Transitions

After several months of scheming and planning, I am finally making the transition from "Fiction Author" as my online (and offline) identity to "Freelance Writer".

I came to this decision based on a number of factors related to my personal life, income goals, and talents:

* I love to write and freelance work gives me a way to develop that passion while making $$$
* The marketing tasks required of an author with a small, indie publisher were taking up too much time and effort better spent on more important things (like church duties, family events, staying in touch with friends, etc.)
* I desire to provide quality, necessary services, helping people, and writing books just doesn't seem to fill that need.
* Freelance clients love my work writing online content, articles, and eBooks

This was a hard decision to make, in some ways. I still enjoy creative writing and I will probably always continue to wordsmith for myself, but my main focus in now on providing this service for others.

Please visit my website as it goes through a major transformation and feel free to contact me if you have a need for any type of written content.

Cheers!
Candace Morehouse

Full Throttle is Coming Soon

Look at my newly created cover art for Full Throttle! I think the artist, Trisha Fitzgerald, did a fanastic job.

Full Throttle will be available October 1st through Champagne Books. Here's a blurb about this contemporary romance (my first!):

When ex-Harley racer Linc plots a full throttle seduction of motorcycle tech Samantha, the last thing he expects is love to throw a wrench in the works

Phoenix is hot but the bikers are even hotter and Samantha finds this out firsthand after partnering with her cousin to run Dr. Doug’s Mobile Dyno, a motorcycle testing and performance tuning business. Spurned by an ex-fiancée and resolved to taking care of her aging father and his medical problems, romance is the last thing Samantha’s looking for while expanding her new business is at the top of her priorities list.

Along comes opportunity in the form of Linc Montgomery, a tough, business-savvy, ex-Harley racer and new owner of Full Throttle Custom Cycles in Phoenix. Linc is used to having gorgeous women fall at his feet. When he meets Samantha and agrees to contract her dyno services, he quickly realizes she isn’t one of those brainless bimbos he normally dates before carelessly tossing aside.

The challenge is on for Linc as he sets out to seduce Samantha just to prove he can. He doesn’t plan on the interference of his ex-wife and her ex-fiancée – both of whom serve to make him realize that along the way, his seduction scheme causes him to fall head over heels in love. It isn’t so easy to convince Samantha she belongs to him

This book is so far the nearest and dearest to my heart. It is based on my own experiences owning a mobile motorcycle dynamometer and the adventures my partner and I had traveling around the area and attending biker events. I can't wait until it comes out, and hope you can't either!

Interview with Author Monica S. Martinez

I recently got to meet (in a cyber-space way) Monica S. Martinez. She is an amazingly talented Latina author who has penned a compilation of erotic short stories, Tantalizing Erotic Thoughts & Encounters. She is a fascinating person. Learn more about her from our brief interview:

CM: Where are you from?
MM:  I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I grew up in South Jamaica, where I attended elementary and junior high school. I then moved on to Forest Hills where I went to high school and met my first husband.

CM: What kinds of books do you like to read?
MM:  I enjoy reading fiction, Urban writing, Poetry, Murder Mysteries and also some non-fiction such as memories, biographies. 

CM: Who are some of your favorite authors?
MM: James Patterson, Dean Kootz, Anne Rice, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Ivan Sanchez, and Esmeralda Santiago.  

CM: What inspired you to write?
MM: I’ve always written, since I’m twelve. I was once sexually repressed and when I turned thirty and remarried I was able to let my inhibitions go. I opened an Adult Novelty company back in 2004 where I would go into women’s houses and educate them on how to keep their sex lives interesting and fresh. It was an eye opener as to how many women were really unhappy with their sex lives. I became sort of a sex therapist and I found myself writing stories to help ignite some passion into their lives.

CM: Sounds interesting! Can you share a short excerpt (rated PG, unfortunately) with us? 
MM: This is from the story Sin City

You know the saying: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” That is exactly where I was headed and that is exactly what was going to happen. We both knew. He just didn’t know how heavy I was going to put it on him.

