30 September 2010

Please welcome Clare Austin, my guest today.




Thank you for joining us today, Clare. Please will you tell us something about yourself?


Hi and thanks for having me here today. Something about myself? I’ve been called “driven” and a “type A” person. I’m not sure those labels really fit me, but I have always been inclined to take on the difficult and put 100% of myself into accomplishing my goals. This has been true in writing as well as my involvement with horse sport, music, being a mom. I tend to go “all out.” I simply do not have another way of doing things.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

When I started writing fiction I was a complete pantser. I never plotted, planned, outlined or even thought about where my characters were taking me. They took me in some very odd directions back then. Now, I plot to some extent. I have limits and boundaries on where my characters are allowed to go within any particular story. Sometimes they insist on straying and refuse to come back when called. I’ve had to send a few off and tell them they get their own book down the road somewhere.

What/who has been your greatest inspiration?

Life itself has been my inspiration. I am an observer and listener. I see and hear stories all around me. However, I’ve been inspired by many authors in various genres as well.

Whose POV do you prefer…hero/heroine/villain?

I write in all POV’s. I like to mix it up. Getting into a villain’s head turned out to be quite difficult for me when I wrote Angel’s Share, but I felt the book really needed to expose him. It sounds a bit psychotic but I have vivid “conversations” between characters ...often out loud...but I try to do it when other people are not around.

What is your favoured writing routine?

I like to write in the morning for a couple of hours and then again in the afternoon. This routine has been disrupted since I’ve become published because I now have to spend time on promotion. I try to get the “office work” out of the way early so I can concentrate on the creative.

What has been your greatest fear you’ve had to overcome as a writer?

That’s easy. Standing up in front of people and presenting my work and myself terrifies me. I’m naturally quite shy, but I have found that I’m very enthusiastic about my novels and when I start talking about my books or characters, I transform into a more gregarious woman. I suspect that people who only know me related to my writing have no idea how introverted I truly am.

What do you do to relax?

I relax by doing things that take total physical and intellectual involvement. Riding my horses nearly every day is one of the things that, for me, takes my full attention. Also, I play violin. I practice every day, sometimes for hours. When I really don’t want to think...yes, there are times like that, I knit socks or watch a film.

Do you have a favourite colour? And how does it make you feel when you wear it?

I love yellow. Not every woman can wear yellow, so I feel special when I’m wearing soft buttery or bright sunflower yellow. My car is bright yellow and it surprised me when I bought it people said it was “so me.” It’s a fun colour: young, uninhibited. I hadn’t thought of myself that way, but it’s a nice way to feel.

Who is your favourite writer?

I have several favourites depending on genre, but in fiction I really love Maeve Binchy. I have read and re-read so many of her stories.

If you were a food, what would you be?

Fresh berries...sometimes dipped in dark chocolate.

How do you deal with criticism?

It hurts, but it cannot kill you! I participated in Three Day Eventing. This equestrian sport is really risky. Each time I waited with my horse in the start box before cross country, I knew the dangers. Compared to that, having someone not like something I write or even flubbing up a violin piece in front of a hundred people just doesn’t intimidate me.

What do you do when your mind blanks?

This has been happening more lately. It usually manifests itself in forgetting someone’s name, or a common word...I’ll just hunt my memory banks for it and it doesn’t show up. If I’m really stumped, I go on to something else...or just “hey, great to see you again.” It is the same with a story...I go on to something else and come back to it later.

What books and wip are in the pipeline for this year?

I have two works going simultaneously right now. I usually don’t do that but it’s just the way this is working out. Rosy Again is a contemporary romantic comedy, set in a small fishing village in Ireland. It has been fun to work on so far and I really think the heroine, Rosy, is going to capture the reader’s heart. Selkie’s Song is the final book in the Fadό Trilogy. It has been a long time coming and my Fadό fans have been asking when it will be available. It is about half way finished, so it’s a way off from release, but I hope it will be worth the wait.

Do you have a blurb and excerpt from one of your books you’d like to share?
My latest release, Hot Flash, is a contemporary romantic women’s fiction.

