Tag: Now and Forever series

Video Trailer for The Island (Now and Forever 2)

I’m in the planning stages for a virtual book tour to promote The Island, coming up with a variety of posts, a media kit with all my links, bio, covers and of course the video trailer. Recently I did a blog post for Writer’s Words of Wisdom about creating video trailers. I used the techniques described in it to create my latest video. Even though it took me a while to put it all together the way I wanted it, it really wasn’t hard to do.

Once I collected and purchased all the photos I wanted to use, I listened to the variety of royalty free music I had on my computer from iTunes and from Incompetech.com. The latter is a site put together by Kevin MacLeod. He has hundreds of pieces all for free to use in projects. All you have to do is give him credit somewhere in your work and you are all set. If you can’t or don’t want to give the attribution, you can purchase the music as well. Kevin also offers a service where he will create an original composition for you if you desire.

Well, being on a very tight budget, I of course went for the free music for now. One day I may have to hire Mr. MacLeod to compose something for me, but for now I’ll just enjoy the beautiful pieces he has on his site.  The budget this time around was used to purchase a few more pictures from Shutterstock.com. I found several that just caught my eye immediately. The photos of the Goddess Fate, Michael Hartley, and Daniel Quartermarsh were the most striking. They captured my vision of these characters perfectly! I couldn’t be happier.

For my hero and heroine, I had to try to not get photos that were steamy, but not too risque. I also wanted to give an idea of how I pictured Quinn and Jacob, but didn’t want to make those the only images in the reader’s mind. The fun part is coming up with your own interpretation of the characters as you read their story, and maybe even put yourself in as one of them. During the upcoming Wicked After Dark Blog Hop, I’ll be doing character interviews and posting pictures of the actors who I used as inspiration. There is no right or wrong answer to how someone pictures my characters. I hope the posts generate a lot of discussion. It will be fun for me to see what folks think of my vision versus how they see the characters.

Enough chit chat! Here’s the video you all came here to see. Let me know what you think, and if you have a few moments, please stop by YouTube and view the trailer from there so the view count will go up. And if you can give it a like, I would really appreciate it!

First Round of Edits for The Island…

I was really looking forward to the first round of edits for The Island.  Not only did I run through that manuscript multiple times with a critical eye, I wanted to be sure the lessons I learned from editing For the Love of Quinn came through. I didn’t want to see anymore of those little comment balloons pointing out the ever dreaded head hopping. Oh and don’t get me started with my overuse of the ellipses…

See what I mean?

So imagine my surprise when I opened up the file sent back from my publisher and editor to find very few corrections done to the entire thing! Not only that, but the editor gave me such wonderful words of encouragement stating that I handled the shifts between the characters points of view and also the flashbacks “deftly.” She said my story was “seamless.” Yep. SEAMLESS! I can tell you there was a lot of celebrating around our household that evening.

Today I made the few corrections needed and chose and adult and story excerpt to send back to my publisher. The last time they ended up going with a different adult excerpt, but it’s all good. I had trouble picking the story excerpt this time. I wanted to give a teaser without giving too much away right off the bat. Hopefully it will be the one they like too. I’ll let you know when they put the excerpts up on my Siren author page.

There should be one more round of edits, cover art approval and then the final copy approval all within the next few weeks. November is just around the corner!

I’ve been busy working on The Surrender of Julia throughout all of this too. Since that one has scenes that are also in The Island I have to be sure they flow well and that I don’t change anything other than it’s all going to be through Julia’s eyes now.

Watch for updates and teasers from both books over the next few weeks. Once I get the cover, I’ll get started on the video trailer. I have a rough idea of what I want to have in the video, but it has to go along with the cover. I’ve chosen the music. Now to find the “perfect” images to tell Jake and Quinn’s story.

Until next time, my friends. Brightest Blessings!

 

The Island has been accepted for publication!

Yesterday I received wonderful news. My publisher has accepted The Island (Now and Forever 2). They’ve set a tentative November release for the ebook version and April 2013 for the print version. As most of you know, this book started off as a short story “A Christmas Miracle for Jake.” I posted it here on this blog during a blog hop at the end of last year. It was in three parts.

Here are the links to those posts so you can get a little sneak peek at the story.

