I had the pleasure of listening to The Superior Word’s Easter Message, and Jim Dwyer mentioned “Romance Under Wraps.” Starts at min 4:42… Got the print screen time for ya. 4:42
‘Cause he’s a dude, he sees the cop side more than the romance side, and is almost done reading my first novel.
If you enjoy clean/Christian romantic suspense/police procedure you enjoy “Romance Under Wraps” … with the main character off the rail, Catherine Cade, an identity thief, wholly unlikeable, especially when dealing with Rick Calhoun, homicide detective.
Oh, he has plans for her all right. And she is not amenable to his offer but does she have a choice? Not even. Not if she wants to stay out of prison. And not if she wants to solve a murder — with or without the dirty cop.
How many laws will HE break and what will he sacrifice to keep her safe?
What will she do with that?
And many thanks to Linda Rodante for surprising me with a fantastic meme for one so technically challenged (me).
“Romance Under Wraps” is on sale for Valentine’s Day – from the 14th to the 16th of February (which is the month of … Valentine’s Day. Just a reminder) for 99 cents, Kindle version.
Time to grab it literally while it’s as close to a steal as you can get.
Oh, and don’t forget, authors live on reviews, indie and traditionally published.
Yes, yes I did make this on a meme generator and didn’t pay for the program…
While I determine what to work on with “Alex and the Very Dead Doxy” and “Rules of Engagement,” I had the urge to write down an idea.
Idea? Turned into almost 1800 words. Well, oops, kinda. The whole point of writing is to write, no matter what. Even when editing/rewriting/reading, one should write at least a few minutes (or 1000 words) of something fresh.
So. I wrote something fresh. Out of my genre by a thousand percent. I have no title, but it is kind of fun to tinker with new ideas.
Now it’s time to go back to work. That means, back to editing. Rewriting.
First thing to edit, write in ENGLISH??
My dance card these days are mostly penciled in with doctor’s appointments. BTW that is a fantastic way to market your book. HAHAHA. My doctor looked up my novel, ‘Romance Under Wraps,’ while I sat there… his wife (and the physician’s assistant in the office) was interested in getting his wife the novel!
Yesterday, someone with a long history of working forensics asked me why I write crime fiction. Well, I write a combo of crime/romance or thriller/romance but that’s neither here nor there.
I thought it through and it didn’t take long.
Here it is:
“I write (romantic suspense) crime fiction primarily because of the evil I have seen in the world, the crimes perpetrated by others, and people so hurt, so lost, that they need a message of hope. I write specifically to a crime or serial killer with an obstacle standing in the way of the main character’s ability to find the suspect as well as a subplot for the main character, an obstacle for him/her to overcome emotionally/spiritually.
Everyone has a wound, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Everyone has physical obstacles to overcome whether the huge stack of dishes caked with eggs, cheese, and no dishwasher or a crime, a villain, and the chase. These elevate people (I pray) that they see something in their mundane lives that they can relate to (the chase, the doing of, the dishes, whatever) and give them a message, one of redemption.
I was a nurse practitioner and saw a lot of evil. Patients in need, ignored. I also have taken forensics classes and I give the main character a good pile of evidence for the main character through forensics (which is a lot like performing a history and physical, examining labs, imagining, diagnosing, chasing down the ‘villain’ of the body). Also I understand redemption and prayer, overcoming physical and emotional obstacles, as well as spiritual. And that’s why I write crime fiction.”
She emailed me back and said in her twenties she’d seen much of the same.
Yes, I agreed with her statement, “It’s heartbreaking.” Indeed it is, and folks, even by being entertained, often need a hope, for someone to understand, even if it’s on a subconscious level.
Perhaps some of you could relate on a level of fear from not knowing who you really are. Or running from abuse. The life of indecision or shame? If you are one of many who has backslidden, or never really made a decision, consider reading “Romance Under Wraps.” The message of hope and redemption are within your grasp.
With the debut of “Romance Under Wraps,” promoting, writing “Alex and the Very Dead Doxy” AND “Rules of Engagement,” I am having a riot!
See?
I am pleased to see solid 4s and 5s popping up for “Romance Under Wraps,” and on Kindle, it is on sale in time for Christmas for 99 cents from December 24th to December 30th.
