It’s the Amazing Stephen Zimmer!

I have the pleasure of welcoming one of the most talented writers I’ve ever had the honor of meeting, working with and calling friend.  Stephen Zimmer is a prolific writer of Sci-Fi/ Fantasy.  The talent with which he crafts stories, characters and settings is something I aspire to in my own writing. He also happens to be an amazing Convention Coordinator.  But I’m gonna stop gushing and let him talk to you about writing for a small press SUCCESSFULLY!

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From the Heart of a Small Press: Introducing Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy

By Stephen Zimmer

 The small press publishing world is not an easy road to take, especially when the landscape of publishing as a whole has changed so profoundly over just the last few years.  Nevertheless, the ultimate goal is no different than it has been in any age: produce the best books possible with the talent and resources available.

When you have a Bram Stoker Award-winning editor, an arsenal of NY Times best-selling authors including several regarded as genre icons, a cadre of top editors, and a pair of award-winning artists in the mix, you know you have something very special on your hands.  For all of us at Seventh Star Press, Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy, edited by Michael Knost,  is that special book, representing a treasure trove for both writers and readers alike. 

Containing an array of essays and interviews featuring the likes of Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, Harry Turtledove, Kevin J. Anderson, and many more, the book offers a look into the minds of many of the greatest writers in the genre regarding their particular approaches to the craft of writing.  For writers, this is obviously an educational bonanza, and for readers it is a chance to see how their favorite genre authors approach their craft.

Resources necessary for a project like this are not the easiest thing to come by for a small press.  Therefore, the road to the publication of Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy involved a Kickstarter campaign became highly successful, featuring nearly 500 contributors who desired to see this book become a reality.

The campaign included some custom short films produced by Allotrope Media, a Memphis-based new media company.  One of their principle individuals is none other than Jackie Gamber, an award-winning editor and author who is one of the premium talents featured in the book.

The contributions gathered over the course of the Kickstarter campaign went far past the goal that had been set.  The total collected allowed several full-page pieces of custom artwork to be commissioned, as well as the addition of an entirely new section within the book itself.

From the striking cover by Matthew Perry to the last page, the book turned out both sharp-looking and content-rich.  The perspectives contained within demonstrate strongly that there is no one “right way” to writing in genre fiction.  Rather, there are multiple possible approaches, and each author’s challenge is discovering the best methods for themselves.

The book offers a wealth of material for all levels of writers, whether one is brand new to the world of publishing or an industry veteran.   There is something to be gleaned for the edification of anyone, and already many teachers of both high school and college levels are expressing a desire to add this title to their curriculum.

A book like this is a true honor for any press to release.  Seventh Star Press is very conscious of the importance of the title, and what it represents for writers and editors everywhere.

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a solid contribution to the realms of genre literature.  The coming months look to be very exciting as growing numbers of people begin to read the book and discover what is contained within it.

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Isn’t he amazing?!  He actually used the word ‘edification.’  Correctly! And here’s another thing… Stephen is running a rafflecopter contest, so hop on over and enter.  That’s where I’m headed….

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9d97721

Blog Tour: Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran

CLICK ME to enter the BIG CONTEST!!!

Hello, kittens!  Happy Spring!  We’re back here at the Southern Belle from Hell to welcome a sizzling new author, Jan Moran.  Jan is here today to tell us a little about her new book Scent of Triumph. 

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Hi Alexandra, and thank for sharing your soapbox with me today! I’ve always been a fan of horror and creepy-crawly thing that go bump in the night.

 People often ask where writers get their ideas. A couple of days ago on my blog tour I wrote about how I summon the muse, so today I thought I’d share more about how my work evolves. Writing is a different experience for every writer. Some writers plot heavily, while others are seat-of-the-pants writers (known affectionately as “pansters”). Me—I’m somewhere in between. I like to allow room for surprises.

 When I begin thinking about a new book, I draw from subjects I know something about—or would like to learn more about. While I’m writing, I’d like to learn something fascinating, too.