Part One  Part Two  Part Three

Of course it’s evolved a lot since then and I’ve developed Julia’s story into her own book too.  If I can get that one done and submitted, I may have two new books released before the end of the year. I’m not going to force it. If Julia’s story flows well then so be it. I want to be happy with it before sending it in for consideration. As you know, characters want their story told and they don’t give a rip about deadlines! 😉

To celebrate, I’d like to share the song that I heard in my head when I wrote the love scenes between Quinn and Jacob for The Island.

Enjoy!

 

Update on the Now and Forever Series

Since the last entry here, I actually finished the first “draft” of The Island to my publisher. I got a request to revise it and basically split it into two books. Not that it was too long for one book, I just had too much going on. I needed to focus on one couple at a time so to speak.

Well, I took that advice to heart and now have The Island and The Surrender of Julia as book two and three respectively. I’m so glad I did that! Not only did I get to delve deeper into the world of the wickedly beautiful Julia Santos, I got to spend more time with Jake and Quinn building on their full love story and with both books, I got to bring in more of the paranormal element.

As a Wiccan, I believe in more than just one God or Goddess. I wove that into the story having characters who are also Wiccan, and introducing The Three as basically my version of the Trinity. There is Yeshua the Elder God/brother who is the Creator. The Goddess Fate or Lady Fate as I call her in in charge of Destiny. Then there is the “youngest” Sibling, the God of Trials and Tribulations, better known as Lucius. Without The Three working together there would be Chaos.  At times it would seem that Lucius works against his Siblings in order to prove that humans aren’t worthy of the blessings Yeshua has bestowed upon them. In actuality, Lucius puts the humans through the tests in order to be sure they are worthy. It’s up to them to choose the right paths in each life time to get the blessings. If they don’t, then they keep trying life time after life time until they get it right.

Quinn and Jacob are true soul mates. Through each and every life time, they search for each other, but through their own choices, are pulled apart repeatedly. Their hearts cry out to Lady Fate every time and finally she’s had enough. She wants to intervene by way of the Island. She hopes if they get to be together in that paradise, both will finally be able to choose the one path leading them back into each other’s arms. She enlists the help of two guardian angels to help gently nudge and guide them down the right direction.

These same angels will have their hands full. Not only do they have to convince Quinn and Jacob to go back to the Earthly realm to find each other again, they have to watch over several other people. Some have already crossed the path of our fated lovers, and others they have yet to meet.

I believe we are not alone and that other beings are there to help us get through life’s challenges if only we ask.  Why should we go through life thinking it’s all just random and chance? Why should my characters? That’s why I wanted to bring in the Gods and the Goddess into Quinn’s story. That’s why I made their guardian angels people they knew: Quinn’s brother Danny and Jacob’s father Michael. Being able to see, hear, and touch their loved ones again, helps to build up their faith in the promise given to them by The Three. This time was in fact their time to be together. Nothing and no one would ever tear them apart again.

In that light, here’s the music that often runs through my head when I think of Jacob and Quinn’s love story. In the first book we got to see just about everything through Quinn’s perspective, but in The Island we get to see a broken man finally find his way back to the one person who could complete him heart and soul.

I’m Back! It’s Thursday Thirteen once again

ImageHello all! It’s been a bit since I’ve been back to Behind Closed Doors and I’ve got a lot to share. I’m nearly done with the revisions for The Island (Now and Forever 2), and I’m working on the third book in the series tentatively titled The Seduction of Julia. These two books take place during the same time period but through different points of view. In fact, the next book in the series overlaps some time from book one as well.

The Island is the prequel to For the Love of Quinn. Why was it that Jake and Quinn had such a powerful connection from the moment they first met? Was it really the first time they laid eyes on each other in Las Vegas, or have the two of them been searching for each other for many lifetimes? Ten years before their faithful meeting depicted in book one, separate tragedies strike them and their families nearly ripping the two of them apart forever.

Since it is still a work in progress, I don’t have any dates when The Island will be available, but when I do you all will be the first to know! I’m very excited about this series and the characters who’ve stepped forward wanting their stories told. The Now and Forever series will always be my baby. Through it, I’ve been able to work through many things from my own past and ultimately find my happily ever after with my husband, Liam.