Blurb
Kate Aiello has spent her entire life trying to please others—her three brothers, her Italian mamma and her husband of twenty-five years. It isn’t insult enough she is turning fifty, and left at the side of life’s road by her philandering husband. Now she has to contend with her body’s betrayal…hot flashes!
The plain truth hits her with each thermostatic aberration—she has never been first in anyone’s life, including her own.

Brandon Sullivan has been on a downward spiral since the death of his beloved wife. Now he is a man desperate to save himself from impending financial ruin, loss of his farm and his life’s dream. He needs to get into the winner’s circle by spring or he’ll be just another poor, landless Irishmen downing his pints and bragging about the good ol’ days.

Sparks fly when Italian attitude meets Irish temper. Add two big crazy families, a barn full of horses and one woman’s menopausal hot flashes and the probability for combustion increases exponentially.

What will Kate and Brandon risk for a second chance at love?

 This is how the book starts.

“WS HS.” Was his! The little blue Beemer with vanity plates had become a symbol, the only thing Kate Aiello wanted from her erstwhile husband that he’d resented giving her. She didn’t particularly like the fancy roadster, but its new license plates sent a message to the world.

Driving along the back roads from her suburban Baltimore neighbourhood to the rural countryside, she perceived a twittering in her belly—excitement, anticipation, fear? Or was it a warning bell her unpredictable thermostat was about to work it’s evil on her again? Kate took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on driving.

Tears choked in her throat and stung her eyes. Wasn’t it insult enough she was turning fifty and being left at the side of life’s road by her philandering husband? Now she had to contend with her body’s betrayal…hot flashes!

Today the dissolution of her marriage would be final. Kate’s life would begin to be her own. She was no longer Catherine Waldon, or Mrs. Jeffrey Waldon. She was once again, after twenty-five years, Kate Aiello. And, just as Jeffrey had promised, she would never want for anything money could provide. Her attorney called it ‘a very profitable divorce’. Unfortunately, where her heart had once resided, there remained only a big black hole.

That was the moment it hit her—the tingling in her face, a million fine needles pressing into her flesh, heat spilling from her pores, pulse intensifying.

Distracted by her rebellious body, she didn’t see the squirrel until the last moment, but she was sure they had made eye contact. As he scooted to the right then to the left, she swerved to avoid rendering him road kill. The next several seconds slowed to a ballet of disaster. Brakes squealed, tires bumped over the bewildered varmint in their path, and she was thrown forward and then snapped back. A sickening sound of metal on metal pierced the atmosphere and her cranium smacked hard into the headrest.

Aghast, Kate took assessment. She was stunned but not hurt. Her hands gripped the steering wheel with pale knuckles, and her seat belt pressed into her chest with such force she could barely breathe.

That is when she heard him.

Muttering in a mix of English and a language unfamiliar to her ears, a voice rose and fell in anger and frustration. “Jaysus. Céard atá ar bun agat? Do ya see what ya did to me pick-up?” He pointed at the grill of his truck. Then, as if it were an afterthought, he asked, “Are ya hurt?”
Kate unfastened her seat belt and, on shaky limbs, as elegantly as possible stepped out of her car. The back quarter panel of the Beemer was smashed and one tail light bobbled, looking like a dislodged eyeball hanging from its optic nerve.

“Your truck? It isn’t even scratched. Look at my car. I was trying to miss the…” She looked at the pavement and screamed at the horror that lay there. “Ahh! I’ve killed him! Oh my God.” She had completely flattened the squirrel, his bloodied corpse a bleak reminder of her own vulnerability.

In counterpoint to her rising panic, he appeared to calm himself. “If you could see it in yourself to settle down—I think we should exchange insurance information,” he said, raking his hand through his thick, black hair.

Kate silently counted to ten, cleared her throat and modulated her voice to hide her alarm. “Yes…yes we should do that.” She reached into the glove box, retrieved her card and handed it to him. “I hope my car will run. I have an appointment.”

“Sure, an’ that makes two of us.” He wrote her information on the back of an envelope, showed her his driver’s license and handed her his business card, which she was too shaken to read.