That’s what my main character, Catherine Cade, would call “easy as takin’ candy from a baby.” She’s a thief, and betting within this romantic suspense, she’d tell you to get it while it’s hot enough for the black market!
The good news is that the ebook How to Steal a Romance is on schedule, end of this month (July 31st in case COVID scrambled your calendar brain).
I’ve set up signings in my town, and I’ve been asked for an interview with Inked Voices, who are chock full of new and established authors as well as editors, agents, and publishers.
That said, COVID, oh joy of joys, has slowed the presses enough to kinda tick me off. The paperbacks will be available around September.
Next on my list is Rules of Engagement. Oh yech. I mean, editing goes slowly. Sigh. Since How to Steal a Romance is coming out soon and very soon, I am whipping my way through a novella, a sequel to How to Steal a Romance.
Name? Currently, the name of said WIP is When I Was Dead. It’s How to Steal a Romance from Rick Calhoun’s perspective. Takes place? Of course, in Whiskey River, a small community in Southern Oregon.
Looks dead to me
Then, I will return to finish Rules of Engagement. This is perhaps the most complicated of all of my works, a military/intrigue with plenty of romance and sparks in the middle of a kidnapping. You won’t find one soul in the first-person narrative. Instead, because of the plethora of characters, everything is in the third person, past tense.
Other works, in the works: Glass Slipper, a noir sequel to How to Steal a Romance with the morose medical examiner and a new tech. He doesn’t like her. At all. She thinks he’s a pig. They’ll get along great…
Next is a small town detective with zip experience, working to solve a serial murder. She is totally out of her depth and the only one in town who knows it. Alex must find another detective. Someone who knows what he/she is doing. And, a behavioral analyst. Alex and the Very Dead Doxy takes place in a rural community in Northern Minnesota.
Anyone notice a small town theme?
Next? Murder in the Mist. Takes place, again in Minnesota with one minor difference. Small one. The main character’s only help is from Whiskey River, a woman with a past like hers. That could only mean homicide detective, Catherine Cade Calhoun. With her husband out of town, homicide detective Rick Calhoun, she can take a short leave to help her friend languishing in jail. What could possibly go wrong? Alex doesn’t know what to do with her, and the main character is beside herself, a witness to a murder, as the cultish madman hunts her down.
I have the skeleton of a novel called, The Corpse in the Cupboard, which lives to its name. Kit Russell awakens in a strange town, in a strange house. Alone. Of course, a bit freaked out, she scouts out the digs she was tossed into. Finally, as she seeks coffee, she opens a broom closet and out falls a you-know-what. Most unfortunately she knows who it is. After getting said dead body back in the cupboard, a knock on the door stops her scream and a private detective, seeking shelter from a storm (which conveniently knocks out the power and the phone), walks into the kitchen when Kit’s back is turned. Oh, mercy. When he opens the broom closet he starts yelling. No wonder! So, what happened? How did she get there? Why is the woman dead? And in a cupboard? Can she trust this alleged private investigator? Can he trust her?
Welp. That’s what’s up with me.
How are you doing on your reading and writing?
I LOVE COMMENTS, so gimme a heads up, tell me what you think and how you’re doing!
Catherine Cadehas secrets, ones that she doesn’t know. Reaching those memories has escaped her, and she’s a tool, but for who? And why do so many people want her dead?
A nurse …
And baker …
And a thief …she runs from the only past she knows.
Alone, afraid, forgotten …
A cop, a murder, and Catherine Cade is now a suspect. Rick Calhoun, her nemesis, is the detective haunting her …
In a town too small to hide …
His version is mercy, but she sees blackmail …
Unlocking lost Memories is a nightmare … what is she?
A weapon, a woman, a warrior. But for who?
But with all of that, is she safe?
Anywhere?
Can Calhoun help?
He will do anything, give everything, to keep her from harm.
Because only he knows her truth, but living to see it could be tricky.
The first pass edit of How to Steal a Romance passed the publishing house’s editing team with three whole blips, which I call a win. Fixed in 3 minutes.
Made those corrections and sent the manuscript back, and it is ready for submission to be published.
Whoosh!
And anxiously awaiting to see what the cover will look like. I know what my brain says, but let’s see what their graphics team comes up with!
So, what are you doing during the ‘stay-inside’ plague?