I figured I’d take a cab to the airport to meet Alexandro. Time to be naughty, I thought as I dressed in my bathroom. Didn’t know how I was going to dazzle Alexandro till after I showered, oiled and scented my body. Afterwards it struck me. I decided to adorn a black mini dress which would showcase every womanly curve I own. It would also provide easy access to my goodies. All I could do is giggle. Underneath I would have on a black push up bra and lace thong from Victoria’s Secret. The dress along with my Charles David black snakeskin sling backs, which accented my calves were sure to wow him at first sight. I started getting dressed.

The thought of his luscious lips on my sweetness had me wet and quivering. Imagining the softness of his lips touching my ‘girl’, then having his tongue dash across my ‘pearl’ and slithering deep into my ‘tunnel’ was driving me crazy.

CM: Sounds yummy! Where can interested readers find Tantalizing Erotic Thoughts and Encounters available to purchase?
MM: They can go on my site http://monicamartinez.org  or grab it from Amazon.com.

CM: The most important question: chocolate or vanilla? 
MM: Chocolate

Master's Mistress Now Available

Master's Mistress

by Patricia Bates

Historical Romance

Published March 1, 2009 by Champagne Books

In a world of betrayal and murder, a vibrant Celtic slave woman holds the key to her Viking master’s heart.

My dear friend, Patricia Bates, realized a dream when her first full-length novel was released Sunday, March 1st from Champagne Books.

I had the pleasure of reading this book before publication. Patricia has a very distinct style to her writing and a masterful way of creating characters the readers can genuinely care about.

Review:
Amoda Ni Cormac is a slave meant for a member of Viking royalty as a wedding present from his father. It is Olaf's brother, Mykyl, however, who yearns to have the beautiful and intelligent slave as his own. Although she resists, in the end, Amoda cannot deny her own attraction for the handsome and virile Mykyl.

Although the plot of a lord falling in love with his slave is a familiar one, Patricia freshens this wonderful tale with her well-paced writing and strong characterization. You will fall in love with Lord Mykyl and feel compassion for the slave, Amoda, whom he will do anything to possess. Accurate history and vivid descriptions make Master’s Mistress a certain to be a favorite with anyone who loves rich historical romance set in medieval Europe.

Visit Champagne Books and check out Patricia's great novel today.

Interview with Author Jeff Rivera

Recently, I got the chance to interview Jeff Rivera, author of the novel, Forever My Lady released at the end of last year by WarnerBooks/Grand Central. About Forever My Lady:

Dio "Playboy" Rodríguez grows up poor with a drunk single mother in gritty Las Vegas, leading him into gang life at 13. Now 17, Dio hides a softer side beneath a fierce exterior that's known only to his middle school sweetheart, Jennifer. But when a drive-by leaves Jennifer wounded and sends Dio to prison boot camp, their soul mate relationship is put to the test. Rivera, who originally self-published this debut, traces a classic redemptive arc: perpetually scowling Dio resists the authority of drill instructor Jackson and clashes with fellow inmates, but he pours out his heart in letters to Jennifer, forms meaningful peer relationships and gains an appreciation for discipline. A genuine care for dynamic Dio allows Rivera to deliver a sincere story of transformation.


Jeff has appeared on such shows as NPR, American Latino TV, SITV, and interviewed by the Boston Globe and Miami Herald. He also runs a service which helps authors polish their query letters to agents and publishers at GumboWriters; please visit his blog to learn more.

Jeff has also graciously offered to give away one free copy of his book to one of the commenters on today's post. I hope you enjoy this short interview with a most facsinating writer.

CM: How did your book go from being self-published to catching the eye of an agent? Did you query with it?

