BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT by K.M. Daughters

Closing Molly and Danny’s love story in Against Doctors Orders, we sighed and relished their happily ever after. Bobbie Leighton, Molly’s live in house keeper and caregiver to her daughter, Amy, was on the mend after suffering an attack from a crazed killer at the book’s conclusion. We trusted that she’d deal with her estrangement from the younger Sullivan brother, Joe, who had not only captured her interest, but had also captured that serial killer who had threatened her life.

But Bobbie lingered in our minds. And so did her love interest, Joe Sullivan. Wounded in the line, would Joe be bitter that he’d lost his career as the price for his bravery? Would Bobbie remain in Molly’s household as a caregiver, or would her brush with mortality change her life forever, too?

Those open-ended questions plagued us. What if Bobbie did change her life? She had toyed with aspiring to a law enforcement career on her way to a fateful dinner with Joe when the Henna Housewife Killer had attacked her. What if that didn’t short-circuit her career, but instead reinforced her desire to protect and serve? How could Joe Sullivan accept an inactive role in the homicide department? Wouldn’t he always strive to resurrect his career despite the unlikelihood that he could convince his superiors that he was fit for active duty?

Beyond The Code of Conduct became an inevitable necessity for us! We had to find out the answers to those questions and we were eager to know what happened to Joe and Bobbie. Ironically Bobbie excelled in law enforcement while Joe’s career stalled. Wouldn’t it be fun to see what that meant when they were reunited? And to make things more interesting, wouldn’t it be dangerous to cast them into an undercover operation where major life interests were at stake for both of them and see what happens?

Exploring this premise and writing Joe’s edgy character compared to the sweet, easygoing man depicted in Book 1 was more than fun. Bobbie had matured into an accomplished woman, able to deflect Joe’s barbs and keep her eye on the target. But could she remain impervious to Joe’s charms and forget the sweet man under his eye patch and chip on the shoulder exterior?

We don’t know if questions as a central basis for a story are common plot drivers for all writers, but for us, Book 2 in our series translated into answers. Bobbie and Joe could finally play out their beliefs that the story in Book 1 was really all about them.

K.M. Daughters is the multi-published writing team of sisters Pat Casiello and Kathie Clare. Their penname is dedicated to their parents Katherine and Michael, the “K” and “M” in K.M. Daughters. Their author career began in January 2008 with contracts from The Wild Rose Press for an inspirational romance, Jewel of the Adriatic, and a romantic suspense novel, Against Doctors Orders, Book #1 in The Sullivan Boys Series. Beyond The Code of Conduct, Book 2 in the series, is rated 4-stars, compelling, page turner, by Donna M. Brown, Reviewer for Romantic Times Book Reviews (June 2009 Issue #304). A contemporary romance, Past, Present and Forever is available in E-book from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Residing in Illinois and New Jersey, the sisters continue to work on The Sullivan Boys Series. Book #3 will release later this year and two additional books are anticipated to complete the series. You can visit their website at www.kmdaughters.com. Follow them at http://twitter.com/kmdaughters!

Editor’s note: Leave a comment on K.M. Daughters’ blog stops during her virtual book tour in June and you could win a free virtual book tour if you are a published author or a $50 gift certificate if you’re non-published.

The Story Behind Blood Line by Rie McGaha

My husband used to drive big rigs cross country and one night he had a dream that he’d been attacked by a werewolf. He’s a big sci-fi fan! Anyway, as he was telling me the story, I thought, hey, this could be a book, so I started writing, asking him for more details and adding to it. Before I knew it, I had a book! I have always loved vampire and werewolf stories, but always felt werewolves got a bum rap, so my werewolves are different than any I’ve ever read about. They are intelligent human beings who just happen to have a little extra something whenever the moon is full. They’re also likable characters, tough when they have to be, and very, very sexy! I’ve also been working on the sequel, called Ancient Blood that delves into the life of one of the most lovable characters, Ganda. The reviews for Blood! Line have been awesome, but most of the comments are about Ganda and I am constantly being asked if her story continues, so the answer is Yes, it does!