 Inspiration often comes when I’m walking on the beach or swimming laps. Sometimes flashes transpire in the middle of the night. (Always keep a notepad by your bed, even if it’s hard to decipher your midnight scribbles.)

 So, here’s how I begin a new book:

  1.       Who’s the Protagonist? – Strong female protagonists     and entrepreneurs who forge their own paths to success inspire me. I like to share their fascinating, adventurous, inspirational stories. The character’s name, heritage, background, physical attributes, and inner life come next. I wonder, what are her passions, flaws, and dreams? All of this goes into a master notebook. Once she becomes three dimensional, I’m ready to move on.

 

2.       Where’s the Story Set? – Locations are one of my favorite things to think about. As a child, books were my magic carpets to the world. Travel is stimulating—I love to explore new cities, countries, customs, and cultures that I can share with readers. I find something intriguing about every place I visit, so it’s hard to choose, but France, England, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Spain, New York, Texas, and California (my home) are among my favorite places.

 

3.       What’s Her Job? – Once I know what my protagonist does, and what’s important to her, the story begins to emerge. For example, during my career perfumery, fashion, and business were my passions. I’m also a strong advocate of the entrepreneurial path. So, in writing Scent of Triumph, I studied forward-thinking female entrepreneurs of the twentieth century in beauty and fashion: Coco Chanel, Nina Ricci, Elizabeth Arden, Estée Lauder, Madame Carven, Mary Kay. These smart, gutsy, entrepreneurial women lived cinematic lives steeped in creative endeavors, along with their share of drama. Of course, future protagonists will have different career paths, but you can bet that it will be something just as interesting.

 

4.       What’s the Time Period? – I’ve always loved history, so it seems natural to set my stories in the not too distant past—within the last century. I also like to weave in generational stories, such as those of a mother or grandmother. Family relationships, especially children, are important to me, and often figure prominently in my work. And of course, there’s always a love interest or two…or three.

 

5.       What Does She Learn? – The main character’s arc, or what she learns during the course of the story, is vital for a satisfactory story. My main character has flaws and makes mistakes (like all of us), but learns from her blunders. Ultimately, she should prevail over unimaginable adversity—whether from external forces or against her own internal struggles (or both). For example, Scent of Triumph is one woman’s journey, a journey filled with courage and creativity, with love and loss, and at the heart of it all, a relentless will to survive, to triumph on her own terms.

 

Great visiting with you and your readers here, Alexandra! I love to hear from readers and other writers, so feel free to say hello on my blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

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I dunno about you guys, but I learned a lot from that post.  That Jan Moran is one smart cookie!  Not to mention that she’s written an amazing book. And speaking of, here’s a little more about that….

About Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran

Scent of Triumph is the story of Danielle Bretancourt, a talented young French perfumer with a flair for fashion and a natural olfactory gift. In the language of perfumery, she is a Nose, with the rare ability to recognize thousands of essences by memory. The story opens on the day England declares war on Germany, and Danielle and her family are caught in the midst of a raging disaster sweeping across Europe.

Her life takes a tragic turn when her husband and son are lost behind enemy lines. She spies for the French resistance, determined to find them, but is forced to flee Europe with fragments of her family. Destitute, she mines her talents to create a magnificent perfume that captures the hearts of Hollywood’s top stars, then gambles again to win wealth and success as a couturier. Her intelligence and flair attracts the adoration of Jonathan Newell-Grey, of England’s top shipping conglomerate, and Cameron Murphy, Hollywood’s most charismatic star.

Danielle charts her course through devastating wartime losses and revenge; lustful lovers and loveless marriages; and valiant struggles to reunite her family. Set between privileged lifestyles and gritty realities, here is one woman’s story of courage, spirit, and resilience.

Author Bio

Jan Moran writes smart, stylish, sensual sagas. She’s also written several books on perfume.

 “My most recent book, SCENT OF TRIUMPH, was inspired by my love of perfumery and history. In writing, I drew upon my own family history and my mother’s memories of World War II, imagining a young entrepreneur whose talent, determination, and fearlessness catapult her to the pinnacle of success, despite mounting personal tragedies and the elusiveness of love.