JR: You know Candace, I did everything out of the box. Sure, I knew the way you were supposed to do it but I did it the way, I wanted to do it.  So, I set out to be one of the few that would self-publish then lead to being acquired by a major publisher. I didn't want any more rejection than I had already received from the screenplay version of the book so I decided to self-publish and build such a big audience online that they'd have to say, "Yes."  My approach for attracting an agent was out of the box too. I decided to spam the publishing world with nothing but my excerpt and the book cover in the body of an email. I knew that the right person would see it and respond. Well, I had like 5 editors at publishing houses and 2 agents request to see the whole book. My email didn't even have a Hi, how are you? All it literarily was was my excerpt and cover. One of those agents who responded signed me. The other told me I'd never make it in the world of publishing and I was sure to send them the email from Warner/Grand Central when they made an offer a few weeks later. (How evil of me... but I had to!)

CM: Your book has a definite romantic theme... how are you finding being a "romance" author as a male?

JR: You know I love it. I was looking at the list of books that I plan to write and they all have some type of love story element to them. Candace, I am a lover of love. I believe in soul mates and twin flames and I believe there's the right person(s) out there for everyone, including me! In the meantime, you have to just enjoy life right now the way it is and that person will come around at the right time. For example, I met someone recently who I would marry yesterday, right person but probably not the right time for them.

CM: What is your favorite book to read?

JR: I go back to when my fourth grade teacher used to read to us, books like Where the Red Fern Grows and The Outsiders have stuck with me and made an impression on me even today.

CM: What are you working on now?
JR: I'm working on some books for Young Adults. I love working with young people Candace and so it's right up my alley.

CM: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Jeff! I've enjoyed getting to know you better.

Holiday Treats

Just in time for the holidays, the Champagne Authors collaborative blog, The Writer's Vineyard, is featuring a different short story daily in the months of November and December. Some of the stories are excerpts from great books available for purchase while others are original, yet-to-be-published vignettes. My own contribution is an original short story which gives a hint at the plot to GOLDEN ENCHANTMENT's sequel, CHASING ENCHANTMENT. It involves the gorgeous, sexy, Kent McCabe, the ex-Texas Ranger and best friend to Jake Houston, the hero of GOLDEN ENCHANTMENT.

Other fantastic authors who are contributing to this event are Ciara Gold, Gemma Halliday, Margaret Moore, Barbara Baldwin, and a host of other talented writers in all genres.

Visit the blog throughout November and December for a variety of opportunities to win some fabulous prizes.

Review of Michael Davis’ Forgotten Children

Mark and Don are old football buddies from college. Now they are fellow reporters at the local newspaper in Lawton, VA. A chance circumstance brings them thick into the middle of a web of intrigue and danger as they begin to investigate a series of suspicious deaths in town, beginning with a former professor.

The only thing that seems to be the common denominator between the series of unexplained deaths, recent political and corporate shenanigans, and an overabundance of children born in Lawton who suffer from a rare genetic disease is the town’s largest employer: BSSI.

Along the way to uncovering the truth behind all these events, Mark is trying to get his wife, Sara, pregnant. Little does Mark realize that in the end, Sara, the center of his life, will be a key component to figuring out exactly what nefarious deeds are going on in the small town of Lawton.

Once again, Michael Davis weaves a story of intrigue, mystery, and suspense which keeps the reader guessing until the end. Complicated plot lines and good characterization are what define a Davis novel and these elements have been amply supplied in Forgotten Children. With an almost futuristic aspect to the plot which is apparent from the first chapter, this book seems to encompass more than one genre: suspense and science fiction.

For a good read which will hold your interest until the last page and alternately makes you gasp, shed a tear, and cry out in indignation, Forgotten Children fits the bill.

A Book Review for Michael Davis' Tainted Hero

Tainted Hero is the story of Eric Emerson, a man who’s been to hell and back; he has seen firsthand the underbelly of society and lived to tell about it. His experiences as a Army Ranger in SpecOps taught him much about himself while reaffirming choices he’s made which most people would find morally ambiguous. Eric speaks his mind and is so firm in his beliefs that even a preacher walks away rethinking all that he’s been taught about religion. He’s a fixer with a sense of justice but the only thing he can’t fix is his failing marriage.

