From the heart - Monday Fortune Cookie 5/19/12

GREAT THOUGHTS COME FROM THE HEART

SNARKY RESPONSE: Then again, it could just be heartburn.

Great thoughts come from the heart.

As a romance writer, I'm partial to this fortune. Afterall, my tagline is: Fantasy With A Kiss Of Romance. I love stories that involve romance. Always have. Always will.

In Collector's Item, KT's heart tells her that her aunt is in trouble and despite her father's doubts, she insists on finding out. Her heart tells her that something's not right, and she puts everything on the line, including her own safety for that feeling. For her, it's about family. That's the heart of her story.

Peyton Aller's heart tells him that his best friend's death cannot go unavenged, and he puts aside his own career to do so. He goes undercover to track down the responsible party even when the authorities have set the case aside as unsolved. For him, it's about friendship. That's the heart of his story.

What happens when their stories cross becomes the heart of Collector's Item's story.

My hope is that you'll enjoy reading Collector's Item as much as I enjoyed writing it for you. Exploring KT and Peyton's world led me down a lot of interesting paths. Writing romance always offers me lots of new ways to imagine life and love. That's the heart of my story.

COLLECTOR'S ITEM VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY!

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Today's the Day!
Welcome to The Virtual Release Party for
Collector's Item!


COLLECTOR'S ITEM has been released by The Wild Rose Press in all eformats. To get your copy in your choice of pdf, mobi and epub, just click this Buy Link or go to The Wild Rose Press Website and search for Collector's Item.

All day today, you can help me celebrate the formal launch of Collector's Item, a suspenseful paranormal romance enovella. Follow along on Facebook and twitter as I share tidbits about Collector's Item--the world, the characters, the story.

I'm also guesting over at Delilah Devlin's blog today -  http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/
sharing some fun information about my shapeshifters in COLLECTOR'S ITEM.


And as at any self-respecting party, physical or virtual, There Are Party Games!

SPIN THE MUG: The lucky winner will get a mug to create their own coffee-flavored kisses. I'll be accumulating names from now until May 23rd to put in a drawing for this delightful Collector's Item coffee mug filled with caffeine and chocolate.

 
This lovely 11oz, ceramic mug comes in a universally coordinating white to match any kitchen or office decor. The stunning cover of Collector's Item appears on one side and on the other, we pose the question on everybody's lips: 

 
To find her missing aunt, a headstrong shapeshifter joins forces with a cynical Alpha to investigate an illegal hunt club, but when their plan backfires can she escape a trap of her own making?

To earn entries in this contest, you just have to do a few things for me:

• LIKE my fb Author Page - Denise Golinowski/Author - 1 Entry
•  TWEET something about Collector's Item using BOTH @DGolinowski and #collectorsitembook in the tweet. - 1 Entry
• COMMENT on this blog post and mention that you did #1 and/or #2 - 1 Entry
• WAIT - I'll be posting the winner here on this blog on May 24th!
• EXTRA ENTRY - LIKE my fb Book Page - Collector's Item/Golinowski - 1 Entry 

Easy Peasy!

PICTURE PERFECT PICKINGS: Every day until May 24th, I'll be picking random commenters, Likes, and tweets to win one of these signed Collector's Item Cover Postcards:

Vistaprint.com

I hope you'll stay to play. The party won't be the same without YOU!

Luck, Collector's Item Release Party, and Monday Fortune Cookie 5/13/13

YOU WILL BE SHOWERED WITH GOOD LUCK!

SNARKY RESPONSE: Wow! I hope it doesn't leave a stain.

You will be showered with good luck!

Actually, I'm feeling VERY LUCKY this week. Why, you ask?

Because on Friday, May 17th,

COLLECTOR'S ITEM is being Formally Released

by The Wild Rose Press in ALL eformats!

In case you haven't picked up my various posts, hints, blogs, and such about my new paranormal romance, let me share once more the totally fabulous cover and a little hint about the story:

To find her missing aunt,

a headstrong shapeshifter joins forces with a cynical Alpha

to investigate an illegal hunt club,

but when their plan backfires

can she escape a trap of her own making?

In honor of this momentous event, I'll be hosting an all day VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY on Friday, May 17th! I will posting here, on facebook, and (gasp) tweeting all manner of things COLLECTOR'S ITEM related. And since I can't offer you libations or edible delectables via the www, I'm going to be offering a variety of fun prizes.