Rie McGaha was born and raised in northern California along the shores of Humboldt County where her grandmother often took her to search for seashells and watch the humpback whales migration. Though her father was a bit of a gypsy and moved his family all over, Rie always enjoyed the trips back to Eureka, California where many of her 12 children and 23 grandchildren still live.

As a dreamer of dreams and being born with a a gypsy soul, Rie has lived all over the United States. Settling in SE Oklahoma with husband, Nathan, she enjoys a quiet life in the Kiamichi Wilderness where she takes in abused and neglected animals, nurses them back to health and tries to find them new homes. The ones that don’t find new homes remain with Rie and she currently has 18 dogs and 1 cat.

Between her husband, children, grandchildren and all of the animals, Rie tries to find a few moments to write. She is currently working on Ancient Blood, the sequel to Blood Line, and Caleb and Arion the second and third installments of the My Soul To Keep Trilogy. She also writes reviews for Romance Writers United.

For more information, visit Rie at www.riemcgaha.com or read her blog at http://riesreviews.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NovelsByRie

The Light, The Dark, & Ember Between by J.W. Nicklaus

Years ago, as is still true now, I found I would happen upon some small event or object that would practically insist that it be written about. I’ve always leaned toward short stories because of their urgency and ability to deliver a satisfying beginning, middle, and end in a short period of time.

And so I would often jot something down when inspiration hit me, then find some appropriate vehicle to convey the idea that struck me. Seems pretty obvious, right? Isn’t that what we all do? I couldn’t find the heart to let a good idea go just because it might not fit into a more lengthy format, so I’d craft a short story around it instead. Just so happened, much of what I would write centered around the very personal ideals of love, hope, desire, longing, and a host of other emotions. I didn’t know it all those years ago, but The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between was slowly evolving.

In one case (Streetlamp) I’d been tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep one night. I had a lot on my mind and my brain had apparently decided it wasn’t ready to shut down. As I lay there I suddenly recalled reading a story by Ernest Hemingway during my freshman year in college—A Clean Well Lighted Place. That one thought was the emulsifier that helped to bring together a number of other disparate thoughts and feelings. I immediately got out of bed and typed out the skeleton of the story.

There are a few instances where the story I wound up with had little or nothing to do with the initial spark that generated it. I started with a lit match then switched to the flashlight. Emissary and Winter Rose are two such examples.

The things that I think move us most are storylines and characters we can relate to. You may not get a super detailed description of what a given character looks like or what clothes they might be wearing, but if through their actions and dialogue they can compel you to feel something, then that’s the hook I’m hoping for. Once you can relate to them, then who cares what they look like—and if you care about the character then you’re naturally going to read through the story, because we’re only human, we have to know what happens. With a short story, you don’t have to wait too long. Something like the reading version of the impulse area at the checkout!

J.W. Nicklaus resides in a place not entirely fit for human habitation about five months of the year. No pets to speak of, only the apparitions from which all romantics suffer.

An Arizona native, he’s been from one coast to the other, and a few places in between. College brought an AA in Journalism with a minor in Photography, and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications. His work experience has run the gamut from Creative Director for a small advertising firm in Tucson to a litigation support bureau in Phoenix (and assuredly some awkward stuff in the mix).

Snow has been featured prominently in his stories, perhaps because of the seasonless cli-mate he lives in. Nature was meant to be enjoyed and experienced, not hidden from the senses. So to that end, he hopes someday to live amongst those who are able to live through four true seasons, and not just blast furnace and warm.

He enjoys the occasional Arizona Diamondbacks game with his son, as well as watching him grow up. The experience of being a single dad has taught him far more about himself than he ever thought possible.

Within the expanse of every waking moment, he hopes his guardian angel keeps its arms open wide and heart ever watchful, for there but for one true Hope goes She.

For more about J.W. visit www.avomnia.com.

