th. You’ll be entertained and pleasantly surprised by what you’ll learn!
 Have a wonderful week!
Sheri