Also, All Week (May 17th through May 23rd), I will be offering chances to Enter to Win one of these truly Collectible COLLECTOR'S ITEM mugs filled with various forms of caffeine and oh so yummy chocolate. I'll be sharing all the particulars about the contest on Friday, May 17th here on this blog.

And, as luck would have it, I'll also be Guest Blogging over on the Delightful Delilah Devlin's blog that day! Talk about being showered with luck!




I hope you'll join in all the fun beginning on May 17th!

Three Minutes, Winter, & Monday Fortune Cookie 5/6/13

A FEELING IS AN IDEA WITH ROOTS

SNARKY RESPONSE:  And dislodging a bad one can be similar to getting a root canal.

FIRST THIS NEWS FLASH:  NPR announced on Saturday, their new Three-Minute Fiction Contest writing prompt - Write a short piece of fiction (600 words or less) in which a character finds something he or she has no intention of returning. Deadline is midnight on Sunday, May 12th.

Actually, I thought this fortune and NPR's newest Three-Minute Fiction Contest were kinda sympatico with my recent efforts with random writing prompts. I don't know if I'll have time to attempt this round, but I'm thinking about it.

I found this prompt and got the feeling my response to this prompt would work best as free verse. Perhaps attending all the Open Mikes and rubbing elbows with some of the Richmond Poets has begun to rub off on me. They're so friendly and giving of their words and encouragement that I felt open to making an attempt. I hope they're not laughing or cringing too much.

Thank you, Writers Write

Winter is everything except silent.

Clear away summer's exuberant song and reveal

the subtle underscore of life less full.

Overhead, limbs, leaf-free, liberated,

creak and click with each brush of wind.

Breath becomes part of the soundscape

above footsteps audible on frost-stiffened grass

or salt-strewn paths.

Brittle cracks of ice,

soft drops of melt,

hushed fall of snow.

Water in winter shifts form and texture,

each with its own unique soundtrack.

Birdcalls split the air with sharp edges,

winter flight a soft whoosh of wings through air.

Solitary flight sounds as clear as summer's flock

amplified by absence, fuller in empty skies.

Soft, hard. Loud, hushed.

Winter is everything except silent.

Photo Prompts, Story Snippets, & Monday Fortune Cookie 4/29/13

YOU WILL SPEND OLD AGE IN COMFORT AND MATERIAL WEALTH.

SNARKY RESPONSE:  If this fortune cookie had the winning lottery numbers, I might, but without those I'll probably spend it with Southern Comfort.


Today, I decided to do something different. I'm going to share a little of my writing explorations with you.

I'm very active on fb - Denise Golinowski/Author - and folks are always posting these lovely evocative images. Anything and everything from lush landscapes to fantastical creatures to kick-ass warriors. 

I used to just share them and comment on how they were "plot bunnies," but I never followed up. 

Well for some time, I've been wanting to write something in the Steampunk genre, or at least on the Gaslight stage, and recently I've been seeing photos that grabbed my imagination with both hands, screamed "steampunk story" at me, and introduced me to a couple of intriguing characters - Lady Aimes and Professor Algenon. And it all started with this photo:

Frankfurt Metro Entrance

(Where, in an unexpected turn of events, Professor Algenon takes control of a runaway underground train and manages to drive it up through the pavement to avoid a head-on collision.)

Lady Aimes adjusted her hat and brushed dust 
off her shirtwaist before fixing Professor Algenon with a stern gaze. "A unique way to avoid a straight-on disaster, but you could have just changed tracks back at the switch."

Professor Alegnon wiped a trickle of blood from his forehead and grinned. "But this was so much more fun!"


And a few hours later, I saw a photo of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice - not this exact photo, one taken at night with the canal was empty of gondolas, which set up this snippet: 

(Where Lady Aimes and the Professor try to escape some unsavory Venetians who have been up to no good. Unfortunately, Lady Aimes, who is a very frugal woman, did not anticipate the mercenary nature of their gondolier)


Lady Aimes peered over the side of the bridge at the empty water. "Where is that gondolier?"

Professor Algenon glanced over his shoulder toward the distant sound of footsteps and shouts. "Perhaps you should have tipped him more."


(Suffice it to say that they manage to escape not only their nefarious pursuers, but reached the safety and sanity of London with their adventure a success - a disaster averted and a dastardly inventor jailed)


Before the end of that day, a final photo of a beautiful glassed in solarium provided a final scene for the Intrepid Lady Aimes and Professor Algenon (I apologize, but I could not find a comparable photo - imagine if you will a glass roofed solarium with lush greenery and a tea service set on a table between two cushioned wrought iron chairs):  

Lady Aimes sank onto the seat cushion with a sigh of relief. "Home at last. Professor, you seem to relish outings like today's, but I, for one, am determined to stay in tomorrow."