The Story Behind the Book is part of the pre-tour package included with certain tour packages.  J.W’s tour will begin on April 1 and continue until April 30.  If you would like to visit his tour stops, visit www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in April.

KEYS TO LIVING JOYFULLY by Sheri Kaye Hoff

I envisioned writing a book for nearly twenty years. As I approached my 4oth birthday, I realized that I needed to move forward with my goal, so I quit my full time job and took a part time teaching position at a college so I could focus on building my life coaching practice and write my dream book. In the past, I started several books—which were mostly romance novels and I would stall out after the first few chapters.

Throughout my life, I was always interested in why some people were very successful and other people with the same or more potential were not successful. I read hundreds of books on leadership, motivation, and inspiration. I also experienced tragedy in my family at a young age which left me dealing with post traumatic stress disorder for years afterwards. Though I tried very hard to create a successful, normal life-I had recurring problems with depression. I experienced remarkable positive change over the last four years in my life and felt very deeply in my heart that I wanted to reach out to other people who were trying to find happiness. I write from a Christian faith perspective, however, I also, encompass some of the concepts of positive thinking and the law of attraction. Though I am working on my PhD and writing scholarly academic works, I wanted to write a synthesis of everything that helped me get better and truly experience joy—and I wanted it to be simple, workable, and easy to read. So I wrote from the heart. From the time I started writing seriously for the book, Keys to Living Joyfully: I finished in five weeks. I decided to self-publish through createspace in order to have my book available quickly. I hired a graphic designer to create a beautiful cover and found the perfect person, Michele Caron, creator of mylifecoach.com to write the Foreword. From start to finish, the whole process took five and a half months. I have accomplished one of my life dreams and am still in awe when I wake up each morning.

I have some thoughts for future authors. I learned that writing is the easy part. I also learned so much about publishing—I actually did the book formatting myself (I will never do that again). It turned out great—but next time I will pay someone to do the formatting. For future books, I will do more promoting prior to the publication date and take preorders. The most important piece of learning for me is that the most successful promoting occurs when I am giving something of value that is separate from just promoting my book. For example—information, tips, etc. I make sure to reach out to my clients and readers regularly with thoughts and inspirations through my blog and weekly inspiration tips. I do this because I know that habits are hard to change and reinforcement is needed to really experience progress. My true passion is inspiring people daily. If I feel like I inspired one person in a day—my day is a wonderful success.

My book, Keys to Living Joyfully, is geared towards anyone who is too busy, gives of themselves tirelessly, and often forgets about their own needs. It is for those who have struggled with sadness and felt that this sadness has eclipsed their potential. It is also geared toward people who feel that true joy is just barely out of reach. It is about faith, thoughts, and actions. I want people to feel loved and worthy as they read.

My wish is for people to have truly inspired, joy filled days.

Sheri Kaye Hoff resides in Parker, CO with her husband and three children. She is a Life Coach and owner of the Sheri K Hoff International Coaching Company. She teaches college classes as an adjunct faculty member and has earned her Master of Arts in Organizational Management. Her new book, Keys to Living Joyfully,offers a way of living a meaningful, successful and joy filled life.

Ms. Hoff is a personal and executive life coach. Spirituality is a vital part of her life’s work. Prayer and meditation are integral pieces of her daily ritual, which enables her to pursue her life’s passions and live a truly joyful life.

Her words on faith are derived from her own Christian walk and spiritual self-discoveries. Her action steps mix faith and years of leadership training, mentoring, and management. Sheri Kaye Hoff suffered the tragic death of her younger brother when she was a teenager and struggled for years to rediscover the capacity to feel joy and to enjoy her successes. She has a heart felt desire to pass on her knowledge and discoveries that have led to a truly transformational life. Ms. Hoff publishes a free weekly inspiration newsletter, Coach Sheri’s Weekly Inspiration Tips. The Sheri K Hoff International Coaching Company also offers:

* Teleclasses.
* Webinars
* In person small and large group Coaching
* Corporate Training
* Keynote speaking
* Seminars
* Individual Career and Life Coaching (For a limited time- receive a free introductory one hour life coaching session)

You can visit her website at www.lifeisjoyful.org.