“I write about strong, capable, female entrepreneurs.  I’m a world traveler, so I also enjoy writing about different destinations.”

Jan Moran is the author of SCENT OF TRIUMPH, a historical novel, and FABULOUS FRAGRANCES I and II, which earned spots on the Rizzoli Bookstore bestseller list.  She is at work on more series in fiction and nonfiction.

As a fragrance and beauty expert, she has been featured in numerous publications and on television and radio, including CNN and Extra, Women’s Wear Daily, Allure, InStyle, and O Magazine. As an editor and writer, she has covered fragrance, beauty, and spa travel for a variety of publications.

Author Links

Website: http://www.janmoran.com

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/janmoran

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9056.Jan_Moran

The WINNER IS….

The winner from the Big Cocks and Shamrocks Blog Hop is Leanna H!  Leanna won either a copy of one book from my Strange Bedfellows series!  Thanks again for all your kind comments and support of both my blog and the blogs of the others!  You all rock!!

Big Cocks & Shamrocks!!

Click me for the stops on the Hop!

Two of my favorite things.

Thus begins our celebration of all things sexy and Irish.  I’ve never made any secret that I’m a huge fan of our boys from the Emerald Isle.  In fact, all an Irish dude really has to do to get Lexxxy in bed is talk.  That rugged accent with the aggressive Rrrrsss and drawn out vowels always makes me warm and gooey in all the right places.  Sadly, I’ve never written an Irish hero, but I can almost guarantee that I will at some point in the future.  So I thought that just for St. Paddy’s Day, I’d salute some of my favorite muses that hail from Ireland…

1.  Liam Neeson.  He’s the voice of Aslan.  He trained Batman AND Obi-Wan Kenobi.  He took on a teen sex slave ring BY HIMSELF.  For Heaven’s sake he’s Zeus!  What’s not to like about Liam Neeson?  As a younger actor, he was always cast as the big, crazy awkward guy because of his height and general largeness, but it wasn’t until movies like The Good Mother and Rob Roy that he started to be noticed as a smouldering sexpot.  Girls like a guy that’s willing to beat the shit out of someone for the woman that they love.  Especially if its beating the shit out of MANY for the woman they love.

2.  Bono.  I’ve always had a love affair with Bono.  But who doesn’t love a smart, socially-conscious guy that can also sing?  Did I mention that he’s been up for a Nobel Peace Prize???

3.  Cillian Murphy.  So some people think he’s a little creepy.  Others refer to him as “that pretty Irish girl,” but this Irish actor is one of my favorites.  I was first mesmerized by his gorgeous blue eyes when he played Dr. Jonathan Crane/ Scarecrow in Batman Begins.  Ever since I’ve been a HUGE fan. I even managed to sit through a zombie movie for him!  He’s got this evil, yet angelic magnetism that drives me wild.  And then of course, he’s got this thick brogue that makes me shiver all over.  Don’t believe me?  Just watch the scene in 28 Days Later when he’s in the church and shouts “Father?”  OMG.

Alright, I’ll stop.  But only so I can remind you about the other stops on the Hop.  Each author is doing a fantastic giveaway AND you can enter to win the GRAND PRIZE by stopping by the Rafflecopter link.   As for my own giveaway, leave a comment below and I’ll choose a winner next weekend to receive a copy of my spankin’ new book in the Strange Bedfellows series:  “His Phantom Caress.”

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Slainte!

New Book! His Phantom Caress

Can ghost stories be sexy?  Believe it or not its a big contraversy.  My husband, author Tally Johnson, is a ghost hunter of much reknown.  In fact, one of these days he’ll be on TV exposing the masses to his southern accent and wit, but I digress.  He says that a ghostly erotic romance is unrealistic because it would be like “making love to a warm summer breeze.”  Yes, that was a direct quote.  Knowing how he feels about this topic, I was very cautious when constructing the new installment of the Strange Bedfellows series.