He stepped cautiously around her, and surveyed the damage to her car. “I think you can drive safely with this, but get in and start her up. I’ll wait until you’re sure you can get down the road.”

Tears again began to well up in Kate’s throat. No, no, no way…I will not cry in front of this man. No man will ever see Kate Aiello’s tears again. She swallowed back the convulsive, wracking sobs threatening to consume her. This person had no right to be angry with her. He’d run right into the back of her car. He should have been paying attention. Didn’t he see she was trying not to murder an innocent forest creature?

She had to get out of here. Now that she’d calmed down, the man, with his riveting sapphire eyes, chiseled jaw and lean body, was having a strange effect on her. It was not an altogether unfamiliar feeling, though it had been quite a while since she had experienced it.

It must be hormonal.

She had to get a grip. Kate was determined to move on. She was headed to her first horseback riding lesson with the desperate hope some magic would transform her back into a whole woman.

As she drove away from the scene she had whirligigs in her stomach. Her cheeks were pinked and glowing, and she feared it wasn’t from a low ebb of estrogen.

Please will you provide purchase links and details?

All my books are available in trade paperback or e-book formats.
Autographed copies of my three current releases, Butterfly, Angel’s Share and Hot Flash, can be purchased from my website http://www.clareaustin.com/ with PayPal or by contacting me at AuthorClare@gmail.com
The e-books are available through http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ and several other online sellers including Amazon.
Please stop by my website or my blog http://www.clareaustin.wordpress.com/ for news and information.
Follow Clare tomorrw when she visits http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com/
 
Clare will be giving away the winner's choice of a Hot Flashes T-shirt or coffee mug to the blog host with the most comments (excluding their own, Clare's, or duplicates) as well as one randomly drawn commenter.




29 September 2010

The Brat's first Review

Please visit Fire Pages to find out what Zee thought of
The Brat.

28 September 2010

Why Zee considers The Brat a 'Keeper'



If you want to discover why Zee considers The Brat a 'Keeper', please visit Fire Pages

27 September 2010

The Brat is featured at Fire Pages every day this week

Please visit Fire Pages and support me every day this week and learn more about The Brat.

M 9/27 - The Brat Giveaway
T 9/28 - Defining a New Romance
W 9/29 - The Brat Review
TH 9/30 - Interview with Sherry Gloag
F 10/01 - Winner of The Brat Giveaway
_________________________
TWRP = http://bit.ly/d5nVDC
Amazon = http://amzn.to/bclDhY
My Website = www. sherrygloag.com/
My blog = http://bit.ly/bnuELA
Book Trailer = http://bit.ly/9O6j6C

26 September 2010

Book Review ~ Texas Promise by Celia Yeary

Texas Promise
Celia Yeary
Desert Breeze Publishing Inc.
Contemporary/History/Cowboy
Sensual.





Review:

There are good books, and then there are good books. The ones I’m talking about are the ones that when you reach the last page you feel as though you are losing contact with dear friends. That is how I felt when I finished Celia Yeary’s first book in her Cameron Sisters series, Texas Promise.

In the first two short paragraphs we’ve met and learned about Jo King, the heroine.

She’s a woman who overcome some hard personal knocks and grown strong. She’s caring and warm, and when she loves she gives her all. That’s a lot to learn in a few short words. And the author takes this skill and weaves it into every word she’s written in this story.

Even the secondary character, some we never meet, leap from the pages in their three dimensional form. Her sister True never plays a large part in this story and yet her influence on her older sister is immense. So when Jo’s past walks into her home True is there for her.

We meet the hero, Dalton King, when he is recovering from severe injuries. Ms Yeary reveals his past and the events responsible for his injuries in a series of flash backs, and if I have any nit with this book it is the information revealed, then forgotten, by Dalton while in recovery. By the time Dalton King returns home he’s a changed man, fuelled by betrayal.

What makes this story is the author’s ability to place her reader right beside her characters. You feel their pain, whether physical or emotional, you can smell the dirt tracks, as easily as you can smell sewing machine oil.