I am thinkin’ I need to distance myself from social media (mercy! I am already social distancing…!) to do some catchup reading and writing.
Expect How to Steal a Romance on the shelves, KDP/Nook, etc., before fall. YEEEEKS!!
Military intrigue. Not my usual genre. Yes… yes. There is some romance. But more of a dude’s novel.
I ‘usually’ write romantic/suspense, however, several years back I started this military thriller/intrigue. By the time I finished ‘How to Steal a Romance,’ it was time to do a rewrite. This is a fictionalized novel loosely based on happenings in 2014.
I’ll leave you to guess what it’s about.
Got a lot done in the past few days on the new novel. I find it truly amazing how much can be accomplished when not on social media… who would have thought.
Anyway, the next steps include: Finishing the last third of the rewrite. Putting this through the paces of my Grammarly and electronic reader. Send it to beta readers (whom I will need, btw, in the event you want a free copy). Then off to my Grammar Nazi who will also rip it to shreds. Then… a copyeditor and off to publishing houses out there and/or agents.
My timeline ‘was’ six months to finish the rewrite. Well, I am almost done. So, the next goal, I continue now at three months to beta readers, six months or thereabouts to copyeditor, minus the copyedit, send off, acceptance by agent/publisher, and their edit requests.
In roughly 5 months Elk Lake will be publishing and I will be launching ‘How to Steal a Romance.’
Team is up and reading/reviewing already. I have one slot open. Just one free copy to give away for a confirmed helper to launch this romantic suspense… Facebook, comment here, or DM on Twitter!
THE UPDATE :
Progress is being made. The publishing house/creative graphics department is working on a cover. Yeeks! Can’t wait to see it!
Next, a professional website is close to done and thanks to Bob Phillips, webmaster. This is Bob (well, not really). I am apparently a pain in the neck with my emails and requests…
I am finally on Instagram. Soooo I don’t really know how to use it yet, gimme time. *AuthorClaire1 – got a few pics up…
Expedition in the garage getting fixed up for some road trips. Yay!
The launch team (minus 1) is so on it and I love you guys, you rock!
… finished a big project oh say like a novel and got a contract and wonder what’s next?
YA.
That’s me. And freakin’ out a bit.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. If you have ANY wisdom do let me know. That’d be awesome. Novel is ‘supposed’ to be out in about 6 months. How to Steal a Romance, ’cause I know you wanna read it. Right?
For the NanoWrimos among us, I suspect you’ve dented your couch and eschewed Thanksgiving as I have done (but not this year).
50,000 words, one month, fingertips on fire, total focus.
WELL THEN. I am not quite there this year since I decided I really needed to work on those 5 novels already in the works since I began the Nano challenge.
So, after a good chapter + that I worked on, I plowed through Thanksgiving (mostly… foodwise) and didn’t work on it and still was too full to work yesterday.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
How are you doing on your WIP? Oh, and I changed the WIP I am working on. Made more sense to me to edit that one.
I should add perhaps… bon chance (GOOD LUCK!). Bon courage (roughly, be happy, don’t worry…).
Have copyeditor, will travel. Before I sent her the MS I found a gazillion gaffs so… I fixed ’em, notified the agent who graciously let me dump the first submission of cover letter/proposal/synopsis/first 50 pages.
That being a big, fat whew, I moved on. Now, it’s a condundrum.
Should I really work on Murder in the Mist?
Or… back to my romantic/comedy/suspense (noir), Glass Slipper? The immediate sequel to HTSR? A tough edit.
(Image courtesy S. Spalletta)
What about the wee town of Olvegaart? Where a romantic/mystery occurs (some suspense)? Where the working title is Alex and the Very Dead Doxy?
Yes… doxy means lady of the night. Or day. Or whatever.
Just needs a cleanup, okay a lotta cleaning up.
AIR, military suspense/romance? Note: Imagination in overdrive. Again.
(Image, courtesy my brain)
I mean, that is done! But not vaguely edited. At. All.
Since I have been procrastinating I haven’t posted.
Because… I have been procrastinating.
Got back into it last night until 2 a.m. My grammar-a-holic I can credit for crackin’ the whip and makin’ me git back to it.