Samantha Cassidy is a woman with a deep secret. She and Eric have been friends since being classmates together years earlier in Monterrey. As a single mother and Major in the army, Samantha finds it hard, at times, to reconcile her top secret work with the demands of a nine-year-old son.

When circumstances bring the two of these main characters together to work on a government project, things begin to escalate – not only between Eric and Samantha but between two factions of government officials on opposing sides of how to handle the terrible destiny foretold in the Osiris study.

When you sit down to read Tainted Hero, make sure you have several hours and a box of Kleenex nearby because you won't want to put it down until the very last page. Davis does a splendid job of developing his characters and bringing together several intricately intertwined plot points. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you will definitely be left with a new perspective on recent global occurrences which Davis has eerily foreshadowed. Eric Emerson is definitely a hero, and he is definitely tainted by guilt and the scars of actions past, but you’ll find yourself rooting for him and his survival in this engrossing and action-packed tale.

I highly recommend Tainted Hero to any reader – whether you love the romance, action, mystery, or nonfiction genres. Its appeal is universal and it has something compelling to offer anyone who reads it. I loved this book and I can’t wait to read Davis’ next offering, Forgotten Children.

Tainted Hero can be purchased in either digital or print format from www.champagnebooks.com and other sites where e-books and print books are sold.

Interview with Editor and Publisher Suzanne James

Suzanne James is an accomplished author and publisher and editor with Enspiren Press as well as CEO of Grace Publishing Media. Suzanne is experienced in the ins and out of not only publishing, but marketing, as well, and she offers several books and online courses to help aspiring writers. By visiting her website at http://writer-writer.com/ you can sign up to receive her free monthly newsletter filled with lessons, contests, and book news. I got the chance to catch up with the very busy Suzanne James recently and ask her a few key questions.

CM: What is the biggest mistake you see from aspiring authors over and over again in trying to sell their books to a publisher?

SJ: The biggest mistake is in the synopsis.The writer talks about the situations that happen in the story, and not about the story. The publisher doesn’t care that the character’s house burned down, that they moved to LA, that they got a job in a company owned by the mob.The publisher wants to know the important things – how the character changed, grew, and handled the situations.

A synopsis that tells me the book is great, the characters are well developed and everyone who reads the book loves it is useless. Publishers need to know what genre the book is. If you don’t know how to write a synopsis, then pay someone to write it for you.There is too much riding on a manuscript submission.

I would say that 20% of all submissions spend so much time telling me what happens in the story that I never learn what the story is about.

CM: What do you see for the future of publishing as far e-books, genres, trends, etc.? We all know paranormal/fantasy is huge right now – do you think its popularity will last?

SJ: The ebook industry is growing fast. The younger generations are comfortable reading from screens. As the cost of printing continues to climb, shipping costs skyrocket, and as small publishers grasp larger segments of the market, the book buyers will embrace ebooks.

Genres and trends come and go. The genres that are selling well now may not sell in five years. Writers should never write for a genre or trend. They should write the stories in their heart. However, if you want to write a story that sells then focus on the characters and not the situations in the story. The most famous novels focus on the characters with events playing a secondary role.

CM: What is the one thing which would cause you to unquestionably reject an author’s work submitted to Enspiren or Grace Publishing?

SJ: The simple answer is grammar. Authors are wordsmiths. You wouldn’t hire a hairdresser who doesn’t care enough about themselves or their careers to take courses. A writer who cannot write in active voice, with good sentences, is not a wordsmith. They don’t care enough about their future to create their best work.

That said, I have turned a blind eye to a manuscripts with poor prose if the author wrote a compelling story about people. Look at all the great authors, King, Cook, Grisham. They write about people and how the events in the story change them. New writers make the mistake of writing about situations with the characters just floating through the plot as if they are the props, not the other way around.

I was talking to a freelance editor the other night about when I worked as a junior editor for a publishing house. We didn’t really read manuscripts, there wasn’t time. We just looked for red flags, overusing the word ‘was’ and ‘had’, overusing tags, spending too much time writing about settings instead of people, narrating the story instead of painting pictures.