The evil slinks though the book like a rattler slithering across the desert sand (Oh my, maybe I got that wrong, not once was a snake mentioned although I did expect them to be, and was vastly relieved when they weren’t.) But what I did get strong and clear and true was the atmosphere of the country Jo and Dalton travelled through. The journey, their emotions and the responses of the people they met along the way were so vividly portrayed.

I liked that her heroine, Jo, had weaknesses that made her absolutely believable when she learned about ‘the Judge’. To say more would give away too much. The way the author dealt with Jo’s resistance was awesome.

Before I read the book fully I’d come across excerpts online so knew I’d fall in love with Ms Yeary’s writing style all over again, and I did.

By the time I turned the final page, Jo and Dalton had wormed their way into my heart and I felt a great sense of personal loss when their story ended.

You don’t need to be a lover of history to enjoy this book. You don’t need to know anything about Texas –I’m in the U.K.- to enjoy this book. But by the time you come to the end of this story, you’ll realise you’ve been gifted both.

This is a book I’d describe as a ‘keeper’. It will certainly stay on my e-shelf to be read again in the not too distant future. I will also be keeping my eye out for the sequel.

If you have not read Celia Yeary’s books I highly recommend you start now.

Reviewed by Sherry Gloag. 20-09-10

22 September 2010

Please welcome my guest today, Jacqueline Paige.




Thank you for joining us today Jacqueline.

Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I started out as a pantster and then attempted plotting, now I’m probably somewhere in the middle. Mostly now I jot down the general plot but don’t try to figure out every detail. My characters rarely follow the story line I set out to write, so much so that at times I’m not even sure how each story is going to end until I’m typing the last page.

If you could meet one great writer from the past two centuries who would it be, and why?
This is like asking me to select one jelly bean from an entire bag of them! I’m going to go with a childhood favourite, Samuel Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain.
I’ve been an avid reader since the day I could put the words together and for me, Mark Twain stories are when a writer started to push things just a little farther in society. I know there are many more out there that did the same and started the path that lead to where writers are today, but after thinking about it today I kept coming back to Samuel.

Which, if any, authors, past and present, have influenced your writing, and how?
I read a lot, so somewhere in there I’m sure my brain has retained little bits and pieces of things. In the last few years I’ve probably read every Nora Roberts, Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon book out there and I do know those particular authors writing helped me to not let go and not worry about where my characters were heading. Their books have left me sitting there in awe with the worlds and characters they’ve created.

I know what you mean.  Nora Roberts is one of my favourite authors too.  Do you have critique partners or work alone?
I mainly work alone, but have from time to time had a few partners go through large portions that weren’t working for me or were making me second guess the entire plot line and whether it was coming out in a way that the reader was going to ‘get it’. Sometimes being objective with something you’re creating is a very hard thing to do.

When we are so closely involved with our characters it makes it hard to see the wood for the trees, doesn't it?
How important do you think reviews are?

I think reviews are important enough that I pay attention to what they have to say, although I’m still going to keep doing my own thing regardless. A review is only an opinion of the reader and opinions vary from one person to the next. (One person likes purple, another likes red …) More times than I can count I’ve sought out a book and read it just because it received a poor review – so maybe I don’t quite follow the normal author wave length. :-)

How do you respond to a reviewer if its not favorable?
Regardless of good or bad review, I thank them for their opinion and the time spent to read my work. I file away all comments and reviews for future reference and try to use them to be better at my craft in the long run.

What is your favourite flower?
Sunflowers.

What is the nicest reader comment you've ever received?
The nicest comment I’ve ever received was when a reader thanked me for writing such a wonderful story that helped her forget some hard times she was going through, even for a short time.
(I really had to think long and hard to send a reply to that. I think all fiction authors write for entertainment purposes for their readers, never realizing how important it is to some readers to be able to step into a story to make reality fade for just a few pages of time.)