So here are the first thirteen sentences from book two. It’s the opening scene and cuts off the conversation, but hopefully it will be enough of a teaser to get you begging to learn what happens next.

“Thirteen years is a long time to hold a grudge, Jake.”

“That’s just it. I let that part of my past go once and for all when you came into my life.” Jacob reached for his wife’s hand and squeezed it tight before bringing it to his lips. “My life with Julia is something I would rather keep in the past. It’s got nothing to do with us or our family now.”

Both of them looked to the twins strapped safely in their infant carriers secured in the cushioned passenger seats between them. Both had dozed off now that their plane was in the air. Quinn shook her head slowly and looked back at her husband. “If it wasn’t for Julia Santos pushing you over the edge all those years ago, we might never have met when we did.”

Jacob smiled. “Have you been remembering more about—?”

“The Island? Yes…”

There’s more to the conversation, but that would be putting in more than thirteen sentences. 😉

For those of you who’ve been following this blog, you may remember the short story I posted called “A Christmas Miracle for Jake.” Well, this is the story that sprang from that. Julia became such a vibrant character, I couldn’t just leave her as background fluff. I let her tell her own story in book three.  Stay tuned for more updates about this series and others I will be writing as myself and my alter ego Lia Michaels.

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop: Day three!

Links to the participating authors

Hello again! Welcome back to this fabulous blog hop. Have you had a chance to check out the other authors participating? Well, you still have six days to visit them all and revisit them at will. Make sure you leave comments so that you can be entered in all the contests.  As for mine, all you have to do is comment on one or all days I put up a post during the hop and you get another entry to win a signed print copy of my erotic contemporary romance For the Love of Quinn and a basket of Las Vegas Bling!  What’s in that basket? Well, I’m set to arrive in Vegas on February 18th. From the moment I check into the New York New York Hotel/Casino it’s game on! I will be looking for all sorts of things for the basket. Watch for further updates about what I found on each day.  Now mind you, I have to be there for a veterinary conference, so I will have a big chunk of the day devoted to lectures, but the nights…oh the nights…will belong to me! Bwahahahaha! Sorry about that. The Vixen takes over from time to time. 😉

Welcome to Sin City!

Las Vegas is my favorite place on earth second only to my home state of Michigan. A close runner up is of course Disneyland. Hmmm…maybe that’s why I set For the Love of Quinn in all three spots! This blog entry today is devoted to Sin City. What better place to feature during a Naughty Blog hop? If you’ve never been to this city that is truly the one that never sleeps (trust me, it’s not New York as Mr. Sinatra would have us all believe!), I suggest you save up your allowance kids and get there! You have not lived until you’ve experienced all that this city has to offer.

Christmas 2010 Bellagio

From the night life, to the buffets, to the casinos without any clocks, to the fantastic shows, there is something for everyone in this town. Sure the biggest attraction here are the casinos, and this is where the hotels make their money, but you can keep busy here and not gamble one cent. There is always at least one Cirque du Soleil show playing every night, famous singers such as Cher, Celine Dion, Bette Midler and even Elton John in featured shows. Are you into magic? David Copperfield has his own theater at the MGM Grande. At different times there are Broadway shows such as Mamma Mia and The Lion King playing at the Mandalay Bay. Of course this town is also well known for hosting thousands of different conferences from the Adult Film Industry to the Western Veterinary Conference. (This is the one I’m attending!) There are free shows too such as the water fountain productions at the Bellagio every half hour on the hour, the pirate battle at Treasure Island and oodles and oodles of street performers. There are beautiful flower displays at the Bellagio every season and my favorite so far is the one last Christmas. So many displays packed in one large room. It was breathtaking!