CM: What is your favorite read of all time and why?

SJ: Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is one of the best written books of all times. The character development and growth is perfect. Its structure is perfect. I just love that book. My list of favorite books, my A list, has more than 100 books on it. I love reading.
CM: Can you tell me what book(s) you’re currently working on writing?

SJ: I am working on my first character driven story, Montana. It is a story about mail-order brides in 1850. I chose that time because things were very primitive. I’ve had fun researching it. My friend is going to take pictures of a grass fire on the prairies for the book. I am not primarily an author so I don’t have a lot of time to write. I spent the last two years working on two reference guides to help writers edit and rewrite their novels. I based these books on problems faced by the 2000+ writers who’ve taken my courses in the last 7 years. I tried to focus on the writing aspects that cause the most problems. I rewrote my Scot Historical The Pledge just for fun. I really enjoyed getting back to writing.

CM: Please share one moment that was a defining point in your life.

SJ: The defining point in my life would be when my husband suggested I take a fiction writing course at the local university. I had been writing for two decades, for fun. I never realized that the instructor had 15 books published and had a contract in New York. Training under the ‘old style’ and learning the old methods of writing became the foundation of my writing career.

CM: And, finally, the most important question of all: chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate – lots and lots of chocolate.

Thanks, Suzanne, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your insights. You can read the latest on Suzanne and her various business pursuits by visiting the following websites:

www.weathy-writer.com

http://historical-novel.blogspot.com/

http://publishedauthors.blogspot.com/

http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/how-write-novel

Are you a closet romance reader?

When I was growing up, reading romance novels was something one did in private. For me, it entailed sneaking into the bookstore when no one I knew was shopping, lurking until the coast was clear, and then sneaking into the aisle filled with colorful, bodice-ripper covers. I had to make my selections quickly by skimming the descriptions on the back covers and then, preferably, finding a mainstream novel or book to place on top of my stack so no one could see what I was buying. The tension would continue to mount until I got to the cash register. Since I knew the bookstore owner, I hoped he wouldn’t make a comment as to my choice of reading material. I could hardly wait until he shoved my books into a brown paper bag and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief as I hurried home to pore over my new romances. The same modus operandi was used even at the public library, because, of course, in my small home town everybody knew me there, too.

Things, thankfully, have changed - romance novels don't carry quite the same stigma any more. Either that, or I’ve changed and I just don’t give a darn what people think about my taste in books. Plus, being an author of romance books means I have to believe in the product I produce. And I do. Valid romance novels (not erotica or porn) aren’t just trashy bodice-rippers, nor have they ever been. Historicals are rich with history and facts that are carefully checked while contemporaries often educate the reader about exotic locales and unusual professions. Successful authors take great care and do extensive research to create believable, sympathetic characters, detailed plots and an interesting story. While romantic interludes are key to the genre, there's much more than just love scenes in a romance novel.

Rest assured that readers of romance are continuing to grow steadily in number. According to Simba, a 2006 report indicated that romance fiction accounted for more than 26% of the book market of all genres and types. That's all genres including nonfiction, mystery, and that generic category of "novel". Pretty impressive. That means there are literally millions of romance readers out there.

There is a plethora of online options for those romance readers looking for others of like mind. There are also numerous sites which include forums, review books and give recommendations for reading based on your preferences. Clubs for readers of paranormal, historical, Westerns, contemporary and every other category you can imagine abound. Romance Novel TV (www.romancenoveltv.com) includes video interviews with authors, excerpts of new books, contests and updates on the latest conferences and events. To find a site that caters to your specific desires, just Google “romance readers websites”. While there are too many to mention specifically, Romancing the Blog (www.romancingtheblog.com), Love Western Romances (www.lovewesternromances.com) and The Romance Reader (www.theromancereader.com) are some of my favorites.

And, of course, for the best in romance books, visit www.champagnebooks.com to check out the newest releases for 2008 (my Western historical, Golden Enchantment available March 1st!!!).

Cheers!