That is so true.
How do you advertise your work?
This is the first time I’ve tried a blog tour – but it will definitely be on my list for the future.
I also use other companies to advertise, Topaz Promotions and Class N’ Sassy promotions.
And then there is the wonders of the web, facebook, twitter, myspace, chat groups.
In a traditional sense I do flyers in my area (or areas I can get them to), bookmarks and I’m excited to say shortly I’ll have an article in a large publication in my area.

Do you have daily writing goals you set for yourself?
I tried setting goals, but reality (work, family) gets in my way too often, so now I have to run with it when I have a few quiet moments and or everyone else in the house is asleep.

How do you overcome writers block?
So far I haven’t had writers block. I’ve been too distracted to focus from time to time, but that’s usually because I have another story brewing in my mind and I have to write it down so I can buckle down and get back to work.

What is your favourite colour, and why?
Dark purple. I honestly don’t know why that colour, it just does it for me.

What books of yours are currently for sale and where can a reader buy them?
Behind the Mask
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=247

In Our Dream
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=257

(part two) From A Dream
http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=263
Also coming in within the next few months:
Salvation (Eternal Press)
Twice Cursed (Whiskey Creek Press)
Harvest Dreams – Book III in The Magic Seasons series (Class Act Books)
(Re-release for Book I also at Class Act Books)
And more to come…

Do you have a favourite recipe you'd like to share?
This is one of Arianna’s recipes in the back of Behind the Mask – and being a cheesecake addict it’s mine too!

Spider Web Pumpkin Cheesecake
1.1/4 cups Oreo Baking Crumbs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 pkg (250g each) Brick Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (29 oz/822g) pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 tsp oil

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Mix baking crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and cornstarch; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake
50–55 minutes or until center is almost set; cool slightly. Spread with sour cream. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing from pan.

Place chocolate and oil in small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on Medium 1 minute; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle over cheesecake in spiral pattern. Starting at center of cheesecake, pull a toothpick through the lines to outside edge of cheesecake to resemble a spider’s web. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Please, will you include a blurb and excerpt to share, and give us links to where we can find Mystic Perceptions?

Blurb
Jacinda Brown keeps to her safe existence doing investigative research, avoiding people and places with people. To most, it appears she has a normal life; blending completely undetected in her lonely continuation. She doesn’t investigate people; she can’t get that close. Through her hand she can feel emotions, thoughts. With a touch she can see what has been.

Unfortunately fate tosses her into a situation where her carefully guarded secret and her own conscience are at war when she finds herself working with detectives to find a killer. Jacinda clashes with the very strongly grounded detective, Reid Merritt, destiny has forced her to work with. At some point he begins to matter, making her decision harder. Will he look at her with abhorrence, like she’s some sort of freak when she’s through?

When the fifth murder happens, Jacinda makes the decision to use her gift to find the killer. She doesn’t let herself think of how she’s going to suffer afterward, the consequences that will curse her again, the chance she’ll be giving up everything and starting all over. She just thinks of finding some justice and stopping a killer.

What will be the price, this time, for the ability she doesn’t want?

Excerpt
Brent just sat there and looked at her. Reid stifled a sigh. They were pulling his leg right? This was a joke of some kind. When she continued to stand there, without so much as a smirk he frowned over at his partner. Reid shook his head in disbelief.

“It can’t be paper or clothing.” Jac said quietly.

Brent reached into his shirt, pulling out his chain and pendant. Lifting it over his head, he handed it to the crazy woman standing there, patiently holding her hand out at him.

Reid gave her a “you’ve got to be kidding” look when she stepped in front of him. When she continued to stand there, looking at him impatiently, he leaned back and pulled his keys out of his pocket. Working the pendant off the ring, he handed it to her and leaned back again. He knew his blood pressure was going to spike shortly if they didn’t stop screwing around, then he was going to start yelling.

Sandy sat down behind Jac. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” Jac held up her hand, palm up. When the doctor lowered Brent’s chain into it, Jac closed her hand around it and she took a few deep breaths as if she was trying to find some focus.

He knew Brent was waiting for them to say “Gotcha!” too. When he heard Jac laugh softly, he figured it was now.