Fearing ProWritingAid’s (PWA) incredibly slow process again, I tried the free Grammarly only to find that punctuation / proofing was not included. Oh, please.
So I plugged the whole MS back into PWA and typed away.
Funny thing happened on the way to (Damascus) this process. I submitted my cover letter/proposal/synopsis/50 pages without the PWA edit — to the agent.
MERCY. Should I tell her? I am hoping she is blind to my gaffs. Otherwise…
I have a full plate, writing included. Driving me crazy. Mostly because I am not writing my fiction.
Reading is my current project to clear my cluttered brain-pan. I had one sitting on my shelf for 5 years (maybe more, like… 8?) so I started reading while I am using a stationary cycle. This gives me an hour of action-packed stuff and I cycle around 16 mph…
While my mph gets me nowhere fast, the read is getting me through chapter after chapter. In Washington, D.C. right now in a pretty decent crime thriller, so perhaps one could say my mph has taken me far.
Lonely writer. Lone (but not so) reader. Sad and lonely blogger.
Cover letter, proposal, synopsis, and first 50 page sent to an agency, and will send more off later.
Whew.
But not yet done. I have my final read-through, proofer, then editor.
… as my Grammar-a-holic says… seriously?
THEN I am done and should it be requested it will be sent into the ether. If not? Meh… I will let it stew in a drawer for another year while I work on AIR. Or Glass Slipper. Maybe finish up Alex and the Very Dead Doxy.
Perhaps why writers get frustrated at themselves, their agents, publishers etc. :
Let me see if I can put it in words that even the inebriated (writer?) might understand. – Tom Robbins
Had a hankerin’ for posting a new WordPress site. WHY? Oh, heck. I don’t know. I was frustrated (wait… am frustrated) with my website, and wanted to blog.
You know, like destroy everything techy in sight. I want to throttle something. Or the infernal internet, but I’d have to talk to the man who invented it and reach the end of the .com .net .org .everything else internet-y.
Here I will not focus on forensics but on writing and interviews. (this is also a picture of an agent’s desk. And you wonder why it takes more than a month to hear back…)
Today, Romance Under Wraps (new title name) is free on Kindle Unlimited. For how long? Only my publisher knows…
The cost of the Kindle copy will come waaay down once the KU copies are no longer running. Yes, I looked and near-bout passed out. However, if you are so inclined, paying ten bucks ain’t gonna hurt my feelings! But FREE is good.
What about the paperback edition? About the same price as the Kindle version should you only touch paper. Again, won’t hurt my feelings a bit if you want it!
You thought he was cute a long time ago. Now the cabby who came to your rescue after you realized your friend was murdered is dead, and Scott has the gun. Blood is everywhere.
He pointed it to your head and demanded your phone. You refused. He took it and destroyed it.
You fought back.
Angry, he taped your mouth, your hands, and threw you unceremoniously into the trunk of the dead cabby’s car. When he stopped the car and opened the trunk, you managed to free your hands and you grabbed your pepper spray. You turned and sprayed him in the face.
When you jumped from the trunk, you realized to your horror that he wasn’t fazed by the pepper spray and you’re in an enclosed garage.
He pulled you toward him by the hair and grasped your arms hard enough to hurt. He tossed you over his shoulder and pushed the door to his hideaway open. Scott Walker threw you onto a bed.
The tears in your eyes did not match the fear and anger in your heart. You won’t go without a fight. You knew you are about to die.
He said, “There is nowhere for you to go. You’re here, and you will never find a way out. “But I promise you there may yet be mercy.”
You’ve prayed every moment and you don’t believe in God, but only divine intervention can help you now.
Through the duct tape over your mouth, you begged. He sat on the bed next to you and raised a hand. You expect the worst.
No one can help me now. Your tears simply fell.
Instead he brushed your hair from your face and called you by name.
And he said… “Cheyenne, I need you to trust me and I need your help. I don’t believe in hurting anyone. Forgive me for everything I did to get you here. But I need you, your expertise. I am praying that you will say yes. God knows I need you.”
Then he gently wiped your tears away.
“Whatever you need me to do to make you feel safe, I promise that within my power, I will give you. Even if you want to leave. But you’re safe, now.”
He removed the tape from your mouth.
You whisper, “I’ll stay.”
Then he wept into his hands and said, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.”