INTERNET DATING IS NOT LIKE ORDERING A PIZZA by Internet Dating Expert Cherie Burbach

A few years back I was a single gal who had great friends and worked a bit too much. After many years of setups and dating, I still had not met the right person yet. I had an otherwise great life but didn’t have that special someone to share it with.

Part of the issue for me was my job. I worked long hours for a boss that completely took advantage of me.

Don’t get me wrong, I did have dates. But as I got older, meeting quality people became harder to do. Then a friend recommended that I try Internet dating. At first, I was completely put off! I wondered what kind of people would try Internet dating? How safe it really was? How to go about it?

I joined an online dating website and at first felt a little awkward about emailing people. I was hesitant to meet people out. I wasn’t sure how to end a date.

After a few weeks, however, I realized that my ability to write really helped. I could write an essay that showed my personality and therefore attracted like-minded people. In six months I met over 60 guys for coffee and conversation, and one of them turned out to be the man I would marry just one-year later.

After I got married I wrote a book about my experience (At the Coffee Shop) and started working with Internet daters to help them craft their online profiles. I also became a weekly online dating columnist, where hundreds of people contacted me with questions about the right and wrong way to go about Internet dating.

After a while, I realized several of the questions I was getting through my online column were very similar. Many singles wanted examples on how to write an eye-catching profile, suggest an online meeting, or even, how to politely end a date.

I also found that many online daters wanted to check a few boxes on an Internet dating site and have the perfect partner delivered right to their inbox. Internet dating is a wonderful resource, but it’s only an introduction. Daters still need to get to know someone before deciding if they are right for them. It can’t be done simply by a profile and email exchange alone.

I was midway through writing my book when I said to my husband that I wanted to let singles know that they have to do the right work to find out what makes another person click. There is a method to Internet dating, to be sure, but it isn’t like placing an order. In short, it wasn’t like ordering a pizza! My husband said to me, “I think you’ve got your title there.” I knew he was right.

Cherie Burbach used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later.

She is the Dating Feature Writer for Suite101, an online magazine with over 10 million views monthly, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now. Her latest, Father’s Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review. Cherie blogs at Jennifer Lopez, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Career and Kids, Celebrity Apprentice, Gossip on Sports, and Diabetes Notes.

For poets looking for a review of their book, check out Cherie’s new site Bonjour Poetry Reviews.

Readers have resonated with Cherie’s honest and inspirational “This I Believe” essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 32,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie’s website at www.thedifferencenow.com or www.datingdatingall-things-dating.blogspot.com.

A PURE DOUBLE CROSS by Mystery/Thriller Author John Knoerle

I had just completed a mystery novel based on family history – “The Violin Player” (Mayhaven Press) – and I was looking for new fields to plow.

I have always been enamored of hardboiled fiction and the films noir so I rented some 1940s movies in search of inspiration, and sat back to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the classics – The Big Sleep, Murder My Sweet, The Maltese Falcon, Out of the Past, The Dark Corner. But the private-detective-as-gin-soaked-Galahad genre had been done to death. How could I top Raymond Chandler and Dash Hammett?

Then inspiration struck when I least expected it.

“T Men” (1947) is not generally ranked in the top tier of the films noir, it doesn’t feature big stars or a name director. But it got my attention.

The film is about Treasury agents who go undercover to track down a counterfeit ring. The grinding tension of constantly pretending to be someone you’re not appealed to me as a mystery writer. One scene in particular crystallized it.

The head T-man is leaving a restaurant with his mobster ‘buddies’ when he encounters an old girlfriend. She greets him by his real name, he pretends he doesn’t know her. The mobsters eye him with murderous suspicion.