Now and Forever...Forever Mine

Want to commemorate your trip to Vegas? How about getting a little ink? The PussyKat Tattoo Parlor is where I got my second tattoo. It’s a nod to a pendant that Quinn had made for Steve in For the Love of Quinn.  I had a heck of a time coming up with a name for the series of these books and low and behold, I had it all the time…on my left shoulder blade area! They say once you get inked, you crave more and boy is that true for me. I’m planning on a third tattoo, but finding the time to get it done had been a challenge. Maybe in a couple months I’ll get back into that chair and feel the “scratch” of those tat needles. Oh, I can’t wait!  I’m thinking of a phoenix as a nod to another book in this series My Love, My Friend. The heroine, Sammi decides to let Derek Quartermarsh design a tattoo for her. For her, the phoenix symbolizes the rebirth and changes she is having to go through to get her life on track. hmmm…is anyone else having a feeling of deja vu? LOL

My favorite past time in Vegas is of course the slots. I love the sounds of all those bells and whistles…and that’s not always when you are winning. Now they have machines that entertain you as you play, keeping you feeding money in them to get more and more songs or movie clips to play. There are machines based on our favorite television shows such as American Idol, Survisor, The Amazing Race, and Wheel of Fortune. The best games are those with multiple pay lines and therefore more ways to win. If you by chance get a great spin going, you can fill the screen with wilds and BAM! You’ve won a jackpot!

Penny slots...jackpot!
More penny slots and nice winning streak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are so many things to so and see that you can’t possibly do them all in one trip. I know I can’t and I’ve been to this city at least once a year for the last twelve. This year is extra special for me. My muse/soul mate will be joining me the second half of my stay. I can’t wait to show him and all of you “My Vegas!” I fly out tomorrow so look out Sin City! The Vixen is BAAAACK!

Naughty After Dark Blog Hop: Day Two

Welcome back to Behind Closed Doors for the second day of the Naughty After Dark Blog Hop. Today I thought I would share a few inspirational pictures.  Now don’t get freaked out. It’s not religious inspiration I’m referring to, well I guess they could be depending on how you look at them! 😉 

This picture is definitely Jacob Hartley and the delicious bad girl Julia Santos in The Island (Now and Forever 2). As soon as I laid eyes on it, I flashed on a scene between the two that happens after a particularly “grueling” session with them in Julia’s studio.  Jacob had to hold completely still on a small stage, completely naked while Julia sketched and then began a sculpture that would later become her masterpiece “Passion Unleashed.” Instead of using the female model she had pose with Jacob, she crafted her own body entwined with his. If this doesn’t get your “naughty” rolling, let’s take a look at the next couple.
 

Ah, another favorite couple of mine that will be the focus of another book in the Now and Forever series. After being on the road with his band Quarter to Three, Derek Quartermarsh is not interested in the groupies that flock to their concerts night after night. His heart will always belong to the sexy veterinary surgeon, Sarah McIntyre. After years of subtle flirts and innuendos, this couple finally confessed their feelings for each other in For the Love of Quinn. They will have their own story called Burning Heart.  What kind of naughtiness do you think these two will come up with?

I’ve been trying to find pictures for all of my couples and finally this one came up today. This is definitely  Jillian Ponueu and Erick Hartley.  The shy half Samoan, half Hawaiian first meets Jacob’s brother Eric in For the Love of Quinn at Disneyland of all places. Just like his big brother, Eric was hit hard the moment he laid eyes on the exotic beauty. They have a lot of obstacles to overcome before they can finally have their happily ever after. Will Jillian’s family obligations tear her away from the only man who has ever touched her very soul? Can Eric give up the career he’s always dreamed of in order to have his heart and soul by his side forever?  Come along for the ride of a lifetime in Thunderstruck. (This one is still a work in progress, but man! The things these two do to each other will bring out your naughty side and then some!)

This is another of my new favorite pictures. This is the surprise couple introduced in My Love, My Friend (Now and Forever 3). Katie O’Donnell is friends with Quinn’s sister Miranda and cousin Samantha and from the moment this Michigan beauty steps into Steve Eischer’s Las Vegas, her life will never be the same. Can the love she feels for him overcome the fear that he will never get over the woman he has tattooed on his chest? Find out in Lady Luck (Now and Forever 5). Yes this is another work in progress, but since the stories are so intertwined, you will get to follow all of the characters throughout the series.

So there you have it. A bit of my naughty mind at work creating the rest of the Now and Forever series and having one hell of a fantastic time doing it! So in honor of all of these couples, I wanted to share what I think is the naughtiest thing around…chocolate!  And what is the naughtiest chocolate candy there is?  That’s right. The GREEN M & M’s!

Here is a video in honor of the hot and sexy Miss Green. The first female M & M to ever grace a candy shop and of course the only one in Go Go boots! Enjoy!