Professor Algenon looked up from the stack of correspondence on his lap. She couldn't tell if the sparkle in his blue eyes was from excitement or sunlight on his glasses. "I'm sorry to hear that. I just received an intriguing missive."

She leaned forward, sensing a rise of regretable excitement. "Do tell."


Now I'm captured by these two intriguing characters and have plans to flesh out this first adventure and then follow them out into others as well. In fact, I worked on an opening scene for a second story while at RavenCon this year.

So, have you seen any good pictures or met any intriguing characters? I invite you to visit my fb page to see what other snippets I create and give me your thoughts/additions/etc.

Digging Myself Out of a Rut with FastDraft & Monday Fortune Cookie 4/22/13

BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOURSELF, EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO FAKE IT.

SNARKY RESPONSE: Yeah, no one'll see through that! It's all about aspirations with an emphasis on the first syllable, eh? 

Bring out the best in yourself, even if you have to fake it.

Actually, it's not bad advice. And aspiring to be more than you fear you truly are is the first step toward becoming exactly what you desire.

I'm going to be pushing myself to bring out my best effort over the next two weeks. A friend of mine, Alexa Day (you met her a few weeks ago, remember? Taking The Scientific Approach? ILLICIT IMPULSE - Blog Post dated 4/5/13) is doing another Fast Draft, and I'm going to tag along. I believe the target is 5,000 words per day for 2 weeks. I'm not off to a good start, having had to spend the day in the yard with hubby. However, I will pound out some words tonight and do serious make-up writing tomorrow.

I hear Alexa's off to a fantastic start and I look forward to tracking her progress via her facebook Author Page - Alexa Day Author Page

I've been in a bit of a rut lately, and I'm hopeful that Fast Draft will help to pull me out. Putting a goal out there is the first step to holding myself accountable for my writing. It's a steep daily word count, but a challenge isn't a challenge if it's not tough, right? I'll be reporting on my progress via facebook as well - Denise Golinowski/Author

Booyah!

Surprises, Taxes, and Monday Fortune Cookie, 4/15/13

THERE WILL BE MANY SURPRISES; UNEXPECTED GAINS ARE LIKELY

SNARKY RESPONSE:  On Tax Day, just surviving may be the biggest surprise. After meeting with my tax accountant the only unexpected gain is going to be on the scales. Comfort food is so high-cal.

THERE WILL BE MANY SURPRISES; UNEXPECTED GAINS ARE LIKELY

Actually, Tax Day was several weeks ago for me and, thankfully, not a disaster.

Preparing my taxes gave me a chance to take a walk down memory lane and so I'm going to inflict a few highlights on you. Brace yourself.

The Virginia Romance Writers 2012 Conference - I actually submitted the winning name for the conference - For The Love Of Writing. It was a wonderful conference and resulted in my finding a home for COLLECTOR'S ITEM at the Wild Rose Press!


A SALE! - I mentioned before that I found a home for COLLECTOR'S ITEM at The Wild Rose Press. My first enovella, THE FESTIVAL OF THE FLOWERS: THE COURTESAN & THE SCHOLAR, is currently in their catalogue.

Tea & Strumpets Panel - My second ever speaking engagement at a lovely little venue in Hampton. Just loved the name! What fun with the authors who helped to form the Words, Women, Wisdom (W3) blog group.

Discovering The Porches Writing Retreat - I was invited to join a lovely group of women (I call 'em The Porches Divas) on a writing retreat. I got the spicy scenes in COLLECTOR'S ITEM written there!

W3 was formed - I joined a creative bunch of ladies to form a group blog. We're an amazingly diverse group of writers covering a wide range of genres. The blog is still evolving, and I feel the best is yet to come! My monthly contribution is Myth Perceptions where I explore myths and fantasy on the third Wednesday of the month. Hey! That's this week! Dew Drop In!

I'd worked harder to develop more of an online presence with facebook and blogs. Twitter, sadly, is just not my venue of choice, though I do tweet occasionally!

Mainly, I'd say that my dedication to my career as a writer continued to expand in 2012 and I've been continuing the trend in 2013 with COLLECTOR'S ITEM's release.

However, the best part has been the folks I've met here on Golinowski's Gambol, facebook, W3, and all points in between. I hope that we all have positive returns and happy surprises on this Tax Day!