Jac shook her head. “Really Sandy - next time please specify something they weren’t wearing during sex.” She grinned. “Cute blonde though Brent, love the lady bug tattoo.”

Where can we find your books?You can find Mystic Perceptions at Class Act Books
http://www.classactbooks.com/

Please share your website and other links with us.
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/
http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Jacqueline will be giving away a Mystic Perceptions tote bag stuffed with goodies for one randomly drawn commenter that comments at any stop along her tour schedule so the more sites you comment at the better your chance of winning.

Follow Jacqueline's tour - tomorrow at From the Shadows

Thank you for joining us today.  I wish you well with all your upcoming releases and new projects.Thanks so much for having me today!

18 September 2010

CONTEST ~ WIN a paperback copy of The Brat

"Where have you been?"
I wasn't prepared for Ben Kouvaris's snarky attitude. "Doing my first guest blog, about the progression of books, on TonivSweeny's blog, yesterday (17th).
"That was yesterday, what about the day before?"  Gina looked up from her book. 
I noticed the cover and forgot the question."You're reading your own story?" I spluttered.
"Why not?" Laughter danced in her eyes, and her cheeks pinkened. "You should put a copy up as a prize."  The laughter in her eyes turned to challenge.
"That sounds like a good idea," I said, knowing she hadn't finished yet.
"You could put the names of everyone who comments on your blog this month in a 'hat', and then on October 1st draw a name out of a hat and give them a paperback copy of The Brat as their prize."
"You'd have to tell your readers you live in the UK and it may take several days to reach the winner if they live in the States."  Ben moved behind Gina and wrapped his arms round her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder and kept his gaze on me.
"I can do that."  I visualised the books that had just arrived.  "I can do that," I repeated.
"Go on then."  They both spoke at once.
"Go on what?"
"Do it,"  Ben said.
"Announce it," Gina said at the same time.
"Very well." I looked down at the notes I'd taken of their suggestions.

* * *
First - A COMPETITION   ~
Second - THE PRIZE is a paperback copy of The Brat ~
Third - THE DRAW will be made on 1st October (UK -BST- Time)
Fourth - THE WINNER will be the first name drawn from the 'hat'
Fifth - WHO CAN TAKE PART? Anyone who leaves a comment on any of this month's blogs.
Sixth - Where?  Here at Sherry Gloags Blogspot
* * *

"Sounds good." Gina said. 
Over her shoulder Ben nodded his head.
"So I can go and promote this to the outside world without you having another hissy fit, can I?"  I 'eye-balled' Ben.
"What is this 'hissy-fit'?"  If I hadn't noticed the gleam in his eye I'd have thought he was genuinely puzzled, until I remembered Gina explained it to him a while ago.
"Go," he said. 
And I did.
Their laughter followed me out of the blog.

16 September 2010

Before You I Stand


Before you
I stand
Proud
and
Tall
divesting each garment
individually
Scattered
on a green floor
carelessly abandoned
as you
watch
With each breath
I
bare
my
limbs


I shiver
in anticipation
of the cool breeze
that whispers
over me
You hear me sigh
in expectation
of your touch
Your smile
lights up your face
as dusk falls


Stars twinkle above
An owl hoots
desolately
as darkness
descends

You watch me still
as velvet night
covers my nudity
the warmth of glowing embers
plays on your tender
skin

While beyond the glass
cold winds blow
my final
leaf
to the waiting
ground.

(Copyright Sherry Gloag 2004)

15 September 2010

Where does Gina go to relax?




Gina loves going to the beach to relax, and usually returns home with pockets full of shells



* * *

 You can buy The Brat HERE

14 September 2010

Discover Ben's childhood dream

 I studied the photograph of the Manchester United football team and turned in time to see a pensive look in Ben's eyes.
"On my first day at school I told all the other kids that one day I'd play for Man U. "
"And did you?"  I couldn't explain my disbelief at his revelation.
"No!  I just said that to impress the other kids."  He looked up and grinned at me.
* * *

 Order The Brat HERE

13 September 2010

What puts a smile of Gina's face?



"I've always loved hot chocolate and marshmallows."