In the book, Cali and the Oubliette gang are trying to reunite a grieving widow, Elizabeth, with her dead husband, Rhys.  They had the perfect life and were about to start a family together.  That is, until Rhys died suddenly. leaving Elizabeth questioning her sanity and desperate for closure.  She turns to Cali for help, but bringing someone back from the dead isn’t easy.  Enter a mysterious necromancer named Salazar who seems to be the answer to their prayers.  But accepting his help means accepting an ominous proposition.

Rhys Grayson is, essentially, a ghost.  In a very Patrick Swayze/ Demi Moore ghostly kind of way.  Ultimately, the goal of this story was to allow the husband and wife one more night of passion before he crosses over.  But every time I sat down to write it, I could hear Tally and his “warm summer breeze” comment.  I  had to come up with a way to make Rhys more substantial.  To add a bit more realism to the story.  Now, I know that sounds insane.  It’s a paranormal romance, screw the realism.  But there are a lot more folks that believe in ghosts than don’t.  And I didn’t want to insult those folks’ intelligence by having a sloppy story.  So what started out as 10,000 words turned into 20,000 words.  But I think the length is worth it.

Blurb:

What would you give for one more night?

Rhys and Elizabeth Grayson had a charmed life.  A beautiful house, a passionate marriage and a bright future ahead, until one day, their dreams were shattered when Rhys suddenly died.  Alone and drowning in grief, Elizabeth has nowhere to turn until she stumbles across Cali Barrows and The Oubliette.  The otherworldly talents of Cali and her vampire lovers, André and Leo, are Elizabeth’s only hope for being reunited with her beloved.  But the journey into the ethereal is a dangerous one and lost souls are not easily found. How far is Elizabeth willing to go to say goodbye?  How far to feel the warmth of his phantom caress?

Check out this next installment in the series, available NOW.

If I’ve piqued your interest or if you just want to come point and laugh, I can be found at the following locales:

Facebook

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

 Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

 

My books can be found  at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks and anywhere quality eBooks are sold.

Cover Reveal: Strange Bedfellows: His Phantom Caress

Tomorrow is the day, chickies!  My new book, a sequel to Strange Bedfellows:  Three to Tango will be hitting Amazon, B&N, AllRomance and other ebook shelves tomorrow, March 2nd!  The book is called Strange Bedfellows:  His Phantom Caress and it is the continuing story of Cali, her vampire lovers and more of the gang from the mysterious nightclub, The Oubliette.  So… are you ready for the cover???  *drum roll*

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Isn’t it beautiful??!!  So pass it on, make some buzz… but most importantly, grab yourself a copy tomorrow!  And now…. a little about the story…

What would you give for one more night?

 Rhys and Elizabeth Grayson had a charmed life.  A beautiful house, a passionate marriage and a bright future ahead, until one day, their dreams were shattered when Rhys suddenly died.  Alone and drowning in grief, Elizabeth has nowhere to turn until she stumbles across Cali Barrows and The Oubliette.  The otherworldly talents of Cali and her vampire lovers, André and Leo, are Elizabeth’s only hope for being reunited with her beloved.  But the journey into the ethereal is a dangerous one and lost souls are not easily found. How far is Elizabeth willing to go to say goodbye?  How far to feel the warmth of his phantom caress?

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If I’ve piqued your interest or if you just want to come point and laugh, I can be found at the following locales:

Facebook

Facebook Fan Page

Twitter

 Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

My books can be found  at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks and anywhere quality eBooks are sold.

Loki’s Game Blog Tour: An Interview w/ S.H. Roddey

Guess whose back? Back again? Noooo… it’s not Slim Shady.  It’s me, yer old pal Sexy Lexxxie.  I’m back on the blog today to welcome one of my favorite authors, and indeed one of my favorite people, to the page.  Siobhan Kinkade is a particular friend of mine and she has a new book, Loki’s Game, that has just come out from Sugar and Spice Press.  She was kind enough to sit down with me and answer a few questions about love, life and where bodies are buried.