Stop in and check out the sites of the other fantastic authors participating in this hop. There are over 100 of us all giving away some sort of naughty prize to one lucky person at the end of the hop. Click on the logo below and it will take you directly to the list of all the links.  Have fun!

Links to the participants

Six Sentence Sunday

It’s good to be back in this group again! I’ve been away with other projects and unable to choose six sentences to submit for the last few weeks. Now that I have several works in progress, the hard part was choosing which six! LOL!  This week’s submission is from The Island (Now and Forever 2) which I hope to finish and get off to my editor before the end of the month.

Let me set up the scene a little bit. It seems our so called villain, Julia Santos has once again found herself in the hospital after a self inflicted injury. Her boyfriend of two years, Jacob Hartley has just left her to rest in the hospital overnight in the good hands of Dr. Carlos. Little does Jacob know…well, see for yourself.

She thought of nothing all day except how she felt with his tongue darting in and out of her ass and pussy. Just the flick of his tongue over his own lips made her shiver with delight and soak her thong.

The very same thong the good doctor tore from her body seconds after lifting her up to sit on top of sink in her bathroom. Her finger wound tight in his dark wavy hair as his mouth plundered hers, taking her breath away. She loved the power she had over this man. Any time, any place she wanted, he was always willing to oblige. 

 

Please take the time to visit the other blogs participating this week.  Here’s the link:

http://sixsunday.com/

 

Enjoy!

 

Considering adding another book to the Now and Forever series…

I had such a great time writing the short story “A Christmas Miracle for Jake” that I have been mulling over in my brain the idea to expand upon it.  I was tinkering around with the idea of making it part of the Now and Forever series, but as a prequel.  Jacob’s story really needs to be told.  How did he become such a broken man unable to trust his own heart?

In For the Love of Quinn, I touched upon his story a bit through conversations between Jake and his brother Eric and other characters.  The woman who broke his heart and nearly drove Jake to kill himself keeps coming up in my head.  Julia Santos is a piece of work.  She is the classic “mean girl” all grown up and even more evil, sort of like Sharon Stone’s character in Basic Instinct.  Catherine Tramell was wild, devastatingly beautiful, used to getting what she wanted when she wanted it no matter the costs.  For her, murder was not off limits.  Would it be for Julia? I think the idea that a man would nearly die in a motorcycle accident because he was so distraught over seeing her with another man would be just the kind of thing to get her juices flowing.

Oh, now my mind is definitely going there!

While Jake is in his coma and on The Island with Quinn, Julia is busy stirring up trouble in the real world for him and his family.  Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t know that the Hartley family has two Angels watching over them and Jake.  Of course there is Karma and Lady Fate waiting to get their claws into Ms. Santos!

Okay, looks like I got some writing to do! I am going with the title The Island for now. Any other ideas?

Finding photos that inspire my writing…and maybe yours!

One of the inspirations for book two in my Now and Forever series "My Love, My Friend"

I was working on gathering photos for my next promotional video and I came across several that just drew me right in.  This photo of the couple near the waterfall immediately made me think of Sammi and Nathan.  They are two lovers in my next book.  For those of you who have already read, For the Love of Quinn, you will be happy to know that most of the characters make at least brief appearances in My Love, My Friend.  Sammi is Quinn’s cousin and also a veterinarian.  When she travels to California to visit Quinn and Sarah, she meets Nathan.  Some may remember him as the hunky bodyguard/limo driver that takes care of Steve and Quinn whenever they are in California.  I found this photo on FreeDigitalPhotos.net.  The photographer is listed as Dynamite Imagery.  The pictures posted in their gallery there are fantastic.  You can use them for free as long as you give them credit, but if you wish to not give them credit, you can purchase the pictures that you need too.  It’s the best of both worlds if you ask me.  I have no problem giving this artists credit.  They rock!  If you want to see more pictures from Dynamite Imagery, click on the photo and it will take you to the page.

Speaking of writing…

I am opening up this blog and it’s sister blog over on blogspot called Not Enough Time in the Day to guests.  If you are interested in posting, let me know.  I would love to share my space with fellow authors.  No topic is off limits!  Several days in November and December are still open.  If I have a big enough response, I will work on January and February schedules.

Have a Happy Samhein and I hope to hear from you all real soon!