Gin's sigh echoed round the room, and landed in my heart.  I waited, unsure for what.


"I promised myself that when I had a home of my own I'd have hot choclate and marshmallows every night before I went to bed."

It sounded more like a challenge than a statement.  "Even in summer?"

She smiled the smile of a staisfied woman.  "Yeah!"


* * *

Order The Brat HERE

12 September 2010

How can I …?

How can I know you?
When you hide your soul from me.
How can I hear you?
When your words remain unspoken.
How can I see you?
When you fade into the night.
How can I love you?
When you shut me out of your life?

If you would know me
You would know my heart and soul.
If you would hear me
Then I'd whisper 'I love you.'
If you would see me
You'd see who I really am.
If you will love me
I will be your candle's flame.

(Copyright Sherry Gloag 2004)

What did Ben reveal today that annoyed me so much? :-)

Ben's smile fueled my irritation with the man.  "Are you telling me that all the time I had other pilots flying you all over Europe you had... have a pilot's licence?"

"It's your own fault, you never asked."  He settled back against his wrap-around soft leather chair.  "You were so busy organising us, you never stopped to ask."

"Never stopped to ask?" The words almost choked me.  "I kept asking you about things all the way through the book."  Not normally quick to anger, Ben had me trembling with righteous indignation.  "And when I didn't you had plenty to say.  How come that small detail slipped your mind?"

"Well, you didn't ask me about that, did you?"  He rose with that effortless fluency of his and crossed to the wet bar and lifted a bottle Sherry.

I shook my head and wondered what else 'I'd forgotten to ask them about.


You can pre-order The Brat HERE

11 September 2010

Gina reveals what she wanted to do 'when she grew up'.



Before her father's death Gina danced for him every night and dreamed of becoming a famous ballerina.

* * *

You can now order The Brat here

10 September 2010

What did Ben Kouvaris do during his student days?

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, turned up last night and offered to release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.


* * *
Ben loved stock-car racing.

* * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

9 September 2010

What makes Gina feel ill?

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, offered to release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *

Today Gina reveals that a whiff of a man's cologne makes her feel queezy.

* * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

8 September 2010

What keeps Ben Kouvaris away from the UK

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, offered to release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *

Ben told me he'll never visit Britain on November 5th.  The night the British light bonfires, and enjoy massive firework displays to celebrate Guy Fawkes night.
To find out why, you'll have to read The Brat.


* * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

7 September 2010

Discover what Gina will not do

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, turned up last night and offered to release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.


* * *

Today Gina discloses that if she is alone she never stays in a room with a closed door.

* * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

6 September 2010

Ben reveals another secret

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *
Today Ben admits he's not fond of chocolate.
* * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

5 September 2010

Today Gina reveals another secret

When Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat,  release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *
 
"I thought you might laugh at me if I admitted I'm afraid of spiders," Gina told me last night.
Why would I laugh?  I'm not too fond of them either. :-)
 
* * *
 
The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

4 September 2010

Procrastination
Time passing
Theorising
Procrastination
Progress halted
Inspiration Muted.
Diversification
Excuses made
Unacceptable
Concentration thwarted
Inner consternation
As words still escape me.
(copyright Sherry Gloag 2004)

This may have been written in 2004, but not a lot seems to have changed!

Today Ben Kouvaris shares one of his secrets...

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *

Today Ben reveals, that it took him a long time to overcome his childhood fear of the dark."I no longer have time to fear the dark any more."
Ben's ferel grin spoke louder than words.

 * * *

The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

3 September 2010

Discover the things I didn't know about my main characters

Gina Williams and Ben Kouvaris, the main characters in my debut novel, The Brat, turned up last night and offered to release one piece of information each day, they did not share with me while I wrote their story.

* * *

Today Gina admits to her fear of confined spaces.

* * *
The ebook of The Brat comes out on 1st October with The Wild Rose Press.

2 September 2010

My Name's on the TWRP authors page

I happened to be browsing The Wild Rose Press site and headed over to the author page, and discovered my name has been added to their list of authors :-) LOL  I finally feel like I've 'made it'!