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1.        How did you start writing?

It actually happened before I realized it. I was just a kid doing a homework assignment for English class. The assignment was to write a new ending for Beauty and the Beast, and instead of writing a few paragraphs, I ended up writing twenty pages. It has been all downhill from there.

2.       What genres do you write in?  Which is the most satisfying?

Too many to count! I love writing paranormal romance, but my first love is horror. So long as I’m doing bad things to people on paper, I’m not tempted to crack skulls in real life.

3.       What sort of “rituals” do you engage in to help you write?

Now I’m going to have to tell on you too! Aside from loud music to drown out background noise, my most successful ritual is the Thursday night write-in at Starbucks with you and Crymsyn Hart.  Not that we actually get much work done for playing on Facebook and dealing with people banging on the tables, but we do at least try.

4.       Tell us about your new book, Loki’s Game.

It started as an accident several years ago. It started out as a short story about a woman who answered an ad in a newspaper that turned out to be for the position of “wife.” It grew and twisted into this convoluted mess involving a pair of shapeshifters (because as you know I suffer from Epic Brain Syndrome). Then out of nowhere something in my brain broke and my hero ended up being a descendent of the Nordic Dragon, Fafnir, and the guy chasing him decided to tell me that he was actually disguised as Loki.

The first draft was submitted two years ago, and after finding a few glaring structural errors, I pulled the submission and went back to work on it. Having finally decided that it wasn’t as stupid as I thought, I revised, rewrote and expanded until it became what it is. And late last year, Kelly at Sugar & Spice Press agreed to take a second look and offered the contract.

5.       Loki is heavily rooted in Norse mythology. Do you often use mythology to inspire your writing?  Where do you draw inspiration from?

Mythology often eats my brain. Something about the power of gods and monsters has always appealed to me. I think it’s why a lot of my work features werewolves, shapeshifters and vampires too. They’re strong and unusual, and a good monster always makes me happy.

The inspiration itself comes from all over the place. Sometimes it’s music, other times it’s the people or situations around me. A lot of what I write is kneejerk reaction to something happening in my life.

6.       This is your first novel-length work.  Did you find it difficult to make the transition from short to long form?

Actually, no. Going back to that EBS from earlier – when your brain works on that epic level like mine, it’s hard to keep it from wandering into novel territory. Plot points and twists come out of nowhere and the characters like to get all snarled up in situations that take pages and pages to resolve.

This is my first published novel, but I have two others sitting on a shelf, waiting to see if I ever go back and fix them enough to sell. Lately it has been harder to keep things short, which means anthology calls with word count limits are like pulling teeth.

7.       What advice would you give budding writers?

If you want to be a writer, then be a writer. Don’t talk about doing it. Don’t second guess yourself. Don’t say “one day I’ll finish something”. And for goodness’ sake, don’t spend all of your time rewriting and revising! Write it, do your self-edits, and let it go. The longer you micro-manage your manuscript, the harder it’s going to be to let it go.

8.       Where can readers find your work?

All over the place! Information on all of my books can be found on my blog, and I’m available on GoodReads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks.

Wait, revise that. My books are available on those sites. I’m not actually there. I’m not for sale… at least, not for cheap.

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Now… the important stuff.  THE BLURB!!

Unemployed museum curator Lily Redway responds to an advertisement in the newspaper, thinking she is applying for a job. On the other side of that small, black-and-white box waits two things: a fantasy world come to life and a man named Rowan Keir.

 Rowan is a man with many secrets. He is a shape-shifter, a descendent of old world mythology, and the guardian of a rare and valuable Nordic artifact. He is also being hunted by the god Loki and has spent the last six hundred years outsmarting and outrunning him.

 With the fury of Asgard on Rowan’s trail, Lily finds herself caught up in a real-life fantasy story, a love triangle, and an ages-old war that pitches her into a different world and one very hard truth: All is fair in love and war.

I can promise you, dear readers, that this book is a HOT and amazing read.  Go buy it NOW!