I decided to write about such a character, a guy who is always on guard, not so much from fear of a violent death – though that is always a possibility – but on guard from a more existential fear of being ‘found out.’

And who better to embody that than a former spy for the Office of Strategic Services, the World War Two version of the Central Intelligence Agency.

The fear of being ‘found out’ snakes off in all directions, then makes a U-turn in the direction of our hero. Hal Schroeder is forced to ask himself who the hell he really is, and what the hell he really wants.

His search for the answer to that question propels “A Pure Double Cross” to its sensational conclusion.

John Knoerle’s first novel, Crystal Meth Cowboys, was optioned by Fox for a TV series. His second novel, The Violin Player, won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction. His new novel, A Pure Double Cross, is Book One of the American Spy Trilogy. John lives with his wife in Chicago. You can learn more about John Knoerle at www.bluesteelpress.com.

The Story Behind the Book is part of the pre-tour package included with certain tour packages.  John’s tour will begin on March 1 and continue until March 30.  If you would like to visit his tour stops, visit www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in March.

Technorati Tags:
John Knoerle, A Pure Double Cross, Blue Steel Press, virtual book tour, blog tour, virtual blog tour, book promotion, free book promotion, free online book promotion, how to promote your book, promote your book online, ways to promote your book, book promotion tips, book promotion company, book promotion sites, book promotion websites, book promotion online
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

NORA’S SOUL by Margay Leah Justice

For as long as I can remember, I have been writing. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a notebook and pencil as my constant companions. For some years, I was able to pass it off as homework – until some savvy friends figured out that what I was doing was extracurricular. From that moment on, they tried to get me to show them my writing but in the beginning, it was a very private thing for me. It took some time before I felt comfortable enough to allow anyone to read the words I had written. But with time, I did grow comfortable with the idea, especially when my work was praised, and eventually, I entertained the idea of becoming published.

The path to publication has been a long, winding, and often broken road. In the beginning, I didn’t have the self-confidence needed for submitting to publishers and one rejection sent me back into the realm of writing just for my own pleasure. But in the back of my mind, the possibility of seeing my words in print still lingered. In time, I tried again, this time taking an unconventional route. I decided to test my ideas in the contest forum first. I thought this would be a great way to gain exposure and test reactions to gauge if I had what it took to be published. At the time, I had only one book that was suitable to submit – a little book called Nora’s Soul. This book idea had come to me one night in a pair of interconnected dreams and stayed with me over the course of some years and many ups and downs in my life. Still I wondered if it was good enough to publish – and if anyone would be interested in it if it was.

Enter Gather.com and their First Chapter contest. As I had hoped, this contest proved to be a grand testing ground for my story. The response was encouraging and I met a group of authors with whom I formed friendships and a mutual admiration society. Although none of us won the contest (some did come close), we gained the greater reward with our friendships and started a critique group to help each other stay the course on our road to publication. Well, somewhere along the way, the idea was tossed out that we should start our own publishing company so we could all be published and one of our members, the incredible Mike Simpson, took the idea and ran with it. Within months, he set up the company Second Wind Publishing, LLC and invited all of us to submit our stories to him. Just a few months after submitting Nora’s Soul to him, I had the privilege of seeing my first book in print.
__________________

Descended from the same bloodline that spawned the likes of James Russell, Amy and Robert Lowell, Margay Leah Justice was fated to be a writer herself from a young age. But even before she knew that there was a name for what she was doing, she knew one thing: She had a deep and unconditional love for the written word. A love that would challenge her in times of need, abandon her in times of distress, and rediscover her in times of hope. Through her writing, Margay has learned to cope with every curve ball life has thrown her, including the challenges of single parenting, the harsh realities of living in a shelter, coping with the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, and the roller coaster ride of dealing with a child who suffers from bipolar disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. But along the way she has rediscovered the amazing power of words.

Margay currently lives in Massachusetts with her two daughters, two cats, and a myriad of characters who vie for her attention and demand that their own stories be told.

You can visit her website at http://margayleahjustice.com.